- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Gambit Publications Ltd (25 Nov 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1901983099
- ISBN-13: 978-1901983098
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 14.6 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 796,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
The Grünfeld has always been a popular choice with players who aim to counterattack with the black pieces. World Champions Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov head a distinguished cast of grandmasters who swear by its solid and yet dynamic nature. In this original book, Jonathan Rowson delves deeply into the Grünfeld, steering the reader through the mysteries and intricacies of this complex opening. Now you too will be able to understand, play and win with the Grünfeld!
From the Publisher
Gambit Publications specializes in chess and has an unrivalled reputation for originality and editorial excellence. The company is owned and staffed entirely by leading chess masters and grandmasters.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best opening book I've ever seen,
By A Customer
This review is from: Understanding the Grunfeld: An Absorbing Explanation of a Fighting Opening by a Leading Young Exponent (Paperback)
This one is the best book on a chess opening I've ever seen, and is far better than 90% of the others on offer....obviously that's only going to be a useful opinion for you if the Grunfeld actually appeals to you to begin with, but if it does then you absolutely must read this book (unless you play at IM or above level, perhaps!), and then you'll see why I think it's so good. There is so much explanantion here, and yet also a vast dollop of the necessary theory to play the Grunfeld, that once I'd read this I was converted. There are other books that explain openings well (Sadler's book on the QGD springs to mind, for example) but none that I have found really make you feel so enthused and keen to get to grips with it as soon as possible over the board. I found that the ideal supplement to this book was Nigel Davies' recent book on the Grunfeld, as some of Rowson's suggestions may need fine tuning 4 or 5 years after he wrote this, but in all honesty it seems that most of his lines are still topical, and besides, the conceptual material here is worth the price of the book before you even begin to worry about which lines you like or intend to play. He covers virtually everything in one way or another, even if it's simply to give his own reasond for preferring one line to another. For example, he recommends the 7...Nc6 line over the Prins or Hungarian systems versus the Russian system, (or indeed the Smyslov - this line however is still playable - see Davies' book for more on that one), but he gives clearly understandable reasons for this, and you have to agree that his logic seems fine on this. He's a GM, at the end of the day, and he plays the 7...Nc6 line himself, so he has first-hand experience of his subject matter here, and no matter how much you may want to be like Kasparov and play the Prins you'll probably be swayed by his case for a different approach to dodge the sharp theory..... This is one of many examples I could cite in the book, but to summarise it I'd suggest you simply look for yourself. And somehow, he's also managed to write an entertaining book on a chess opening, something that doesn't come along too often!Highly recommended.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an intelligent repertoire book,
This review is from: Understanding the Grunfeld: An Absorbing Explanation of a Fighting Opening by a Leading Young Exponent (Paperback)
I started to play the Grunfeld a year ago and used this book to get an understanding of the opening and to build up a repertoire for black. And that was really fun. Rowson is allways ready to make a funny statement before he starts in great detail the analaysis of the variations he recommends. And he appears to be the most honnest chess writer there is. So he doesnt feel ashamed to tell us that he once played Bd7? in the main variation after having thrown a glimpse on a completely different variation just before the game without realizing that white had played Bb5+ before. A grandmaster as human as any clubplayer! The only thing am sad about is that for my other openings there arent books like this. Highly recommended to any body who likes to have fun and enjoys intelligent remarks while learning an opening.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews) 15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The title says it all,
By Diego Acosta - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Understanding the Grunfeld: An Absorbing Explanation of a Fighting Opening by a Leading Young Exponent (Paperback)
Jonathan Rowson provides an interesting perspective of how to handle the Grunfeld defense from the Black side providing a complete and thorough repertoire against the most fashionable lines. He also gives good arguments of why some lines, that are quite fashionable, are not recomended by his. This is good because I can see the author's point of view and not an attempt to avoid creative discussion. In that sense my copy of "Understanding the Grunfeld" is full notes by me where I disagree with Mr. Rowson or where I think that there is an easier solution [I wonder if Mr. Rowson would appreciate my views on the opening and my objections...] For instance, the chapter about 4.Bf4 (Hydra) has many, many pointers that will let you survive as Black. However, in one of the variations, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.Rc1, he recomends 5...Nh4. This is surprising since Rowson suggests that Rc1 by White signals Black to do dxc4 later in the book... Indeed 5...dxc4 is also acceptable according to Suetin. Still, the whole Hydra chapter book made me think about the variation as whole and to come up with a repertoire that would keep me alive if ever challenged in this important chapter of the Grunfeld and I can only thank Mr. Rowson for a recent nice win even after disagreeing with him! The Hydra chapter pays for the effort of buying the book.The exchange variation is also covered in detail and I can only say that finally I understood the reasoning behind some obscure moves. That chapter also pays for the effort of buying the book and it is, as far as I know, the best treatment of the exchange that I have ever seen. I am not an expert in the Grunfeld but having scored 3 wins and a draw out of 4 games after deciding to switch to this opening made me fall in love with it... Much of this is because of Mr. Rowson's book. This is a book that I will read again and again and again... 12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent book.,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Understanding the Grunfeld: An Absorbing Explanation of a Fighting Opening by a Leading Young Exponent (Paperback)
Rowson does a good job of distilling the jungle-like variations of this opening to the point where I could understand the ideas behind the moves. Rowson may not give hundreds of subvariations, but he does give thorough discussions on the major themes in each branch. These ideas are more valuable to the average player than an encyclopedia full of obscure lines. If I were recomending a text on the Grunfeld to the average player, Rowson's book would be tops on the list. 7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Fresh Approach to the Opening,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Understanding the Grunfeld: An Absorbing Explanation of a Fighting Opening by a Leading Young Exponent (Paperback)
The author, a young Scotish GM, succeeds in making his topic highly interesting. Indeed, this is one of the few opening books that is enjoyable *reading* even if one doesn't play the opening in question. The book's secret, I think, is that Rowson is willing to adopt somewhat different styles in writing different chapters. This keeps the writing fresh and lively throughout the work. At the same time, coverage of key variations is deep. There is also plenty of verbal explanation to help the reader understand the nuances of the Gruenfeld. While I give this book "only" four stars,it may well be a 5 star book. I'm a KID player who's making the switch to the Gruenfeld with this book as my main guide. I'll definitely raise my rating of the book if I have success with the Gruenfeld this summer!- A USCF Life Master |
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