Often chess literature for amateur enthusiasts is written by experts who are remote from the concerns, fears and realistic aspirations of club players. Whether they are members of physical organisations or, increasingly, subscribers to clubs of the virtual variety on the Internet, these readers need instruction which neither talks down to them, nor aims above their heads, with reams of telephone directory move print-outs. Such an audience is now numbered globally in hundreds of millions. They are the audience for this book.

A lifetime's playing experience has gone into the writing of this textbook, which covers the three major phases of the game, with special emphasis on the endgame where the vital points are often brought home. But there is more, such as a list of key reasons why errors are made and a discussion of that grandmaster difference. This comprehensive coaching manual can be used specifically as a teaching aid for juniors, or enjoyed as chess literature by anyone.