Book review: Magnus Carlsen, 60 Memorable Games, by Andrew Soltis

Magnus Carlsen: 60 Memorable Games

By Andrew Soltis

Batsford Chess 2020, 376 pages

The American grandmaster Andrew Soltis has produced a book that visually resembles Bobby Fischer's classic My 60 Memorable Games. As in Fischer's work, each game bears a title and is introduced by a paragraph providing an anecdote or interesting information.

The games cover Carlsen's whole career up to the time of publication, beginning in 2003 and ending in 2020. The layout is easy on the eye. The columns and careful placement of the diagrams lend themselves to self-testing, should readers so wish.

An engaging introduction picks out some of the defining characteristics of Magnus's genius. The qualities Soltis identifies, with a selection of memorable examples, include the ability to assess which positions are easier to play than others; stylistic universality; superb memory; and stamina.

Soltis picks a broad stylistic range of games. In so doing, he suggests how Carlsen's skills - already impressive in 2003 - gradually developed. For example, having shown an early game featuring an attack with opposite-coloured bishops, Soltis points out where this theme re-emerges later.

Soltis's annotations are clear, accessible and methodical. Readers of, say, IM level and above may wish for more analytical detail in places, and can find it in other books on Carlsen. But most readers will learn a lot from Soltis's approach and enjoy doing so.

What I particularly like about Soltis's notes is the frequent presentation of a train of thought. Rather than simply state what is best play according to computer analysis, Soltis guides us through a strong player's mental process step-by-step, for example:

With this kind of elucidation, Soltis makes it possible to grasp in a logical way what might at first seem impossible high-level games.

Carlsen has played so many interesting games that there is very little overlap between this book and the other Carlsen collections I have recently reviewed. For less experienced players, Soltis's work is probably the best introduction to the world champion's magical play.