We have all experienced nasty gambits and ultra-aggressive opening play. It's scary and it's always been difficult to find good, practical advice on how to react. Now, however, help is at hand. In this book, Sam Collins tackles the important subject of gambit play and gambit defence. He explores in depth the basic approaches, the typical mistakes made at all levels and explains how to avoid them. He also examines the techniques used by world-class players to defend and counterattack, and explains how you can learn from them. In addition, he covers some key theory of many popular gambits in modern chess. Be bold, be brave and grab those pawns! This book shows you how to: *Beat unsound gambits *Keep a cool head under pressure *Counterattack when the time is right *Make your extra material count

Fireside Chess Library

In the first completely instructional book ever written on chess openings, National Master Bruce Pandolfini teaches players how to take charge of the game's crucial opening phase.

Of the three traditional phases of chess play -- the opening, the middle-game and the endgame -- the opening is the phase average players confront most often. Unfortunately, though, many openings are not completed successfully, partly because until now most opening instruction has consisted of tables of tournament level moves that offer no explanations for the reasons behind them. Consequently, these classical opening patterns can serve as little more than references to the average player.

In Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps, Bruce Pandolfini uses his unique "crime and punishment" approach to provide all the previously missing explanation, instruction, practical analyses, and much, much more. The book consists of 202 short "openers" typical of average players, arranged according to the classical opening variations and by level of difficulty. Each example includes:

* the name of the overriding tactic
* the name of the opening
* a scenario that sets up the tactic to be learned
* an interpretation that explains why the loser went wrong, how he could have avoided the trap, and what he should have done instead
* a review of important principles and useful guidelines to reinforce each lesson.

Also included are a glossary of openings that lists all the classical "textbook" variations for comparison and reference and a tactical index. Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps is a powerful, pragmatic entry into a heretofore remote area of chess theory that will have a profound influence on every player's game.

Following on from the enduring success of one of the most important chess books ever written, Bobby Fischer: My 60 Memorable Games, and the recently released Magnus Carlsen: 50 Memorable Games, celebrated chess writer Andrew Soltis delivers a book on Fabiano Caruana, the Grandmaster set to rival current world champion Magnus Carlsen. This book details Caruana's remarkable rise from chess prodigy to one of the best chess player in the world, exploring how he acquired the skills of 21st-century grandmaster chess over such a short period of time. This book dives into how he wins by analysing 60 of the games that made him who he is, describing the intricacies behind his and his opponent's strategies, the tactical justification of moves and the psychological battle in each one.

The Caro-Kann has always been one of the most widely played openings among club and tournament players. This handy battle manual deals with the critical main line positions after 1 e4 c6 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4. Highly regarded author Grandmaster Neil McDonald offers a comprehensive survey of the state of current theory for both White and Black players, explaining the basic elements, strategies and tactics for both sides. This guide covers one of the most fashionable chess openings in current practice. It is ideal for club and tournament players and it provides everything you need to know to start playing the main line Caro-Kann straightaway. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 144 pages, diagrams)

This truly outstanding book, first published in Russian in the 1970s and regarded as a classic, contains everything you need to know about how to deliver checkmate.1000 Checkmate Combinations contains a wealth of elegant and sophisticated chess tactics as well as systematic and effective instruction. Each chapter covers a different piece or combination of pieces that is able to deliver checkmate, and provides illustrative templates for just about every mating formation. By working through the book, readers will develop their ability to recognise the potential for checkmate, as well as the know-how to execute one.Clearly written and beautifully organised, it will appeal to all chess players but particularly club players.

Grandmaster Johan Hellsten believes that mastering chess strategy - just like chess tactics - requires practice, practice and more practice This book provides a basic foundation of strategy in all three phases of the game - the opening, middlegame and endgame. It includes more than 350 training exercises.

The Queen's Gambit is one of the great classical openings. All the world champions and elite players have played this opening - most of them for both sides. In this book the highly experienced coach international master Andrew Martin explains the basic ideas behind all the different variations you can encounter after 1 d4 d5 2 c4. This includes the classical defences (such as the Orthodox, the Lasker and the Slav) as well as the weird and wonderful (such as the Albin Counter-Gambit, the Hennig-Schara Gambit and Marshall's Defence). First Steps is a new opening series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations. First Steps emphasizes: *the basic principles*the basic strategies*the key tricks and traps First Steps books are based around carefully selected instructive games which demonstrate exactly what both sides are trying to achieve. There is enough theory to enable the improving player to get to grips with the opening without feeling overwhelmed. If you want to take up a new opening, First Steps is the ideal place to start.

The Grandmaster Battle Manual explains how to be a more competitive chess player. Chess grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias has been a professional player for two decades and now he explains the secrets of his success. As a writer, Kotronias has the skill to explain in words what other top players can only express in long lists of chess moves. Improve your chess with a grandmaster guide.

'And the rest is a matter of technique' is an annoyingly common phrase used in chess literature. The implication from the author is that the task of converting a typically winning position into a full point or converting a drawing position into half-a-point is relatively straightforward. However, as all of us practical players realize, it's not always as simple as this, and many hard-earned points are wasted through 'a lack of technique'.
In this valuable book Jacob Aagaard aims to solve this perennial problem. He arms the reader with several endgame weapons that every strong technical player has in his toolbox. These include important skills such as schematic thinking, domination, preventing counterplay, building fortresses and utilizing zugzwang. These tools are illustrated in deeply analyzed games containing numerous different themes. A serious study of this book will ensure that the reader no longer need fear the word 'technique'!
*Ideal for club and tournament players
*Includes all the principal tools of technique
*Written by an experienced endgames expert

An insightful new book that is perfect for newcomers to chess inspired by Netflix's Queen's Gambit. Written by one of the best chess communicators in the business, chess master and chess journalist Andy Soltis divulges practical advice and explains technical terms that chess books often overlook. From learning how to train your mind with chess information to choosing the best chess opening, dip in and out of this invaluable guide to improve your chess in a minutes.  Chess questions answered in this book include: Is there a best way to study chess? How do I know if I have a natural talent? How important is chess memory and how can I train mine? How long should I think before choosing a move?  Is there a proper way to think? Can I think like a chess computer? How do I develop chess intuition?  Don't try to swallow too much information in one sitting. Dip in and out of these great chess questions to better understand the game and let the improvement happen incrementally. 

Jan Timman is one of the greatest chess players never to win the world title. For many years the Best of the West belonged to the chess elite, collecting quite a few super tournament victories. Three times Timman was a Candidate for the World Championship and his peak in the world rankings was second place, in 1982. For this definitive collection, Timman has revisited his career and subjected his finest efforts to fresh analysis supported by modern technology. The result is startling and fascinating. From the games that he chose for his Timmans Selected Games (1994, also published as Chess the Adventurous Way), only 10(!) made the cut. Some games that he had been proud of turned out to be flawed, others that he remembered as messy were actually well played. Timmans Triumphs includes wins against great players such as Karpov, Kasparov, Kortchnoi, Smyslov, Tal, Spassky, Bronstein, Larsen and Topalov. The annotations are in the authors trademark lucid style, a happy mix of colourful background information and sharp, crystal-clear explanations. Once again Jan Timman shows that he is not only one of the best players the game has seen, but also as one of the best chess analysts and writers.

THE ideal chess book for the beginner THE ideal chess book for the improving player THE ideal chess book for the teacher. Absolute beginners can learn everything they need to know in order to play chess competitively. More experienced players will encounter deeper concepts and be able to approach chess from a new perspective, enabling them to take their play to the next level. Award-winning chess coach Erik Czerwin's unique training method begins by studying the simplest chess positions with very few pieces - and then moves on, step by step, adding more pieces to the board. Complex ideas are always built up from simpler situations, ensuring that the learning curve stays flat. With helpful exercises throughout, Fundamental Chess is the perfect book for every chess enthusiast.

As we progress as chess players we quickly learn a set of guidelines which help us to formulate plans, develop typical strategies and recognize key tactics. However, chess is not an easy game, with fixed 'rules' that can be applied to every single position. In fact, blindly following such rules proves to be counterproductive and prevents a player from moving on to the next level, whereas knowing when to 'break' these rules is precisely the skill which separates the best from the rest. In this instructive book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald studies in depth the key components of successful rule-breaking in chess. Drawing upon his own experience and using illuminating examples from modern grandmaster chess, McDonald examines how to avoid stereotypical thinking, how to exploit typical thinking patterns, and how to confuse and beat opponents with surprising ideas. *Enhance your chess strategy and creativity *Recognize and exploit typical thinking processes *Covers opening, middlegame and endgame play

The dramatic 2016 World Championship match in New York City stunned the chess world, as Sergey Karjakin fought champ Magnus Carlsen to a tie until matters had to be settled in a rapid-play shootout. You'll learn chess tactics and strategies from the best players in the world, as a top team of writers-including a former world champion--explains the moves.

An instructional book about the crucial questions that masters ask themselves before committing to a move - a checklist for all players to ask themselves before making their own moves.Beginners learn to ask themselves the key questions. As they improve, they ask more sophisticated questions: 'What did my opponent's last move allow me to do?", 'Where is his position weakest?", 'Should I take an irrevocable step now or wait?', 'What does my opponent want me to do?'. For chess master players these are almost subconscious checklist. Andy Soltis runs through the checklist of things to ask before making a move with fascinating and illuminating examples of real chess games, from Karpov to Judith Polgar, from Magnus Carlsen to Fabiano Caruana. A key to improving is to ask all of these questions and find the right answers, for players looking to improve. The advice of Chess Masters is good advice for all chess players and the best way to take your play to the next level.

Many players are attracted to the Dragon Sicilian, but are put off by the fierce mating attacks that White can launch. In the Accelerated Dragon, Black aims for an improved version, saving a move with his queen's pawn. If White tries to ignore the difference, Black's instant detonation of the centre will come as an unwelcome cold shower! The authors show that White's main reply, the Maroczy Bind, is not so fearsome as was once thought Black has many ways to break out, while quite often it is possible to manoeuvre around White's 'binding pawns' and show that they imprison White's pieces as much as they do Black's.

"Bobby Fischer...The precision and energy that he played with is unmatched in the history of chess." Magnus Carlsen, World Chess Champion Nearly 30 years since his last chess game, Bobby Fischer's fame continues to grow. Appearing in Hollywood movies, documentaries and best-selling books, his life and career are as fascinating as they ever were and his games continue to generate discussion. Indeed, with each new generation of computer, stunning discoveries are made about moves that have been debated by grandmasters for decades. International Grandmaster Andrew Soltis played Fischer and also reported, as a journalist, on the American's legendary career. He is the author of many books, including Pawn Structure Chess, 365 Chess Master Lessons and What it Takes to Become a Chess Master.