Gata Kamsky - Chess Gamer, Volume 2 - (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

These three volumes contain the most memorable games of five-time US Champion Gata Kamsky. Volume 1 covers the period before his early retirement. Volume 2 and 3 cover the period after his return to the game and will be available in the Autumn of 2019 and 2020. The annotations are an attempt to search for the truth and reveal the workings of a Grandmaster's mind. The introductions are designed to show the reader what he thought, felt and experienced at the time and during each game. In addition, he sometimes shares his personal opinions on subjects like politics and his philosophy of life.

Review Quotes

Kamsky analyses these games exhaustively, often explaining the mindset with which he approached them and why they have special meaning for him....it is still an amazing read... Kudos to Thinkers Publishing for convincing the American Chess Legend to publish with them, especially when we learn that "This is going to be my only work on chess, a subject that I feel I have learned enough about to share with you some of my knowledge". American Chess Magazine April 2019. Carsten Hansen.

So far two volumes in this series have been released and they do not disappoint in the slightest. Kamsky has a unique story in that after losing the 1996 FIDE world championship match to Karpov, he hardly played until his return in 2004. Shortly returning to a top level after his return, Kamsky has given us a splendid collection of his best efforts with some of the most in depth annotations I have ever seen. With each game taking up approximately 15-20 pages of analysis this is definitely not a book for the lazy. However Kamsky does not seek to drown the reader in an endless sea of variations, rather it is representative of the depth to which he understands chess, providing first-class explanations in the process. One of the few books I have read which gave me the instant impression of feeling stronger from going over the content. Gopal Menon CHESS BOOK COLLECTORS 0620

In some respects, then, this is a very personal book: much more than just a games collection. Every one of the games is fascinating, the annotations are superb, but you probably need to be round about 2200 strength to gain full benefit from following all the variations. Below that level, you might find yourself shouting "too much information, Mr Kamsky" and perhaps prefer to spend your money on something with more games and fewer variations. The production standards, as usual from this publisher, are excellent. I noticed very few typos (a redundant check sign and Jeffrey rather than Jeffery Xiong). If you're looking for a collection of grandmaster games with exceptionally detailed annotations, along with some very personal insights into the world of top level chess, this is the book for you. Richard James, Twickenham, 26th February 2020 BRITISH CHESS NEWS.