Board games have long fascinated as mirrors of intelligence, skill, cunning, and wisdom. While board games have been the topic of many scientific studies, and have been studied for more than a century by psychologists, there was until now no single volume summarizing psychological research into board games. This book, which is the first systematic study of psychology and board games, covers topics such as perception, memory, problem solving and decision making, development, intelligence, emotions, motivation, education, and neuroscience. It also briefly summarizes current research in artificial intelligence aiming at developing computers playing board games, and critically discusses how current theories of expertise fare with board games. Finally, it shows that the information provided by board game research, both data and theories, have a wider relevance for the understanding of human psychology in general.

Designed to revive The Art of Conversation(R), TAOC(R) is a fabulous way to have balanced, interesting and meaningful communications. This Travel Edition follows on from the success of the original TAOC(R) games, offering new avenues to think, and talk, about the world. Included is an instruction booklet, as well as over 300 areas of discussion from topics on geography, history, languages, anthropology, philosophy, architecture, politics, and much more. TAOC(R) Travel enables us to gain new perspectives and broaden our view of the world in a fun and easy to use format. Best of all, your own life experiences, interests and ideas are all that's required to enjoy and reap the full benefits of TAOC(R) Travel. TAOC(R) Travel is an excellent learning tool for students of any age, as it works well regardless of actual travel experience; facilitating healthy debates and discussions, as well as being a useful tool for research topics, interactive tours and lesson plans. With TAOC(R) Travel, a myriad of world journeys await you, and can be experienced right in you very own home!

This book is the definitive volume on the history of chess in Singapore. Covering 1945-1990, it covers the post-war emergence of a truly 'local' chess scene out of the colonial period, then taking the story up to the modern era. Contained within these pages are tributes to the modern founding fathers of Singapore chess. Also chronicled within are the careers of Singapore's top players and their achievements. This includes fine team performances (belying Singapore's seeming status in the chess world as a tiny red dot) and spectacular individual successes on the international stage.In documenting chess development in Singapore for the period in question, this book also provides glimpses of a wider social history. Personal stories (based on fresh interviews) are provided that give a sense of the chessplaying milieu of the time. Stalwarts in the chess scene, featured in this book, went on to be notable figures in the wider social and political landscape.A selection of 139 annotated games played by top Singapore-based players and Singapore masters between 1949 and 1990 is matched by a rich collection of more than 200 rare illustrations. This volume is a wonderful resource for chess aficionados, interested amateurs, collectors and historians.

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 practicing 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. Bird's Opening, 1 f4, is an ideal choice for freethinking chess players who prefer to rely on their general chess knowledge and intuition rather than having to memorize and keep up to date with mainline opening theory. Bird's Opening is essentially the Dutch Defense with an extra move, and White can choose between a number of different set-ups, including the reversed Leningrad, Classical and Stonewall variations, depending on mood and opponents' responses. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala examines all the important variations of Bird's Opening, including the sharp From's Gambit. Using illustrative games, he explains the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing 1 f4. *Essential guidance and training with 1 f4*Provides a repertoire options for White*Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

Show off your best animal-tracking skills in this brilliant matching game. The task is to match 25 tracks to their animal owners. Has an elephant just crossed your path or was it an echidna? Can you track down a coyote, make out the trail of a peacock and recognise the paw print of a panda? Beat your opponents by making as many matches as you can!

Chess Developments is a brand new series providing state-of-the-art openings coverage. Chess Developments focuses on the current trends - concentrating on critical lines, theoretical novelties and powerful new ideas. It offers players of all levels the opportunity to keep up-to-date with current opening theory whilst also expanding and improving their repertoires. The Pirc is an ambitious counter-attacking weapon against 1 e4. Black allows White to build an imposing centre before striking back and attacking it with pieces and pawns. If Black's strategy is successful White's centre can be blown away, but if Black fails he runs the risk of being overrun. In this book, James Vigus examines the most theoretically important and instructive Pirc games since the publication of his highly acclaimed The Pirc in Black and White, highlighting the main developments and novelties for both sides. Studying this book will provide you with essential information on a popular opening. *Essential coverage of the Pirc Defence *Packed with key new ideas and critical analysis *User-friendly design to help readers absorb information

Do you need to be a genius to be good at chess? What does it take to become a Grandmaster? Can computer programmes beat human intuition in gameplay? The Psychology of Chess is an insightful overview of the roles of intelligence, expertise, and human intuition in playing this complex and ancient game. The book explores the idea of 'practice makes perfect', alongside accounts of why men perform better than women in international rankings, and why chess has become synonymous with extreme intelligence as well as madness. When artificial intelligence researchers are increasingly studying chess to develop machine learning, The Psychology of Chess shows us how much it has already taught us about the human mind.

The King is dead. The kingdom is divided. Three factions – the Scottish, the Welsh, and the English – vie for control and, across the sea, foreign invaders prepare to take advantage of the chaos. Players must marshal their limited resources to influence this power struggle, while ensuring that the faction that rises to dominate the realm favours them above all other claimants to the throne.

How can you improve at chess? This is the eternal question asked by players of all levels. Which part of the game should you focus on? How often should you play? Should you change your opening repertoire? What's the best way to learn from your defeats? So many questions ...and yet direct answers are hard to find. It's no wonder aspiring players are left bewildered and in need of direction. In this book grandmaster Nigel Davies provides that direction. He examines the methods used by a number of players who were looking to improve their game, and how they went about achieving their goal. He has drawn heavily on the games and thoughts of players who have been his students over the years and experienced a clear improvement in their play. Finding the path towards improvement can prove difficult without the right guidance. This book will demonstrate the route to take. *A major study of chess improvement *Written by a renowned chess trainer *Tackles all areas of the game

Are you tired of playing the same old openings time and time again? This book takes revolutionary look at Flank Openings. It focuses on little-explored variations, selecting a wealth of 'dangerous' options for both colours.

Test your vocabulary with Wordwise! Dice Game from Wexler Studios. Roll the dice to create as many words as you can in 1-minute. * Tin Size: 7.67 x 3.74 x 1.22", 195 x 95 x 31 mm * Score-pad with perforated sheets * Mini Pencil * Sand Timer * 16 Lettered + 2 Numbered Die * Instruction Sheet

Chess on the Net reviews the hottest chess sites and offers advice on where to play on the web and how to use the web to improve your practical play. Whether it's playing against humans, playing against computers, learning from Grandmasters or simply finding out the latest chess results and gossip, chess on the internet has become a massive business over the past few years. In this revolutionary book, distinguished chess webmaster Mark Crowther explains to the reader how to get the maximum out of the web. Crowther casts his expert eye over the every-increasing number of chess sites available to the surfer. (6 X 9, 128 pages, computer screen reproductions, illustrations, charts)

A graphic novel biography following the life of Bobby Fischer, from chess wunderkind and national hero to his eventual spiral into madness and infamyThe life of Bobby Fischer (1943–2008) had many unexpected moves—from his solitary childhood to his stratospheric accomplishments in the world of competitive chess, and eventually, his decent into mental illness and disgrace. Black and White begins in Brooklyn, where Fischer was born and raised by a single mother. By the time he was a teen, he had established himself as a loner and dropped out of school. But none of that mattered; he had found his true calling—chess.In 1972, at age 13, Fischer played what many consider “the game of the century” against the Soviet Union’s chess champion Boris Spassky at the height of the Cold War. A year later, Fischer became the youngest-ever US Chess Champion, and at 15, the game’s youngest grandmaster. Never before had chess received such international attention. Fischer, whose sole focus in life up until then was chess, reached the Olympus of chess at 29, and then . . . he disappeared. Suffering from mental illness, the chess genius became increasingly paranoid, lost in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories—despite the fact that he himself was Jewish—and died as a fugitive in Iceland. With Black and White, author Julian Voloj and illustrator William Wagner have crafted a beautiful and fascinating work that reveals Fischer’s history while also contextualizing his lasting impact on pop culture. Black and White is the first-ever graphic novel to tell Fischer’s story and examine the legacy he left behind.

In "American Grandmaster," " "Joel Benjamin takes the reader on a journey through chess adventures spanning more than thirty years. Tracing through his own career, from being a prodigy in the 'Fischer boom' era thorough to an experienced Grandmaster with many titles, Benjamin is in a unique position to highlight the major changes that have occurred both in US and international chess throughout the last four decades.

Grandmaster Damian Lemos presents a repertoire for White against both the King's Indian and Grunfeld defences. Many players struggle to find suitable lines to challenge these two popular and dynamic openings, or find the masses of theory in the main lines difficult to digest. Lemos solves this perennial problem by advocating a solid system of development based on the fianchetto system, where understanding ideas is more important than move memorization. By playing a very early g3 and Bg2, White protects his kingside, denies Black much of the counterplay typically associated with the King's Indian and Grunfeld, and creates long-term pressure on the queenside. Lemos's choices in this book are largely based on his own repertoire he used on the way to becoming a Grandmaster. Using illustrative games, Lemos examines the typical tactics and strategies for both sides and highlights key move order issues. This book tells you everything you need to know about playing the Fianchetto System against the King's Indian and Grunfeld. *A repertoire for White after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 *Includes the King's Indian, Grunfeld and Symmetrical English. *Examines the key tactical and positional ideas

It's no secret why the London System is such a popular opening, especially at club level. White's development plan is very easy to learn, and it can be employed against virtually any defence. What's more, depending on mood, style or opponent, White can choose either to attack directly or to instigate a more positional strategy. Many players admit they hate facing the London System, which is surely another good reason to play it! In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala presents a reliable repertoire for White with the London System. Using illustrative games and drawing upon his vast experience in the opening, Lakdawala reveals all his secrets and explains in detail the typical plans and tactics for both sides. This book tells you everything you need to know about the London System. *A repertoire for White with the London System *Covers both the main lines and tricky sidelines *Includes game summaries with key points to remember