- Paperback: 492 pages
- Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks; New ed of 2 Revised ed edition (3 Oct 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0192800493
- ISBN-13: 978-0192800497
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 4 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,044,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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"Will please anyone caught up in what has been called both the game of kings and the 64-square madhouse."--The Washington Post Book World
"The standard basic reference source and an essential guide to all aspects of chess."--Norman D. Stevens, American Reference Books Annual
"The standard basic reference source and an essential guide to all aspects of chess."--Norman D. Stevens, American Reference Books Annual
Edward Winter, British Chess Magazine
"It is a masterpiece representing a landmark in the literature of our game."
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7 reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
A Handy Companion in Getting to Know More About Chess
17 May 2006
Format:Hardcover
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.
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.
15 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Great reading and excellent reference.
18 Nov 2000
Format:Paperback
I don't believe the reader from Athens, GA that said this book helped his game. DON'T buy this book if you are looking for a book that will improve your game. (Its highly doubtful that you would improve much even after HOURS or even DAYS of reading this book.)
This book is a REFERENCE book only!! And it is a true jewel. I have both the '92 edition (In Hard-back), and the 96 editon. (A gift from one of my students that left the area. Obviously I would not buy the book, if I already owned a copy - I am not rich ... yet!) I can not help but believe that this book was the result of YEARS of work by the author(s).
Want to know what a chess "Automaton" is? Do you know what "The Bavarian Variation" is? What the "Noteboom" variation is? When a player lived? What was "Player X's" greatest tournament triumph? What happenned in "Cambridge Springs, 1904." ?? You will find the answer to all these questions, plus much more, in this book. Plus many nice photo's too.
For the chess lover who wants a good reference to look up virtually anything about chess. Or just the player who would enjoy hours of reading and learning about their great game. And for the real chess benefactors: Buy one and give it to the local library!! Get it today!! You'll thank me tomorrow!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
The Best Available General Chess Encyclopedia
24 April 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
There are many chess encyclopedias. Most, however, suffer from three faults, to a greater or lesser degree: (1) many omissions (especially of problemists' terms); (2) inexact definitions of chess terms; (3) dishing out old, stale fables -- indeed, libels (such as the claims that Morphy had a fetish for women's shoes, that alekhine was a "sadist", etc.) -- as if they were fact.
All these faults are corrected here, in the Ocford Companion to Chess (OCTC). The authors are very careful to include practically all chess terms, and are especially careful to include all important problemists' terms (excluding, so far as I can tell, only names of themes that are nothing more than a slight variations on a basic idea -- the basic theme itself always has an entry). The definitions are exact; for example, "resignation" is not lazily defined as "giving up a lost game": it is noted that occassionally, "masters resign in drawn, or won, positions". Above all, the biographies of vitually all important players (up to the time of publication -- you won't find an entry for Magnus Carlsen...) are treated factually and with respect, avoiding both unfounded smearing of the chess world's designated "villans" (Alekhine, Staunton) or hero worship of its "heroes" (Morphy, Capablanca).
This is not to say that the book is "revisionst" for revisionism's sake, trying to make villans into heros and vice versa. It does not, for example, belittle Capablanca's chess genius or ignores Alekhine's cooperation with the Nazis. But in fairness to Alekhine, the companion -- after outlining the details of Alekhine's cooperation with the Nazis -- also notes that, such issues aside, Alekhine played in 44 strong tournaments since gaining his master's title, winning or sharing first in 25 of them. In fairness to Capablanca, the companion, after taking note of the long period when "he was considered practically invincible", adds that he failed in two tournaments when returning to chess after a three-year hiatus.
So much for avoiding faults found in other books. But that is not all. The OCTC has many independent merits. Above all, it is a treasure trove of reliable information about the game of chess in general, and of its lesser-known cousins (chess variants, problemists, postal chess, endgame studies, fairy chess...) in particuar. Even seasoned chess enthusiasts are bound to find much in this book they have not heard of before. For example, few people -- to pick a few entries at random -- know how the camel (a fairy piece) moves, what the Dombrovskis theme is, or any biographical details about Pirc (apart from him being the inventor of the Pirc defense: quick, what was his first name?).
If you don't know the answer to all, or any, of these, you will like this book. There is a lot in there for all who are interested in chess.
All these faults are corrected here, in the Ocford Companion to Chess (OCTC). The authors are very careful to include practically all chess terms, and are especially careful to include all important problemists' terms (excluding, so far as I can tell, only names of themes that are nothing more than a slight variations on a basic idea -- the basic theme itself always has an entry). The definitions are exact; for example, "resignation" is not lazily defined as "giving up a lost game": it is noted that occassionally, "masters resign in drawn, or won, positions". Above all, the biographies of vitually all important players (up to the time of publication -- you won't find an entry for Magnus Carlsen...) are treated factually and with respect, avoiding both unfounded smearing of the chess world's designated "villans" (Alekhine, Staunton) or hero worship of its "heroes" (Morphy, Capablanca).
This is not to say that the book is "revisionst" for revisionism's sake, trying to make villans into heros and vice versa. It does not, for example, belittle Capablanca's chess genius or ignores Alekhine's cooperation with the Nazis. But in fairness to Alekhine, the companion -- after outlining the details of Alekhine's cooperation with the Nazis -- also notes that, such issues aside, Alekhine played in 44 strong tournaments since gaining his master's title, winning or sharing first in 25 of them. In fairness to Capablanca, the companion, after taking note of the long period when "he was considered practically invincible", adds that he failed in two tournaments when returning to chess after a three-year hiatus.
So much for avoiding faults found in other books. But that is not all. The OCTC has many independent merits. Above all, it is a treasure trove of reliable information about the game of chess in general, and of its lesser-known cousins (chess variants, problemists, postal chess, endgame studies, fairy chess...) in particuar. Even seasoned chess enthusiasts are bound to find much in this book they have not heard of before. For example, few people -- to pick a few entries at random -- know how the camel (a fairy piece) moves, what the Dombrovskis theme is, or any biographical details about Pirc (apart from him being the inventor of the Pirc defense: quick, what was his first name?).
If you don't know the answer to all, or any, of these, you will like this book. There is a lot in there for all who are interested in chess.
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