NEZHMETDINOV RETURNS??

Some years ago I published a book called Super Nezh. It quickly sold out because, let's face it, many had heard of this chess whiz who slammed many, many strong players to the chess mat. GM Andy Soltis selected Nezhmetdinov's game against Polugaevsky as the "best" game of chess of all time, eclipsing even Kasparov-Topalov 1999 (which was No. 5).

The reactions were 99% (or higher) positive. The paper edition sold out quickly and the hardcover edition took long enough that it proved to me that I and ten other people are the only ones interested in owning and reading hardcovers (I bombed with Smullyan's hardcover book too, Some Interesting Memories.)

One fellow, from Australia, wrote in and gave me point by point everything that was wrong with the book. He was wrong on several things but he obviously had nothing else to do.

I had mentioned that the author, Alexander Pyshkin, died during the production of the book and I was on my own though I elicited some grammar help from Don Aldrich (thanks Don). The author, at that time, did not own any chess software engines, just his brain. Of course I always use engines to "clean up" errors and to double check the author. It mostly works and I've done it for years. In a few cases I didn't reorder the evaluations to a note from best to worst, or worst to best, whichever was required. One guy got all upset about this. I was amazed someone actually read the notes! Somehow, obviously in a "mistaken" stupor, I've allowed these people access to my life and I doubt they write to John Nunn (although I am sure I am also as wrong as can be about that).

I was able to get some unique photos which made my book rather original and now I can't remember how, but everything was on the up and up. The cover (pictured above) has been ripped off (I never cease to be amazed since I pay real money for design work and these clowns don't). The cover was nifty as well as the back cover showing that Nezh was in the assassin business. GM Lubosh Kavalek thought it was not correct to label Nezh as an assassin since, realistically, he didn't always win. These things are called METAPHORS for crying out loud.

Ask Mikhail Tal, who was beaten so many times by Nezh that Tal made him one of his seconds for training. Ask Spassky, and many others who went down the tubes. This guy was aggression personified and way ahead of his time in opening theory.

The book was a fun and cool project and I have been asked to bring it back, and, maybe that will happen. In the meantime I also offered a small floppy disk of a BOATLOAD of Nezh games (that's another thing, someone thought I was being disrespectful for abbreviating Nezhmetdinov to Nezh--clearly he didn't have to typeset, hyphenate, or proof the book--even the author started referring to him as Nezh in our communications; now everyone (almost) does). I can't find my original master disk and if I did it no doubt would be no good as floppies don't last that long. I am looking for someone who bought that disk from me and who, perhaps, loaded it on their computer for quicker access! I want to make a CD of Super Nezh games, replete with art etc. Whoever FIRST loans me a compressed file of Nezh's games which I produced (not something ripped off from ChessBase) will get a boxed CD case with wrapper of what they loaned me (and perhaps upgraded) absolutely FREE. You can send the .cbv file to my email address below.

I went through hundreds of Soviet chess magazines to make this compilation so there is no problem with royalties to Pyshkin's wife (if she is still surviving).

Hope to hear from someone who can do this now. I have one person who told me he has them but at the moment he is too lazy to send them to me. Maybe 3 months from now. I'm already bored.

Thanks. bob@thinkerspressinc.com