Becoming GM...without reading chess books...

From New In Chess Magazine n° 6 - 2017

In the interview GM Eric Hansen wasn't asked how his chess improvement happened...chess software? a trainer? chess videos? no chess study at all but pure talent only? 
We are curious...

A few considerations about Unorthodox Chess Openings

As soon as I gave up playing Unorthodox Chess Openings in Fide Rated Chess Tournaments, I started to gain elo points and I lost less games. Hard to admit but it happened.
Still I believe that some UCOs, such as 1.g4 or 1.e4 Nh6  are FULLY playable but they are impractical. I mean that they require an enormous amount of attention & energy to keep a balanced position...and as soon as you (the UCO player) make a slightly inferior move, the position risks to precipitate rather quickly...
For instance, this is not the case of the Colle System where you can obtain decent middlegame positions without risking too much.
As I am getting older, I get tired more easily and I do not feel comfortable to invest so much energy in the opening, although it is so much fun to play UCOs!
BUT in my opinion UCOs are FANTASTIC in rapid, blitz & bullet games/tournaments where the reduced time control & surprise effect may support the UCO choice.
Please consider that this is my opinion & experience...NOT the absolute truth.

Chuzhakin System

Pdf Download Link

Chuzhakin's Chess Page 

Mike Surtees drew GM Keith Arkell with 1.d4 c6 2.c4 f6!?

http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2011/04/about-mike-surtees-exciting-chess.html
http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2012/05/about-mike-surtees-chess.html
 In March 2013,  Mike Surtees drew GM Keith Arkell with 1.d4 c6 2.c4 f6!?         Here's the game:

Rudolf Spielmann's quote

"A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused."
Rudolf Spielmann

About Mike Surtees' chess

In the past we have  talked about Mike Surtees' chess on this blog:
http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2011/02/chess-philosophers.html
http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2011/04/about-mike-surtees-exciting-chess.html

now we are sharing a link to one of his recent chess battles:
D.Ivan-Surtees April. 21th 2012

Update on Shashin's work and theories

Two new articles on Shashin  and his chess theories are available on the BS Chess site :

1) Chess is an inaccurate game!

http://www.bs-chess.com/latin/lectures/2011/shashin3.html?PHPSESSID=5fbc5e38fad3fa2658c9c836dd7512ba

2) It is devoted to editing the chess textbook by Alexander Shashin in the "Mongoose Press"

http://www.bs-chess.com/latin/lectures/2011/shashin4.html

Upcoming book by Alexander Shashin

In the past, we offered links dealing with Shashin’s work:

http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2011/02/chess-philosophers.html

http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2011/11/more-on-alexander-shashins-work.html

Now it is official that Mongoose press will publish Shashin’s book in 2012 in English language. The preliminary title of the book "Best Play: A new method to find the the Strongest Move".
This is a Russian link, containing a brief preview of a chapter (in russian language):

http://www.chesspro.ru/_events/2012/shashin1_books.html

And this is the English Google Translation:

http://translate.google.it/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=it&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chesspro.ru%2F_events%2F2012%2Fshashin1_books.html

To conclude, following this link you can learn Shashin's theories in a condensed but clear way and the Vitruvius chess engine's handling of the opening.

http://www.vitruviuschess.com/article/The-opening-according-to-Vitruvius.html

I am really curious to read more on Shashin's work.

My appreciation goes to IM Welling for the inspiration offered.
*******************************************************
Jan. 26th 2013 update:
At  http://mongoosepress.com/ 
I just saw that the publication of the book has been postponed to April 2013 :-((

Walter Thomas Downs' chess works

Original thinkers will always have room on this blog. Now we offer a free download link to Walter Thomas Downs' works This is his brief description of the systems as follows:
"Featured are two complete chess systems:
The Tiger and Dragon.
The Bear.
These systems feature complete repertoires for White and Black as well as all the "nuts and bolts" you need to be a complete chess player. They were written with the idea that the chess enthusiast need never have to buy another book on chess. The systems are backed up by intensive computer, mathematical and/or psychological analyses, as well as intensive research using chess openings databases."

More on Alexander Shashin's work

In a previous post http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.com/2011/02/chess-philosophers.html   we have already given a link to Alexander Shashin's work. Now we offer additional links as follows:
http://www.bs-chess.com/latin/lectures/shashin1.html
http://www.gmchess.com/gmschool/teachers/shashin/
We hope that Shashin will have a chance soon to publish his original ideas in a book, which although still not realeased, is mentioned in the above links as "The chess and metachess".

Chess Philosophers (part 2)

G. Chepukaitis
 Chesscafè interview
Chepukaitis' lecture 1
Chepukaitis' lecture 2
 The news of Chepukaitis' death

A. Bangiev's "Squares Strategy"
the B-method in german language  and a  google english translation of the german page
Squares Strategy Vol. 1 
Squares Strategy, Vol. 2: The Opening 
Squares Strategy, Vol. 3 Middlegame 

Chess Philosophers

I want to thank IM Gerard Welling for sharing Parham and Shashin's links

Bernard Parham: http://www.thechessdrum.net/talkingdrum/TheMatrix/ 
Alexander Shashin:  Interview    Chess plan - Fiction or reality ?
Mike Surtees:   read interview in UON 24