Chess Duels: My Games with the World Champions

I had not read much material by Seirawan before. I had watched some youtube videos (very high quality, please check it out). So I did not know what to expect in this book. What an amazing discovery! Seirawan is an author of the highest caliber, he writes a chess book like a thriller, hard to put down until you reach the very last page!His analysis is very instructive and very accessible to players of intermediate strength and up. And the stories, I would buy this book just for the stories themselves and consider the excellently annotated games as a bonus!

On page 92 of the paperback version, Mr. Seirawan is describing his reasoning for move 7 in his game against Mikhail Tal; "... Instead, I wanted the game to enter the calm waters of a strategically contested battle with few tactical operations. That means trading off the pieces and trying to bore my opponent to death." It is rare that I laugh out loud while reading, but I busted a gut on that one! 🤣Mr. Seirawan, thank you so much! I've been a happy owner of your Winning Chess series for over a decade now. Your style of writing almost makes me feel as if you were in the room with me as I go over your lessons. Please excuse me if I refer to you as Uncle Yasser, because that is the feeling I get as I read your words.

A great chess book by a great writer. More than chess games, it is amusing, articulate and enlightening. Yasser weaves a great story around his great games and puts flesh on the games and the characters playing them. I look forward to reading it many times.

I don't know what I can add to other reviews -- this is a great book, that any chess player or fan will not regret owning.Yasser is one of the chess world's best, and most unique, writers. His annotations are very personal (you can feel his elation and pain in his comments), and very warm. You can feel his warmth to people in general, and especially to the great chess players.I love this book because it is also a sort of memoire. Yasser talks about his childhood, and his activities in youth chess, all of which is entertaining and fascinating. But the meat of the book concerns the world champions he faced over the board, and his high level analysis of the games. It is so nice to read his always gentalmanly comments about his opponents, as players, and as human beings. I'm not sure there has ever been such a strong player as Yasser who is also such a polite gentleman.This book is loaded with great anecdotes about the chess world, with virtually no malice. Along with that, it is loaded with great analysis of top level games. It is a wonderful book. If you were waffling about buying it, I can recommend it without any reservation.

I am glad a chess master of Seirawan caliber decided to write a book on his games with the champions.If you put together a top GM, a skilled (former chess editor) writer a chess personality, hard work and time the result is this book.The book is the perfect companion for a chess player. You have the mix of very interesting and insighful chess stories and great chess games.The stories are well elaborate and give you a better understanding of the development of chess in the post Fischer Era. The game are high quality with clear annotations.These combinations make the book perfect for a light read before bed(stories) or as a tool for chess improvement( going over the games in detail).Seirawan reveals the untold stories ligated to many important chess tournament and matches. The role played by preparation, the strong and weak points of the players as well as the politics behind critical/life changing decisions.This book belongs to any chess player library. Highly reccomended.Disclaimer: I am not a professional reviwer and my chess skill level is just over 1900

Always enjoy reading Yasser's books. His personal insights and connections to historical events gives the reader a great understanding of the chess world. What a delightful read, even if you don't go through the game annotations. Thanks Yasser for a fun read. PS, Yasser should be made FIDE president. He would bring order to the chess world.

I am only 12% through this book and never want to put it down. Yasser writes well... he writes as if he is sitting in the room with you telling stories of his encounters with chess giants... and telling of his discussions about chess giants with other chess giants. Yasser is a chess giant, himself and a wonderful story teller. I cannot praise this book highly enough.

The games are well annotated, and the anecdotes are entertaining and insightful. A much better read than the similarly themed Timman's Titans.

Excellent book. Lots of interesting anecdotes and good annotated games

Ich mag Seirawan einfach. Ob es sein Spielstil ist, seine Live-Kommentare bei diversen Turnieren und nun das erste Buch, das ich von ihm las. Sein Stil ist locker und flüssig, so, als würde er einem gegenübersitzen und aus seinen Erinnerungen erzählen. Was mir ein wenig fehlt, aber das trifft auf fast alle Memoiren von Schachgroßmeistern zu, sind Hintergrundgeschichten und Anekdoten. Klar, der Fokus liegt eindeutig auf den Partien mit Schachweltmeistern, aber auch hier gäbe es wohl jede Menge zu erzählen. Noch dazu widmet er dieses Buch Bent Larsen und über DEN ließen sich wahrscheinlich Bücher füllen.Fazit: Ein gelungenes Werk (Kindle-Version), aber eben nicht ganz 5 Sterne!

Die Partien sind ausführlich kommentiert und werden nochmal interessanter dadurch. Die Hintergrundgeschichten geben unterhaltsame Einblicke in die Schach-Profi-Welt, wie sie die meisten nicht haben. Ich hab das mit Vergnügen durchgearbeitet und mit Gewinn! Sehr zu empfehlen.

Yasser Seirawan présente toutes ses parties contre les différents champions du monde qu'il a affronté en rapide comme en lent. Le bouquin est très réussi car au delà des parties, il raconte l'histoire de celles-ci est l'ensemble est très vivant.En plus de ses qualités d'auteur il a une longue carrière de joueur au top niveau essentiellement dans les années 80 et donc assez de matière pour faire un livre très plaisant à lire.

Bought it for my husband, he only began reading it, not finished yet, but seems to be a hit.

Das Buch ist sehr lesenswert und eine lehrreiche Erfahrung für den aufstrebenden Schachspieler. Seirawan hat einen gut verständlichen und humorvollen Schreibstil.

Ce livre s'adresse à des joueurs sachant déjà jouer aux échecs. Yasser Seirawan explique ses parties contre les champions du monde, et ce diagrammes à l'appui. La lecture est facile et agréable, les explications sont claires. La dimension narrative du livre où Seirawan décrit son état d'esprit et le caractère des autres champions est très intéressante.

Excellent service. Very interesting book giving an insight into the world of top chess.