For
Friends
&
Colleagues
Volume 2
Reflections on My Profession
2015
Russell Enterprises, Inc.
Milford, CT USA
For Friends & Colleagues
Volume 2: Reflections on My Profession
by Mark Dvoretsky
ISBN: 978-1-941270-11-0 (hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-941270-03-5 (soft cover)
© Copyright 2015
Mark Dvoretsky
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any manner or form whatsoever or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Published by:
Russell Enterprises, Inc.
P.O. Box 3131
Milford, CT 06460 USA
http://www.russell-enterprises.com
info@russell-enterprises.com
Cover design by Fierce Ponies Enterprises, Brooklyn, NY
Translated from the Russian by Boris Gleizerov
Editing and proofreading by Nick Luker
Table of Contents
From the Author
Competitions
Spartakiad of Second Category Players
Back Into Battle
Passivity in the Opening
Tactical Vision
Fencing and Chess
Instructive Episodes
Tactics in the Service of Strategy
A Positional Pawn Sacrifice in the Fight for the Initiative
How to Catch a Rook?
Combination or Death!
Positional Pluses or Material?
Preparing for the Operation
Chess Literature: What and How to Read
Enriching Your Strategic Arsenal
Traps for Commentators
Novelties: Real and Illusory
The Test of Objectivity
Lessons from a Loss
Strategy Lessons
Appendix 1: “Good” and “Bad” Bishops
Appendix 2: Clearing the Playing Space
Appendix 3: More on the Benefit of the “Bad” Bishops
Dvoretsky on Berliner
True Stories or Tall Tales?
Prefaces to Some Fine Books
Secrets of Practical Chess
(1) Game Collections
(2) Tournament and Match Collections
(3) Opening, Middlegame, Endgame
(4) Other Topics
The Emigrant and the Game
Lasker’s Manual of Chess
Chess
Training Mastery
Philosophy of Training Work
Polemic Thinking
(1) The Components of Success
(2) The Role of Opening Theory
(3) The Principles of Working Effectively
(4) Problems in Contemporary Chess
(5) Chess-960
(6) An Alternative Suggestion
Appendix: Polemics Continued
Emotions and Playing Strength
A Trainer and His Students
Lessons Learned
Solve for Yourself!
All That Glitters Is Not Gold
Captivated by the Computer’s “First Line”
Bavarian Impressions
From the World of “The Matrix” and “Terminator”
Mikhail Tal’s “Unknown” Game
A Trainer’s Notes
Problems in the World of Chess
Anti-draw Rules
The Splendors and Miseries of Rapid Chess
Tired of Being a Cassandra…
“Match of the Century,” Moscow 2002
European Team Championship, Göteborg 2005
Chess Olympiad, Turin 2006
World Team Championship, Ningbo 2011
Looking Back
Source Material
Index of Games
From the Author
In general, Volume 2 is compiled from my articles and interviews published either on the web or in chess periodicals over the last few years. However, readers will be able to find some earlier publications, with fresh chess examples in some cases and original material in this book.
There are no purely analytical studies here; we will deal with more general questions. Coaches may become interested in the articles reflecting my views on the coaching vocation, tips on the choice of chess literature and digestion of its contents, in some personal characteristics and the analysis of the factors that may influence the results shown by individual players or chess teams. Other materials reflect my views on the chess situation both in Russia and the world, as well as on problems and prospects of chess development.
The publication source for each article may be found at the end of the book. Most of my articles have been published both in Russian and in English; for those, both citations are given, Russian and English.
I had to make some corrections, both stylistic and analytical, in my earlier texts here and there. If those changes are insignificant and non-essential, I do not set them off, but, in more serious cases, the additions, explanations, and corrections are set off in a different kind of font. As usual, all citations are italicized.
Mark Dvoretsky
Moscow
March 2015
Signs, Symbols and Abbreviations
! |
a strong move |
!! |
a brilliant or unobvious move |
? |
a weak move, an error |
?? |
a grave error |
!? |
a move worth consideration |
?! |
a dubious move |
= |
an equal position |
White stands slightly better |
|
White has a clear advantage |
|
+– |
White has a winning position |
Black stands slightly better |
|
Black has a clear advantage |
|
–+ |
Black has a winning position |
∞ |
an unclear position |
# |
mate |
(D) |
See the next diagram |
SCE-1 |
School of Chess Excellence: Endgame Analysis |
SCE-2 |
School of Chess Excellence: Tactical Play |
SCE-3 |
School of Chess Excellence: Strategic Play |
SCE-4 |
School of Chess Excellence: Opening Developments |
SFC-1 |
School of Future Champions: Secrets of Chess Training |
SFC-2 |
School of Future Champions: Secrets of Opening Preparation |
SFC-3 |
School of Future Champions: Technique in Chess |
SFC-4 |
School of Future Champions: Positional Play |
SFC-5 |
School of Future Champions: The Development of Creative Thinking |
DEM |
Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual |
TIE |
Tragicomedy in the Endgame |
DAM |
Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual: Practical Training for the Ambitious Chessplayer |
SFPP |
Studies for Practical Players (with Oleg Pervakov) |