Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Chess Books Ever Written
Review: This book really shows you how a top Grandmaster thinks about a position. At this price, it is an absolute steal! There is simply no way for me to convey what a brilliantly written book this is. You just have to see for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Good games but book could be improved
Review: This is really a textbook on modern (post WWII) chess. Following the then existing fashion, the games in this collection cover mostly closed openinges like the Nimzo or King's Indian, but there also is some Sicilians, Ruy Lopez etc.

What I especially like is the fact, that the players then had to PLAY right after a few opening moves, so you see the battle unfold early rather than being told "this position up to move 27 has already occured in game x". Because of this, you will also notice several opening mistakes and how to punish them - for the rank-and-file player who wants to improve his middle game this is much more helpful than watch today's top ten GMs' perfect set-ups.

Bronstein's comments are very good and undogmatic, stressing the most important points of each battle. Games that he finds boring receive only a few words. There could be some more and also more precise analysis from time to time, but overall his writing is entertaining and very instructive.

I normally find it hard to read a chessbook from cover to back, but this one is an exception!