A well deserved and my heartiest congratulations to Quality Chess and to GM Jacob Aagaard.The English Chess Federation has awarded the 2 volume work Attacking Manual 1 and 2 as ECF Book Of The Year.
I know what some readers might think. What's so great about these 2 books on attack that hasn't been dealt before? How do you compare them with evergreen books like Vladimir Vukovic's magnum opus Art Of The Attack or Rudolph Spielmann's The Art of Sacrifice in Chess?
I got a chance to browse a few chapters of it and the work is stunning, to say the least. You don't get phrases like "now White is winning" or "the rest is just technique".... GM Aagaard actually takes the time to tell you (in words - not variations) of the hows and the why. And nearly 99% of these explanations go into paragraphs, detailing the nuances of the position and the ideas and strategies attached to them!
This kind of work is getting rare these days where chess books (especially opening manuals) seem to be popping up, left, right and center.
And in the publishing world where pages are often precious "real estate" and tend to be in short supply (especially for chess books), Attacking Manual 1 and 2 breaks both stereotypes. Attacking Manual 1 contains over 320 pages of information while Attacking Manual 2 weighs in at over 450 pages of instructional work! These 2 books are truly phenomenal.
One final word about the books. IMPT: If you plan on getting Attacking Manual 1, do get the Revised and Expanded Edition. GM Jacob Aagaard clearly has put a lot of love and care into these 2 books enough to release a revised version in the space of 2 years - something nearly unheard of in the realm of chess publishing.
So if you don't have these books and you love to attack (or defend), then don't walk to the bookstore, run and get it and you'll have hours .... err, make that months of enjoyment.
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