"Chess Openings" explains the principles which underlie correct opening play and shows how they can be developed to produce strong positions for attack and defense in different situations. Mike Basman consolidates these lessons by investigating five classic openings--the Queen's Gambit, Giuoco Piano, Nimzo-Indian, Morra Gambit, and Sicilian Dragon--which together can be used to form the basis of a formidable opening repertoire.

In Volume 2 of Excelling at Chess, we publish International Master Jacob Aagaard's Excelling at Combinational Play: Learn to Identify and Exploit Tactical Chances and Excelling at Chess Calculation: Capitalising on tactical chances. Being able to solve puzzles and combinations is one of the principal components of a successful chess player. But how can one improve on such an important skill? How can one acquire combinational vision? Aagaard explains how tactical intuition and ability develops and uses pattern recognition to improve the readers tactical ammunition. It is no secret that the continued practice of puzzles and combinations helps to sharpen the chess brain, and here there is a wealth of exercises and problems to solve accompanied by the full solutions and explanations. There are many differing opinions amongst the top players in the world of chess, but there is one thing upon which World Champions, Grandmasters and other experts all agree: the art of chess calculation is the absolute key to the success of a player. In Excelling at Chess Calculation, Aagaard tackles the subject matter head on, unravelling the many secrets behind chess calculation and arming the reader with the necessary tools to be able to calculate effectively at the chessboard. Aagaard pays particular attention to the searching practical questions like "when should you calculate?", "how can you discover candidate moves?" and "how long should you spend on critical moves?"

The 1...e5 variation of the English Opening, sometimes referred to as the reversed Sicilian, leads to a variety of stimulating positions. From wild tactical melees to slow positional battles, there are variations here to suit all styles. These opening lines provide the battleground for many top Grandmaster clashes, including those of Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand and others belonging to the world's elite. In this book, Alexander Raetsky and Maxim Chetverik explain in detail the positional and tactical possibilities for both White and Black. Using illustrative games, Raetsky and Chetverik outline the current fashions in both the main variations and the tricky sidelines. Whether approaching the line as Black or White, this book is crucial reading for those wishing to play this opening.
With up-to-date coverage of a fascinating opening and written by leading openings experts, this is an ideal battle manual for competitive players

Most competitive players are very familiar with the idea of a sacrificial checkmating attack, but the positional sacrifice has been strangely neglected. By means of a subtle positional sacrifice, a player can sometimes fundamentally alter the course of a game in his or her favor. In this instructive and entertaining book International Master Neil McDonald demonstrates just how effective well-executed positional sacrifices are. Topics covered include sacrifices to open lines for the pieces, sacrifices as a defensive weapon, the exchange sacrifice, the psychology of sacrifice and much more.

This book by Grandmaster David Bronstein, one of the most original and influential players of the post-war period, is not a self-tutor in the conventional sense, where the basics of opening, middlegame and endgame play are drily explained. Instead, the author engages in a frank conversation with the reader, discussing how strong players decide on their moves

Do you relish the prospect of setting your opponent awkward problems from the early start of the game? If so, you should just continue reading, for in the Bg5 Najdorf, it's every man for himself, and only the best informed and most creative resourceful player survive. The Bg5 variation gives White very dangerous attacking ideas, and Blacks really needs to know a precise defense to come out of this variation alive. This book provides weapons that are ideal choices for those who revel in forcing opponents into chaotic and uncomfortable positions. Lukasz Jarmula, a player and writer of international caliber, will be your truthful guide!

Grandmasters Kotronias and Ivanov are renowned as leading theoreticians and chess trainers. They offer a unique and world-class repertoire based on 1.d4! They advocate an ambitious approach for White, with the aim to fight for an advantage in any position. This is their first joint effort; they tackle the ever-popular Queen's Gambit Accepted and their sidelines in Volume 1A and 1B. We at Thinkers believe their job could not have been done any better.

This book provides readers with all the essential information they need to learn chess and to start winning-quickly! The contents-tested and proven to work-leave little to chance. The reader learns the rules, how to apply them efficiently, the principles of winning chess, and how to visualize the board and pieces-all prerequisites for success. This is the first volume (Fifth Edition; time-tested for twenty-five years!) of the Comprehensive Chess Course Series: From Beginner to Master and Beyond. Each of its fourteen volumes stands on its own; together, they create a truly unique, and very practical, work.

The book presents new results of computer-chess research in the areas of selective forward pruning, the efficient application of game-theoretical knowledge, and the behavior of the search at increasing depths. It shows how to make sophisticated game-tree searchers more scalable at ever higher depths. Throughout the whole book, the high-speed and master-strength chess program "DarkThought" serves as a realistic test vehicle to conduct numerous experiments at unprecedented search depths. The extensive experimental evaluations provide convincing empirical evidence for the practical usefulness of the presented techniques.

The Vienna Game (1 e4 e5 2 Nc3) has a long history and a bright future. From the second move White starts to dictate the game, taking play away from the heavily analyzed Ruy Lopez and Two Knights Defense and into a totally different arena. White has great flexibility and can choose between either tactical or positional lines depending on his or her style of play. In view of this, it is perhaps hardly surprising that such enterprising players as Nigel Short, Michael Adams and Boris Spassky have enjoyed great success with the Vienna in recent years. This book provides everything you need to know to start playing the Vienna as White or Black. Through the use of model games for both sides, the author provides a thorough grounding in the key ideas, so that readers can quickly and confidently start to use the Vienna in their own games. This guide contains up-to-date coverage of an always popular opening and covers every important variation in the Vienna. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 144 pages, diagrams)

One of the finest chess books ever written, the Art of Attack has been transcribed into algebraic notation for the first time. In this revised edition of the great classic, the author expounds both the basic principles and the most complex forms of attack on the king. A study of this masterpiece will add power and brilliance to any chess enthusiast's play. (5 3/4' X 8 1/4', 352 pages, illustrations, index)

Move by Move is a new series which provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, Move by Move 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. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala examines the universally popular Slav Defence which has been his main choice against 1 d4 for many years. Here he shares his experience and knowledge of his favourite opening, presents a repertoire for Black and provides answers to all the key questions. *Essential guidance and training in the Slav *Includes a Slav repertoire for Black *Incorporates an ideal approach to opening study

Being able to solve puzzles and combinations is one of the principal components of a successful chess player. But how can one improve on such an important skill? How can one acquire combinational vision?
The answer lies within the pages of this book!
Experienced chess writer Jacob Aagaard explains how tactical intuition and ability develops and uses pattern recognition to improve the reader's tactical ammunition. It's also no secret that the continued practice of puzzles and combinations helps to sharpen the chess brain, and here there is a wealth of exercises and problems to solve accompanied by the full solutions and explanations.
This book is a must for the serious competitive player.
*Improves tactical vision
*Ideal for club and tournament players
*Written by a battle-hardened expert

No one likes to make mistakes, but all chess players, even those belonging to the world's elite, are prone to blundering. How can this problem be eradicated or, at the very least, kept to a minimum? Read this book and find out!
Experienced chess player and writer Angus Dunnington takes a look at why the good, the bad and the indifferent all make errors, from small positional misjudgments to simply leaving a queen en prise. Dunnington explores the reasons for oversights and the habits one needs to develop in order to banish these problems. This book is crucial reading for those plagued by chess disasters!
*Offers help to blunder-prone players
*Explains techniques to avoid errors
*Written by an experienced competitor

Learn Chess: A Complete Course provides everything you need to know to get started in chess. The first part is devoted to first principles, explaining the rules and basic strategies, whilst the second develops a thorough understanding of the various winning methods, and includes a systematic study of openings, an introduction to attacking techniques, and a guide to fundamental endgame themes.

Sicilian Kalashnikov contains coverage of all the latest theory, and is an ideal new weapon for club and tournament players, written by prominent opening experts. The Kalashnikov is one of the most modern variations of the Sicilian Defence. As early as move four, Black stakes a claim in the center and sets the tone for the rest of the game. Play can often become sharp and as is normal with many Sicilian lines, the best prepared player is usually the successful one. In this handy battle manual Jacob Aagaard and Jan Pinski take a deep look at all the critical ideas and variations of an opening which has received little coverage in chess publishing until now. (6 1/4 X 9 1/4, 176 pages, diagrams)

Most chess games are decided by tactics. Grandmaster Thomas Luther brings a structured approach to capturing the subtleties of any tactical theme. The reader is challenged to regularly solve his exercises and in doing so improve his skills of motif recognition. This book is aimed at chess players of all ages and levels who want to significantly improve their results. This is the first book in the Thinkers' Chess Academy trilogy.

"There are countless puzzle books available. However, it is very surprising that there is virtually almost none that gives a comprehensive overview with all of the frequent tactical motifs and themes that occur in practice. The ones that I am aware of are either largely incomplete, not systematic, without text, or old, and therefore the analysis contains lots of mistakes. The ambitious goal of this book is to fill this critical gap by addressing all of these issues.Each of the 25 Chapters contains a thorough introduction with the games best showcasing the motif at hand. Next, the puzzle sections specifically aim to reinforce the reader's pattern recognition. There are 365 training puzzles in total, and all of them have a 1-5 star value to show the level of difficulty. The solutions are given at the end of every chapter. This book is dedicated to ambitious players who want to improve their game, as well as for coaches to help their students get to the next level." - Peter Prohaszka

Ideal for those wanting to understand the basics of the Modern Benoni.
The Modern Benoni is one of Black's most ambitious and audacious defenses to the queen's pawn opening, and it has been used with devastating effect by such legends as Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. From the very start Black creates an exceptional imbalance in the position, one which leads to dynamic play and gives Black real chances to seize the initiative. Both players must be fearless in their approach, as hesitation in the Modern Benoni often leads to disaster!
In this user-friendly book, International Master Endre Vegh goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Modern Benoni and its many variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, warnings and exercises 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 Modern Benoni
*Ideal for the improving player