The English Chess Federation announced its four-book shortlist for Book of the Year. Each publisher is allowed to nominate two books and the Quality Chess two both made the cut. Ilya Smirin’s King’s Indian Warfare and Jacob’s Thinking Inside the Box are our runners. The other two nominees are books by Timman and Portisch, so it’s tough competition, but so far it’s going as well as possible.
Any intention of publishing the book “Playing The Sicilian Sveshnikov” in 2018?
@Jose
No, we have a Sveshnikov book already
Which is a brilliant one.
Tough indeed! All are worthy winners and good luck to Ilya and Jacob.
@John
Hi John,
Would you consider choosing a more descriptive username than ‘John’? Every time I see your comments, I think “I don’t remember writing that.”
@John Shaw
Ok. I’ll be John NS for John Not Shaw.
@John NS
Ideal. Thanks.
Will Avrukh’s book on KI and Grunfeld be published this year?
One of the non QC nominees got a mediocre review from Sadler in latest New in Chess – I would agree with Sadler’s theme of no clear purpose to the book. On other hand, Pert’s Ragozin book got a glowing review – “a really good opening book”
@Tom
Yes
@PaulH
In which issue? Which book was?
@Gollum
2017#6 popped up on my iPad last night. It is the Portisch book he is decidedly lukewarm about.
The Portisch book might be 40 years late.
It is worthwhile to have someone as strong as Portisch, and who was a survivor of “interesting time” in print.
Hi Jacob, do u think Marin’s GM Rep printed book will be out in the week 8-13 Oct. Just asking as at that time I will be in the UK and could get it quickly delivered there instead of waiting for weeks to be delivered in BG. Thanks
@Milen
I think it will be 1-2 weeks later. Sorry.
Not sure what the publication dates were for the ECF shortlist so I limited it to the books published in 2016-17 and no slur intended on any other QC authors that I have not chosen (as I have never had a book from QC that I didn’t consider rating a good) but my personal top 4 for books published in 2016 or 2017 would be
1. Nikos- E4-e5
2. Negi 3
3. e3 poison
4. GM19- Beating Minor Openings
Smirin’s KI warfare is a close runner up- perhaps if I played the KI I’d have rated it even higher
Have bought 10 of the 17 published 2016-17 so not a comprehensive list of all QC books on the short list but enough to have favourites.
What’s everyone else think?