Many players are serious about their chess but become stuck at a certain playing strength. It's rarely a lack of talent or practice or opening knowledge that holds them back. Usually they get left behind because they don't know how to make best use of the time they have available to study chess. ----- This book addresses this problem and is your self-improvement plan. It shows you how to work on your own games to root out mistakes. It will sharpen your calculation of variations. You will be challenged to find the best middlegame strategy. Endgame technique is also covered in detail. All topics are discussed with numerous examples and puzzles from the games of modern players such as Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and Viswanathan Anand. If you want your chess to leap forward it's time to Coach Yourself! ----- * A complete self-improvement programme. --- *All aspects of the game included. ---* Utilizes a structured approach, making the most of your study time.

Enhance Your Tactical Weapons 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combination is the companion volume to Reinfeld's 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate. Of course each book can be taken on its own, but together they make a wonderful collection, and cover the full range of tactical chess. And they are now both available in 21st-century editions, using modern algebraic notation. Reinfeld has arranged his quiz positions so that they fall into orderly chapters, each with a common theme. Still, the degree of difficulty varies widely. Easiest are one move shots, suitable for players starting out. Most difficult are the examples that run seven moves and more; some of these may even stump an ordinary master. Most of all, this a book of combinative ideas, all designed to enhance your arsenal of weapons. The first step toward mastery is to become familiar with the different types of tactical motifs. The second step is to study a great many examples of these tactical themes. So, the object of this book is to add to your knowledge, to make you a strong chessplayer, and (last but not least) to delight you with some of the most beautiful moves ever played on the chessboard.

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 ---

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.

Chessplayers wishing to improve their performance typically seek to deepen their middlegame understanding or to increase their endgame knowledge. Often, however, the real key to improvement lies not in learning additional ideas and positions, but in developing a more effective thinking process at the board. In The Improving Chess Thinker, acclaimed chess instructor Dan Heisman compares how chessplayers of different strengths ranging from beginner to International Master approach analytical positions. From this, he draws lessons that will help players at each level to avoid typical flaws in their thought process and to move up to the next level. Basing his work on more than four decades of testing volunteers, Heisman offers solutions to difficult practical issues such as deciding how much time to spend on a move; what to do while the opponent s clock is running; and when to stop analyzing a line. In this book, ambitious players will find insight into what s been holding them back, while coaches will find powerful new teaching tools."

Such has been the acclaim for John Watson's ground-breaking works on modern chess strategy and his insightful opening books, that it is only natural that he now presents a strategic opening repertoire.
It is the chess-player's holy grail: a flexible repertoire that gives opponents real problems but doesn't require masses of memorization or continual study of ever-changing grandmaster theory. While this book can't quite promise all of that, Watson offers an intriguing selection of lines that give vast scope for over-the-board creativity and should never lead to a dull draw.
The repertoire is based on 1 d4 and 2 c4, following up with methodical play in the centre. Watson uses his vast opening knowledge to pick cunning move-orders and poisonous sequences that will force opponents to think for themselves, providing a true test of chess understanding. Throughout, he discusses strategies for both sides, so readers will be fully ready to pounce on any inaccuracies, and have all the tools to decide on the most appropriate plans for White.

The Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian Defence provides a battleground for one of the key conflicts in chess: structure versus activity. Black voluntarily accepts a weak pawn formation but in return obtains easy development and excellent piece activity. This is a line that finds favour with aggressive, attacking players who are confident in their tactical ability. The idea of playing ...e5 in the Sicilian is an old one but the modern Sveshnikov treatment was developed in the 1970s, since when it has featured in the repertoires of numerous elite players. It is currently experiencing great popularity due to the fact that it was Magnus Carlsen's choice in his World Championship Match against Fabiano Caruana in London 2018. Carlsen's success with the line was a significant factor in his eventual victory in the match. Since then he has continued to use the Sveshnikov with great success. In Opening Repertoire: The Sveshnikov leading chess author Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities of this dynamic variation and carves out a repertoire for Black. He examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides 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 complete repertoire for Black in the Sicilian Sveshnikov. * A question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln There's no escaping the fact: if you want to win chess games, you have to attack at some point. Many players are happy solving combinations in winning positions, when the hard work is already done, but the key to a successful attack undoubtedly comes much earlier. No-one can attack effectively if they haven't prepared properly, and yet planning in chess can be a difficult technique to master, even for experienced players. This book provides a solution. Using an abundance of illustrative games and examples, Gary Lane answers the questions which constantly puzzle players of all levels. Where are my opponent's weaknesses? Do I have enough pieces in the attack? When should I strike? Do I need to sacrifice? Should I cash in or continue to attack? Read this book, discover the answers and attack with confidence! *An essential guide to attacking chess*Introduces easy-to-learn techniques*Focuses on planning and strategy

For most chess-players, opening study is sheer hard work. It is hard to know what is important and what is not, and when specific knowledge is vital, or when a more general understanding is sufficient. Tragically often, once the opening is over, a player won't know what plan to follow, or even understand why his pieces are on the squares on which they sit. John Watson seeks to help chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. In his previous books on chess strategy, he explained vital concepts that had previously been the domain only of top-class players. Here he does likewise for the openings, explaining how flexible thinking and notions such as 'rule-independence' can apply to the opening too. Watson presents a wide-ranging view of the way in which top-class players really handle the opening, rather than an idealized and simplified model. This volume, focusing on queen's pawn openings, is a book that will make chess-players think hard about how they begin their games. It also offers both entertainment and challenging study material in openings such as the Nimzo-Indian, King's Indian and the entire Queen's Gambit complex.

Brought together in one volume as part of Everyman Chess's new series of compilation books: Play the Caro-Kann and Play the Slav. ----- In Play the Caro-Kann, International Master Jovanka Houska presents the reader with a concise and trustworthy repertoire within this move, providing a solution against all of White's main options, and efficient methods to deal with tricky sidelines. Houska examines the important tactical and strategic plans for both sides, arming the reader with enough information to begin playing the Caro-Kann with confidence in his or her own games. ----- The Slav has a well-deserved reputation as one of Black's strongest answers to 1 d4, and it's no coincidence that it has been used by almost all the World Champions in chess history. Put simply, the Slav is a classy opening, one which combines reliability with the promise of dynamic counterplay. ----- In Play the Slav, James Vigus presents a comprehensive and trustworthy repertoire for Black. He outlines the main ideas for both sides and highlights the tactics to watch out for. This book will provide you with enough knowledge and skill to play the Slav with confidence in your own games.

1...e5 enjoys an excellent reputation as a reliable defense against White's most popular opening choice, 1 e4. However, anyone who is primed to face the Ruy Lopez must also be prepared to face a number of White alternatives. This collection of variations make up the Open Games and include not only popular choices such as the Italian Game, Scotch Game, Bishop's Opening, King's Gambit, Vienna Game and Four Knights, but also many tricky sidelines and some wild and wacky gambits. Many of these might not be theoretically strong but can be both daunting and dangerous for the uninformed player. In this book, FIDE Master Martin Lokander tackles all these lines head on and presents a practical repertoire for Black in the Open Games. This book tells you everything you need to know about facing the Open Games when White avoids the Ruy Lopez. *Essential reading for 1...e5 players *Every opening bar the Ruy Lopez is covered *Packed with new ideas and critical analysis

Fed up with having to learn so much opening theory? Struggling to keep up with all the latest developments? Then this book may well be the answer to all your problems! Grandmaster John Emms offers a new arsenal of opening weapons with which to attack to your unaware opponents. Starting with the move 1 e4, the reader is armed with systems against all possible black defences. In each case learning ideas is more important than memorising long variations, so this repertoire should be ideal for players who don't have the luxury of being able to spend countless hours studying theory. Each line is easy to learn and play, but will they will still pose your opponent with difficult problems to solve over the board. *All possible defences to 1 e4 are covered *Written by a battle-hardened 1 e4 player *Ideal for club and tournament players

The Catalan is one of the most popular openings and a favorite of many of the world's leading players. Its rich tactical and positional subtleties provide an excellent platform for players wishing to improve their overall understanding of the game. In this groundbreaking book, Alexander Raetsky and Maxim Chetverik provide a comprehensive coverage of this opening, outlining the most common plans and tactics for both White and Black, and studying the latest theoretical developments in the most important variations. This book is a must for die-hard Catalan fans and those wishing to take up this fashionable opening.
*Played by the world's top Grandmasters
*Written by leading openings theoreticians
*Ideas, strategies and tactics discussed for both sides

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)

Chess Secrets is a series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess, such as strategy, attack, defence, opening play, endgames, off-board preparation and mental attitude. In each book the author chooses and deeply studies a number of great players who have excelled in such aspects of the game, greatly influenced their peers and inspired all of us. ----- In Giants of Innovation, Craig Pritchett selects five chess legends whose play exemplifies outstandingly innovative attributes. Wilhelm Steinitz established the essential ground-rules for modern positional chess. Emanuel Lasker pioneered a new kind of total all-out battling chess. Mikhail Botvinnik taught us how to prepare and successfully play an entire range of complex modern opening systems. Viktor Korchnoi set particularly high standards in the art of defence and counter-attack. Vassily Ivanchuk, a modern byword for ingenuity and surprise, excels by constant creation. ----- n Great Chess Romantics, Craig Pritchett selects five players, whose chess artistry expresses a deeply personal commitment to the discovery and revelation of great new truths and beauty on the chessboard. Anderssen defined romanticism's inherently dramatic and correct combinational core. Chigorin championed this essence in splendid opposition to an emerging new classical consensus. Reti revealed the extraordinary power of new flank openings. Larsen confounded the overly sober, scientific Soviet schoolI at innumerable turns. In the computer age, Morozevich constantly discovers new depths to chess, while simply oozing exquisite strokes in his best games.

Many of the classics of Soviet chess literature have struggled to see the light of day, but none more so than Soviet Middlegame Technique by Peter Romanovsky. The original version of this famous guide to the middlegame was published in 1929 when Romanovsky was Soviet Champion. Romanovsky later decided to update and improve his work. As he finished his work in 1942, World War II was underway and Romanovsky was trapped in the notorious siege of Leningrad. The author barely survived and his manuscript was lost. Romanovsky was undeterred and finally recreated his improved book in 1960. His writing was later translated into English and published in two titles -- one on Planning and the other on Combinations. In this fresh translation we have included both works to create the ultimate version of a classic of Soviet chess literature.

The Sicilian Defence is Blacks most ambitious and popular defence to 1 e4. Finding a suitable weapon against it has taxed many a grandmasters brain. Should White dive into the labyrinth of mountainous theory and complications, in which the player who knows the latest theoretical wrinkle is likely to prevail, or should White abstain and instead head for the more tranquil waters of the various Anti-Sicilians on offer? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in-between! In this book, Grandmaster Nigel Davies tackles the Open Sicilian head on, but still develops an easy-to-use system for White based upon the fianchetto of the kings bishop. Davies arms the readers with an impressive repertoire which enables them to face the Sicilian Defence with renewed confidence.
*Covers all Blacks possible Sicilian defences
*Ideal for club and tournament players
*Written by an experienced openings expert

Goethe once wrote, "Everything is both simpler than we can imagine, and more complicated than we can conceive." He could well have had chess endgames in mind. Endgames have fewer pieces on the board than middlegames but this does not necessarily make them "easier" to play or understand. Tactical expertise is, understandably, generally associated with middlegame (and sometimes opening) positions. However, tactics are also crucial in endgames - a point that is sometimes overlooked. Even some quite simple looking pawn endgames can feature complex tactical ideas. Tactics in endgames also tend to be very different to middlegame tactics. As well as the familiar themes of pins, skewers and forks, endgames also feature unique concepts that rarely occur in middlegames such as pawn breakthroughs, manoeuvring for zugzwang and active use of the king as an aggressive unit. In this book the highly experienced chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities of endgame tactical play. Lakdawala assembles positions that are most effective to improve tactical ability. Work your way through this book and you will undoubtedly see the results in your own games.

For many chess players, opening study is sheer hard work. In this highly acclaimed series, Watson helps players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings by explaining not only the ideas and strategies, but also the interconnections of chess openings in general.

Reggio Emilia is a famous chess tournament in Italy. This book celebrates the 50th edition of this distinguished event. All the games are analysed, many of them by the players themselves: those sharing their chess wisdom include award-winning author Mihail Marin, rising star David Navara, and the legendary Viktor Korchnoi. Photographs and entertaining stories take the reader behind the scenes at a top-class chess tournament. Written by Mihail Marin and Yuri Garrett. Mihail Marin is a chess grandmaster from Romania. His previous books for Quality Chess have established him as one of the world's finest chess authors. Yuri Garrett is an Italian chess publisher and tournament organizer.