HOW TO GET BUYERS PANTING

When it comes to chess here's what you have to do as a publisher:

1. Find a subject that is popular with buyers (how you do this no one knows exactly).

2. Preferably, make it an opening book (or anything else that will sell).

3. The author needs impeccable credentials (or blemished credentials).

4. The publisher should have a decent track record (overall).

5. Make it late in getting into the hands of readers.

I have such a title, The Ruy Lopez Revisted by GM Ivan Sokolov.

The book was to appear in the Netherlands on December 15th. It looks like February 15th will be closer to it in the USA. So condition #5 is satisfied.

Not that much gets published on the Lopez these days--instead we are beat over the head with analytical "articles" on the Sicilian. See New in Chess publisher's Yearbooks. So #1-2-4 is satisfied. And as it was written by Sokolov, #3 is taken care of.

I have more pent up energy for purchasing this book than any other in a while; even back orders. If you want to join the bandwagon, contact me: bob@thinkerspressinc.com

What's it about? Similar in nature to The Flexible French by Moskalenko, it will have "bold, but very playable, off-beat weapons, as well as dynamic new ideas in many main variations."

That's what the brochure says; I don't yet have a review copy. Reasonably priced at a retail of $27.95, the book comes out in 240 pages, a little larger than 6x9, my standard size.

The reason I suspect it will be good is because Sokolov is a good writer and a strong player. His book on the middlegame: Winning Chess Middlegames is one of the best I've seen on using certain types of pawn structures to get the game you want to play and leave your opponent groping for words with, "How'd he do that?"

Most likely my copies won't be here until about the 3rd week of February, a week after Valentine's Day. Wish it could be sooner. Let me know.