Chess Book Reviews

Transpo Tricks in Chess

by Andrew Soltis Paperback £15.99 June 2007

 

This is the first book about transpositional tricks in chess. Since Chess is so much a practical game this seems surprising when you look between the covers. What you find is a massive treasure trove of tricky transpositions in the openings and there really is something for everyone.

Soltis takes us on a fascinating journey through some very tricky move orders. He explains that whereas a Novelty creates a new position, a transpo is a way of tricking an opponent into a favourable version of an old position.

You are often taking your opponent out of their opening or more importantly their preferred middlegame style.

For example, Soltis talks about a Scheveningen poition on p11 whereby Black plays 8.be7.

"An experiencd Sicilian player in White's chair would recognised that the thematic move is 9.f4. He would see that the natrual 9.d6 tranposes in a book Scheveningen. So he'll play 9.f4 allowing Black to reply 9 ..Bc5 and get where he wanted to go."

Soltis goes on to say

"The trickster looks for the crafty way to reach the middle game he wants. He knows for example that when opponents are confronted by a non familiar move, they are strongly, even irrationally, tempted to look for a way to read a recognisable potition."

The book is just full of these transpo tricks. In this era of complex and convulted opening, they can be a valuable tool!

Very much a book in line with the easychess philosphy!