Chess Book Review VA101 - How Computers Play ChessOver the decades I've built quite a decent library of chess books and more than 20 years ago I did review some of the best, with an emphasis in (but not limited to) Computer Chess, uploading the reviews to a chess-related website of mine ("Chess Tests") now long defunct but which at the time attracted considerable attention, and many chess authors (including celebrities such as Mr. Robert Hyatt, the creator of the world-class Cray Blitz and Crafty chess programs) sent many interesting results and valuable comments.
Now I've resurrected the original web pages of "Chess Tests" as a set of near-facsimile PDF documents which you can find in the Chess Tests Section of this very site, while here in this current Section you can find the Chess Book Reviews proper. Enjoy !
Chess Book Review VA101 - How Computers Play Chess
My 3-page comprehensive review of the title chess book, which begins like this: "This book assesses the current state of the art and offers expert insight into just when computers will beat the world's best humans. The book answers such questions as: How do computers select moves ? Who/What is DEEP BLUE ? Which are the other best programs ? Can programs learn ?"
Chess Book Review VA102 - Chess Skill in Man and Machine
My 2-page comprehensive review of the title chess book, which begins like this: "This book provides a multidisciplinar view of all the complexities that the game of chess presents for both humans and machines. Various authors discuss historical, technical, and even the psychological aspects of chess skills. Several chess programs are examined."
Chess Book Review VA103 - The Chess Computer Handbook
My 3-page comprehensive review of the title chess book, which begins like this: "This interesting little book gives a thorough introduction to the basics of a chess program, detailing with examples the fundamental techniques. Besides, it gives advice on how to play against a machine, and shows how it can help you to develop your skills. A chapter on what to look for in a chess computer proves most useful."
Chess Book Review VA104 - The New Chess Computer Book
My 3-page comprehensive review of the title chess book, which begins like this: "This is the revised edition of The Chess Computer Book, with much new material. It includes a good story of chess computer, predicts likely developments and features many full games between computers and humans, analyzed and commented with diagrams and a lot of interesting opinions by its knowledgeable author."
Chess Book Review VA402 - Encyclopaedia of Chess Endings IV
My 2-page comprehensive review of the title chess book, which begins like this: "This IVth volume of the Encyclopaedia of Chess Endings is totally dedicated to the most difficult endgames of all, Queen endgames. Here you'll find 1800 outstanding and comprehensive endings, thoroughly classified, fully analyzed. 100s of them (the most subtle ones) have been computer-analyzed with KDKT and BELLE, showing up a new dimension: error-free, exact, optimum analysis."
Chess Book Review VA403 - Test Your Endgame Ability
My 3-page comprehensive review of the title chess book, which begins like this: "This book presents a superb collection of practical endgame studies selected from the greatest endgame composers, arranged within chapters of increasing difficulty. There's a well-thought scoring scheme which permits the reader to work out his rating at this difficult area of chess. 522 diagrams, 87 test sheets of 6 positions each."
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