The Secret of Chess

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

You are just an A**Hole, Brendan, nothing more that that.
That review is fake, it is more than obvious, no substance, he is commenting what TERRIBLE person I am, not the book.
Are you in your right mind, Brendan?
I don't like the book, because the author is a terrible person???
Obviously, a fake review.

There are many more fully positive, though, which you don't cite: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-revi ... hisHelpful
Why did not you bring this one up?

Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars
The most unique chess manual I've read (in a good way)
ByTheodore K on December 15, 2017

Format: Kindle Edition
|
Verified Purchase
This book is so different from any other chess book I've read, and I have read a lot of them. Before dismissing these new ideas, remember that many new advances throughout human history seemed insane when compared to commonly held wisdom, and took years before people accepted them. I believe this book is actually ahead of its time. Perhaps we will look back years from now and realize how important these ideas were.

The concepts in this book are quite advanced. The author has named many things that occur in games quite frequently, but are rarely documented as strategic ideas. The chapter on pawn formations is tremendous - it's worth getting for that alone. But there is a lot more great info in here. Even the section on evaluating piece imbalances had new info in it.

If anyone has played against Stockfish or other strong engines available today, you know that beating computers is very difficult. They do not make tactical errors in general. But they haven't been programmed to realize the value of certain actions and structures. So they assess certain situations inaccurately. I used some of these ideas to mate Stockfish twice this week. Full Disclosure - it was running on my phone, not a powerful computer, and I ran out of time both games, so I guess technically I lost But a mate is a mate, and I'll take it.

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

5. I work in chess marketing and have earned tens of thousands of dollars in a single week for chess companies,

This is really possible,
How lucky are some of you

If he HAD been earning that much, he would not have been asking to promote my book on a commission...

[BrendanJNorman]

Otherwise, you are just LYING.
That is what you are, Brendan, a LIAR.

Says the guy claiming to be the only guy on earth who can beat Stockfish.

Here are some TRUTHS for you, Lyudmil.

1. Hundreds for 2750+ GMs have tried and failed to defeat Stockfish.

2. You claim to have done so - numerous times.

3. Unlike most chessplayers, especially those with a playing strength of 2750+ as you claim, you have no history at all of playing chess online. Therefore, no proof of playing strength.

4. You also refuse to provide proof of your claims.

5. People on chess.com have run your games against Stockfish through Stockfish...and strangely enough, Stockfish no longer agrees with the moves he played against you.

Those are self-evident truths, which in and of themselves, reveal you to be the liar.

If you truly as as strong as you say, I challenge you to 6 games of 3 0 on LiChess.com.

If you win even 3, I'll take your claims seriously, if you win all 6 (as someone stronger than SF should) - I'll promote your book myself.

How does that sound? Time to put up or shut up.

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Do not waste your time or money on this book , it is a joke.

The joke are you, dear John.

[BrendanJNorman]

5. I work in chess marketing and have earned tens of thousands of dollars in a single week for chess companies,

This is really possible,
How lucky are some of you

If he HAD been earning that much, he would not have been asking to promote my book on a commission...

You are Jose seem to have dyslexia or some other learning disability.

Reread what I wrote, genius:

I work in chess marketing and have earned tens of thousands of dollars in a single week for chess companies

Naturally, I don't get a big portion of the money.

In regards to getting a "commission" for selling your book - you got this from your twisted imagination.

I never said that, I simply offered advice.

But for now, I'm enjoying seeing you embrace your humiliation as the chess world mocks you and your scammy approach to promotion.

So that offer is obviously off the table for you.

[BrendanJNorman]

You are just an A**Hole, Brendan, nothing more that that.

What's the bet HGM doesn't delete this post?

[pilgrimdan]

As far as I can tell, smooth scaling makes it weaker (sometimes significantly), but has a habit of suggesting interesting analysis moves. I put it in there mostly just because I could and it can be handy for analysis, but it for sure has a negative Elo value (which is why it's off by default). The parameters for it could be tuned a bit, maybe we can get something useful from it.

Is that your contribution?

Nah, I depicted some weird behavior for analysis, using of Transposition Table also in Principal Variation nodes solved what I was talking about, and made the engine +8 elo stronger. That was my contribution. Smooth scaling was Dann Corbit's contribution, it greatly helped for analysis for version 1.6s and I was using it alongside default Stockfish up to version 2, I believe.

Anyway, it doesn't matter, what matters is Stockfish is using a patch I suggested, and now you're using Stockfish with my patch without my persmission. I don't really mind, but I'd like if you stopped telling people to stop using Stockfish without your permission because you have suggested patches that are used in it. It doesn't give you any right.

In any case, in his penultimate post Brendan mentioned some things about you I wasn't aware of, so congrats on gaining +10% chance on just being a scammer, now up to 95%. And most of the other 5% is just the chance that you're delusional, but actually believe everything that you say. You actually perceive a different reality from the rest of us.

Just arrange a match against Brendan on lichess, surely he's weaker than you and you'd have no problems. I'm certain that he'd destroy you with ease (like he did with me... heh).

But if you continue your pattern, you're going to claim you can't play Brendan because you're too busy, or some other excuse. Or maybe you're going to accept and will cheat against him. Or maybe you will not play him at all and doctor a game where you supposedly beat him. At this point I have no idea, but there's some circumstances that would confirm you 100% scammer.

Now, I understood only after your 3rd attack.
Same style, same arrogance, same devious, sly behaviour.
Ulisses P, Lanzo Nazaire and VR are the same person, right?
You could have told so from the very beginning.

We ALL know WHO you are.
Did not you troll Talkchess all along the first half of 2015?

goodness ... sounds like Talkchess is turning into a Peyton Place ...

[velmarin]

5. I work in chess marketing and have earned tens of thousands of dollars in a single week for chess companies,

This is really possible,
How lucky are some of you

If he HAD been earning that much, he would not have been asking to promote my book on a commission...

You are Jose seem to have dyslexia or some other learning disability.

Reread what I wrote, genius:

I work in chess marketing and have earned tens of thousands of dollars in a single week for chess companies

This is really possible,
How lucky are some of you

I don't know who reads badly, Brendan.

I only asked if it was possible, and I showed my admiration.
Don't attack me just for commenting.

[BrendanJNorman]

I only asked if it was possible, and I showed my admiration.
Don't attack me just for commenting.

And in followup posts, when confronted for misrepresenting my words (I said a chess24 rating of 2500 was a realistic target for me*, and you twisted it as if I'd said I was 2500 Elo), you not only belittled and mocked my playing strength, but also made a mention of my "claims" of "making thousands".

Conveniently, HGM has also deleted your post with containing this, but still... don't pretend you never said it.

I really don't think readers care enough to hold it against you.

* My rating was 2460 after all.

[BrendanJNorman]

5. I work in chess marketing and have earned tens of thousands of dollars in a single week for chess companies,

This is really possible,
How lucky are some of you

If he HAD been earning that much, he would not have been asking to promote my book on a commission...

Do you have any idea how much David Smerdon earns as an actuarial scientist?

Multiple six figures - that's all I'll say.

And still he reviewed your book, at your request, for FREE.

Why?

And why did I originally offer to help you?

For "commissions" off a book I was sure wouldn't do well?

No.

Because Australians are just nice people.