Carlsen vs Karjakin

I know, I know. This match was a long time ago, and there has already been another world championship match - against that other guy that begins with "Car" (By the way, is that a prerequisite for the championship now?). Anyway, there isn't a book out on the latest match yet. And, even if there was, this one is really (!) good. So if you're into this kind of book, go read it.

What can you expect from this book?

This book is not just a game collection. It is a book about the match in its entirety. It begins with an introduction that sets the scene for the match. There is a presentation of each player and their respective road to the match, as well as the venue. The book is also full of behind the scenes footage and a other goodies. I would imagine that the book could even be interesting for non-chessplayers.

Each game is of course presented in its entirety along with first class annotations by the authors. Alburt is a renowned chess writer and grandmaster, and Crumiller is a chess engine expert. In that sense, they make a good team with the ability to squeeze out the most of the computer's analyses and translate it into something that can be understood by readers well below the master level (such as myself). But it doesn't stop there. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik provides insights about the strain of playing a title match and comments on the psychology around each game. Kramnik also provides his own analyses on critical positions ("Vlad's viewpoint"). There are diagrams of key positions for each game, which readers can use to challenge themselves, if they wish.

Who should read this book?

This book may be different things to different people. I read it mostly for entertainment, and found it really excellent for that purpose. However, I assume it could also be used for training and analyses, if one desires. However, if you are looking for a book that will make you world champion, this is not it. I would recommend it to any reader who is interested in the world championship and things concerning matches like these.

About this book

Author:	Lev Alburt & Jon Crumiller
Title:	Carlsen vs Karjakin
Type of book:	Game collection
Level:	Any

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