Attacking Chess: Aggressive Strategies and Inside Moves from the U.S. Junior Chess Champion (Fireside Chess Library)

Thank you.

Impressive as the status of America's junior champion may be, you'd be forgiven for suspecting that the author might be a little wet around the ears to be publishing his own volume on the glorious game. However, this book contains some rather provocative food for thought- from a teenager who has frequently been referred to as 'the terrible infant' of chess. Beyond such widely-known opening gambits as Von Ulrich's 'Libyan defence' or the 'Franco-Prussian allegiance declined' (the chess equivalent to baiting an off-side trap within the 4-4-2), it's fair to say that young Josh has plenty of novel stratagems up his pubescent young sleeves. I absolutely adored the suggestion for replenishing the unilateral onslaught within an overtly solipsistic Stoltzenmeyer-dynamic (by simply manoeuvring a corrupted bishop to stagnate alongside the most reclusive flanker within the Dutch convoy). Perhaps better still is his manner of infiltrating "Schroeder's Feudal Bunker"- by threatening the patrolling rooks with progressively diverse scenarios of acrostic flagellation. Some of his most radical solutions were little short of an epiphany to me (although if you're seriously hoping that ANY textbook could reveal a fool-proof secret to imposing polarisation upon an array of pawns that has been reconstituted into tertiary "Doppler-alignment", then you must be living in cloud cuckoo land!!!).Perhaps most interesting of all those to be found within Waitkin's detailed tips are some of those regarding exchange strategy- the art of trading pieces with your opponent, with the intention of attaining an advantageous position. As the teen-aged champion says in his final chapter:"Try to ensure that your pieces are as evenly balanced against your opponent's as possible. It is far better to focus on maintaining an equilibrium, than to devote all of your attention to sealing victory. REMEMBER: the primary goal is to ensure that you BOTH end up naked!"Despite the youthful enthusiasm behind this thought-provoking chapter on the unusual tactics that might be incorporated into a game of 'strip-chess', however, one can't help but feel suspicious of the extravagant claims about his 'inside moves'. Try as he might to portray himself as the philandering young hero of the kiddies' chess scene, I suspect that it amounts to little more than childish bravado from the hormonally-charged teen. From what I heard, little 'S****y-pants' Waitzkin (as he was nicknamed at school, by his home economics teacher) has never succeeded in bringing his 'bishop' out to 'mate', to this very day!

A birthday pressy for our son.

If you're a beginner or intemediate player aiming to hone on your attacking skills, Waitzkin's book will aid you. Josh shares with us his views of chess both as a game and as a psychological battle. He shares his experiences and thoughts. This makes it not a mere book on chess but also a book that transmits the author's experiences and views, allowing for a good touch of originality and depth. You'll discover both the game and the man behind the game. I liked the concept, I liked the book, and it helped me to become a better attacker, teaching me to become bold, brave and risky at the board. Such is chess, such is life. :)