Michael Song: The Chess Attacker's Handbook

Gambit Verlag, paperback, Englisch, ISBN: 978-1-911465-16-4, 176 Seiten, 2017.

Foreword by Evgeny Bareev.

That's the mantra of the two young authors of this book, and as you read their energetic and insightful words, you may find yourself caught up in their enthusiasm for direct attacking play.

Their over-the-board successes are not based on mere bravado or trickery, but on a profound understanding of the chessboard struggle and thought process. Song and Preotu consider the role of manoeuvring and prophylactic thought, and examine attacks in the endgame, as well as more standard topics such as play on colour complexes and when and how to launch the pawns in an all-out assault.

And because life's too short to read a boring chess book, the text is packed with advice, study suggestions and anecdotes as well as quotes and references to philosophy and other ‘real-world’ topics. Their examples are drawn from their own practice and their supergrandmaster trainer, as well as modern classics and older gems. Most of their material you will not have seen before; the rest you will not have seen explained this way before.

The authors are the two highest-rated Canadian juniors, and are both coached by Evgeny Bareev. Razvan Preotu earned the Grandmaster title in 2016 at the age of 17. His meteoric rise included outright first place at the 2016 Calgary International, ahead of a strong international field including five GMs, and joint first in the 2017 Canadian Open. Michael Song became an International Master by winning the North American Under-18 Championship. He has represented Canada many times, winning a bronze medal at the 2011 World Youth Championship, and in 2017 won the PanAmerican Youth Championship (Under-18) outright.