Speed Demon by Dmitry KRYAKVIN

This Speed Demon by Dmitry Kryakvin is an English-language chess book about Alexey Vyzhmanavin, combining his games, tournament memories, anecdotes and personal background in one volume. It is a strong choice for readers who want more than a game collection and are interested in a player known for sharp blitz and rapid chess.

What this book covers

Grandmaster Dmitry Kryakvin spoke with dozens of people to reconstruct Vyzhmanavin’s life and career as fully as possible. The result is a layered portrait that moves between annotated games, recollections from the Moscow chess scene, tournament stories and the human side of the player behind the board.

The book looks back at Vyzhmanavin’s presence in Moscow’s Sokolniki Park in the 1980s and early 1990s, his appearances at major events, and his role in Russia’s winning team at the 1992 Chess Olympiad. It also follows his rapid-chess performances in the PCA circuit and his run to the semi-finals in Moscow in 1994, where he defeated Alexey Shirov and Viktor Korchnoi before being stopped by Vladimir Kramnik.

Biography and chess history

Speed Demon is both a tribute to a distinctive figure in Russian chess and a record of the era around him. It will appeal to readers who enjoy chess biographies, game analysis and a closer look at the chess world of the 1980s and 1990s.

For readers interested in another work by the same author, Attacking with g2-g4: The Modern Way to Get the Upper Hand in Chess is also available.

Key details

• Product type: chess book
• Author: Dmitry Kryakvin
• Subject: Alexey Vyzhmanavin
• Language: English
• Publication type: paperback
• Page count: 224
• Content: games, memories, anecdotes and personal background
• Focus: blitz and rapid chess