The Queen's Gambit Declined is one of the most popular and fundamental chess openings of all time and it has been the battleground for countless world-class encounters throughout the history of chess. Adherents include a long list of World champions, including Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and Vladimir Kramnik. With his first two moves, Black creates a super-strong foothold in the center, one that is incredibly difficult to break down. In this easy-to-read book, International Master John Shaw revisits the basic principles behind the Queen's Gambit and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide the reader is aided 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.
Written by a seasoned Queen's Gambit Declined expert
All the important lines are covered
A back-to-basics look at one of the most important openings

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

Fed up having to defend with Black?Annoyed by all those irritating white systems?Then this is the book for you!Russian International Master Alexander Raetsky draws upon his wealth of experience gained playing on the tough international tournament circuit to supply you with an all-in-one solution to your problems. The reader is provided with a complete repertoire for Black against 1 e4, based on the ever-reliable Sicilian Defense. Lines suggested are dependable and promise Black dynamic counterplay. The variations are also easy to learn: this book is especially useful for players who have neither the time nor inclination to learn reams and reams of the latest opening theory. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 178 pages, diagrams)

Have you ever wondered why you do well in certain tournaments and not in others? If your opening choices are the right ones? If your attacking play is good, bad, or Tinder swipe left ugly? In this entertaining account, the author explains how to achieve success in chess we need to understand our what works for us, but to achieve true mastery we should prepare to go beyond our zone of comfort. Along the way he takes us on a journey through his own world of discovery and explains how he became one of the best chess players in England. It's a deeply honest and at times tragicomic memoir as he also reveals his strategy for taking on his biggest rivals and how best to use computers to improve your chess.

In this book Grandmaster Neil McDonald takes a fresh look at the highly fashionable Winawer variation of the French Defence, a favorite of Nigel Short, Boris Gulko and numerous other grandmasters. This sharp opening leads to the kind of dynamic positions in which the better prepared and more aggressive player will invariably prevail. Leading expert Neil McDonald explains the strategy and tactics of this exciting opening in a clear and concise manner. (6 x 9, 144 pages, diagrams)

The sharp and dangerous Grand Prix Attack is one of White's most aggressive ways of countering the Sicilian Defence. It leads to very complicated play right from the first moves and contains plenty of pitfalls for the unwary Black player. Here James Plaskett takes a new look at this dangerous opening. Whether you play the Sicilian as Black, or need an antidote for White, this book is an essential addition to your armory. This guide deals with the often deadly Grand Prix Attack, has full coverage of all recent developments and is the ideal battle manual for club and tournament players. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, diagrams)

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.

One, and sometimes more engines, toil without rationing electricity, sometimes checking on their master's ideas or more oft en showing their own evaluations and recommendations on screen with each conclusion supplemented by an exact numeric equivalent. There is no arguing with such an expert. Is it even necessary? He, as the almighty judge, knows all and can answer any question. All that is needed is patience. During a mutual training session, a young player who is currently one of the top in the world, asked Garry Kasparov: "How did you evaluate positions in the past?" After all standard evaluations like "better" or "worse" are too vague and cannot begin to satisfy a modern professional. Th e very question feels like a giant gap between the approach to solving chess problems then and now. Intuition and improvisation are gradually phased out by exact knowledge and calculation. So far this has only become fully evident in the opening. More than anything else it has become opening preparation which has made the biggest fundamental change to professional chess. So now let us peer behind the curtain!

The Nimzo-Indian and Queen's Gambit Declined are amongst black's soundest and most universal answers to 1.d4. In his trademark style, Milos investigates the most positional ways to proceed after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6. He analyses all the critical lines whilst also taking a close look at all the sidelines and gives Black many new possibilities to spice up the game. We are convinced that this book will bring you inspirational games and results.

It is hard to understate the importance of tactic ability to overall chess proficiency. Of course other elements such as a knowledge of opening play and an understanding of strategy are also important. However, it is undoubtedly the case that 99% of games are won or lost because one player either spots or overlooks a tactic. Consider your own games and just imagine how much stronger you would be if you never overlooked a tactical idea. The good news is that your tactical ability is not some genetically-acquired unalterable trait. Tactical ability can always be improved through the application of diligent practice. Tactical themes are repetitive. The same arrangements of pieces occur again and again and a continual study of the subtle interactions between the forces will inevitably lead to a greater sharpness in actual play. In Tactical Training, experienced chess coach and prolific author Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through numerous tactical themes. Topics include: * Checkmating patterns. * The 32 major combinational concepts. * Numerous positions ranked in terms of level of difficulty. The final chapter focuses on a 2020 online match between Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, currently the top two ranked players in blitz, the form of chess where tactics predominate.

Win at Chess is the ultimate beginner's guide to this complex tactical game. You will quickly get to grips with the pieces, basic moves and elementary tactics - to help you develop your strategy and win. You will build your skill and learn how to exploit your opponent's strengths and weaknesses to ultimately force checkmate. The book is packed with new interactive features which include tips and commentaries on historic games and exercises for the reader. It won't overburden you with too many complex ideas too quickly, but will build your understanding and confidence in simple steps. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of chess. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Anyone who plays 1 e4 as White must be prepared not only for Black's main defences but also an assortment of less popular lines. These, when taken together, represent a significant percentage of the replies you can expect to meet when opening 1 e4. Dealing with these slightly offbeat variations is often a daunting task, especially since your opponents are likely to be specialists in these lines and therefore know them inside out. This book provides the perfect solution. International Master Andrew Greet gets to grips with each of these tricky openings. He identifies how to exploit their weaknesses whilst avoiding their strengths, thus constructing a practical and dependable repertoire for White. This book covers everything a 1 e4 player needs to know about facing these defences. Written by a renowned opening expert, this book features full of original ideas and analysis. It is ideal for improvers, club players and tournament players.

There arent many chess players who can say theyve both beaten Garry Kasparov in an official blitz game and crushed Peter Leko in a classical game in 26 moves. And who regularly win blitz tournaments high on marihuana. But then Manuel Bosboom is not an ordinary chess player. The Dutch International Master never made it to the top in chess, but over the course of his swashbuckling career he has produced an astonishing amount of brilliantly creative games. When Manuel Bosboom enters the room, a smile appears on every chess players face. Not only is he an exuberantly colourful player, he also leads an unconventional existence. His enthusiasm for the game and zest for life are highly contagious. This book offers a captivating collection of games and it also describes the adventurous life of the Wizard from Zaanstad, who grew up and still lives in a picturesque shed next to a 17th century windmill on the famous Zaanse Schans. You will be treated to many a stunning chess move, a wealth of hilarious but also touching stories and a vivid impression of the Dutch chess scene in the late 20th and early 21st century.

Chess has developed such a large body of myth and folklore that sorting fact from fiction is not easy. As with Edward Winter's previous volumes in his ""Chess Notes"" series - ""Chess Explorations"" (1996), ""Kings, Commoners and Knaves"" (1999) and ""A Chess Omnibus"" (2003) - this work (from a new publisher) features in-depth research into chess lore, corrections of popular misconceptions, biographical notes on famous players, and authenticated quotations. There is a rich selection of forgotten games, and many items include contributions from the author's correspondents worldwide. Written for the general chess enthusiast and the devotee of chess history, the book is illustrated with more than 220 rare photographs and 122 diagrams of chess positions. It concludes with a bibliography and indexes of players, games and openings, illustrations, and general subjects.

This landmark treatise of 1817 formulated the guiding principles behind the market economy. Author David Ricardo, with Adam Smith, founded the "classical" system of political economy, a school of thought that dominated economic policies throughout the nineteenth century and figured prominently in the theories of John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx. Its foundation of the tenets of diminishing returns and economic rent led to the doctrines known today as distribution theory and international trade theory, and the Ricardian system continues to influence and inform modern economic thought

Sixty-two masterly demonstrations of the basic strategies of winning at chess, featuring games by the greatest chess masters-Capablanca, Tarrasch, Fischer, Alekhine, Lasker, Petrosian among them-compiled and annotated by one of chess literature's most brilliant authors. Each game selected offers a classic example of a fundamental problem and its best resolution, described and diagramed in the clearest possible manner for players of every level of skill. 146 illustrations. Introduction. Table of Contents. Index of Players.

Are you realizing your chess potential?
Are you performing to the best of your capabilities?
Find out in this book! Using instructive chess games, International Master Graeme 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.
This book is written by an experienced chess teacher and each instructive game has been carefully selected. It is a sure way to increase your playing strength.

Improve your ability to take calculated risks! In order to win a game of chess you very often have to sacrifice material. Gathering the courage to do so while accurately assessing the potential benefits is a real challenge. The big question is always: whats my compensation? Generations of chess players grew up with the idea that a sacrifice was correct if the material was swiftly returned, with interest. Almost by reflex, they spent lots of time counting, quantifying the static value of their pieces. But is that really the best way to determine the correctness of a sacrifice? In this book, Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic teaches you how to look beyond the material balance when you evaluate positions. With loads of instructive examples he shows how the actual value of your pieces fluctuates during the game, depending on many non-material factors. Some of those factors are space-related, such as mobility, harmony, outposts, structures, files and diagonals. Other factors are related to time, and to the way the moves unfold: tempo, initiative, a threat, an attack. Modern chess players need to be able to suppress their need for immediate gratification. In order to gain the upper hand you often have to live with uncertain compensation. With many fascinating examples, Kuljasevic teaches you the essential skill of taking calculated risks. After studying Beyond Material, winning games by sacrificing material will become second nature to you.

In Volume 2 of Excelling at Chess, we publish International Master Jacob Aagaard's Excelling at Combinational Play: Learn to Identify and Exploit Tactical Chances and Excelling at Chess Calculation: Capitalising on tactical chances. Being able to solve puzzles and combinations is one of the principal components of a successful chess player. But how can one improve on such an important skill? How can one acquire combinational vision? Aagaard explains how tactical intuition and ability develops and uses pattern recognition to improve the readers tactical ammunition. It is no secret that the continued practice of puzzles and combinations helps to sharpen the chess brain, and here there is a wealth of exercises and problems to solve accompanied by the full solutions and explanations. There are many differing opinions amongst 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. In Excelling at Chess Calculation, Aagaard tackles the subject matter head on, unravelling the many secrets behind chess calculation and arming the reader 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 you calculate?", "how can you discover candidate moves?" and "how long should you spend on critical moves?"

The 1...e5 variation of the English Opening, sometimes referred to as the reversed Sicilian, leads to a variety of stimulating positions. From wild tactical melees to slow positional battles, there are variations here to suit all styles. These opening lines provide the battleground for many top Grandmaster clashes, including those of Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand and others belonging to the world's elite. In this book, Alexander Raetsky and Maxim Chetverik explain in detail the positional and tactical possibilities for both White and Black. Using illustrative games, Raetsky and Chetverik outline the current fashions in both the main variations and the tricky sidelines. Whether approaching the line as Black or White, this book is crucial reading for those wishing to play this opening.
With up-to-date coverage of a fascinating opening and written by leading openings experts, this is an ideal battle manual for competitive players

Most competitive players are very familiar with the idea of a sacrificial checkmating attack, but the positional sacrifice has been strangely neglected. By means of a subtle positional sacrifice, a player can sometimes fundamentally alter the course of a game in his or her favor. In this instructive and entertaining book International Master Neil McDonald demonstrates just how effective well-executed positional sacrifices are. Topics covered include sacrifices to open lines for the pieces, sacrifices as a defensive weapon, the exchange sacrifice, the psychology of sacrifice and much more.

This book by Grandmaster David Bronstein, one of the most original and influential players of the post-war period, is not a self-tutor in the conventional sense, where the basics of opening, middlegame and endgame play are drily explained. Instead, the author engages in a frank conversation with the reader, discussing how strong players decide on their moves

The Slav has a well-deserved reputation as one of Black's strongest answers to 1 d4. It is hugely respected by the top Grandmasters, 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 this book, opening expert James Vigus examines the Slav in detail and presents a comprehensive and trustworthy repertoire for Black. Drawing upon his playing experiences and years of study in this opening, Vigus outlines the main ideas for both sides and highlights the tactics to watch out for, as well as crucial practical issues such as move orders. This book will provide you with enough knowledge and skill to play the Slav with confidence in your own games. *Presents answers to all of White's options*Covers typical plans for both sides*Written by a Slav specialist