A while back, I set myself a challenge to memorize all the 16 undisputed world champions along with the matches they played. During this process I became aware of the long periods that some champions reigned. This fact alone made me realize that Botvinnik was one of the great champs, but I knew next to nothing about him. Curious to learn more, I decided to pick up the definitive (?) book on the world champions - My great presecessors by Garry Kasparov.
My great predecessors is a massive work of chess literature. It is a five-volume series that covers a more than a hundred years of chess history. Since I was curious about Botvinnik, I picked up vol 2. I have not read the others, and simply assume that Kasparov has used the same approach in all five volumes. I have of course checked other descriptions of the books to verify this.
The official champions are of course the main focus in this series, but Kasparov also gives some attention to some unofficial champions (before Steinitz) and strong players that never became champions. Part 1 is dedicated to Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine. Part 2 covers Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Tal. Part 3 focuses on Petrosian and Spassky. Fischer and Karpov have their own respective volumes (4 and 5).
The biographical parts are interwoven with the chess games, and for the most part presented chronologically. The annotations vary greatly in detail. In some cases the moves are just commented briefly in typical grandmaster fashion and without variations. But in general, the key moves are given a fair amount of comment. The amount of variations varies (!) a lot throughout the book, but at times they can be quite overwhelming, covering half a page or more. I am not competent to assess the quality of the analyses (and to be honest, I did not spend much time on them), but my impression is that it will be a bit too much for the average player.
As a biographical and historical account, I found the book very enjoyable. I got what I came for, which was an introduction to the lives and chess of the past champions - Botvinnik in particular. While I did not work through the games in great detail, my impression is that the instructional value will not always be very high for patzers like us. The way the chess is presented in the book makes me think that the analyses are intended mainly for more advanced players and those interested in comparing how playing styles have changed from the 1800s until today.
The revered chess historian Edward Winter has put forth some objections about the chess history content in the books. Winter's assessment is that Kasparov has taken a few shortcuts in his presentation of chess history, with a number of inaccuracies as a consequence. To the average reader, these will probably be consideredminor irrelevant issues, but for more serious students of chess history, it may be a dealbreaker. If you belong to the latter category, you may want to take a look at Winter's comments before reading the series.
Although I can imagine some readers will pick up these books looking for a 'learn from the masters' type of book. While I guess this could have some value, I strongly believe that there are better sources out there. But [disclaimer] I did not read the book with this mindset myself, so I may be wrong.
What can you expect from this book?
This is a book that will be different thing to different readers. It gives an account of the lives and games of past world champions along with the events that took place in (and outside) the chess world at the time. Some will be in it for the chess; others for the history.My great predecessors is a massive work of chess literature. It is a five-volume series that covers a more than a hundred years of chess history. Since I was curious about Botvinnik, I picked up vol 2. I have not read the others, and simply assume that Kasparov has used the same approach in all five volumes. I have of course checked other descriptions of the books to verify this.
The official champions are of course the main focus in this series, but Kasparov also gives some attention to some unofficial champions (before Steinitz) and strong players that never became champions. Part 1 is dedicated to Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine. Part 2 covers Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Tal. Part 3 focuses on Petrosian and Spassky. Fischer and Karpov have their own respective volumes (4 and 5).
The biographical parts are interwoven with the chess games, and for the most part presented chronologically. The annotations vary greatly in detail. In some cases the moves are just commented briefly in typical grandmaster fashion and without variations. But in general, the key moves are given a fair amount of comment. The amount of variations varies (!) a lot throughout the book, but at times they can be quite overwhelming, covering half a page or more. I am not competent to assess the quality of the analyses (and to be honest, I did not spend much time on them), but my impression is that it will be a bit too much for the average player.
As a biographical and historical account, I found the book very enjoyable. I got what I came for, which was an introduction to the lives and chess of the past champions - Botvinnik in particular. While I did not work through the games in great detail, my impression is that the instructional value will not always be very high for patzers like us. The way the chess is presented in the book makes me think that the analyses are intended mainly for more advanced players and those interested in comparing how playing styles have changed from the 1800s until today.
The revered chess historian Edward Winter has put forth some objections about the chess history content in the books. Winter's assessment is that Kasparov has taken a few shortcuts in his presentation of chess history, with a number of inaccuracies as a consequence. To the average reader, these will probably be considered
Although I can imagine some readers will pick up these books looking for a 'learn from the masters' type of book. While I guess this could have some value, I strongly believe that there are better sources out there. But [disclaimer] I did not read the book with this mindset myself, so I may be wrong.
Who should read this book?
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in chess history. It is a great introduction to the lives and playing styles of the past champions and challengers. So if you are looking for something to get you started on that track, this series is an excellent place to start. Advanced players may find it useful to study the games in detail. However, if you are looking for tips on how to improve your own game, I there are many many books that I would recommend over My great predecessors.About this book
| Author: | Garry Kasparov |
| Title: | My Great Predecessors |
| Type of book: | Games collection, Biography |
| Level: | Any |
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