Over thirty years ago Jude Acers was a living
San Francisco legend. He was opinionated, gave
off enough energy to power a small city, spoke
in quick staccato-like bursts that always left
an impression (though that impression varied
enormously from person to person!), drew a match
with Walter Browne, wrote dozens of thought-provoking
articles in various publications, authored a
book on the 5th Lone Pine tournament,
and never hesitated to proclaim his chess greatness
to any who would listen.
Now, Jude is a living New Orleans’ legend.
Sitting with his chess set next to the Gazebo
in the French Quarter – often with a pretty
lady by his side – the chess dynamo challenges
anyone and everyone to a game (for a fee, of
course). Everyone there knows him – shopkeepers,
bus drivers, restaurateurs, and locals taking
their daily stroll wave and smile as they go
by.
I met him briefly in my youth, but though we
both resided in San Francisco and often heard
tales of each other, we lived in very different
(though perhaps equally insane) worlds. Twenty
years later I once again encountered Jude, sharing
a pleasant afternoon’s conversation on
New Orleans’ fascinating streets and byways.
Each of us had changed: a glance showed that
he obviously shared my love of food (Oh to be
young and thin again!), my hair no longer cascaded
from head to waist like cousin “It” from
The Adams Family, and Jude’s famed energy – once
volcanic and uncontrollable – now “merely” registered
a 5.5 on the Richter Scale.
The full title of Jude’s new book reflects
his personality very well. He’s a man with
things to say, and though he speaks quickly,
his thoughts go on and on. Thus, instead of merely
getting THE ITALIAN GAMBIT SYSTEM, we find that
it continues: INCLUDING THE NEW MIAMI VARIATION,
A GUIDING REPERTOIRE FOR WHITE – 1.e4,
A CHESS MASTER’S GUIDE TO THE 1.e4 PLAYER’S
REPERTOIRE. Whew!
The content is as individualistic as the title.
On one hand (called “Volume One”)
we get a fascinating repertoire based on an extremely
sharp gambit (the “New Miami Variation”:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4 Nxd4 5.Be3).
His microscope takes us up close and personal
with the Max Lange Attack, the Giuoco Piano,
and all sorts of other delightful attacking lines.
In “Volume Two” (Don’t worry,
both “Volumes” are in the same book!)
he completes the repertoire by telling us what
to do against the Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann,
and just about everything else Black can throw
at you.
All this makes THE ITALIAN GAMBIT SYSTEM sound
like a typical repertoire book, but nothing could
be further from the truth! Jude’s aura
engulfs every page, and what you end up with
is a lesson on tactics and the art of attack,
thickly coated with anecdotes, and delicious
tastes of times long past. The amazing Mr. Acers
regales us with over the top analysis (Is it
all correct? I don’t know, nor do I care!),
instructive sound bytes, time warps into yesteryear,
biographical details of many great players and
teachers, and so much more that one can easily
believe that he’s fallen into Alice’s
rabbit hole.
One small example: page 163 sees the end of
an analysis of the Steinitz-Moller Variation
of the Giuoco Piano (filled with bios for all,
of course). Afterwards he suddenly leaps into “Acers
Remembers” where he gives us a two-page
rendition of “The Acers-McAuley Showdown.” Turning
to page 166 (and expecting the opening analysis
to resume), we are slam-dunked by a five-page
article titled, “Just What Makes A Game
Immortal?” He then follows with a five-page
analysis of the Steinitz vs. von Bardeleben game
from Hastings 1895!
“Volume One” (1.e4 e5) was a rich
223 pages long. Unfortunately, “Volume
Two” doesn’t measure up (I should
mention that “Volume Two” starts
from page one all over again). The lines here,
while perfectly acceptable for the core audience
(I would guess that to be 1000 to 1700), are
not as interesting. And the molten energy that
poured from “Volume One” but is sorely
missing from “Volume Two” shows that
even a force of nature like Jude must occasionally
rest. We still get interesting quotes, a bit
of history, and fairly straightforward analysis,
but Jude unplugged just isn’t Jude. Yes,
he rises from the dead on pages 75 to 79, and
gives us a further rush on pages 83 and 84, but
it’s clear that the book is REALLY about
gambit play against 1.e4 e5.
This book will appeal to players looking for
a wild and fun way to meet 1.e4 e5 as White.
The secondary part of the repertoire (against
non-double king pawn choices) is playable but
won’t excite the reader in the same way
that Jude’s ideas against 1.e4 e5 did.
THE ITALIAN GAMBIT SYSTEM will also appeal to
chess fans that are a bit cracked. If you’re
straight, afraid of psychedelics, or possess
a very conservative life philosophy, then you
might find that this book is just not your cup
of tea. On the other hand, perhaps I’m
wrong and you’ll simply read the text and
laugh uproariously for untold hours.
Personally, I see this book serving three functions:
* Read the text throughout while ignoring the
games and analysis. This is the first thing I
did, and I derived great pleasure from doing
so.
* Treat “Volume One” as a book of
tactical and attacking instruction. Go over all
the analysis, check out the deeply annotated
games, and you can’t help but walk away
tactically enriched.
* Use it as a repertoire book IF you like to
attack like a bat out of hell. For the range
mentioned earlier (1000 to 1700), it will bring
you many exhilarating victories, and even your
defeats will probably be memorable adventures!
All in all, Jude Acers & George S. Laven
have created a one of a kind book that takes
me back several decades, and could very well
transport you to times and places you’ve
never experienced before. We might never see
anything like this again.
