Feeling up to a challenge?
In this highly original and instructive test yourself book, Grandmaster Chris Ward presents a selection of carefully chosen puzzles for you to solve. Hot on the heels of his very successful It's Your Move and Improvers It's Your Move, comes It's Your Move: Tough Puzzles, which this time aims to rack the brains of even the most experienced chess players.
The puzzles might be a bit more difficult this time but, in the same style of the previous two books, the reader is once again helped by the choice of five plausible plans and has to decide which is the most likely to succeed. The answers then identify the most promising plan and explain why the other choices are less attractive. Instead of opting for the traditional 'check, check, mate ... mate!' type of puzzles, Ward concentrates on situations which are much more likely to occur in practical games.

Start every game with confidence
The two greatest challenges for beginning chess players are not only to survive the openings phase, but also to choose appropriate attack and defence formations in the process. "Winning Chess Openings" shows players how to do both. In Yasser Seirawan's entertaining, easy-to-follow style, they are shown formations that can be used with other White or Black pieces.
"Winning Chess Openings "explains how to:
*Build a safe house for a king
*Estimate losses of ten moves or fewer
*Utilise the elements: time, force, space, and pawn structure
*Plan strategy based on time-tested opening principles of play
*Employ a defence for Black against any White opening
*Apply an opening for White used by World Champions
"Winning Chess Openings" will help readers develop a solid understanding of opening principles that can be applied to every game they play--without having to memorize a dizzying array of tedious and lengthy opening lines.

These books are perfect for enthusiastic chess players who are starting out in the game, and who are seeking to understand the basic principles behind these important openings: the Ruy Lopez and the English. Both books are written in a user-friendly style with an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings scattered throughout, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.The authors of these books are very skilled and experienced chess writers, who are used to writing for players of all levels and are renowned for their ability to explain ideas in a lucid and straightforward manner.These books will be especially beneficial to those players who have previously sharpened their chess skills with the earlier books Starting Out in Chess, Tips for Young Players, and Improve Your Opening Play.In this revolutionary book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald revisits the basic principles behind the English and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide readers are aided by a wealth of notes, tips, and warnings from the author, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for Doth sides are clearly illustrated. This book is ideal for the improving players.

What are the odds against winning the Lottery, making money in a casino, or backing the right horse? Every day, people make judgements on these matters and face other decisions that rest on their understanding of probability: buying insurance, following medical advice, carrying an umbrella. Yet many of us have a frightening ignorance of how probability works. Taking Chances presents an entertaining and fascinating exploration of probability, revealing traps and fallacies in the field. It describes and analyses a remarkable variety of situations where chance plays a role, including football pools, the Lottery, TV games, sport, cards, roulette, coins, and dice. This new edition has been fully updated, and includes information on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "The Weakest Link", plus a new chapter on Probability for Lawyers.

These books are perfect for enthusiastic chess players who are starting out in the game, and who are seeking to understand the basic principles behind these most important openings: the Sicilian, the King's Indian, the Nimzo-Indian, and the French. All four books are written in a user-friendly style with an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings scattered throughout, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. The authors of these books are all very skilled and experienced chess writers, who are used to writing for players of all levels and are renowned for their ability to explain ideas in a lucid and straightforward manner.
-- User-friendly design to help readers absorb ideas
-- Concentrates on the fundamental principles of the openings
-- Ideal for the improving player

The middlegame can prove to be a minefield for many players, throwing up numerous difficult questions. Is this a good time to get active or should I consolidate my position? Should I have a long think in this position, or save time for later? Are desperate measures called for or should I just try to defend solidly? In Mastering the Middlegame, International master Angus Dunnington answers these and other questions that frequently baffle players of all levels.This guide explains how strong players approach tactical and positional play; numerous test positions enable readers to gauge their progress; revolutionary layout allows readers to absorb the key ideas. (7 x 9 1/2, 144 pages, diagrams)

The Grunfeld Defence is a dynamic and popular counterattacking weapon for Black against queen's pawn openings. Former World Champion Bobby Fischer and current world number one Garry Kasparov head a long list of grandmasters that have utilised this opening with continued success. In this book, grandmaster and renowned chess teacher Nigel Davies explains the key ideas and tactics for both White and Black. Using illustrative games, Davies guides the reader through both the fashionable main lines and the tricky side variations, and provides his opinion on all the crucial questions arising from this opening. *Up-to-date coverage of one of Black's most important defences *Strategies and tactics revealed for both sides *Written by an experienced chess teacher and author Nigel Davies is both an experienced grandmaster and chess trainer. A former British Open Quickplay Champion, Davies is an author of several successful chess books and is highly experienced in chess publishing. This is his second book for Everyman Chess; his first was Alekhine's Defence.

This is the ideal book for serious adult players who want to improve. It describes a study plan that came about thanks to a re-evaluation of standard chess teaching and includes several unique components aimed at improving deficiencies in the play of adult players.This book is the only one of its kind for the simple reason that it has been written by an author who hugely improved his own rating over a twelve month period by following his own advice. He therefore fully understands the challenges faced by enthusiastic players who are relatively new to the game. This is in sharp contrast to most books aimed at this level which are usually written by very strong players who have long forgotten what it feels like to be starting out in the game. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 128 pages, diagrams)

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)

Few would disagree that the Queen's Gambit is one of the most important openings in chess. It has a long and distinguished history and has been played by virtually all the strongest Grandmasters: Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Anatoly Karpov, Vishy Anand--the list goes on and on! From the very beginning White develops actively, takes the initiative and strives to dominate the center. Most agree that the Queen's Gambit is White's best chance for an opening advantage after 1 d4 d5.
Despite its many advantages, some prospective Queen's Gambit players are put off by the possibility of having to learn a labyrinth of different variations. In "Play the Queen's Gambit" Chris Ward solves this problem by presenting the reader with a concise and workable repertoire, offering a solution against each of Black's possible defences, whether it's a critical major variation or a tricky sideline. Ward examines the tactical and strategic motifs for both players and arms the reader with enough information and self-assurance to begin playing the Queen's Gambit in his or her own games.
>Explains an opening favored by the world's elite
>Written by a renowned Queen's Gambit expert
>Covers all of Black's defences
>Ideal for club and tournament players

This expertly presented book, updated in 2021/2 edition, tells you everything you need to know about chess. All the pieces and modern rules and terminology of chess are explained in an accessible and structured way, together with an evocative history of the game and its greatest players. The different strategies are explained along with how to manage the game as it progresses from opening through the middle game to the end game. Analysis and teaching commences at the most basic level, before moving on to intermediate and more advanced levels. Some of the historic chess masterpiece games are also explored in detail as inspiration for tactical play. Then the book offers ideas about where to play chess and who to play against. Options are outlined such as rapid play or blitz chess, which have timed finishes, and slow methods, such as correspondence chess, which involves long distance play. Understand the rules of the game, pieces and the chess board; includes the basics: how to practise, strategies for attack and defence and how to win the game; teaches chess opening strategies, middle games and good end game techniques at different levels of skill and experience; includes different ways of playing chess such as online chess, fast (rapid play and blitz) and slow games (correspondence chess); offers advice for becoming a more advanced player and playing in competition and even at a Chess Congress.

In "The Duel", Alessandro Bossi and Claudio Brovelli go deep into the lives of these two legendary World Champions, who have left their mark in an unforgettable manner on their epoch (the first forty years of the 20th century) and who remain - in part, due to their very different personalities and relationship with the game - inimitable examples for all the chess-playing generations to come. The choice to present in parallel the two biographies (in my opinion quite rightly so), shows clearly and effectively similarities and differences, not only in the style of play, but also in the approaches to life of the two protagonists. With very precise historical descriptions and presenting the events in chronological order, the authors accompany us on a journey alongside the lives of these two legends of chess. In this fashion the personalities emerge, in many ways antithetical but equally fascinating: Capablanca, friendly and charming in society, precocious, genial and nearly invincible on the chessboard, and Alekhine, who combined a wonderful talent with a capacity for work, a competitive attitude and an energy which was truly enviable.

All 210 games from the greatest tournament since World War II. Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Reshevsky, Petrosian, 10 others; perceptive annotations by Bronstein. Algebraic notation. 352 diagrams. First authoritative English translation from the Russian.

A game as complex as chess can be approached in an infinite number of ways. Nowadays, in the era of computer chess, GMs generally tend to focus their preparation on looking for playable ideas rather than outright refutations. In his second volume of work, Alex Ipatov once again shows his expertise and creative approach in this regard. The reader is presented with an abundance of interesting ideas for White which can pose real practical problems for Black.

From a theoretical backwater to a fully blown main line opening, the rise of the Scandinavian Defence (1 e4 d5) has been nothing short of meteoric. Over the past fifteen years the Scandinavian has become more and more popular both at club and Grandmaster level. It even managed to obtain an ultimate seal of approval when Vishy Anand employed it in his World Championship match with Garry Kasparov!
In this book Grandmaster John Emms explains the strategies and tactics of this dynamic and fashionable opening. Through the use of model games for both sides, the author provides a thorough grounding in the key ideas, so that players of all standards can quickly and confidently begin to use the Scandinavian in their own games.
This book provides a complete update of Emms's original and best-selling edition of The Scandinavian, published in 1997. Since then there have been many new and important discoveries from both sides of the board, and these are included here.
*Ideal for club and tournament players
*Explains the basic elements, strategies and tactics for both sides
*Written by a leading expert on the Scandinavian
*Provides everything you need to know to start playing the opening straightaway

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.

Endgames with kings, bishops, knights, and pawns are generally considered among the most complex and can seem quite bewildering to improving players. This is hardly surprising given that even Grandmasters have been known to struggle in some areas of these endgames, with some examples resulting in embarrassing failure to deliver elementary checkmates In this user-friendly book, Grandmaster and notable endgame authority John Emms begins with the absolute fundamentals of minor piece endings. This slowly but surely arms readers with the essential knowledge and confidence to move onto slightly trickier positions. Using examples from practical play, Emms highlights the correct procedures as well as the typical mistakes made by both attacker and defender. As is normal with the famed Starting Out series, there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings throughout the book to help improving players. Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames is perfect for those who have previously honed their chess skills with the earlier books Starting Out in Chess, Tips for Young Players and Improve Your Endgame Play.
Key features:
*Covers all crucial minor piece endings
*Easy step-by-step guide to better endgame play
*Ideal for improving players
*User-friendly layout to help readers absorb the key ideas

A comprehensive book for players of all ages, Grandmaster Kallai provides a straightforward guide to surviving the maze of chess openings, covering all the popular modern openings starting with 1 d4, 1 c4, and 1 Nf3, as well as some of the lesser known alternatives to 1 e4.Rather than present a mass of bewildering variations, Kallai concentrates on developing solid understanding of the ideas behind each opening.The companion volume to this book, Basic Chess Openings, covers all the openings starting with 1 e4, and is also available from Cadogan.

To achieve success in chess, a little talent is required, but it is even more important to have a thorough grounding in the different aspects of the game. This volume, which has sold well over a hundred thousand copies in its German edition, proceeds from the simple to the difficult, from checkmating with a couple of pieces to strategic planning. It has been used in numerous adult education classes, and is also highly suitable for private study. Rudolf Teschner is an Honorary FIDE International Grandmaster and a popular chess author, who for 38 years was editor of the magazine "Deutsche Schachzeitung".

Most players would rather attack than defend , with the result that defensive technique is often the weak est part of their game. This book, translated by Ken Neat, e xplains the basics of defensive play & contains many tests f or readers to practice on '

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

Alekhine's Controversial MasterpieceFinally in English For decades, Alexander Alekhine's account of New York 1927 was at the top of the list of works that should have been rendered into English but unaccountably were not. Not only do you have one of the greatest annotators of all time rendering some brilliant analysis, but he melds it with an exceptional agenda, an anti-Capablanca agenda. And since he wrote it after defeating Capablanca in their marathon match, he sounds like a sore loser who became a sore winner. So, this is just a mean-spirited book, right? Nothing of the sort. Alekhine goes beyond elaborate move analysis and offers deep positional insights and psychological observations. Nikolai Grigoriev, in his foreword to the 1930 Russian edition of this book, pointed out how Alekhine broke new ground by underlining the critical moments of each game. Why Alekhine's work was published in German, in Berlin in 1928, and not in English, is unclear. But now, after more than 80 years, it's finally available to the largest audience of chessplayers. It's about time.