The third book in the series featuring the bridge-playing monks of St. Titus, whose humor enhances the bridge deals, which are always of considerable technical interest Terence Reese's and David Bird's sparkling stories about the exploits of the bridge-playing monks of St. Titus continue to delight readers the world over. Their huge success lies not only in their being extremely funny, but also in their being instructional, as they are crammed with gems of bridge bidding and play. Bridge enthusiasts who have not yet encountered the Abbot and his monastic team should make their acquaintance without delay.

There are bandits in the hills, and Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Bandit Outpost lets heroes take the fight to the enemy's lair! From the look-out tower to the prison cells to quarters for the goons, the Bandit Outpost is a perfect set-piece for any campaign, and easily doubles as a suitable home for the heroes after they have rescued it from evil. The most-popular Pathfinder Flip-Mats in history return! These fan-favorite maps feature versatile adventure settings-city streets, forests, ships, taverns, and more-and now they're back for a repeat performance. Durable and lavishly detailed, these essential adventure set pieces are sure to bring excitement to your game table for years to come! A special coating on each Flip-Mat allows you to use wet erase, dry erase, AND permanent markers with ease! Removing permanent ink is easy-simply trace over any permanent mark with a dry erase marker, wait 10 seconds, then wipe off both marks with a dry cloth or paper towel. Each Flip-Mat measures 24" x 30" unfolded, and 8" x 10" folded. On tabletops across the world, the Flip-Mat Revolution is changing the way players run their fantasy roleplaying games! Why take the time to sketch out ugly scenery on a smudgy plastic mat when dynamic encounters and easy cleanup is just a Flip away?

Unbreakable tells Lindsey Hunter's moving and heartbreaking story. Lindsey is the widow of snooker star Paul Hunter, who died tragically aged only 27 in October 2006 after a battle with cancer, leaving Lindsey and their one year-old daughter Evie bereft and alone. Lindsey met Paul Hunter when she was 21 and he was 18. When they married seven years later, Paul had become a golden boy in the world of snooker, dubbed 'the Beckham of the baize,' having won the Masters trophy three times, and attained a world ranking of number four, and Lindsey's happiness looked assured. But tragedy struck when Paul was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, neuro-endocrine tumours in his abdomen. Aggressive chemotherapy appeared to work, and within six months Paul was competing in a major championship, with Lindsey cheering him on from the side-lines. More joy came when Lindsey gave birth to their daughter, Evie Rose. But tragically, Paul died in October 2006, 18 months after his diagnosis, leaving Lindsey a widow and single mother. Lindsey was determined to celebrate Paul's life rather than mourn his death, and has dealt with the loss of her young husband on the beginning of their life together with strength and courage, for the sake of their daughter. This is not just a heartbreaking and inspirational story about LIndsey and Paul's unbreakable love but a testimony to one of the greatest sportsmen the snooker world has ever seen.

This new 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 practising 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 Torre Attack is a popular opening, especially at club level. White's development plan is straightforward and there are clear tactical and strategic goals. Sometimes White plays quietly; on other occasions he suddenly launches a direct attack against Black's king, and many quick victories arise because this unexpected aggression catches Black off guard. In this book, renowned opening expert Richard Palliser answers all the key questions and reveals everything you need to know about the opening. *Essential guidance and training in the Torre Attack *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice

This book provides a repertoire for Black with the ever-popular Queen's Gambit Declined. Opening expert John Cox covers not one but two key options for Black. The Tartakower Variation is a sophisticated defence used successfully by world champions such as Kasparov, Karpov and Kramnik. The Lasker Variation is an easy-to-learn and reliable option devised by one of the legends of the game. Cox also demonstrates how to play against White's other tries, including the Exchange Variation and Bf4 lines. He explains in detail the typical plans and tactics adopted by both sides, whilst also tackling the tricky subject of move-order possibilities. *A repertoire for Black against the Queen's Gambit *Provides answers to all of White's main options *Ideal for improvers, club players and tournament players

Designed for those who have finished a beginner course and would like something easy to carry around for reference, this handy little book will fill a major gap in bridge literature. In a humorous, conversational style, it covers all the basics of Standard bidding as well as offering some ideas on play and defense. The book includes a scoring table and a useful glossary of technical bridge terms. Designed to fit in a purse or pocket, this book will be perfect for those times when you want to point to something and say "Look partner, it says here you should have done this!" and win your argument! This book is aimed at the same market as 'The Biggest Little Bridge Book in the World', which is published by a New York bridge club, and not readily available elsewhere. This guide is, however, much more comprehensive in its content.

If you are a middling player and are keen to advance, this book will show you the way forward. David Bird has taken ten key areas in bidding and play and has applied his considerable skills as a player and critic to prove how results can be gained. The topics covered range from bidding the opponents' suit and battling for the part-score to support doubles and redoubles, and splinter bids and fit jumps. The essential points to remember are summarised at the end of each chapter and there are problems to solve which will show how much you have taken on board. Why wait any longer? Your opportunity to become a better player is here!

The French Defence is one of the most popular and reliable responses to 1.e4. This book covers the most critical variation of the Winawer, which occurs after the opening moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4. This volume presents three contrasting ways of meeting Whites aggressive opening system: 7...cxd4 leading to the notorious Winawer Poisoned Pawn; 7...00 8.Bd3 f5, a solid yet strategically complex system; and 7...00 8.Bd3 Nbc6, which leads to a tense, full-blooded battle.

* Are you a social or recreational poker player? * Would you like to improve your game and win a bit more often? * Do you have 30 minutes a day to spare? Then this is the book for you. There is a lot of material available for players trying to improve their poker game. However, much of the advice is rather advanced. It can be complicated and not always easy to implement at the table. Winning Poker in 30 Minutes a Day is different. It keeps the advice simple and direct and enables you to learn the basics of winning at no-limit hold'em with the help of over 30 appropriate and creative exercises. The aim of this book is not to turn an already very good player into an expert. The aim is to take a regular Joe (or Jane) and make him or her good enough to beat social and recreational games. Poker is a lot more fun when you are winning and this book will give you the tools to enable you to win.

This entertaining and instructive book uses the author's own tried and tested training methods and is ideal for any player in the 100-160 BCF (1400-1900 ELO/USCF) grading range.

The Modern Benoni is just about the most aggressive method that Black can choose to counter White's 1 d4. In the main line variations Black allows White to have a preponderance of central pawns which, traditionally, grants the first player the advantage. However, in return, Black gains the opportunity for tremendously dynamic counterplay. This places White and under immediate pressure as any inaccurate moves can prove to be disastrous. ----- In this book, FIDE Master John Doknjas 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. With thorough variations and explanations on pawn structures and piece placement, this book provides insight for both strong masters and less experienced players alike. The format is ideal for the chessplayer keen to improve their game. While reading you are continually challenged to answer probing questions - a method that greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of chess knowledge. ----- * A complete repertoire for Black in the Modern Benoni. --- * A question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

Chess players are known to be obsessed by openings. However, world champions have recommended that up-and-coming players should actually begin by studying the endgame first. This is because only by studying simplified positions can one fully develop an understanding of how chess pieces work - both in isolation and with each other. It is also the endgame where the true depth and subtlety of chess is revealed. In this instructive and entertaining book, renowned endgame expert Steve Giddins selects 50 of the finest examples of endgame play in the history of chess. Giddins examines each example in great detail and uses them to demonstrate the essential principles of high-quality endgame play. This book is full of essential guidelines and tips which all players should follow if they want to become a successful endgame player.

This collection of all-new essays approaches the topic of immersion as a product of social and media relations in the 21st century. Examining the premises and aesthetics of live-action and tabletop role-playing games, reality television, social media apps and first-person shooters, the essays take both game rules and the media discourse that games produce as serious objects of study. Scholars of social psychology, sociology, role-playing theory, game studies, and television studies all examine games and game-like environments like reality shows as interdependent sites of social friction and power negotiation. The ten essays articulate the importance of game rules in our analyses of contemporary media products, and demonstrate methods that allow us to see those game rules in action during the contested process of play.

When chess masters Louis Charles Mahe de la Bourdonnais and Alexander McDonnell met at London's Westminster Chess Club in 1834, the occasion was notable for a number of reasons. Hard-earned reputations were zealously protected, and masters of equal standing seldom faced each other on even terms. The chess world was watching closely, but it was the actions of bystander William Greenwood Walker, who carefully recorded each move of the 85 games, that would have the greatest impact on the future of chess. The recording and publication of game scores from a series of matches between masters was a first in chess history. The event irrevocably altered the game, giving birth to modern chess theory. Once based upon composed, abstract exercises, studied in isolation, theory now became concrete and measurable. Practice replaced contrivance, and tactics could be studied and honed in light of the avalanche of match records that followed. Louis Charles Mahe de la Bourdonnais and Alexander McDonnell played six chess matches in 1834. Biographies of the combatants illuminate their place in the game's history, and their historic venue is examined. The 85 games are analyzed using modern theory; there are numerous diagrams and previously published commentary. The merits of the openings, middle- and endgame maneuvers of the two are weighed. Nine appendices present selected games against other opponents; excerpt a contemporary account of the games' ambience; provide other interesting documents; present statistics; and provide a schematic of mistakes made by both contestants. Bibliography, notes, indexes.

Over 2,000 of the best Darts questions and answers The Sun Darts Quiz Book is the definitive darts quiz book packed full of 2,000 quality questions. Ranging from easy to difficult levels and covering all aspects of the game, quiz yourself over the basic rules of the game, the results, the politics, the history, the venues, the winners, the losers, the teams and the players. As the only darts quiz book available this is the perfect source of wisdom and trivia for Darts fans everywhere.

Philip Orbanes, master of all things Monopoliana, traces the remarkable story of the world's most famous board game, from its origins as a collegiate teaching tool in the early twentieth century through Monopoly's explosive growth in the postwar decades, to the game's current status as a fixture in homes across the globe. Along the way, Orbanes includes memorable Monopoly personality portraits, surprising Monopoly legends and lore, and an extraordinary tour of the ingenious advertising that contributed to the game's rise in popularity. This is the first and only book to cover comprehensively the origin, growth, and global reach of the game that has become a universal and everyday cultural icon.

This book portrays British chess life in the nineteenth century through biographical studies of ten players who shaped the modern game. From Captain Evans, inventor of the famous gambit, to Isidor Gunsberg, England's first challenger for the world championship, personal narratives are blended with game annotations to reassess players' achievements and character. The author has combined deep reading in primary sources with genealogical research to reveal new facts and correct previous misunderstandings. Major chapters on Howard Staunton and William Steinitz, in particular, highlight the tensions between Englishmen and immigrants, amateurs and professionals. The contrasting long careers of Henry Bird and Joseph Blackburne provide a thread of continuity. The lives of several other important figures in Victorian chess are also presented. More than 160 chess games (with position diagrams), several annotated in detail, 50 photographs and line drawings, appendices include career records for all ten, notes, bibliography and indexes.

Around 1860 a wave of talented youth intensified the Berlin chess scene. Within a short time Berthold Suhle, Philipp Hirschfeld and Gustav Neumann ranked among the best players in the world. After a few years, Suhle went on to become an authority in ancient Greek, and Hirschfeld proved a successful businessman (while remaining a sparring partner of Johannes Hermann Zukertort). Neumann retained a fascination for the game and grew into one of the world's strongest players. Despite their achievements little has been known about their lives and games. Drawing on a range of sources, the authors fill this gap, providing games with both old and new analyses. An introductory chapter on Berlin chess before 1860 and an appendix on Bernhard von Guretzky-Cornitz complete the book.

How Women Can Crack The Seemingly Closed Brotherhood Of Poker; Men do it. Boys do it. Even brothers and cousins and fathers do it. But for many women, it remains a mystery, a closed brotherhood of codes. Much has been written about poker, but this is the first book that focuses on the needs of women. This is a book for women, by women, who want to claim their seat at the poker table - and win The information in Playing With The Big Boys comes in an easy-to-follow, lively and practical presentation. Everything from the origins and basics of the game, to the variations, to strategies, and to the ways women can participate in tournaments is included. Readers will be led through the chapters by 'Laura, ' the card shark heroine: How did Laura get started? How did she become her local winner? What advice can she give to other women for their home games or for possible casino ventures? And how can women contend with husbands, boyfriends, Big Boys - and take their money Beyond the fundamentals of 5 and 7 card stud, blackjack, draw games, and Texas hold 'em, the authors investigate the unusual variants such as Chicago, Indian Poker, baseball, lowball, hi-lo, and Anaconda. hold them, and when to fold them. Bluffing gets its own separate treatment, as does the age old problem of how to manage a losing streak - or a winning streak

This thoroughly updated and revised edition of the highly acclaimed 1986 reference work provides a definitive history of all championship events in the United States through April, 2011. Both the games and the occasions are covered in depth, including biographical details, descriptive settings, anecdotes, tournament drama, unusual games, and grandmaster analysis. Included in this edition are 13 new tournaments, 40 new diagrams and 13 additional crosstables.

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 practising 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 Winawer is a very popular choice amongst French Defence players. It enjoys a sound reputation and reaches positions rich in possibilities for both players. It offers Black the opportunity to enter sharp, dynamic lines, such as the notorious Poisoned Pawn Variation, as well as lines which are more strategic in nature. In this book, FIDE Master Steve Giddins invites you to join him in studying the French Winawer, an opening which he has played for over 25 years, and its many variations. He examines instructive games, covers the most important lines and provides answers to all the key questions.

'One of the best introductory books I have come across is Basic Bridge. I recommend it to beginners and teachers alike' The European 'By far the best' Bridge Plus This is a definitive Acol textbook, equally valuable to rubber or duplicate bridge players. Set out as a course which can be used in conjunction with bridge classes or as a self-teacher, the book covers all the basic principles of bidding and play and is packed with exercises and quizzes on everything that has been taught. Recommended as the ideal textbook for learning the game, Basic Bridge will continue to be the standard beginner's guide to rubber and duplicate bridge for the foreseeable future. If you only ever buy one bridge book it has to be Basic Bridge.

As a chess player, Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935) belonged to the very best. In his peak years the Latvian-born maestro was ranked third in the world behind Capablanca and Alekhine. His greatest successes were first place in Dresden in 1926 (81/2/9, one and a half points ahead of Alekhine) and Carlsbad 1929 (15/21, ahead of Capablanca, Spielmann and Rubinstein). However, Nimzowitsch will first and foremost be remembered as the founder of the Hypermodern movement and the author of the undisputed classics My System and Chess Praxis. In his first book, he expounded his theories of prophylaxis, blockades and much more, while providing ground-breaking insights in pawn-structures. In the sequel Nimzowitsch demonstrated how he had successfully tested his theories in his games. Nimzowitschs masterpieces are unique landmarks in the history of chess. Without reading Nimzowitsch your chess education cannot be complete. Perhaps not all of his convictions have stood the test of time, but even today, any chess student will deepen his understanding and broaden his play while enjoying the author s insights and witticisms. Part of the charm of Nimzowitschs prose was his idiosyncratic use of the German language, which has carefully been preserved in Robert Sherwoods new translation. Bonus: Added are the influential essays The Blockade and On the History of the Chess Revolution 1911-1914. This edition gives the reader access to Nimzowitschs four major works!