The interviews in this book span over twenty years, over two decades. For years I went with my recording device to tournaments like Wijk aan Zee, Frankfurt Chess Classic, Hoogeveen... often to interview the interesting player of the moment in some hotel bar or quiet interview room. 31 out of the 35 interviews came about this way. That is... until March 2020, when out of nowhere, covid broke out. Suddenly chess tournaments were no longer held and a live interview with chess players was no longer possible.

This is the first volume of the new series "Key Concepts of Chess". The idea is to deal with middlegames in which a certain structure or essential theme becomes central. The idea of starting this series is in line with the "Understanding before Moving" series because the aim, is to improve the understanding of club chess players. According to the author, playing an opening should be 'hung up' on stereotypical ideas and concepts belonging to this structure. The thorough exploration of middlegame structures is beyond the scope of opening books, hence it makes more sense to expose it in this complementary series. In this first volume, the "Hedgehog System" is discussed in detail. Apart from being part of the author's repertoire, this typical set-up deserves to be widely highlighted. Although in the second part of the trilogy on the Sicilian, the Hedgehog has already made its appearance, in this book the seemingly fragile, but oh so treacherous creature can reconsider its spines in an extensive way.

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.

From a theoretical backwater to a fully blown main line opening, the rise of the Scandinavian Defence (1 e4 d5) has been nothing short of meteoric. Over the past fifteen years the Scandinavian has become more and more popular both at club and Grandmaster level. It even managed to obtain an ultimate seal of approval when Vishy Anand employed it in his World Championship match with Garry Kasparov!
In this book Grandmaster John Emms explains the strategies and tactics of this dynamic and fashionable opening. Through the use of model games for both sides, the author provides a thorough grounding in the key ideas, so that players of all standards can quickly and confidently begin to use the Scandinavian in their own games.
This book provides a complete update of Emms's original and best-selling edition of The Scandinavian, published in 1997. Since then there have been many new and important discoveries from both sides of the board, and these are included here.
*Ideal for club and tournament players
*Explains the basic elements, strategies and tactics for both sides
*Written by a leading expert on the Scandinavian
*Provides everything you need to know to start playing the opening straightaway

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 you improve and your opponents become stronger, very often these crafty lines don't stand up to close scrutiny, and suddenly you're back to square one with no suitable opening weapons. In "Starting Out: 1 e4!" Neil McDonald solves this perennial problem by providing the reader with a strong and trustworthy repertoire with the white pieces based on the popular opening move 1 e4. The recommended lines given here have stood the test of time and are regularly employed by Grandmasters. Reading this book will give you the confidence to play these variations against all strengths of player and provide you with reliable opening armoury for years to come. This book is written in "Everyman Chess's" distinctive 'Starting Out' style, with plenty of notes, tips and warnings throughout to help the aspiring player. Presents a Grandmaster-style opening repertoire, written by a 1 e4 expert that is ideal for improving players.

The return in 1992 of American Grandmaster Bobby Fischer against his old rival Boris Spassky has reawakened interest in the games of one of the most determined World Champions of all time. To Fischer, chess is a highly competitive sport which requires not only meticulous opening preparation, a high state of tactical alertness and perfect technique, but also a constant striving for the initiative, immense will to win and even calculated risk-taking. In 1972, when he won the supreme crown, he was years ahead of his time in his chess understanding and he influenced the way competitive chess is played today. Now he is back, all chess enthusiasts will be able to compare Fischer with the younger generation such as Kasparov and Short, neither of whom has played a single competitive game against the enigmatic American. By studying the deeply researched and thematically arranged material in this book, players of all strengths will change their attitude towards the game and improve their own play.

By going through the chapters, you will get acquainted with my way of grandmaster type thinking. I can assure you of one thing: there are better and weaker grandmasters, but you won't find a GM who is playing without ideas or, let's say, without his way of thinking! As you will find out, I am basically trying to detect the problem or goal of the position and then I am starting to scan factors which can lead to the solution. That process you will find in many examples in the book. GM Alojzije Jankovic, April 2020.

Is the ability to make combinations something you are born with or can it be acquired by practice? Russian chess trainer Livshitz, who has had extensive experience teaching a wide range of players from novices to masters, presents here a course for developing your combinational skill, based on the recognition of tactical motifs. As you work your way through this carefully graced series of tests, themes such as 'diversion, ' 'interference, ' 'X-Ray, ' and many more will become an integral part of your chess armoury, to be employed in your own games. Solving these positions will not only provide many hours of pleasure but will also enable you to test - and improve! - your chess IQ. This is book two in a three-volume series, carefully graduated in order of difficulty. Move on to: 'Test Your Chess IQ: Master Challenge' and 'Test Your Chess IQ: Grandmaster Challenge.' (6 3/4' X 9 3/4', 124 pages, illustrations)

Alexei Shirov has dazzled and inspired a generation of chess fans with his unique brand of attacking chess. The Grandmaster, originally from Riga, Latvia, is widely regarded as one of the most aggressive and inventive chess players of the modern era, an argument backed up by his wealth of amazing games, rich in tactical fireworks and extraordinary moves. "Fire on Board" begins where the best-selling first edition left off in 1996. Shirov traces his progress at the top of the chess world since that year and presents a delightful collection of his favourite games, all explained in great detail to the reader. Shirov's best games, are unravelled and explained by the man himself. This is a compilation of violent, attacking and imaginative chess. It is written by one of the world's leading players.

Dive deep into the history of the world's most popular fantasy RPG livestream with the cast of Critical Role in this definitive guide featuring never-before-seen illustrations and photos. From its unassuming beginnings as a casual home game between friends to the role-playing phenomenon it is today, Critical Role has become the stuff of legend. These pages chronicle how a circle of friends who all happen to be talented voice actors built the most-watched tabletop role-playing livestream of all time. Discover dazzling new illustrations and richly written insights into the locations, characters, and adventures featured in the hundreds of episodes across Critical Role's two campaigns, Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein. Go behind the scenes with archival photos and exclusive interviews with Dungeon Master Matt Mercer and the entire Critical Role cast as they explore their characters' most triumphant moments and darkest hours. And celebrate the massive community of Critters who support and expand the show's world through a highlighted tour of the crafts, cosplay, and art they create every day. Featuring a foreword from the cast, lush illustrations, and the inside story you won't find anywhere else, this book is your indispensable guide to Critical Role. The adventure begins!

Endgames with kings, bishops, knights, and pawns are generally considered among the most complex and can seem quite bewildering to improving players. This is hardly surprising given that even Grandmasters have been known to struggle in some areas of these endgames, with some examples resulting in embarrassing failure to deliver elementary checkmates In this user-friendly book, Grandmaster and notable endgame authority John Emms begins with the absolute fundamentals of minor piece endings. This slowly but surely arms readers with the essential knowledge and confidence to move onto slightly trickier positions. Using examples from practical play, Emms highlights the correct procedures as well as the typical mistakes made by both attacker and defender. As is normal with the famed Starting Out series, there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings throughout the book to help improving players. Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames is perfect for those who have previously honed their chess skills with the earlier books Starting Out in Chess, Tips for Young Players and Improve Your Endgame Play.
Key features:
*Covers all crucial minor piece endings
*Easy step-by-step guide to better endgame play
*Ideal for improving players
*User-friendly layout to help readers absorb the key ideas

Three brilliant books from Everyman Chess brought together in one volume. The Masters: Alexander Alekhine, Master of Attack The Masters: Boris Spassky, Master of Initiative The Masters: Mikhail Tal, Tactical Genius By Alexander Raetsky and Maxim Chetverik What separated Alexander Alekhine from the rest of his contemporaries? Why did he dominate the chess world for so long? The main reason was undoubtedly his brilliant attacking style of play. Alekhine had a combinative gift and thrilled the chess public and influenced every great chess player since. Garry Kasparov once said I fell in love with the rich complexity of his ideas at the chessboard. Alekhine's attacks came suddenly, like destructive thunderstorms that erupted from a clear sky. Boris Spassky is a true chess legend, a World Champion who, thanks to his monumental battles with Bobby Fischer, raised the popularity of the game to a level that had never been seen before. Although at the height of his powers many saw Spassky as a complete and universal player, adept at outplaying his opponents in any type of position, itis no secret that from an early age he thrived on sharp, attacking play. He was a superb practical player, and with the initiative at his hands he could conjure up wonderful combinations and deadly attacks. Mikhail Tal was simply a chess phenomenon. The magician from Riga stunned the chess world when he became the youngest ever World Champion (at that time) in 1960, and he won countless supporters for his scintillating tactical play and his infectious enthusiasm for the game. Tal's dazzling tactical style would often leave his hapless opponents in a state of shell shock. As former World Champion Vassily Smyslov once noted Tal's appearance in chess had the effect of an exploding bomb, since his style of play was distinguished by extraordinary combinative brilliance.

Three classic titles from the Everyman Chess Starting Out Series in one volume. ----- Starting Out: Pawn Endgames by Glenn Flear --- Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames by John Emms --- Starting Out: Rook Endgames by Chris Ward ----- Endgames involving only kings and pawns are the most fundamental of all chess positions, and a firm understanding of them is required in order to become confident of tackling more complex endings that preceded them. As is commonplace with the renowned Starting Out series, there are an abundance of notes, tips and warnings throughout the book to help the improving player. ----- In Starting Out: Pawn Endgames, Grandmaster and distinguished endgames expert Glenn Flear focuses on the very basics of pawn endings. Beginning with the simplest of positions and only gradually working through to more challenging material, Flear outlines the key principles and rules, and demonstrates how these work in practical examples. As one of the priorities of such endings is to promote pawns to queens, Flear additionally deals with queen endings that arise naturally from the simpler form. ----- In Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames Grandmaster and notable endgame authority John Emms begins with the absolute fundamentals of minor piece endings. This slowly but surely arms the reader with the essential knowledge and confidence to move onto slightly trickier positions. Using examples from practical play, Emms highlights the correct procedures as well as the typical mistakes made by both attacker and defender. ----- In Starting Out: Rook Endgames Grandmaster Chris Ward begins with the absolute fundamentals of rook endgames. He gradually arms the reader with the indispensable knowledge and confidence needed to move onto slightly trickier positions. Using examples from practical play, Ward highlights the correct plans as well as the typical mistakes made by both attacker and defender.