by Bruce Harper and Yasser Seirawan, 346pp. (HC) (2008 Chess'n Math Association)

Chess on the Edge is a three-volume work which contains all of Canadian Grandmaster Duncan Suttles' tournament games found as of the time of writing. The first volume contains 100 games organized by theme ("The Suttles Style", "Pawns", "The Center", etc.), plus 7 supplemental games. The second and third volumes contain another 513 games organized by opening (219 games in Volume 2, 294 games in Volume 3), plus 3 and 4 supplementary games, respectively.

All the games are annotated in depth. There are 628 diagrams in Volume 1, 585 diagrams in Volume 2 and 472 diagrams in Volume 3.

 

The third and final volume of the series of Canadian Grandmaster Duncan Suttles' games contains the games which begin with the "B" to "E" categories of openings, using the opening classification system popularized by the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings. This volume features Suttles' encounters with a variety of Black defenses, including the Nimzowitsch, Center Counter, Alekhine's, Caro-Kann and French. Rats appear in profusion, and Rat players will find much of interest, as well as inspiration, in this volume.

The evolution in Suttles' approach to the Sicilian defense can also be seen. The radical Wing Gambit is followed by a grudging admission that the Sicilian is sound, to an abandonment of the open variation in favor of the Closed Sicilian. Here, where ideas are more important than precise variations, lies buried treasure for those willing to dig for it. The volume ends with weird openings such as the Vienna, Ruy López and even the Queen's Gambit.