Book Review: Winning Chess Brilliancies by GM Yasser Seirawan, Published by Everyman Chess.
“Jeremy told me, “Yaz, more than anything else, students want a chess book that explains the reasons for each and every move of a top grandmaster game. You should write that book.” I did.” – The author, commenting on the late IM Jeremy Silman’s advice to him.
As far as I’m aware, Irving Chernev’s book Logical Chess: Move by Move was the first book that discussed a series of games where every move is annotated. This book was first published in 1958, and it is still in print and selling well over sixty years later. Hence, the idea was very successful, and not surprisingly, other books in the same style have appeared since then. Some have followed Chernev’s format and annotated every move, while others have annotated nearly all the moves. After all, it’s difficult to say something new about 1.e4 and 1.d4 in multiple games.
Winning Chess Brilliancies
Author: Yasser Seirawan
Publisher: Everyman Chess
Winning Chess Brilliancies by GM Yasser Seirawan follows Chernev’s original recipe and annotates every move in 12 deeply annotated games. The book was originally published in 1995, and it includes games covering the period 1972 to 1991. All the games were famous at the time, and they still stand up well thirty years later. The first game is game six from the historic Fischer – Spassky Championship match in 1972 and the last game is the dramatic tiebreaker rapid game from the Yusupov – Ivanchuk Candidates match in 1991. The represented players were all elite players at the time of the games. Seirawan was also an elite player at the time of the book’s publication, although these days he is more noted as a chess commentator.
The author manages to include two of his wins, against Karpov, the then world champion, and Timman, in the book. Justifying this choice, he writes:
“First of all, nearly all the wins from my career sprang to mind. (How was I supposed to keep my ego at bay? I couldn’t!) I humbly put forth only two of my games, so don’t skip them!”
Each game includes a general introduction that includes the background to the game and the players. This helps to set the game in the context of the time it was played. While the openings in the games obviously reflect the fashions of the times, the author also provides general comments on opening theory to help readers, such as for example, the conflict between the classical school and the hypermodern school.
The following extract from game 12 illustrates some of the typical comments on opening theory.
Without being unkind to Chernev, given the over thirty years’ difference in the publication dates, Seirawan’s annotations are far more detailed and advanced than Chernev’s. The author has made extensive use of previous annotations on the games, and he has managed to make further improvements and corrections. However, many games result in highly complex tactics, and it’s inevitable that some mistakes are still present in the analysis. Obviously, the author couldn’t rely on the current super-human chess engines to help him. However, readers can deal with this issue by having the engine running in the background while reviewing the games.
The author notes after a particular complex analysis of a tactical position:
“These variations indicate why chess is such a tough game. At some point general considerations, principles, and even tactics have to give way to concrete calculations. When to start calculating, and to what depth, requires judgment that shows chess to be an intuitive sport as well as a strategic one.”
Two examples from the book are given below, with annotations from the book.
Winning Chess Brilliancies
Author: Yasser Seirawan
Publisher: Everyman Chess
In conclusion, Seirawan has written an excellent and instructive book. The combination of twelve exceptional games and the clear and informative commentary on every move on every game makes this a book that will appeal to a wide range of players.
Other Books by GM Yaseer Seirawan
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- Best Pirc and Modern Defense Books: Complete Guide - October 25, 2026
- Best Italian Game Chess Books: Complete Opening Guide - October 20, 2026
- Best Books on the English Opening: A Complete Guide - October 15, 2026