This volume helps beginners to develop a solid understanding of fundamental opening ideas, gives casual players the ability to choose the opening that suits their style and taste, is a tool for club players to test and review their opening repertoire, as well as a reference book to which advanced players keep returning. The authors do not propagate forcing tactical variations to be memorized mechanically, but explain what you should actually be trying to achieve when playing the opening of your choice. By highlihting important moves and key positions in color, Chess Opening Essentials helps you to get out of any opening in good shape and gives you a foundation on which to build your repertoire.

The Colle and London are opening systems for White starting with 1 d4. They are very popular choices at club level and for two very good reasons: 1. Both openings are easy to learn and understand. 2. White's attacking play is based on solid foundations. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala examines both openings in detail and provides a highly practical repertoire for White based on a mix of the Colle and the London. All the way through the reader is helped along by numerous notes, tips and exercises. This book tells you everything you need to know before taking your first steps with the Colle and London systems. 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, Play the Grunfeld by Yelena Dembo and Play the Sicilian Kan by Johann Hellsten, brought together in one volume The Grunfeld is an exciting and dynamic answer to 1 d4, and has become very popular at all levels of chess. A major reason for this is that it has been a long-time favourite of the World's strongest-ever chess player, Garry Kasparov. The Grunfeld very much relies on the principles of the hypermodern school of chess: Black allows White to erect an impressive-looking centre on the assumption that in the long run it could prove to be more of a liability than an asset. Play often becomes very complex and tactical, one of the reasons the Grunfeld appeals to ambitious players. In Play the Grunfeld, however, opening expert Yelena Dembo circumvents this problem by producing a comprehensive and yet workable repertoire for Black, offering a solution against each of White's tries, whether it's a critical main line or a tricky sideline. After reading this book, you will have the required knowledge and confidence to begin playing the Grunfeld in your own games. The Kan is an ideal choice as an opening weapon against 1 e4, as it one of the easiest variations of the Sicilian to learn and play.The Kan is relatively theory free in the traditional sense, and success is more likely to occur through the understanding of development systems and a deep study of the tactical and positional ideas for both sides. In this book Johan Hellsten draws upon his vast experience in the Sicilian Kan, revealing his secrets and showing how Black can adopt this opening and play it with confidence. He provides the reader with a dependable repertoire, demonstrating what to do in the main lines as well as how to deal with White's tricky alternatives.

Former US Open Champion Timothy Taylor draws upon his wealth of personal experience to offer an instructive and entertaining account of how to improve your chess. This book is awash with invaluable advice on all stages of the game. Taylor emphasizes the practical aspects of chess: how to really make the most of your ability; how to win at all costs; and how to absorb the lessons of defeat to come back stronger. Grab every advantage over your opponents and be in the best possible shape for battle. True Combat Chess will show you the way.

The Grand Prix Attack is one of White's most aggressive ways of fighting the Sicilian. It leads to a sharp, complex battle from the very beginning, and White's play is characterized by its lightning attacks against the black king. The opening became a powerful weapon to use in the cut and thrust of weekend tournament chess, where victory is everything and draws are not enough. It steadily became more popular and even gained the seal of approval from some of the world's elite such as the UK's top two Grandmasters, Nigel Short and Michael Adams, who have both utilized it with success. In this book Gawain Jones, a Grand Prix Attack expert, studies this opening in a clear-cut and enjoyable way, introducing the key moves and ideas, and taking care to explain the reasoning behind them - something that has often been neglected or taken for granted. Everyman Chess' "Starting Out" series has firmly established itself as the leading guide to studying openings for up-and-coming players. These books are distinguished by their easy-to-read layout, the lucid explanations of the fundamentals, and the abundance of notes, tips and warnings to help the reader absorb vital ideas. "Starting Out" opening books are ideal for enthusiastic chess players who have little experience of the openings in question and who wish to appreciate the essential principles behind them. All the main lines are covered. It includes bonus chapters on the fashionable 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Bb5. It is ideal for improving players. "Starting Out: Sicilian Grand Prix Attack" is a further addition to Everyman's best-selling "Starting Out" series, which has been acclaimed for its original approach to tackling chess openings. International Master Gawain Jones revisits the fundamentals of this opening, elaborating on the crucial early moves and ideas for both sides in a way that is often neglected in other texts.

"In the dimension of reviving the mystique and wonder of chess, it is all too easy for those engaged in the rough and tumble of chess combat to overlook the mystery and infinite aesthetic profundity of its intellectual and iconic ethos. One example stands out... Barry has encountered many of the greats in person and across the board. Barry's insights into the relationship between Staunton pattern pieces, pawns and Masonic Symbology are worthy of a new Dan Brown novel. So, in this book, prepare to follow a Tour d'Horizon, a veritable Smorgasbord of chess information, artistic connections and inspirations combined with a mentally stimulating journey throughout the diverse ramifications of chess, art, culture and its place in the canon of civilised virtue." Raymond Keene OBE, International Chess Grandmaster, Chess Correspondent of The Times

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.

You can play this opening against anyone. This opening is especially well suited for rapid and blitz games, since in the reduced time control in particular the role of the initiative increases. Generally speaking, not in every opening will you find such a thing as Black having the initiative from the very first moves (although this pleasure is paid for with a whole pawn!). I played this opening with a classical time control against the ex-champion of Russia, Grandmaster Igor Lysyj, and very comfortably equalized in the opening, although later the class difference showed and my eminent opponent beat me. Nevertheless, the opening had absolutely nothing to do with it. This opening worked great when I played it in Rostov-on-Don, when I beat many strong players and after that they preferred to play 1.c4, doing whatever they could to avoid the Benko Gambit. Of course, to my understanding this opening is especially good to play against amateurs, or weaker players than yourself, who do not know its intricacies - you can quickly get a promising position. This opening is suitable for active players striving for a lively, initiative-rich game, with a strong spirit. After all, you need to understand that if something goes wrong, you may face big problems, since you do not have a pawn, but as in any opening there are pluses and minuses, and in the Benko Gambit there are also disadvantages. First of all, in some places you need to play very accurately (this will be especially evident in the positions that we will consider in volume 2) and the cost of an error is quite high. But if the reader carefully studies the books, then I think that there should be no problems and the Benko Gambit will give you many of your most interesting fights!

The book you hold is the first work of GM Sethuraman and contains his efforts to find new paths and fresh perspectives on these two variations of these famous Sicilians. We hope you gain from information in this book as well as simply enjoy the games themselves.

The Sveshnikov is undeniably one of the most dynamic and aggressive Sicilians available these days. Most recently, it was made popular again by World Champion Magnus Carlsen in his match against Fabiano Caruana at the end of 2018. The main lines lead to complex positions, and a deep knowledge and understanding of the opening is a real necessity for any player who wishes to enter this battlefield. Our author, Robert Ris, focuses on all the current developments, highlighting the most important and instructive games from recent years, using his own over-the board experiences. Ris is well known for his theoretical knowledge and overall opening expertise. And we are quite convinced that he provides Sicilian players with an up-to date arsenal for playing the Sveshnikov.

The Philidor Defense is a most popular opening at all levels. In this first book Sergio brings a no-nonsense opening repertoire for players of all strenghts. You will find this book nor only a useful handy guide but find it also loaded with an indispensable source of inspiring ideas.

I was lucky enough to play against six world champions and several top players in my modest chess career, but the greatest player I feel privileged to have known, to have spent time with him, was Miguel Najdorf, "El Viejo". This is a chess book, with 275 commented games, it covers all his chess career, but it has also many stories. Najdorf was the most important Argentinean chess player, and he was an exceptional person. Oscar Panno said that Najdorf reminded him of Don Quixote, in the part of the book where he tells Sancho Panza, "Wherever I am, that is where the head of the table is going to be". He successfully overcame the most terrible setbacks, as few are capable of doing. Writing about Miguel Najdorf is one of my greatest pleasures as a chess journalist and writer! Zenon Franco Ocampos, April 2021.

The Scheveningen is an uncompromising and flexible variation of Black's most popular defence to 1 e4, the Sicilian. This book takes a different look at this famous opening. The early moves and ideas are introduced and care is taken to explain the reasoning behind them.

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.

"Notions of chess have been shattered by a teen-age Hungarian girl - some call her modest and soft-spoken, but many opponents know her as a ferocious tiger over the board - who after years of steady progress began breathing down the necks of the top men and now has broken the barrier of one of the worlds most exclusive clubs: she has earned the rank of grandmaster at 15 years, 5 months, one month younger than Bobby Fischer when he did it 34 years ago." New York Times, 1992 Great achievements often take a lifetime of preparation, but when these achievements are becoming the World Number 1 woman chess player at the age of 12 and the youngest ever grandmaster at the age of 15 you have to start early! In this very personal book Judit Polgar describes her early moments of success and the chess ideas she needed to master to achieve them. This exceptional book is the beginning of a unique project where one of the greatest players of our time transforms her personal journey to the top into a roadmap for everyone who ever wanted to better themselves in the game of chess.

Chess Praxis is a superb collection of Aron Nimzowitsch's best games annotated by the great man himself, but it is even more than that. Nimzowitsch and his hypermodern ideas had a huge influence on modern chess thinking. Nimzowitsch first expounded his views in "My System." In his follow-up Chess Praxis he demonstrated and explained how his concepts worked in his own games.This is a completely new translation of Nimzowitsch's classic work, which will allow the reader to appreciate influential ideas explained in modern language

Brought together in one volume are two of Jacob Aagaard's great books- Excelling at Technical Chess and Excelling at Positional Chess. "And the rest is a matter of technique" is an annoyingly common phrase used in chess literature. The implication from the author is that the task of converting a typically winning position into a full point or converting a drawing position into half-a-point is relatively straightforward. However, as all of us practical players realise, it's not always a simple as this, and many hard-earned points are wasted through "a lack of technique" In Technical Chess Jacob Aagaard aims to solve this perennial problem. He arms the reader with several endgame weapons that every strong technical player has in his toolbox. These include important skills such as schematic thinking, domination, preventing counterplay, building fortresses and utilising zugzwang. These tools are illustrated in deeply analysed games containing numerous different themes. A serious study of this book will ensure that the reader need no longer need fear the word "technique"! Positional chess remains a mystery to many and yet an understanding of the finer points of the game so often makes the difference between two equally matched players. Improve your positional play and you will see chess in a totally new dimension! In Positional Chess, Aagaard selects many original examples of positional chess, the creme de la creme of those that he uses for training and study. Aagaard also delves deeply into the ideas of positional evaluation and analysis

This book is part of a series from Quality Chess examining the cutting edge of opening theory. The idea is to identify the most important theoretical battlegrounds and then analyse as deeply as possible in search of improvements. Thus the reader will be ahead of the current state-of-the-art, rather than lagging behind trying to memorise old games. The book considers the Sicilian Najdorf - a favourite opening of ambitious players at every level. This book concentrates on lines where White chooses 6.Be3, heading for the English Attack. The variations covered are: Topalov: 6...e6 7.f3 b5 8.Qd2 b4 9.Na4 Nbd7; Topalov: 6...e6 7.f3 b5 8.g4 h6 9.Qd2 b4 10.Nce2 e5; Perenyi Attack: 6...e6 7.g4 e5 8.Nf5; Perenyi Attack: 6...e6 7.g4 h6 8.Bg2; Perenyi Attack: 6...e6 7.g4 h5 8.g5 Ng4 9.Bc1 Qb6 10.h3 Ne5 11.Nb3; Main line: 6...e6 7.f3 b5 8.g4 h6 9.GBPd2 Nbd7 10.0-0-0 Bb7 11.h4 b4 12.Na4 Qa5 13.b3 Nc5 14.a3; Main line: 6...e6 7.f3 Nbd7 8.GBPd2 b5 9.g4 Nb6 10.a4; Scheveningen: 5...Nc6 6.Be3 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0-0-0 0-0 9.f3 d5 10.Be2; 6...e5: Positional line: 7.Nf3; and, 6...e5: Vallejo Pons variation: 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.g 4 b5 12.g5 b4 13.Ne2 Ne8 14.f4 a5 15.f5; 6...e 5: line with 10...a5: 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 Be6 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 a5; 6...e5: Topalov variation: 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Nbd7 9.Qd2 h5.

"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.

In a strikingly original self-improvement manual, Jonathan Tisdall draws on his own experiences to explain why erratic results and painful setbacks occur, and shows how to institute a training program that can lift the player's game to new heights. Tisdall's improvement ideas will fire the imagination of players at all levels.