Review in German

[Rudel]

Hey, can anyone give me some idea of the overall timbre of this review?
It was published at the German Correspondence Chess Federation's website.


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Selten habe ich ein so verrücktes Schachbuch wie "The Moment of Zuke, Critical Positions and Pivotal Decisions for Colle System Players" von David Rudel in der Hand gehabt. Es hebt sich dermaßen vom Üblichen ab, dass ich es mehrfach zur Vorbereitung dieser Rezension in die Hand genommen und dann wieder beiseite gelegt habe, weil ich Zweifel bekam, es gerade in diesem Moment angemessen besprechen zu können. Sie lesen nun das Ergebnis etlicher Anläufe und einer damit längerfristigen und entsprechend intensiven Befassung mit dem Werk.

Das aus Lesersicht zentrale Statement vorab: Niemand muss sich mit diesem Werk befassen, den das Colle-System nicht interessiert. Wer es aber anwendet oder zumindest damit liebäugelt und sich schon eine gewisse Grundlage verschafft hat, der kommt einfach nicht an ihm vorbei. Auf seine Weise und vor dem Anspruch, unter dem es geschrieben worden ist, ist es beinahe "genial".

Aber was ist denn auffällig an diesem Buch?

1. Es fängt schon mit dem Umschlagbild an. Kein seriös-langweiliges Allerweltsmotiv, die zentrale Aussage liegt in einem "Action-Man", der an einer "Colle"-Bombe hantiert, scheinbar um sie zu entschärfen.

2. Mit dem Format von rd. 19 x 23,5 Zentimeter ist es fast so breit wie lang. Der Autor begründet diese Wahl damit, dass er Diagramme in Übungsbereichen nur so wie gewünscht abbilden konnte.

3. Der Autor empfiehlt sein Werk nicht denjenigen, die noch keinen Kontakt zum Colle-System hatten. Er geht davon aus, dass der Leser bereits ein Colle-Spieler ist und ein anderes Buch darüber besitzt.

4. Die Sprache ist erfrischend bis ungewöhnlich, bisweilen begibt sich der Autor in einen Dialog mit dem Leser.

Alles andere als verrückt ist die Methodik, mit der er die Geheimnisse "seiner" Eröffnung an die Frau und den Mann bringt. Er ist eindeutig ein enthusiastischer Anhänger des Colle-Systems und münzt dies in eine engagierte Schulung um.

Sieben Abschnitte, Module genannt, enthalten das Kernmaterial des Buches. In ihnen geht es um Schwierigkeiten, die aus Zugumstellungen resultieren, um das "Töten des b7-Monsters" usw. Man sieht, dass es somit nicht um eine theoretische Einführung oder um Repertoireempfehlungen geht, es geht um das Lösen ganz spezifischer Probleme, die sich Colle-Spielern stellen. Das für ein Schachbuch ungewöhnliche "Töten eines Monsters" meint übrigens das Umgehen mit den für den Weißspieler unangenehmen Positionen, in denen Schwarz bisweilen seinen Läufer auf b7 positioniert und Se4 droht.

Das jeweilige Problem wird inhaltlich verständlich aufgezeigt bzw. eingeleitet. Die Folgen werden substantiiert erörtert. Generelle und spezifische Ratschläge, wie mit allem umgegangen werden kann, und die Beschreibung detaillierter Pläne sind geeignet, dem Leser einen echten Mehrwert zu verschaffen. Der Autor folgt in beeindruckender Weise der Devise "lehren, um zu verstehen, nicht um nur zu lernen". Übungen und deren Lösungen schließen ein Modul ab, wobei auch die Lösungen genutzt werden, um das Verständnis weiter zu schärfen.

Ergänzungen zu Anti-Colle-Linien und zu einem spezifischen Angriff runden die Inhalte zur Eröffnungsbetrachtung ab.

Der Autor David Rudel ist nach den Angaben zur Person ein Mathematiker und Physiker, der zahlreiche Preise in Wettbewerben auf diesem Gebiet gewonnen hat. Er arbeitet in führender Position in einer Softwarefirma und schreibt über die christliche Theologie und über die Reform der Kirche, wenn er sich gerade mal nicht um die Weiterentwicklung des Colle-Systems kümmert.

Ein Wort zur Sprache: Das Werk ist in Englisch verfasst. Es stellt höhere Anforderungen an die Sprachkenntnisse des Lesers als dies gewöhnlich der Fall ist. Dies geht besonders auf das Vokabular zurück, das einem weiteren Wortschatz als gewöhnlich entspringt. Mit einem Wörterbuch an der Hand ist das Problem gut zu lösen.

"The Moment of Zuke, Critical Positions and Pivotal Decisions for Colle System Players" kostet 19,95 Euro und ist damit nicht unbedingt billig. Für dieses Werk außerhalb des Mainstreams ist das Geld für einen Colle-Spieler gut angelegt.

Eine beeindruckende Bereicherung der Schachbuchlandschaft und Beispiel gebend dafür, wie man das Verstehen einer Eröffnung auf wenig trockene Weise fördern kann.

[Tumshie]

[quote=Rudel]
Hey, can anyone give me some idea of the overall timbre of this review?
It was published at the German Correspondence Chess Federation's website.

Hi David. I'm afraid my German is a wee bit rusty but I put it through one of those internet translation things and then used what I still have of the language, along with my German/English dictionary to turn the internet machine's drivel into somethig readable There are a couple of bits I'm not too sure about- the first paragraph for example, where what I think he is saying is that your book is so unlike what has come before that he took several attempts to be able to get his thoughts on paper. But that is a paraphrasing guess.

On the whole though, he seems to have liked the book and is recommending it but mostly to those who already play the Colle, because of the price.... I think.
It might be wise to get a fluent gearman speaker to check it over- I sat my German 'O' Grade exam in 1983 (an A grade, thanks for asking ) but if it is just the general jist then I think I've come fairly close

Tumshie




"Rarely have I had in my hands as crazy a chess book as "The moment of Zuke, Critical positions and of Pivotal Decisions for Colle system Player" by David Rudel. It is so far removed from the norm that I repeatedly prepared this review, then put it aside since I had doubts whether I had yet found the appropriate words. You are now therefore reading the result of many attempts and a correspondingly longer-term concern with the work.

The central statement of the introduction: Don't read this work if you are not interested in the Colle system. It presumes that the reader is already familiar with it. (Presumably meaning the Colle-TD) In what it claims it will do it is nearly "brilliant". (Don't really understand whether the "s have a meaning in German other than that which we have in english?)


But what is so striking about this book?

1: It begins already with the cover picture. No serious, boring 'inclusiveness', the central image is of an "Action Man" (This was the European equivalent of the US GI Joe toy.), who is defusing bombs- apparently around The Colle.

2: With the format of 19 xs 23.5 centimeters it is almost as wide as long. The author establishes that this was chosen as the only way that he could present the diagrams in the exercises as he wished to.

3:The author does not recommend his work to anyone who has had no contact with the Colle system. He assumes that the reader is already a Colle player and possesses at least one other book about the system.

4: The language is refreshing, if unusual, and at times has the author in a dialogue with the reader.

The rest is as crazy as is the method with which he brings the secrets of "his" opening to the woman and the man (That is what it says, honestly. What it means is harder to say!). He is unambiguously an enthusiastic follower of the Colle system and mints (turns) this into engaging training.

Seven sections, called Modules, contain the kernel material of the book. In them, it addresses difficulties that result out of move-orders, transpositions, around the "killing the b7-Monsters" etc. One sees that it is not therefore a theoretical introduction or a repertoire book; it concerns the solving of entirely specific problems, that trouble Colle players. The, unusual for a chess book, "killing of a monster" sections concern ways around positions unpleasant for the white player, positions in which black places a bishop on b7 or threatens to play Ne4.

The respective problem is shown and discussed in substance/detail. The consequences are discussed sudstantially. General and specific pieces of advice on how to get around the problems are given, and the explanation of detailed plans are suited to provide the reader with real added value. The author follows in impressive fashion the motto "teach, in order to be understood, not just for the sake of teaching". A module is followed by practical examples and their solutions in a way in which the solutions are used in order to sharpen the understanding further.

Supplements to Anti-Colle-lines and to a specific attack round off the contents to the opening view.

The author David Rudel is, from the afterword, a mathematician and physicist who won numerous prices in competitions in these fields. He works in leading position in a software firm and writes on Christian theology and church reform when not supporting the development of the Colle system.

A word on the language: The work is composed in English. It this case higher demands than usual are placed on the reader's knowledge of language. This is due especially to the vocabulary, that uses a broader vocabulary than usual. With a dictionary at the hand, the problem is easily solved.

"The moment of Zuke, Critical positions and of Pivotal Decisions for Colle system Player" costs 19.95 Euro and is therefore not especially cheap. Although this work is outside of the mainstream, the money is well spent for a Colle player.

An impressive enrichment of the chess book landscape and a good example of how one can promote the understanding of an opening in a dry/witty manner."

[Rudel]

Thanks, Tumshie....I wonder if I can use that "brilliant" word as a one-word blurb

[abcott]

I speak some German, I'll have a bash at it when i get some time.

[abcott]

"The rest is as crazy as is the method with which he brings the secrets of "his" opening to the woman and the man (That is what it says, honestly. What it means is harder to say!). He is unambiguously an enthusiastic follower of the Colle system and mints (turns) this into engaging training."

The translation is - "The method by which he brings his opening secrets to (the readers)...is anything but crazy..."

genial = ingenious

quotation marks have the same use as in english.

[Tumshie]

abcott Wrote:"The rest is as crazy as is the method with which he brings the secrets of "his" opening to the woman and the man (That is what it says, honestly. What it means is harder to say!). He is unambiguously an enthusiastic follower of the Colle system and mints (turns) this into engaging training."

The translation is - "The method by which he brings his opening secrets to (the readers)...is anything but crazy..."

genial = ingenious

quotation marks have the same use as in english.

Thanks abcott- genial was the word that most bothered me, and I am also grateful that you were able to make sense of the part which made very little sense to me!

Still, I am quite pleased with my first stab at the language in a long time. If only I could remember the "grammar and vocabulary" of chess as well!

[Tumshie]

Rudel Wrote:Thanks, Tumshie....I wonder if I can use that "brilliant" word as a one-word blurb

Sorry, David- it seems that my translation (in a way all too spookily reminiscent of my OTB chess ) was a bit too mechanical- your German reviewer didn't think your writing and teaching technique was "brilliant", merely "ingenious".

That said, and especially while setting out a new style of written chess pedagogy, I feel it may be higher praise yet to be seen as ingenious, which coincidentally has the definition ;"Having genius, brilliant" in the first dictionary I picked up- now there's a quote for your blurb with the additional benefit of tripling it's length!

[abcott]

I have visited the source for this, and a translation is available

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?...26hs%3DqLd

nb - this is a google translation, and very far from perfect.
they give genial = "brilliant" - note the quotation marks.

[georgecarrter]

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[Schroeder]

The review is clearly positive. Here the summary in the last sentence:

Quote:Eine beeindruckende Bereicherung der Schachbuchlandschaft und Beispiel gebend dafür, wie man das Verstehen einer Eröffnung auf wenig trockene Weise fördern kann.

"An impressing enrichment for the chess book scenery, giving an example of how the understanding of an opening can be promoted without being too dry."