Sherpa

My Great Predecessors is an indispensable guide to the achievements, style and best games of the former world chess champions. It is a monumental series, consisting of five volumes, written by probably the greatest champion of them all, Garry Kasparov. In Modern Chess and Kasparov on Kasparov there are several more volumes, and in the latter Kasparov documents his own bouts for the title as well as his major career highlights. All titles are published by Everyman Chess. Kasparov’s oeuvre amounts to the most complete history of chess ever written.
 
This year’s World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana is set for London in November. This week and next I will give the flavour of Kasparov’s series with insights into two of the great champions he writes about.
 
Anderssen-Steinitz: London 1866; Ruy Lopez
 
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 d6 5 Bxc6+ bxc6 6 h3 g6 Preparation for an assault by a mass of pawns on the kingside.