29 Aug '08 21:28>
I was reading Andy Soltis' entertaining "Chess to Enjoy" column (this month's title, Win With a Champion's Secrets!) in the September 2008 issue of Chess Life magazine, when I came across a little shocker of a statement. Andy explains that the term "classic" is being cheapened as it applies to reprints of some classic chess books. As an example of a classic chess book that apparently shouldn't be called a classic, Andy mentions "The King", which he describes as a hodgepodge of bad journalism and mean-spirited carping by Jan Hein Donner. This statement took me by surprise, since I have never before heard one bad thing said about this book. well, I guess there's a first for everything.
But I did enjoy Andy's article. Andy also mentions that a book like Bronstein's Zurich 1953 would never get published today, for two reasons: 1) Because it's a tournament book (almost extinct these days), and 2) Because there's hardly any move analysis - Instead, it's filled with useful insights.
Andy also talks about what kind of chess books sell in today's market. One kind he mentions are books with either "Winning" or "Secrets" in the title. (Of course, we all know that. You can't miss those titles.)
But I did enjoy Andy's article. Andy also mentions that a book like Bronstein's Zurich 1953 would never get published today, for two reasons: 1) Because it's a tournament book (almost extinct these days), and 2) Because there's hardly any move analysis - Instead, it's filled with useful insights.
Andy also talks about what kind of chess books sell in today's market. One kind he mentions are books with either "Winning" or "Secrets" in the title. (Of course, we all know that. You can't miss those titles.)