Rating: 
Summary: Recommended for dedicated chess enthusiasts
Review: Knowledgeably written by the World Champion chess player who held that title from 1985-2000, Garry Kasparov On My Great Predecessors, Part 1 is an in-depth study of the play of great masters and champions such as Wilhelm Steinitz (who held the title from 1886-1894), Emanuel Lasker (1894-1921), Jose Raul Capablanca (1921-1927) and Alexander Alekhine (1927-1935 and 1937-1946). Analyzing the specifics of the chess games, drawing from observation, experience, and the analysis of the latest chess software, Garry Kasparov On My Great Predecessors, Part One is an invaluable resource which is especially recommended for those dedicated chess enthusiasts who wish to better understand the game itself through analyzing the play of its finest practitioners.
Rating: 
Summary: Personal insight having meet Kasprov and a fellow author
Review: Last week in London Kasparov gave a nice lecture and booksigning. He is a rather well spoken person - especially for the fact he is from Moscow and gave his lecture in English at the London Chess Centre. The main topic of his lecture was on one of the games in his book. I had eight of my students ages 8-16 with me from the United States (we played a match against England - yes we won) and went for Kasparov's book signing and lecture. Indeed an enjoyable experience.
I can also speak from the standpoint of a Master, chess trainer and author of several top selling chess books (Chess For Juniors, Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors, Winning Chess Tournaments For Juniors, More Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors)from Random House (some containing games with extensive analysis by top World Champions).
Kasporov provides in what he says will be a serious of 6 books (maybe 7) his personal perspective and analysis of the history and games of former World Champions. He clearly stated that there have been inaccuracies in his analysis, but corrections will be made in future editions.
I do find his books to be insightful, well worth obtaining, and a valuable resource for the serious chess player. Kasparov and I have a different approach. I am a teacher, he as a World champion recites (and to some degree rightfully so!).
Rating:
Summary: A Good Book for Your Library
Review: My father bought me this book (thanks, Dad!) while I was in California recently. I wanted to share some thoughts with you from my experience as both a teacher and a student of Chess.I'm about 100-150 pages into it, and I like this book. It's not for the faint of heart, however, and I haven't delved into much of the analysis and variations because I simply don't have the time. However, the book is quite readable, and Kasparov's effort of putting the games in context with a history and description of many of the many players and events surrounding the world champions is a welcome relief from the monotony of page after page of annotations and "informant" symbols found in comparable books of this level. It should be noted however, that this book is not for junior students. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 1600 (perhaps even 1800), simply because there are other books out there that do a better job of catering to what junior players need to develop their game. That having been said, anyone who simply plays through the games and reads Kasparov's histories of the various world champions and their matches will be amply rewarded. Some of the features of the book that I like: (1) at the end of each chapter on each world champ, Kasparov summarizes with comments from other world champions regarding that individual. (2) the moves to each game are printed in bold face so that it is much easier to distinguish the actual moves from the analysis. (3) The analysis itself is insightful, and from what I have been able to ascertain, seems to be generally accurate. Of course, one should expect some errors as with any book. I'm not as much interested in variations and lines of analysis as I am in chess wisdom--general observations and maxims which I can put to immediate use--which is why I think that Bronstein's tournament book of Zurich 1953 is perhaps the greatest book on Chess ever written---certainly in the top 5. (4) The language used in On My Great Predecessors is very well-thought-out and it's clear the writer took the time to express his thoughts precisely. My chief reservation regarding this book is that it's difficult to tell what parts of the book Kasparov himself wrote (apart from the numerous "-G.K." quotes). I would like to think that Kasparov himself did a large part of the writing and analysis, or failing that, that he at least reviewed the analysis. It seems that the latter is true, although it's hard to confirm to what extent Kasparov himself was actually involved in the preparation of the text. It would have been nice if Kasparov's involvement had been clarified somewhere in the book. From the opening chapter where the author gives a one- or two-paragraph summary of each world champion, the author uses first person ("I see my style as...") when describing Garry Kasparov, suggesting that this paragraph (and perhaps that entire chapter) was written by Kasparov; however in the rest of the book the author attributes numerous quotes, including game analysis quotes, to Kasparov. A comparatively minor issue is to what extent computers were involved in the analysis. A computer double-check is a good thing to have; however, anyone can load crafty or Chess Tiger on his PC and get good analysis from these 2600+ computer programs. In fact, the latest versions of Shredder are now over 2800! So when I buy chess books, I'm not looking for computer analysis but rather the insight---in English, not Informant symbols---which is unique to world-class players writing these books. However, it would have been good to see at least a blurb as to how computers were used in the analysis (e.g. what program, version, hardware, etc.). In summary, from what I've seen so far, the book is destined to become a part of any Chess library, as important as the ECO's or ECE's. Once the whole three-volume set is out, it will probably become a standard reference work. I look forward to future volumes and editions. Thomas K...
Rating:
Summary: Good History
Review: This is of course a strong history, despite the controversy over authorship. The world champions should be treated like artists, Kasparov included, and for the most part, here, they are. For an even better look at the world of chess though, check out The Chess Artist, by J.C. Hallman. Fewer games, but a better look at the world of chess as a whole.
Rating:
Summary: Kaspaov loves chess
Review: This is truly an outstanding book, and I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the series. I envy those now starting out in chess to be able to pick up a book like this and have the whole history of modern chess opened up to him or her in such depth by such an authority and lover of chess as Kasparov. What an inspiration! For me, who has always had Capablanca as my chess hero, the chapter on Jose Raul the Third was thrilling and very illuminating. Capablanca was undoubtedly chess's most talented player, but it was also something that held him back as much as it helped him reach the peak. What a tragedy the 1927 match with Alekhine was for him, and in this book, all the drama of that time and the years that followed are explained in a way unlike anything I've ever seen before. If only Capablanca had applied himself more to the game that gave him so much...
Rating: 
Summary: It's O.K.
Review: When such a great player as Kasparov writes a book, people should take notice. How much more so when he writes on the other world champions. The book itself is well produced, and there are some interesting chessic insights into the world champs up to Alekhine. Some of his revisitations of classic games have overturned decades-old verdicts. However, it's disappointing that the biographical details were not prepared with much accuracy. To be fair, Kasparov is only one in a long line of chess authors who were sloppy with historical data, something that people like Edward Winter are trying to remedy. Even worse, Kasparov tries to psychologize the characteristics of the champs by linking them to the era they lived in. Some are just bizarre, e.g. Alekhine's agression "amazingly resembles the devastating wars that shook Europe in the first half of the twentieth century." But Capablanca, only four years older, typifies "the years of hope and optimism." Botvinnik's "cold and merciless style" was "a symbol of the might of the Stalin regime!" When it comes to the man who took Kasparov's title without loss of a game, he describes Kramnik as reflecting the materialist mentality of "What is your company worth?" "How much are your shares?" Why this didn't typify the reigns of Capablanca or Alekhine, who lived through the even more extreme sharemarket exuberance of the 1920s, is anyone's guess. Most disappointingly, there are even mistakes in analysis and plagiarism, although for the most part Kasparov acknowledges previous analysts. I have the first two, and want to get the others when they come out. They are an interesting and informative read despite the flaws.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read, but flawed
Review: When such a great player as Kasparov writes a book, people should take notice. How much more so when he writes on the other world champions. The book itself is well produced, and there are some interesting chessic insights into the world champs up to Alekhine. Some of his revisitations of classic games have overturned decades-old verdicts. However, it's disappointing that the biographical details were not prepared with much accuracy. To be fair, Kasparov is only one in a long line of chess authors who were sloppy with historical data, something that people like Edward Winter are trying to remedy. Even worse, Kasparov tries to psychologize the characteristics of the champs by linking them to the era they lived in. Some are just bizarre, e.g. Alekhine's agression "amazingly resembles the devastating wars that shook Europe in the first half of the twentieth century." But Capablanca, only four years older, typifies "the years of hope and optimism." Botvinnik's "cold and merciless style" was "a symbol of the might of the Stalin regime!" When it comes to the man who took Kasparov's title without loss of a game, he describes Kramnik as reflecting the materialist mentality of "What is your company worth?" "How much are your shares?" Why this didn't typify the reigns of Capablanca or Alekhine, who lived through the even more extreme sharemarket exuberance of the 1920s, is anyone's guess. Most disappointingly, there are even mistakes in analysis and plagiarism, although for the most part Kasparov acknowledges previous analysts. I have the first two, and want to get the others when they come out. They are an interesting and informative read despite the flaws.
Rating:
Summary: Analysis material for a while
Review: Yes, I was in that New York bookstore
for the booksigning and I was one of the victims of the
bookstore`s misscalculation of the interest that this release
would generate and thus left empty handed and my copy does
not bear Kasparov`s signature.
But I like this book. It tries to tell the history of chess like you would tell the evolution of a scientific discipline. In this
book, emphasis is placed on the concept of evolution of chess
ideas and of different approaches to the game. The authors concentrate on the achievements of the world champions, but nevertheless, when significant advances were introduced by players who for whatever reason could not hold the world title, they still receive their due credit. At a very personal level I like particularly the part about the epic Capablanca-Alekhine match. This was not the match between the old champion and the young pretender, but a struggle between two players at the peak of their strength. Analysis of many games is dense and I agree that it certainly is beyond the comprehension of most beginners. A nice feature of the book is that authors tried to choose the games in such a way that they are representative of the style of play of each of the champions. If you are into seriously analysing positions and games, this book has plently of material to keep you busy for a while. But
if you are not, you can go through the games at your leisure,
peeking at some notes from time to time, and you will still
enjoy the games of the great champions of the past. Regards.
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