Together with his longtime trainer Matthias Krallmann, GM Matthias Blübaum describes his path from his early youth to the title of European champion. According to his own statement, he particularly benefited from the 'Group of Princes' of the German Chess Federation, which was founded in 2008 by national youth coach IM Bernd Vökler. In this actually not so long journey of an outstanding young talent to the German top player, the reader is not only taken along, but he can also learn a lot for his own practice 'on the way' and is offered all kinds of instructive tips and tricks. In his foreword, IM Bernd Vökler writes: "...a special highlight has been achieved: Renowned endgame guru, Dr. Karsten Müller, dissects selected endgames by Matthias Blübaum ... A double delight for the reader! – In the next part, a look into the treasury of every grandmaster is granted, namely into his opening repertoire. Matthias Krallmann notes that even former world champion Alexander Khalifman once praised Matthias' complete and self-contained repertoire. – The following chapter offers some of Matthias Blübaum's games against the top stars of the scene, annotated by himself. It's mouth-watering! – At the end, the reader is once again challenged himself. The big tactics test invites you to puzzle and calculate. Matthias Krallmann and Matthias Blübaum don't offer easy reading! Typically East Westphalian, labour-intensive, exhausting, honest and straight – the portrait of the chess worker, the chess grandmaster, the chess practitioner Matthias Blübaum. You don't become number one in Germany in a sprint, but in a marathon!"304 Seiten, kartoniert, Joachim Beyer Verlag

4 types of players with their strengths and weaknessesPlaying styles in chess are an important and often discussed topic. GM Dr. Karsten Müller and GM Luis Engel take up a model by GM Lars Bo Hansen based on 4 types of players – 'activists', 'pragmatics', 'theorists' and so-called 'reflectors'. Their respective strengths and weaknesses are explained based on many examples, complemented by numerous exercises to enable the reader to assign himself to one or the other category. "As part of the preparation for my opponents, I often try to research their typical player characteristics ... In this respect, it can be helpful to draw conclusions about the type of player, and thus about strengths and weaknesses, by looking at the openings they play – or to use the characteristics of certain players to infer the likelihood of which opening lines they might choose. These and numerous other considerations are presented in this book in a condensed and systematic form. The division of players into four prototypes is extremely helpful not only in terms of game preparation, but also to determine your own characteristics as a player. In addition, the book can serve as a helpful guide for amateurs and chess fans to get a more precise picture of certain players." (Excerpts from the foreword by GM Vincent Keymer) 248 Seiten, kartoniert, Joachim Beyer Verlag     Review from Professor Barry Hymer, Former CSO, Chessable, May 2022 As someone who has had a lifelong professional interest in and scepticism about the value of ‘learning styles’ approaches (or their family variants, like ‘player types’), and who has even penned a savage takedown of their value in the chess world – see https://www.chessable.com/blog/learning-styles-chess - I was intrigued to read The Human Factor in Chess by Karsten Müller and his fellow GM, Luis Engel. The title alone made me wonder if there’d be any similarities with one of my all-time favourite chessbooks – Fred Reinfeld’s The Human Side of Chess, from 1953 (Faber & Faber). There weren’t many, at least in terms of the book’s aims. Almost as prolific as Reinfeld, but with an even more consistent output in terms of quality, Müller’s stellar reputation as a chess writer and theorist needs little by way of introduction of course, and I was worried that my high regard for his work wouldn’t survive this foray into the fascinating but theoretically questionable and fundamentally untestable world of ‘learning styles’. In particular, would I encounter facile conflations of playing styles (a chessplayer’s habitual preference for playing certain types of positions – and not just won ones – and in certain types of ways) with assumptions that these are built on certain supposedly innate and immoveable qualities or predispositions? Turns out F. Scott Fitzgerald was right, and it’s quite possible to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time, and still function. At least it is in the hands of first rate minds and authors like these. First things first. The book builds on the classification of player types introduced by Lars Bo Hansen in his book Foundations of Chess Strategy (Gambit, 2005). Though there are some divergences from the Hansen book in the attribution of individual players from chess history to certain categories, both books posit the existence of four player types: activist, theorist, reflector and pragmatic. Having acknowledged that this won’t be the only possible model, and ‘stereotyped’ or overly dogmatic thinking inevitably brings dangers with it, the suggestion is made (endorsed by Vincent Keymer in his preface) that knowledge of one’s own and one’s opponent’s typology can be helpful in terms of game preparation and self-knowledge. Strengths and weaknesses of each type are outlined, with suggestions for leveraging one’s own strengths whilst exploiting one’s opponent’s weaknesses – in a manner analogous to the old game rock, paper, scissors: eg reflectors’ mastery of prophylaxis can trump activists, who in turn can use their knowledge of sharp opening lines to discombobulate both reflectors and theorists, who in turn can aim for quiet, technical positions in order to frustrate calculation-loving pragmatists. It’s not an exact science of course, and it’s arguable whether it’s a science at all, but it’s no less fun and fascinating for that. The argument has considerable face-validity, however thin the theoretical base and legion the players who straddle more than one type – or perhaps even none. As a rough-and-ready heuristic for conceptualising player-types I believe it is both interesting and plausible, and it provides a helpful architecture for a player’s long-term journey towards a universal playing style (a goal acknowledged as such by the authors). Who, after all, doesn’t want to have a Botvinnik-like mastery of general principles, a dash of Smyslovian harmony and a dollop of Fischerlike pragmatism combined with an Alekhinian feel for the initiative? Come to think of it, just one of those qualities would be attractive to we amateurs! The book is stronger for the authors’ decision to keep the theoretical overview light-touch, succinct and on-point. It recognises the dynamic evolution of many players’ styles (the early styles of Steinitz, Smyslov and Tal, for instance provide few clues to their later iterations), and for the most part it avoids assertions that are overly deterministic and mystical – though there are occasional lapses such as the unreferenced assertion that when it comes to “… a feeling for harmony and coordination like that of Karpov or Carlsen, you just have it, or you don’t” (p.99). I’d put good money on the likelihood that these sublime qualities didn’t appear fully-formed, but developed cumulatively over time. (By way of evidence, there are many early games of both these legends which are distinctly lacking in these qualities as well of course many games in which they are replete). But for me the book’s standout strength is when the authors revert to type (!) and do what they excel at: harnessing a lifetime’s love for and high-level expertise in the game in the form of carefully-harvested and well-curated positions and exercises, powerfully and lucidly structured and annotated. Typologies provide the architecture for this assemblage, and for obvious reasons examples are included which serve to support the designations of particular players to particular types. No-one investing the time in working through these exercises can fail to benefit, and derive a huge amount of pleasure en passant – whatever their own player-type! And in terms of publication quality, the occasional translation infelicity aside, the impressive accuracy and visual attractiveness of the book comes as Joachim Beyer Verlag standard.

With his work, the author primarily addresses amateurs and club players (up to a rating of approx. 2000), who want to improve their level through targeted and effective training. For this purpose he uses an unconventional approach, and a sometimes unusual terminology. The reader is thus presented with an innovative model of thinking which enables him to quickly grasp the material and positional characteristics of a position. A model that aims to make a comprehensive set of rules dispensable and focuses on the essentials, namely on intense exercises of seeing and independent thinking. On the basis of well-selected exercises, the reader can learn and internalize how to find solutions to key problems – such as recognizing patterns and detecting strong moves. With all this, the author gradually progresses from simple beginnings to more difficult and eventually quite demanding content, which requires the reader's thorough cooperation. Those who steadfastly follow him on this path will experience how their own potential in terms of combat power and skill level increases. Patrick Karcher is a strong amateur and club player, who has risen to the level of a candidate master in a short time thanks to his own training method. The study of his book will also pave the reader's way to a deeper understanding of the game.188 Seiten, kartoniert

  The purpose of this book is to help learners build confidence in their abilities by specific and well-chosen teaching content and numerous corresponding exercises. Since players of the author's 'target group' (still clearly on the lower side of the magic sound barrier of Elo 2000) do not (or not yet!) think like chess masters, they will quickly realize that master games look very different from their own. Furthermore, they will find many incomprehensible moves that raise questions, to which they can find no answer without help. In order to avoid this overburdening, almost all games in this book have been played by representatives of the target group. Accordingly, readers will feel 'at home', so to speak, because they are familiar with how players of that skill level react in certain critical positions, and how the advantage often shifts from one side to the other due to typical mistakes. And learning from the mistakes of others is more pleasant in the sense that it is painless! All three parts of the game are thoroughly discussed, in the order suggested by Capablanca: first the endgame, then the middle game, and only at the very end – the opening. 160 Seiten, kartoniert

In this book, International Grandmaster and senior FIDE trainer Thomas Luther offers something for all chess fans at amateur level. The ambitious tournament player can use it to improve his playing strength. However, not all chess fans have enough time for an extensive study of their game in general and tactics in particular. In this case, it is sufficient if the reader solves a few exercises every day, because even then he will learn a lot about this topic in the long term. Meanwhile, the pure "chess gourmet" is offered many interesting and entertaining examples and comments to enjoy the diversity of his favorite game. The author takes the reader on a journey from the beginnings of chess many centuries ago to the present day. Throughout history, smart players have found clever moves and techniques that are still used today. In detailed texts, the author explains the developments in the respective epochs and shows corresponding interesting examples. In addition, the book contains chapters on tactics in the endgame and on all the subtleties related to the topic of stalemate. But don't worry, all this is not boring, but extremely instructive and entertaining on top of that! In two longer series of tests, the reader can show how strong a tactician he already is – and what progress he has made after working with this book. A large number of diagrams in the text ensure that the reader is always able to find his or her way around and can largely get by without using a chessboard.   253 Seiten, kartoniert, Joachim Beyer Verlag  

The author presents a collection of 120 instructive positions, each of which with mostly three proposed solutions, followed by the detailed discussion of both the correct and the incorrect solutions in the second part. The selected examples stem from tournament practice, with a few exceptions, which are part of theoretical lines. The reader mainly has to look for tactical solutions, although positional-strategic aspects also occur.In the direct attack on the king, the action on the board often reaches its climax, and the attacker's success depends on finding the appropriate plan and executing it with precision. On the other hand, a premature or incorrectly executed attack generally turns into a boomerang for the attacker. Therefore, it's essential to assess whether a position meets the requirements for an immediate attack or whether further preparation is needed. Serious training with this testbook will help you to correctly assess critical situations of this sort and to ensure that the attack will be successful.FIDE Master Gerd Treppner (1956-2009) was a chess journalist and author as well as a successful tournament player. 124 Seiten, kartoniert, Joachim Beyer Verlag     Book review by Jörg Palitzsch (March 2021) Im Endspiel kann die Stärke jeder einzelnen Schachfigur markanter zutage treten als in anderen Stadien der Partie. Trotzdem bleibe im Endspiel genügend Raum für Phantasie und Schöpferraum, so der russische Großmeister Juri Awerbach in seinem Buch „Erfolg im Endspiel“. Der amerikanische Schachlehrer Jeremy Silman brachte das Endspiel in punkto Königssicherheit auf einen griffigen Punkt: „Ein König, der nicht rochiert hat, sollte man meiden wie die Pest“. Gerd Treppner nähert sich dem Thema Endspiel in seinem englischsprachigen „Testbook of Attacking the King“ mit spielerischem System. Mit 120 Stellungen, dargestellt auf Diagrammen, werden dem Schachspieler jeweils drei, manchmal auch nur zwei Lösungsvorschläge gestellt. Die Beispiele stammen zum größten Teil aus der Turnierpraxis, nur ein kleiner Teil folgt theoretischen Linien. Der Leser muss hauptsächlich nach taktischen Lösungen suchen, obwohl auch positionell-strategische Aspekte vorkommen. So verfolgt das Buch gleich mehrere Ziele. Man lernt, Schachaufgaben besser zu analysieren und bringt den Spieler dazu, über weitergehende Problemstellungen in der Endphase einer Partie nachzudenken. Bei allem zählt der direkte Angriff auf den König zum Höhepunkt eines Spiels – es kommt nur darauf an ob man Jäger oder Gejagter ist. So gilt es den richtigen Zeitpunkt abzuschätzen, um einen Angriff gewinnbringend umzusetzen. Kommt er zu früh, kann er ins Leere gehen, kommt er zu spät und ohne strategische Vorbereitung kann er schnell ins eigene Verderben führen. FIDE-Meister Gerd Treppner (1956-2009) war sowohl Schachjournalist und Autor als auch ein erfolgreicher Turnierspieler. Er hat in seinem Buch nicht nur Aufgaben mit einer Mehrfachauswahl an Antworten zusammengetragen, sondern zeigt in den Lösungen die Zugfolgen zu einem erfolgreichen Angriff auf. Praktisch ist die Anordnung der Diagramme, die, jeweils zwei auf einer Seite verteilt, sehr übersichtlich sind. So kann man an jeder Stelle im Aufgabenfeld einsteigen und lernt dabei auch etwas über die Partien, die stets den Königsangriff zu Ziel haben. Fazit: „Testbook of Attacking the King“ orientiert sich an der Praxis, verliert die Theorie aber nicht völlig aus dem Blick. Da immer nur eine Antwort möglich ist, halten die Lösungen oft auch Überraschungen bereit.    Book review by Heinz Brunthaler (June 2020) 120 positions challenge the reader to find the right way to attack the opposing king, and by working out the solution, of course, he will automatically improve his skills in this regard. Large diagrams are helpful to correctly take in and analyze the given positions. For the reader's support, two or mostly three multiple choice answers steer his solving process and prevent him from not finding a starting point at all or going astray. As for the level of difficulty and the motifs of the various tasks, they are not shown in any particular order. This sort of 'disordered mix' realistically reflects the requirements in competition chess. The comments on the solutions are detailed and easy to understand. The author, Gerd Treppner (1956–2009), was a renowned expert especially in the area of test books. He understood very well the potential of readers at club level and made it easy for this target group to really understand the solutions without getting lost in too many lines and subtleties. Some examples are of a more positional variety, so that it's not enough to just find a tactical blow. Instead, the reader really has to become familiar with the position and explore its possibilities. This is an excellent training approach and should prove useful for every reader's own practice. The book is particularly recommended for chess enthusiasts who have little time for an extensive systematic training. By thoroughly dealing with one or two tasks from the book on a daily base, the reader will get a lot of practically usable knowledge within a relatively short time, which should help him increase his playing skills and reach a higher level. Conclusion: The book is highly recommended for club players and ambitious young chess players.

Aagaard: Inside the Chess Mind   What separates a Grandmaster from an International Master? How do the thought processes of a strong club player differ from that of a middling club player? What techniques can an enthusiastic chess player employ when striving to reach the next rung on the ladder? Jacob Aagaard provides the answers to these questions in this fascinating and entertaining new book. The material is based around numerous carefully-selected tests which are offered to a group of players of a very wide range of ages and playing strengths. Once all the participants have attempted the tests, their discoveries, solving methods and difficulties with the exercises are evaluated and compared, and conclusions are drawn. The players are also quizzed about their exercise techniques, ideas and opinions about chess in general. Inside the Chess Mind enters fresh territory in chess literature by providing a thought-provoking insight as to how the chess brains of the great, the good and the improver operate.   *Clarifies both the differences and similarities between Grandmasters and amateurs*Suitable for players of all strengths*Includes challenging puzzles*Written by a highly experienced chess coach   192 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

In Thinking Inside the Box Jacob Aagaard describes his chess improvement philosophy, developed over more than twenty years of thinking about one question: How do we make better decisions at the chess board? As the final volume in the award-winning Grandmaster Preparation series, this book unifies the concepts of the previous five books and delves into such topics as: • Chess psychology• The four types of decisions we take at the board• How to play simple positions• What is calculation?• How to analyse your games• And many more Thinking Inside the Box is the ultimate self-improvement guide, written for amateurs as well as world-class players. Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard won the British Championship at his first and only attempt. He is the only author to have won the Boleslavsky Medal as well as the ACP, Guardian, ECF and ChessCafe Book of the Year awards. He trains grandmasters from four continents and has helped players win school tournaments, national titles, as well as international opens, the US Championship, the World Cup, the Candidates and two Olympiad gold medals. 408 Seiten, Verlag Quality Chess

Aagaard: Excelling at Chess Some players become good at chess, some very good, while others excel at the game. Jacob Aagaard identifies the key factors that separate the very strong players from the rest. He includes chapters on when to calculate, how to evaluate positions, how to study theory, how to study the endgame and when to force the position. Anyone who follows the advice in this book cannot fail to improve their feel for the game. 192 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman, 2001

Building Up Your Chess gives you an innovative and refreshingly understandable approach to chess mastery by one of the most renowned teachers in the world. The ability to judge a position accurately is at the heart of good chess. What's more, learning to evaluate builds all of your skills in all phases of chess - opening, middlegame and ending.Lev Alburt introduces you to his own invention, "The System of Predicted Results," as well as to a pictorial way of graphing a game that tracks and explains its move-by-move evaluation. You'll learn how to master one position at a time, see how opening discoveries are made, and improve quickly with question-and-answer sessions. Whether you're a beginner or a master, you'll soon be playing up to your true potential and enjoying chess more as you understand it better.   352 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Chess Information & Research

Alburt & Lawrence: Chess for the Gifted & Busy       Chess for the Gifted and Busy provides you the fastest way to learn to play chess. Its innovative and succinct approach is tailored to those who want to learn quickly, without missing out on important ideas.Want to learn chess yourself or teach it to your child, but are busy with lots of other activities? This right-to-the-point book by one of the games foremost teacher-writer teams uses a breakthrough approach to make the most of your time.Best of all, you select your goal from one of three possible levels. Want to go from absolute beginner to neighbourhood champ? Complete level I in only one afternoon, play some practice games - and youll quickly be saying checkmate! When youre ready to become a tough tournament-level competitor, Level II cuts through the mysteries of strategy and tactics to show you precisely what you need to know. And, if you decide that you wont settle for anything less than being an Expert, near the top levels of tournament chess, Level III puts you on the path to being a tournament champion!Chess for the Gifted and Busy also provides the most time-efficient review of important techniques for chess veterans, even master-level players.Chess for the Gifted and Busy is a condensed but comprehensive summary of the entireComprehensive Chess Course series. Three-time U.S. and European Champion Grandmaster Lev Alburt is one of the worlds most sought-after teachers. Fellow New Yorker Al Lawrence is an award-winning educator and writer, a recipient of the Chess Journalist of the Year Award. Table of ContentsImportant Note to Readers ...4 Level I ...10 Lesson One: Rules of Play ...11 Lesson Two: How to Win Chess Games ..29   Level II ...50 Lesson Three: When a King Is Home Alone ...51Lesson Four: The Chessmen at Work ...63Lesson Five: Tools of the Trade ...77 Lesson Six: Bishop Sacrifices ...91Lesson Seven: Attacking the King ...99Lesson Eight: Strategy  - Minor Pieces ...111 Lesson Nine: Strategy - Major Pieces ...125 Lesson Ten: Strategy - Significance of the Center ...139Lesson Eleven: Strategy - Weak & Strong Squares ...151 Lesson Twelve: Strategy - Pawn Weaknesses ...157 Lesson Thirteen: Introduction to the Endgame ...165 Lesson Fourteen: Pawns Against Pieces ...189Lesson Fifteen: Rook Endings ...201 Lesson Sixteen: Knight Endgames  ...215 Lesson Seventeen: Bishop Endgames ...223Lesson Eighteen: Endgames - The Rest ...235 Lesson Nineteen: - Openings Reviewed ...243 Level III ...260Lesson Twenty: The Bishop Pair ...261Lesson Twenty-One: The Struggle Between Differently Composed Forces ...269 Lesson Twenty-Two: Compensation for Sacrificed Material ...279 Lesson Twenty-Three: The Isolani ...287 Lesson Twenty-Four: Choose Your (Opening) Weapons! ...293 Afterword: Moving On to Expert and Master ...299 Glossary ...302        303 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Circ

Chess has very strict, but also fairly simple, rules: rapid development, control of the center with pawns or pieces, timely castling and defense of the king, the creation of various weaknesses in the opponent´s position, attacking those weaknesses, and control of open lines. At the same time a player shouldn´t get his queen stuck in the enemy camp, or ruin his own pawn structure.Those who know these rules will succeed. It is necessary for a chess player to know opening and endgame theory, standard combinations and motifs, as well as pawn structures and many other things. A lot of the topics listed demand a very straightforward type of thinking or approach. However it also happens that chess players oft en discover signifi cant resources which formally exist outside the typical rules of chess. Those who know how to break all the rules and work around those specific guidelines reach the very top. Currently, when thousands of chess books dissect the same standard ideas in great detail, let us remember that first there were those who originally discovered them, implemented them, and made them standard, as well as those who broke the rules and created completely new ones. 278 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinkers Publishing

Learn form the Greatest Players EverGrandmaster Joel Benjamin introduces all seventeen World Chess Champions and shows what is important about their style of play and what you can learn from them. He describes both their historical significance and how they inspired his own development as a player. Benjamin presents the most instructive games of each champion. Magic names such as Kasparov, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Tal, and Karpov, they’re all there, up to current World Champion Magnus Carlsen. How do they open the game? How do they develop their pieces? How do they conduct an attack or defend when necessary? Benjamin explains, in words rather than in chess symbols, what is important for your own improvement.   Two Americans are included in this highly instructive manual, accessible to every post-beginner. Of course the crystal-clear style of Bobby Fischer, the 11th World Champion, guarantees some very memorable lessons. Additionally, Benjamin has included Paul Morphy. The 19th century chess wizard from New Orleans never held an official title, but was clearly the best of the world during his short but dazzling career. Studying World Champion Chess for Juniors will prove an extremely rewarding experience for ambitious youngsters. Trainers and coaches will find it worthwhile to include the book in their curriculum. The author provides many suggestions for further study. Joel Benjamin won the US Championship three times and has been a trainer for almost three decades. His book Liquidation on the Chess Board won the Best Book Award of the Chess Journalists of America (CJA), and his most recent book Better Thinking, Better Chess is a world-wide bestseller.  256 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag New in Chess

Finding strong moves doesn't simply depend on how much you know about chess. In fact, greater conceptual knowledge makes choosing a move more complex as it increases the number of directions your mind can take. More important is optimizing your thought process. Grandmaster Joel Benjamin knows that pointing out the moves his students missed is just half the job. They need to understand that they were looking in the wrong direction. Chess engines offer little help in this because they can’t explain why you went astray. What’s more: an engine may send the wrong message! Many chess players don’t realise that the top computer move frequently isn’t the best move to play during the game. This book will improve the structure and effectiveness of your decision making process. You will learn to: -- choose between two attractive continuations -- avoid taking the wrong direction at the start of your deliberations -- know when it is necessary to spend more time -- recognize unlikely moves -- understand when you need to sacrifice material -- and much more. By applying a grandmaster’s train of thought you will more often arrive at strong moves and substantially improve your game. At thirteen years of age Joel Benjamin broke Bobby Fischer's record as the youngest ever US master. He won the US Championship three times and was the chess consultant for IBM's Deep Blue computer, which made history by beating World Champion Garry Kasparov in an epic encounter. He has been teaching chess for many years. His previous book Liquidation on the Chess Board won the 2015 Best Book Award of the Chess Journalists of America (CJA).  224 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag New in Chess

Burgess: The Gambit book of Instruktive Chess Puzzles   Solving tactical puzzles is one of the most effective ways to improve your chess. This convenient book provides 300 exercises, with instructive points highlighted in the solutions.   There is something here for everyone. The puzzles in the first two chapters are based on a clear-cut tactic or checkmate, such as those explained in Gambits best-sellers How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and Chess Tactics for Kids. The endgame challenges highlight tactics and principles in action. In practice it is vital to defend resiliently and seek counterattacking chances - there is an innovative chapter on these rarely-covered themes as well as puzzles where the reader must decide how to punch home an attack.   Later chapters help readers develop a vital skill: the ability to make tough chessboard decisions. Attack, sacrifice, grab material, defend or simplify - its for you to decide! Principles and guidelines are emphasized, together with common sources of error. The final section of puzzles will prove a stern challenge even for the best players, with the reader exposed to the full complexity of modern chess - with a few helpful hints along the way.   Gambit Publications has been publishing top-quality innovative chess books since 1998, winning numerous awards in several countries. FIDE Master Graham Burgess is Gambits Editorial Director, and one of the founders of the company. He has written more than twenty books and holds the world record for marathon blitz chess playing. He lives in Minnesota.   158 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Gambit

It was December 2018 and Josip Asik, Dusan Krunic and I were sitting in one of Skopje’s restaurants waiting for our food to arrive. Then Josip spoke. I still wonder if he would have suggested it had the food come a moment earlier. Josip and Dusan are my dear friends. Our cooperation started many years ago when they asked me to write for Sahovski Informator (Chess Informant) and after that, for British Chess Magazine. Then they moved to conquer America by revamping the American Chess Magazine and this is how the concept of the book came about. 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. While we were discussing the idea of the book, now over some good food, I remembered that I had always liked to analyze players’ styles and preferences as Botvinnik did in his preparations. When his secret notebooks were published, I was fascinated with how he managed to extract precise characteristics based on concrete examples. As a matter of fact, Botvinnik also called these analyses “characteristics”. Here is an example of what he thought about Tal’s play prior to the match in 1960 (my translation from Russian from the book “Botvinnik – Tal, Return Match”): “The general tendency – to obtain positional advantage by lively play rather than long maneuvering”. Has Botvinnik’s way of analysis become a lost art? Now I had a chance to do it myself. By the time dessert came, we had agreed on the concept. Some days later, I realized with horror the enormity of the task that I had taken upon for myself. It took me a year and a half to complete the analytical work. To write proper “characteristics”, I had to go over hundreds of games of each player. I wanted to learn what they liked and disliked, how they reacted in different situations, what was their preferred way of playing, how they handled themselves. During the first “scan”, I went relatively quickly over the games, writing down the impression from each game. This is what Botvinnik did when analyzing Bronstein’s play before their match in 1951. I continued with the scan until the moment when I felt that I had “understood” the player. Then I returned to the games that were most relevant for their “characteristics” and I analyzed them deeply. The main difficulty was that sometimes, the initial impression of a “characteristic” based on a game was not exactly what I thought it was, as the deeper analysis unearthed details that changed the picture. In such cases, I had to discard those examples and either look for others, or to conclude that the “characteristic” was not clear enough to form part of the player’s profile. Most of the players in this book turned 20 in 2020. I intended to analyze their styles while they were still juniors and therefore, the latest games I consulted were from early 2020. I was absorbed by Botvinnik’s analysis, but nobody writes like that today. In the words of Toni Morrison: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it”. That is how this book has come into existence. 280 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinker´s Publishing

We are proud to be the first chess siblings to publish a book, full of magnificent examples and reasons why we love the game. The wonderful journey of selecting, analyzing and commentating on games has been very beneficial to both of us. In this book, we look deeply into some factors that are not spoken about as much as they should, for example, the importance of preparing for the opening, to always be searching for sacrifices when your pieces are active, to never stop grinding until the game is over and of course, the part we both love the most, psychology in chess. We have been very ‘picky’ when it came down to selecting the games. The best of the best examples were chosen so as to keep the flow of the book and to make it easy to follow, as well as being more entertaining and resourceful for our readers. The book also contains several shocking examples, such as a 1700-rated kid beating a powerful GM, or Alireza Firouzja letting slip of the most basic draw against Magnus Carlsen. Therefore, whether you are a beginner, an average club player or even a chess master, this book should help you take steps forwards in your chess development. After all, we all sometimes face players who are significantly higher/lower-rated! As many may know, neither of us have had an easy journey in our chess career over the past few years. However, unpleasant conflicts have never been a limiting factor to us when it came to our love and passion for chess. This book was one way to keep improving day after day, demonstrating the more beautiful side of the game. We recommend that all our readers should grab a real chessboard and enjoy the brilliant content. This will not only help you improve your chess skills, but also absorb the ‘Tips & Tricks’. 407 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinker´s Publishing

Crouch: Fighting Chess move by move   What separates the best chess players from the rest? What gives them the edge over their rivals? Chess legend Vladimir Kramnik believes it’s their fighting skills and the ability to continuously find ways to keep a game alive. Colin Crouch agrees, and is fascinated that the world’s strongest players seem almost unbeatable, even when games appear sharp and double-edged. In this book Crouch examines the tremendous fighting qualities of today’s top grandmasters. Analysing key games from 2012, Crouch demonstrates how they give nothing away to opponents but are always alert to punish any slight errors, and crucially, how we can apply these lessons to help us in our own games.   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 worlds best chess players   Important ideas absorbed by continued practice   Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study 303 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

Crouch: Why we lose at Chess   The main reason why we lose at chess is no big secret: we all make unnecessary mistakes! But simply acknowledging this fact isnt enough to help us improve. The big question is, how can we eliminate these mistakes from our game, or at least keep them to an absolute minimum?   Colin Crouch tackles this vital subject face-to-face. Drawing upon his considerable experience, he looks back at critical moments within games where mistakes are made, and examines how we can recognise the danger signs and avoid making impulsive decisions. The reader is constantly challenged by exercises, which provide perfect training for real over-the-board battles. Essential training to eliminate mistakes   Advice on how to improve calculation and assessment   Includes over 50 carefully planned exercises. 187 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

Crouch: Analyse your Chess   Leading chess author Colin Crouch believes that the key to sustained chess improvement lies in the critical analysis and assessment of your own games. Each and every game you play provides a significant learning opportunity, and this opportunity should never be squandered.   In this sequel to his highly acclaimed Why We Lose at Chess, Crouch examines what we should do to maximize our chess results and ratings, how to turn losses into draws, and draws into wins. Here he focuses on major issues such as improving decision making, how to plan after the opening, how to maintain objectivity, improving endgame skills, the psychological aspects of the game, and much more. Read this book, analyse your chess, and get ready to improve your results! An essential guide to chess improvement   Valuable advice on planning, strategy and tactics   Covers opening, middlegame and endgame play. 235 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

Crouch: How to Defend in Chess   A Gambit re-issue of a classic work on chess defence.   Many books discuss how to attack in chess, but resourceful defensive play is also a vital ingredient in competitive success. This is an area largely neglected in the literature of the game.   This book fills the gap admirably. Following a survey of general defensive methods in chess, Dr Colin Crouch investigates the techniques of World Champions Emanuel Lasker and Tigran Petrosian, both highly effective defenders. Lasker would place myriad practical obstacles in the opponents way, and was a master of the counterattack. Petrosian developed Nimzowitschs theories of prophylaxis to a new level. His opponents would find that somehow their attacking chances had been nullified long before they could become reality.   International Master Dr Colin Crouch is a highly experienced chess-player from England who has written well-regarded books about openings, endgames and middlegame theory. His game annotations have appeared in several major chess magazines, including Inside Chess and Chess Monthly.   223 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Gambit

Crouch: Great Attackers - Learn from Kasparov, Tal and Stein   The chess world has witnessed a great number of wonderfully gifted attacking players, geniuses who have dazzled the chess public with their brilliant masterpieces. Everyone has their own favourites, and in Chess Secrets: Great Attackers, Colin Crouch chooses three of his own: Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Tal and Leonid Stein. World Champions Kasparov and Tal need no introduction, while Stein was a highly creative and intuitive player with the ability to destroy the worlds best players with his vicious attacks.   Crouch examines phases of these players careers, compares their differing approaches and styles, and highlights key attacking themes including the idea of controlled risk - in some sacrificial attacks even the greatest players cant always see everything to the end. A study of this book will help you to enhance your skills in one of the most crucial elements of the game. An entertaining and instructive guide to attacking chess   Learn from the greats of the game   Discover how famous chess minds work Chess Secretsis a new series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess: strategy, attack, classical play, opening play, endgames and preparation. In each book the author chooses and deeply studies a number of great players from chess history who have excelled in a particular field of the game and undeniably influenced those who have followed.   192 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

The book consists of501 practical puzzles from the second part of the Year 2012, selected into 3 different groups: "easy", "medium", and "hard". At the end of the book you can check your tactical skills in a test format and also can enjoy the 10 most beautiful pearls of the given period. Great combinations by Carlsen, Aronian, Kramnik, and many more Top players. 246 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Chess Evolution

Davies: 10 Great Ways to Get Better at Chess How can you improve at chess? This is the eternal question asked by players of all levels. Which part of the game should you focus on? How often should you play? Should you change your opening repertoire? What’s the best way to learn from your defeats? So many questions ... and yet direct answers are hard to find. It’s no wonder aspiring players are left bewildered and in need of direction. In this book grandmaster Nigel Davies provides that direction. He examines the methods used by a number of players who were looking to improve their game, and how they went about achieving their goal. He has drawn heavily on the games and thoughts of players who have been his students over the years and experienced a clear improvement in their play. Finding the path towards improvement can prove difficult without the right guidance. This book will demonstrate the route to take. A major study of chess improvement Written by a renowned chess trainer Tackles all areas of the game. 159 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman