Search results for ""Author Cyrus Lakdawala""

It is hard to understate the importance of tactic ability to overall chess proficiency. Of course other elements such as a knowledge of opening play and an understanding of strategy are also important. However, it is undoubtedly the case that 99% of games are won or lost because one player either spots or overlooks a tactic. Consider your own games and just imagine how much stronger you would be if you never overlooked a tactical idea. The good news is that your tactical ability is not some genetically-acquired unalterable trait. Tactical ability can always be improved through the application of diligent practice. Tactical themes are repetitive. The same arrangements of pieces occur again and again and a continual study of the subtle interactions between the forces will inevitably lead to a greater sharpness in actual play. In Tactical Training, experienced chess coach and prolific author Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through numerous tactical themes. Topics include: * Checkmating patterns. * The 32 major combinational concepts. * Numerous positions ranked in terms of level of difficulty. The final chapter focuses on a 2020 online match between Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, currently the top two ranked players in blitz, the form of chess where tactics predominate.

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The French Defence provides a good choice for players who want to create a dynamic, unbalanced situation out of the opening but baulk at the level of study required to master the ferociously complex Sicilian Defence. The French is one of Black's soundest defences to 1 e4 and is very popular at all levels. White often advances with the space-gaining e4-e5 which, in principle, will generate a small advantage. However, when this structure arises there are no clear points to attack in the black camp and Black has ready-made plans in the form of ...c7-c5 and ...f7-f6, moves that seek to undermine the white centre. ----- In this book, renowned author Cyrus Lakdawala creates a repertoire for Black and navigates through the main lines of the French, providing the reader with well-researched, fresh and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening, and contains instructive commentary on typical middle-game plans. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. ----- * Presents a complete French Defence repertoire for Black. --- * Thorough explanations of typical pawn structures and piece manoeuvres. --- * Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study.

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In this book, prolific chess author Cyrus Lakdawala recommends a repertoire for White players who like to open 1 e4. The repertoire is based around two main themes: ----- 1. The suggested variations for White are ones that rely far more on a generic understanding of strategic ideas rather than the memorisation of reams of opening theory. This explains the choice of the Bishop's Opening (handled "Lopez-style") against 1...e5 and the Bb5 variations against the Sicilian Defence. Both these lines are designed to create dynamic and interesting middlegame positions rather than attempting to score a quick knockout victory - a generally overambitious aim that often backfires. ----- 2. The variations are chosen so that White can gain space whenever possible. Therefore the Advance Variation is recommended against the French Defence (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5) and also the Caro-Kann Defence (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5). The fact that these lines often create similar middlegame structures is helpful for general comprehension of White's plans. ----- If you want to develop your repertoire with 1 e4 then this is the book for you. ------ * Everything you need to know to open 1 e4 with confidence --- * Solid, reliable systems that do not require a mass of memorisation --- * Written by one of the world's leading chess authors.

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The Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian Defence provides a battleground for one of the key conflicts in chess: structure versus activity. Black voluntarily accepts a weak pawn formation but in return obtains easy development and excellent piece activity. This is a line that finds favour with aggressive, attacking players who are confident in their tactical ability. The idea of playing ...e5 in the Sicilian is an old one but the modern Sveshnikov treatment was developed in the 1970s, since when it has featured in the repertoires of numerous elite players. It is currently experiencing great popularity due to the fact that it was Magnus Carlsen's choice in his World Championship Match against Fabiano Caruana in London 2018. Carlsen's success with the line was a significant factor in his eventual victory in the match. Since then he has continued to use the Sveshnikov with great success. In Opening Repertoire: The Sveshnikov leading chess author Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities of this dynamic variation and carves out a repertoire for Black. He examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. * A complete repertoire for Black in the Sicilian Sveshnikov. * A question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

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This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practicing 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 chess skills and knowledge. Bird's Opening, 1 f4, is an ideal choice for freethinking chess players who prefer to rely on their general chess knowledge and intuition rather than having to memorize and keep up to date with mainline opening theory. Bird's Opening is essentially the Dutch Defense with an extra move, and White can choose between a number of different set-ups, including the reversed Leningrad, Classical and Stonewall variations, depending on mood and opponents' responses. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala examines all the important variations of Bird's Opening, including the sharp From's Gambit. Using illustrative games, he explains the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing 1 f4. *Essential guidance and training with 1 f4*Provides a repertoire options for White*Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Viktor Korchnoi is a chess legend. In a career which has spanned over 60 years, he won countless grandmaster tournaments, was a four-time Soviet Champion, a multi-time World Championship Candidate, and twice fought for the World Championship in famous battles with his adversary Anatoly Karpov. Throughout his career Korchnoi continually refined his style and he was as comfortable in defence as he was in attack. He was happy to provoke opponents, accept sacrifices, defend precisely and then ruthlessly exploit weaknesses. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala studies his favourite Korchnoi games and examines Korchnoi's skills in the key areas of attack and defence, initiative, exploiting imbalances, accumulating advantages and endgame play. He demonstrates clearly how we can all improve by learning from Korchnoi's play. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Move by Move is a 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 chess skills and knowledge. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala examines the universally popular Slav Defence which has been his main choice against 1 d4 for many years. Here he shares his experience and knowledge of his favourite opening, presents a repertoire for Black and provides answers to all the key questions. *Essential guidance and training in the Slav *Includes a Slav repertoire for Black *Incorporates an ideal approach to opening study

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Jose Raul Capablanca was a chess legend, world champion and quite simply one of the greatest players in the history of the game. His achievements and seemingly effortless style of play won many admirers, and his legacy includes a treasure of instructive games. Studying Capablanca's play is a must for any aspiring chess player. For Cyrus Lakdawala, it was a key factor in his chess development and improvement, and in this book he revisits many of his favourite Capablanca games. Lakdawala examines Capablanca's skills in the key areas of attack, defence, counter-attack, exploiting imbalances, accumulating advantages and, of course, his legendary endgame play. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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The vast majority of chess games witness familiar strategies and well known tactical motifs. These are the games that you will find in the anthologies and opening repertoires. Sometimes however, games appear that seem to have been played on a different planet. Conventional strategies go out of the window. Familiar tactical themes are nowhere to be seen. Chaos has broken out. The pieces appear to be in open rebellion and are steadfastly refusing to do the natural jobs that they were designed for. Having to navigate a path in such a game can be a nightmare. Do you rely purely on calculation? Is it better to trust your instincts? Can you assess the position using "normal" criteria? In order to answer these questions, prolific chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala has assembled a collection of brilliantly unconventional and irrational games. The positions in these games appear almost random. Kings have gone walkabout, pieces are on bizarre squares, huge pawn rollers are sweeping all before them. Irrational chess is like nothing you've seen before. As well as being highly instructive this is a hugely entertainging book. Do not adjust your set. It's chess, Jim, but not as we know it.

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The Slav (1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6) is a great choice against 1 d4 for players who are after a solid position from the opening but one that also contains dynamic possibilities. The pawn on c6 guarantees Black a firm foothold in the centre but there is also the ever-present possibility to capture on c4 and possibly even try to hold on to this pawn. The Slav is ideal for combining reliability with a promise for dynamic counterplay in the middlegame. In Opening Repertoire: The Slav, highly experienced chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities of the Slav and carves out a repertoire for Black. He examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. * A complete repertoire for Black against 1 d4. * A question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

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The Modern Defence is an important opening that can be played by Black against absolutely any White opening system. It is an ambitious, counterattacking weapon, favoured by dynamic players. White is initially allowed to occupy the centre but Black plans to undermine this structure in the middlegame with well-timed blows from the pieces and pawns. If Black gets it right then the white centre can be dramatically swept away. However, when it goes wrong, Black can be overrun. ----- First Steps is a new opening series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations. First Steps emphasizes: ---- * the basic principles --- * the basic strategies --- * the key tricks and traps ----- First Steps books are based around carefully selected instructive games which demonstrate exactly what both sides are trying to achieve. There is enough theory to enable the improving player to get to grips with the opening without feeling overwhelmed. If you want to take up a new opening, First Steps is the ideal place to start.

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Vladimir Kramnik is a giant of the chess world. He firmly secured his legendary status when he won the World Championship in 2000 by defeating the previously dominant Garry Kasparov - the only player ever to do so in a match. Kramnik held on to his crown for seven years, and today he remains one of the World's elite players. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Kramnik games. Lakdawala examines Kramnik's renowned skills in attack and defence, exploiting imbalances, dynamic elements, accumulating advantages and endgame play, and shows how we can all improve by learning from Kramnik's masterpieces. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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This is a 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 skills and knowledge. 1...d6 can be employed as a universal defence to any White opening, which makes it an ideal practical weapon for Black. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala examines a cocktail of challenging lines with 1...d6. He builds a repertoire for Black, studies the typical plans and tactics for both sides, and provides answers to all the key questions. *Presents a repertoire for Black with 1...d6 *Includes tactical and strategic exercises *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Goethe once wrote, "Everything is both simpler than we can imagine, and more complicated than we can conceive." He could well have had chess endgames in mind. Endgames have fewer pieces on the board than middlegames but this does not necessarily make them "easier" to play or understand. Tactical expertise is, understandably, generally associated with middlegame (and sometimes opening) positions. However, tactics are also crucial in endgames - a point that is sometimes overlooked. Even some quite simple looking pawn endgames can feature complex tactical ideas. Tactics in endgames also tend to be very different to middlegame tactics. As well as the familiar themes of pins, skewers and forks, endgames also feature unique concepts that rarely occur in middlegames such as pawn breakthroughs, manoeuvring for zugzwang and active use of the king as an aggressive unit. In this book the highly experienced chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities of endgame tactical play. Lakdawala assembles positions that are most effective to improve tactical ability. Work your way through this book and you will undoubtedly see the results in your own games.

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The Move by Move series provides an ideal format for the keen chessplayer to improve their game. While reading you are continually challenged to answer probing questions - a method that greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of chess 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 chess while providing the best possible chance to retain what has been learnt. The Sveshnikov is a very important variation of the Sicilian Defence. It was pioneered by Russian grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov in the 1970s and has since become a popular choice for Black at all levels, from club player to grandmaster. One of the Sveshnikov's main attractions is that it provides a battleground for one of the key conflicts in chess: structure versus activity. Black sacrifices structure in return for active piece play - a dynamic that regularly leads to sharp and complex positions, rich in strategic and tactical possibilities. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala invites the reader to join him in studying the Sveshnikov Sicilian This book tells you everything you need to know about playing the Sveshnikov Sicilian with Black. *Essential guidance and training in the Sveshnikov*Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study*Provides repertoire options for Black

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This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format 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 chess skills and knowledge. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in studying the Scandinavian Defence. In recent years this opening has become a very popular choice for club and tournament players. Lakdawala focuses on the modern lines with 3...Qd6 - an approach championed by grandmasters and Scandinavian experts such as Sergei Tiviakov. Lakdawala outlines a reliable repertoire for Black, examines the major positional and tactical ideas, answers all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about playing the Scandinavian. *Essential guidance and training in the Scandinavian *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Many players, of all levels, use their chess study time to concentrate almost exclusively on the openings. Very few players spend much time at all studying endgames and this is almost certainly a mistake. Making a poor move in the opening might leave you with a slightly uncomfortable position. Making a poor move in the endgame can easily transform a win into a draw or even a loss. ----- If you want to make any sort of serious progress at chess it is vital to understand fundamental endgame play. Having an instinctive understanding of which positions are winning, drawing and losing is essential as it enables you to plan your endgame strategies with great confidence, knowing that you are heading for positions that are favourable to you. ----- In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala analyses all the fundamental endgame positions and carefully explains the methods needed to win the favourable ones and draw the unfavourable ones. ----- First Steps is a new series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations. First Steps emphasizes: -----* the basic principles --- * the basic strategies --- * the key tricks and traps

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First Steps is a new opening series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations.

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Mikhail Tal is a true legend of chess. He was the World Champion and also holds the world record for the longest unbeaten run in competitive chess. Tal is widely regarded to be the greatest attacking player of all time. Nicknamed ''the magician from Riga'', Tal was a creative genius who made it look as though absolutely anything was possible over the chessboard. He excelled in confusing his opponents in chaotic positions, and even the best defenders of his time were unable to withstand his blistering attacks. Tal''s many brilliant games have inspired generations of chess players who admire his play without ever being able to convincingly reproduce it. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala selects and examines his favourite Tal games, from the beginning to the end of his exceptional career. Lakdawala shows how we can all improve our chess by learning from Tal''s masterpieces. Cyrus Lakdawala examines his favourite games of the chess legend Mikhail Tal, a World Cham

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This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practicing 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 chess skills and knowledge. 1...b6 is a dynamic defense which allows Black to steer the game into relatively unchartered territory, where White players are unable to relax and rely on their 'opening book' knowledge. A major attraction of 1...b6 is that it can be employed against all of White's mainline openings, including 1 e4, 1 d4, 1 Nf3 and 1 c4. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala examines all the important variations after 1...b6. Using illustrative games, he explains the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing 1...b 6. *Essential guidance and training with 1...b6*Provides repertoire options for Black*Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format 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 chess skills and knowledge. The Modern Defence is an ambitious, counter-attacking choice for Black which can be played against all mainline openings. In typical hypermodern style, Black allows White to occupy the centre and then proceeds to undermine this centre with pawn and piece attacks. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala examines the key variations of the Modern Defence. He shares his experience and knowledge, presents a repertoire for Black and provides answers to all the key questions. *Essential guidance and training in the Modern Defence *Covers the Modern against 1 e4, 1 d4 and 1 c4 *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Rewire Your Chess Brain is not your average chess book. It does not deal with opening theory or middlegame strategy. It focuses purely on problems and studies, all of which are the results of artificial construction rather than scenes from real-life battles. In a chess study, White has to play and win (or draw). In a chess puzzle, White has to force mate in a stipulated number of moves. The starting positions in both forms rarely resemble anything found over the board in real life play. However, the solutions are invariably surprising and often quite beautiful. The best examples of both forms have often been compared to great works of art. However, these are not mere gallery pieces, lacking practical application in real life play. Solving these puzzles can be extremely challenging and will, without question, improve the "real world" tactical ability of anyone attempting to do so. Prolific chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala has been intrigued by studies and problems all his life. When training his students he often sets them studies and problems to solve. Many of them who have adopted this technique have seen extraordinary increases in their chess ratings. In this book Lakdawala assembles the problems and studies that are most effective to improve tactical ability. Work your way through this book and you will undoubtedly see the results in your own games.

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Despite his relatively young age, Magnus Carlsen has already secured his place in chess history as a legend of the game. In a short space of time his accomplishments have been extraordinary. In December 2012 he broke Garry Kasparov's record to become the highest-rated chess player of all time. He followed up this achievement in 2013 by defeating Vishy Anand to become World Chess Champion. Carlsen's universal style, positional mastery and incredible mental strength add up to make him a formidable opponent. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Carlsen games. Lakdawala examines Carlsen's skills in attack and defence, exploiting imbalances, accumulating advantages and endgame play, and shows us how we can all improve by learning from Carlsen's masterpieces. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format 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 chess skills and knowledge. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in studying the Alekhine Defence. Black's idea in the Alekhine Defence is a bold one. By inviting White's central pawns to advance, Black hopes later on to undermine and demolish White's centre. This ambitious strategy appeals to players who enjoy sharp lines and positional imbalances. Using illustrative games, Lakdawala outlines a reliable repertoire for Black, examines the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing the Alekhine Defence. *Essential guidance and training in the Alekhine Defence *Presents a repertoire for Black with 1 e4 Nf6 *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Magnus Carlsen is arguably the strongest player of all time. His dominance is such that every loss comes as a shock. They remind us that even he has his weak moments. In fact, identifying the root causes of his losses holds valuable lessons for all players. Cyrus Lakdawalas search starts with a series of Magnus wins and draws to give the reader a feel for how incredibly difficult it is to beat him. The World Champions arsenal is awesome: a superlative ability to calculate, near-perfect intuition, probably the best endgame technique ever, a wide and creative opening repertoire, a willingness to unbalance the position almost anytime, and last but not least: his unparalleled will to win. How to Beat Magnus Carlsen has a thematic structure, which, together with Lakdawalas uniquely accessible style, makes its lessons easy to digest. Sometimes even Magnus gets outplayed, sometimes he over-presses and goes over the cliffs edge, and sometimes he fails to find the correct plan. And yes, even Magnus Carlsen commits straightforward blunders. Lakdawala explains the how and the why. Its wonderful to have a World Champion who is not just incredibly strong, but who is also happy to experiment and take risks. Thats what makes Magnus Carlsen such a fascinating chess player. And thats why he is the hero of this book. There is no doubt that Carlsen has examined all his losses under a microscope. If he benefits from this process, then so will we.

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When was the last time you won a perfect game? A game that was not tainted by inferior moves? Every chess player knows that smooth wins are the exception, that play is often chaotic and positions are frequently irrational. The road to victory is generally full of bumps and misadventures. Welcome to the world of imperfection! Chess books usually feature superbly played games. In this book you will see games where weird moves are rewarded. Cyrus Lakdawala knows that playing good chess is all very well, but that beating your opponent is better. He demonstrates the fine art of winning undeserved victories by: miraculously surviving chaos; throwing vile cheapos; refusing to resign in lost positions; getting lucky breaks; provoking unforced errors, and other ways to land on your feet after a roller-coaster ride. Lakdawala shows how you can make sure that it is your opponent, not you, who makes the last blunder. If youd rather win a bad game than lose a good one, then this your ideal guide. The next time the wrong player wins, you will be that player!

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Ian Nepomniachtchi, challenger to Magnus Carlsen's World Championship title in 2021, is an outstanding chess talent. "Nepo" as he is universally known is a fascinating player and this book assesses his career and analyses his original and creative style in great depth with numerous deeply annotated games. Nepo is one of the very few players in the world to hold (at least prior to the match) a plus score (four wins to one with six draws) against Carlsen in classical chess. Nepo and Carlsen are peers and first started playing each other in the Under-12 category of the World Youth Championship in 2002. In that event, Nepo edged out Carlsen on tie-break. At that time he out-rated Carlsen by 100 points and was generally considered to be the more promising of the two prodigies. Nepo is a fascinating player who loves open and irrational positions and excels when on the attack. Unsurprisingly, he cites Mikhail Tal as his all-time favorite player and says Tal is the player who has exerted the greatest influence on him. As with that great Latvian genius, Nepo thrives on anarchy and chaos and has frequently got the better of Carlsen in games with mind-boggling complications. He is also lethal when he has the initiative. Nepo has steadily climbed the world rankings and his finest achievement was his victory in the 2020/2021 Candidates' tournament with 81/2/14 points (+5-2=7) which gave him the right to challenge Carlsen for the world title.

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These days the move 1 d4 is often used as the precursor to quieter opening choices such as the London System, the Colle System or the Trompovsky. In this book the highly experienced chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala goes back to basics, outlining an aggressive repertoire for White based on 1 d4, following up with the traditional 2 c4. The emphasis of the repertoire is to gain space as quickly as possible and set Black the task of finding quick counterplay or face the risk of being overrun. Lakdawala recommends lines with f2-f3 against the Nimzo-Indian, the Petrosian System against the King’s Indian and the Flick Knife (f4 with Bb5+) against the Benoni. With thorough explanations on pawn structures and piece placement, this book provides insight to both strong masters and less experienced players alike. The format is ideal for the chessplayer keen to improve their game. While reading you are continually challenged to answer probing questions – a method that greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of chess knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. * Presents a powerful, aggressive repertoire starting at move one. * Thorough explanations of typical pawn structures and piece manoeuvres. * Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study.

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This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practicing 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 chess skills and knowledge. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in studying the French Defense, Classical Variation, which is a popular choice among chess players of all levels. Lakdawala examines in detail the important and commonly played lines, including the Steinitz, McCutcheon and Burn Variations. Using illustrative games and drawing on his own experience with the opening, he explains the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing the Classical French. *Essential guidance and training in the Classical French*Provides repertoire options for Black*Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Bent Larsen was one of the most influential chess players of the 20th century. He was a four-time Candidate for the World Championship and the first westerner to seriously challenge the Soviet Union's post-war dominance of the game. Larsen was admired by fans for his creative and combative style. He was a risk-taker who always sought complex positions. He felt completely at home in defense and was an opportunistic attacker. While other grandmasters would shy away from offbeat openings, Larsen would embrace and develop them. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala studies his favourite Larsen games and examines Larsen's skills in the key areas of attack and defense, initiative, exploiting imbalances, accumulating advantages and endgame play. He demonstrates clearly how we can all improve by learning from Larsen's play. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practicing of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend*Important ideas absorbed by continued practice*Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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The Scandinavian (also known as the Centre Counter Defence) occurs when Black meets White's 1 e4 with 1 ... d5, immediately countering in the centre. White invariably continues with 2 exd5 when Black can choose between two systems, both of which are covered in this book. Firstly 2 ... Qxd5, which regains the pawn immediately but exposes the black queen early on - a feature that complicates the play for both players. Secondly 2 ... Nf6, which invites White to risk attempting to hold onto the d5-pawn. If White goes down this path then a complex tactical struggle can easily develop. ----- First Steps is a new opening series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations. First Steps emphasizes: ----- the basic principles --- the basic strategies --- the key tricks and traps ----- First Steps books are based around carefully selected instructive games which demonstrate exactly what both sides are trying to achieve. There is enough theory to enable the improving player to get to grips with the opening without feeling overwhelmed. If you want to take up a new opening, First Steps is the ideal place to start.

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This new series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format 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 chess skills and knowledge. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala examines the Caro-Kann, which enjoys a richly deserved reputation as one of Black's most reliable defences. It provides an ideal blend of soundness and dynamism, which allows Black to create counterplay from a solid platform. Lakdawala shares his experience and knowledge of the Caro-Kann, presents a repertoire for Black and provides answers to all the key questions. *Essential guidance and training in the Caro-Kann *Includes a Caro-Kann repertoire for Black *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Tired of playing the same old openings? Bored with stuffy opening theory? This book provides a welcome antidote! Former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala presents a range of vicious weapons for White in a repertoire which is perfect for those who have little time for study, but enjoy taking opponents out of their comfort zones and causing them problems from the very beginning. The repertoire's backbone is provided by the aggressive Veresov Opening (1 d4, 2 Nc3 and 3 Bg5) and this weapon is accompanied by equally hostile options against other Black tries such as the French, Caro-Kann, Dutch, Benoni, Pirc and Philidor. These weapons are ideal choices for those who revel in forcing opponents into chaotic, uncomfortable positions. *Opening weapons to shock and confound opponents *Covers all of Black's main defences *Includes game summaries with key points to remember

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The Tarrasch Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined is a fierce counter-attacking line arising after 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 c5. In this variation Black gains free and easy piece play but in return usually has to accept the structural weakness of an Isolated Queen's Pawn (IQP). In the early development of chess theory this line was somewhat frowned upon due to the vulnerability of the IQP. However, Siegbert Tarrasch, after whom the opening is named, famously declared that, "he who fears an Isolated Queen's Pawn should give up chess". The Tarrasch has had many powerful adherents over the years including the legendary Garry Kasparov who made much use of it in the early part of his career. In this book Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities of the Tarrasch and carves out a repertoire for Black, based on a modern treatment popularised by the Russian grandmaster Daniil Dubov. He examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. * A complete repertoire for Black to counter 1 d4. * The question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

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This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format 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 chess skills and knowledge. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala examines the Trompowsky Attack. Originally a favourite among club players, in recent years the Trompowsky has been transformed into a powerful weapon even at grandmaster level. It particularly appeals to bold, ambitious players and leads to positions which are rich in possibilities for both sides. Using illustrative games and drawing on his own experience with the opening, Lakdawala provides a repertoire for White, covers the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing the Trompowsky Attack. *Essential guidance and training in the Trompowsky Attack *Also covers the Pseudo-Trompowsky 1 d4 d5 2 Bg5 *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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This new series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format 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 chess skills and knowledge. The Four Knights is an opening with a long and distinguished history. Despite its deceptively quiet appearance, it can lead to extremely sharp play - for example in the Belgrade Gambit - as well as more strategic battles in the main lines. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in examining the many different variations of the Four Knights. He shares his experience and knowledge, studies the typical plans and tactics for both sides, offers repertoire options and provides answers to all the key questions. *Essential guidance and training in the Four Knights *Also covers Three Knights and Anti-Petroff lines *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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Italian-American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana is the perfect role model for any aspiring player. Already a very strong grandmaster, he announced his presence as a leading contender for the world title in 2014 when he scored an incredible 81/2/10 (including seven straight wins from the first seven games) in the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis. This was an elite event where he finished an astonishing three points clear of Magnus Carlsen, whom he will challenge for the world title in late 2018. Caruana earned this right thanks to his fine victory in the Berlin Candidates where he scored 9/13 and finished a point clear of a world class field. ----- Caruana's style is universal. He is a very dangerous attacking player who is also equally at home in quiet strategic positions or manoeuvring in an endgame. In this respect he is the epitome of the modern grandmaster, being a hard-working and determined fighter who prepares thoroughly and plays with great determination and accuracy.----- The Move by Move series provides an ideal format for the keen chessplayer to improve their game. While reading you are continually challenged to answer probing questions - a method that greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of chess 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 chess while providing the best possible chance to retain what has been learnt.

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International Master Cyrus Lakdawala examines both openings in detail and provides a highly practical repertoire for White based on a mix of the Colle and the London.

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It's no secret why the London System is such a popular opening, especially at club level. White's development plan is very easy to learn, and it can be employed against virtually any defence. What's more, depending on mood, style or opponent, White can choose either to attack directly or to instigate a more positional strategy. Many players admit they hate facing the London System, which is surely another good reason to play it! In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala presents a reliable repertoire for White with the London System. Using illustrative games and drawing upon his vast experience in the opening, Lakdawala reveals all his secrets and explains in detail the typical plans and tactics for both sides. This book tells you everything you need to know about the London System. *A repertoire for White with the London System *Covers both the main lines and tricky sidelines *Includes game summaries with key points to remember

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The hero has no advantage whatsoever but somehow manages to keep setting the opponent problems. Their opponent goes slightly astray and suddenly hero has a tiny advantage. It’s not much but now that they have a little something to work with, they are in their element. They play accurately and remorselessly and make life incredibly difficult for their opponent. Suddenly, and almost imperceptibly, their advantage increases. Further tiny inaccuracies follow, hero turns the screw and bags the full point. Their opponent is left shaking their head, wondering where on earth they went wrong. This is the squeeze and the great champions have been capable of squeezing opponents to death. José Capablanca, Tigran Petrosian, Anatoly Karpov and, in the current era, Magnus Carlsen are legendary in this respect. How do they do it? How do they set problems in apparently sterile positions? How can they continuously manage to defeat world class opposition from positions that others would simply give up as drawn? In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala explains the mechanisms commonly used in squeeze plays. Using examples from the world’s greatest strategic masters he unpicks the secrets of the squeeze.

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The Richter-Veresov Attack is characterized by the moves 1 d4, 2 Nc3 and 3 Bg5. It is a great system for players who want to take their opponents away from well-known theory, force them into unfamiliar situations and make them fight on their own resources. There are various modern interpretations of the Richter-Veresov Attack which usual involve White playing f3 at some point. However, in this book, the highly experienced chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala focuses on the traditional treatment which generally eschews f3 in favour of more classical development with moves such as Nf3, e3 or even Qf3. In Opening Repertoire: Richter-Veresov Attack, Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities and carves out a repertoire for White. He examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. * A complete repertoire for White to counter all replies. * The question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

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Mikhail Botvinnik was a three-time World Chess Champion and is widely regarded as one of the World's greatest ever chess players. Botvinnik possessed a universal, all-round style with an iron grasp of logic and strategy. He loved to attack, but most of his attacks were systematically built, step by step, on strategic gains. Botvinnik's games include an abundance of instructive masterpieces, and studying his games is essential for any aspiring chess player. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Botvinnik games. Lakdawala examines Botvinnik's renowned skills in the key areas of attack and defence, initiative, exploiting imbalances, accumulating advantages and endgame play, and shows how we can all improve by learning from Botvinnik's play. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of 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 improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

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This book provides a rock solid opening repertoire for Black, using systems based on the move ...c6. The backbone of this repertoire is the Caro-Kann versus 1 e4 and the Semi-Slav (via a Slav move order) versus 1 d4. In general these systems aim to neutralise White's early initiative. They aim for success by the gradual accumulation of small advantages, rather than by emerging victorious from an early tactical melee (which is rather problematic with the black pieces at the best of times). The book is co-authored by Cyrus Lakdawala and Keaton Kiewra and takes a teacher/student format. The "student" Keaton Kiewra is a very strong international master with two grandmaster norms. He normally specialises in razor-sharp defences such as the Sicilian Dragon and King's Indian. Now he wants to broaden his style and develop his skills at handling more sedate positions. His "teacher" is Cyrus Lakdawala, an extremely experienced player, coach and author, who guides Keaton along the learning path. *Everything you need to know to defend with Black systems based on ...c6.*The Q and A approach emphasizes plans and strategies.*Written by an expert on the Caro-Kann and Semi-Slav Defences

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