Suffolk Chess

This is Monday's posting (18 November) - a little late!

A few weeks ago, Michael Clapham published an article about Suffolk chess authors.   Here is his Part II:

I omitted to include Suffolk’s most prolific author of chess books, GM Jonathan Levitt.   Apologies to Jonathan and thanks to Kevin O’Connell for pointing this out.

Kevin (who now lives in France) has also authored or co-authored at least 30 chess books, most notably The Games of Robert J Fischer, 1972 and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games, 1981, but also games collections of Karpov and Korchnoi and many openings books. &mnsp; Kevin played a major role in Suffolk chess for many years in the 1980s and 1990s.

Kevin launched The Suffolk Rating List in 1988 and this was a very popular and highly motivational monthly publication which ran for 73 issues up to 1996.   Kevin now edits the Saturday chess column in the East Anglian Daily Times.

Back to Jonathan Levitt whose three chess books are as follows:

Bobby Fischer; The $5,000,000 Comeback.   Published by Cadogan Chess in 1992.

This book was co-authored with Nigel Davies and Malcolm Pein and covered the memorable rematch between Fischer and Spassky in Yugoslavia in 1992.

Jonathan provided the introduction to the book and analysed many of the games from this extraordinary comeback by Fischer after 20 years away from competitive chess.

Secrets of Spectacular Chess, first published by Batsford in 1995 with a new enlarged edition published by Everyman in 2008.

Co-authored with David Friedgood, this book is full of amazing chess games and positions highlighting the subtleties, surprises and beauty of chess.   The aim is to develop the reader's understanding and appreciation of spectacular chess ideas.

Genius in Chess, published by International Chess Enterprises in 1997.

This book discusses the need for raw talent (genius) to reach the top in chess and, with the use of numerous tests and multiple choice questions, aims to determine the reader’s chess potential.   Much advice is given on how to develop one’s talent for the game.

Jonathan has also contributed to other chess books and has produced a DVD on the super sharp Clarendon Court opening.