WELCOME

INTRODUCTION

 

Welcome to my Chess Book Reviews blog. 

I hope you enjoy it and that it proves useful if you are deciding to buy chess books.

It has been said that books are the most loyal and trusted friends that you can ever have and in this world of iPads, kindles and other electronic formats I still want to be one of the people giving a 'shout-out' for hard copy chess books. In this technological age it has never been easier to access chess online, at the click of a mouse, and this has affected book consumption.  

Chess books are an important aspect of a chess players lives. They serve as an educational and developmental tool, as well as illustrating history and culture. Some people own one or several books, whereas others have large collections assembled over a lifetime. 

Truly then, I believe in the value of hard copy chess books. Unlike electronic books, they don't lose their charge, they can be read in the sunshine, they don't hurt your eyes from watching screens and even better - they can be autographed to add to their value as a treasured keepsake. 

I want to be clear about my objective for this blog site.

I am blogging simply as an amateur chess player. I am a club and county player, former County Chess Champion (Shropshire) and I have proudly represented and indeed been Captain of my country (UK) in the NATO Chess Championships, but I remain like many of us, just an ordinary player with a lifelong passion for the game.

My reviews are written for the people who are most likely to purchase chess books. That is to say beginners, intermediate and strong players up to county level, but I am sure that even stronger players might enjoy or in some way benefit from digesting my reviews. This is a not for profit blog but reviewing chess books is something that I enjoy.

Reviewing a chess book isn't as easy as one may think. It requires a certain skill-set and I am learning all the time. One has to be impartial and objective but also not be afraid to have a personal opinion and I will not shirk from criticizing if I feel it is warranted. There should be a standard process for the task of reviewing and it can take me a while - but that is because I will actually read the book. Too many people merely flick through and I have seen some truly woeful reviews consisting literally of a couple of lines. I want to try to get into the head of the author. I want to do the best I can to explain to the reader of this blog what each book is really about and the impact it had on me personally, so that they can make up their own mind about owning a copy. 

It is as subjective as art or music, but I hope my reviews are a good starting point for people. Naturally, individuals will have their own views and opinions about the same books. I am sanguine about that...but these views are mine and mine alone. Sometimes I may use humour to make a point (how dare I?) which is not everyone's style but there we are, that's life. It is not in the scope of this blog site to enter into debates. Feel free to make your own mind up. 

For the record I have several of my own favourite chess books from the past including 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' by David Bronstein and Tom Fürstenberg. If you can still find it, then snap it up immediately. My most prized book is a signed copy of Anatoly Karpov's memoirs which he autographed when I played him in Chartres, France in a simul in 2019. 

As I say, you cannot autograph an iPad!

Without further ado then, let's put one foot forward and see where the journey takes us. Thanks for stopping by.

Carl

Carl S. Portman MBE

(Author: Chess Behind Bars, Chess Crusader and Never Mind the Grandmasters, here come the Amateurs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlsen Goes Ape - Marek Soszynski

 

Book Review by Carl S. Portman MBE

Carlsen Goes Ape

MAREK SOSZYNSKI

 

Marek Soszynski

Preface by Marek Soszynski

Pages: 198

Published by: Self Published   

2025 Print on demand (Softcover)

 

What is this book about?

The official synopsis:

 

Dive into the wild world of the Sokolsky Opening with this unique and entertaining chess book. International chess author Marek Soszynski examines Magnus Carlsen’s remarkable experiments with 1.b4 — also known as the Orangutan — across more than a dozen annotated blitz and rapid games. Blending fresh analysis, practical advice, opening theory, and even a brief look at orangutans themselves, this book offers both instruction and fun.

 

Whether you’re a club player looking for an offbeat weapon, a fan of Carlsen’s creativity, or simply a chess enthusiast eager to explore one of the game’s rarest first moves, Carlsen Goes Ape delivers an insightful and enjoyable journey into an opening where anything can happen.

 

 

Contents

 

·         About the author

·         Preface

·         Sokolsky Opening  

·         Exchange Variation

·         Myers Two-step

·         Magnus Method

·         21 Games and afterword

·         Some Famous Orangutans

 

 

My thoughts and comments

In the preface to this book, Soszynski proffers a few words about the phrase ‘going ape.’ It is a mid-twentieth-century idiom meaning to behave in an aggressive, exaggerated or unpredictable way, as primates sometimes do. As such, there is surely no better, colourful way to describe starting a chess game with 1.b4

 

Fair enough!

 

Magnus Carlsen plays many styles of chess. Of course, he is famous for playing theoretically drawn endgames out and grinding out wins happy to sit for hours on end until he emerges victorious. This approach has been an inspiration to many of us to keep fighting in our games. I am referring of course to the end of a chess game but this book focuses on the beginning,  the opening and one of the most obscure first moves to boot.

 

The provenance of the Orangutan opening has several theories but the one I am most familiar with is the one where Savielly Tartakower visited a Zoo in New York at the 1924 congress. It was there that he saw ‘Susan’ the Orangutan and the ape apparently inspired him to play 1.b4 which reminded him of an orangutan climbing a tree. It might be nonsense, we will never know but there it is.

 

It is also more properly known as the Sokolsky Opening, named after the Soviet player Alexey Sokolsky who wrote a book about it in 1963. Certainly I have essayed this move in my own games, albeit only the fun ones online, not the more serious tournament battles and I have had so much fun with it. For sure it can put the opponent off balance immediately.   

 

The author shares a few variations before we get to Magnus, namely the exchange with 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 and the Myers Two Step which is 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3. Bxe5 Nf6 4.c3!? which Magnus has played several times. 4…Be7 5.g3 0-0 6.Bxf6

 

See diagram below;

 

 

 

 

This is a lesson in when and why to exchange minor pieces. Here. White willingly gives black the bishop pair, but the dark squared bishop will be stunted somewhat by White’s pawns. He will leave the c3 pawn where it is. This is the Magnus method. Look out for it next time you play him!

 

Chess games

There are twenty-one games given, some against the likes of Giri and Nakamura and others against lesser-known players such as Weetik or Bok, who is incidentally one of two people in the book to beat Magnus, the other being Wesley So. These are not classical games, but events such as the FTX Crypto Cup on Chess.Com or Titled Tuesday matches as so many are in the databases these days.  

 

The games are great fun to play through and there are plenty of good sized diagrams to accompany the clear text. There is one cute surprise in the twentieth game where the tables are turned and Carlsen plays the Black pieces in a Titled Tuesday match against Szymon Tumular (2591) who plays 1.b4 and Magnus responds with (wait for it) 1…a6. This cannot be prep, surely but follow the game and see how his position develops. Note (below) how he fianchettoes both bishops.  

 

 

Final thoughts

Clearly this is a book that the author felt compelled to write. It is a light and easy read with some quirky games, not to mention the cover showing an ape holding a pawn. You don’t have to take some of them too seriously but they are there to be enjoyed. If you are a club player looking to surprise your opponent you will certainly gleam some ideas here. The games seem to me to be a cross between theory and entertainment.

 

The games are interesting and just what you would expect to be served up from quicker time controls. The author does not seek perfection here, and more importantly neither does magnus. It is more about the surprise value and having fun dropping a metaphorical hand-grenade into your opponent’s position and seeing how they respond.

 

I like the final chapter entitled some famous orangutans where the author notes the likes of the aforementioned Susan, Charles Darwin and Jenny, The Jungle book (remember King Louie), Clint Eastwood and Clyde and others. It adds a touch of humour to proceedings, and as a Brummie myself, I can see why he included this.

 

Will this book make me play 1.b4 for a while? The short answer is yes, I shall employ it in my blitz chess games online for a while and see where it takes me. Honestly speaking I would even play it in a club game – but I will see how ready I am for that when the new season begins. My school chess club motto is Amat Victoria Curam – victory loves preparation, so have a go at 1.b4 and watch your victims crumble to your home prep.

 

I am all for supporting people who self-publish. No one apart from the elite players makes any serious money out of chess books so this must have purely been a labour of love and fun to write. Bravo for that. If you want a chess book that does not bore you to death with lines of opening theory and you want to see another side to the maestro that is Magnus Carlsen then this lovely little tome is the one for you. Life is short – go on, give 1.b4 a go.

 

Who is the author?

Marek Soszynski is a Doublemaster, being both a Master of Philosophy and a Correspondence Chess Master. He was born and lives in Birmingham, England. He has written or co-written other chess publications.