Product Details

In the first chapter, Grivainis presents the fourteen games from the World Correspondence Chess Federation (WCCF) World Championship Tournament, which took place from 1992-1995, that won him the world championship. He won the tournament with thirteen and a half points out of a possible fourteen, finishing four points ahead of the second-placed player. Pretty much a convincing victory.

The second chapter offers some advice about how to approach and improve your correspondence chess play, and some of this advice is relevant to classical chess too. For example, Grivainis recommends specializing in little known or little explored openings. Often, it is difficult for over-the-board (OTB) players to make the transition to correspondence chess. For one thing, the OTB player lacks the spur and the stimulus of having a flesh and blood opponent before him (or her) and so may find it difficult to stay alert. One rash or casual move may spoil months of hard work. And here is another factor: correspondence chess is a marathon and not a sprint; games may last months or perhaps years

Chapter three is an introduction to correspondence chess, and includes contact information for various organizations, such as the WCCF. The main playing rules are set out, especially as far as the use of computers is concerned.

The meat of the book is contained in chapter four, where Grivainis gives twenty six of his best games, arranged by theme (e.g. Positional Wins, Defending Attacks Against the King, Middlegame Struggles). In the main, Grivainis appears to be a solid positional player, but with a drop of poison. Like Lasker, he seems adept at tailoring his play to combat his opponents style. And he has a penchant for the Trompowski Attack.

- Taken from TheCompulsiveReader.com

Specifications

• 76 Pages
• Paperback
• Publisher: Caissa
• Published: 1997
• Notation: Algebraic Notation