Description
The emphasis is on general principles that readers will be able to use in their own games, and detailed analysis is always given where it is necessary. Each game and fragment contain many lessons and practical tips, guiding the reader through the most important ideas in each phase of the game. This book illustrates an increasingly prevalent and successful style of play, a method that begins by slowly accumulating small but permanent advantages. The author does a very good job of explaining the key points of the game in such a way that the reader is given a true account of what is happening and not some watered down version. Translating the muddy world of modern master chess into something that is understandable to the layman, is a skill Armin mastered.
Victoria S. –
Great book for club players. It’s easy to read and easy to use. Well structured. I highly recommend it!
Michael Yip –
Sharpen Up Your Chess by IM Armin Juhassz(2023) is not an easy book to review as Juhasz is my teammate and the Head Coach of my team MTK(based in Budapest). I was hoping to sharpen my style by adding 1.e4 and have at least the Open Sicilian in my repertoire a couple of years ago. I set myself a program that included reviewing games of Geller, Tal and Shirov and solving tactical exercises. Somehow this book get left aside until the author asked me to review the book. My first task was to read it completely and solve the exercises of course but then when it was time to write something I was short of words.
The material looks at the topic of sharp play from many facets, separated by chapter
Ch1 Unusual openings(3 exercises)
Ch2 GMs get tricked
Ch3 Sharp Middlegames
Ch4 Exercises for Middlegames(3 levels, 15 exercises each)
Ch5 Sharp Endgames(6 exercises)
Ch6 Examples from Students(6 exercises)
This is not a book on sacrifices although many examples contain sacrifices. Nor is this a book on sharp opening lines or gambits. The intended level is for 1700-2200 and tournament players or serious students will benefit the most.
Most of the examples do not feature the 2700 vs 2700 super GMs but lesser known players. The 60 exercises spread throughout are quite challenging are do not feature simple tactics and find the mates.
I benefited from going through this book the following ways
-opening ideas for example 5.g4 against the Philidor
-looking for sharp responses to dubious or slow middlegame play
-looking for a direct confrontation with lower rated(or supposedly weaker) players with the idea of out-calculating them in sharp play
On another level, this book has many examples from Hungarian sub-GM players. To sum up this is a work on an important topic with a wealth of interesting and instructive examples. The reviewer’s level is high 1800s(peak 2087 in Hungary) with many ups and downs, now age 65