This book portrays British chess life in the nineteenth century through biographical studies of ten players who shaped the modern game. From Captain Evans, inventor of the famous gambit, to Isidor Gunsberg, England's first challenger for the world championship, personal narratives are blended with game annotations to reassess players' achievements and character. The author has combined deep reading in primary sources with genealogical research to reveal new facts and correct previous misunderstandings. Major chapters on Howard Staunton and William Steinitz, in particular, highlight the tensions between Englishmen and immigrants, amateurs and professionals. The contrasting long careers of Henry Bird and Joseph Blackburne provide a thread of continuity. The lives of several other important figures in Victorian chess are also presented. More than 160 chess games (with position diagrams), several annotated in detail, 50 photographs and line drawings, appendices include career records for all ten, notes, bibliography and indexes.

Around 1860 a wave of talented youth intensified the Berlin chess scene. Within a short time Berthold Suhle, Philipp Hirschfeld and Gustav Neumann ranked among the best players in the world. After a few years, Suhle went on to become an authority in ancient Greek, and Hirschfeld proved a successful businessman (while remaining a sparring partner of Johannes Hermann Zukertort). Neumann retained a fascination for the game and grew into one of the world's strongest players. Despite their achievements little has been known about their lives and games. Drawing on a range of sources, the authors fill this gap, providing games with both old and new analyses. An introductory chapter on Berlin chess before 1860 and an appendix on Bernhard von Guretzky-Cornitz complete the book.

This thoroughly updated and revised edition of the highly acclaimed 1986 reference work provides a definitive history of all championship events in the United States through April, 2011. Both the games and the occasions are covered in depth, including biographical details, descriptive settings, anecdotes, tournament drama, unusual games, and grandmaster analysis. Included in this edition are 13 new tournaments, 40 new diagrams and 13 additional crosstables.

The French Defence is one of the most popular and reliable responses to 1.e4. This book covers the most critical variation of the Winawer, which occurs after the opening moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4. This volume presents three contrasting ways of meeting Whites aggressive opening system: 7...cxd4 leading to the notorious Winawer Poisoned Pawn; 7...00 8.Bd3 f5, a solid yet strategically complex system; and 7...00 8.Bd3 Nbc6, which leads to a tense, full-blooded battle.

Do you need to freshen up your chess openings? Stun your opponents with new and exciting ideas! Dangerous Weapons is a series of opening books which supply the reader with an abundance of hard-hitting ideas to revitalize his or her opening repertoire. In this book, three opening experts team up and take a contemporary look at the Ruy Lopez, one of the most popular chess openings. Instead of analysing the well-trodden main lines they concentrate on fresh or little-explored variations, selecting a wealth of 'dangerous' options for both colours. Whether playing White or Black, a study of this book will leave you confident and fully-armed, and your opponents running for cover! *A modern study of the Ruy Lopez *Packed with original ideas and analysis *Ideal weapons to shock your opponents

Sixty-two masterly demonstrations of the basic strategies of winning at chess, featuring games by the greatest chess masters-Capablanca, Tarrasch, Fischer, Alekhine, Lasker, Petrosian among them-compiled and annotated by one of chess literature's most brilliant authors. Each game selected offers a classic example of a fundamental problem and its best resolution, described and diagramed in the clearest possible manner for players of every level of skill. 146 illustrations. Introduction. Table of Contents. Index of Players.

Exploring a bygone aspect of intellectual sport, this book details the history of British and Irish correspondence chess from the first formal match between Edinburgh and London in 1824 through the 1980s, the most successful period in British correspondence chess. It traces the development of postal chess, including the growth of regional and national chess associations after World War I; the dawn of game-changing technologies such as telegraphs, the telephone, radio, and fax machines; the earliest transatlantic matches between the U.S. and the U.K.; the founding of the International Correspondence Chess Association in 1945; and the breaking of the Soviet monopoly on the world team championship in 1982, the final act of the joint Great Britain team before Scotland and Wales obtained separate membership in the International Correspondence Chess Federation. Appendices list tournament champions; I.C.C.F. title holders; known club matches; and excerpts from rules and other primary documents.

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. The Winawer is a very popular choice amongst French Defence players. It enjoys a sound reputation and reaches positions rich in possibilities for both players. It offers Black the opportunity to enter sharp, dynamic lines, such as the notorious Poisoned Pawn Variation, as well as lines which are more strategic in nature. In this book, FIDE Master Steve Giddins invites you to join him in studying the French Winawer, an opening which he has played for over 25 years, and its many variations. He examines instructive games, covers the most important lines and provides answers to all the key questions.

The Catalan is a sophisticated and wide-ranging opening system which is popular at all levels of chess. In recent years it has been catapulted into the limelight by Vladimir Kramnik, who has revitalized it with many new ideas and has utilized it with great success against the world's strongest players - on occasion making it look like a forced win for White! In this book, Grandmaster Nigel Davies presents a major study of this important opening. Drawing upon his wealth of personal experience with the Catalan, Davies provides a reliable and dynamic repertoire for White, covers the keys plans for both sides, and tackles crucial modern day issues such as move orders.

The tragic last years of world chess champion Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946), 45 of his match and tournament games in Spain and Portugal from 1943 to 1946 and 100 other late exhibition games are covered. A definitive biographical sketch emerges of Alekhine in his final phase, covering his marriages, alcoholism and murky involvement with the Nazis.

It's hard to believe that it's been over a decade since One Jump Ahead: Challenging Human Supremacy at Checkers was published. I'm delighted to have the oppor- nity to update and expand the book. The ?rst edition ended on a sad note and that was re?ected in the writing. It is now eleven years later and the project has come to a satisfying conclusion. Since its inception, the checkers project has consumed eighteen years of my life- twenty if you count the pre-CHINOOK and post-solving work. It's hard for me to believe that I actually stuck with it for that long. My wife, Steph, would probably have something witty to say about my obsessive behavior. Rereading the book after a decade was dif?cult for me. When I originally wrote One Jump Ahead, I vowed to be candid in my telling of the story. That meant being honest about what went right and what went wrong. I have been criticized for being hard on some of the characters. That may be so, but I hope everyone will agree that the person receiving the most criticism was, justi?ably, me. I tried to be balanced in the storytelling, re?ecting things as they really happened and not as some sanitized everyone-lived-happily-ever-after tale.

Two compelling titles now brought together in one volume! ----- Beating Unusual Chess Defences: 1 e4: Dealing with the Scandinavian, Pirc, Modern, Alekhine and other tricky lines by Andrew Greet. ----- Anyone who plays 1 e4 as White must be prepared not only for Black's main defences but also an assortment of less popular lines. These, when taken together, represent a significant percentage of the replies you can expect to meet when opening 1 e4. Dealing with these slightly offbeat variations is often a daunting task, especially since your opponents are likely to be specialists in these lines and therefore know them inside out. ----- Beating Unusual Chess Defences provides the perfect solution. International Master Andrew Greet gets to grips with each of these tricky openings. He identifies how to exploit their weaknesses whilst avoiding their strengths, thus constructing a practical and dependable repertoire for White. This book covers everything a 1 e4 player needs to know about facing these defences. ----- Beating Unusual Chess Openings: Dealing with the English, Reti, King's Indian Attack and other annoying systems by Richard Palliser ----- Beating Unusual Chess Openings is a godsend to those chess players fed up with struggling against all opening moves other than White's main two: 1 e4 and 1 d4. From the respectable (English Opening, Reti and King's Indian Attack) through to theoffbeat (Nimzo-Larsen Attack, Bird's Opening) and the totally bizarre (Orang-utan, Grob); everything Black needs to know about facing unusual openings is covered within these pages. Richard Palliser gets to grips with all of White's possibilities, examining their strengths and weaknesses and in turn organizing a reliable and practical repertoire for Black.

Do you instinctively know what to do in every type of chess position or are you often uncertain about how to proceed? Wouldn't it be really useful to know the best chess strategies and to recognise when they should be used? In this book Sam Collins examines key games from both the classical and modern eras. He analyses the major strategic ideas that have stood the test of time and notes their considerable influence on his own games. Studying classic examples from great players allows us to create a personal library of standard ideas. This helps us recognize key positions, making it easier to determine the most effective ways to attack and defend. Crucially, it helps us find the right path much more quickly than we would by relying on calculation alone. * An essential guide to chess strategy * Covers opening, middlegame and endgame play * Ideal for players of all levels

Focusing on the recovery of chess in Spain and Europe after World War II, this book traces the development of the International Chess Tournaments in Gijon from 1944 to 1965. The author covers the decline of world champion Alekhine and the rise of the child prodigy Arturo Pomar, along with the great chess of Euwe, Rossolimo, Prins, Medina, Larsen and others. Drawing on primary sources and testimonies of former players and organizers, chapters feature the tournament tables, winner's biographies, historical commentaries and 213 of the best games. Appendices with biographical notes and tables of participants for each year are included.

Are you tired of playing the same old openings time and time again? Perhaps it's time for a change, but you cannot decide between the numerous options available? Here's the answer: choose "Dangerous Weapons" and amaze your opponents with new and exciting opening ideas!In this book," "four renowned opening experts get together to take a revolutionary look at the Benoni, the Benko and all their associated variations. Instead of travelling down well-trodden and analysed paths, they concentrate on fresh or little-explored variations, selecting a wealth of 'dangerous' options for both colours. Whether playing White or Black, a study of this book will leave you confident and fully-armed, and your opponents running for cover!"Dangerous Weapons" is a series of opening books which supply the reader with an abundance of hard-hitting ideas to revitalize his or her opening repertoire. 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. *The Benoni and Benko in a whole new light*Packed with original ideas and analysis*Ideal lines to shock your opponents

The Barry Attack is a highly aggressive system that arises after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4. Although the concept of the Barry Attack has been known for a century or so, the modern interpretation (as with a number of other dynamic white systems) has mainly been developed by English grandmasters over the past couple of decades. This "modern interpretation" is often not very subtle. If Black provides a target by castling early on the kingside, White will often let rip with moves such as Qd2, Bh6, 0-0-0 and h4-h5, playing very directly for a quick checkmate. If this strikes you as too crude to have a chance against a sophisticated and competent defender, then a quick glance through this book will undoubtedly change your mind. You will witness countless games where very strong players are destroyed on the black side in less than 30 moves. Sometimes a lot less. This makes the Barry an ideal weapon for those who love to attack. Black's defence has to be very accurate. If not, a quick annihilation is on the cards. Play the Barry Attack is the ideal guide to this fascinating opening. Anyone who reads this book carefully and studies all White's attacking ideas will have a fearsome weapon in their armoury.

Power Play The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle Ages Jenny Adams The game of chess reached western Europe by the year 1000, and within several generations it had become one of the most popular pastimes ever. Both men and women, and even priests played the game despite the Catholic Church's repeated prohibitions. Characters in countless romances, "chansons de geste," and moral tales of the eleventh through twelfth centuries also played chess, which often symbolized romantic attraction or sexual consummation. In "Power Play," Jenny Adams looks to medieval literary representations to ask what they can tell us both about the ways the game changed as it was naturalized in the West and about the society these changes reflected. In its Western form, chess featured a queen rather than a counselor, a judge or bishop rather than an elephant, a knight rather than a horse; in some manifestations, even the pawns were differentiated into artisans, farmers, and tradespeople with discrete identities. "Power Play" is the first book to ask why chess became so popular so quickly, why its pieces were altered, and what the consequences of these changes were. More than pleasure was at stake, Adams contends. As allegorists and political theorists connected the moves of the pieces to their real-life counterparts, chess took on important symbolic power. For these writers and others, the game provided a means to figure both human interactions and institutions, to envision a civic order not necessarily dominated by a king, and to imagine a society whose members acted in concert, bound together by contractual and economic ties. The pieces on the chessboard were more than subjects; they were individuals, playing by the rules. Jenny Adams teaches English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The Middle Ages Series 2006 264 pages 6 x 9 9 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-3944-7 Cloth $59.95s 39.00 ISBN 978-0-8122-0104-8 Ebook $59.95s 39.00 World Rights Literature Short copy: Reading through influential texts of the later Middle Ages, Adams shows how specific representations of chess encoded concerns about political organization, civic community, and individual autonomy.