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Suggestions for books you'd like to see converted into MoveTrainer™ courses or authors you would like to see on the platform belong here. Which print book would you like us to bring to life next? Show us with your upvotes!

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Latest Forum Posts

[-] Benedictine PRO 4 hours ago

Thanks a lot, much appreciated!

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[-] Hoskins PRO 5 hours ago*

Not quite true, SL - I can resist everything but context-adapted Wilde quotes.

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[-] superlychee PRO 5 hours ago

Dear Hoskins,
not even you can fight the power of alliterations.

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[-] Hoskins PRO 7 hours ago

Yup - sounds like it is all sorted now so I think I'll say no more. :)

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[-] BobbyTalparov PRO 7 hours ago*

I was a bit surprised they went with the cover art as it is very close to the cover art for Marc's book. I'm also surprised they did not also complain about using Marc's name and book reference to market the book in the description.

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[-] Hoskins PRO 8 hours ago

I would've thought that would be best, too - but I fancy that given events, there is a reason why the rather 1950s title was chosen.

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[-] BobbyTalparov PRO 8 hours ago

Why not go with the theme of "Crush the Morra" (to keep in line with the "Crush the London")?

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[-] logozar 9 hours ago

Geert’s suggestion “Mop up the Morra!” has been accepted. Thanks for voting.

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[-] Philidor 10 hours ago

Very good advice. I am trying this with Alex Fishbein's King and Pawn Endings, which has some 300 positions. It starts easy and gradually more pawns are added and the variants become more complex. Would also be a nice book to have on chessable.

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[-] Philidor 10 hours ago

Looking forward to it. Just bought your knight fork trainer, cool book! Will have a look at your other works after that, they look about the right level for me! Thanks for your publishing work.

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Latest Book Posts

[-] logozar 2 hours ago

I studied the physical version of this book and gave it 5/5 stars.
My review can be found on amazon and is reposted below.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Gambit Killer" doesn't overload you with theory. The author's approach is that he wants to show you as much as you need to know, but no more. Many of his recommendations are ahead of current theory, countering and evaluating various gambits with cutting edge analysis, often including novelties. Despite being theoretically challenging, the author highly emphasizes understanding and takes the time to explain the main ideas and gives exercises to help make sure they stick. Not everything is perfectly explained (I especially don't like the overuse of the word "logical" for various moves that are both good or bad), but good enough to get the main ideas. Those in the main target audience (2000+ due to the cutting edge theory) likely can understand without needing an explanation on every basic detail anyways, so this doesn't majorly detract from the value of the book. Players below 2000 can also learn a lot from this book, especially as understanding is emphasized and the theory isn't overwhelming. Highly recommended. 5/5 stars.

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[-] SmithyQ PRO 3 hours ago

The word count finally got updated, and we clocked in at 36,682 words. Not bad!

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[-] Jestfer PRO 4 hours ago

Those are great options to learn against d4, indeed. I myself was considering a while ago to choose between the Nimzo and the Grunfeld, but the later fits my style better.
Best of luck with it!

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[-] tomasthrainsson PRO 5 hours ago

Excellent resource for a crash course in the Scandi. After finishing the book, I bought the full Scandi course. Really enjoying plowing through all the various lines one can meet.

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[-] superlychee PRO 6 hours ago*

You can find it in my review.

"The twelfth chapter is a potpourri out of the Gibbins-Weidenhagen-,
the Charlick (Englund)- and the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit."

Good chess,
superlychee

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[-] sconibulus 7 hours ago*

Yes, the only time I appreciate this is when the panel is missing existing variations/chapters or when details are given (e.g. it might be useful to know what the Easily Refuted Gambits are).

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[-] quixote404 PRO 11 hours ago*

Could we have less content description in the reviews please? its already available on the RHS panel and does not convey any info to the readers, but just takes up space and makes the reviews unnecessarily bigger making most of such reviews bland and boring. Chessable should make it mandatory to skip this "content description" for all its reviewers.

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[-] superlychee PRO 11 hours ago*

Gambit Killer by Ivan Salgado Lopez

Rating 4/5

Gambit Killer, Qu'est ce que c'est?

The book by the strong Spanish Grandmaster deals with various Gambits around 1. d4.

This isn't a guide to mangle all Gambits, not even all critical Gambits against 1. d4.
No room was given the Marshall Attack in the Semi-Slav and Kortchnoi's idea with 2. h3 followed by 3. g4.

The Chessable Edition has 14 Chapters:

After a short preface follow

the Budapest Gambit and the Blumenfeld Gambit with two chapters each,
after which one section covers the Tarrasch Defense and the Marshall Gambit.

The next three chapters deal with the Von Hennig-Schara Gambit.

Chapter 10 holds the Slav Gambits with the Winawer Countergambit and Timman's Gambit.

Then there are the Dutch Gambits covering the Krejcik Gambit and the Staunton Gambit.

The twelfth chapter is a potpourri out of the Gibbins-Weidenhagen-,
the Charlick (Englund)- and the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.

Penultimately the Albin Gambit has its chapter.

A bunch of whole model games with exercises from the author formulate the final chapter.

Before we dive deeper into the course, I have to get a bit wordier than usual.

I had a hard time to get used to the book.

This book is not a Killer, Mangler, Destructor or other bloodthirsty things.
I believe the title is just a commercial blurb.
This book is, in most parts, not even a Refutor.

This book is a Neutralizer.

After studying this course, you'll able to get playable positions out of the gambits mentioned above.
That's no small feat.

To achieve this goal, Lopez has laid out his work 'pedagogical'.
You will get the most out of it, by following the guidelines from the preface.

READ it.

The recipe is simple.

1) You get a cursory overview of the themes in the introduction to the given opening.

2) Some chronologically sorted classic games help you to recognise the themes in context. You witness the evolution of the theory.

3) One page of theory summarises the essential lines.

4) The following titles will deepen the theoretical background.
There's the beef.
Here Lopez shines with in-depth, highly innovative analysis.

5) Try to use the newly learned theory in carefully selected middlegame positions. See the plans and understand the situation. The author will look over your shoulder, and the Chessable team has armed the MoveTrainer for you.

6) Testify your new knowledge in the last chapter with complete annotated games and more exercises.

But following this recipe sadly isn't easy. You have to search the ingredients by yourself and put them in the right order.
Luckily this task is made a lot easier some cleverly positioned hyperlinks.

The Von Hennig-Schara Gambit comes closest to the ideal structure as Lopez had planned it.
Begin with chapter 7; there you find the introduction and the classic games.
Continue with the next chapter and close with the model games out of the last chapter, and you're set.

'But, wait, superlychee. There are two following chapters called Black and White Von Hennig-Schara Gambit repertoire!?'

Ahm, yeah, this is a Chessable exclusive feature.
Lopez isn't a Gambit Killer as I've pointed out before. He shows you that some gambits are playable, in particular, the Von Hennig-Schara.

To take that into account, the Chessable team has ripped the original chapter in two parts, made them trainable for both sides.

So after studying the classic games, choose your side in the Von Hennig-Schara and continue with the recipe.

Things are not so easy for the other two 'big' gambits: the Budapest and the Blumenfeld Gambit.

To study them properly, you have to read the introduction in the theory chapter.
Now jump into the corresponding model game chapter (You remember, each 'big' gambit has two chapters.) study them and come back to read the rest of the theory and finish with the games and exercises from the last chapter.

Now things start to get blurry.
Lopez deviates from his path for the rest of the gambits, but not without reason.
For the Dutch, the Slav, the Albin and the remaining gambits, the six steps of improvement aren't implemented anymore.

As stated by the author in the preface:
'I want to give you ONLY the information that you need, no more, no less.'

For these openings, he chose another approach:

'1. These gambits are popular, but the positions demand concrete play. It is not like the Budapest where sometimes White is better, but some strategical knowledge about the middlegame is needed.

2. Because these lines are very concrete, every move is very important. I couldn't justify cutting the lines down.

3. I want to be efficient and give you only the most useful information!'
Lopez

For the Dutch, Slav and Albin Gambit and the 'little' gambits, he gives one chapter each.

Study them, go to the last chapter, choose the fitting model games and exercises, and you're set again.

Does this hassle pay off?

Definitely.

Lopez writes engaging, unambiguous and concise. He gets the right balance between depth of analysis and readability.
His variants are refreshingly engine-independent, efficient.
Tips for general improvement, strategical insights und exiting trainables round up the course.
Some work lies ahead, though.

You will be excellently prepared the next time someone tries to ambush you with the covered gambits.

The target audience is ambitious casual to advanced players.

I would have named this book 'Gambit Aficionado'.

With this title, would you have bought it?

Good chess,
superlychee

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[-] till PRO 14 hours ago

I'd like to change my rating to 4.5 out of 5 after my complaints have been taken care of so quickly and completely.

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[-] zzxc 19 hours ago

Thank you for replying. I did wonder at the purpose of playing Qf3 so early. I suppose making Bf5 harder means the Bd3 will remain unchallenged on the diagonal. Makes sense, thanks. :)

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