Search results for ""thinkers publishing""
Thinkers Publishing Your Jungle Guide to Rook Endings
To learn and to play endgames well the chess player must love endgames’ - Lev Psakhis. Different kinds of endgames have specific characteristics and rules. Every serious player must know many typical positions and main principles of all types of endings. That knowledge should help us during the game, but it is not enough to become a good player, not yet. There just too many different endings, some of them with two or more pieces, some are very complex. To be comfortable and play well those complex endings require specific knowledge and specific ways of thinking. We will call it ‘endgame thinking’. I chose to write a book on advanced rook endings as I simply did not wish to write another book that would be like the many already available. I have done my best to present analysis and articles I have written over the past 10-15 years. Th is work has been presented in my daily coaching sessions, seminars, workshops, etc. The material has helped a lot of trainees to develop into quite strong players gaining international titles and championships. Now, it is your turn to taste and enjoy it!
£24.29
Thinkers Publishing Thinkers' Chess Academy with Grandmaster Thomas Luther - Volume 1 First Steps in Tactics
Most chess games are decided by tactics. Grandmaster Thomas Luther brings a structured approach to capturing the subtleties of any tactical theme. The reader is challenged to regularly solve his exercises and in doing so improve his skills of motif recognition. This book is aimed at chess players of all ages and levels who want to significantly improve their results. This is the first book in the Thinkers’ Chess Academy trilogy.
£23.39
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Marshall Attack
This book is about the Marshall Attack and the lines which can be grouped together under the banner of the so-called Anti-Marshall. The theory has developed so much in the last decade that there is more than enough material to be going on with just in those areas, but I also decided to include a detailed look at an important line in the Exchange Variation. Black’s key concept in the Marshall is giving up a central pawn in return for activity, and I have tried to give as many lines as possible which adhere closely to this principle. Why is this so significant? Well, for starters, usually in the Ruy Lopez Black is looking for long, slow games in solid, closed positions. The Marshall flips this on its head and Black tries to accelerate the play and radically change the character of the game at an early stage. Let’s briefly discuss the material of the book itself and the lines that I have decided to give. First of all, I started off with the standard Marshall Attack, after the initial moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5. I have given direct analysis wherever possible and I have tried to cover all the essential lines. Of course, with the passing of the years and the continual development of theory we can see how the popularity of some positions has shifted and, in some cases, how certain lines have simply been rendered obsolete. I also discovered, to my surprise, that there are still new, unexplored, and interesting paths for further analysis.
£20.69
Thinkers Publishing Chess Middlegame Strategies Volume 3: Strategy Meets Dynamics
After his first two most successful volumes of Chess Middlegame Strategies, Ivan Solokov explores in his final volume ideas related to the symbiosis of the strategic and dynamic elements of chess. He combined the most exceptional ideas, strategies and positional play essentials. These three volumes will give you a serious head start when studying and playing a middlegame. A book and series that cannot be missed in any serious chess library!
£23.39
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Berlin Wall Defense
The Berlin Defense is one of the most popular openings for Black against 1.e4 for the last two decades in the higher echelons of the chess world. In this book, the critical ideas are explained in a way that even Club players will feel the confidence to add this evergreen opening to their repertoire by explaining the opening concepts lucidly in such a way that anyone who reads this Book will have the courage to play Berlin in their games. In this book, GM Priyadharshan Kannappan has chosen some off-beat tracks on the Berlin endgame and also has considered 4.d3 as the mainline of Berlin, the 1st for any Berlin book, but is a modern necessity due to the increasing popularity of 4.d3. The book packs enough punch in novelties for the opening aficionados, and this up to date book presents new ideas and variations that were previously never shed light on in the Berlin. GM Priyadharshan has given equal importance to the various sidelines that lead up to the Berlin endgame, and also in the Berlin endgame, and has suggested options where Black actively fights for dynamic positions, and not just gets satisfied with equal positions. The book also has 100 games suggestion that one must study to improve their overall understanding of the various pawn structures and ideas involved in the Queenless endgame.
£21.99
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Dutch Defense
The Modernized Dutch Defense leads to unbalanced structures and dynamic play. White must be well prepared to understand this most aggressive defense which we might even call an 'attack'. Adrien Demuth delivered a fighting repertoire for Black starting from move one!
£27.99
Thinkers Publishing Together with the Candidates: Budapest 1950 to Berlin 2018
This book is the presentation of the history of all the Candidates tournaments and matches in the history of chess. However it is also a book of test and solutions, given in the format of game fragments with detailed comments. All the problems selected by the author have been taken from the games of all the Candidates competitions
£22.49
Thinkers Publishing Bishop Endings: An Innovative Course
Proper handling of Bishops in the Endgame is an important feature in today’s chess and a must for every chess player who wants to climb the world’s chess hierarchy. This book deals with all important themes and ideas on the world of Bishop endings.
£19.99
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Trojan Knight 1.Nc3
The idea of the move 1. Nc3 is to confuse the second player, as White plays a supposedly unambitious move to mislead Black. This is why we found the name "Trojan Horse" very appropriate for the move 1. Nc3, just as the gift from Ulysses to the Trojans appeared to be a tricky and poisoned gift. The appropriate term for chess will, therefore, be the Trojan Knight to refer to the Trojan Horse. 1. Nc3 became popular among professional players, and many grandmasters have added it to their repertoire or played it occasionally in official games: Nakamura, Morozevich, Rapport, Bauer, Vallejo Pons… However, it is especially in rapid games that it has reached the world elite, and the very best players in the world have tried it: Carlsen, Mamedyarov, Andreikin and Firouzja for example. I truly hope that seeing the very best players in the world playing it will convince even the most skeptical critics.
£35.99
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Anti-Sicilians - Volume 2: Moscow Variation & Sidelines
This second and final volume of the Anti-Sicilian series covers our approach for all alternatives to 2…Nc6. The choice against 2…d6 was obvious. The Moscow variation is the only critical alternative to 3.d4 that has caused any concerns for Black – by developing with a tempo, we force Black to make an immediate decision on move 3 and wait for the right moment to open the position. Whilst in the Rossolimo book we have tried to achieve an objective advantage against every line, our choices in the Moscow were mainly selected by their ability to create practical difficulties for the opponent. Naturally, it is not possible to find an advantage in every variation but we have ensured to add many detailed explanations to guide plans and aid understanding in the various positions we’ll encounter
£28.79
Thinkers Publishing The Exchange Sacrifice Unleashed: Power of Middlegame Knowledge
The book you have just started reading is about a very interesting and difficult concept: the exchange sacrifice. This is the moment in chess when basic mathematics breaks down, the moment when 3 counts equal to or even more than 5. So let us leave the mathematics aside and try to figure out why this simple calculation is so difficult to understand. The answer is largely hidden in psychology, as the ninth World Champion, Tigran Petrosian, has often told us, as the man who brought this strategic-tactical chess concept to its first peak. Chess beginners were taught the value of pieces by their teachers (parents, grandparents, perhaps at school or even later in the beginners’ sections of chess clubs). We explain the difference between piece values to children in the simplest way possible, with the help of a unit of measurement, and in chess those units are the pawns. They tell us that a rook is worth five pawns (units) and a knight and a bishop are worth about three each. They also tell us to always be careful, especially during exchanges, to ensure we take at least as much from our opponent as he or she took from us. So, one rook at a time, perhaps for a bishop and a knight next to two pawns. This “chess thinking” is done quickly and very strongly subconsciously in most, one could even say all. Therefore, when choosing moves, we will automatically reject unfavorable exchanges. But who trades a queen for a knight, a bishop for a pawn, and the like? We know from our own life experience that it is better to have ten coins in our pocket than three, and I prefer three to one! This psychological barrier is the most difficult step in making the decision to sacrifice. And so it is with the sacrifice of an exchange. Five for three, that is! Even five for four, if we get a pawn for the rook along with the knight or the bishop. “I am not stupid,” you think. The Exchange Sacrifice Unleashed brings different games or coaches try to explain this and that to us, we see that a material advantage is not always something to celebrate about.
£31.49
Thinkers Publishing The Life and Games of Carlos Torre
This is what’s new in this edition: More accurate and more extensive annotations, computer-assisted. Every game has been examined under Stockfish 14, probably the best analytical engine available for home computers at this time. For the first edition we had only Fritz 4 and 5, which compare to Stockfish like a Model T Ford to a Ferrari, and many games were given no computer examination at all. Thus owners of the first edition will find most annotations here substantially different (and substantially better). However, many general assessments and heuristic notes proved valid and have been retained. · Torre’s own annotations to several games have been unearthed and added. These come from several sources: the American Chess Bulletin, his book of the 1926 Mexican Championship tournament, and his instructional booklet Development of Chess Ability. · Several games have been added. Some, frankly, are Torre losses, which we give in the interest of presenting a more complete, balanced picture of his play. The first edition, to some extent, looked at Torre through rose-colored glasses; here we aim only for untinted clarity. Also added are the six games between players other than Torre that he annotated for the Mexican Championship tournament book (see Chapter VIII). · There are many more diagrams and photographs than in the first edition. Also more thumbnail bios of Torre’s opponents. · More ancillary material about Torre’s life and career: pictures, anecdotes, interesting facts, opinions, bits of trivia etc., drawn from the ACB, the Wiener Schachzeitung, the film Torre x Torre, and other sources. · A 1927 interview with Torre, published in the Yucatán magazine Anahuac, in Chapter III. · Chapter IV, excerpts from the book 64 Variaciones Sobre un Tema de Torre by his friend Germán de la Cruz.
£29.69
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized O'Kelly Sicilian: A Complete Repertoire for Black
· 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.
£27.89
Thinkers Publishing Beat the Dutch Defense
T Sound aggression against the Dutch Defence Promises good attacking chances and avoids learning reams of theory about the Leningrad Dutch, the Stonewall or the Classical Dutch, opening set-ups our opponent knows everything about? This book explores such a system for White with a complete repertoire based on the Staunton gambit. A repertoire for White, with attention for various alternatives White may choose from along the way, and an in-depth analysis of all of Black's responses.
£26.09
Thinkers Publishing Sleutelconcepten in het middenspel deel 2: Pionnenstructuren
Talloze onderwerpen zijn mooi beschreven en keurig uitgewerkt. Maar bij het bestuderen van partijen van schaakstudenten, of het nou talentvolle jeugd was, of volwassen clubschakers van divers niveau, viel me één aspect op dat ik als volgt zal proberen te beschrijven: nadat de klok is aangezet en de partij is begonnen, wordt de opening gespeeld. Veel spelers blijken redelijk goed op de hoogte van de theorie. Onvermijdelijk komt het moment waarop één van beide spelers afwijkt, waardoor beide spelers op zichzelf zijn aangewezen. In de fase daarna moeten de spelers hun weg zien te vinden in een wirwar van varianten en plannen. Zij mogen de tactiek niet uit het oog verliezen, maar bovenal zullen zij een strategisch plan moeten bepalen. In deze fase viel mij – door de bank genomen – op dat veel clubschakers over het algemeen de momenten waarop tactiek een rol speelt, goed in de gaten hebben. Laten we zeggen dat er gemiddeld om de vijf zetten tactiek in de stelling zit. Echter… die andere vier zetten moeten zij toch zelf verzinnen! Maar hoe moeten zij dat doen? Waar moeten ze op letten? Welke principes dienen zij te hanteren. Hoe zien ze of een bepaald strategisch kenmerk dominanter is dan een ander? Als ervaren speler en gediplomeerd schaaktrainer kon ik er meestal wel een vinger achter krijgen waar het ergens mis ging. Dat was bij elke speler telkens anders, maar toch slaagde ik er soms in om een “grootste gemene deler” in de partijen van iemand op te sporen. Daarmee was ik er nog niet. Want elke partij was natuurlijk verschillend met de partijen die nog gingen komen. Hoe kon ik deze speler daadwerkelijk vooruit helpen hiermee? In deel 2 komen de belangrijke Pionnenstructuren aan bod!
£21.99
Thinkers Publishing Sharpen Up Your Chess: A Practical Guide To Success
In this long-awaited second Thinkers-book of International Master, Armin Juhasz, the reader is invited to take a seat in his classroom and follow his useful guidelines how to improve your practical play. The emphasis is on general principles that readers will be able to use in their own games, and detailed analysis is always given where it is necessary. Each game and fragment contain many lessons and practical tips, guiding the reader through the most important ideas in each phase of the game. This book illustrates an increasingly prevalent and successful style of play, a method that begins by slowly accumulating small but permanent advantages. The author does a very good job of explaining the key points of the game in such a way that the reader is given a true account of what is happening and not some watered down version. Translating the muddy world of modern master chess into something that is understandable to the layman, is a skill Armin mastered.
£28.79
Thinkers Publishing The Bishop Pair - Power of the Sun
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. This second issue is significantly more difficult to master because, apart from making full use of the first one (we must be aware of the possible outcomes of the endgame in question) it is greatly influenced by our experience and understanding, which are basically derived from the images and impressions we have from related positions. A primary role is played here by the effort we have invested in studying. In middlegame theory, things are even tougher. We are obliged to study various types of positions with specific strategic and tactical attributes, so as to understand the underlying ideas and be able to employ them ourselves in similar situations. While players have studied these topics and acquired knowledge, it is the application of this knowledge in practice that helps differentiate between them. Chess is not a simple game. 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 continue with the topic of “the Bishop Pair”, the first volume handled 'bishop endings' and we will examine how to handle this “power of the sun” coupling.
£23.39
Thinkers Publishing Cheparinov's 1.d4! Volume 2: The Slav and Semi-Slav
Welcome to Volume 2 of Cheparinov's 1.d4!. In the second part of the series, I am sharing my knowledge about the Slav Defense. I am confident that the book contains many new and interesting ideas and I have tried to provide you with the best practical options. Objectively speaking Black looks good in many lines but in practice things may look different. While I cannot promise you a big advantage in each line, I do believe you will have the best practical chances during the game. Writing the second volume was very challenging for me. 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 I believe that chess players from amateurs to very strong players will appreciate this book. While the Covid pandemic gave me a lot of free time to concentrate on the book, I am very happy to see that many tournaments are back. This means that my book can be useful, and you may actually be able to apply some of the ideas in your games. The best way to use this book is to first examine the lines on an actual board and then check them with an engine. I hope this method of study increases your understanding of the positions that arise from the Slav. This book can be a very important starting point for building your 1.d4 repertoire. Ivan Cheparinov March 2022
£30.99
Thinkers Publishing Your Chess Jungle Guide to 1.d4! - Volume 1B - Aggressive Enterprise - QGA and Minors: Aggressive Enterprise - Queen's Gambit Accepted
Grandmasters Kotronias and Ivanov are renowned as leading theoreticians and chess trainers. They offer a unique and world-class repertoire based on 1.d4! They advocate an ambitious approach for White, with the aim to fight for an advantage in any position. This is their first joint effort; they tackle the ever-popular Queen’s Gambit Accepted and their sidelines in Volume 1A and 1B. We at Thinkers believe their job could not have been done any better.
£27.89
Thinkers Publishing Rakhmanov's Secrets of Opening Preparation
I decided to write about something that I would be interested to learn myself. In this book I show what preparation for a game by a 2650 player looks like. In chess, we only see the game on the stage, and can only guess at what is hidden behind the scenes. Top players can't reveal this, nor can their seconds, so I decided – who, if not me? I show my preparation for games, accompanied by analyses that I consider enough to apply the opening line. I show how I outplay opponents, not with powerful opening preparation, but by leading them into positions that are pleasant for me or unpleasant for them. I explain things that many players do not pay attention to in terms of opening preparation and preparation for an opponent. Aleksandr Rakhmanov, May 2021.
£26.09
Thinkers Publishing Sleutelconcepten in het Middenspel - Volume 1 - De Egel
Dit is het eerste deel van de nieuwe serie Sleutelconcepten in het Middenspel. Het idee is om middenspelen te behandelen waarin een bepaalde structuur of essentieel thema centraal komt te staan. De gedachte om deze serie te beginnen, sluit aan bij de andere serie Begrijp wat je doet omdat het streven is om het inzicht van clubschakers te verbeteren. Het spelen van een opening dient volgens de auteur ‘opgehangen’ te worden aan stereotiepe ideeën en concepten behorende bij die structuur. Het grondige uitdiepen van middenspelstructuren gaat te ver bij openingsboeken, vandaar dat het logischer is om dat te gaan doen in deze complementaire reeks. In dit boek wordt het Egelsysteem uitgebreid besproken. Behalve dat de speelwijze deel uitmaakt van het repertoire van de auteur, verdient deze zeer typische spelsoort het om ruim onder de aandacht gebracht te worden. Hoewel in het tweede deel van de trilogie over het Siciliaans de egel al zijn intrede heeft gedaan, kan het ogenschijnlijk kwetsbare, maar o zo verraderlijke diertje in dit boek op uitgebreide wijze zijn stekels recht overeind zetten!
£21.59
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Ruy Lopez - Volume 2: Complete Opening Repertoire for White
I would like to thank you for purchasing this book, I really appreciate it. It also means that you found an interest in my work of trying to crack the Ruy Lopez. As I said in the introduction to the first volume, I had no idea what I was signing up for when deciding to write a book on Ruy Lopez. This opening has such a rich history and good reputation that proving advantages in many lines is nearly impossible. Writing the first volume on this opening was a Herculean effort and I thought “it cannot be more difficult”. After all, I was covering such solid variations as the Berlin and the Open Spanish. Well, I got surprised again! I am not exaggerating when I say that writing the second volume was at least as hard as writing the first one. This second volume on the Ruy Lopez consists of two parts. In the first part I focus on modern systems with …Bc5, attempting to dissect both the Archangelsk and Moller Variations. These two variations have quite a rich history but in 2020 there have been several developments. If I had to name one person that contributed the most to the developments in those lines it is, without a doubt, Fabiano Caruana. His encounters in the Candidates Tournament in Ekaterinburg, then his theoretical discussion in those lines with Leinier Dominguez, revised my opinion on many of those lines and led to interesting discoveries that I analyze in this bookIn the subsequent part I discuss the Closed Ruy Lopez. It is easily one of the most popular openings throughout the history of chess with many games occuring as early as the 1800s. I suggest going for 9.h3 which usually leads to a positional battle. I present new trends and find new paths and ideas in such evergreen variations as the Zaitsev, Breyer, Chigorin and others. Additionally, I attempt to crack the Marshall Attack by suggesting the Anti-Marshall lines with 8.a4. I must admit that I thought that it would be a pretty easy task to analyze those openings having some prior analysis and experience with both colors. However, time after time I was encountering new challenges and new ideas from both sides that I had to resolve. My conclusions, based on careful analysis with the most powrful engines currently available is presented in this book. This book completes my series on the Ruy Lopez. I would like to take a moment and recall what I said in the introduction to the first volume. When both sides play very good and sound chess, it is normal that games end in a draw. It is especially true for such sound openings as Ruy Lopez. I do not attempt to dismiss one line or another because somewhere with best play Black can make a draw by force on move number 30, playing sometimes ridiculous moves that are only found during the analytical work. Over the board the reality is way different – practical aspect plays an important role in chess. Some positions are easier to play, some harder. Similarly to what I did in the first volume, I try to offer the most playable positions. I do not mind if the positions are equal, provided it is easier to paly with White or the chance of an error by Black is quite large. Sometimes I go into forced variations (e.g. in Moller Defense or Archangelsk Defense), sometimes into more positional battles (like in the Zaitsev) but I truly believe that the positions I aim to reach have potential and are tricky for Black. With proper knowledge I think White can put pressure on Black in the Ruy Lopez. I hope that you will find my approach to tackling the Ruy Lopez interesting. I am aware that there is only so much I can analyze and someone may say that I did not analyze some positions deeply enough but that is the nature of chess – possibilities are pretty much unlimited and there will always be theoretical debate!Finally, I wish you, dear Reader, good luck and I hope you can successfully use the ideas that I present in this book in your games. Dariusz Swiercz February 2021.
£25.19
Thinkers Publishing The French Defense Revisited: A Practical Guide for Black
For almost two centuries the French Defense has been a universally popular opening. Many authorities have made their contribution to establishing the theory. Thanks to their efforts, players nowadays can easily make a choice between the many and various options, whether peaceful or sharp, whether statically or dynamically orientated. Just as importantly, if not more so, fans of the French worldwide can today find good options to play both for a win and a draw! All this makes the French Defense very popular. However, the authors think that many lines have not been well explained or should be revisited. Some other lines deserve a better reputation. Finally we have also suggested some new approaches. Simply speaking, the French Defense looks to be inexhaustible and there cannot be enough books dedicated to it. This book takes a step in the direction of revitalizing our favorite opening! The authors have decided to set the book in order from the less to the more popular and complex lines. In the case of the most popular moves 3. e5, 3. Nd2 and 3. Nc3, we decided to offer two options for Black – one aims to lead to calm play, taking care first with finding balance and equalizing; the other aims to lead to a direct game. Needless to say, we wish to arm the reader in all scenarios that can arise in a practical game of chess, depending on their intentions, wishes, preparation, motivation level, and standings etc.
£26.09
Thinkers Publishing 365 Endgame Lessons for Novices: Daily Bite-Sized Steps to Endgame Mastery
Do you like chess and want to become a better player without putting in hundreds of hours training? 365 Endgame Lessons for Novices has a practical approach with a focus on the endgame. This book helps to eliminate hours of game study and provides bite-sized lessons and tasks that you can implement each day to improve your chess game over the course of a year. We’ve collected an array of typical positions and situations that are frequently seen on the board so that you can better anticipate common mistakes, as well as teach you how you can exploit your opponent’s mistakes. If you make 5-10 minutes of chess study a daily habit, you will improve your chess game and your “chess brain” by opening your mind to planning and moves you wouldn’t otherwise see on the chess board.
£27.99
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Grivas Sicilian
The Sicilian Defense is an opening that commences with the moves 1.e4 c5. The Sicilian Defense is the most popular and best-scoring response to White’s first move 1.e4. For example, 1.d4, is a statistically more successful opening for White because of the high success rate of the Sicilian Defense against 1.e4. The Sicilian is Black’s most dynamic, asymmetrical reply to 1.P-K4. It produces the psychological and tension factors which denote the best in modern play and gives notice of a fierce fight on the very first move.’ The Modernized Grivas Sicilian is an unique variation within the Sicilian developed by Grandmaster Grivas, the reason why it has his name.
£27.89
Thinkers Publishing Beat the French Defense with 3.Nc3: A Complete Repertoire for White
In this book on the 3.Nc3 French, Harikrishna offers practical ideas from White’s perspective to make your preparation more effective. At times, this means suggesting the 2nd or 3rd choice of the engine. He builds on the material from his earlier French course (Chessable, May 2019) and has expanded it with new analysis in all the lines, especially the 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 variation. Harikrishna analyzes both 5.Nce2 and 5.f4, so that the reader may make an informed choice about their personal preference. The driving force throughout is to keep the book clear-cut and practical. A good example of a practical weapon is the deceptively simple 3…Bb4 4.exd5 line. There are also fresh and interesting suggestions against the sidelines you are likely to encounter, especially at shorter time controls. The entire Thinkers Publishing team joins with the author in wishing you enjoyment and success from this exceptional book
£28.18
Thinkers Publishing Candidates Tournament 2020: Part 1 Yekaterinburg
The official story of the 2020 Candidates Tournament began on November the 11th, 2019 with the signing of a contract between FIDE and the Russian Chess Federation detailing the hosting duties of said tournament in Ekaterinburg from the 15th of March to the 5th of April, 2020. At that point no one could have even imagined how difficult the road to that tournament would be nor how unexpected the outcome. Yet the significance of the actual numbers in this dramatic epic is hard to overestimate which is why the author will attempt to play the role of chronicler and try to describe as accurately as possible the key moments of this historic event. Vladimir Tukmakov was our close observer, author and wrote a historically important book on the first part of the Candidates 2020.
£20.69
Thinkers Publishing Coaching the Chess Stars
In this book Grandmaster Vladimir Tukmakov describes his experiences as captain of national and club teams. He coached also individuals players such as Karpov, Korchnoi, Eljanov, Giri and So, to name some. To improve and grow, every chess player needs to address the issues that prevent him from moving on to a higher level. Collaboration with an experienced mentor can greatly accelerate the player's creative growth and improve his results. In this book the author give the reader a close-up opportunity to witness his coaching experiences with the chess stars.
£23.39
Thinkers Publishing Learn from Michal Krasenkow
'Learn from Michal Krasenkow' is a splendid walk through the games and life of the author. Michal presents his games in the most instructive way and gives the reader a deeper look of his own thinking. We are convinced you will find many fascinating games inspiring the reader to improve his game as well!
£24.29
Thinkers Publishing Crucial Chess Skills for the Club Player
In the first volume of "Crucial Chess Skills for the Club Player", attention is given to the three key elements of practical play. These three aspects aren't closely related to each other, but together form the key to improvement for any ambitious chess player. In the first 3 chapters Ris explores the most essential positions for rook endgames, offering practical advice along the way. He also offers ways to sharpen tactical vision in chapters four to six. In particular, he seeks to cultivate an ability to sense opportunities to strike. The final part, chapters seven to nine, he examines positional play in such a way that the student's overall understanding of the game is deepened. The result is that Robert offers a course to help students master all facets of the game! Volume two is expected end of 2018.
£22.49
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Nimzo-Queen's Gambit Declined Systems
The Nimzo-Indian and Queen's Gambit Declined are amongst black's soundest and most universal answers to 1.d4. In his trademark style, Milos investigates the most positional ways to proceed after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6. He analyses all the critical lines whilst also taking a close look at all the sidelines and gives Black many new possibilities to spice up the game. We are convinced that this book will bring you inspirational games and results.
£24.29
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized Barry Attack
The Barry Attack is somewhat defensive-looking from the start. It tempts Black forward, provocatively. The Barry Attack is, after all, a little rebellious, flouting, as it does, all those common sense development rules. Perhaps your game needs a good shot of tactics to boost your results – it’s one of the fastest ways to improve and this is true not only for young players. If your opponent plays an early move order that’s not in this book such as 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c5 or 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 for example, the good news is that Black will be forced to transpose back into the mass of material. This super repertoire keeps Black under pressure. Any reasonable opening set-up can work wonders for White or Black if they know it well.
£25.19
Thinkers Publishing Rolf Martens - Chess Genius - Maoist - Rebel
In 1967, 25-year-old Rolf Martens won the Swedish Championship playing faster than anyone before. In the Student World Championship he defeated one of the world’s ten best players, and at the end of the year he became the first Swede to make an IM-norm. Efim Geller said: “If Martens comes to Moscow, he will become one of the best players in the world.” A few years later, he had quit playing to pursue political activism on the far left. It became his vocation for the rest of his life. When Martens’ desire for chess returned, it was as an analyst. He founded the Ultra Hypermodern Counter Attack School and has produced more openings than perhaps any other player in history. Rolf Martens - Chess genius, Maoist and rebel is his life story, but also a book for anyone who wants to use his openings.
£41.99
Thinkers Publishing The Nimzo and Bogo-Indian Revisited: A Complete Repertoire for Black
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, I 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.
£25.99
Thinkers Publishing Supreme Chess Understanding: Statics & Dynamics
In ‘Supreme Chess Understanding: Statics & Dynamics’, GM Moranda meticulously explains rules governing the physics of the game, focusing in particular on the interplay between static and dynamic factors. In today’s dog-eat-dog chess world it is namely not enough to know the general principles, but rather to grasp when, how and why can these be bent... or even broken. Thanks to the knowledge gained by studying this work, navigating through the maze of positional transformations is going to become a piece of cake!
£26.99
Thinkers Publishing Later word ik koningin: Prentenboek & Toolbox
Het schaken is bijzonder geschikt voor de totale ontwikkeling van elk kind. Omdat jonge kinderen de figuren op een schaakbord intrigerend vinden, bedacht Christel Minne (kleuterjuf en schaakcoach) een leuk en historisch prentenboek in rijmvorm om kleuters vanaf vier jaar mee te nemen in de wereld van het schaken. De tekeningen in het prentenboek zijn grappig en hebben als doel een visuele ondersteuning te bieden om de schaakregels te memoriseren. De bijhorende toolbox biedt bovendien tal van spelletjes en tips voor kinderen, ouders, grootouders, leerkrachten en therapeuten die het schaken willen (aan)leren. Ken je als volwassene niets van het schaken, dan biedt dit boek gezellige en ontspannen momenten om samen met je (klein) kind of een groep kinderen aan de slag te gaan.
£38.69
Thinkers Publishing The Benko Revisited Volume 1
Any and every opening book is out of date. Unfortunately this is true and there is no getting away from it. But why do I recommend my book to you, dear reader? First of all, the lines are all analyzed very deeply. You do not have to turn on the engine and wait for the computer to produce a ready-made solution. Believe me, in analyzing this book, I used the most modern equipment, and thus the reader saves a lot of time. In our information age, time is very precious, and by buying my book you will gain at least time. I have spent a huge amount of my own time analyzing the various lines, but also commenting on the options especially for you, my friends. In addition, in this book’s pages you will find tons of novelties not seen in practice, and in many of the lines I offer strong improvements. Many sources were reviewed, where the authors defended certain options from White’spoint of view, while I defended Black’s side. In addition, this book has absorbed my attitude and approach to various positions, and I have been analyzing the Benko Gambit for more than 10 years! I wanted to approach each position from the point of view of a human, as close as possible to a practical game. In addition, even if this book becomes outdated at some point, I am sure that it will always be possible to improve the variations – but the backbone of studying this opening can be taken from this book; this is normal work on chess IM Alexey Kovalchuk
£26.99
Thinkers Publishing Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021
Before you is the tournament book of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021. The event that has been won in sensational fashion by the young Dutch grandmaster Jorden van Foreest. In a tiebreak in the third blitz game, he was just a bit faster of his compatriot Anish Giri. The barrage was necessary because both players very surprisingly ended with the wonderful score of 8½ out of 13 in joint first place. With this they had left behind, among others, World Champion Magnus Carlsen (7½) and the number two in the world, Fabiano Caruana (8). An unprecedented achievement, because the tournament in Wijk aan Zee is sometimes called the "Wimbledon of chess" of the elite tournaments. After the last round, in which Van Foreest in a formidable way had left the Swede Nils Grandelius chanceless, it was waiting for the game between the Spaniard David Antón Guijarra and Anish Giri. Our compatriot was in a bad position, lost perhaps, but he managed to free himself from the tangled position and gain an important half point. It was decided beforehand that a tiebreak would be held, consisting of at least two blitz games. Should these result in a 1-1 score, an Armageddon game would be played. This turned out to be a nervous and blood-curdling fight, with the pieces flying around. In the end the younger OF the two, Jorden van Foreest, emerged victorious and thus the young Groninger booked the greatest success of his still young career. Apart from the commotion in the Dutch seaside resort of Wijk aan Zee, where the tournament was held – under strict corona rules – the whole of the Netherlands rose to its feet when this great result became known. Hadn't we had to wait since 1985, when Jan Timman won the Hoogovens chess tournament, for a Dutch chess player to stand on the highest podium? And now it was even two players from this country who could dispute together who would take the highest honor
£31.49
Thinkers Publishing Your Jungle Guide To Unbalancing Your Opponents: Tips & Tricks of Young Chess Guns
This book in front of you assists all players in their efforts to improve, and along their way, our young chess guns provided fresh insights how to trap and trick your opponent in the opening and early middlegame. With the many computer-assisted learning tools available, the player’s capacity to improve is limitless. This book offers the reader an insider’s candid view of how to unbalance the game in the modern age of chess.
£26.09
Thinkers Publishing The Sinquefield Chess Generation: Young Guns at Work
The idea was to write about the best players in the USA born at the turn of the century. These players grew and blossomed thanks to the continuous and generous support by the world’s biggest chess patron Rex Sinquefield and the Saint Louis Chess Club. Their success changed the scenery of American chess, set new standards and propelled the country as the promised land for new talents. Grandmaster Alex Colovic will be your guide in his fascinating journey with the US’s Young Chess Guns!
£24.29
Thinkers Publishing Genna Remembers
Half a century ago I left a country, the red color of which dominated a large portion of the world map. One way or another, the fate of almost every single person described in this book is forever linked with that now none-existent empire. Many of them ended up beyond its borders too. Cultures and traditions, and certainly not least of all a Soviet mentality, couldn’t have just left them without a trace. Having been transplanted into a different environment, they had to play the role of themselves apart from certain corrections with regard to the tastes and customs of a new society. Nevertheless, every one of them, both those who left the Soviet Union, and those who stayed behind, were forever linked by one common united phenomenon: they all belonged to the Soviet school of chess. This school of chess was born in the 20’s, but only began to count its true years starting in 1945, when the representatives of the Soviet Union dominated an American squad in a team match. Led by Mikhail Botvinnik, Soviet Grandmasters conquered and ruled the world, save for a short Fischer period, over the course of that same half century. In chess as well as ballet, or music, the word “Soviet” was actually a synonym for the highest quality interpretation of the discipline. The Soviet Union provided unheard of conditions for their players, which were the sort of which their colleagues in the West dare not even dream. Grandmasters and even Masters received a regular salary just for their professional qualifications, thereby raising the prestige of a chess player to what were unbelievable heights. It was a time when any finish in an international tournament, aside from first, was almost considered a failure when it came to Soviet players, and upon their return to Moscow they had to write an official explanation to the Chess Federation or the Sports Committee. The isolation of the country, separated from the rest of the world by an Iron Curtain, was another reason why, talent and energy often manifested themselves in relatively neutral fields. Still if with music, cinematography, philosophy, or history, the Soviet people were raised on a strict diet, that contained multiple restrictions, this did not apply to chess. Grandmasters, and Masters, all varied in terms of their upbringing, education, and mentality and were judged solely on their talent and mastery at the end of the day. Maybe that’s why the Soviet school of chess was full of such improbable variety not only in terms of the style of play of its representatives, but also their different personality types. Built was a gigantic chess pyramid, at the base of which were school championships, which were closely followed by district ones. Later city championships, regions, republics, and finally-the ultimate cherry on top-the national event itself. The Championships of the Soviet Union were in no way inferior to the strongest international tournaments, and collections of the games played there came out as separate publications in the West. That huge brotherhood of chess contained its very own hierarchy within. Among the millions, and multitudes of parishioners-fans of the game-there were the priests-candidate masters. Highly respected were the cardinals-masters. As for Grandmasters though well…they were true Gods. Every person in the USSR knew their names, and those names sounded with just as much adoration, and admiration as those of the nation’s other darlings-the country’s best hockey players. In those days the coming of the American genius only served to strengthen the interest and attention of society towards chess, never mind the fact that by that point it had already been fully saturated by it. The presence of tons of spectators at a chess tournament in Moscow as shown in the series “The Queen’s Gambit” is in no way an exaggeration. That there truly was the golden age of chess. Under the constant eye, and control of the government, chess in the USSR was closely interwoven with politics, much like everything else in that vanished country. Concurrently, the closed, and isolated society in which it was born only served to enable its development, creating its very own type of culture-the giant world of Soviet chess. I was never indifferent to the past. Today, when there is that much more of it then the future, this feeling has become all the sharper. The faster the twentieth century sprints away from us, and the thicker the grass of forgetting grows, soon enough, and under the verified power of the most powerful engines that world of chess will be gone as well. It was an intriguing, and colorful world, and I saw it as my duty to not let it disappear into that empty abyss. Genna Sosonko, May 2021.
£24.29
Thinkers Publishing 1.e4! The Chess Bible
'1.e4! The Chess Bible’ (in three volumes) is a complete and authoritative repertoire for White based on sound main lines and the latest cutting-edge analysis. Existing theory is revisited and expanded with several fresh ideas, novelties and refutations which will appeal to dedicated 1.e4 players and theoreticians alike. However, each section is also carefully designed to be easily digested by players of all standards, with an opening overview, illustrated diagrams of key concepts, and instructive and annotated games.This book is an essential practical resource for any 1.e4 player and will greatly reward those who are looking to master their understanding of the open games.The openings covered in this volume are: The Scandinavian Defence, The Alekhine’s Defence, The Nimzowitsch Defence, The Pirc & Modern Defences andThe Philidor Defence.
£26.09
Thinkers Publishing Universal Chess Training
Are you struggling with your chess development? While dedicating hours and hours on improving your craft, your rating simply does not want to move upwards? Spending loads of money on chess books and DVDs, but feeling no real improvement at all? No worries – the book that you are holding in your hands might represent a game changer! Years of coaching experience as well as independent research has allowed the author to identify the key skills that will enhance the progress of just about any player rated between 1600 and 2500. Becoming a strong chess thinker is namely not only reserved exclusively for elite players, but actually constitutes the cornerstone of chess training, being no less important than memorizing opening theory, acquiring middlegame knowledge or practicing endgames. By studying this book, you will:- learn how to universally deal with any position you might encounter in your games, even if you happen to see it for the first time in your life, - have the opportunity to solve 90 unique, hand-picked puzzles, extensively annotated and peculiarly organised for the Readers’ optimal learning effect, - gain access to more than 300 pages of original grandmaster thoughts and advice, leaving you awestruck and hungry for more afterwards!
£27.99
Thinkers Publishing The Modernized French Defense - Volume 2: Against the Tarrasch
The Tarrasch variation of the French Defense is reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2. This is one of the most positional treatments White has available. Using his typical funny and dynamic writing style, David shows that it is possible to play solidly but also remain with the dynamic elements Black has available. He recommends several creative lines, even a bit off the beaten track, but which he has very carefully worked out over the several years of his own practice. Again, Miedema and his love for the French Defense shines through his second volume, the third and final being available at the end of this year.
£21.59
Thinkers Publishing Improve your Practical Play in the Endgame
For all chess players, beginners to professionals, one thing is crucial: any ending knowledge will bring you the key to success. In this area of the game, many points are given away through the lack of adequate knowledge of these endings. Alexey Dreev continued his journey, after his first in the series 'Practical Play in the Middlegame', he provided an unique and practical guide, logically and clearly organized by theme. On top of that he also included many fascinating exercices to test the reader's understanding. This endgame book should be in anyone's library if you want to acquire the correct knowledge of the final part of our Royal Game.
£23.39
Thinkers Publishing Unconventional Approaches to Modern Chess Volume 1: Rare Ideas for Black
In this highly original book, Grandmaster Ipatov shares the chess philosophy that helped him become a top chess grandmaster. Contrary to the generally accepted norms that permeate the modern chess world, he argues that spending most of one's training time on studying opening theory and memorizing trending lines until move 30 is wrong. However, this is exactly how most beginners start learning chess nowadays. Some strong grandmasters also fall into this trap when they prioritize opening theory amongst other aspects of the game. This often leads to fundamental gaps in one's chess understanding which is really hard to fix, especially for young players. Ipatov's ideology lies in that one should work on enhancing his general chess understanding and take on a surprise-first approach when it comes to playing openings in order to avoid opponents' preparation in the mainstream theory and take them out of book in the early stage of the game. Most of the book is comprised of Alexander Ipatov's original analyses covering a variety of offbeat opening lines from both White and Black's perspective. His recent match against the 2018 US Chess Champion Sam Shankland, where Ipatov implemented a novelty on move two – something unheard of in the modern era with millions of games being played to date – serves as a good illustration that the philosophy deserves more attention and research than it currently has. This book serves to fill in this gap and welcome more debate on the subject.
£24.29
Thinkers Publishing Chess Calculation Training: Middlegame
The author focused in his first volume of pure chess calculation on middlegames. Romain has carefully selected 496 positions, which arose in real games in the recent past. He separated the exercises into 11 different categories, covering both tactics and strategy, attack and defence. This book is a fantastic training tool for any player to improve his level of chess thinking.
£21.09
Thinkers Publishing Forgotten Genius The Life and Games of Grandmaster Dragoljub Velimirovic
Dragoljub Velimirovic was a former Yugoslav - Serbian, chess grandmaster whose international career was handicapped by political intrigues and his outspoken temperament. During the heyday of the USSR as the greatest national chess power, the former Yugoslavia was capable of running the Soviet Union a good second. Dragoljub Velimirovic posed a real threat to the men from Moscow.Velimirovic was born in 1942 to a prominent family from Valjevo, in the former Yugoslavia. He was introduced to chess at the age of seven by his mother, Jovanka Velimirovic, one of Yugoslavia’s leading female chess players. He died at the age 72, being one of the last players to develop a system or strategy that is so inventive it bears its creator’s name. It is a feat that is unlikely to be repeated in the modern era, when computer-based games and databases so thoroughly dominate competition that it is almost impossible to come up with something new. That does not mean tha
£35.99