Synopsis
In Book I of their authoritative study Dr Max Euwe and Mr H. Kramer examined the static, or positional, features of the middle game. In the companion volume they turn to its dynamic and subjective features. While the potentialities of a given position, its dangers as well as its opportunities, can be assessed, the manner in which they are handled varies widely according to the intellect and temperament of the player. Indeed, there is no single road to success. In this Book II the authors examine the initiative, the different types of attack on the king, the arts of defense, maneuver and liquidation, and the common failings over the chessboard to which even great players are occasionally subject. Their theme is lavishly illustrated by master games. The final part of the book is devoted to a survey of the personal styles of thirty-eight grandmasters and World Champions from Anderssen to Petrosian, from Morphy to Tal and Fischer. In this volume the former World Champion and his collaborator complete their study of middle game theory. It is a classic unlikely to be superseded and an essential addition to the library of every serious student of chess. From a review of Book I by W. A. Fairhurst in the Glasgow Herald.' "It is difficult to do justice to such a large and important book in a brief review, but I must state at once that all serious students should possess it. . . . The former world champion conceived the work during the Second World War and one is not surprised to learn that its writing took years of intensive study. Volume II dealing with the dynamic elements will be eagerly awaited.”
About the Author
Haije Kramer was born 24 November 1917 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. He began his chess career during World War II. He took 4th at Baarn 1940 (Quadrangular, Salo Landau won), took 3rd at The Hague 1940 (George Salto Fontein won), took 4th at Leeuwarden 1940 (Nicolaas Cortlever, S. Landau and Lodewijk Prins won), and took 5th at Baarn 1941 (Max Euwe won). Kramer lost two matches to Euwe 3–5 in 1940 and 1–7 in 1941. He played in Dutch Chess Championship at Leeuwarden 1942. After the war, he took 3rd in the Hoogovens tournament at Beverwijk 1946 (Alberic O'Kelly de Galway won), won at Leiden 1946 (C-tournament), tied for 6-8th at Zaandam 1946 (M. Euwe won), tied for 2nd-3rd with George Alan Thomas, behind C. Vlagsma, at Baarn 1947, shared 1st at Leeuwarden 1947, took 2nd, behind L. Prins, at Nijmegen 1948, won at Vimperk 1949, tied for 3rd-4t at Beverwijk 1951 (Herman Pilnik won). He twice participated in zonal tournaments; took 11th at Bad Pyrmont 1951 (Svetozar Gligoric won) and took 8th at Munich 1954 (Wolfgang Unzicker won). Kramer seven times represented the Netherlands in Chess Olympiads (1950–1962), and won individual bronze medal at Munich 1958. Chessmetrics.com has Kramer #24 in the world in 1940-41. Professor Elo in his book “The Rating of Chess Players, Past and Present” (ISBN 0923891277) rates Kramer as 2410. Haije Kramer died July 11, 2004 in The Netherlands. Dr. Max Euwe was world chess champion from 1935 to 1937. He played all of the great players from Lasker to Fischer in tournaments and studied all of their games in great detail. He knew more about them and their games than anybody else. Max Euwe was born on May 20, 1901 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He died on November 26, 1981 in his native Amsterdam at age 80.
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