THE NEWS FOR MONDAY

is about issue #115 of The Chess Reports. The format, at least for this issue, will be quite a bit different. I will be telling readers what I have been learning after proofing 93 games for LASKER THE ULTIMATE STREETFIGHTER and BLACKBURNE THE BLACK DEATH. The old guys can teach us a lot, and Bobby Fischer knew that. No, it's not about openings this time but the execution of certain tactics. $59.95 for a 13 issue subscription. Also will have mroe coverage of the upcoming Last Chess Clinic. So far about 15-16 have signed up for dinner. Let me know if I missed you. Why all 35 would surprises me, but, the "cookie and crumbling" and all that.

Lastly, Sunday even I made a big conversion of computer systems and straightened out my office. There will be some glitches, there always are. So far, things (except for fonts) aren't too bad. Have begun using my more powerful Mac to run newer software. Catalogs will have a whole new look and it will be easier (I think) to produce them. That's how to blow a Sunday evening.

Gotta run, a lot of writing to finish up. Sorry about Saturday, worked all day on the Blackburne book and did not look up for air.

I am also looking forward to My Search for Chess Perfection showing itself next week.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

BOOKS AND BOOKS

Sorry I couldn't get to this yesterday... was finishing up Lasker the Ultimate Streetfighter. It just went to the printer. I'm happy and proud of the book. I should have stuck with a plan for 44 pages instead of 52 because the printer charges a whole dollar extra for those few extra pages. Doesn't sound like much but there is a lot to marketing many are not aware of. I left the price blank on the back cover in cases of stuff like this, so there may be a future price increase unless you get it now ($12.95). The book will be free to all those who have paid to come to the chess clinic.

Here is a quick rundown of some stuff I got in two days ago. Most are from Quality Chess:

Boost Your Chess 2 by Yusupov. Retail is $29.95.

Grandmaster Repertoire: The Sicilian Defence by Ftacnik. Retail is $34.95

The Cutting Edge, The Open Sicilian 1 by Pavlovic. Retail is $27.95.

The Alterman Gambit Guide (White Gambits) by Alterman, Retail is $25.95.

Soviet Chess Strategy by Suetin (Chess Classics series). Retail is $29.95.

These are all substantial books in quality, size, and content. I will have the discounted prices posted very soon. Anyone who wants to go ahead and order can, I will figure it out and email you back the pro-forma invoice. There are those who trust me.

Three other titles are very good, but one is an oldie, reprinted:

The KGB Plays Chess by Popov with contributions by Felshtinsky, Gulko, and Korchnoi. Retail is $19.95. An amazing book that names names and tells the story of chess "troublemakers" like Gulko and Korchnoi and who the "agents of change" were for the KGB (not surprisingly, Karpov is one, but a few others are surprises). Reviews later in The Chess Reports.

Emanuel Lasker by the Linders, father and son. I have the original book in Russian from some many moons ago. It is quite excellent as Linder perceived Lasker as one of the best players ever and has a lot of ammo to back it up. Never got to use any of this for my Ultimate Streetfighter book except to confirm a few things. Retail is $24.95.

Tal Botvinnik 1960 by Mikhail Tal. 6th edition. $19.95 retail.

Other titles will be in just before the Chess Clinic. If you want a copy of what I have I can send now. If you want to reserve one for the Clinic, I can do that (just don't pull the rug out from under me by changing your mind at the last minute after I have saved it for you--man I hate that!)

This is all I have time for today, sorry. The chess world is moving with lightning speed.

ONE FINAL NOTE

I have a manuscript in front of me to be made in either PDF or eBook format on the 3... Qa5 variation of the Scandinavian (Center Counter) by Andrew Martin. There will also be a DVD with Andrew annotating 14-15 games not in the previous book, all new stuff since then. We are contemplating adding a large DB of selected games. Price not known yet. I see some great stuff here. The eBook and DVD will be sold as a set.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

THE CRITICAL SECRET FOR SUCCESS

is being printed. Hopefully it will be here next week. If you aren't coming to the Clinic, you have up to two weeks after that to get it at your BEST price.

Tomorrow, Lasker the Ultimate Streetfighter goes to the printer. This book, now $12.95 will be given away FREE to all Chess Clinic attendees as well as a gift I bought tonight for use at the Clinic and which you can take home with you. I bought 36, so I have one extra from the number we have currently registered.

The Lasker book part of a series called The New York and London Gangs of Chess have a specific purpose. Every two months a new one will be released. The starting months will be November and December, just in time for Christmas. Then January-February, March-April and so on. I have 24 months planned, or 12 featured players.

Anyone who orders a minimum of $100 worth of merchandise, for each paired set of months, will be mailed, or included with their order, the next in TNYALGOC series. So if you buy $125 worth of stuff in Nov.-Dec., in January you will get the LASKER book for FREE (if you didn't already get one at the Last Chess Clinic). You may include subscriptions such as The Chess Reports, Chess EXTRAS, equipment, software, and books. Events will not count for 2011, whatever they are, but purchases AT them will. Keep your invoices. Usually you get one in the package and another emailed to you.

The book is QUITE good if I don't mind saying so. Probably 50 pages, algebraic notation, notes, copyrighted caricatures. No crosstables or fluff. In the first one, Lasker, there are 50 annotated games from his early period, 1892-1902, and then some lesser known games (10 of those). All wins including one of the most amazing endgames ever seen!

The second volume will contain some of the most crunching games ever seen over the board by another super master, who will belong to the London Gang. No, Leonardo diCaprio is not included.

A number of new books came in today, I will list them tomorrow. I am starting to get lists of books people want me to set aside for them to purchase and pickup at the chess clinic. Smart guys because if it is sold out, I won't be able to make more of them magically appear at the clinic and will have to reorder them.

T-SHIRTS were ordered today. I will have a couple XLs left over to meet the minimum quota. So if you aren't coming and would still like one, I can get it for you. If the XL is too small for you let me know and I will see if they can switch before the print run. This is NOT guaranteed. Mrs. Deem told me today that the second largest picker of cotton, in the world, after the US, is Pakistan. Container shipping prices have more than doubled. Cotton, for GOOD shirts (and I ordered the Beefy-Ts, which are the best) costs much more than 6 years ago, hence the bigger prices. I'm just the messenger. Most of you will want this souvenir.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

PURDY WORK GOES TO THE PRINTER

HOPEFULLY HERE... before October 20th.

Beefy and probably will be in much demand even though it will be $39.95.

And I am putting up a web site next week to announce this and other Purdy offerings.

My Search for Chess Perfection by CJS Purdy. New testimonials on the back too.

Purdy's book, co-hosted by John Hammond and Robert Jamieson (though one doesn't hear much about them, they are the reason this book existed in the first place).

418 pages. Huge in size, 7x10. Same as 2007 edition with a few exceptions. There is a new chapter called "On Castle Walls" about defense of the King with pawns in front. And, there is a 20-21 page monster Index so you can find out almost anything on combinations, analysis, Lasker, pawns and passed pawns, the center, the endgame and loads more.

If this book was any bigger you would have to hire a moving van. It weighs in at 1.5+ pounds.

Working like a fool lately.

Tomorrow, hope to send Lasker the Ultimate Streetfighter to the printer.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

MY SEARCH FOR CHESS PERFECTION

The front and back cover design is finished for the revised Purdy book.

The inside of the book is finished... but an ad will go in for a Purdy URL and web site, which I am working on tonight. But first, I am reading terms of working with this company--15 pages of small print.

You have to do that, even if you don't want to because they may have a clause which says something totally ridiculous. I had that happen to me once when I was about to sign a leasing contract for a photocopier. At one point it said, "Machine may be removed, at any time, for any reason, at the request of the lessor." I called him up and told him this wasn't going to happen. He told me to "strike" that phrase and initial it.

I figured that the reason for that clause is not really to sabotage a good customer it is to handle bad customers who want to fight everything and anything. So with that clause it allows the lessor to just remove it and say, "Talk to you later," otherwise the user may damage the equipment.

So when I read through a 15 page, fine print document, it is very hard to exited about doing anything. It could kill sex between two praying mantis'... thereby saving the male's life!

Maybe something tonight, we'll see.

Bob

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

ROCK 'N ROLL

Here 'tis Saturday night. Taking a day off on Sunday to visit Northern Iowa and see the trees, hills, small towns. That's been a while. Last time I was in Decorah was about 1991-1992. Nice Swedish town. When I lived in Georgia near Savannah I was impressed with the downtown and the savannah grasses, but not the modern parts.

Going to look at some artist studios in barns, on the streets, and wherever. Many people don't realize how artistic Iowa is. A super artist named Rose and her husband live in Maquoketa and she is from Iowa and sells lots of her works in NYC (while he is from NY and moved here!) Recently she did portraits of 200 of the citizenry of Maquoketa for the Smithsonian! This is how to make Buck$ -- use your talents in some excellent ways!

The University of Iowa has a big art collection. There are publishing companies in this state besides little old me in Davenport. Big one in Dubuque, an educational one in Iowa City, and another in Des Moines (Meredith is the first or second largest in the world!)

The big insurance companies reside in Hartford, CT, San Francisco, CA, Omaha, NE, and Des Moines, IA. So if you arrive early or leave later, take a look around and see what we have in the way of clean air, lower crime, and a place where they make plenty of movies. We also have one of the best educational systems in the country. Almost none of this stuff is in Davenport because we have had idiots for leadership for years! So I like it here because it keeps people who want to change everything, away! LOL. Thus I can get things done. Great parks though.

Look forward to seeing all of you. Info sheets going out soon. $150 at the door, probably no gift bags because I have to make them up in advance. Register by Oct. 16th.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

But, my gig is Thinkers' Press, inc. and it will be The Last Chess Clinic on Octo. 22-23. Hope y'all come for a great time.

MY SEARCH FOR CHESS PERFECTION

should go to the printer tomorrow, if everything goes well.

It will be about 420 pages or almost 30 more than the last edition. There will be an additional chapter (On Castle Walls) and a huge index of about 20 pages so that you can find almost anything in that voluminous book. There have been many times when I was looking for a particular quote or object and it would take waaaay too long to find it... way too long. Now I can probably find it under the various subject headings (which go as much as 3 deep) and pick it out quickly. The Index is detailed.

For example, if you want to check something out in ATTACKS, but you want to know more, such as involving pawns, then you can go even further with respect to "chain base" or "from flank or rear."

There are also game references which are easier to look up. Players, their books, etc. There are "weirdicisms" too.

Under the subject heading of "chess" you will find about 50 items and that one is comfortable low compared to combinations, or position play, pawns, and strategy. It took me about a week to prepare the index and while I don't admit it is perfect, it's pretty darn useful, already! (I used it the other day to find something.)

Lasker the Ultimate Streetfighter should be going to the printer soon too as well as the "Secrets" book.

And there are some new titles coming in next week from Quality Chess.

More on other subjects such as Referrals, Renewals, and other "R" words such as Rewards, but then my good customers already know about that one.

I need you guys to keep me busy handling orders so that I won't have time to put together another catalogs (catalogs are probably the least used of all my services and yet everyone wants one!) I have Informants now also.

See ya tomorrow.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com