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!

For the first time, an English-speaking audience can ap-preciate the true nature of this famous, classic chess book as this brand-new translation recreates the authors origi-nal intention. Not to have read My System is regarded as a shocking gap in a chess players education, but English speakers had only poor translations that toned down or even deleted many passages because the translators feared Nimzowitschs famous biting wit would be controversial. Nimzowitschs ideas about how to play better chess have had a profound influence on modern chess thinking. It is commonly agreed that almost every chess master in the world has studied Nimzowitschs work. This is the first new English translation in decades. This is the first new English translation in decades and, unlike previous translations, does not censor or dilute the authors writing.

Now available in Hardback. For the first time, an English-speaking audience can appreciate the true nature of this famous, classic chess book as this brand-new translation recreates the authors original intention. Not to have read My System is regarded as a shocking gap in a chess players education, but English speakers had only poor translations that toned down or even deleted many passages because the translators feared Nimzowitschs famous biting wit would be controversial. Nimzowitschs ideas about how to play better chess have had a profound influence on modern chess thinking. It is commonly agreed that almost every chess master in the world has studied Nimzowitschs work. This is the first new English translation in decades and, unlike previous translations, does not censor or dilute the authors writing.

Chess Praxis is a superb collection of Aron Nimzowitsch's best games annotated by the great man himself, but it is even more than that. Nimzowitsch and his hypermodern ideas had a huge influence on modern chess thinking. Nimzowitsch first expounded his views in "My System." In his follow-up Chess Praxis he demonstrated and explained how his concepts worked in his own games.This is a completely new translation of Nimzowitsch's classic work, which will allow the reader to appreciate influential ideas explained in modern language

Nimzowitschs ideas about how to play better chess have had a profound influence on modern chess thinking. It is commonly agreed that almost every chess master in the world has studied Nimzowitschs work.

"First restrain, then blockade, finally destroy " was the war cry of the celebrated 1920s writer and World Chess Championship aspirant Aron Nimzowitsch. Subsequently eclipsed by his classic My System, this pioneering work (The Blockade) has now been rescued and published, with a new translation, for the very first time in dual-language format (English and German). The Editor, Philip Hughes, webmaster of the Uncrowned Kings website, has delved into chess history and provided extensive appendices in order to bring the reader a better picture of chess in the 1920s and particularly 1923-4. The chess philosophy developed by Aron Nimzowitsch, the Father of Modern Chess and the godfather of Hyper-modernism, clearly instructs the chess student on many important aspects of the game. The teachings of The Blockade reflect on the chessboard the military thinking of the day, trench warfare and strangulation, as exemplified in the recently concluded First World War. Nimzowitsch's insights remain relevant today and should be regarded as essential reading for the improving player. The introduction to this new edition of The Blockade is written by Grandmaster Ray Keene, author of a celebrated biography of Nimzowitsch and chess correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator and the International Herald Tribune.

In Chess Praxis Nimzowitsch elaborates on the strategies first adumbrated in My System with a series of deeply annotated games, demonstrating how his principles operated in practice. This was very much a manifesto for the Hypermodern School of Chess which also numbered Hardinge Simpole authors Richard Reti and S.G. Tartakower amongst its ranks.

No book has exerted a greater impact on chess thought over the past 80 years. Variations may come and go, but Nimzowitsch was a seeker after eternal truths and the precepts outlined in this strategic manual have withstood the ravages of time. Breakthroughs in understanding often follow breakthroughs in verbal formulation - Nimzowitsch's skill at translating chess board operations into words was one of the secrets both of his personal success and of the longevity of his system.