Hopefully a newly designed web site will solve a few promotional problems as it will tell you what sales are expiring and what is ON sale. Until then, emails and this Blog forum has to do the job. Even then a web site doesn't solve all "problems" because readers and customers have to remember to take a look every so often.In recent weeks for example, I have received a ton of feedback on various new ideas and virtually NONE of this filtering has landed on the Blog, but in my email box, ranging from the BOOK Camp idea, to ChessBase, to Clinics, books, etc.
Today I announce two things:
1) The SALE prices on the Chess Bullies flyer I sent out (10 pages) expires at midnight. That doesn't mean I won't have those very items in stock or that you can't get Gold Card pricing, just that you can't get the little EXTRA discounts after midnight tonight.
2) Three new books from Everyman Chess and Mongoose Press have shown up here; and
a) Two books are back which sold out at the Chess Clinic and for which I really had nothing to say earlier about them.
1. Play the Dutch by GM Neil McDonald. The repertoire is based on the Leningrad Dutch, a venerable and still popular system (176 pgs.). Ret. $26.59. My regular discounted price (G&L) is $23.25. The Gold Card price is $20.50.
2. Dangerous Weapons: The Caro-Kann by Emms, Palliser, and Houska. For some reason (and I think i know what it is), the Caro-Kann has been on my mind lately. This is a fat one, and worthy of attention, 304 pages. Good for Black or White, dangerous sidelines. What does Black do when confronted with 2.Nc3 ? Does he have some good ideas too? It's been my experience with the "Dangerous Weapons" series that these subjects should have been covered a long time ago by authors of main lines because, who knows when a mainline will have fallen out of favor? Karpov plays the Caro-Kann and it has happened to him! Ret. $27.95, G&L price is $23.95, and the Gold Card price $21.25.
3. The Zukertort System: A Guide for White and Black by IM Grigory Bogdanovich. Does he reference or use as a reference our book by David Rudel, Zuke 'EM? You bet he does. 340 pages. Ret. $24.95. G&L price is $21.50 and the Gold Card price is $18.95. A foreword has been written by a Colle-Zukertort user, GM Artur Yusupov.
4. Capablanca: A Primer of Checkmate by Frisco Del Rosario. Ret. $19.95. Games played by Capa which ended in mate or which were heading that way. The lesson is to show you different kinds of checkmates that actually happen and will happen if the game is carried further. Some of them are AMAZING, the kind of thing some of us miss if it was right there in front of us. G&L price is $17.25. Gold Card price is $15.25. Bookseller's BANE: I have one copy with a bruised lower right corner on the cover and a few following pages caused by wrapping too tightly and shipping the books to me so that if the box got hit on the corner, there is what I call a "bruising" of the book. Mainly caused by carelessness on the shipper's part. I'll knock $2 off just so I don't have to return it. Do I get review copies like this? Sometimes. Presents a poor look for something someone is trying to sell but as I get older, I am clearly more interested in the content. Now I ever write in my books! Oh no! Recently I also got a copy of Formation Attacks by Joel Johnson. This book has proven to be popular. But I got one copy from the fulfillment house that had a couple page extensions on the top of the book. Of course it doesn't affect readability, but I also can't claim that I prefer to sell books this way either. So, $2 OFF your price on that $40 book too. G&L Price $34.25. Gold Card Price is $30.25. Hence, Gold Card holders, for example, could get this for $28.25 as the sale price of $29.50 is over tonight.
5. Chess Blueprints Planning in the Middlegame by Nikolay Yakovlev (IM in ICCF). One topic I noted was "extravagant wing-play." Worth perusing. I suspect a lot of these coaches and trainers are needing extra income just to have a decent life. As many aspects of the Russian economy improves, it would be helpful to them if they could sell 50,000 copies of chess books like in the past but as people grow "wealthier" they buy other stuff (did I write that? unfortunately, true). So it is easier to get a "harder" currency from the West than higher sales for mediocre money from the East. Lately there has been a spate of books from coaches and trainers and this may surprise you but I find that they are clearer and easier to read (usually) and of more value to us plebes. This book looks good for one particular reason: I notice how he can also concentrate on "picking up" pawns. This is VERY important in becoming a stronger player and it took me a number of years to realize this. Too often I was going for the big fish because I didn't trust my endgame play. 275 pages. Ret. $24.95. G&L $21.50. Gold price $18.95.
That's all the news today from Chessbegone, IA.
bob@thinkerspressinc.com
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