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Russell Enterprises, Inc. At Russell Enterprises, Inc. we publish a wide variety of chess books. Our books are available in print, electronic, and interactive form.

Every one of our publications feature outstanding authors and excerpts can be downloaded so you can preview the book before you purchase it.

02/02/2024

Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi has won this year's edition of the legendary Wijk Aan Zee tournament. In this month's Dutch Treat, Hans Ree takes a look at the remarkable performance and how a single incident impacted the overall standings. Read all about it in: "Wei Yi, Poet and Tournament Winner" - https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

01/01/2024

In this month's "Dutch Treat," Hans Ree reflects on the current state of correspondence chess. It is now available on the Russell Enterprises website: https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

We would like to wish one and all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

04/12/2023

One of the interesting things about team tournaments is how results of matches on the lower boards may affect overall standings. In his latest Dutch Treat column, Hans Ree takes a look at some of these events. Read "Tears of Happiness" now available at https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

01/11/2023

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, former republics have emerged as very strong, independent chess powers. There is of course Armenia. But don't forget about Uzbekistan. Its players may be less familiar to westerners, but they are not to be underestimated. In his latest Dutch Treat column, Hans Ree takes a look at "Powerhouse Uzbekistan." See: https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

01/10/2023

On September 21, one of the most popular chess authors passed away. Jeremy Silman was author of the immensely popular "How to Reassess Your Chess" as well as other top titles. Dutch GM Hans Ree pays tributed to Silman in this month's Dutch Treat column. Read all about "A Man Who Loved Books": https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

For over 50 years, one of the most influential publications in the chess world has been Chess Informant. Under the guidi...
03/09/2023

For over 50 years, one of the most influential publications in the chess world has been Chess Informant. Under the guiding hand of Aleksandar Matanovic, it has become an indispensable theoretical and practical source for chessplayers of all levels. With the passing of Aleksandar Matanovic last month, Dutch GM Hans Ree takes a look at the Informant and the man who was primarily responsible for its continued success. Read all about it in "Great Days of Yugoslav Chess" :

Great Days of Yugoslav Chess September 1, 2023 Hanon Russell On Wednesday August 9, Aleksandar Matanovic died in his native Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. The city used to be also the capital of Yugoslavia, when that was still one country and in fact the second strongest chess country in the world...

23/08/2023

We have just learned of the passing of Robert Sherwood. He authored several tournament books and also was known for his translation of German texts. His most recent book was the widely acclaimed "Cambridge Springs 1904." Russell Enterprises released it near the end of last year.

He sent us his finished manuscript on Moscow 1925 just a week or so before he died. That book will be published next year. RIP Bob...

02/08/2023

The Chinese in the past few months have won and now hold both the men and women's world championship. Dutch GM Hans Ree ponders the situation in his latest Dutch Treat column: Laughter at the World Championship. It is now available at https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

01/06/2023

As more news and articles are published exclusively online, the traditional chess columns in magazines and newspapers have been adversely impacted. Hans Ree reflects on this, ironically in his own online column at Russell Enterprises' website. Read all about it in "Three Columnists" now available at: https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

02/01/2023

Software that can write essays? What is the world coming to? In his latest Dutch Treat column, GM Hans Ree discuss that strange possibility. Read all about it in "Chess Writing with ChatGPT." You can find it at: https://www.russell-enterprises.com/dutch-treat/jan2018

31/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 31: On this date in 1980, American women’s grandmaster Jennifer Shahade was born. She won the U.S. women’s championship twice, in 2002 and 2004. She earned a degree in comparative literature from NYU, and her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Chess Life, New in Chess, and Games Magazine. Her first book, Chess Bitch: Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport was released in 2005.

Her father Mike is a FIDE master and her brother Greg an international master. Jennifer regularly appears as an online commentator for tournaments and matches.

She is also an accomplished poker player. In 2014, Shahade won the first TonyBet Open Face Chinese Poker Live World Championship High Roller Event taking home €100,000.

30/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 30: On this date in 1946, Canadian international master Bruce Amos was born. He played in many individual and team events in the 1970s. In the early 1970s, Amos received his masters degree in mathematics from Yale University. Around 1976 he gave up competitive chess and turned his attention to the oriental game Go in which he became a top-ranking amateur.

27/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 27: On this date in 1918, Austro-Hungarian master Carl Schlechter died. Active in the 1890s and 1900s, he is probably best known for drawing Emanuel Lasker in a 1910 title match. It was a ten-game match, and with one game remaining, Schlechter had a 5-4 lead. He obtained a very promising position with clear winning chances. He squandered that, but the game was still drawn. Then inexplicably he seemed to continue to play for a win. Lasker struck back and won the game.

This match has had some controversy surrounding it ever since it was played. Schlechter’s playing for a win in a game in which a draw would suffice was very peculiar. It gave rise to a theory that perhaps there was a provision in the agreement for the match that required Schlechter to win by two points. However, the players did not clarify this point at the time and no other proof – one way or the other – ever came to light.

Schlechter also prepared the eighth and final edition of the famous Handbuch des Schachspiels. It was published in eleven parts between 1912 and 1916 and totaled 1,040 pages. It was considered one of the great resources of chess theory and knowledge for many years.

A proud man, Schlechter did not fare well during the war years. He died of starvation shortly after the ware ended.

26/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 26: On this date in 1883, German international master Carl Ahues was born. He was the champion of Berlin in 1910, and won the German championship in 1929. He was very active in the 1920s and 1930s. His son Herbert was a well-known problem composer.

25/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 25: On this date in 1847, American problem composer William Shinkman was born. Over his career he composed approximately 3,500 problems. He and compatriot Sam Loyd were the dominant problem composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He oversaw the problem section of Lasker’s Chess Magazine. A resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was dubbed “The Wizard of Grand Rapids” because of his creative problems.

24/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 24: On this date in 1868, the second world champion Emanuel Lasker was born. He was world champion for 27 years, longer than any other champion. He was also a strong contract bridge player.

Although it is difficult if not impossible to compare players from different eras, there are many who consider Lasker the strongest of all time. With the exception of his 1910 championship match against Schlechter, Lasker was not seriously challenged for the title until the young Cuban José Raúl Capablanca soundly defeated him in 1921.

Not surprisingly, some of Lasker’s games have become the stuff of legend. When he and Capablanca met in a crucial game in the famous St. Petersburg tournament of 1914, the supposedly drawish Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez was used by Lasker to score an impressive victory.

Lasker’s defensive prowess was no less extraordinary. For example, finding himself in an apparently lost ending – a lone knight against a rook and pawn – versus Edward Lasker in the 1924 New York tournament, he stunned spectators and players alike by drawing the game, thus adding to the then-existing endgame theory.

Lasker was also a prolific author in several other disciplines including philosophy and mathematics. His chess writings included “Lasker’s Chess Magazine” from 1904 to 1909 and the comprehensive “Lasker’s Chess Manual,” still a valued instructional book in today’s computer era.

23/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 23: On this date in 1987, German grandmaster Martin Krämer was born. He became a FIDE master in 2004, an international master in two years later, and in 2012 he was awarded the grandmaster title. He won the German Rapid Championship in 2013.

21/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 21: On this date in 1945, American-Canadian grandmaster Duncan Suttles was born. He is one of the few players to have earned the grandmaster title in both over-the-board and correspondence chess.

During his playing career, Suttles was one of the most original thinkers in the game. He was one of the first players to take up the Modern Defense (1...g6) in the mid-1960s, and helped to shape it into a viable, potent defense for Black.

20/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 20: On this date in in 2008, Slovenian grandmaster Albin Planinc died. He was twice champion of Slovenia. His best tournament result was at Amsterdam 1973, the IBM tournament, where he shared first place with Tigran Petrosian, ahead of Lubomir Kavalek, Boris Spassky and László Szabó.

19/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 19: On this date in 1987, world champion Garry Kasparov won the final, 24th game, of his match with Anatoly Karpov to retain his title. It was perhaps the most dramatic finish to a world championship match ever. After 23 games, Karpov had a one-point lead, 12-11. The rules of the match stated that the first player to reach 12½ points would win. In case of a draw, the champion would retain his title.

Karpov therefore only needed a draw to win back the title. Kasparov had White and began the game with a quiet line of the English. In the first session, both players missed best continuations. The game was adjourned after Black’s 42nd move. Upon resumption, Kasparov had a slight pull. As he wrote in How Life Imitates Chess:

“The best news was that I could play this position forever, maneuvering around to provoke a mistake by my opponent. Black would be tied down on defense the entire time, and Karpov knew it. The prospect of such prolonged torture took its toll; I could see it in his eyes when he walked on the stage a few minutes after I did. His fatalistic expression told me that he had already lost the game psychologically, which boosted my confidence.”

Although Karpov had drawing chances in the second session, he could not hold and Garry brought home the full point, and retained his title.

18/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 18: On this date in 1963, Argentine grandmaster Diego Flores was born. He has won the championship of Argentina five times and since 2004 has been the chess columnist for the newspaper Diario Democracia.

17/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 17: On this date in 1953, Ukrainian-Slovenian grandmaster Alexander Beliavsky was born. He won the World Junior Championship in 1973, and the championship of the Soviet Union four times.

In November 2009 he became the oldest player to be rated in the top 100 in the world. He shares an interesting record with Viktor Korchnoi and Paul Keres: With the exception of Bobby Fischer, he has defeated nine former or then-reigning undisputed world champions since Vassily Smyslov.

16/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 16: On this date in 1908, German-American master Sonja Graf was born. A student of Siegbert Tarrasch in the early 1930s, she played against stronger men in European tournaments and had credible results.

In 1937 she played women’s world champion Vera Menchik in a title match, but was lost 11½-4½. She was participating in the women’s world championship tournament in Buenos Aires in 1939 when the Second World War began. She remained in Argentina, finishing second to Menchik in the tournament.

After the war she married an American merchant marine and moved to the U.S. She subsequently won the U.S. Women’s Championship twice, in 1957 (tied with Gresser) and 1964.

15/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 15: On this date in 1935, Dutch grandmaster Max Euwe defeated reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine 15½-14½ to become the fifth world champion. Although Euwe and Alekhine had an even score, 7-7, before the match began, Euwe was considered a distinct underdog. This was perhaps because Alekhine’s aggressive attacking style seemed better than Euwe’s solid, balanced approach.

And indeed, Alekhine jumped to a three-point lead, but after game 13, Euwe scored twice as many wins as Alekhine and went on to win the title. This was also the first world championship match in which each player had seconds.

Although Euwe’s defeat of Alekhine was – and still is – considered an upset by many, in the two years between their first title match and the second, they met four times over the board. Euwe scored 2½-1½ in those games, so perhaps it was not as great an upset as many people thought…

14/12/2022

This Date in Chess History
December 14: On this date in 1951, Dutch grandmaster Jan Timman was born. He has won the Dutch Championship nine times and has been in the candidates’ cycle several times. He played on the Dutch Olympiad team 13 times from 1972 to 2004. In 1982, Timman was ranked second in the world behind Anatoly Karpov.

He has also had a successful career as a chess author. Among his many books are The Art of Chess Analysis (1997), Fischer, World Champion! (2002), and Curaçao 1962: The Battle of Minds That Shook the Chess World (2007). Happy Birthday Jan!

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