This
interesting book covers an area of the game that
has been largely ignored, namely the strategies
and tactics surrounding the Rooks and Queens.
Subjects like "The Back Rank," "The
Seventh Rank," "Different Types of Cordination,"
and my favorite section, "The Wrong Rook,"
are covered in detail.
Though Mr. Damsky gives a lot of
prose in his efforts to explain each different
theme, the real strength of the book comes from
his excellent choice of examples, many of which
I wasn't familiar with.
At times the author uses quotes
from the players (always a good idea) and at other
times he compares similar positions in order to
expose the reader to a pattern that will make
things easier to digest.
Quite honestly, I found this book
quite interesting to read, but one thing kept
haunting me: a move would be given an exclamation
point, some drivel would be offered about its
brilliance (at times by the actual player or his
opponent), and I would be left wondering if this
was really so. In one way, such personal stupor
shows that the book is really making me think
(because most books completely fail to do so),
but it also made me realize how great Damsky's
work would be if he explained things in a bit
more detail (if I have trouble digesting some
of his points, then lower rated players will miss
the boat entirely).
In the same vein, many moves would
be given without comment that struck me as questionable
or completely wrong. Of course, the poor author
can't be expected to look at everything (chess
authors already make about ten cents a minute
for their work), and I'm sure he was happy just
bringing out a concept and presenting it to the
readership at large. However, I got the feeling
that a very good book could have been something
really special, and that thought haunts me as
I praise Mr. Damsky and frown at the same time.
This is an important middlegame
book, and one that will expose any player to a
deep, subtle form of chess that many of us aren't
used to seeing (it makes us realize how even the
most obviously good moves sometimes miss the mark).
An excellent addition to any library.
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