Böcker av Boroljub Zlatanovic

Much has been written in chess about specific openings, players and tournaments. From experience, those are not easy books to write (because you need to be analytically laser-sharp), but at least you know what you’re signing up for. By contrast, books like the one you currently hold might be laxer on the minutiae, but as a whole can be harder to conceive and transform into finished reality. While not requiring using cloud engines on depth-56 to find a novelty, they are instead (so to speak) “painted with a broader brush”. Two examples of what I mean are Vukovic’s The Art of Attack in Chess and the famous classic, Nimzowitsch’s My System. In each, the author is a professional who brings across nothing more nor less than their philosophy of how the game should be played, and the degree of emotional energy they pour into it manifests in a work that rightly reflects the status of our game, not merely as an academic endeavor but as a cultural one. The current book is a fitting, if not overdue, addition to that genre. As a cultural phenomenon, chess exists somewhere on the spectrum between natural philosophy (by which I mean science in its traditional form) and fine art. Viewed statically from the outside, it combines elements of both. Viewed dynamically from the inside, that same ambiguity which the game of chess straddles can be viewed as being that between logic and psychology.

All the fundamental endgames are coveredFull of practical tips and opinionsWritten by an prominent endgame masterUnique structure with an educational purpose

Endgames with bishops versus knights are one of the most frequently occurring in chess. In his first volume international master and trainer Boroljub Zlatanovic, highlighted in his usual methodological way the concepts that can be mastered with a little effort. The book shows the key elements and different themes. By identifying mistakes made by even the best players, the author indicates the need for correct endgame technique with the light pieces. After practicing his conclusions, you soon will discover you are becoming a far more effective endgame player. This is Boroljub’s second book, after the highly acclaimed ‘Fundamental Chess Strategy in 100 Games’.

This book would bring something new into your chess library. In computer era focus is usually on openings. Watching broadcasts new generations rather choose games with favorite opening played seeking for some interesting idea or even brilliant novelty. I offer and recommend different concept, based on famous Soviet chess school. Focus should be on understanding strategy concepts, principles and inner logic. Fashionable opening lines will be forgotten (or re-evaluated) sooner or later, but understanding cannot be lost and can be only upgraded. It is sad to see some player well equipped with opening lines, unable to realize big positional advantage in deep endgame. So, our advice is to learn about Strategy and Logic. The book is highly recommended for club players, advanced players and masters, although even higher rated players can find a lot of useful things for themselves. There is no doubt lower rated players will learn a lot about thinking process and making decisions, while some logical principles can be good advice for strong players also.

In his new endgame series, Boroljub Zlatanovic shows a profound understanding ofthe most common material imbalance in chess: that of the bishop against theknight. The didactic concept of the book is admirable as well as the detailed explanations of the typical characteristics of this endgame. Despite the importance ofthis subject, it has received very little detailed coverage in chess literature and thisencyclopedic work will definitely fill this gap and offer a lot of useful tips for practical play.Grandmaster Alexander DelchevMarch 2021