03.05.2005
Michal Krasenkow on books
What are your favorite chess books? Did your preferences change over the years?
I can't say that I have certain especially favorite books. Some time ago I very much liked the collection of Rubinstein's games by Razuvaev and Murakhvery. These days I read with pleasure any interesting chess book.
What guides you when choosing a book – reviews, colleagues' advices, author's name?
I do not pay attention to book reviews. First of all, the author's reputation is important.
Do you make a distinction between 'interesting' and 'useful' books?
No, I don't think so. Interesting, entertaining books can be quite useful as well. Even if such information can not be applied at the board, I still find it useful learning the history of chess, the development of chess ideas, the atmosphere in the historical chess communities, etc. Unfortunately, many players are not concerned about their culture and are not paying attention to such books.
Why the tournament collections are not so popular nowadays? What genre of books is more popular now?
I think that the chess literature presently goes through a crisis. Everything is determined by laws of a market. And which books are demanded in the West? Primarily those that clearly explain how do you win with this or that opening. Or, at best, game collections by truly outstanding players whose names would surely attract buyers. A tournament collection could hardly be a commercially successful product.
Don't you see a contradiction with the fact that well-known tournament collection by Bronstein is one of the most popular chess books worldwide?
Bronstein's "International tournament of grandmasters" or 1948 Match-tournament book by Keres are commonly regarded as masterpieces, classical books. It is doubtful that contemporary tournament collections can achieve a similar success...
Everyone says that chess is changing. Does the chess literature change as well?
Yes, as I said, the chess literature now develops according to the market supply-demand laws. When the Soviet Union existed, its chess publishing was ruled by completely different factors, and it greatly influenced the chess publishing worldwide. And now the most important parts of a book's success are attractiveness of its cover, title, author's style... One of the consequences is that the share of slapdash publications has increased. One needs to rush writing and rush selling a book...
Which chess books could be interesting for people that do not play chess, in your opinion? Could recruit new players?
I think, the chess history books could. Unfortunately, there are almost no books that uncover beauty of chess. The same applies to mass media. Nobody does anything to recruit people that do not play chess.
Questions were asked by Misha Savinov.
This article is published with permission of Association of Chess Professionals
