Vasily Smyslov

The Life & Games of the Seventh World Chess Champion Vasily Smyslov, the seventh world champion, had a long and illustrious chess career. He played close to 3,000 tournament games over seven decades, from the time of Lasker and Capablanca to the days of Anand and Carlsen. From 1948 to 1958, Smyslov participated in four world championships, becoming world champion in 1957. Smyslov continued playing at the highest level for many years and made a stunning comeback in the early 1980s, making it to the finals of the candidates’ cycle. Only the indomitable energy of 20-year-old Garry Kasparov stopped Smyslov from qualifying for another world championship match at the ripe old age of 63! In this first volume of a multi-volume set, Russian FIDE master Andrey Terekhov traces the development of young Vasily from his formative years and becoming the youngest grandmaster in the Soviet Union to finishing second in the world championship match tournament. With access to rare Soviet-era archival material and invaluable family archives, the author complements his account of Smyslov’s growth into an elite player with dozens of fascinating photographs, many never seen before, as well as 49 deeply annotated games. German grandmaster Karsten Müller’s special look at Smyslov’s endgames rounds out this fascinating first volume. [This book] is an extremely well-researched look at his life and games, a very welcome addition to the body of work about Smyslov... – from the Foreword by Peter Svidler

The endgame is a subtle phase of the game many ordinary players would like to improve. In taking the reader through over 150 instructive examples, taken mostly from his own games, Smyslov covers a very broad range of positions - and provides an excellent overall insight into the endgame as a whole. Unlike standard endgame manuals, which concetrate purely on the most basic and technical positions, this book has numerous examples with many pieces on the board - the type of endgame you are in fact most likely to reach. By learning from Smyslov's impeccable technique, readers will improve their own endgame abilities - and results! Grandmaster Vasily Smyslov is renowned for his artistic mastery of the endgame, and his 1957 World Championship victory over Botvinnik can be largely attributed to his unique gifts in this aspect of the game. The winner of innumerable first prizes in international tournaments, Smyslov became, at 61, the oldest player ever to qualify for the World Championship Candidates Matches. Now in his mid-seventies, he still participates constantly in international events - with remarkable success.

Basic Chess Endings involving rooks and pawns

World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik writes the story of his three clashes for the world title with fellow Russian Vasily Smyslov. Botvinnik, one of the greatest chess players of all time, analyses all the games, reveals his match strategy, and comments on the strategic choices of his opponent. Not only an important historical document on the pinnacle of chess of the mid-20th century, but also a fascinating and highly instructive report.

Genna Sosonko lived the first 29 years of his life in Leningrad. He emigrated to Holland in 1972 and was one of the strongest grandmasters in the world. His bestselling book, Russian Silhouettes, was shortlisted for the world’s premier chess book award, the British Chess Federation Book of the Year.

The Stories and the Games: Alekhine – Euwe – Botvinnik – Smyslov – Tal - Petrosian – Spassky – Fischer - Karpov – Kasparov For many years Jan Timman was one of the best chess players in the world. He combined his brilliant successes on the board with a passion for writing and meticulously analysing his own games and those of his rivals. Three times he was a World Championship Candidate and in 1993 he played in the final of the FIDE World Championship. In this fascinating book, Jan Timman portrays ten World Chess Champions that played an important role in his life and career. Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946) he never met, but the story of how in Lisbon he bought one of the last chess sets belonging to the fourth World Champion is one of many highlights in this book. Timman has a keen eye for detail and a fabulous memory, and he visibly enjoys sharing his insider views, including many revelations about the great champions. Timman’s Titans not only presents a personal view of these chess giants, but is also an evocation of countless fascinating episodes in chess history. Each portrait is completed by a rich selection of illustrative games, annotated in the author’s trademark lucid style. Always to the point, sharp and with crystal-clear explanations, Timman shows the highs and lows from the games of the champions, including the most memorable games he himself played against them.

In his third full-length memoir about one of the world's greatest ever chess players Genna Sosonko portrays a warm picture of the seventh world champion Vasily Smyslov, with whom he spent considerable time over the board, during tournaments and while meeting at each other's homes. Smyslov the man was far more balanced and spiritual than most of his contemporaries, capable of a relaxed and yet principled approach to life. Unlike most top players he was able to reach a very high standard in his chosen hobby - in his case, classical singing - even while playing chess at the very top. His natural inclination to see the best in people was, however, challenged as the world around him underwent fundamental changes late in his life. The new freedoms of the post-Soviet era also engendered one of the most extraordinary polemics in chess history - David Bronstein's article 'Thrown' Games in Zurich (2001) - bringing accusations against Smyslov that forced him to defend himself at the age of eighty, by which time many witnesses to the events in Zurich were already deceased. In this book, Genna focuses in particular on that polemic, places it in the wider context of the so-called Soviet Chess School, and asks whether Bronstein's hurt and accusations were justified.