tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post1266882935708517000..comments2023-12-28T02:11:22.501+00:00Comments on The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog: Why?Tom Chivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-1143942372370397192008-01-21T18:48:00.000+00:002008-01-21T18:48:00.000+00:00What an interesting post !I too am amazed at the p...What an interesting post !<BR/><BR/>I too am amazed at the price of chess books, esepcially the out-of-print ones. Ever since I became captivated by some of Smyslov's games, I wanted to get hold of the out-of-print 125 Best Games of.<BR/><BR/>In the various book websites you can pay upto 80 quid for this, but I've no idea why that should be the case. Have people actually held on to the book because its so good ? Were fewer originally printed ?<BR/><BR/>No idea, but I was very upset to lolse my bid on one in ebay in the last 5 seconds...<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I also know that Moravian Chess House have re-published the original with additional notes for only EUR 35, so if I'm really desperate, I know where to go.<BR/><BR/>I also think that there is value in the older book. <BR/><BR/>At my level, I don't think that knowing the latest/sharpest moves in the Taimanov or Najdorf is necessary in a book, especially if its just published and is going to be GBP 20. Why not pick up an older one second-hand by a 'classical' author which will give you more than the main thrust of the opening, and you can pick up the lastest from the web ?<BR/><BR/>How much more will I gain from the latest Pirc volume compared to John Nunn's original Pirc Defence ? ( and how do I find out apart from either buying both ! or depending on reviews )<BR/><BR/>Although, as is suggested, it may well be more useful to pick up a DVD ( Nigel Davies on the Pirc maybe, to keep to the same topic). Never used a DVD as a training aid as yet, but...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-63454392392339278642007-11-06T13:51:00.000+00:002007-11-06T13:51:00.000+00:00Well I think "The Complete Najdorf: Modern Lines -...Well I think "The Complete Najdorf: Modern Lines - Definitive Coverage of Fischer and Kasparov's Favourite Chess Opening" is a very very good book. It might not contain the latest cutting edge theory but if you are serious about learning the opening it's important to know how it had developed up to the late 90's. I'm willing to part with my copy for the knockdown price of £50...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-6014673821860392572007-11-05T21:57:00.000+00:002007-11-05T21:57:00.000+00:00Wasn't My System updated as well as printed?Wasn't My System updated as well as printed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-91898681220301063762007-11-05T21:52:00.000+00:002007-11-05T21:52:00.000+00:00Not off a secondhand book they won't (an author wr...Not off a secondhand book they won't (<I>an author writes</I>). Or off one out-of-print, as far as I'm aware.ejhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-77259655809477447702007-11-05T21:01:00.000+00:002007-11-05T21:01:00.000+00:00Including "Fischer" in the title is quite clever a...Including "Fischer" in the title is quite clever as it enhances the value esp in the US.<BR/>Likewise "Kasparov". People will use search engines for both these in Amazon if not elsewhere. I suspect both parties will be expecting royalties though!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-72487262173590078732007-11-05T19:02:00.000+00:002007-11-05T19:02:00.000+00:00I have a first edition of Chess Praxis, y'know...I have a first edition of <I>Chess Praxis</I>, y'know...ejhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-26424565327686822462007-11-05T17:25:00.000+00:002007-11-05T17:25:00.000+00:00Mm, chess booking pricing is even battier than I t...Mm, chess booking pricing is even battier than I thought it seems!<BR/><BR/>Why etc!Tom Chivershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-64533916741013650762007-11-05T17:21:00.000+00:002007-11-05T17:21:00.000+00:00Correction: £11-99. The Hays editions cost less t...Correction: £11-99. The Hays editions cost less than half of the Harding and Simpole ones!<BR/><BR/>Mike G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-3832248318714564582007-11-05T15:42:00.000+00:002007-11-05T15:42:00.000+00:00Yes, the Harding and Simpole list is a strange mix...Yes, the Harding and Simpole list is a strange mixture of classics and (to me) unknown books. I daresay Harry Golembek may have done a reasonable job on "Modern Chess Opening Strategy" back in the 50s or 60s but what would merit its reprinting now? And Ray Keene seems to have published a series of tomes called "Modern Chess Theory" which I have no recollection of ever seeing in a bookshop over the last thirty years or so.<BR/><BR/>And why pay £24-95 for a reprint of Nimzowitsch's "My System" or "Praxis" when you can still buy the Hays editions from BCM for £12-99?<BR/><BR/>Mike G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-27190166016590148282007-11-05T14:45:00.000+00:002007-11-05T14:45:00.000+00:00Alot of those Harding and Simpole books are total ...Alot of those Harding and Simpole books are total cack too - both now and even when they were first published<BR/><BR/><BR/>By astonishing coincidence (or not) the initials RDK are involved on occasion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-65107692885568201262007-11-05T14:14:00.000+00:002007-11-05T14:14:00.000+00:00* reaches for credit card *Mike G, thanks for your...* reaches for credit card *<BR/><BR/>Mike G, thanks for your very interesting addition to the post. I'm afraid I don't know the answers, however...Tom Chivershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-81600088293710014572007-11-05T13:10:00.000+00:002007-11-05T13:10:00.000+00:00Just today Chessbase have announced the third volu...Just today Chessbase have announced the <A HREF="http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=325&user=%20&coin=" REL="nofollow">third volume of Kasparov's video course on the Najdorf</A><BR/><BR/>AngusAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-69662613089179097442007-11-05T13:01:00.000+00:002007-11-05T13:01:00.000+00:00I noticed a similar phenomenon for an engineering ...I noticed a similar phenomenon for an engineering text book a few weeks back - apparently out of print and you couldn't get a copy anywhere (Amazon or abebooks) for less than £100. So I didn't bother but when I tried last week I found a new one for a sensible price (about £20). Perhaps some piece of software somewhere (ignorant of chess or engineering) is inflating prices based on supposed scarcity value?<BR/><BR/>The latest edition (3rd?) of the Search for Chess Perfection (edited Cecil Purdy articles) claims on the back that it is one of the few chess books that has been resold on the internet for more than its original cover price. Harding Simpole (?) are reprinting some old books and they are charging higher prices than you would pay for new ones currently. I did wonder whether this is because of (i) small print runs or (ii) money grabbing - does anyone know?<BR/><BR/>Mike G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com