For Friends & colleagues – Profession: Chess Coach by Mark Dvoretsky

I have never owned any book written by Mark Dvoretsky who is a Russian chess trainer and author.  

He has written a number of books that includes: Secrets of Chess Training, Secrets of Chess Tactics amongst others.  I was fortunate enough to lay my hands on one of his latest books titled – For Friends & Colleagues Volume I –Profession Chess Coach.

One of his big achievements was winning the 1973 Moscow Championship and the 1975 Wijk aan Zee Masters tournament.

Book cover

Back cover

However he is known more as a coach rather than a player.  

The best thing about this book is that it is a kind of an autobiography as well.  If the Soviet era fascinates you then this is the book to get.  It has a number of anecdotes during the really tough USSR days.  It has details of Mark’s bust up with the patriarch of Soviet Chess the late Mikhail Botvinnik.  Who can imagine crossing swords with the mighty and powerful Mikhail Botvinnik?

He mentions his early years and has high regard for one of his earlier coaches at the Pioneer Palace – a certain Alexander Borisovich Roshal who eventually became the editor in chief of the Soviet chess magazine “64”.

Extract from the book

There is an interesting poem in the book by Yury Levitansky where he talks about Bobby Fischer.

Everybody chooses for himself

His religion, loyalties & women

Service to a prophet, or a demon

Everybody chooses for himself

There is an interesting photo of Mikhail Botvinnik with a group of chess players including Gary Kasparov who was 13 years old at the time.  He has a jacket and tweed trousers.    

Many fine photos from the book

Mark is considered to be one of the best coaches in the World and has trained both Arthur Yusupov who was World Junior Champion in 1977 and GM Sergey Dolmatov who became World Junior Champion in 1978.  Yusupov acknowledges that Dvoretsky’s influence has been one of the key factors in his campaign for world acclaim.

This book covers a lot of the intrigues that took place during the Yusupov campaign for the world junior title.

Dvoretsky & Yusupov have both set up the Dvoretsky-Yusupov Chess School where players like Peter Svidler and Sergei Movsesian came through.

Mark has also published volume II called For Friends & Colleagues Volume II: Reflection on my profession.  I have still not managed to get this book.

Book is published by Russell Enterprise and retails for USD 29.95.