Killer Chess?

With our new leaflet of planned publications we have revealed the books we are expecting to put out the next nine months. Three of the books in the series of Classics have been translated and will come out slowly. One of them is The Science of Strategy by Kotov. We tried to get a better title from you guys, but I for once you let us down and did not come up with something better (according to us).

So, here is the question: Do you have a better idea for the book about Geller’s games than Killer Chess? This is the cover. The title can be changed.

As always, if you suggest a title that we use, we will put your name on page 2 in the book and send you a free copy.

138 thoughts on “Killer Chess?”

  1. Efim Geller – The Russian Bear

    On the kotov book, I think it is more you had a very good title already, which worked well with the cover.

  2. It would be a good thing to have a remote idea what the book is about.

    Bear hunting in the Ural mountains?

  3. @Paul H
    Geller wasn’t russian. He was a jew (from the ukrainian part of the soviet union)

    My suggestion:
    “Geller brings chess to bear”. Get it?

  4. @barkis
    No such country as Ukraine when Geller was born, and he played under the Russian Federation when winning the 1992 World Senior Championship. Not sure the bear on the cover makes sense without a Russia connection either.

  5. Efim Geller – Calculate to Win

    Geller´s Strategies and Tactics – Lessons from the Past

    Geller´s Secrets – A Legacy Revealed

    Secret Notes from my Legacy

  6. Jacob Aagaard

    you do know the key point here is to find a better title, right? Not just say whatever you find funny after 10 beers 🙂

  7. Actually, looking some more at cover I update slightly my punt to:
    Efim Geller – The Russian Bear Attacks

  8. On the wider leaflet Ree reviews the German version of the Kramnik book you are publishing – “Hans Ree would have preferred a more personal book, but Hensel certainly has some stories to tell”. And Sadler gives 5 stars to all the Tal books.

  9. Beating the Best: Geller’s Greatest Games

    I like the cover, not sure it is appropriate for Geller. Maybe Spassky.
    How similar is the book to Application of Chess Theory?

  10. “Efim Geller – Eating the World Champions”
    “Efim Geller – Deadly Threat”

    “Dangerous Encounters”
    “Chess to the Max”

  11. Dominant Chess Strategy

    Then, something came up with the Revenant or catching fish from the river, and it was time to stop.

  12. A Second to None : Efim Geller
    -it is a play on Efim being a GM Second to many many top players (including World Champions) and yet being one of the best at scalping World Champions. He has one of best scores against many world Champions.
    Actually, GM Kevin Spraggett once said to me that Geller’s Book; “Application of Chess Theory” should be called “How to Beat World Champions”.

  13. Jacob Aagaard

    @David
    A lot of overlap. Our book has a lot more games, mainly. Twice as many. We decided that to republish them was better than having a “volume 2” approach. We pick up the costs, those who had the other book gets some games twice, while those who did not, get them extra.

  14. David :
    Beating the Best: Geller’s Greatest Games
    I like the cover, not sure it is appropriate for Geller. Maybe Spassky.
    How similar is the book to Application of Chess Theory?

    +1
    Better save the pic & title for Spassky, aka The Beast from the East.

  15. Yes, again 10 beers allready… here we go again!

    In Russia they learn bears to do tricks: Geller’s tricks. Magic with pawns.

    By doing so the bear becomes a puppet: Look who is pulling Geller!

    All the pictures I found show Geller smoking: Holy smoke!

    I like his score against Fischer: How to kill a Robear (if there needs to be a killing theme)

    And of course chess players are nerds with posters (at leat I used to be): I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.

  16. I think I read somewhere (Kasparow?) that in the Soviet Union he was colloquially called ‘Petrovich’.
    So, what about something including Bewitching (Bewit- crossed out in Smirin-style and replaced with Petrovi-)…
    … according to contest, e. g. Attacking Chess.

  17. I suppose that the book “The Woodpecker method” will improve slightly my calculation skill and visualization. No?

  18. On a separate tpoic (I really couldn’t care less what the name of the book is) good to see software Chess on Desktop. Surprised QC has not mentioned it!!

  19. @The Doctor
    There was a discussion under one unconnected blogpost a while back. I agree it is fantastic – but my optimal use is non mac. Two screens- one with Forward Chess, one with Chessbase is in my view the dream way to study an opening. Then can refresh your knowledge on the phone app on the train to work.

    Other uses would be to create “flash cards” for endgame positions or Jacobs GM series in chessbase.

    All of course possible with the book version, but productivity goes through the roof.

  20. Lars Pedersen

    “Efim Gellers games” or “A book about Efim Gellers games”.

    Just tell it like it is. “Killer chess” is corny.

  21. To paraphrase Steven King:

    “A Bear of fearsome size” – Efim Geller’s chess.

    Geller’s Games — “Bears will be Bears”.

  22. This click bait stuff on QC is just terrible: some of the worst posts ever.
    Stick with the original title, and please stop asking for “help” with title ideas.

    FWIW, posts from a “99designs” cover competition might be worth trying.

  23. Jacob Aagaard

    @John Upper
    Now I find that offensive. With the Kotov book, we for the first time did not find a better title from our readers. With other books we did. Wtf is that click bait. With this Geller book, we have improved our understanding of what to do with a title we are not fully happy with and will use ideas from some people in this post.

  24. @ barkis

    Besides, I fail to see the relevance of Geller’s faith – you seem to mix up nationality and religion, as if there were no people with a jewish faith in Russia. It’s like saying ‘Fischer was not a Spaniard, he was an anti-semite’.

  25. Please don’t use any words what could be associate with killing or a murder. Chess is a peaceful game. As a coach I would never recommend a book with similar title to a kid. There is a Russian book by E.Geller – How to win against the champions. Are you translating it? Then the title is already thought by the author ( my assumption as the book was published in 2005 while the Efim passed away in 1998)

  26. If the book was already published years ago and if it is mostly a new edition without major change it make sense to keep the old title…or at least to mention it was former published under that title.
    This apply to the Kotov book also as i dont understand if it is something new (?!) or only a new “arrangement” of an old book ?

  27. It could help if QC gave a quick description of books for which they need titles. What”s the point of proposing random synonyms if noone knows what’s in the book?

  28. Is that Elephant Gambit book a repertoire book? I am quite surprised about a book on this opening, but who knows 😀

    On the title of Jefim Geller, how about a photo of Trotsky and Geller morphing into each other ?

  29. I think a book on Geller should be findable by searching on his name, and in a list of book titles it should be possible to figure out what kind of book it is. So I like titles that have his actual name in them.

    You could still make a geller/killer pun by using it in a phrase that people will recognize, like “The Geller Instinct” or so. But the pun seems pretty far fetched in the first place.

  30. Remco G :
    I think a book on Geller should be findable by searching on his name, and in a list of book titles it should be possible to figure out what kind of book it is. So I like titles that have his actual name in them.
    You could still make a geller/killer pun by using it in a phrase that people will recognize, like “The Geller Instinct” or so. But the pun seems pretty far fetched in the first place.

    The Geller Instinct is a great title!

  31. ‘Geller’s Odessa Files’?
    Needed a spy themed cover really.

    How about simply: ‘Geller Attacks’

  32. Vladimir Bronski

    ‘Geller – Maximalist and Inventor’

    or why not as in Kasparov’s Predecessors: ‘ Geller – Threat to the Champions’

  33. Chess Mauler

    Chess Brawler

    Scourge of Champions

    Claw Marks: The Games of Efim Geller

    Tooth and Claw: The Games of Efim Geller

  34. Jacob Aagaard :
    We have decided on a bit odd title:
    THE NEMESIS: GELLER’S GREATEST GAMES

    I like it, it’s simple and captures Geller’s greatest claim to fame besides King’s Indian guru quite well.

  35. It’s definitely much better a title than the initially planned.

    Having found the title – all that’s missing is the book…. 🙂

  36. The Bear Attacks! or This Bear Attacks! or paraphrasing the famous Russian Qoute This Bear Plays for Mate or Playing for Mate By Efim Geller

  37. David Parker :
    Is this book a re-issue of the Pergamon The Application of Chess Theory?

    No, not a re-issue. There will be some overlap, as both books involve Geller annotating his own games, but there will be plenty in our book that is not in the old Pergamon book, including more annotated games and memoirs about Geller by other players. Also our book will be a totally fresh translation from Russian.

  38. I see that this book is scheduled for a July release. Hopefully it´s on track since I am very much looking forward to this.

    Btw I like the title ´The Nemesis´ but the cover less so. Was there no nice picture of Geller available?

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