The Samisch variation is a powerful method to counter the popular King's Indian Defence. The key move is the advance f2-f3, consolidating White's central space advantage and limiting Black's options for counterplay. In the traditional Samisch White develops the queen's bishop on e3 but in the modern version, as explored in this book, the move Bg5 is preferred. This creates further problems for Black as the natural King's Indian counter ... e7-e5 allows White a potentially strong pin against the f6-knight, while chasing the bishop with ... h6 and ... g5 creates kingside weaknesses. ----- * Learn to play the Modern Samisch with confidence --- * Emphasis on plans and strategies * Written by an expert on the Modern Samisch

How to use this book I thought long and hard about the best way to structure this Workbook. My idea was to make a book with additional exercises for readers of my earlier books Thinker's Chess Academy Volumes 1 & 2 (TCA1 and TCA2 for short) while working with these books, plus material for really interested and ambitious readers to maintain and broaden the skills they have already learned. That's not an easy task, as it means combining rather basic material with really sophisticated exercises without making it boring for the advanced readers or too hard for readers still on TCA1 level. My idea is to mix the two parts. Readers still on the lower level should work through the chapters Quick Test 1, Quick Test 2 etc and after Quick Test 10 go over to the chapters Advanced Lesson 1, Advanced Lesson 2 and so on. Advanced readers can use each chapter's Quick Test as a kind of warm-up test under time pressure, for example setting a time of 10 seconds for each mate in 2 or whatever you may think is right for you. After the Quick Test you go ahead with the following Advanced Lessons chapter. The hardest part of the book is called "Master Class". In these chapters you'll find really difficult exercises such as unusually long combinations or checkmates. Not every reader is ambitious enough or has enough time to work very hard on his chess. That's quite understandable and nothing to be ashamed of. You can enjoy chess very well without being a strong tournament player. You could just entertain yourself by playing through interesting combinations. In this case don't try too hard to solve the Advanced Lessons or Master Class exercises. Have a look to make yourself familiar with the position, than look at the solution and enjoy the surprising combinations. You won't learn as much as you would by racking your brain to crack the hard nuts. But some knowledge and experience will certainly rub off and increase your understanding of chess. I hope this book will help you to work towards your goals and let have you fun with chess. Thomas Luther, September 2022

Learn and master the fascinating game of Japanese Chess or "Shogi" with this expert guide and chess set. Japanese Chess: The Game of Shogi is the ultimate strategy guidebook for players of any skill level to improve their game and winning strategies. Played by millions around the world, Shogi is the uniquely Japanese variant of chess. It is the only version in which an opponent's captured piece can be dropped back onto the board as one's own. This makes for extremely exciting, dynamic gameplay in which momentum can quickly shift back and forth between players. Trevor Legett, expert player and longtime resident of Japan, gives you all the information you need to play the game, form its basic rules to winning tactics. Also included in this book are: Sample game and commentary Discussion of various opening strategies and game positions Explanation of how to read a Japanese score Fold-out Shogi board Sturdy paper playing pieces Japanese Chess features everything you need to get started playing this challenging and fun game!

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. The Old Indian has a well-deserved reputation as a sound defense to 1 d4. Black employs an easy-to-learn system of development, seizes a firm foothold in the center and aims to create counterplay from a solid platform. In this book, Old Indian expert Junior Tay invites you to join him in studying the opening and its many variations. Using illustrative games, Tay highlights the tactical and positional ideas for both sides, provides repertoire options for Black and offers answers all the key questions. This book will tell you everything you need to know about playing the Old Indian Defense. *Essential guidance and training in the Old Indian *Offers repertoire options for Black *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

The definitive work on practical endgame tactics

Fun Scrabble word puzzles for kids aged 7+ Get ready for more than 120 word puzzles, inspired by the classic board game that always spells F-U-N! * Bursting with brain-tickling anagrams, word wheels, missing vowels, kriss kross, tile score and lots more * Have a go at the beginner puzzles before turning over the book for advanced ones * Gain confidence in spelling and vocabulary in a fun and friendly way (c)2022 Mattel. SCRABBLE (TM) and SCRABBLE tiles, including S1 tiles, are trademarks of Mattel

The Ruy Lopez Exchange (or Spanish Exchange) is a classical and well-respected opening that is a favorite among Grandmasters and club players alike. It has provided the battle scene for many heavyweight clashes between the world's elite, including (among others) Alexei Shirov, Jan Timman, Nigel Short, and Michael Adams. Very early on in the game, a distinctive pawn structure is obtained, and in this particular opening it's the understanding of key ideas, plans, and structures that's more important than the memorization of long theoretical variations.
In this book, noted opening theoreticians Krzysztof Panczyk and Jacek Ilczuk explain the crucial strategies and tactics of the Ruy Lopez Exchange. Using model games for both White and Black, the authors provide a thorough schooling in the key ideas of both the fashionable lines and the more offbeat variations. In this way, players of all standards can quickly and confidently begin to play the Ruy Lopez Exchange with either color in their own games.
An opening originally championed by the great Bobby Fischer
Ideal for club and tournament players
Start playing the opening straight away

The main reason why we lose at chess is no big secret: we all make unnecessary mistakes! But simply acknowledging this fact isn't enough to help us improve. The big question is, how can we eliminate these mistakes from our game, or at least keep them to an absolute minimum? Colin Crouch tackles this vital subject face-to-face. Drawing upon his considerable experience, he looks back at critical moments within games where mistakes are made, and examines how we can recognise the danger signs and avoid making impulsive decisions. The reader is constantly challenged by exercises, which provide perfect training for real over-the-board battles.

Chess is an enthralling game that provides countless hours of enjoyment for players young and old, but it's true that for the beginner it can often seem like an intimidating prospect. Have you tried your luck at learning the game but have been put off by its sheer complexity, not to mention some of the demanding books on the subject. Don't give up, there's help on the way! Chess for Rookies is a fun-to-read guide for the regular person. Assuming no prior knowledge of this famous game, Craig Pritchett takes the reader on a journey through the crucial basics of chess. Mixed with instruction and humour, this book is an ideal way to learn chess and improve your skills. Reading this book you will: *Learn how to set up the chessboard *Discover how the pieces move, and understand their strengths and weaknesses *Gain knowledge of the basic chess tactics and strategies *Realize when to attack and when to defend *Learn the basics of the opening, middlegame and endgame *Understand tricky ideas such as castling and en passant *Find descriptions of all the strange-sounding chess terms *Discover the best places to play chess, whether on the board or on your computer *Find out who's who in the chess world *Be ready to beat your friends at chess!

Chess Developments provides 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 Grunfeld is a dynamic opening in which Black allows White to build an imposing pawn centre before plotting its downfall by a series of attacks with pawns and pieces. This ambitious, hypermodern approach is popular from club level all the way through to the World's elite. In this book, David Vigorito selects and examines the most important and instructive Grunfeld games from recent years, highlighting the main developments and novelties for both White and Black. Vigorito is well known for his opening expertise, and his clear explanations of the plans and tactics for both sides will benefit all players. *Essential coverage of the Grunfeld Defence *Packed with key new ideas and critical analysis *User-friendly design to help readers absorb information

The Najdorf is one of the most respected variations of the Sicilian Defence. Over decades it has remained a sound yet attacking weapon in the hands of the world's finest players including several world champions. Join Robert James Fischer, Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, MVL and legions of club players by playing for a win with Black using the Najdorf. Expert and Grandmaster Milos Pavlovic will be your practical and honest guide in this fifth book for Thinkers Publishing.

Proper handling of Bishops in the Endgame is an important feature in today's chess and a must for every chess player who wants to climb the world's chess hierarchy. This book deals with all important themes and ideas on the world of Bishop endings.

Stop playing like a pawn and start playing like the king You already know just how enjoyable--and and challenging--the game of chess can be. For those who play, chess leads to a lifetime of fun. But how do you make the first move to learn the rules and transform from a pawn to a king? The path to a perfect checkmate is in your hands! In the pages of this book, you'll find an introduction to all the chess pieces including their strengths and weaknesses, tips on how to protect your pieces and prevent their capture, and guidance on when to attack and defend like a boss. You'll also find a bonus tear-out card to take your new tactics on the go!

The Caro-Kann Defence remains a very popular option for Black at all levels of chess. It has always enjoyed a solid reputation, but if anything its popularity has increased in recent years with the realization that the Caro-Kann can also be employed with the intention of reaching sharp dynamic positions, rich in possibilities for both sides and with a guarantee of genuine counterplay for Black. In this book, International Master Jovanka Houska presents the reader with a complete Caro-Kann repertoire, which is based primarily on her own repertoire she has used with success over many years at international level. Houska provides a comprehensive update on her popular 2007 book Play the Caro-Kann and focuses on key new developments since then. She offers solutions against all of White's main options and efficient methods to deal with tricky sidelines. She examines important tactical and strategic plans for both sides and deals with key move order issues. This book tells you everything you need to know about playing the Caro-Kann. *An complete repertoire to 1 e4 *Packed with new ideas and analysis *Written by a Caro-Kann expert

Vassily Ivanchuk has been one of the World's leading chess players for over two decades. He announced his arrival as a 21-year-old when he defeated Garry Kasparov on the way to winning the Linares Super-Grandmaster event. In a distinguished career he has won countless elite tournaments and was a FIDE World Championship finalist. Ivanchuk is considered by many contemporaries to be a chess genius, and he has acquired a huge fan base that delights in his enterprising and creative play. His original style has helped to create games full of brilliant attacking chess and masterful strategy. In this book, Junior Tay invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Ivanchuk games, and shows us how we can all improve by learning from Ivanchuk'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 practicing 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.

Two books from the Chess Secrets series brought together in one volume. Chess Secrets is a series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess: strategy, attack, classical play, opening 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 undeniably influenced those who have followed. Chess Secrets: Heroes of Classical Chess: Learn from Carlsen, Anand, Fischer, Smyslov and Rubinstein by Craig Pritchett. In Heroes of Classical Chess, Craig Pritchett selects five great players whose style exemplifies classically direct, clear, energetic, tough, ambitious yet fundamentally correct chess playing attributes. Pritchett studies the major contributions they have made, compares their differing styles and discusses the critical influences they have had on the development of chess, on their peers and on all our games. Chess Secrets: The Giants of Strategy: Learn from Kramnik, Karpov, Petrosian, Capablanca and Nimzowitsch by Neil McDonald. The chess world has been blessed with some wonderful strategists, innovators of the game with their instructive play and profound teachings. In The Giants of Strategy, Neil McDonald chooses his selection of the most prominent ones and highlights the major contributions they have 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.