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I am convinced that to cultivate the memory of the past and to study the classics is always useful and worthwhile, not least because it enables us to understand and face with greater awareness the facts and the problems of the present time. Much has already been written about the giants who have preceded us, and in particular, the Cuban, José Raúl Capablanca, and the Russo-Frenchman, Alexander Alekhine, but a new approach can surely offer different and interesting perspectives. In The Duel, Alessandro Bossi and Claudio Brovelli go deep into the lives of these two legendary World Champions, who have left their mark in an unforgettable manner on their epoch (the first forty years of the 20th century) and who remain – in part, due to their very different personalities and relationship with the game – inimitable examples for all the chess-playing generations to come. The choice to present in parallel the two biographies (in my opinion quite rightly so), shows clearly and effectively similarities and differences, not only in the style of play, but also in the approaches to life of the two protagonists. With very precise historical descriptions and presenting the events in chronological order, the authors accompany us on a journey alongside the lives of these two legends of chess. In this fashion the personalities emerge, in many ways antithetical but equally fascinating: Capablanca, friendly and charming in society, precocious, genial and nearly invincible on the chessboard, and Alekhine, who combined a wonderful talent with a capacity for work, a competitive attitude and an energy which was truly enviable. Alekhine was rational and focused in pursuing his objective to supersede his rival. The Cuban champion represented for the younger Russian player a reference and a model – firstly, to be studied from a critical and highly penetrating perspective and then to be surpassed and beaten. The fact that, after wrestling the world title from him in the year 1927, Alekhine had always refused Capablanca . The Duel, the chance of revenge will always remain a cause of regret for chess fans, but it also demonstrates that the new World Champion was fully aware of having performed a feat that was perhaps not repeatable. The many masterpieces that both of them created on the chess board, which constitute for the public their most important legacy, enrich this volume and underline key moments of their respective careers. The games are analyzed well by the authors, who enlighten the reader as to how the diverse conceptualization and the different styles of the “duelists” (the more strategic and positional of Capablanca’s versus the more aggressive and combinative of Alekhine’s) are instructive and entertaining even nowadays, for all those who love chess and who wish to improve their understanding of it. The value of this volume lies also in the parts where Bossi and Brovelli, with painstaking accuracy, have quoted both direct impressions of the two protagonists (interviews, articles, letters and quotations from their works) and evaluations (in the comments and memories of their contemporaries). In such a way, a contest of wider significance is described, which helps in understanding the characters, the period and the specific contexts. Among the witnesses emerges, in particular, Esteban Canal, the great champion of Peruvian origin who spent much of his time in Italy. He had the privilege of fighting with both Capablanca and Alekhine and becoming acquainted, if not a friend, with them. One of the authors, Alessandro Bossi, was lucky enough to come to know Canal personally and to hear directly from him of the many episodes and anecdotes described in this book. Enjoy your reading! GM Michele Godena, March 2022 -
Endgame theory teaches us two fundamental issues: First, how to extract the maximum from a basic theoretical position with little material, where the experts (from practice comprising thousands of games) have reached definite conclusions. Second, the way in which we can handle an endgame, depending on the material remaining on the board, and the ideas and plans we should employ. The purpose of this series is to introduce the reader to advanced training concepts, using the same methods of presentation and instruction that were taught to great players by famous trainers that they have worked with. The series will start with the topic of “the Bishop Pair” and we will examine how to handle this “power of the sun” coupling. -
“Learning the Najdorf will help all players to understand Sicilians in a better way. Different aspects of chess such as defence, attack and sacrifice, positional themes and tactical storms, can be found in this book.” ~ Milos Pavlovic -
“Contrary to what critical pessimists might say, the Reti opening is an ambitious weapon for White. By avoiding the main theoretical debates, White tries to reach an unbalanced position from an early stage of the game, with many different plans available.” ~ Adrien Demuth -
“The key to each pattern is the status of the squares surrounding the king: which ones are obstructed, which are potential flight squares that can be controlled with the available pieces. Players are advised to know these patterns forwards, backwards and upside down!” ~ Efstratios Grivas -
If he thinks an idea will work over the board, the notion of risk is irrelevant to him. He wants to be on the attack and believes an objectively inferior position isn’t necessarily bad if his opponent needs to find several difficult defensive moves. “If that’s the only move for my opponent, let’s enter the line and see if he sees it!” is his philosophy.” ~ Romain Edouard -
“Here we are, together on this page, both interested in the French Defence with 3.Nc3 Bb4.” ~ David Miedema -
“This book is about the greatest chess players who ever lived, who dominated their era and were looked upon as World Champions even at a time when this term, this very concept, did not yet exist.” ~ Paul van der Sterren -
“My aim in this book, as well as its two predecessors, is not only to help you improve your middlegame understanding but to give you new and different ideas/concepts to employ in your own play.” ~ Ivan Sokolov -
“Credit can mostly be given to Kasparov for reviving this old opening, but there are many others who have contributed to exploring new ideas and forging new paths. A lot of discoveries have been made by some young grandmasters who don’t shy away from analysing deep tactical solutions with the aid of the silicon beast.” ~ Milos Pavlovic -
“In my opinion, the Delayed Benoni is a kind of mystery for White also, since it has not been covered deeply enough in chess publications. So I think that this work could be useful for White players, too.” ~ Ivan Ivanisevic -
“Together With Mamedyarov” is not a collection of his selected games but it is primarily a study-book. It contains test positions taken from games of the famous Azeri grandmaster with detailed comments on the solutions to the tasks. In this book the solutions have been placed right after a diagram with a test except for the six positions given as a warm-up in the beginning of the chapter one. For those of you who work without the assistance of a coach would recommend that you cover the answer with a sheet of paper to avoid spoiling the benefit of solving the problem. -
“It just takes some time to become familiar with all the possibilities and ensuing middlegames. But once you finally master the isolated pawn structure, it will serve you well and equip you with a wide selection of tools with which you can outplay your opponent” ~ David Miedema -
“It’s all simple: memorize a few lines and then go fight for the initiative from the very beginning” ~ Yaro Zherebukh -
“Over time, my attention focused on the Modern Benoni. In this opening, the bishop on g7 is the same icon that is the basis of the King’s Indian, but here it can operate on the whole a1-h8 diagonal instead of being locked in by its own pawn on e5, as usually happens in the King’s Indian. Black’s plan is outrageously simple: with pawns on d6 and c5, and sometimes b4, he creates a breakwater that opens up space for his favorite on g7.” ~ Alexey Kovalchuk -
The positions arising from the Open Spanish contain ideas so different from the usual Ruy Lopez that I sometimes wonder whether it should really be considered part of it at all. It is an open game with unbalanced structures and sharp play but compared to the Sicilian, for instance, for which the previous description would also apply, there is an important difference; there is a certain degree of stability and solidity in the Open Spanish which distinguishes it from the sharper realms of the Sicilian and puts this line in its own unique category of opening ideas. -
This book invites the reader to enter the wonderful elite chess world with one of the most creative GM’s of all time, Alexander Morozevich. It tells about his approach to the core of fighting, about his strongest points but also about his weaknesses. It presents masterpieces and painful losses. However, the author not only shows a panorama of his creativity but also offers the reader to think over the problems together with ‘Moro’. You can simply take place in his seat, look through his eyes and finally play like Morozevich! -
“With this book, I wanted to revitalise the Benko and show that, although the computer isn’t that happy with Black’s positions in certain lines, his resources are impressive, especially in ‘THE PRACTICAL GAME’, because White will face many difficulties and Black’s counter attacks, no matter how well-prepared he is. Our Beloved Benko is still very much ALIVE!:” ~ Milos Perunovic -
The problems in the book are accessible to players with a level from modest to confident. The most difficult ones are marked with an asterisk, while the most challenging chapter comes with a help page, that you may check when necessary. -
- A repertoire for Black providing all answers to White’s options.
- Paced with exciting games, original ideas and analysis.
- Thorough and up-to-date coverage of one of the most topical openings.
- Positionally motivated lines, but none the less never forgetting the needed dynamics.
- Aggressive ideas to tackle head-on white’s solid set-ups.
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Crucial Exercises To Sharpen Your Understanding This is the third book of the Thinkers’ Chess Academy series. I thought long and hard about the best way to structure this Workbook. My idea was to make a book with additional exercises for readers of my earlier books Thinker’s Chess Academy Volumes 1 & 2 (TCA1 and TCA2 for short) while working with these books, plus material for really interested and ambitious readers to maintain and broaden the skills they have already learned. -
- The clarity, simplicity, and pure instructiveness of this book is striking.
- The analysis is first rate, the commentary cogent, and the production excellent.
- The emphasis is on general principles that readers will be able to use in their own games.
- The key is to always stay ahead of your opponent and know how to control the chaos on the chess board. Armin Juhasz explains all this in detail without losing sight of practical decision making.
- With the right strategies, anyone can become a champion and level up their game to become unstoppable. This book is for the ambitious and keen player!
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DragonMasters volume 1 charts the history of the most exiting and dangerous opening known to chess – the Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defense. Unlike almost all other books on the Dragon, the focus is not purely on theoretical development. Instead, the author has combined the mist historically important games, the famous players who chose to fight either side (sometimes both sides!) of the opening, and the moist unexpected and interesting stories featuring the Dragon. World Champions, contenders of the crown, code-breakers, revolutionaries in every sense of the world – all feature in this remarkable and entirely unique look into the history of an opening variation. as the ancient may say: Here be Dragons! -
Ivan Sokolov was one of the most furious attacking and creative players of his time. The author presents an overview of is his Life in Chess, full of entertaining unpublished material. He is not shy to share his opinions and promises the reader a personal roller coaster loaded with fun stories and unexpected twists. We are convinced you will enjoy the ride! -
Á útsölu!
- Jan Boekelman has produced you with a playable repertoire out of a somewhat sideline Opening, which nobody dared to touch to make it into an entire repertoire.
- Try to expand your knowledge in the 3.c3 variation and go beyond the book’s content
- Deepen your knowledge in 3.c4 variation and do not play it before you know it well
- Finally, follow the very strong GM Vladislav Artemiev, who has had a relatively successful run with this opening in rapid online events.
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“1.e4 e5 is not just an opening. It is repertoire that represents our game as a whole. It is something players of all styles will enjoy due to the countless possibilities 1…e5 provides. Hopefully, learning 1…e5 will also make you a better player” ~ Yuriy Krykun -
“Chess is not for the faint of heart,” Steinitz once said. I agree 100%! Chess players do not need pumped up muscles, they need a stable neuropsychic organization. How else can you resist the constant pressure that every nerve cell of the player experiences? I don’t always like this constant struggle with the stress that hangs over you, especially when you are wrong in a winning position. And in recent years, another “problem” has been added – incredibly powerful computer engines that younger opponents skillfully use in preparation for the game. But when you win a beautiful game or use a theoretical novelty invented at home (albeit with the help of a computer), or defend a difficult hopeless position, how great it is! And at such moments you don’t think what chess is – it is science, art or sport. At times like these, they are just part of your life.” ~ Vladimir Okhotnic -
“The endgame is the moment of truth. It is the phase of the game where we will try to reap the seeds of our effort regardless of whether that is the full point of victory or the half point of the draw. The significance of errors increases in the endgame as the opportunities for correcting them are few.” ~ Efstratios Grivas -
“A lot of the topics listed demand a very straightforward type of thinking or approach. However it also happens that chess players often discover significant resources which formally exist outside the typical rules of chess. Those who know how to break all the rules and work around those specific guidelines reach the very top.” ~ Evgeny Bareev -
“The current trend, developed in recent years, is for Black to capture on d4 with his e-pawn, aiming for Benoni-type pawn structure positions which lead to rather double-edged positions.” ~ Ivan Sokolov -
The Hyper Accelerated Dragon is recommended for all players that are eager to enter critical lines in this exciting Sicilian Opening! -
Find your role model. This book contains games from every single female World Champion, as well as young up and comers, top seasoned professionals, streamers, and even a section at Beth Harmon from the recent famed Queen’s Gambit hit show. This book is not just for girls and women, however. Any chess player can learn from these games and discover female chess history, both from the famous players in the past right up to the present day. -
My aim with the book was to provide you with a lot of insights into this remarkable variation, The Ark, and to entertain the reader with spectacular, resourceful lines to illustrate the ideas. Thus, I must stress that my book should also be interesting for those who just enjoy chess in general, not just for the fans of this line seeking new ideas! Of course, you don’t need to memorize everything to be able to play the variation successfully. Longer lines merely tend to be examples of how the game might develop, which help to enhance your understanding. -
The idea behind this book is for you to ‘play’ as in a real game, and it is my job to ensure you have a pleasant time while training. I suggest you take at least an hour and a half for each game and as your coach I will indicate when to guess the moves. Sometimes there will be suggestions — including tricky ones — to measure your concentration level. The ideas behind the moves are always explained. The games have been chosen according to my personal liking and commentaries are based on those by the players themselves, which is a great help in understanding what indeed happened. In some games you will have to guess moves for the losing side too. Indeed, I expect that as you proceed you will become familiar with the question of Mark Dvoretsky: “What could my opponent play?”. Importance has also been given to the practical aspect, which doesn’t always coincide with the suggestions off ered by the engines as best. This is to make it more like ‘a real game’. -
“A passed pawn must be blockaded, so as to have its power restrained as much as possible. The minor pieces (knight or bishop) are ideal for this purpose, as they can rarely be forced to retreat by enemy action. On the other hand, the major pieces (queen and rook) find it difficult to achieve a stable blockade as is easy to harass them, while one must also consider that, for such valuable pieces, dealing with a mere pawn cannot be an efficient form of employment. Taking the above into account, it becomes clear that the side with the passed pawn should seek to exchange minor pieces and retain the major ones; the opposite applies to the defending side.” -
The Slav encompasses a wide but solid body of theory. Black has plenty of options and finding advantages and practical chances was not easy at all. In any case. From amateurs to very strong players, I believe that every chess player will appreciate this book. -
The Staunton Gambit is a very rewarding opening. White’s piece development follows the classical principles of gambit play. White is ahead in development and obtains a fine initiative. Even without the theoretical knowledge of certain variations, White should be able to find his way. Best of all, White determines the direction of the game already on move two, without the risk of having to play the maneuvering games we know from the Leningrad Dutch, the Stonewall Dutch or the Classical Dutch. -
Efstratios Grivas – The Anti-Sicilian Bible – A Complete Repertoire for Black – 520 pages. We must be trained not only in concrete opening moves but also on the middlegame, endgame, and tactical part of the opening. And this is exactly what this book offers: a complete structural think-tank on the non-open form of the Sicilian Defense. -
Not every reader is ambitious enough or has enough time to work very hard on his chess. That’s quite understandable and nothing to be ashamed of. You can enjoy chess very well without being a strong tournament player. You could just entertain yourself by playing through interesting combinations. In this case don’t try too hard to solve the Advanced Lessons or Master Class exercises. Have a look to make yourself familiar with the position, than look at the solution and enjoy the surprising combinations. You won’t learn as much as you would by racking your brain to crack the hard nuts. But some knowledge and experience will certainly rub off and increase your understanding of chess. I hope this book will help you to work towards your goals and let have you fun with chess, Thomas Luther, September 2022 -
I like the fact that a publisher has now been found to compile his best stories. The biggest names pass by: Kasparov, Karpov, Timman, Carlsen, Polgar, Kortchnoi, Anand, Caruana, Giri, Hou Yifan… This is just a sample, all portrayed at a time when they were in the spotlight in one way or another. The power of a good interviewer is that he prepares well. And that is what Gert does. Moreover, he is also conscientious in the elaboration of his stories. He checks facts and calls or emails the interviewee if something is not clear to him or needs explanation. I hope the reader enjoys reading this book. Jeroen van den Berg -
- The spirit of Indian Defenses is based on flexibility and harmony.
- Most of the lines are positional, not tactical in character.
- While playing Black, you have to accept that occasionally you will not equalize, or get surprised or out-prepared.
- Learning the material from this book should sharply limit the extent of such instances, thus improving your overall results.
- Finally, we have an important piece of advice: remember about color strategy!
- The Bogo-Indian is mainly based on dark-squared control, while the Nimzo-Indian does so on the light squares. In case you forget what to do, this may prove a very useful guideline when choosing a move.
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Á útsölu!
• Compensation is a chess concept that we only fully understand when we enter the world of serious chess. • The relative value of pieces is perhaps the most difficult chess concept of all to explain. • It is one that every player must feel and believe in and can only be accepted with the help of our own practice, and when we feel it come together as though a part of us. • Why so much talk about such or similar sacrifices? Quite simply because we are afraid! We have been taught, and practice shows and proves the clear fact, that the closer we get to the last part of the game, the ending, the more pronounced a material advantage becomes. • If in the middlegame we can still hope for sudden turns, for the influence of other pieces, this is negligible in the endgame. • Maybe less so with tactical sacrifices, where we immediately see what the sacrificer gets in return. • How can we not accept the rook that the opponent offers us, when there is nothing concrete to see? One or two weaknesses perhaps, but they can be eliminated, and the material advantage and a secure victory in the endgame remains. -
• The Barry Attack is a little rebellious but most dynamic opening • It’s one of the fastest ways to outplay your opponent in the opening. • The ‘’super repertoire’’ that always keeps Black under pressure in all variations. • Any reasonable opening set-up can work wonders for White or Black if they know it well. • Anyone who takes the trouble to play through each model example, move by move, note by note, will be rewarded. • Your strategic play will deepen and your tactics will improve along with your assessment skills, and you’ll end up with a great repertoire! -
n addition to the basic Taimanov ideas we had to keep, we followed – in an original manner – our two main concepts: ‘almost never play an early …d6’ (Scheveningen-style) and ‘push …h5 whenever you can’ (Paulsen-style). The latest fashion, which we have to mention, did not even exist when we started to write our book – the 7.Qf3 line. Readers will have the choice between the peaceful 7…Bd6, and 7…d6 where we head for a sharp Sicilian, true to its style. In the famous English attack with Be3 – Qd2 – 0-0-0, in addition to the well-known …Bb4 and …Ne5, our second proposal – of which we can safely state that we are most proud – is called the “Serbian variation” starting with …Bb4 and …0-0. About the specific move order in reaching our Paulsen-Taimanov variation, there are two possibilities. The first possibility is to start with 2… e6 and 4… Nc6, and the second one is revealed by 2…Nc6 with 4…Qc7. We decided on the move order 2…Nc6 and 4…Qc7 firstly because we all learned this way in the Paulsen-Taimanov variation, but also for practical reasons. Firstly, we avoid 5.Nb5, which results in typical Hedgehog set-ups, and these positions are not to everyone’s taste.- Another reason is to keep in reserve the option of playing …e5 at once, or sometimes even …g6 without touching the e-pawn. This book is the result of twenty years of our work and playing the Taimanov combined. We have played over 500 games in this variation and we desired to show all the beauty and richness of “our” variation. We hope that our book will conjure all this and more, and will help our readers into the labyrinths of our Taimanov Bible.
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Here is what has been added to this edition:- More accurate and extensive annotations using ChessBase and Stockfish 14.
- Torre’s own annotations to several games have been unearthed and added.
- Added games to give a more rounded view of Torre. Also the six games between players other than Torre that he annotated for the Mexican Championship tournament book.
- Many more diagrams and photographs. Also more thumbnail bios of Torre’s opponents.
- More ancillary material about Torre’s life and career: newspaper articles, pictures, anecdotes, interesting facts, opinions, trivia etc.
- A 1927 interview with Torre, published in the Yucatán magazine Anahuac.
- Excerpts from 64 Variaciones Sobre un Tema de Torre by Germán de la Cruz.
- Columns and articles from newspapers in Torre’s home town of Mérida.
- “A Clash of Opposites,” comparing and contrasting Torre with the notorious Norman Tweed Whitaker.
- The full text of Torre’s 1926 booklet Development of Chess Ability.
- A review of Torre x Torre, a fascinating documentary film.
- A more extensive, more fully informed overall assessment of Torre as a player.
skákbækurTómas Veigar Sigurðarson2023-06-12T16:33:59+00:00
