The King's Indian is an exciting, challenging opening which is very popular at all levels of chess. It is favoured by ambitious and aggressive players such as the two chess legends Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov who perfected the King's Indian into an opening weapon to be feared throughout the chess world. In recent years, however, White players, led by World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, have hit back hard with many important new ideas. Most experts agree that the Classical Variation is the critical test of the King's Indian. Pulling no punches, White questions Black's entire strategy and seeks nothing less than a direct refutation; it could be said that the reputation of the King's Indian rests entirely on the assessments of this hotly debated subject. In The Classical King's Indian Uncovered, Krzysztof Panczyk and Jacek Ilczuk, theoreticians renowned for their original analysis, uncover the secrets behind this contentious opening and share their discoveries with the reader. Using illustrative games, they study both the fashionable main lines and the tricky sidelines, and provide a thorough grounding in the key tactical and positional ideas for both White and Black.

The Ruy Lopez Exchange (or Spanish Exchange) is a classical and well-respected opening that is a favorite among Grandmasters and club players alike. It has provided the battle scene for many heavyweight clashes between the world's elite, including (among others) Alexei Shirov, Jan Timman, Nigel Short, and Michael Adams. Very early on in the game, a distinctive pawn structure is obtained, and in this particular opening it's the understanding of key ideas, plans, and structures that's more important than the memorization of long theoretical variations.
In this book, noted opening theoreticians Krzysztof Panczyk and Jacek Ilczuk explain the crucial strategies and tactics of the Ruy Lopez Exchange. Using model games for both White and Black, the authors provide a thorough schooling in the key ideas of both the fashionable lines and the more offbeat variations. In this way, players of all standards can quickly and confidently begin to play the Ruy Lopez Exchange with either color in their own games.
An opening originally championed by the great Bobby Fischer
Ideal for club and tournament players
Start playing the opening straight away

The Vienna variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined is a complex and fascinating system arising after 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 Bb4 5 Bg5 dxc4. This counterattacking weapon has become increasingly popular over the last decade and is frequently seen in games played at the highest level. Many games featuring elite players such as Garry Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand and Lev Aronian have started out in this variation. ----- In this QGD/Nimzo-Indian hybrid play can become extremely sharp very quickly and an in-depth knowledge of the theory is essential. Black will often grab material but will suffer from a lack of development and an exposed king. This variation will suit well-prepared players who have good tactical awareness and relish hand-to-hand combat. ----- * A complete theoretical survey of an important variation --- * A fascinating analysis of the battle between material and the initiative --- * Written by leading theoreticians