For the purpose of writing this book I decided to look at all the games Veselin has played from 1995 until the present, as there were many I didn´t know! I must say that, although seeing great moves from a 2800 player sounds normal, it was impossible not to be astonished by some of his games. Topalov is one of the kings of practical decisions in chess. He regards chess as more a sport than a science. If he thinks an idea will work over the board, the notion of risk is irrelevant to him. He wants to be on the attack and believes an objectively inferior position isn?t necessarily bad if his opponent needs to find several difficult defensive moves. "If that?s the only move for my opponent, let?s enter the line and see if he sees it!" is his philosophy. He never liked peace over the board or routine play. The moments where he has refused to repeat moves or has sacrificed something strictly out of intuition are countless. In short, Topalov´s aim has always been to hit hard and bring his own touch to the game, and I think he has succeeded! 312 Seiten, gebunden, Verlag Thinkers Publishing

Reihe: "Meilensteine des Schach" Band 15 Dr. Max Euwe, der holländische Schachweltmeister von 1935-37, trat zum letzten Mal 1960 bei der Schacholympiade in Leipzig für sein Heimatland am Turnierbrett an. Doch blieb er dem Weltschach verbunden und fungierte von 1970-78 als Präsident des Weltschachbundes FIDE. Hier bewies der Mathematikprofessor und Experte für Datenverarbeitung sein Verhandlungsgeschick, indem er die schwierige Aufgabe bewältigte, den Weltmeisterschaftskampf zwischen dem US-Amerikaner Robert James (Bobby) Fischer und dem Russen Boris Spasski über die Bühne zu bringen. Im November 1981 verstarb Max Euwe im Alter von achtzig Jahren. Max Euwes Partien, die Phantasie und Logik vereinen, üben einen eigenartigen Reiz aus. Das Niveau des Wettkampfes um die Weltmeisterschaft 1935 zwischen Aljechin und Euwe gilt auch heute noch als unübertroffen. So versteht es sich von selbst, dass die neu aufgelegte Partieauswahl ihren Platz in der Schachliteratur gefunden hat. In diesem Buch lebt der große Schachmeister Max Euwe ebenso weiter, wie in seinen zahlreichen schachliterarischen Werken.   200 Seiten, kartoniert, Joachim Beyer Verlag   Rezension von Jörg Palitzsch im Oktober 2018 Dr. Max Euwe - Eine Auswahl seiner besten Partien Der fünfte Schachweltmeister Dr. Max Euwe (1935 bis 1937) genoss nicht nur in seiner Heimat Holland Kultstatus. Als Fide-Präsident von 1970 bis 1978 verschaffte er sich auch auf internationaler Ebene großen Respekt. In seine Zeit als FIDE-Präsident von 1970 bis 1978 fiel im Jahr 1972 auch das Weltmeisterschaftsspiel zwischen Bobby Fischer und Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, in der er eine schwierige Vermittlerrolle übernehmen musste. Dabei kam dem Mathematikprofessor und Daten-Experte sein großes Verhandlungsgeschick zugute. Euwe trat aber vor allem als Autor unzähliger Schachbücher hervor, die bis heute als Lehrmaterial dienen. Dazu zählen seine umfangreichen Theorien über das Endspiel sowie seine Abhandlungen über das Positions- und Kombinationsspiel im Schach. In einer dritten Auflage ist jetzt in der Reihe „Meilensteine des Schach“ im Joachim Beyer Verlag eine Auswahl seiner besten Partien erschienen. Im Vorspann des Buches werden die Laufbahn Euwes und sein Weg zur Weltmeisterschaft beleuchtet, die mit dem Sieg in Hastings 1934/35 die Krönung brachte. In einem weiteren Beitrag schreibt Kurt Richter über Dr. Euwe und seine Freunde, die sich mit großer Bewunderung und Hochachtung über den außergewöhnlichen Schachspieler äußerten. So etwa Großmeister Dr. Ossip Bernstein: „Für mich gibt es keine Ex-Weltmeister.“ Es sei genauso wie es im Römischen Reich hieß: semel heres -semper heres, wer einmal etwas erbt, bleibe immer Erbe. Sprich Max Euwe werde stets Weltmeister sein. Diesem Einstieg folgen vier Beiträge mit Partiebeispielen über Euwe. Tigran Petrosjan hat seine Erinnerungen mit „Ein Schüler schlägt den Meister“ und Dr. Mikhail Botwinnik „Ein unangenehmer Gegner“ überschrieben. Paul Keres erinnert sich an seine Begegnungen mit Euwe und Albric O'Kelly hat Partien ausgesucht, die Euwe als geschickten Taktiker und Psychologen zeigen. Im Hauptteil des Buches sind anschließend auf über 150 Seiten die besten Partien Euwes aufgeführt, die die herausragenden Leistungen des Holländers zeigen. Ein schwieriges aber trotzdem gelungenes Unterfangen, weil eine große Zahl an Euwe-Partien bereits veröffentlicht wurden. Fazit: Die Partien Euwes komplett abzubilden ist unmöglich, das Buch bildet sein Spielspektrum jedoch in allen Aspekten ab.

Reihe: "Meilensteine des Schach" Band 14 Wenn es in der Schachwelt – wie in anderen Bereichen des Lebens – neben den 'leuchtenden Stars' so etwas gibt wie 'graue Eminenzen', so gehörte der Ungar Géza Maróczy zweifellos der zweiten Kategorie an. Womit – um Missverständnissen vorzubeugen – nicht etwa gemeint ist, dass er ein zweitklassiger Spieler war. Denn immerhin erreichte er zu seiner besten Zeit etliche Siege und Spitzenplatzierungen bei den stärksten Turnieren – z.B. den 2.Platz in Nürnberg 1896 – zwar hinter Lasker, jedoch vor Tarrasch, Pillsbury, Janowski und Steinitz; den 1. Platz in Ostende 1905 vor Janowski und Tarrasch; den geteilten 1. Platz in Barmen 1905 gemeinsam mit Janowski vor Marshall usw. Und so ist es kein Wunder, dass er neben Siegbert Tarrasch als würdigster Herausforderer des gelegentlich wankenden Weltmeisters Emmanuel Lasker gehandelt wurde. Dass es jedoch nie zu einem Weltmeisterschaftskampf kam, lag vor allem daran, dass Maróczy – im Gegensatz zu Lasker – berufstätig war und nur seinen spärlichen Urlaub zum Schachspielen nutzen konnte. Seine geringere Bekanntheit lag womöglich an seinem Stil, der nicht auf Glanz und Gloria ausgerichtet war, sondern auf positionelle Präzision und geschliffene Endspielführung – eine Definition, die interessanterweise in heutiger Zeit dem Stil von keinem Geringeren als dem amtierenden 'Super-Weltmeister' Magnus Carlsen zugeordnet werden könnte. Wie auch immer gelingt es dem Autor ganz vortrefflich, uns Géza Maróczy näherzubringen, und zwar nicht allein den Schachspieler und -lehrer, sondern vor allem auch den Menschen. 176 Seiten, kartoniert, Joachim Beyer Verlag     Rezension von Jörg Palitzsch im April 2018 Der deutsche Schachmeister Richard Teichmann hatte eine hohe Meinung über den ungarischen Großmeister Géza Maróczy. „Maróczy ist ein profunder Spieler und er spielt das Endspiel sehr gut. In seiner besten Form ist er ein sehr gefährlicher Gegner in dieser Art von Turnier“, sagte er 1911 am Rande des Internationalen Turniers in San Sebastián. Und José Raúl Capablanca, Schachweltmeister von 1921 bis 1927, erinnerte sich in einem Radiobetrag mit dem Titel „Lecciones elementales de ajedrez“: „Sein (Maróczys) positionelles Urteil, die höchste Qualität des wahren Meisters, war ausgezeichnet. Als sehr präziser Spieler und ausgezeichneter Endspielkünstler wurde er als Experte für Königinnenspiele berühmt.“ In der Serie „Meilensteine des Schach“ ist jetzt das 1971 erschienene Buch von Walter Árpád Földeák über den ungarischen Schachspieler Géza Maróczy in einer zweiten und überarbeiteten Auflage erschienen. Géza Maróczy betrat 1895 in Hastings die internationale Schachbühne, er war damals 25 Jahre alt. Dieses Turnier dokumentiert bis heute in vielerlei Hinsicht einen Wandel im Schach. Weltmeister Wilhelm Steinitz hatte einige Zeit davor seinen Titel an den jungen Emanuel Laser verloren. Hastings war auch der Beginn von Kur- und Hafenstädten als Austragungsort von Turnieren, die bis dahin zumeist im Großstädten stattfanden. Auch die romantische Schachauffassung war in den Hintergrund gerückt, Strategie und Positionsspiel hielten Einzug. Dies kam der schachlichen Rezeptur von Géza Maróczy sehr entgegen. Ihm war es möglich Schwächen zu überspielen, sie in eine Verteidigung zu drehen, die Initiative zu ergreifen und das Spiel so zu gewinnen. Er vertrat die Ansicht, eine solide Verteidigung könne dazu führen, dass der Gegner zu viele Risiken eingeht. Und Maróczy setzte auf Endspiele mit einer starken Dame, die ihm zeigte, welche Schwächen der Gegner hat. Als er 1905 das Turnier in Ostende gegen den Amerikaner Frank Marshall gewann, gaben ihm seine Zeitgenossen den Titel „Der Kaiser der Damenendspiele“. In vielen Partien des Buches, die Autor Földeák zusammengetragen hat, lässt sich dieser Spielstil nachvollziehen. Géza Maróczy, so schreibt der slowenische Schach-Großmeister Milan Vidmar in seinen Schacherinnerungen, habe jedes Turnier mit dem Aufgebot all seiner Kräfte ohne zu wanken durchgekämpft und nur auf das Ziel, den ersten Preis, ausgerichtet. So war es auch 1895 in Hastings: Für das Turnier wurden 22 Schachmeister zugelassen, um es zeitlich nicht zu lang werden zu lassen. Spielern, denen abgesagt wurde, spielten in einem parallel ausgetragenen Hauptturnier, das von Maróczy gewonnen wurde. 1924 setzte er sich in Hastings dann „regulär“ an die Spitze. Es wurde in zwei Gruppen gespielt. Mit Savielly Tartakower, der den Begriff der „Hypermodernen Schule“ prägte und Sieger der anderen Gruppe war, spielte Maróczy noch eine Partie, die remis endete. Walter Árpád Földeák, der unter anderem 1952 das Buch „Hundert preisgekrönte Schachpartien“ vorgelegt hat, zeichnet in „Géza Maróczy – Leben und Lehren“ den schwierigen Lebensweg des Ungarn auf, der für kurze Zeit als ernstzunehmender Herausforderer des deutschen Weltmeisters Emmanuel Lasker galt. Nur war Maróczy, im Gegensatz zu Lasker, beruflich stark eingebunden und auch nicht mit den nötigen finanziellen Mitteln ausgestattet, die es ihm erlaubt hätten, sich ausschließlich auf das Schachspiel zu konzentrieren. Materielle Sorgen zwangen ihn, 1920 Ungarn zu verlassen, unter anderem verbrachte er die Zeit bis 1928 in Holland, Deutschland und Amerika. Inzwischen 50 Jahre nahm er immer noch an Turnieren teil, musste aber oft genug den jüngeren Spielern die ersten Plätze überlassen. 1928 kehrte er in seine Heimat zurück und unterstützte die ungarischen Meister bei den FIDE-Olympiaden und der Münchner Olympiade 1936. Danach zog sich Maróczy vom aktiven Spiel zurück und widmete sich seinen literarischen Tätigkeiten. Er führte Schachspalten in Zeitungen und analysierte dafür über 2000 Partien. Er veröffentlichte Schachbücher, darunter eine der besten Sammlungen der Spiele des amerikanischen Meisters Paul Morphy. Maróczy, Ikone des ungarischen Schachs und unermüdlicher Lehrmeister, starb 1951 mit 81 Jahren in Budapest. „Ich sterbe gern, denn die Welt ist so hässlich geworden“, soll er am Ende gesagt haben. Der Beschreibung des Lebensweges schließt sich im Buch ein 73-seitiger Lehrteil mit rund 35 Partien an. Sie zeigen nicht nur die präzise Spielweise Maróczys, sondern auch seine analytische Urteilskraft über Partien, die er für die Zeitschriften Pesti Hirlap (Pester Journal) und Békés geschrieben hat. Fazit: Géza Maroczy war um 1900 einer der besten Spieler der Welt. Das Buch von Walter Árpád Földeák beleuchtet die spielerische als auch menschliche Seite des großen Ungarns mit allem Respekt und wahrt so das Andenken an eine große Persönlichkeit.

Volume 1 of our new trilogy on the perhaps most fascinating chess-player of all time. Dr. Emanuel Lasker, cosmopolitan World chess champion for 27 years, accomplished mathematician, at home in five different countries, author, philosopher, psychologist and expert in all kinds of games, is portrayed in this splendid 464-page volume with hundreds of often rare photographs. Born into poor Polish-German-Jewish circumstances, he lived a life full of struggles. His unprecedented victories stunned the chess world, yet brought him only temporary riches. A beautiful book , with essays by leading experts, about a unique figure, whose intellectual horizon and ambitions went far beyond the 64 squares. 450 Seiten, gebunden, Leinen mit Goldprägung, Verlag Exzelsior

Volume 2 of our new trilogy on the perhaps most fascinating chess-player of all time. Dr. Emanuel Lasker, cosmopolitan World chess champion for 27 years, accomplished mathematician, at home in five different countries, author, philosopher, psychologist and expert in all kinds of games, is portrayed in this splendid 464-page volume with hundreds of often rare photographs. Born into poor Polish-German-Jewish circumstances, he lived a life full of struggles. His unprecedented victories stunned the chess world, yet brought him only temporary riches. A beautiful book , with essays by leading experts, about a unique figure, whose intellectual horizon and ambitions went far beyond the 64 squares. 464 Seiten, gebunden, Leinen mit Goldprägung, Verlag Exzelsior

This final volume of the Lasker trilogy covers the later part of his life from 1914 onwards and his manifolds ambitions and writings in chess and science. The biographical compass by Richard Forster shows the ups and downs of the world champion during World War I, his loss of the world championship, the subsequent economic crisis in Germany, the raise of the Nazis, and Lasker’s escape, illustrated with dozens of private documents and letters. Sergey Voronkov paints a detailed picture of Lasker’s fantastic tournament successes in Russia between 1896 and 1936 as well as the frightening circumstances of Lasker and his wife’s life in Soviet Russia in the mid-1930s. Jan Sprenger, Marco Baldauf, Ulrich Sieg, and Fernand Gobet share illuminating thoughts on Lasker’s endeavors as a (Jewish) intellectual in the post-war era, his scientific ambitions as a philosopher as well as his late unpublished work on psychology, which is discussed here for the first time ever. Egbert Meissenburg and Richard Forster follow with a meticulous overview of Lasker’s rich oeuvre as a writer on chess and other games, mathematics, philosophy, and much else, with translation into more than twenty languages. Herbert Bastian analyzes in detail Lasker’s impact as a chess writer and teacher, while Mihail Marin provides fresh insights into Lasker’s best games and spectacular success in his sixties, when in Moscow 1935 he still kept up with the world’s best. CONTENTS A Biographical Compass, Part III, by Richard Forster  Lasker and Russia by Sergey Voronkov  Lasker, The Philosopher by Jan Sprenger & Marco Baldauf  Lasker and Judaism by Ulrich Sieg  The Psychology of Games by Fernand Gobet  Emanuel Lasker’s Chess Columns by Richard Forster  Bibliography of Lasker’s Writings by Egbert Meissenburg  Lasker as a Chess Teacher by Herbert Bastian  An Impressive Coda by Mihail Marin   AUTHORS Marco Baldauf , born 1990, works as a policy advisor in Berlin. From 2010 to 2019, he studied physics and philosophy in Munich and Berlin. He holds the grandmaster title in chess, authored several DVDs on chess strategy, and plays in the German Bundesliga for Schachfreunde Berlin. Herbert Bastian , born 1952, is a retired teacher of mathematics and physics in Saarbrücken. He holds the International Master title and is a certified trainer of the German chess federation. From 2011 to 2017 he presided over the federation and from 2014 to 2018 he was a vice president of the world chess federation (F.I.D.E.). He is the author of a chess course (4 vols.) and numerous chess articles. In 2021, he co-organized the online conference on chess history in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the French chess federation. After a painstaking study of the “Chapais manuscript,” he identified Gaspard Monge as the likely author and documented his findings in Geheimnisse des Schachmanuskripts von Chapais (2022). Dr. Richard Forster , born 1975, lives in Winterthur. He is an international chess master with a doctorate in computational linguistics and works as a consultant in data engineering. He has authored several chess books, including Amos Burn (2004) and The Zurich Chess Club (2009/2011). He was one of the editors of Emanuel Lasker-Denker, Weltenbürger, Schachweltmeister (2009) and is the technical editor of the present series. He has represented Switzerland in six Chess Olympiads. Dr. Fernand Gobet , born 1962, is Professorial Research Fellow in the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science at the London School of Economics. His main research interests are the psychology of expertise, the acquisition of language, computational modeling, and scientific discovery. He is the main architect behind the CHREST project (Chunk Hierarchy and REtrieval STructures), a cognitive architecture based on the idea of chunking. He has authored and co-authored over 300 publications, including ten books. His latest books are Understanding Expertise: A Multi-disciplinary Approach (2015) and The Psychology of Chess (2018). He is an international chess master and represented Switzerland in three Chess Olympiads. Mihail Marin , born 1965, is a chess grandmaster living in Bucharest. He is a three-time champion of Romania and has represented his country in a dozen Chess Olympiads. He has made himself a name as an author of well-received opening books as well as numerous treatises on games of past, including Secrets of Chess Defence (2003), Learn from the Legends (2004; 3rd ed. 2015), Secrets of Attacking Chess (2005), Old Wine in New Bottles (2019), Learn from Bent Larsen (2022), and Vladimir Simagin (2022). Egbert Meissenburg , born 1937, a retired attorney and notary public, is a chess researcher in Seevetal. For nearly sixty years, since 1962, he has been engaged as an author, editor, and publisher of chess history and chess bibliography. Numbers 17 and 19 of his series “Schach-Forschungen” (Chess Research) were Emanuel Lasker als Philosoph and Emanuel Lasker: Zur Würdigung eines Schach-Weltmeisters (both 2000). Dr. Ulrich Sieg , born 1960, is Professor of Modern History at Marburg University. His publications include Jüdische Intellektuelle im Ersten Weltkrieg (2001), Deutschlands Prophet (2007, English translation 2013), Die Macht des Willens (2019), and, most recently, Vom Ressentiment zum Fanatismus (2022), a study of modern anti-Semitism. With Michael Dreyer he edited Emanuel Lasker-Schach, Philosophie, Wissenschaft (2001). He has played chess for the Lübecker Schachverein since 1972 and is a F.I.D.E. master. Dr. Jan Sprenger , born 1982, is Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University of Turin in Italy. He studied mathematics and philosophy in Bonn and gained his PhD in philosophy in 2008. He recently published the research monograph Bayesian Philosophy of Science (with Stephan Hartmann, 2019). Currently, he conducts a project on scientific objectivity. He holds the grandmaster title in chess, is a prize-winning composer of endgame studies, and regularly contributes tournament reports and general chess-related essays to the German magazine Schach. Sergey Voronkov , born 1954, lives in Moscow. Chess historian, journalist, and writer. Over 100 publications on the history of chess in Russia, including ten books, notably David Janowski (1987, with Dmitry Plisetsky), David protiv Goliath (2002, with David Bronstein; in English as Secret Notes, 2007), Russians protiv Fischera (2004, with Dmitry Plisetsky; English editions 1994 and 2005; Italian edition 2003), Fyodor Bogatyrchuk: Doctor Zhivago sovetskikh shakhmat (2013, two volumes), Shedevry i dramy chempionatov SSSR (2007, 2019: a three-volume series on the masterpieces and dramas of the Soviet championships; English translations of volume I and II in 2020 and 2021), and Russky Sphinx (2021, a biography of Alexander Alekhine). 480 Seiten, gebunden, Leinen mit Goldprägung, Verlag Exzelsior

Emanuel Lasker was world champion for a remarkable 27 years (1894-1921) and is generally regarded as having been way ahead of his time in his understanding of chess. He primarily regarded chess as a fight and considered that the strongest move in a position was the one that created greatest problems for the opponent and not necessarily the one that was objectively “best”. His strengths included: * His skill at accumulating small advantages with quiet manoeuvring. * His astonishing ability to find tactical resources in defence. * His uncanny knack of provoking errors in balanced positions. Lasker was, essentially, a complete chessplayer and his games feel thoroughly modern. Indeed many contemporary elite players (the most obvious one being the current world champion Magnus Carlsen) exhibit a very similar style. 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.   448 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman Chess

Viswanathan Anand is undoubtedly one of the Worlds greatest ever chess players. He first shot to fame in his youth, when he enthralled the chess public with his results and his amazing speed of play. He became Indias first ever grandmaster, at the age of eighteen. He has won five World Championships, and was the undisputed World Champion from 2007 to 2013. Hes been the World number one ranked player and one of the very few to break the 2800 rating barrier. His renowned versatility has help him to become successful in all forms of the game: tournament play, match play, knockout and rapidplay.   In this book, Grandmaster Zenón Franco examines in detail Anands chess career to date. He selects and studies his favourite Anand games, and demonstrates clearly how we can all improve our chess by learning from Anands 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 371 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

Akiba Rubinstein is a famous figure in the in the history of chess. At his peak, he was arguably the strongest player in the World, and only the outbreak of World War I deprived him of the opportunity to challenge his main rival Emanuel Lasker for the World Championship title. Rubinstein was an exceptionally talented player whose legacy includes many truly brilliant games. He helped to develop several chess openings and is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest endgame players of all time. In this book, Grandmaster Zenón Franco selects and examines his favourite Rubinstein games, and demonstrates how we can all learn and improve our chess by studying Rubinstein’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 400 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

  Estonian grandmaster Paul Keres is one of the greatest players in chess history. Along with Viktor Korchnoi he is one of the best never to have gained the ultimate title of world champion. He was numbered among the very top players in the world for more than three decades. He was an unusually well-rounded chessplayer, writing numerous books and, additionally, also composing problems and endgame studies. Paraguay grandmaster, Zenón Franco has long been a fan of Paul Keres and has now collected together 38 of his finest games, along with numerous extracts from other encounters. 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. 464 Seiten, kartoniert Verlag Everyman

Writing about Miguel Najdorf is one of my greatest pleasures as a chess journalist and writer. Having known him is a privilege of which I quickly became aware, along with Sergio Giardelli, who had more dealings with him than I did. A few years ago we agreed that both of us could say “I knew Mozart”, not the real Mozart, of course, but referring to someone who reached the highest point of the discipline he embraced. Najdorf did so with the utmost passion. I never felt able to call him “el Viejo” (literally “The old man”), as everyone, himself included, called him; I think it sounded disrespectful to me because of my Guarani roots, although obviously no disrespect was implied. The first time I heard of him was through the magazine “Ajedrez”, and later through the occasional annotations of my mentor Bernardo Wexler, who had a high regard for Don Miguel’s chess strength. I remember that in the 1970 Siegen Olympiad, where Najdorf played on the top board, and once again had to face the best players in the world, Wexler said, “If Najdorf wants it so, nobody can beat him, but he will want to win, and then he might lose; but if he plays for a draw, nobody can beat him”. At that time I was unaware of the strength of the masters. The first time I went to the Club Argentino de Ajedrez (Argentine Chess Club) I watched several masters playing blitz games (or “ping-pong” games, as they used to say over there) and for me they were all very good, of similar strength. When I asked him who was the best, Wexler did not hesitate: “Najdorf, Najdorf.” On another occasion Wexler mentioned one of Najdorf’s characteristic traits: his extreme competitiveness. He recalled that when he was eighteen he had once shared first place with Najdorf himself. Wexler was then only a second-category player and he was on cloud nine. Najdorf wanted to play a tie-break, which Wexler declined to do, explaining that he was very excited, quite unable to play, but Najdorf insisted over and over again, said he would give him the entire first prize if he played, etc. He insisted so much that he persuaded Wexler to play and Najdorf won the tie-break. Not until many years later did Wexler manage to get over it. If we are completely honest, this aspect of Najdorf’s personality made him unpopular, but this is only one aspect of his personality. In his book Chess Duels Seirawan speaks aff ectionately and admiringly about Garry Kasparov, explaining that there are “two Garrys, the Good and the Bad”, and that “if there is one person in the whole world I would want to represent chess and to speak to a sponsor, it is the Good Garry. He is witty, charming, erudite…”, while “the Bad Garry can be surly, angry and rude, making the most committed sponsor put his checkbook away and run for the nearest exit.” This description of Kasparov reminds me a little of Najdorf, not exactly, but in Don Miguel there were also two personalities. One was Najdorf the competitor; as Oscar Panno commented, “when he was competing, the others were not rivals or adversaries, they were enemies, and he treated them as such.” On the other hand, in his personality away from the board, in other words most of the time, Najdorf was pleasant, amusing, enthusiastic, interested in everything, with his strengths and weaknesses, like everyone else, but, as I was able to confi rm on many occasions, basically a very good-hearted person. Liliana Najdorf, one of his daughters and author of the book “Najdorf × Najdorf”, described him like this: “to say he was larger than life strikes me as an understatement. I look for synonyms that will help me to defi ne him and in those words I find him: passionate, disproportionate, ostentatious, gigantic, extraordinary, overwhelming, marvellous. Wise”. Just as accurate is the image that Ricardo Calvo once gave of Don Miguel in the Spanish magazine “Jaque”: “Najdorf is not someone who passes unnoticed… He has a kind of strength, or energy, or vitality, call it what you will, which draws you, attracts attention, complicates or simplifies matters, (as a rule, it seems to me he complicates things), and like a whirlwind stirs up even the seemingly most structured of quiet backwaters of the spirit, of anyone who through good luck or misfortune has burst into his field of activity… He is forever faithful to his own truth: that vital enthusiasm which he appears to draw from the most primitive layers of his being, which penetrates it and which, passing through him, destabilizes anyone who accompanies him… He is neither good nor bad, that’s just the way he is…” In any case, as I write this book I am reminded of something Jorge Amado said, as reported to me by Jaime Sunye; when Amado was criticised for saying good things about a friend (whose ideas were completely opposed to his own), Amado said something like “I speak about what is good about him, let others speak about what is bad.” Oscar Panno said that Najdorf reminded him of Don Quixote, in the part of the book where he tells Sancho Panza, “Wherever I am, that is where the head of the table is going to be.” Najdorf himself commented in a book that he had begun to write, “You can’t win unless you are a bit conceited. So the reader must forgive me if I sometimes seem to be something of an egomaniac”. And yes he was. He could grow suddenly angry, and just as rapidly calm down. He quite often sang his own praises. He could be argumentative, an interfering busybody, etc., whatever we might choose to say, but he was also capable of apologising and he was the greatest populariser of chess in Argentina. Not only from his column in the “Clarín” newpaper, as his friend Luis Scalise recalls. In every town he visited in inland Argentina, even the smallest, if he saw that there was no club, in his farewell speeches he never failed to make a request to the authorities: “Mr Mayor, please, how is it that a town like this does not have a chess club…?”; that was one of his ever-present requirements. He successfully overcame the most terrible setbacks, as few are capable of doing, and as regards his meddlesome nature, on the great majority of occasions it was because he wanted to help, according to his way of seeing things, of course. I had the great good fortune to get to know him, fi rst through magazines and books, later by watching him play and later still by playing against him and being his frequent sparring partner in the marathon blitz sessions which were always a part of his life. How could anyone not remember Najdorf’s sayings, repeated again and again, as entertaining as the first time he said them: “I had a ve-e-ery wise aunt, who used to say, better a pawn up than a pawn down”, laughing. “There are two ways of winning at chess, when you play well and your opponent plays badly, or when you play badly and your opponent plays worse”. “First the idea, then the move!”, etc., etc. We shall summarise nothing less than seventy years of Don Miguel’s chessplaying life , and we shall take a brief look back at the history of chess in Argentina, sometimes seen through Don Miguel’s eyes, thanks to his own writings. All of this, and his games, will be discussed in the book. Najdorf was the most important Argentinean chessplayer and he was an exceptional person; I feel privileged to have known him and to have spent time with him. 720 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinkers Publishing

“Boris Spasski – Der Leningrad Cowboy” ist mehr als nur eine Biografie über den 10. Schachweltmeister. Sein Weg zum Schacholymp wird ebenso nachgezeichnet, wie seine historische Niederlage 1972 gegen Bobby Fischer im Match des Jahrhunderts. Über 50 kommentierte Partien, aufgeteilt in 16 Kapitel, begleiten das Schachleben des genialen Russen von seinen Anfängen in den 40er Jahren in Leningrad bis zu seinem letzten Match gegen Viktor Kortschnoi 2009 in Elista. Fast 60 Illustrationen und Karikaturen des Protagonisten ersetzen in diesem Buch die sonst üblichen Mainstream-Fotos und stehen symbolisch für den ausgewiesenen Humor Spasskis. Auch Weggefährten auf der langen Schachreise kommen zu Wort: Die Internationalen Meister Bernd Schneider und Herbert Bastian, der Fidemeister Dirk Paulsen und der bekannte Schachorganisator Hans-Walter Schmitt geben ebenso launische wie charmante Anekdoten aus ihren Begegnungen mit Spasski preis. Zahlreiche Interviews und Statements des Weltmeisters sowie 64 Schachaufgaben aus seinem langen Schachleben runden das Gesamtbild ab. Eine beigefügte CD mit 2300 zum großen Teil kommentierten Partien bietet der Leserschaft zudem die Möglichkeit, sich mit dem schachlichen Vermächtnis des Weltmeisters auseinanderzusetzen. 348 Seiten, gebunden, mit CD 2300 Partien, Verlag Maya & Paul

  Efim Geller (1925-1998) was one of the giants of Soviet chess. Over his lifetime he beat the World Champions more often than he lost, and had healthy plus scores over Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Botvinnik among others. So he deserves the nickname of The Nemesis. Geller never became World Champion but he won everything else – two Soviet titles, seven Olympiad team gold medals and three Olympiad golds for individual performance are just a few of his accomplishments. Geller crowned his long career by becoming World Senior Champion in 1992. Geller was also noted for his ability to share his wisdom – he coached World Champions Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov. In The Nemesis, Geller annotates over 130 of his greatest games with wit and insight. 480 Seiten, gebunden, Verlag Quality Chess

‘Fischer gets up, tall, overweight, and slightly clumsy. He tries to fulfil the duties of the host and shakes hands, but his nervously darting eyes betray his unease with the situation. This is not a man accustomed to receiving visitors.’   Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam’s encounter with the reclusive American world champion in war-torn Yugoslavia, is the apotheosis of a unique collection of interviews with chess legends and stars that was first published in 1993.   Why did Garry Kasparov think Bobby Fischer was an alien? How many stamps does Anatoly Karpov have? Was it really Caruso who appeared in Vassily Smyslov’s dream to teach him how to sing?   Brimming with anecdotes and revealing insights these interviews bring together champions past and present. From Botvinnik, Najdorf, Portisch and Spassky to modern stars like Anand, Kramnik, and Judit Polgar.   Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam is editor-in-chief of New In Chess, the chess magazine with readers in 116 countries. He is the author of Linares! and The Day Kasparov Quit.   286 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag New In Chess

What goes on in some of the sharpest minds on earth?Ten years after his bestselling "Finding Bobby Fischer", Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam has collected a new series of intimate portraits of the top grandmasters of chess. Ten Geuzendam wins the confidence of Garry Kasparov, Miguel Najdorf, Vishy Anand, Judit Polgar, David Bronstein, Hikaru Nakamura and many others.He meets the living legends of chess in Buenos Aires and Istanbul, Moscow and New York. Vladimir Kramnik explains how the Czech ice hockey team inspired him to beat Kasparov, while Henrique Mecking reveals that Jesus helps him to find the correct move.Anyone attracted by the mystique of the royal game will love the behind-the-scenes stories about the masters’ struggle to win, their fear of losing, and the striking difference between the European and the American chess scene. Centre stage is occupied by the great Garry Kasparov, who topped the world rankings for more than 20 years, a feat unparalleled in any sport. Kasparov’s dramatic retirement from professional chess marks the end of an epoch. An epoch which The Day Kasparov Quit evokes in fascinating detail.   344 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag New In Chess

Aron Nimzowitsch is one of the most important figures in chess history. He was one of the Worlds strongest players and contributed enormously to the development of chess both through his games and his writings, which influenced many grandmasters who followed him. Nimzowitsch was a leader of the Hypermodern School, which formed revolutionary ideas on chess strategy to challenge previously held beliefs and created many new opening systems.   In this book, Steve Giddins selects and studies his favourite games by Nimzowitsch and examines Nimzowitschs skills in the vital areas of attack, defence, strategy and endgame play. He demonstrates how we can all improve by learning from Nimzowitschs 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 278 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

David Bronstein is one of the greatest and most loved chess players of all time. He won numerous major tournaments and for many years he was one of the world’s strongest grandmasters. In 1951 he came agonisingly close to winning the World Championship title, drawing 12-12 against the reigning champion Mikhail Botvinnik. Bronstein was one of the most creative geniuses the chess world has ever seen, and he left a legacy of wonderful games. In this book, FIDE Master Steve Giddins selects and examines his favourite Bronstein games, brings light to some games which were previously unpublished, and shows us how we can all learn and improve our chess by studying Bronstein’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 288 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

Alexander Alekhine was a two-time World Chess Champion and is widely regarded to be one of the greatest chess players of all time. During his best years he dominated tournaments, and in 1927 he defeated his great rival José Raúl Capablanca to win the world title. Alekhine was renowned both for his fierce competitive nature and his dazzling combinative play. He had a phenomenal ability to unleash combinations even from seemingly harmless positions, and he is undeniably one of the best attackers the game has ever seen. In this book, FIDE Master Steve Giddins invites you to join him in a study of his favourite Alekhine games, and shows us how we can all learn and improve our chess by examining Alekhine’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 304 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

Reihe: "Meilensteine des Schach" Band 04 Richard Réti (1889–1929) war nicht nur ein herausragender Schachmeister, der sich am Brett mit den Besten der Welt messen konnte. Er war auch ein brillanter Autor und kreativer Studienkomponist, ein revolutionärer Theoretiker und führender Vertreter der hypermodernen Bewegung in den 1920er Jahren. Die mit seinem Namen verknüpfte Réti-Eröffnung hat er durch sensationelle Erfolge hoffähig gemacht. Seine Genialität im Blindspiel stellte er 1919 und 1925 unter Beweis mit Weltrekorden im Blindsimultan. Die vorliegende Neuauflage enthält 70 der schönsten Réti-Partien aus dem Zeitraum 1907 bis 1928, ausgewählt und kommentiert von Harry Golombek sowie durchgesehen und bearbeitet von Großmeister John Nunn. Unvergängliche Partien wie die Siege gegen Capablanca, Aljechin, Rubinstein, Euwe und Bogoljubow haben in diese Sammlung Eingang gefunden. Mit seinen Endspielstudien, in denen er stets einfache und partienahe Stellungen anstrebte, hat Réti gleichfalls dauerhaften Ruhm erworben. Das Buch präsentiert 20 dieser feinsinnigen Aufgaben, in denen Rétis Verständnis von Schach als Kunst den reinsten Ausdruck fand. Ein Gedenkartikel zu Réti sowie eine Einführung von John Nunn vervollständigen diesen Auswahlband, der das Schaffen eines großen Meisters würdigt und vor dem Vergessen bewahrt. Auch dem heutigen Leser werden die Partien und Studien dieses höchst originellen Schachkünstlers vielfach Vergnügen bereiten.   219 Seiten, kartoniert, Joachim Beyer Verlag

Viele, nicht mehr zu zählende Schachpartien habe ich in meinem bisherigen Leben ausgetragen, ob bei Wettkämpfen, Turnieren, Simultanen oder im privaten Umfeld. Jede für sich habe ich ernst genommen und bis zum Ende gespielt. Aber es gibt einige, die mir bis heute noch im Kopf herumschwirren, die mich nicht zur Ruhe kommen lassen, die mein Schachleben schicksalhaft beeinflusst haben. In stillen Augenblicken sehe ich die Situationen, die Partien und vor allem die Gegner auch heute noch deutlich vor mir, wie in Stein gemeißelt. Nun, mittlerweile im 80sten Lebensjahr, glaube ich, ist es höchste Zeit, einen Teil dieser Partien aufs Papier zu bringen. In diesem Buch finden Sie neben meiner liebsten Partie „Hort-Minic“, auch die unglückliche, auf Zeit verlorene gegen Spasskij, die mich den Einzug ins Kandidaten-Halbfinale kostete. Dabei ist auch meine Partie gegen Hug in Skopje, die von der dortigen Jury zur besten der Olympiade gekürt wurde. Ich liebe auch die Partie gegen Lobron, in der seine weiße Dame auf h1 von seinen eigenen Figuren eingemauert, zur Bewegungsunfähigkeit verdammt ist. Dagegen, für die Partie gegen Gligorić, schäme ich mich noch heute, weil ich mehr Glück als Verstand gehabt habe. Was wären all die Partien, gäbe es nicht auch die lustigen, traurigen und seltsamen Ereignisse rund um die Bretter, die die Welt bedeuten? Berühmte Staatsmänner wie Fidel Castro, Tito und auch Che Guevara habe ich noch persönlich getroffen. Eine kleine Anekdote, Geschichte oder Einführung zu einigen Partien darf darum nicht fehlen! Vierzig Jahre meines Lebens habe ich im Sozialismus verbracht, die anderen vierzig Jahre in Deutschland, deshalb habe ich die Auswahl der Partien auf 40 beschränkt. Heute frage ich mich oft, wie ich meinen Schachstil bezeichnen könnte? Weder war ich ein guter Angriffsspieler noch ein Verteidiger. Mit der Theorie habe ich mich niemals so ausführlich beschäftigt, wie das heute bei den jungen Schachspielern im Zeitalter des Internets der Fall ist. Ich kannte mich also in der Theorie nicht gut aus, dennoch konnte ich mit Weiß und Schwarz praktisch sämtliche Eröffnungen spielen. Das war ein Plus, denn so konnten sich meine Gegner nicht speziell auf mich vorbereiten. Kurzum, ich hatte immer Überraschungen parat. Gerne fischte ich im Trüben, das sah ich als die wirkliche Denk-Herausforderung an. Besonders liebte ich es, die Gegner zu Fehlern zu verführen, was wahrscheinlich meiner Schwejkschen Herkunft geschuldet ist. Mit Schach habe ich jedenfalls die Welt kennengelernt und viel Schönes erleben dürfen. Dafür bin ich überaus dankbar! Den Lesern und Schachfreunden wünsche ich viel Vergnügen beim Eintauchen in längst vergangene Schachzeiten! Herzlichst Ihr Vlastimil Hort Eitorf, im Januar 2023 Vlastimil Hort hat viele, nicht mehr zu zählende Schachpartien in seinem bisherigen Leben ausgetragen, ob bei Wettkämpfen, Turnieren, Simultanen oder im privaten Umfeld. Jede für sich hat er ernst genommen und bis zum Ende gespielt. Aber es gibt einige, die ihm bis heute noch im Kopf herumschwirren, die ihn nicht zur Ruhe kommen lassen, die sein Schach-Leben schicksalhaft beeinflusst haben. Nun, mittlerweile im 80sten Lebensjahr, ist es höchste Zeit, einen Teil dieser Partien aufs Papier zu bringen, so Vlastimil Hort.   160 Seiten, gebunden, Nava Verlag

Eine Sammlung von Aufsätzen, Vorträgen und Geschichten zu unterschiedlichen Themengebieten, zumeist außerhalb des Schachs.    Enthalten sind gleichwohl vier Beiträge, die sich Aspekten des modernen Wettkampfschachs widmen. Dazu zählen Computerprogramme ebenso wie neuartige institutionelle Mechanismen, so u.a. Dopingkontrollen im Schach.   145 Seiten, gebunden, Edition Marco

Mária Ivánka, the world-renowned many-times champion, was a star in Hungarian womens chess for two decades. She twice beat the active World Champion, Nona Gaprindashvili. Mária was one of the few players who often caused trouble for the Soviet womens chess elite. In her book she journeys back in time recalling some of the milestones of her career. The fairytale-sounding title refers to the trophy she won a couple of times in Holland, and also to the constant silver medals of the Hungarian womens team at the Olympics. This is not a traditional chess book, although it does contain about 100 crucial games of grandmasters from Chess Olympiads, world and national championships, and other tournaments. Even though Silver Queen is an autobiography it is also a review of the last 40 years of international chess. It contains interesting stories and views on cultural differences between Europe and the United States, the unbelievable pressure and uplifting moments of Chess Olympiads, differences between male and female chess, fights behind the scenes, and lots more...312 Seiten,gebunden, Eigenverlag

This work was originally envisioned as a single-volume collection of my most memorable games, annotated by me, à la Bobby Fischer´s My 60 Memorable Games. However the more I delved into the past, the more things started to rise up from the recesses of my memory, which, along with deeper analysis and more detailed introductions to the games, made it more like an anthology of chess stories. Thankfully, my gracious editors decided to split the work into two volumes.  What you are going to find in this first volume is a selection of my most memorable battles on the chessboard during the first of two different periods. It covers the time from my arrival in the USA as an up-and-coming young talent in early 1989, acquiring the freedom to play in any open tournament in the world and quickly gaining precious experience to grow into a challenger for the World Championship in 1996. This period ended with my early retirement from the game to pursue other goals in life.  The second volume will cover my experiences after returning to the professional chess arena in 2004, having completed my college and higher education, with the goal of fighting for the world title again. I came very close to achieving this; winning the World Cup in 2007 placed me amongst the top three players in the world. Such a successful return from retirement had never been attempted or achieved before in chess history.  I have included just a couple of games aft er 2013 since I felt that they were important to show the reader how, despite the ever-changing nature of chess, some aspects of it remain eternal.   440 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinkers Publishing

This is the second volume of my memorable games collection. Here you will find games that I played after my return to chess back in 2004. It had been eight years since my last tournament, and so much had changed for me. I had entered my first marriage and just graduated from Touro Law Center with an eye on my favorite subject, Intellectual Property, and on another new development at the time called cyber law, which dealt with issues related to the internet and international jurisdiction.At the same time it represented an opportunity for me to return to something that I had devoted so much time and energy to, the game of chess. For the first time in my life I was free to pursue directions of my own choosing.The decision was a difficult one, but finally I decided to return to chess, feeling that I could somehow positively influence both FIDE and the chess world in general. They were still split and had different world champions, the FIDE one, and the PCA one, which was the more prestigious of the two. The PCA World Champion was Mr. Kramnik, who had succeeded Mr. Kasparov as World Champion in the long line of world championship matches.Clearly there were some triumphs and failures during this period of my chess career, but ultimately I feel that I have left a certain mark on the generation from which the world's current top players have emerged.  454 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinkers Publishing