Discover hidden gems around Liverpool with 20 walking routes. Featuring 20 walks in and around the city, including lesser-known circuits and details on popular walks. Accompanied by guided walking instructions and written by a local expert, A-Z Liverpool Hidden Walks is the perfect way to explore the city in a new light. Small enough to fit in a bag or pocket, this handy guidebook is ideal for tourists or locals looking to discover more about the city. Each route varies in length from 1 to 6 miles (1.6 to 9.6 km), and is clearly outlined on detailed A-Z street mapping. 20 walking routes with instructions and maps Full-colour photographs of hidden gems and city attractions Key sights and locations clearly marked on map Information such as start/finish points, nearest postcodes, distance and terrain included More from the A-Z Hidden Walks series: A-Z Birmingham Hidden Walks A-Z Bristol & Bath Hidden Walks A-Z Edinburgh Hidden Walks A-Z London Hidden Walks A-Z Oxford Hidden Walks A-Z York Hidden Walks A-Z Brighton Hidden Walks A-Z Cambridge Hidden Walks A-Z Manchester Hidden Walks A-Z Liverpool Hidden Walks

With the intrigue of a psychological thriller, the heart of a romance and the beauty of a fantastical dive into history, The Tears of Boabdil tells the story of an undercover special agent unwittingly drawn into a forbidden romance and a glimpse of a distant past that mirrors today. Longlisted for the McKitterick Prize Sworn to his country and committed to his work, Vince is an undercover agent. He masquerades as an Islamic convert to infiltrate a British Jihadi group. There, he meets Ayesha, the beautiful sister of the leaders and soon becomes entangled in a way that threatens his grip on reality. The part he's playing takes over, and he convinces himself he's in love. Oblivious to the danger to Ayesha and to his sanity, he lures her into a relationship. Now he must choose between a duty that strengthens barriers or a love that breaks them. "A thematically ambitious novel, interweaving multiple narrative lines. Both disturbing and arresting." Adam Craig, author of Vitus Dreams and fiction editor for Cinnamon Press "A joy to read-a range of emotions from sympathy to horror." Alina Voyce, author of Lifelights

Two great books from the Everyman Chess Library, French Classical by Byron Jacobs and French Winawer by Neil McDonald, brought together in one volume. In French Classical International Master Byron Jacobs offers a fresh look at the Classical variation of the French Defence, which has been popular for nearly a century and is championed by such fighting players as Victor Korchnoi and Alexander Morozevich. All of the important variations are considered in detail with particular emphasis on those which are most fashionable. A modern look at the highly fashionable French Winawer, which remains the sharpest variation of the French Defence. It leads to the kind of dynamic positions in which the better prepared and more aggressive player will invariably prevail. Leading expert Neil McDonald explains the strategy and tactics of this exciting opening in a clear and concise manner.

Two great books by Neil McDonald from the Everyman Chess Library, Starting Out the Reti and Starting Out: The English, brought together in one volume. ----- The Reti is a popular opening at all levels of chess. The great advantage it possesses over other openings is that it's a thematic system which can be adopted against many different defences, and because of this it's a firm favourite amongst those who prefer the understanding of ideas over dry memorization of moves. ----- In this book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald examines the Reti by going back to basics, introducing the key moves and ideas, and taking care to explain the reasoning behind them - something that has often been neglected or taken for granted in other works. ----- The English is a sophisticated and popular opening system that is suitable for all types of players and can lead to both positional and tactical middlegames. Many of the world's top players, including Kasparov and Kramnik, include the English in their openings weaponry. ----- In this groundbreaking book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald revisits the basic principles behind the English and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide the reader is aided by a wealth of notes, tips and warnings from the author, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. This book is ideal for the improving player.

'The Sicilian BB5 Revealed' follows the huge success of 'The Benko Gambit Revealed' and 'The Queen's Pawn Attack Revealed' in a new and innovative series of books. Using fresh, clear presentation, the key ideas of the openings are explained in an entertaining and accessible way.The aim of this series is to provide the essential knowledge to play the opening, while at the same time revealing the current thinking of the World's elite players. For example, 'First Moves' leads readers through the basic opening moves. 'Heroes & Zeroes' gives the best and worst performances with the opening and features some of the leading exponents of the Benko Gambit. 'Tricks & Traps' reveals how you might catch out your opponent. 'What's Hot' pinpoints the very latest ideas from the world's elite. A detailed table in the style of ECO is given at the close of the book, summarising the main variations with assessments. 'The Sicilian BB5' is the most popular and successful Anti-Sicilian Variation. It first came to attention when it was used by Vassily Ivanchuk to score a stunning win against Gary Kasparov at Linares in 1991. It has since become recognised as the perfect way to avoid mainline Sicilian theory without compromising White's attacking ideals. As such it has proved a deadly weapon in the hands of Adams and Grischuk - and even Kasparov himself. In this book you will find full coverage of both 2...d6 3.Bb5+ and 2...Nc6 3.Bb5. You will be shown how to implement in your own games the ideas and attacking systems that have worked so successfully at the highest level.

Chess Secrets is a series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess: strategy, attack, opening play and gambits, classical play, endgames and preparation. In each book the author studies a number of great players from chess history who have excelled in a particular field of the game and who have undeniably influenced those who have followed. In The Giants of Power Play, Neil McDonald selects five players who have excelled in the field of 'power play' - the art of putting opponents under constant pressure. The methods of doing so are numerous, including gaining rapid development in return for material to build up an initiative, preparing powerful opening ideas in advance, or even developing completely new opening systems. McDonald examines the contributions made by each player, their differences in approach and style, and from Morphy to Topalov, how they followed in each other's footsteps. A study of this book will help you to enhance your skills in one of the most crucial elements of the game. *An entertaining and instructive guide to power play *Learn from the greats of the game *Discover how famous chess minds work

'Move by Move' is a brand new series which provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, 'Move by Move' 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 opening skills and knowledge. In this book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald studies one of the most important openings of all, the Ruy Lopez, which is still regarded as White's strongest choice after 1 e4 e5. Also known as the Spanish Opening, the Ruy Lopez has a long and distinguished history. It's sufficient to say that it has been played by virtually every single great player! McDonald shares his experience and knowledge, examines the opening from both sides of the board, and offers answers to all the key questions. *Essential guidance and training in the Ruy Lopez *Written by an opening expert and renowned coach *Key ideas absorbed by continued practice

These books are perfect for enthusiastic chess players who are starting out in the game, and who are seeking to understand the basic principles behind these important openings: the Ruy Lopez and the English. Both books are written in a user-friendly style with an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings scattered throughout, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.The authors of these books are very skilled and experienced chess writers, who are used to writing for players of all levels and are renowned for their ability to explain ideas in a lucid and straightforward manner.These books will be especially beneficial to those players who have previously sharpened their chess skills with the earlier books Starting Out in Chess, Tips for Young Players, and Improve Your Opening Play.In this revolutionary book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald revisits the basic principles behind the English and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide readers are aided by a wealth of notes, tips, and warnings from the author, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for Doth sides are clearly illustrated. This book is ideal for the improving players.

The Caro-Kann has always been one of the most widely played openings among club and tournament players. This handy battle manual deals with the critical main line positions after 1 e4 c6 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4. Highly regarded author Grandmaster Neil McDonald offers a comprehensive survey of the state of current theory for both White and Black players, explaining the basic elements, strategies and tactics for both sides. This guide covers one of the most fashionable chess openings in current practice. It is ideal for club and tournament players and it provides everything you need to know to start playing the main line Caro-Kann straightaway. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 144 pages, diagrams)

Most competitive players are very familiar with the idea of a sacrificial checkmating attack, but the positional sacrifice has been strangely neglected. By means of a subtle positional sacrifice, a player can sometimes fundamentally alter the course of a game in his or her favor. In this instructive and entertaining book International Master Neil McDonald demonstrates just how effective well-executed positional sacrifices are. Topics covered include sacrifices to open lines for the pieces, sacrifices as a defensive weapon, the exchange sacrifice, the psychology of sacrifice and much more.

As we progress as chess players we quickly learn a set of guidelines which help us to formulate plans, develop typical strategies and recognize key tactics. However, chess is not an easy game, with fixed 'rules' that can be applied to every single position. In fact, blindly following such rules proves to be counterproductive and prevents a player from moving on to the next level, whereas knowing when to 'break' these rules is precisely the skill which separates the best from the rest. In this instructive book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald studies in depth the key components of successful rule-breaking in chess. Drawing upon his own experience and using illuminating examples from modern grandmaster chess, McDonald examines how to avoid stereotypical thinking, how to exploit typical thinking patterns, and how to confuse and beat opponents with surprising ideas. *Enhance your chess strategy and creativity *Recognize and exploit typical thinking processes *Covers opening, middlegame and endgame play

Part of Starting Out series, this book revisits the fundamentals of the Reti, examining the key moves and plans for both sides. It explains the reasoning behind key moves and ideas. It is suitable for improvers, club players and tournament players.

Two winning books in one volume. 10 Great Ways get better at Chess by Nigel Davies How can you improve at chess? This is the eternal question asked by players of all levels. Which part of the game should you focus on? How often should you play? Should you change your opening repertoire? What's the best way to learn from your defeats? So many questions ... and yet direct answers are hard to find. In this book Grandmaster Nigel Davies provides that direction. He examines the methods used by a number of players who were looking to improve their game, and how they went about achieving their goal. He has drawn heavily on the games and thoughts of players who have been his students over the years and experienced a clear improvement in their play. Break the Rules!: A Modern Look at Chess Strategy by Neil McDonald In this instructive book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald studies in depth the key components of successful rule-breaking in chess. As we progress as chess players we quickly learn a set of guidelines which help us to formulate plans, develop typical strategies and recognize key tactics. However, chess is not an easy game, with fixed 'rules' that can be applied to every single position. In fact, blindly following such rules proves to be counterproductive and prevents a player from moving on to the next level, whereas knowing when to 'break' these rules is precisely the skill which separates the best from the rest.

Many players are serious about their chess but become stuck at a certain playing strength. It's rarely a lack of talent or practice or opening knowledge that holds them back. Usually they get left behind because they don't know how to make best use of the time they have available to study chess. ----- This book addresses this problem and is your self-improvement plan. It shows you how to work on your own games to root out mistakes. It will sharpen your calculation of variations. You will be challenged to find the best middlegame strategy. Endgame technique is also covered in detail. All topics are discussed with numerous examples and puzzles from the games of modern players such as Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and Viswanathan Anand. If you want your chess to leap forward it's time to Coach Yourself! ----- * A complete self-improvement programme. --- *All aspects of the game included. ---* Utilizes a structured approach, making the most of your study time.

"To be passive... is fatal to the beginner or medium player - such players must be aggressive. He must attack, because only in that way can he develop his imagination, which is a very important thing." This quote comes, perhaps surprisingly, from Jose Capablanca, a world champion far better known for his brilliant strategic and positional play than his attacking prowess. This emphasizes the fundamental importance of having a clear understanding of how to build up and execute an attack. Every chess player loves to attack. Directing one's forces towards the enemy king, probing to create weaknesses and ultimately crashing through with a brilliant sacrifice is always a thrilling experience. However, attacking play must always be based on sound principles and carried out in a forceful and logical manner. This is not always a straightforward task. In this book, the highly experienced author and grandmaster Neil McDonald guides the reader through all the complexities of attacking play. Topics include: * Attacking a king trapped in the centre. * Exploiting weaknesses to develop an attack. * Preventing reinforcements from rescuing the king.

Two books from the Chess Secrets series brought together in one volume. Chess Secrets is a series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess: strategy, attack, classical play, opening play, endgames and preparation. In each book the author chooses and deeply studies a number of great players from chess history who have excelled in a particular field of the game and undeniably influenced those who have followed. Chess Secrets: Heroes of Classical Chess: Learn from Carlsen, Anand, Fischer, Smyslov and Rubinstein by Craig Pritchett. In Heroes of Classical Chess, Craig Pritchett selects five great players whose style exemplifies classically direct, clear, energetic, tough, ambitious yet fundamentally correct chess playing attributes. Pritchett studies the major contributions they have made, compares their differing styles and discusses the critical influences they have had on the development of chess, on their peers and on all our games. Chess Secrets: The Giants of Strategy: Learn from Kramnik, Karpov, Petrosian, Capablanca and Nimzowitsch by Neil McDonald. The chess world has been blessed with some wonderful strategists, innovators of the game with their instructive play and profound teachings. In The Giants of Strategy, Neil McDonald chooses his selection of the most prominent ones and highlights the major contributions they have made. He examines their differing approaches and styles, and from Nimzowitsch to Kramnik, how they followed in each other's footsteps. A careful study of this book will help you to understand and improve in one of the most crucial elements of the game.

The Modern Defence leads to sharp and dynamic positions from the very first few moves. Black concedes space in the center with a view to launching a counterattack based on his powerful bishop fianchetto. As leading grandmasters such as Alexei Shirov, Mikhail Gurevich and Jon Speelman himself have shown on numerous occasions, when it works, the Modern Defence is truly a spectacular weapon. This book will show you how to put it to use in your own games. (6 x 9, 160 pages, diagrams)

Every chessplayer, from beginner to world champion, loves to win a game with a brilliant attacking display. However many, if not most, attacks that end in victory do so due to inaccurate defence. This may be due to simple tactical miscalculation or perhaps a more fundamental misunderstanding of the important principles of defence. Furthermore, many attacks that are launched are simply unsound but succeed because many players feel uncomfortable when forced to defend, get flustered and make mistakes. In this book, highly experienced chess author and coach, Neil McDonald addresses these issues. Defensive skill is crucial in chess. Good, accurate defence can win a game just as well as a fine attacking display can, so expertise in this department is essential for any player wishing to improve their game. With thorough explanations, questions, and exercises, this book provides fascinating material to enable you to hone your defensive skill and not feel intimidated when your opponent hurls pieces at your king.

The Queen's Gambit Declined is an opening of great historical importance and Black's fundamental answer to 1 d4. From the very first move Black obtains a firm foothold in the centre, something that White finds extremely hard to undermine. Indeed, Black often bases his entire strategy around this control. The soundness of the Queen's Gambit Declined has never been in question, and its supporters at the highest level include a long list of Grandmasters headed by Kasparov, Kramnik, Karpov and Short, as well as many World Champions from the past.
This book is a further addition to Everyman's best-selling "Starting Out" series, which has been acclaimed for its original approach to tackling chess openings. Neil McDonald goes back to the basics of the Queen's Gambit Declined, introducing the key moves and ideas, and taking care to explain the reasoning behind them - something that is often neglected or taken for granted in other texts. In this user-friendly guide, the reader is helped throughout by an abundance of notes, tips and warnings highlighting the vital characteristics of the Queen's Gambit Declined and of opening play in general. "Starting Out: Queen's Gambit Declined "is a perfect guide for improving players or for those new to this opening.
*Detailed coverage of a classic chess opening
*Written by a Queen's Gambit Declined expert
*All the main lines are covered
English Grandmaster Neil McDonald is an experienced and successful player on the international chess circuit. He is a respected chess coach, who has trained many of England's strongest junior players. McDonald is also a talented chess writer and has many outstanding works to his name. Earlier Everyman Chessbooks include "Concise Chess Openings "and "Starting Out: The English,"

In this book Grandmaster Neil McDonald takes a fresh look at the highly fashionable Winawer variation of the French Defence, a favorite of Nigel Short, Boris Gulko and numerous other grandmasters. This sharp opening leads to the kind of dynamic positions in which the better prepared and more aggressive player will invariably prevail. Leading expert Neil McDonald explains the strategy and tactics of this exciting opening in a clear and concise manner. (6 x 9, 144 pages, diagrams)

Building and maintaining an opening repertoire can be a demanding task - for a start there are an enormous number of different lines to choose from. There's a strong temptation amongst beginners and improving players to opt solely for tricky lines in order to snare unsuspecting opponents, but this approach has only short-term value. As you improve and your opponents become stronger, very often these crafty lines don't stand up to close scrutiny, and suddenly you're back to square one with no suitable opening weapons. In "Starting Out: 1 e4!" Neil McDonald solves this perennial problem by providing the reader with a strong and trustworthy repertoire with the white pieces based on the popular opening move 1 e4. The recommended lines given here have stood the test of time and are regularly employed by Grandmasters. Reading this book will give you the confidence to play these variations against all strengths of player and provide you with reliable opening armoury for years to come. This book is written in "Everyman Chess's" distinctive 'Starting Out' style, with plenty of notes, tips and warnings throughout to help the aspiring player. Presents a Grandmaster-style opening repertoire, written by a 1 e4 expert that is ideal for improving players.

Two books from the Chess Secrets series brought together in one volume. Chess Secrets is a series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess: strategy, attack, classical play, opening play, endgames and preparation. In each book the author chooses and deeply studies a number of great players from chess history who have excelled in a particular field of the game and undeniably influenced those who have followed. Chess Secrets: The Giants of Power Play: Learn from Topalov, Geller, Bronstein, Alekhine and Morphy by Neil McDonald. In The Giants of Power Play, Neil McDonald selects five players who have excelled in the field of 'power play' - the art of putting opponents under constant pressure. McDonald examines the contributions made by each player, their differences in approach and style, and from Morphy to Topalov, how they followed in each other's footsteps. Chess Secrets: Great Attackers: Learn from Kasparov, Tal and Stein by Colin Crouch The chess world has witnessed a great number of wonderfully gifted attacking players, geniuses who have dazzled the chess public with their brilliant masterpieces. Everyone has their own favourites, and in Chess Secrets: Great Attackers, Colin Crouch chooses three of his own: Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Tal and Leonid Stein. World Champions Kasparov and Tal need no introduction, while Stein was a highly creative and intuitive player with the ability to destroy the world's best players with his vicious attacks.

Rudolph Spielmann was one of the most fearsome attacking players in the history of chess. He was very much from the so-called "Romantic School," where gambits were always accepted and checkmating the king was the only real thought of the players. His love of the King's Gambit and similar aggressive openings earned him the respect of his peers early in his career and he went on to become one of the strongest Grandmasters of his time. His philosophy on chess could be summed up by his quote: "A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused."
In this book, Neil McDonald takes a look back at how Spielmann overcame his opponents in dazzling style, carefully choosing and analyzing some of Spielmann's most glorious attacks and famous combinations. A deep study of his games cannot fail to entertain and inspire any true chess enthusiast.
>Includes Spielmann's most brilliant sacrificial games
>Ideal for the attacking-minded chess players
>Perfect for sharpening tactical ability

The Dutch Defence is an ambitious and underrated counter to the queen's pawn opening. With his very first move Black creates an asymmetrical pawn structure, thus unbalancing the position from a very early stage and allowing both White and Black players to fight for the initiative. Black also has many options within the Dutch Defence, from the ultra-solid Stonewall formation through to the fluid Classical System and the dynamic Leningrad Variation.
In this user-friendly book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Dutch Defence and its many variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, warnings and exercises to help the improving player, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.
*User-friendly design helps readers absorb ideas
*Concentrates on the key principles of the Ruy Lopez
*Ideal for the improving player

The Dutch Defence is one of Black's most enterprising answers to 1 d4. Black strives to unbalance the position by creating an asymmetrical pawn structure on the very first move, giving himself every opportunity to fight for the initiative from the outset. In this book, Neil McDonald tells you everything you need to know in order to play this opening successfully. He provides the reader with a comprehensive repertoire against 1 d4, with the dynamic Leningrad Variation as Black's main weapon. Read this book and play the Dutch with confidence!