Stop playing like a pawn and start playing like the king You already know just how enjoyable--and and challenging--the game of chess can be. For those who play, chess leads to a lifetime of fun. But how do you make the first move to learn the rules and transform from a pawn to a king? The path to a perfect checkmate is in your hands! In the pages of this book, you'll find an introduction to all the chess pieces including their strengths and weaknesses, tips on how to protect your pieces and prevent their capture, and guidance on when to attack and defend like a boss. You'll also find a bonus tear-out card to take your new tactics on the go!

Ideal for those wanting to understand the basics of Benoni Systems. This book is a study of all the crucial Benoni systems apart from the Modern Benoni. It presents diverse and practical options against the queen's pawn opening for dynamic, tactical players and solid, positional players alike. Included are such daring defenses as the controversial Blumenfeld Counter-Gambit and the Benko Gambit, a favorite with uncompromising Grandmasters such as Veselin Topalov and Vassily Ivanchuk. On the other hand, Black also has the opportunity to adopt solid, respectable defenses such as the Czech Benoni and the Schmid Benoni. Whether Black likes to sacrifice and take the initiative, or whether he prefers to play in a more restrained manner, there is something here for all types of players.
In this user-friendly book, opening theoreticians Alexander Raetsky and Maxim Chetverik go back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Benoni Systems and its many variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to help improving players, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.
User-friendly design to help readers absorb ideas
Concentrates on the key principles of Benoni systems
Ideal for improving players

Profoundly original discussion of pawn play isolates its elements and elaborates on various aspects. Basic relationships of one or two pawns constitute winning strategy. Multitude of examples demonstrate paramount significance of elements of pawn manipulation. "One of the few books...which, at a glance, one can recognize as an immortal."-Chess. 182 diagrams. Index of games.

Most chess games are decided by tactics. Grandmaster Thomas Luther brings a structured approach to capturing the subtleties of any tactical theme. The reader is challenged to regularly solve his exercises and in doing so improve his skills of motif recognition. This book is aimed at chess players of all ages and levels who want to significantly improve their results. This is the first book in the Thinkers' Chess Academy trilogy.

It has been 60 years since I took up chess as a serious pursuit. Considering that sufficient time has passed I think that now I should look back and discuss the results of this effort! In the course of writing, I sought to make the book biographical but that did not always work out and some of the events from my chess life were not included in this work. Perhaps there will be a future book in which these events, as well as events yet to happen, can be told. For the past 10 years my name has had a special mark on the final standings - Veteran. At first this was somewhat confusing, but I soon realized that in all the spheres of human activity the word "veteran" has a noble meaning. My friends often ask me, "Vladimir, are you not tired of playing chess"? I always answer emphatically, "No, I am not tired. Where else can I find such a huge space for self-expression?"? Steinitz once said, " Chess is not for the faint of heart." I agree 100%! Chess players do not need pumped up muscles, they need a sound mind with which to resist the constant pressure exerted on every nerve that is experienced during combat. I do not always like this constant struggle and the stress that comes with it. It is even worse when one makes a mistake in a winning position. In this past decade another "problem" has been added - incredibly powerful computer engines that younger opponents skillfully use in preparation for the game. But when you win a beautiful game or use a theoretical novelty invented at home (albeit with the help of a computer), or defend a difficult hopeless position, how great it is! And at such moments you do not think about chess being a science or artistic effort or even sport. At times like these, they are just part of your life. Now it is time to let you turn the page and see just how incredibly interesting it is to be an active chess player, even as a veteran!

Are you bored of playing the same old openings time and time again? Fed up with constantly having to keep up with modern chess theory? Or perhaps you simply wish to play something new and exciting, but cannot decide between the numerous choices available? Don't despair - help is on hand!' In "Dangerous Weapons: The Sicilian", John Emms and Richard Palliser team up to investigate by far the most popular and widely-played chess opening, but in a revolutionary way. They concentrate on fresh or little-explored variations of the open Sicilian, selecting a wealth of ideas and options for both colours. Many of the carefully chosen weapons are innovative, visually shocking, incredibly tricky, or have been unfairly discarded; they are guaranteed to throw even your most experienced opponent off balance. Whether playing White or Black, a study of this book will leave you assured and fully-armed, and your opponents running for cover! "Dangerous Weapons" is a brand-new series of opening books that provide the reader with an abundance of hard-hitting ideas to revitalize his or her opening repertoire.

From relative obscurity to one of White's favorite queen's pawn openings, the rise in popularity of the Trompowsky Attack over the last decade or so has been quite staggering. Even the World number one Garry Kasparov has tried his hand at this dynamic opening. The Trompowsky is an ideal weapon for club and tournament players. From as early as move two White stamps his authority on the game and gives Black difficult problems to solve. Grandmaster Nigel Davies presents readers with up-to-date coverage of this ever-expanding opening. Using model games for both White and Black, he studies the key strategies and tactics associated with the Trompowsky.

The Nimzo-Indian Defence continues to be one of Black's most reliable ways of meeting the queen's pawn opening. It's popular at all levels of chess and a constant source of anxiety for White players. How can White find a worthwhile line against this incredibly firm defense? How can White set his Nimzo opponent difficult tasks from the outset? Perhaps it's time to look somewhere different from the well-trodden main lines.
In this book Grandmaster and renowned openings expert Chris Ward investigates unusual white tries, including three uncompromising and underrated ways of battling against the Nimzo: the Samisch, the Leningrad and the 4 f3 variation. Each line is ideal for putting your opponent under immediate pressure from the start of the game. By studying the various strategies and tactics in these variations, White players can confidently arm themselves with three new menacing lines against the Nimzo, while Black players must again search carefully for antidotes!
*All the principal lines are covered
*Written by a renowned Nimzo-Indian expert
*Explains the basic elements, strategies and tactics for both sides
*Ideal for club and tournament players

Mark Dvoretsky is regarded as the leading chess coach in the world, and in this series of books he reveals the training methods that have transformed so many of his pupils into champions. This first title is devoted to the endgame and examines a wide range of positions, taken mainly from games of the author's pupils. The comments are packed with practical advice and special test positions and frequent questions ensure that the reader's participation in the book is an active one.

Starting a chess game with 1 e4 e5 is so common that the resulting complex of opening systems traditionally commands its own sobriquet, "The Open Games" (1 e4 met by other replies are "Semi-Open Games" and everything else comes under "Closed Games"). The central structure with pawns on e4 and e5 often leads to play based around highly classical themes which are the bedrock of successful chess understanding. ----- First Steps is a new opening series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations. First Steps emphasizes: ----- * the basic principles --- * the basic strategies --- * the key tricks and traps ----- First Steps books are based around carefully selected instructive games which demonstrate exactly what both sides are trying to achieve. There is enough theory to enable the improving player to get to grips with the opening without feeling overwhelmed. If you want to take up a new opening, First Steps is the ideal place to start.

Two great books from the Everyman Chess Library, Fighting the Ruy Lopez by Milos Pavlovic and Open Ruy Lopez by Glenn Flear, brought together in one volume. The Ruy Lopez is a hugely popular opening, and anyone who plays 1 e4 e5 as Black needs to have a reliable answer ready. This book provides a solution. Drawing upon his years of experience facing the Lopez, Grandmaster Milos Pavlovic devises a sound yet ambitious repertoire for Black based on the legendary Marshall Attack. The Marshall is a perfect counter-attacking weapon, as it avoids passive positions and the so-called 'Spanish torture'. Furthermore, Black's tactical and positional goals are usually clear-cut and often involve a direct attack against White's king. The effectiveness of the Marshall is clear if you consider that the last two world champions have both suffered crushing defeats on the white side (Kramnik vs Leko, Brissago 2004; Anand vs Aronian, Morelia 2008) whilst Garry Kasparov always avoided it with White. The Open Ruy Lopez (also known as the Open Spanish) has always been a popular choice at both club level and at grandmaster level, where it has withstood the test of time after decades of close scrutiny. It offers both sides the opportunity for a sharp clash of forces in which the better prepared player will often come out on top. It is therefore no surprise that fighting players such as Victor Korchnoi and Jan Timman have always used the Open Ruy Lopez as an important weapon in their armoury.

"First the idea and then the move!" Miguel Najdorf used to say in his habitually enthusiastic fashion; that statement is the perfect summary of planning in chess. Planning is of crucial importance in chess and yet this is an area that has not been well discussed or explained to ambitious players who wish to improve. A very well known saying in chess is "Better a bad plan than no plan at all". Playing without a plan - effectively staggering from one move to the next - is a recipe for disaster. It is essential to have some kind of idea of what you are trying to achieve and how to go about it. However, planning is not a straightforward matter. A good plan might be very short, lasting just two or three moves. Another plan might require almost an entire game to implement. A plan can be highly ambitious and complex or somewhat modest and simple. In chess, as in life, circumstances can change quickly and when they do, new plans are needed. How is a player expected to juggle all these different concepts while dealing with the immediate problems posed by the opponent's most recent move? In this book, grandmaster and experienced author Zenon Franco explains planning in detail. He organises material in terms of: typical structures, advantage in space, manoeuvring play, simplification and, finally attack and defence. Using games played by elite players he explains how plans are formed and carried out in these different scenarios. If you want to take your game to the next level, then Planning Move by Move will enable you to do this.

The Open Spanish is one of Blacks most direct methods of fighting against the Ruy Lopez. Instead of subjecting himself to the so-called Spanish torture of the Closed Ruy Lopez, Black boldly captures the e4-pawn and provokes an early confrontation. Grandmaster Repertoire 13 The Open Spanish provides a complete repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6, based on the Open Variation which occurs after 5.00 Nxe4. Blacks system is built on the principles of fast and active development, and fighting for the initiative whenever the opportunity arises.

The Modernized Dutch Defense leads to unbalanced structures and dynamic play. White must be well prepared to understand this most aggressive defense which we might even call an 'attack'. Adrien Demuth delivered a fighting repertoire for Black starting from move one!

I decided to write about something that I would be interested to learn myself. In this book I show what preparation for a game by a 2650 player looks like. In chess, we only see the game on the stage, and can only guess at what is hidden behind the scenes. Top players can't reveal this, nor can their seconds, so I decided - who, if not me? I show my preparation for games, accompanied by analyses that I consider enough to apply the opening line. I show how I outplay opponents, not with powerful opening preparation, but by leading them into positions that are pleasant for me or unpleasant for them. I explain things that many players do not pay attention to in terms of opening preparation and preparation for an opponent. Aleksandr Rakhmanov, May 2021.

The Averbakh is a solid and respectable variation against the KID. It bears the name of the well-known Soviet grandmaster, theorist, and endgame specialist Averbakh (photo). Yuri Lvovich Averbakh is the oldest living grandmaster who recently celebrated his 99th birthday in Moscow on 8 February. In the early 1950s, Averbakh was one of the first grandmasters to play the variation more than once. He contributed greatly to the development of its theory. Averbakh used the variation several years, then changed course to other variations to fight the KID. Occasionally, he returned to his old love that by then bore his name

This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of opening knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to study any chess opening and at the same time improve your general chess skills and knowledge. Anyone who plays the Sicilian Defence as Black must be prepared to meet a whole host of options for White known as the Anti-Sicilians. These includes popular choices such as the c3-Sicilian, the Grand Prix Attack, the Closed Sicilian, the King's Indian Attack and all Bb5 lines, as well as numerous gambits and tricky sidelines which can be very difficult to meet for the unwary player. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala examines the Anti-Sicilian lines and provides repertoire options for Black against all of them. Using illustrative games, he explains the positional and tactical ideas for both sides, highlights important move-order issues and provides answers to all the key questions. This book tells you everything you need to know about facing the Anti-Sicilians with Black. *Essential guidance and training in Anti-Sicilians *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study *Provides a repertoire for Black

Emanuel Lasker was world champion for a remarkable 27 years (1894-1921) and is generally regarded as having been way ahead of his time in his understanding of chess. He primarily regarded chess as a fight and considered that the strongest move in a position was the one that created greatest problems for the opponent and not necessarily the one that was objectively "best". His strengths included: ----- * His skill at accumulating small advantages with quiet manoeuvring. --- * His astonishing ability to find tactical resources in defence. --- * His uncanny knack of provoking errors in balanced positions. ----- Lasker was, essentially, a complete chessplayer and his games feel thoroughly modern. Indeed many contemporary elite players (the most obvious one being the current world champion Magnus Carlsen) exhibit a very similar style. ----- The Move by Move series provides an ideal format for the keen chessplayer to improve their game. While reading you are continually challenged to answer probing questions - a method that greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of chess knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to study chess while providing the best possible chance to retain what has been learnt.

Building and maintaining an opening repertoire can be a demanding task -- for a start there are an enormous number of different lines to choose from. There's a strong temptation amongst beginners and improving players to opt solely for tricky lines in order to snare unsuspecting opponents, but this approach has only short-term value. As players improve and their opponents become stronger, very often these crafty lines don't stand up to close scrutiny, and suddenly they back to square one with no suitable opening weapons.
In Starting Out with 1 e4! and Starting Out with 1 d4! Neil McDonald and John Cox solve this perennial problem by providing the reader with a strong and trustworthy repertoire with the white pieces based on the popular opening moves 1 e4 and 1 d4. The recommended lines given here have stood the test of time and are regularly employed by Grandmasters. Reading these books will give players the confidence to play these variations against all strengths of player and provides them with reliable opening armoury for years to come.
These books are written in Everyman Chess's distinctive Starting Out style, with plenty of notes, tips, and warnings throughout to help the aspiring player.
>Grandmaster-style opening repertoires
>Written by opening experts
>Ideal for improving players
English Grandmaster Neil McDonald is an experienced and successful player on the international chess circuit. He is a respected chess coach, who has trained many of England's strongest junior players. McDonald is also a talented chess writer and has many outstanding works to his name. Earlier Everyman Chess books include Concise Chess Openings and Starting Out: The Dutch Defence.
John Cox is a FIDE Master and a former junior international and British Junior Champion. Previous works for Everyman Chess include Starting Out: Alekhine's Defence and Dealing with d4 Deviations.
Other Books in Series
Starting Out with 1 d4!