With Weapons of Chess, National Master and highly acclaimed teacher Bruce Pandolfini brings us the most accessible and easy-to-use chess strategy book ever.

Written for beginning and intermediate players, Weapons of Chess is the first encyclopedia of chess strategies that doesn't rely on the usual baffling chess notation. There are no symbolic chess moves, no charts or sequences in chess notation: every move is explained in words.

Arranged alphabetically for easy use and based mainly on pawn formation, the incredibly detailed and thorough entries in this book talk a player through dozens of common strategic dilemmas, such as "doubled pawn," "bishops vs. knights," and "hanging pawn pair." Diagrams illustrate the terms, first showing the basic position and then strategically moving to more complicated versions of it. Players will learn how to formulate plans once they have reached a middlegame, enabling them to make wiser strategic decisions after the first few moves of the game.

Designed for use as a ready reference during actual practice games, and usable without a chess board, Weapons of Chess is a unique and invaluable resource for any developing chess player.

Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov: Part II is the second volume in a major three-volume series made unique by the fact that it records the greatest chess battles played by the greatest chessplayer of all-time. Kasparov's series of historical volumes have received great critical and public acclaim for their rigorous analysis and comprehensive detail regarding the developments in chess that occurred both on and off the board. Part I of this series saw Kasparov emerging as a huge talent and eventually toppling his great rival Anatoly Karpov to gain the world title. This volume focuses on the period from 1985-1993 which witnessed three title defences against Karpov as well as a number of shorter matches against elite players including Hubner, Anderssen, Timman and Miles. This period also saw Kasparov achieve spectacular results in both individual and team events. Kasparov won the board gold medal in three Olympiads (Dubai 1986, Thessaloniki 1988 and Manila 1992). The late 1980s also saw the emergence of the World Cup series which Kasparov utterly dominated, finishing either clear first or equal first at Belfort 1988 (111/2/15), Reykjavik 1988 (11/17), Barcelona 1989 (11/16) and Skelleftea 1989 (91/2/15). Other major tournament victories include Brussels 1987 (81/2/11), Amsterdam 1988 (9/12), Tilburg 1989 (12/14), Belgrade 1989 (91/211) and Linares 1990 (8/11). During the late 1980s and early 1990s Kasparov emphasized his huge superiority over his rivals. Despite generally adopting an uncompromising, double-edged attacking style he almost never lost. The games in this volume feature many masterpieces of controlled aggression played against the world's absolute best.

Fireside Chess Library

In the first completely instructional book ever written on chess openings, National Master Bruce Pandolfini teaches players how to take charge of the game's crucial opening phase.

Of the three traditional phases of chess play -- the opening, the middle-game and the endgame -- the opening is the phase average players confront most often. Unfortunately, though, many openings are not completed successfully, partly because until now most opening instruction has consisted of tables of tournament level moves that offer no explanations for the reasons behind them. Consequently, these classical opening patterns can serve as little more than references to the average player.

In Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps, Bruce Pandolfini uses his unique "crime and punishment" approach to provide all the previously missing explanation, instruction, practical analyses, and much, much more. The book consists of 202 short "openers" typical of average players, arranged according to the classical opening variations and by level of difficulty. Each example includes:

* the name of the overriding tactic
* the name of the opening
* a scenario that sets up the tactic to be learned
* an interpretation that explains why the loser went wrong, how he could have avoided the trap, and what he should have done instead
* a review of important principles and useful guidelines to reinforce each lesson.

Also included are a glossary of openings that lists all the classical "textbook" variations for comparison and reference and a tactical index. Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps is a powerful, pragmatic entry into a heretofore remote area of chess theory that will have a profound influence on every player's game.

This new title, the first of its type to explain the dynamic principles that underpin modern chess, uses more than thirty carefully selected games to help the reader understand the most important aspects of the chess struggle. John Nunn, a top-class grandmaster and one of the world's most highly regarded chess writers, explains every move using terms and phrases everyone can understand and shows how key ideas are handled by today's grandmasters. The book is divided into three main sections: Opening themes, Middlegame themes, and Endgame themes, with an emphasis on understanding principles. Detailed analysis is given only when it is necessary to illustrate key strategic and tactical themes. Anyone interested in learning how to play better chess will benefit from this step-by-step explanation of how chess games are won.

Based on his private course for students, America's foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix's The Queen's Gambit presents an easy-to-use guide that explains invaluable "inner circle" endgame concepts for players of any level. The endgame has always been a particularly instructive phase of chess play. It provides the perfect opportunity for understanding the potential power of each chess piece in every chess situation-from opening move to checkmate. But the endgame is often viewed as an inaccessible area of play by most players whose experience is limited to watching championship games. Now, Pandolfini changes all of that. With one endgame example per page and covering every endgame category in order of difficulty, Paldolfini walks you through all the basic concepts including: --square of the pawn --critical squares --corresponding squares --other new approaches not mentioned in classic references Featuring a glossary of concepts and diagrams throughout, this volume is the not-so-secret password to a whole new realm of chess play and entertainment for the average player.

Chess Opening preparation is probably the most difficult aspect of chess training, as the possibilities are endless. There is an abundance of training material, and especially adult improvers and regular club players find it challenging to study openings efficiently. International Master Jeroen Bosch gives them all the tools they need to dominate the opening phase of the game. He presents a structured approach to the study of openings and the preparation for a club match or tournament game. Every time-strapped chess improver will love his advice on opening preparation. Instead of studying more hours or memorizing more lines, they will have to start making smart choices.

What is it that makes Magnus Carlsen the strongest chess player in the world? Why do Carlsens opponents, the best players around, fail to see his moves coming? Moves that, when you replay his games, look natural and self-evident? Emmanuel Neiman has been studying Carlsens games and style of play for many years. His findings will surprise, delight and educate every player, regardless of their level. He explains a key element in the World Champions play: instead of the absolute best move he often plays the move that is likely to give him the better chances. Carlsens singular ability to win positions that are equal or only very slightly favourable comes down to this: he doesnt let his opponents get what they hope for while offering them the maximum amount of chances to go wrong. In areas such as pawn play, piece play, exchanges as a positional weapon and breaking the rules in endgames, Neiman shows that Magnus Carlsen has brought a new understanding to the game. Neiman also looks at Carlsens key qualities that are not directly related to technique. Such as his unparalleled fighting spirit and his ability to objectively evaluate any kind of position and situation. Carlsen is extremely widely read and knows basically everything about chess. Whats more, as the most versatile player in the history of the game he is totally unpredictable. THE MAGNUS METHOD presents a complete analysis of the skills that make the difference. With lots of surprising and instructive examples and quizzes. Examining Carlsens abilities together with Emmanuel Neiman is a delightful way to unlock you own potential.

Based on six games played by the "Kasparov generation" of Soviet chess players, America's foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix's The Queen's Gambit presents a complete course in intermediate chess logic. The "Kasparov generation" of Soviet chess players is perhaps the best-trained crop of young players ever to come out of the country, holding the world title for 55 of the last 60 years. With the clarity of instruction for which he is renowned, Bruce Pandolfini illustrates such concepts as Light Squares, Time, Attack, Pawn Advances, and Counterattack in six chapters structured around each of the six games. Featuring a Grandmaster Glossary, 101 diagrams, an index, and algebraic notation throughout, this uniquely crafted volume puts the most valuable concepts in world-class chess at the intermediate player's fingertips.

International Master Al Horowitz goes through every major chess opening system and provides just one line of play for White, one line of play for Black, and the reason for each move by White or Black. How to Win in the Chess Openings will not show the reader how to win every game, but it will provide an easy route which will enable the player to get a reasonable, playable position out of the opening with good winning chances, without having to memorize a bunch of opening lines.

Picture a typical scenario in which both players are gunning for each other's kings. Whose attack will break through first? Often it's a case of 'who dares wins', but it's not enough to throw your pieces up the board and hope for the best! To succeed you need to acquire sophisticated attacking and defensive skills. The good news is that they can easily be learned, remembered and put into practice. In this book, Lorin D'Costa presents a comprehensive study of opposite-side castling and the crucial techniques needed both in attack and defence. Studying this book will allow you to approach these frequent situations with confidence.

The Bb5 Sicilian is a logical and practical weapon against Black's most popular defense to 1 e4 and is an excellent choice for White players who are fed up of constantly trying to keep abreast of the latest developments in the Open Sicilian.
The early bishop move signals White intention to develop rapidly and it can lead to both wild gambit play and calmer positional waters. Significantly, this opening weapon has the seal of approval from many of today's elite Grandmasters, including Vishy Anand, Mickey Adams and Peter Leko, while Garry Kasparov utilized it successfully in his famous Internet game versus 'the rest of the world'.
Now, for the first time in many years, Richard Palliser provides a comprehensive study of the Bb5 Sicilian and its many variations. Using illustrative games, he examines both the crucial main lines and the more unusual tries for White and Black, highlighting tactical and positional ideas as well as move order nuances. A study of this book will allow the reader to play both sides of this opening with confidence.
*A complete and up-to-date coverage of one of the most important Anti-Sicilian lines
*Covers both the Rossolimo and Moscow (3 Bb5+) Variations
*Written by a Bb5 Sicilian expert

Looking for a new opening? The Veresov could be the one for you! It's a surprisingly tricky system that, in the right hands, can be forged into a powerful attacking weapon. White forgoes the normal queen's pawn opening ideas in favor of speedy development of the queenside pieces. One advantage of this underrated line is that players with the black pieces are less likely to be familiar with all the subtleties here than in a more mainstream opening.
In this book, Grandmaster Nigel Davies arms the reader with a complete repertoire with the white pieces, with the Veresov being the central line. Davies delves into the secrets of the opening, explaining tactical and positional ideas, and highlighting the main plans for both sides.
The Veresov is an aggressive opening repertoire for White; is ideal for club and tournament players; provides a full explanation of the latest theory

For many chess players, opening study is sheer hard work. In this highly acclaimed series, Watson helps players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings by explaining not only the ideas and strategies, but also the interconnections of chess openings in general.

The King's Indian Attack was a firm favorite of the legendary Bobby Fischer, and more recently it has been utilized with great success by world-class Grandmasters such as Alexander Morozevich. The renowned chess coach Mark Dvoretsky regards the King's Indian Attack as a perfect weapon on which to base an opening repertoire. Its great advantage over other openings is that it's a thematic system that can be employed against many different lines, while the emphasis is on the understanding of ideas rather than the dry memorization of moves. The King's Indian Attack leads to rich middlegame positions that are full of dynamic possibilities for both sides.
In this easy-to-use guide, King's Indian Attack expert John Emms goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the King's Indian Attack and its numerous lines. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips and warnings to help the improving player, 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 the King's Indian Attack
*Ideal for the improving player

Ian Nepomniachtchi, challenger to Magnus Carlsen's World Championship title in 2021, is an outstanding chess talent. "Nepo" as he is universally known is a fascinating player and this book assesses his career and analyses his original and creative style in great depth with numerous deeply annotated games. Nepo is one of the very few players in the world to hold (at least prior to the match) a plus score (four wins to one with six draws) against Carlsen in classical chess. Nepo and Carlsen are peers and first started playing each other in the Under-12 category of the World Youth Championship in 2002. In that event, Nepo edged out Carlsen on tie-break. At that time he out-rated Carlsen by 100 points and was generally considered to be the more promising of the two prodigies. Nepo is a fascinating player who loves open and irrational positions and excels when on the attack. Unsurprisingly, he cites Mikhail Tal as his all-time favorite player and says Tal is the player who has exerted the greatest influence on him. As with that great Latvian genius, Nepo thrives on anarchy and chaos and has frequently got the better of Carlsen in games with mind-boggling complications. He is also lethal when he has the initiative. Nepo has steadily climbed the world rankings and his finest achievement was his victory in the 2020/2021 Candidates' tournament with 81/2/14 points (+5-2=7) which gave him the right to challenge Carlsen for the world title.

Part of Starting Out series, this book revisits the fundamentals of the Reti, examining the key moves and plans for both sides. It explains the reasoning behind key moves and ideas. It is suitable for improvers, club players and tournament players.

Designed by some of Mensa's most cunning minds, this is a brain-training interactive puzzle pack crammed full of games and conundrums of many varieties, certain to challenge your linguistic and numerical abilities.

The Mensa Brain Games Pack contains a range of different activities, including eight separate games, so you'll be able to enjoy it again and again, on your own or with your family and friends. With a range of fiendish questions to enthral puzzlers of every level of ability, this a great purchase for anyone looking for a new challenge.

Mensa Brain Games Pack contains:

• Puzzle cards
• Board
• Counters
• Dice
• Fully illustrated book

This is an instructional manual for improving chess players. It helps you to sharpen your tactics and learn to play dynamic attacking chess while studying the most entertaining gambits. This volume deals with various openings after 1.e4 e5, and lines covered include: Marshall Attack, Traxler variation, Frankenstein-Dracula variation, Falkbeer Counter-Gambit and more.

Genius in the Background introduces brilliant chess that will be unfamiliar to even well-read chessplayers. Twelve chess stars are profiled with examples of their greatest achievements, but these stars are not famous they are geniuses who stay in the background. For example, Pervakov and Afek are not household names but they compose chess studies and puzzles of such elegance and cleverness that they deserve to be famous. Top players such as Garry Kasparov and Veselin Topalov may be famous names to chess fans, but they did not become World Champions without great help two of their coaches are profiled in this book and provide insights into the education of a chess champion. A broad range of chess is covered by the twelve profiles from openings to endgames, puzzles to training. The common thread is beauty and brilliance that deserves to be better known.

Prominent opening specialists take a revolutionary look at the ever-popular King's Indian and select a wealth of 'dangerous' options for both White and Black.

No opening in recent times has captured the imagination of the chess public more than the Sicilian Sveshnikov. Initially popularized in the 1970s, the Sveshnikov has exploded onto the chess scene at the highest levels and is now regarded by many experts as one of Black's most promising answers to 1 e4. One of its major attractions is that more often than not the opening leads to incredibly sharp and complex play. In such situations both sides must play with extreme accuracy just to stay on the board as a single slip may lead to disaster! This uncompromising and modern approach with the black pieces has found favour with many of today's leading Grandmasters, including Peter Leko and World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, while Garry Kasparov also began playing it towards the end of his career.
This book 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 John Cox revisits the fundamentals of the Sveshnikov, elaborating on the crucial early moves and ideas for both sides in a way that is often neglected in other texts. The reader is helped throughout with a plethora of notes, tips and warnings highlighting the vital characteristics of the Sicilian Sveshnikov and of opening play in general. "Starting Out: Sicilian Sveshnikov" is a perfect guide for improving players and those new to this opening.
*Learn how to play an ambitious opening
*Includes coverage of the fashionable Anti-Sveshnikov
*Written by an renowned opening expert

The Advance Variation is a popular and direct way of meeting the ultra-solid French Defence. Very early on in the game White opts to fix the pawn structure and establishes a genuine space advantage, upon which he later hopes to mount a serious attack. This method of playing against the French Defence has become a firm FAVORITE amongst uncompromising Grandmasters such as Alexei Shirov, England's Nigel Short and the rising star in Russia, Alexander Grischuk.
In this book openings expert Sam Collins explains the strategy and tactics of this dynamic opening, studying both the main lines as well as the more offbeat variations. Through the use of model games for both White and Black, he provides a thorough grounding in the key plans and ideas, so that readers can quickly and confidently begin to use the French Advance in their own games.
*Ideal for club and tournament players
*Explains the basic elements, strategies and tactics for both sides
*Provides everything you need to know to start playing the opening straight away
Sam Collins is a former Irish Champion who has represented his country at various team tournaments around the world, winning the individual gold medal at the 2002 Bled Chess Olympiad. Despite his young age, he already has a wealth of writing experience, being a regular columnist for CHESS, Chess Mail and Chess Today, while he has also coached some of Ireland's top junior players. This is his first book for Everyman Chess.