Brain Games World Chess Champion Set - Premium Wooden Chess Board with Pieces for Adults & Kids - Perfect for Home, Office, or Travel

For the nice gross paper, nice graphics and typeface, this book is as good as 3 stars.As a member on the Brain Games' Board of the Directors, Keene has the first right to publish the book.There are a few versions of this book. I saw one with regular paper from Borders bookstore. It had different sections explaining the match conditions: time, number of games, etc. I recalled each game had a large interesting title. For example: The Berlin Wall, very mysterious and attractive. I almost bought that book, but now glad I didn't because there were many more other instructive books. I got this book with used price at Amazon; it is a fair deal.This book has about 120 pages, and 1/3 is used to promote the Brain Games and gives some history of chess championship.I had a few Keene's books of Kasparov-Karpov matches. And like those, in this book Keene did not provide broad and deep analysis along the games, often 2 or 3 moves deep (only 1 variation!), a few places he generously gave 5 moves deep.For example: at the very first game, after 8 moves, six pieces were traded off. Then came 2 quiet moves at move 9. Here Keene gave a diagram and the note. "This move appeared to surprise Kasparov who conceded after the game that he had not expected Black's opening." Wow, very insightful for C-player like me. No variations, no analysis.I used to Gamebit books, where half of dozen of variations and 25-30 moves deep analysis are the norm at every break. The rest of the book follows the same pattern.This book is good as the game and match record. To be an instructional book, John Nunn or Igor Stohl needs to get involved. And one more thing: often in gambit book, there is a short introduction beginning each game and a summary following it. Here Keene gave the game result right in the introduction that spoiled the whole game experience.That is all about the book. Now for the game quality. After winning this match, Kramnik didn't produce many significant records. I tried to reason that Kasparov didn't play at the top of his form in this match. Also I guessed the shorter game-time and fewer number of games contributed to this match result. Not to take any credit from Kramnik, but he apparently out-prepared Kasparov this time.Thanks to numerous diagrams in this book I could learn a few things from the match.Openings: there are no analyses and variations, so no lessons here.Middle-games: back to game 1, after 6 pieces being traded in the first 8 moves, 17 moves later the material on the board was still unchanged but the players agreed to a draw! White had the pawn majority on the K-side, and Black, the Q-side. At C-level, we often pushed for the attack where we're stronger, however the GMs know when and where to push for their advantage. Some lessons to be learn here. Same thing we could study and understand why games 5, 7(!), 9, 12, 13 are decidedly draws at the middle-games. Class expert or lower would play them to the last pawns always.Endgames: games 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11 and 14 are good lessons for understanding how to play and evaluate endgames. Kramnik won bishops of opposite color with 1 extra pawn in game 2. In game 3, Kasparov could not win with B and extra P vs. N. In game 4, Kasparov held to a draw with a piece and P deficit! Kasparov's strong outpost N and active Q neutralized Kramnik's B and extra P, in game 6. Game 8, Kramnik sacrificed 2 P's to obtain drawish Bs of opposite ending. Game 11 is an interesting material balance, 2 Bs vs. R + P. By game 11, Kasparov had already been behind by 2 games. By game 14, chance for Karparov to erase 2- point deficit was very dimmed. Somehow he wound up a P up in a Q + R + Ps ending. However, Kramnik forced trading Q's at move 37, and at move 40 reduced it to Ps on one side of the board (theoretical draw.) They pushed for another 17 moves and signed the peace treaty.By well prepared, Kramnik won game 10 in 25 moves, Kasparov's second shortest loss after Deep Blue.The match ended before the final 16th game (w/o play), because Kramnik comfortably steered the game to a drawish path with two points lead in game 15.Thanks to the quality games of two world best players, this official book of the match could gain 3-star rating.