Board games: Chess Books

Book SynopsisMikhail Tal took the chess world by storm when he blasted a path through the titans of the global chess board - Fischer, Smyslov, Keres, Petrosian - and seized the crown of the mighty Botvinnik. Tal sacrificed as if there were no tomorrow and the very greatest were humbled and smashed by his whirlwind tactics.

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Book SynopsisInspiration and controversy alike still surround the 1948 match tournament. Why for example was the Polish grandmaster Miguel Najdorf not invited when US Grandmaster Reuben Fine dropped out?

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Book SynopsisA first hand account of the strengths and weaknesses, of the genius and foibles, of the world's elite, graced by the most elegant prose, courtesy of Stahlberg , improved, if anything, by Harry Golombek's superb translation. The book is full of telling and memorable phrases.

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Book SynopsisLeonid Stein?s brilliant chess career, cut tragically short in 1973, included overwhelming victories against the world?s leading grandmasters, Stein not only stormed to an incredible total of 3 first prizes (out of 4 attempts) in the USSR Championships, but also won what were arguably the two strongest tournaments of all time, (Moscow 1967 and Moscow 1971)

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Book SynopsisIn these pages we see how Alekhine's preparation, both psychological and technical, bore brilliant fruit. Once he had pinpointed Euwe's weaknesses Alekhine struck with the force of a hurricane and regained the title by virtue of some of the most energetic, accurate and elegant play ever witnessed at world championship level.

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Book SynopsisFrank Marshall?s watchwords were brilliancy and attack! For decades he was the leading USA grandmaster and he succeeded in scalping most of the world?s elite during that time. Noted as a successful tournament rather than match player, Marshall?s hit and run tactics will repay careful study.

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Book SynopsisLondon 1932 is one of the lesser known books from the pen of the prolific Russian genius, Alekhine. In 1932 Alekhine was still revelling in the blinding nimbus of invincibility which had surrounded him ever since his match victory against Capablanca in 1927. The new champion duly won the London tournament and furnished some equally fine notes to explain his victory, which Hardinge Simpole are proud and privileged to revive here.

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Book SynopsisA companion volume to Larry Evans's selection from the 1960's, this book takes the story of the best games of the top players from the beginnning of the 20th century up to 1940. This volume is arranged chronologically and reaches the period of the Second World War. The games by such immortals as Capablanca, Alekhine, Lasker, Botvinnik, Nimzowitsch and Rubinstein are annotated with the customary lucidity, authority and elegance synonymous with Golombek.

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Book SynopsisMorphy, Charousek, Pillsbury, Fischer...the history of chess is illuminated by shooting stars who burn briefly across the chess firmament, only to vanish without trace. The parabolic career of the Latvian genius Mikhail Tal conforms all too well to this astonishing pattern. As a virtually unknown student in 1957 Tal swept aside the revered phalanxes of Soviet Grandmasters and ultimately annihilated the Red Czar of Soviet chess himself - Mikhail Botvinnik - all within a mere three year period.

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Book SynopsisHoward Staunton, the organiser of London 1851 and writer of the book, was the epitome of mid-Victorian versatility and self confidence. By defeating the leading French and German masters such as St Amant, Horwitz and Harrwitz in gruelling set matches, Staunton had established himself as the champion. Now, by organising the first ever International Chess Tournament, Staunton hoped to display chess in its true colours, amongst the imperial splendour of the 1851 Great Exhibition in Queen Victoria's London. Although Staunton did not win the tournament, this honour falling to the German master Adolph Anderssen, this record of the inaugural international chess gathering provides a fitting monument to Staunton's prowess and love of the game.

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Book SynopsisThe seminal work of the Cuban genius who repeated the exploits of Morphy, suddenly bursting onto the European scene and annihilating the great masters who had hitherto dominated the international arena. This book captures the magic of Capablanca's early victory at San Sebastian 1911 and his second place - bowing only to Lasker - at St Petersburg 1914. All in all, 35 games are annotated by Capablanca in person with remarkable objectivity - bestowing praise and hurling criticism as and when required.

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Book SynopsisAt the height of the British Empire, the chess loving Indian servant, Sultan Khan, arrived in the imperial capital as part of the feudal retinue of Sir Umar, his high caste master. While Sir Umar deliberated in the rarefied atmosphere of London conferences, with British panjandra, on the future of the Raj, his retainer started to take on the British elite at chess. Sweeping all before him, the Indian genius entered the international arena where, playing top board for the British Empire team, he defeated grandmasters, such as Rubinstein.

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Book SynopsisDuring the 1930s, it appeared that the USA, not the USSR, would inevitably become the dominant force in the chess world. During that time the USA team won four consecutive gold medals in the Chess Olympiads. Moreover, the USA could boast two world beaters in the form of Sammy Reshevsky and Reuben Fine, whose best games appear in this book.

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Book SynopsisThe essential sequel to Peter Clarke's companion book on Tal, Mikhail Tal's Best Games of Chess. Cafferty takes us further on Tal's career path, covering his loss to Botvinnik in the revenge match, but also the triumphs of Bled 1961 and Tal's remarkable sequence of tournament victories in 1973. Tal is the chess public's favourite - a knight of the chessboard who knew no fear and joyously sacrificed to fight at close quarters with the enemy king. In the annals of chess, Tal ranks with Anderssen, Alekhine, Stein and Kasparov as the undisputed archetypes of aggression on the 64 squares

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Book SynopsisNo 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.

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Book SynopsisSmyslov launched his first bid for the supreme title in the 1948 match tournament - coming second to Botvinnik. Eventually, after two victories in Candidates contests and a drawn match with Botvinnik, Smyslov overcame his great and perennial rival to become World Champion in 1957 while still in his mid 30's. Originally published as My Best Games of Chess - 1935-1957. Now published with corrections.

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Book SynopsisJose Capablanca was a phenomenon who burst onto the chess world and took top prize in the first ever elite tournament in which he participated. This was at San Sebastian - otherwise known as Donostia - in the Basque country of Spain in 1911. Capablanca's style was serene - no position seemed to trouble him, and he crushed most of the established European grandmasters with seemingly little effort. Only against the mighty Lasker did he experience serious problems. Then in 1921 Capa - as he was known - obliterated Lasker in their world title match and took the championship without losing a single game. Other triumphs followed, such as London 1922, and Capablanca acquired the legend of an invincible superman when he went for 8 years without losing a game! His supreme moment was in New York 1927 - a quadruple round trial of strength between Capa himself Alekhine, Nimzowitsch and three other contenders for the crown. Capa whitewashed the field, creating a fresh masterpiece practically every day. Possibly this easy victory left him over-confident for later the same year he lost his world title to Alekhine.

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Book SynopsisThe 1978 world chess championship in the Philippines was the most riotous of modern times. Pitting the soviet defector Korchnoi against the golden boy of the soviet establishment - Karpov - the players were not just content to hammer each other over the chess board; they also enlisted such weird assistants as the parapsychologist Dr Vladimir Zukhar and orange-robed gurus from the Ananda Marga sect. The dramatis personae were completed by President Marcos, his shoe-collecting First Lady Imelda and a gaggle of shady characters from the KGB. Grandmaster Ray Keene was Korchnoi's chief second during this wild chess extravaganza and this book tells the inside story of one of the most exotic chess competitions ever staged.

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Book SynopsisAll too often chess openings books consist of reams of variations and sub-variations and bracketed sub-sub-variations, with no apparent explanation for why a move is chosen or why one path deserves precedence over another. Golombek fought tenaciously against this denigration of his art, for he considered chess an art form. The Grandmaster Emeritus always sought to explain the ideas behind the moves and give the strategic justification for any course of action. For this reason alone Golombek's chief openings manual, reprinted here, will outlive the ephemera which largely characterise rival efforts to explain the entire gamut of openings available to the ambitious player. Armed with Golombek you will understand what you are doing -not just become a performing monkey which apes the movements of the masters!

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Book SynopsisCompiled by three grandmasters and two international masters this scholarly treatise explains in depth the thinking behind a defence that has been a favourite of champions such as Capablanca, Botvinnik, Petrosian and Karpov. Even Kasparov has been known to use the Caro Kann on occasion, for example in one case to defeat Mikhail Tal.

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Book SynopsisEmanuel Lasker held the World Chess Championship for a record period from 1894-1921. During this time he dominated his contemporaries in elite events such as St Petersburg 1896, London 1899, Paris 1900 and St Petersburg again in 1914. He won numerous matches against such greats as Steinitz, Marshall, Janowski and Tarrasch, as well as defending his title in a drawn match against Schlechter. This account of Lasker's life and games reads like a novel - how as a young man he fought his way to the world title while still in his twenties, how he survived the First World War and the later Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany, and how Lasker emerged at over 60 years of age to once again carve out a career for himself amongst the hungry young lions of world chess.

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Book SynopsisWith FIDE (the World Chess Federation) claiming that its Tournament in Libya - in fact, little more than a rapidplay open - was the world title clincher, this match for the Classical World Chess Championship would confirm one of the two mental matadors -Kramnik or Leko - as the legitimate heir of Steinitz, Alekhine, Fischer and Kasparov. Peter Leko, the Hungarian Grandmaster, qualified from the Dortmund Candidates' Tournament in 2002 to meet Vladimir Kramnik from Moscow, who had unseated Garry Kasparov in London 2000. Although both contenders were noted for their solidity, the clash turned out to be a sporting classic, as Kramnik poured every ounce of energy into the last games in an effort to rescue his title.

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Book SynopsisThe St. Petersburg Grand International Masters' Tournament of 1914 was undoubtedly the most important tournament since the first San Sebastian Tournament, when Capablanca won his spurs, or, as some will have it, since the St. Petersburg Quadrangular Tournament of 1895. It would be noteworthy even if for no other reason than that the World's Champion, Dr. Emanuel Lasker, took part - the first occasion since the last International Tournament in St. Petersburg in 1909. On that occasion, however he tied for the first place with Akuba K. Rubinstein instead of winning outright, as on this occasion and in 1895. It is a remarkable circumstance that this time Rubinstein did not even attain so high as fifth place, which would have enabled him to play in the second section for the allocation of the prizes, the more extraordinary in view of his almost unbroken success of late years. The St. Petersburg Chess Society was responsible for the initiation, organization, and conduct of the Tournament, the Tsar himself subscribing 1,000 roubles towards the prize fund. With notes by Lasker, Burn, Gunsberg, Yates and other prominent analysts of the day

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Book SynopsisDavid Janowski was one of the grandest of grandmasters at the cusp of the 19th and 20th centuries. Victories in individual games against Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine, a phenomenal run of successes in major tournaments and a universally acknowledged elegance of style, combined to make him one of the most feared and respected exponents of the game. Janowski, however, has not been rewarded in English language chess literature with the accolades he deserves.In this book, the first collection in English of his best games and results, the authors introduce us to a great fighter and a great artist, knowledge of whose games will enrich the experience of any chess aficionado. Alexander Cherniaev is a Russian Grandmaster, journalist and author, now - after the collapse of the USSR - based in Guildford, England. He has been a silver medallist in the Moscow championship and is a well-known figure in the Four Nations Chess League. He has also scored fine results in tournaments at St Petersburg, Wijk aan Zee, Davos and Hastings where he has come second in the challengers and competed in the premier.Alexander Meynell is the grandson of Lord Killearn, top board player in his day for the House of Lords chess team. Continuing the family tradition for excellence at chess, Alexander Meynell is official coach of the Hammersmith Chess Club, maintains one of Britain's most extensive chess libraries and has won First Prize in the Major Tournament at Hastings.

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Book SynopsisThe World Championship Candidates' Tournament of 1950 marked a fresh phase in the history of the world title. Hitherto, the champion had chosen his challenger, of course bearing in mind such pressures as public opinion and prize purses on offer. Now, after the interregnum caused by the death of Alekhine as incumbent in 1946, FIDE, the World Chess Federation, instituted a regular series of qualifying events to determine the rightful challenger to the chess throne. Budapest 1950 was to be Bronstein's finest hour: coming from behind he caught his imperturbable compatriot Boleslavsky at the finishing post and then squeezed ahead of him in the play-off. The notes to this great event, which also featured such immortals as Smyslov, Keres, and Najdorf, are by the British publishing pioneer Cordingley, while the comments to the tie-breaking match are furnished by the world champion of chess journalists, Grandmaster emeritus Harry Golombek OBE, based on his insights for the British Chess Magazine. As we know, Bronstein advanced to challenge Botvinnik for the world title, but faltered at the final hurdle. That epic clash is covered in the companion Hardinge Simpole volume, World Chess Championship 1951, by William Winter and R.G. Wade, ISBN 1843820846 This mighty clash between the top two Soviet Grandmasters was Botvinnik's first title defence after becoming World Champion in 1948. Amazingly, the man who had dominated Soviet and World chess was only able to defend his title by the skin of his teeth after a most ferocious and determined onslaught from his youthful challenger David Bronstein. The controversial 23rd game where a demoralised Bronstein may have resigned prematurely was the key to Botvinnik's ultimate success. This book was written by two expert eye witnesses, former British Champion and International Master William Winter, and Bob Wade, International Master, vice-president of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and later to be awarded the OBE for services to chess and chess education. Together these two acknowledged experts of the game give a thrilling first hand account of the intense intellectual drama of one of the most evenly fought battles in chess history.

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Book SynopsisTony Miles was a phenomenon in English chess. From an early age it was apparent that he had no respect whatsoever for the vaunted Soviet School of chess and held their grandmasters in scant esteem. At the very start of his career victories came in quick succession against such renowned opposition as Bronstein, Geller, Smyslov and Spassky. The culmination was a victory at the head of the British Chess Federation team in the European Team Championship at snow bound Skara in Sweden against the reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov. For the very first time in any anthology of Tony Miles' games this win appears here with Tony's own profound notes. This was an historic win with Miles using the iconoclastic 1...a6 to defeat the champion's habitual 1e4. Amongst Tony's exploits were winning the Junior World Championship, becoming the UK's first FIDE grandmaster in over the board play and leading the BCF team to silver medals behind only the USSR in the prestigious Chess Olympiads. Miles also won numerous first prizes in international tournaments. He feared no-one and his will to win was legendary, as exemplified by the front jacket photograph of this book. Taken at the Tilburg 1985 tournament, this shows Miles in play on a form of stretcher against grandmaster Djinjihashvili. Although suffering from terrible back pain, Miles insisted on competing, even from this unorthodox position, the only one in which the pain subsided. Characteristically Miles went on to win shared first prize in the event. Tony Miles died tragically early in November 2001. This book is a memorial to him, written by a Grandmaster rival who faced him many times over the board. Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships

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Book SynopsisMikhail Botvinnik was the ultimate boy scout of chess - always prepared! Indeed, his advance preparation for his key matches was feared by the greatest. It even involved the radio blaring while he was playing training games as well as having nicotine-puffing opponents blow smoke in his eyes during practice games, in order to acclimatise himself for the real thing. Of course, this was before the days of modern political correctness when smoking in public is regarded by the powersthat- be as a heinous crime and is, unlike licking the highway clean with your tongue, now generally banned by law on health and safety grounds. Botvinnik's training games were a well guarded secret only shared by a few trusty colleagues, such as the Grandmasters Ragozin, Averbakh and Furman. The Soviet state was a monument to paranoia at the best of times, but suspicion multiplied when world titles hinged on secrecy, and these games have lain hidden for decades after they were played. Botvinnik was World Champion three times, from 1948- 1957, 1958 -1960 and 1961 -1963. His final championship victory against Tal in the 1961 revenge match counts as one of the highest scoring rating performances in the history of chess. It was of course based on the most meticulous preparation, not least in the psychological sphere of seeking to find and play positions which were not to Tal's taste. Grandmaster Jan Timman is one of the most popular and colourful players on the modern scene. A finalist in the FIDE-World Chess Federation-World Chess Championship in 1993, Timman has been the second dominating force in Dutch chess after world champion Dr Max Euwe. Here Timman presents every Botvinnik training game which could be found and subjects the most important to typically close analytical and explanatory scrutiny.

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Book SynopsisAfter Alekhine's death as incumbent world chess champion in 1946, the chess world entered a period of interregnum where no grandmaster could legitimately claim the title as his own. The first great post-war tournament was that at Groningen in Holland. This witnessed a mighty race between the former champion Dr Max Euwe and the chief Soviet protagonist Mikhail Botvinnik. Had Euwe won he would doubtless have been proclaimed world champion anew - so for Botvinnik it was vital to win in order to keep his prospects of a challenge alive. This book, reproduced from the original contemporary notes, recounts in detail that thrilling struggle. It contains a multitude of masterpieces by a generation of grandmasters and masters finally eager and able to take up the chess pieces once again after the World War had frustrated their energies and blighted their opportunities to compete on the international stage.

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Book SynopsisWhy are football and chess 'beautiful games'? Do top football coaches read the pitch as a chess player reads the board? What is the connection between Jose Mourinho's defensive cunning and Grandmaster Wilhelm Steinitz's 'principles of defence'? The global popularity of football and chess remains unmatched by any other game. In this book, Adam Wells argues that stereotypical views of the games have concealed a deep connection between them. The first study of its kind, this book explores a rich world of tactics, psychology and aesthetics. Structural principles are analysed using real life examples to show how these connections play out on the board and in the field. This book is accessible to fans of either game, including football fans with no previous knowledge of chess. Readers will see how chess can be a pulsating, dynamic game, whilst appreciating that football shares much of the mystery and structural beauty of the world's greatest board game.

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Book SynopsisRay Keene was the first British player ever to gain a World Chess Federation Grandmaster result (Nice Olympiad, 1974). He has the rare distinction of having achieved the UK grand slam, winning the British Championship, the Lloyds Bank Masters and the Hastings Challengers, as well as being the highest-placed British player in the Hastings Premier tournament on two occasions. Additionally, he has won first prizes, gold medals and special awards in tournaments, Olympiads, continental and Commmonwealth championships around the world from Adelaide, via Sydney to Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Valletta, Alicante, Barcelona, Gstaad, Berlin, Dortmund, Glasgow and London. He writes on chess for the Times, Sunday Times, Spectator and International Herald Tribune. He has organized three World Chess Championships, written the world record 130 books on the game and has been awarded the OBE for services to chess. This book gives over 190 of his games, with special emphasis on the opening phase.Opponents include World Champions Euwe, Smyslov, Tal and Karpov, as well as challengers for the world title and World Championship candidates Korchnoi, Hubner, Larsen, Geller, Ivkov and Portisch - not forgetting top-rank British grandmasters, masters and champions such as Miles, Nunn, Hartston, Botterill and Peter Lee.

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Book SynopsisThe return in 1992 of American Grandmaster Bobby Fischer against his old rival Boris Spassky reawakened interest in the games of one of the most determined World Champions of all time. To Fischer chess is a highly competitive sport which requires not only meticulous opening preparation, a high state of tactical alertness and perfect technique, but also a constant striving for the initiative, immense will to win and even calculated risktaking. In 1972, when he won the supreme crown, he was years ahead of his time in his chess understanding and he influenced the way competitive chess is played today. By studying the deeply researched and thematically arranged materials in this book, players of all strengths will change their attitude towards the game and improve their own play.

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Book SynopsisJose Capablanca's classic instructional manual Chess Fundamentals first appeared in 1921, the year he defeated Emanuel Lasker for the world championship title. This handbook is packed with timeless advice on different aspects of practical play and illustrated by Capablanca's own games.

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Book SynopsisUsing a fresh approach, Hungarian Grandmaste r Kallai explains the basic principles of every popular mode rn chess opening. He concentrates on developing a solid unde rstanding of the ideas of each opening. '

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Book SynopsisGrand master Kallai provides a straightforward guide to surviving the maze of chess openings, covering all the popular modern openings starting with 1 d4, 1 c4, and 1 Nf3, as well as some of the lesser known alternatives to 1 e4. Rather than present a mass of bewildering variations, Kallai concentrates on developing solid understanding of the ideas behind each opening.

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Book SynopsisThe middlegame can prove to be a minefield for many players, throwing up numerous difficult questions. Is this a good time to get active or should I consolidate my position? Should I have a long think in this position, or save time for later? Are desperate measures called for or should I just try to defend solidly? In Mastering the Middlegame, International master Angus Dunnington answers these and other questions that frequently baffle players of all levels. * Explains how strong players approach tactical and positional play * Numerous test positions enables readers to guage their progress * Revolutionary layout allows readers to absorb the key ideas

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Book SynopsisThis work offers a thorough understanding of the middlegame in chess, which is so essential to the aspiring player who wishes to improve their game. The book uses examples from practical play to develop tactical and positional skills and awareness to enable the reader to make the most of the opportunities afforded by the middlegame.

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Book SynopsisGrandmaster Chris Ward explains the fundamental principles which must be mastered by players wishing to improve their game. Taking examples from his own games & those of other players, he shows how drawn positions can be converted into victories.

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Book SynopsisGrandmaster Sadler explains the key ideas behind the Queen's Gambit Declined, one of Black's most dependable responses to the queen's pawn. Covering the major variations in popular practice and highlighting developments, the book offers theory and thematic ideas.

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Book SynopsisWinning Chess Endings teaches endgame strategies in an exciting new way--by putting the player in the middle of the action with firsthand stories taken directly from famous matches. Pull up a chair and watch the world's most exciting chess endings. Then become an endgame master! Winning Chess Endings explains how to: *Relentlessly find checkmates, from easy to hard, in all basic endgame patterns *Master the intricacies of King and Pawn Endings *Win consistently in the most common endgame--the Rook ending *Master the pros and cons of Bishop vs. Knight Endgames *Seize the advantage in Rook Pawn and Queen Pawn endings *Play like a grandmaster in solitaire endings

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Book SynopsisIn this easy-to-read guide, openings expert John Cox goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of Alekhine's Defence and its numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to guide improving players, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.

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