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Books > Sport & Leisure > Hobbies, quizzes & games > Indoor games
The Sniper - based on a system of development with 1...g6, ...Bg7
and ...c5! - is a dynamic weapon for Black against both 1 e4 and 1
d4. Black allows White to occupy the centre but, in true
hypermodern style, strikes back at once. The Sniper is a
fascinating opening that can lead to original or barely-known
positions in which White is thrown onto his own resources and Black
can strive for the initiative. White also has to negotiate a
minefield of transpositions, typically into Sicilian, King's Indian
or Benko-type positions. Charlie Storey has spent years refining
his favourite opening, testing it out successfully against players
of all levels. In this book he reveals all his secrets and provides
you with everything you need to know about this fascinating
opening.
Time is the bane of all kings. Always does it march forward,
bringing change and challenges, wars and disasters, invaders and
internal rebellion. This supplement for Oathmark: Battles of the
Lost Age, focuses on the passage of time and its effect on a
players kingdom. While wars and battle still determine their
ultimate fate, many other events can affect the armies of a
kingdom. Plagues and blights can reduce access to soldiers from
specific territories. Attempted coups can cost a king some of his
best generals. On the other hand, unexpected alliances might give a
kingdom access to unusual troops, or the birth of a new heir might
bring wondrous presents. Along with the rules for the passing of
years, this book also presents the option to train your units to
fight in special formations, such as phalanxes, shield walls, and
skirmish lines. These will allow players to use their existing
armies to try out new strategies and tactics to swing their battle
in their favour. This book also includes several new military
expeditions, including numerous scenarios, to once again challenge
a player's generalship.
From the late Revolutionary Wars and Egyptian campaign, to the
battles of Austerlitz, Borodino, Leipzig, and Waterloo, Absolute
Emperor is a mass battle wargame that provides all the rules needed
to play during this period of grand armies and sweeping campaigns.
Players' armies are composed of multiple corps, with command and
control being of the utmost importance, all influenced by the elan
of your general. Do you follow in the footsteps of Napoleon and be
crowned the Absolute Emperor or stand against tyranny as Wellington
and Blucher?
The King's Indian remains a hugely popular opening - unsurprising
given the attacking opportunities it offers. In many of the
ultra-sharp main lines, White wins the queenside battle but this
often turns out to be a Pyrrhic victory as Black wins the war by
checkmating on the kingside! Black is hunting the enemy king and -
in practical play - this gives him a psychological edge. David
Vigorito presents an aggressive King's Indian repertoire for Black
based on the main lines. Vigorito is renowned for his opening
expertise, and his suggested lines are full of innovative ideas. In
addition, his lucid explanations of the key plans and tactics will
benefit all players. Volume 1 deals with the Main Line (Classical)
and Samisch variations. Attacking Chess is a brand new series which
focuses on traditional attacking openings, as well as creative and
aggressive ways to play openings that are not always associated
with attacking chess. It provides hard-hitting repertoires and
opening weapons designed for players of all levels. * A King's
Indian repertoire for Black * State-of-the-art coverage of the key
lines * Packed with new ideas and critical analysis
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
Learn sure-fire tactics and combinations from one of the world's
top chess players
Attack? Defend? Swap pieces? Tactics are the watchdogs of strategy
that take advantage of short-term opportunities to trap or ambush
your opponent and quite possibly change the course of a game in a
single move. Why play in a fog, only hoping that your opponent will
blunder when International Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan can show you
how to put the tactics of the world's chess legends to work for
you. Choose from the double attack, the pin, the skewer,
deflection, the decor, x-rays, windmills and many more time-tested
tactics.
Using classic board situations arranged in chapters by tactical
themes, Seirawan teaches you how to:
Plan your entire game from the very first move
Think ahead, step-by-step, anticipating every obstacle your
opponent can throw your way
Position yourself for the smashing combination and endgame you've
always dreamed of
Board positions from actual games played by history's great chess
tacticians are provided throughout. Review tests for each topic let
you track your improvement. In no time you'll be playing better,
with more confidence than you ever thought possible.
This is the most important technical bridge book published since
Larry Cohen's To Bid or Not to Bid (60,000 copies in English
alone), and may well reach an even bigger audience. There are two
aspects to this book, both unique. First, Rodwell describes and
explains a host of innovative ideas in cardplay, strategems that
can be used as declarer or defender. Second, under the heading
'Common Mistakes', Rodwell talks about the mental side of the game:
areas that mark the key differences between an average player and a
successful one. The first draft of this book has been in existence
for more than fifteen years, but it is only now that Rodwell is
prepared to allow his 'secrets' to become public knowledge.
An adventurer's life can be difficult, but long journeys and heavy
burdens are easier when you have company. This guide to the world
of Pathfinder presents the people and organizations that can
help-or hinder-heroes like you! The Lost Omens Character Guide
features new heritages and feats for existing ancestries, as well
as three brand-new ancestries for unusual heroes forging a place
for themselves in an uncertain age. Join five of Golarion's most
influential organizations, fight alongside the rank-and-file
members provided in these pages, or clash against them in pursuit
of your own passions and goals! This must-have 136-page guidebook
for characters of all types introduces three new ancestries to
Pathfinder Second Edition-the regimented and warlike hobgoblin, the
plant-like leshy, and the inquisitive lizardfolk-provides 10 new
heritages for the game's core ancestries, offers nearly 100 new
ancestry feats, and presents 10 new archetypes to allow characters
of any class to participate in the world's most notable
organizations, from the adventurous Pathfinder Society to the
rabble-rousing Firebrands to the magical masters of the Magaambya!
This deluxe special edition is bound in faux leather with metallic
deboss cover elements and a bound-in ribbon bookmark.
Can I Have a Word? is the ultimate strategy book for word-game
lovers. It introduces the reader to a host of weird and wacky words
that will not only help them to become better word-game players but
also enhance their enjoyment of competing. It covers key word-game
themes, the mastery of which is vital for success, such as: - Two-
and three-letter words - Using a Q, Z, J or X to maximum effect -
Dealing with the letter V and other problem tiles - Coping with a
rack full of consonants or one heavy in vowels - Making seven- and
eight-letter words - Tips for victory. Readers will find this
amusing, light-hearted book immeasurably enriches their vocabulary,
enabling them, without the drudgery of studying a dictionary, to
recall all kinds of unusual and interesting words just when they
need them most.
"A bravura performance...An entertaining book" (Kirkus Reviews)
about the dramatic 2016 World Chess Championship between Norway's
Magnus Carlsen and Russia's Sergey Karjakin, which mirrored the
world's geopolitical unrest and rekindled a global fascination with
the sport. The first week of November 2016, hundreds of people
descended on New York City's South Street Seaport to watch the
World Chess Championship between Norway's Magnus Carlsen and
Russia's Sergey Karjakin. By the time it was over would be
front-page news and thought by many the greatest finish in chess
history. With both Carlsen and Karjakin just twenty-five years old,
it was the first time the championship had been waged among those
who grew up playing chess against computers. Originally from
Crimea, Karjakin had recently repatriated to Russia under the
direct assistance of Putin. Carlsen, meanwhile, had expressed
admiration for Donald Trump, and the first move of the tournament
he played was called a Trompowsky Attack. Then there was the
Russian leader of the World Chess Federation being barred from
attending due to US sanctions, and chess fanatic and Trump adviser
Peter Thiel being called on to make the honorary first move in
sudden death. That the tournament even required sudden death was a
shock. Oddsmakers had given Carlsen, the defending champion, an
eighty percent chance of winning. It would take everything he had
to retain his title. Author Brin-Jonathan Butler was granted unique
access to the two-and-half-week tournament and watched every move.
The Grandmaster "is not the usual chronicle of a world-championship
chess match....Butler offers insight into what it takes to become
the best chess player on the planet...A vibrant and provocative
look at chess and its metaphorical battle for territory and power"
(Booklist).
Brought together in one volume, two Everyman Chess classics: Can
you be a Positional Chess Genius ? and Can you be a Tactical Chess
Genius? Test your tactical chess skills with a quiz book with a
difference! Grandmaster James Plaskett, a player of distinguished
tactical ability, has carefully assembled an abundance of chess
puzzles to test players of all levels. At the beginning of each
chapter the puzzles are relatively easy, worth five points for a
correct solution. However as you move on they become more and more
difficult, soon becoming worth ten points and eventually 15. If you
get stuck, do not despair as help is at hand! You can ask a
grandmaster to obtain the guidance you need. However, use this
option carefully, as it will cost you some of your hard-earned
points. You can also obtain points for finding the basic idea of
the solution without necessarily working out all the refinements.
Either on your own or with friends, this book will provide hours of
brain-teasing enjoyment. Test your positional chess expertise with
a quiz book with a difference! International Master and experienced
chess teacher Angus Dunnington has carefully assembled an abundance
of positional chess puzzles to test players of all levels. At the
beginning of each chapter the puzzles are relatively easy, worth
five points for a correct solution. However as you move on they
become more and more difficult, soon becoming worth ten points and
eventually 15. If you get stuck, do not despair as help is at hand!
You can 'ask a grandmaster' to obtain the guidance you need to help
solve the puzzles. However, use this option carefully, as it will
cost you some of your hard-earned points. You can also obtain
points for finding the basic idea of the solution without
necessarily working out all the refinements. Either on your own or
with friends, this book will provide hours of brain-teasing
enjoyment.
Chess for Kids includes: - A comprehensive introduction to the
king, queen, knights, bishops, rooks, and pawns and how each piece
moves, attacks, and defends. - Detailed explanations of the basic
rules of chess, tactics, strategies, mating patterns, and piece
strategies. - Write-in, workbook activities to help kids 'learn by
doing,' unlike other chess books which are text heavy and not
interactive. - The best offensive and defensive strategies
including how to find weak spots in your opponent's defense and how
to close games when most of the board's pieces are gone. Learn the
pieces, study the strategies, and checkmate all your opponents in
this complete guide to mastering the game of chess!
Clear, straightforward guide by noted expert coaches readers through fundamentals of attacking and positional play, as well as how to approach the endgame. Crucial processes of assessing positions and choosing moves are examined in depth; also, how to cope with difficult positions and time-trouble. 384 diagrams.
The Pirc is an ambitious counter-attacking response to White's most
popular opening move, 1 e4. Black's philosophy is based around
allowing White to build a large and impressive-looking pawn centre,
only to plot its downfall by attacking it with pieces or timely
pawn strikes. When it works, the results can be spectacular, but of
course this method of play carries with it some danger; if Black is
not careful he runs the risk of simply being swamped in the centre.
Such a provocative approach has found favour with a line of
uncompromising Grandmasters including former Soviet Champion
Alexander Beliavsky and Mikhail Gurevich.
In this book James Vigus provides an up-to-date appraisal of the
Pirc and its many variations. Using illustrative games, he examines
the traditional main lines, the fashionable alternatives and the
tricky sidelines, while outlining the typical tactical and
positional ideas for both White and Black. A study of this book
will allow the reader to begin playing the Pirc with confidence in
his or her own games.
*Essential coverage of a dynamic opening
*Written by a Pirc expert
*Ideal for club and tournament players
FIDE Master James Vigus is a former British Junior Champion. He's a
regular book reviewer and contributor to "British Chess Magazine"
and was editor of "Dragon" (Cambridge University Chess Magazine).
This is his first book for Everyman Chess. Outside of chess, he's
completing a PhD in English Literature at Cambridge.
Dark necromancers have laid claim to forsaken kingdoms and summoned forth the souls of those who defiled their oathmarks. The dead, once again, march to war. As armies of wraiths and skeletal warriors bring destruction to their lands, the small kingdoms of the Marches also turn to the spirits of the dead. Gathering the most ancient and powerful of oathmarks, they recall the spectral forms of those that died in loyal battle to once again come forth in defence of their kingdoms. With these ethereal warriors joining their ranks, the kings of the Marches may yet stand.
This supplement for Oathmark: Battles of the Lost Age introduces the forces of the dead to the game. Some armies will use dark magic to summon the souls and corpses of traitors from the past, while others will recall the spirits of loyal warriors that gave their lives and willingly fight again. This book also includes expanded rules for characters, which allow you to chart their progress from battle-to-battle, and watch as they grow in rank, responsibility, and power. All of these rules are then incorporated into a campaign featuring new scenarios that together tell of an epic war for survival.
Brought together for the first time in one volume are three books
by the titan of chess, Jose Capablanca. ----- One of the greatest
chess prodigies of all time, he evolved the most perfect chess
technique seen on a chessboard. A former World champion, and one of
the most successful tournament players in the history of the game,
Capablanca's uncanny position judgment empowered him to produce
games that were masterful pieces of position play, and that
culminated often in combinations of startling brilliancy. ----- My
Chess Career. Written one year before he became chess champion of
the world, this book relives in Capablanca's own words 35 of his
greatest games and those events of his life relevant to his chess
career. The seminal work of the Cuban genius who repeated the
exploits of Morphy, suddenly bursting onto the European scene and
annihilating the great masters who had hitherto dominated the
international arena. This book captures the magic of Capablanca's
early victory at San Sebastian 1911 and his second place - bowing
only to Lasker - at St Petersburg 1914. ----- Chess
Fundamentals.Capablanca's classic instructional manual first
appeared in 1921, the year he defeated Emanuel Lasker for the world
championship title. This handbook is packed with timeless advice on
different aspects of practical play and illustrated by Capablanca's
own games. ----- A Primer of Chess. Capablanca's introduction to
chess is an ideal first chess book for players of all ages. In
systematic fashion, Capablanca lucidly explains the rules and basic
principles of this fascinating game, and illustrates these with a
wide range of practical examples. ----- After capturing the world
championship in in 1921, Capablanca was for a time regarded as
practically invincible. Although he surprisingly lost his title to
Alexander Alekhine in 1927, Capablanca remained a leading player
until his death in New York in 1942.
In this new book, Romain examines the latest aspect of his chess
career - being the second of a world-class player. He worked with
Veselin Topalov from 2010 until 2014, notably helping him win the
2012-13 Grand Prix series and become a World Championship
candidate. Romain tells you everything about his 'magic' experience
in this book. Going through the tournaments where he assisted GM
Topalov, the author not only analyses beautiful games, but also
explains how they managed to invent new ideas and even reveals some
that haven't been played yet. He also answers questions most chess
fans will be curious about: How do you become the second of a top
player? What does the job involve? How do you work together? How do
you prepare for an important game or important tournament? What is
a chess genius like in real life? If you enjoy fascinating games
and unexpected opening ideas, and would like to know what goes on
behind the scenes, this book is for you!
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