The Oxford Companion to Chess
by David Hooper, Kenneth Whyld
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Book Summary Information
Author: David Hooper, Kenneth WhyldEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-11-21
ISBN: 0192800493
Number of pages: 496
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of The Oxford Companion to Chess
Book Review: A Handy Companion in Getting to Know More About Chess
Summary: 4 Stars
Spanning centuries and tracing it's origins to the dawn of civilization, Chess is one of the greatest and most storied games. Developing from both the East and the West into the most mentally challenging sport, "The Oxford Companion to Chess" informs and illustrates adequately the rich and colorful history of the game of kings. In well-written articles, this companion features the various facets of the complex game. The great players, the numerous openings and their variations, and many topics in relation to the game are represented, including illustrations and b & w photographs to complement the text. One could come across the controversial and brilliant career of Bobby Fischer and in the turn of pages read about Computers and Chess. One glances though "gamesmanship", defined by it's inventor Stephen Potter as the "art of winning games without actually cheating", or "mansuba", an Arabic term for a composed middlegame or endgame position which serves as a form of instruction or solving. And the beginner could finally learn what in heaven's name that "en passant" means.
Some entries are a bit short, where a more comprehensive description of the particular subject would have helped. The British authors could barely restrain their pro-Anglo anti-American bias, and their contribution to the literature on Morphy and Staunton does neither man credit, and poorly to the writers. The limiting comments on the former and the patronising attitude towards the latter are criminal untruths which the novice could take for granted, which is a shame as Morphy is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, and Staunton did his utmost to avoid playing him.
Also, the jumbling in one close pack of each player's career record makes for a weary read, like reading paragraphs of mathematical computations without having to solve them. The authors should have blended them with the tale in the text.
Truly serving as it's title shows, "The Oxford Companion to Chess" is a good reference and guide for both veteran and beginner alike in exploring Caissa.
Summary of The Oxford Companion to Chess
So much has happened in the ever-changing world of chess since 1984, that this new edition of the essential companion to all branches of the game is now 10% longer than the acclaimed first edition.Much of the original text has been rewritten to incorporate the latest research and developments. There are over 160 new biographies (most of them of today's players), hundreds more names of openings, many more technical terms, and more game scores and compositions than ever before.
Ranging from the earliest myths to the present, the Companion offers full coverage of all aspects of over-the-board play and correspondence chess, and other forms of telechess. Fully cross-referenced throughout, the 2,600 entries take the reader from laws and strategies to details of the representation of chess in philately, literature, art, theatre, and film.
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