CORRESPONDENCE CHESS BOOK REVIEWS Including Books, Periodicals, and Software (All Reviews by John Knudsen Unless Otherwise Indicated)
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Reviewed in 1998 November 14, 1998
The Chess Analyst By Jon Edwards (10th US Correspondence Chess Champion)
154 pages. Thinkers' Press/Chessco, 1101 W. 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52802; August 1998; ISBN: 0-938650-71-8. The retail price is $19.95.
When I first read a chess book, I usually glance at the table of contents to get a feel for what is contained in it. Then it is right on to Chapter 1. The Chess Analyst, by 10th United States Correspondence Chess Champion Jon Edwards, has caused me to rethink my method of consuming chess books. The first chapter I went to was Chapter 25, entitled, "Uncle Fred's Gambit." There, my eyes feasted on what may be the finest piece of correspondence chess literature ever written. This story is not only very funny, but every cc player will appreciate Edwards' perspective on the various cycles of a cc player's life.
After I stopped chuckling to myself, I wondered if the rest of the book could live up to this delightful piece. After all, analysis is fine, especially when performed by one of the strongest players in the country; but it also can be dry and booring. The title suggests the book is heavy on analysis and light on everything else. The more I got into it, however, the more I realized that there was much more.
Chapter 9, "On the French Front" and Chapter 10, "The Winawer Wars" should be required reading in the College of French Defense Understanding. We French Defense players are a dedicated bunch and Edwards ideas and innovations are refreshing. Here we see the master at work, explaining his ideas in the opening and backing it up with straight forward and easy to understand analysis, as well as supplemental games. Edwards also has no problems with using a game he lost as an example, to illustrate a point. He thereby gains credibility with his reader, as he is not afraid to use his mistakes to make things clearer. What most people want is some insight into the mind of the master, and here he does not disappoint.
Chapter 15, "Win Lose, or Draw Yah!" features Edwards' epic game with Keith Hayward in the 1987 Rook final (APCT). If a budding correspondence chess player wants to learn about high-level cc, this is the place to go. Things are not always what they seem, and you will enjoy the tenacity of the players in this game. Combined with the accompanying brilliant annotations, this a chapter to read again and again.
In every chapter, there is something either highly entertaining or instructive, or both. Edwards infects us with his enthusiasm and respect for the game, and we come away hoping that some of it will rub off on us.
Almost everywhere I turned in the book, I found things that held my attention. This is a good sign of a classic chess book! The interior art work (by Bass Long and Denise Dasso) is a nice touch, and adds to the personality of the book.
What about mistakes? What about the obligatory listing of things I didn't like? On page 63, right at the top, there is a diagram that is wrong, as the black queen has disappeared from c7 in the Winawer French. Talk about adding insult to injury. The Winawer is tough enough, without giving queen odds! There, now we have that out of the way. Don't you hate it when reviewers focus in on the most unimportant things? I know I do.
In summary, this is definitely a keeper. The publishing of any book about correspondence chess is an event worth supporting. Although this is far from being just a "correspondence chess" book (it is more than just that), cc players in particular will identify with many of the experiences that Edwards so artfully brings to the printed page.
Thinkers' Press (read Bob Long) has a long tradition of bringing out books by correspondence chess players. The literature has been greatly enhanced by his dedication to this form of the game, and should be rewarded by your patronage.