Jesus de la Villas worldwide bestseller 100 Endgames You Must Know successfully debunked the myth that endgame theory is complex and that endgame books are tedious. Reviewers praised its clarity and completeness and thousands of players dramatically improved their endgame understanding (and their results!). In recent years, De la Villas students sometimes complained that when they had to apply what they had studied in 100 Endgames, they didnt always have the material ready at their fingertips. De la Villa then made an important discovery: most of the errors his students made are being made by others as well, even by strong and sometimes famous chess players! De la Villa started collecting training material and selected those exercises best suited to retain and improve your knowledge and avoid common errors. In this book the Spanish grandmaster presents hundreds of exercises grouped according to the various chapters in 100 Endgames. Solving these puzzles will drive home the most important ideas, refresh your knowledge and improve your technique. This book contains a massive amount of clear, concise and easy-to-follow chess endgame instruction. The advice De la Villa gives in the solutions is practical and useful. Ideal for every post-beginner, club player and candidate master who wishes to win more games.

Are you bored of playing the same old openings time and time again? Fed up with constantly having to keep up with modern chess theory? Or perhaps you simply wish to play something new and exciting, but cannot decide between the numerous choices available? Don't despair - help is on hand!' In "Dangerous Weapons: The Sicilian", John Emms and Richard Palliser team up to investigate by far the most popular and widely-played chess opening, but in a revolutionary way. They concentrate on fresh or little-explored variations of the open Sicilian, selecting a wealth of ideas and options for both colours. 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. Whether playing White or Black, a study of this book will leave you assured and fully-armed, and your opponents running for cover! "Dangerous Weapons" is a brand-new series of opening books that provide the reader with an abundance of hard-hitting ideas to revitalize his or her opening repertoire.

The Semi-Slav defence has been one of Black's most reliable defences to the queen's pawn since the 1920's. Now, it is fashionable both at grandmaster level and with club and tournament players. Here, Grandmaster Matthew Sadler explains the strategy and tactics of this dynamic opening. Through the use of model games for both sides, the author provides a thorough grounding in the key ideas.

Do you like setting your opponent problems from the very first move? And are you happy to roll the dice and take some risks? Then enter the intriguing world of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit! The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is a dangerous attacking opening which has amassed a cult following - a loyal band of supporters like no other in chess. White sacrifices a pawn in return for a strong initiative which tests Black's defensive capabilities to the limit. Some experts have questioned its objective soundness but there's no doubting its effectiveness over the board, where pressure and a ticking clock often mean it's impossible to find the right defence. In this book, Christoph Scheerer takes a modern-day look at the gambit. He examines in detail the most promising lines for White and the most resilient defences for Black, discusses the key ideas for both sides and highlights the many traps awaiting the unsuspecting player. It includes up-to-date coverage of the key lines. It is packed with original ideas and analysis. It is ideal for club and tournament players.

The chess world has been blessed by a number of wonderful strategists, innovators of the game with their instructive play and profound teachings. In "Chess Secrets: The Giants of Strategy," Neil McDonald chooses his selection of the most prominent strategists in chess history and highlights the major contributions they made. He examines their differing approaches and styles, and from Nimzowitsch to Kramnik, how they followed in each other's footsteps. A careful study of this book will help you to understand and improve in one of the most crucial elements of the game.
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"Chess Secrets" is" "a brand new series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess study: strategy, attacking play, opening play and gambits, classical play, endgames and preparation. In each book the author chooses and deeply studies a number of great players from chess history who have excelled in a particular field of the game and who have genuinely influenced their descendants.
*An entertaining an instructive guide to chess strategy, from the masters
*Written in an easy-to-read format
*Ideal for improvers, club players and tournament players

Together in one volume for the first time are Graeme Buckley's Multiple Choice Chess and Multiple Choice Chess Volume Two. Are you realising your chess potential? Multiple Choice Chess International Master Graeme Buckley helps you to find out. Through a series of instructive games where you must work out the next move and the tactics and strategies surrounding it, you can assess your own chess strength. In his second volume, Buckley repeatedly poses the question 'What would you do here?' The reader is invited to step into a grandmaster's shoes, work out all the relevant tactics and strategies of the game and select a move out of a possible four choices. A scoring system has been devised which can assess your playing strength according to the answers you give. It's as simple as that!

The 1999 World Championship in Las Vegas produced a surprise winner - after a month-long battle, the Russian grandmaster Alexander Khalifman emerged from this grueling knock-out event to become the 14th FIDE World Champion. Alexander Khalifman has been competing in the higher echelons of world chess for many years. He is a player with a broad opening repertoire and a distinctive style, one of his favorite stratagems being the sacrifice of material for long-term positional compensation. A former European Junior Champion and a winner of numerous Russian and international tournaments, he has recently founded a grandmaster chess school in his native St. Petersburg. (6 3/4 x 9 3/4, 208 pages, diagrams)

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 favorite games, all explained in great detail to readers.
* Shirov's best games, unraveled and explained by the man himself
* A compilation of violent, attacking, and imaginative chess
* Written by one of the world's leading players

The Two Knights Defence is one of the trickiest tactical openings around. If White initiates complications with either 4 Ng5 or 4 d4, play becomes extremely sharp and gambits and counter gambits abound. Anyone who enters the murky waters of the Two Knights Defence must be well prepared for the mind-boggling complications that ensue. In this book, openings theoretician Jonathan Tait guides the reader through both the well-trodden paths of the main lines plus the less fashionable side variations of this most complex opening. Using illustrative games, Tait studies the key ideas and tactics for both Black and White.
*Up-to-date coverage of a controversial opening
*Written by a Two Knights Defence expert
*Ideal for club and tournament players

Two great books from the Everyman Chess Library, Starting Out: The Nimzo Indian by Chris Ward and Starting Out: The Queen's Indian by John Emms, brought together in one volume. The Nimzo-Indian is one of the soundest and most popular defences against 1 d4, offering Black the chance to unbalance the game early on and play for a win without undue risk. Advocates include virtually all of the world's top players, including Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand and Anatoly Karpov. In this revolutionary book, Grandmaster Chris Ward revisits the basic principles behind the Nimzo-Indian and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide the reader is helped along by a wealth of notes, tips and warnings from the author, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. This book is ideal for the improving player. The Queens Indian is one of Black's most dependable and respected defences to the queen's pawn opening. It is an established favourite amongst world-class Grandmasters such as Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand, Michael Adams and Judit Polgar, not to mention Anatoly Karpov, who has been a loyal Queens Indian supporter and theory developer for over three decades. Rather than classically occupying the central squares with pawns, Black adopts a hypermodern approach and endeavours to control this key area with pieces. This procedure leads to rich and varied positions that will appeal to players who like complex play. In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster and Queens Indian expert John Emms goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of the Queens Indian and its numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips and warnings to guide the improving player, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.

Chess Developments is a series which provides state-of-the-art openings coverage. Chess Developments focuses on the current trendsconcentrating 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 Sicilian Najdorf is undoubtedly one of the most popular chess openings. It was played with great success by world champions Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov and today it remains a favourite defense at all levels from grandmaster to beginner. 6 Bg5 is widely acknowledged as a critical test of the Sicilian Najdorf. It leads to razor-sharp positions and hotly debated lines such as the fascinating Poisoned Pawn, where one small slip by either side can be fatal. In this book, International Master Kevin Goh Wei Ming examines the most theoretically important and instructive games in recent years, highlighting the main developments and novelties for both sides. Whether playing White or Black, this book provides you with essential knowledge of an important opening. *Essential coverage of the Sicilian Najdorf 6 Bg5.* Packed with key new ideas and critical analysis*User-friendly design to help readers absorb information

Aron Nimzowitsch is one of the most important figures in chess history. He was one of the World's strongest players and contributed enormously to the development of chess both through his games and his writings, which influenced many grandmasters who followed him. Nimzowitsch was a leader of the Hypermodern School, which formed revolutionary ideas on chess strategy to challenge previously held beliefs and created many new opening systems. In this book, Steve Giddins selects and studies his favourite games by Nimzowitsch and examines Nimzowitsch's skills in the vital areas of attack, defence, strategy and endgame play. He demonstrates how we can all improve by learning from Nimzowitsch's masterpieces. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. 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 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

Despite his relatively young age, Magnus Carlsen has already secured his place in chess history as a legend of the game. In a short space of time his accomplishments have been extraordinary. In December 2012 he broke Garry Kasparov's record to become the highest-rated chess player of all time. He followed up this achievement in 2013 by defeating Vishy Anand to become World Chess Champion. Carlsen's universal style, positional mastery and incredible mental strength add up to make him a formidable opponent. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Carlsen games. Lakdawala examines Carlsen's skills in attack and defence, exploiting imbalances, accumulating advantages and endgame play, and shows us how we can all improve by learning from Carlsen's masterpieces. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. 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 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

Grandmaster Simon Williams was taught the English Opening at the age of six and 1 c4 was his weapon of choice until long after he became an International Master. For this new work, he teamed up with acclaimed theoretician International Master Richard Palliser to explore his old favourite. 1 c4 remains an excellent choice for the club and tournament player. This book focuses on the set-up popularised by the sixth world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, the so-called Botvinnik formation with 2 Nc3, 3 g3, 4 Bg2, 5 e4 and 6 Nge2. This system is compact but still aggressive and rewards an understanding of plans and strategies rather than rote memorisation of moves. In Opening Repertoire: The Iron English leading chess authors Simon Williams and Richard Palliser guide the reader through the complexities of this dynamic variation and carves out a repertoire for White. They examine all aspects of this highly complex opening and provide the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. * A dynamic and easy-to-play repertoire for White * Complete coverage featuring several new ideas * Take your opponents out of their comfort zone!

These three titles, brought together for the first time in one volume, explain the important ideas behind every major opening, provide an understanding of the middlegame to the aspiring player and tips to all players wishing to improve their endgame play.Chris Ward unravels the secrets of the Sicilian, the mysteries of the Modern and the fundamentals of the French. He emphasises the need to understand the key elements of each opening rather than simply memorise a series of complicated variations which leave you stranded if the opponent varies from the expected route. ----- Andrew Kinsman uses examples from practical play to develop tactical and positional skills and awareness to enable you to make the most of your opportunities in the middlegame. ------ Glenn Flear explains the fundamental principles which must be mastered in the endgame. Taking examples from his own games and those of other players, he shows how drawn positions can be converted into victories and lost positions saved at the last moment.- ---- * Deals with every important opening --- * Explains the basic ideas of tactical and positional play --- * Provides numerous exercises for readers to test themselves --- * Explains the important principles of every type of ending --- * Easy step-by-step guide to better endgame play --- * Revolutionary layout to help readers absorb key ideas ---

There are many differing opinions among 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. Master this discipline and chess players can surely expect their results to improve dramatically. And yet there have been very few serious attempts in the past by chess authors to delve into this delicate topic, perhaps not surprisingly given its complexity and difficulty. In Excelling at Chess Calculation, Jacob Aagaard tackles the subject matter head on, unravelling the many secrets behind chess calculation and arming readers 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 players calculate?, how can players discover candidate moves?, and how long should players spend on critical moves?. A thorough study of this book will enable them to calculate with confidence in future games.
Highlights include:
*A crucial guide to the skill of chess calculation
*Ideal for both club and tournament players
*Written by a renowned chess coach and author

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 Panov-Botvinnik Attack is an aggressive and ambitious way of meeting the popular Caro-Kann Defence. White develops rapidly and attacks the centre, putting immediate pressure on Black's position. In this book, International Master and chess coach Lorin D'Costa takes an in-depth look at the Panov-Botvinnik Attack and also the closely related 2 c4 variation. Using illustrative games, D'Costa highlights the typical plans and tactics for both sides, presents repertoire options for White and provides answers to all the key questions. *Essential guidance and training in the Panov-Botvinnik *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study *Includes repertoire options for White

This book, the fifth in Garry Kasparov's magnificent history of the World Chess Championship, catalogues the post-Fischer period in the 1970's and early 1980's This period was dominated by Anatoly Karpov (world champion from 1975-1985) and his three-time challenger, Viktor Korchnoi. Anatoly Karpov gained the right to challenge Bobby Fischer for the world title by winning through the Candidates series in 1974. As is well known, Fischer refused to defend the title and in 1975 Karpov became champion by default. Although he did not have to contest a Championship match to gain the title, Karpov proved that he was a worthy champion by winning virtually every major tournament over the next decade. In this book, a must for all serious chessplayers, Kasparov analyses deeply Karpov's greatest games and assesses the legacy of this great Russian genius. Also under the microscope are the games of Viktor Korchnoi, who was at his peak during this period and twice challenged Karpov for his world title.