Bareev, Levitov - From London to Elista

From London to Elista by Evgeny Bareev and Ilya Levitov : Behind the Scenes of Kramnik's Title Matches. Part 1: Overthrow of a Colossus: London 2000, Part 2: Photo Finish in Brissago: 2004, Part 3: Big Brother in Chess City: Elista 2006. An extraordinary account of the main battles in the life of Vladimir Kramnik, a World Champion and a Samurai, in Bareev’s words.

From London to Elista gives a fascinating look behind the scenes of top-level chess. It provides superb analysis of all the games by Bareev, but it does much more. In Socrates-style dialogues, Bareev and co-author Ilya Levitov reveal everything about the preparation, the progress and the aftermath, about the secret strategy and the brutal stress of the three battles.

This rich book is indispensable for anyone who wants to know what makes top grandmasters tick. It is written from the horse’s mouth, and it is full of honesty, irony, history, wit, anger, wisdom, and even poetry. With many photographs.

Evgeny Bareev is one of the world’s strongest grandmasters today. He was Kramnik’s second during the matches against Kasparov in 2000 and against Leko in 2004, and was in close contact with the Kramnik team during the scandal-plagued match with Topalov in Elista. Ilya Levitov has been an ardent chess amateur all his life. He is a close friend of Vladimir Kramnik and Evgeny Bareev.

Former Dutch Champion IM Gert Ligterink, de Volkskrant:
"A terrific read."

ChessVibes:
"Simply breathtaking."

British Chess Magazine:
"Absolutely riveting."

John Watson, The Week In Chess:
"This is simply one of the very best books of the decade. Certainly in the genre of matches and tournaments, there's no contest."

Bob Long, Chessco:
"It's insider stuff. It's history. It's anecdotes. It's real. It's terrific."

Johan Hut, Schakers.info:
"A monumental book."

ChessCafe:
"A backstage pass to the inner sanctum of world championship contenders."

Elburg Chess Reviews:
"I can assure you that this is one of those books that you cannot put down."

Cor Jansen, PZC:
"For those interested in chess technique there are brilliant analyses. Lovers of intrigue and tall stories have a lot to enjoy. But the psychology of power play is not forgotten, either."

GM Peter Heine Nielsen, Skakbladet:
"A fascinating read. A close-up by Bareev, who gives an exciting, detailed but also critical report of the matches."

Delaware Chess Newsletter:
"A BIG chess book and a lot of fun."

Schach Magazine:
"One is astonished how often Kramnik 'reads' the minds of his opponents (..) Many things that were inexplicable untill now can be understood because of this book."