|
|||||||||
|
Chessville
Advertise to Single insert:
|
Loss of Time and Space Reviewed by Rick Kennedy
Chessville readers know that I have a soft place in my heart for small press or self-published chess books. So it was only a matter of time before I tipped my hat to James Pratt, in recognition of his booklet on the Brooklyn Variation of Alekhine’s Defense, 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8!? Either of the two might be new to you, so let me give a little background. (First a note: even though Loss of Time and Space is an Alekhine’s Defense variation, and a Chess Parrot production, it is not to be confused with Chessville’s own product, “Alekhine’s Parrot”.)
Pratt, better known as “YHM” – Your Humble Moderator – in his online chess group (what else?) Chessparrot, (which recently celebrated its 3rd birthday), notes that he has participated in 23 British Chess Championships and has been a columnist for “The Basingstoke Gazette” and “The Surrey & Hants Border Times and News.” If your taste in chess openings runs to the more unorthodox or exploratory, you might remember that he edited Michael Basman’s “Audio Chess News.” Written in 2003, but only recently published, Loss of Time and Space, subtitled The Wonderful World of the Brooklyn Defence, is already in its third printing. This is not only an indication of the booklet’s popularity among members of the chess group and wider unorthodox chess openings community, it is a measure of the author’s generosity – this title, too, is free. (There are about a half-dozen copies left. If you are interested, you can make contact at either the Chessparrot website or email Pratt.) The Brooklyn Defence (named by U.S. Grandmaster Joel Benjamin, I believe) has a history at least as early as the correspondence game Berwick Chess Club vs Edinburgh Chess Club, 1860, and as recent as analysis in Opening for White According to Anand 1.e4 Part V by Khalifman. It takes the hypermodern notion of provoking White’s center pawns forward, and gives it a twist: rather than have Black’s knight be bounced around through the center, to the Queenside as in regular lines of the Alekhine (1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6) Black simply retreats the piece and later on re-deploys it. The second player does not have an easy game, but he is involved in an interesting struggle where he has his chances, and in which he may know better what to do than his opponent. Loss of Time and Space – the title comes from Tartakower’s comment, “A loss of time and space would be the full retreat 2…Kt-Kt1 [2…Ng8]) – contains ten selected games with annotations focused on the opening, and about another dozen in the notes. It also has some history, some move recommendations, useful diagrams, an exposition of transpositions (Brooklyn-style positions can be reached, for example, through Sicilian – 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5 Ng8 – and Scandinavian – 1.e4 d5 2.ed Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 – move orders, Pratt notes), and always the bon mot:
Despite the fact that the Brooklyn has been utilized by such players as Albin, Flohr and Petrosian – as well as by Basman, Bücker, Schiller, Welling and Wind – Loss of Time and Space will most likely appeal to club players who are interested in something different, perhaps even a “secret weapon”. Pratt’s bibliography is an indication of how wide he has searched in his effort to give readers something tasty to chew on. (Who knew that a couple of decades ago Andrew Martin did some analysis on the opening for the audio tape “A Repertoire of Disreputable Openings”? Pratt did.) This booklet is more than an appetizer, but not yet a full meal. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) Visitors to, and members of, the online Chessparrot group are encouraged to share their own Brooklyn games, and pass along analysis as they discover it; as are readers of Loss of Time and Space in the general chess community. That can only build on the theory and practice of the opening, and seems like a fair exchange for the receipt of LOTAS. If enough players provide enough material, there will be no need to worry that the third printing of Loss of Time and Space is its last printing – the author plans to create a “companion” booklet, expanding the realm of the Brooklyn, when and if there is enough interest and information to do so. (For my part, I have passed along my collection of Brooklyn Defence games, and for the benefit of Chessville readers will now share two cautionary tales of seriously overdone Brooklynese, compliments of Unorthodox Chess Unconventional Opening Strategy for the Modern Chess Enthusiast by Some Loser. Despite a few similarities in move and theme, this could not possibly be what the author of Loss of Time and Space had in mind, could it?? 1.d4 Nc6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d5 Nb8 4.Nc3 Ng8 5.e4 Nf6 6.e5 Ng8 and Black mated in 38 moves; 1.e4 Nh6 2.d4 Ng8 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Ng8 5.Nge2 Nf6 6.0-0 Ng8 7.Bf4 Nf6 8.Qd3 Ng8 and Black mated in 56 moves.)
|
The Chessville
The
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
James
Pratt, of Basingstoke, England, has edited The Chess Parrot (“a non
profit making, non prophet making, fanzine”) since 1978. The nearly
two dozen issues of TCP contain “games, profiles, humour, book
reviews, history, results, cartoons, plagarism and letters and lots more”
according to its editor. Oh, and it’s free.