E-Books durchsuchen

This book is the result of twenty years of teaching chess to students of all ages, distilling practical lessons from a lifetime of experience into one accessible guide. It emphasizes that chess is a game of endless learning, where no player—not even world champions like Magnus Carlsen—can ever “know everything.”

A central theme of the book is the importance of study, growth, and humility, highlighting the difference between casual players and serious students of the game. Drawing inspiration from Tigran Petrosian’s belief that true appreciation of chess comes through study, the author underlines the value of deep understanding over surface knowledge.

At its core, the book focuses on mistakes and blunders—the true deciding factor in most games. And where better to start than with the classical 1.e4 e5!

In Volume 1 we covered the most frequently played lines after 1.e4 e5!

From beginners to grandmasters, every player makes errors. What separates strong players from the rest is not perfection, but the ability to recognize, punish, and learn from mistakes, ensuring they never lose the same way twice. Through practical examples, including games by top-level players like Alex Stripunsky, the book explores these universal lessons and shows how improvement begins with understanding failure.

This book is a tribute to Aron Nimzovich, one of the most influential figures in chess history and a true pioneer of positional and hypermodern chess. His revolutionary ideas transformed the understanding of strategy, introducing timeless concepts such as blockade, overprotection, prophylaxis, and the principle of two weaknesses.

Nimzovich challenged the rigid classical doctrines of his era, building upon the foundations of Wilhelm Steinitz while opposing the dogmatic views of Siegbert Tarrasch. His contributions shaped modern chess theory and remain essential for players seeking true positional understanding.

Through 64 carefully annotated games, this book explores the practical application of Nimzovich’s ideas across five core themes: Center, Strategic Concepts, Maneuvering, Constriction, and Blockade. Rather than presenting only flawless masterpieces, the book reveals the real struggles, imperfections, and brilliance of a player who created the principles we study today.

The author’s central message is clear: chess improvement is not about memorizing moves, but about learning to understand the game. And for that journey, there is no greater guide than Aron Nimzovitch.

This exercise book is the result of many years of work as a chess coach. The positions are drawn from original training materials developed for my private students, giving me valuable insight into the ideas players typically consider and the difficulties they most often encounter. This practical experience is reflected throughout the explanations and solutions.

The book is designed to help advanced players improve both their calculation skills and their strategic understanding. Beyond solving individual positions, readers are encouraged to extract broader lessons and improve their overall thinking process. While the exercises cover a wide range of themes, one principle appears again and again: in chess, active and energetic play is often rewarded above all else.

The book is essential reading for every ambitious chess player.

An effective approach to opening improvement should focus on understanding the logic behind each move, the relationship between moves, and the ability to adapt to different setups without becoming trapped in a theoretical straitjacket. There is little value in memorizing twenty moves of theory if, once your preparation ends, you are left without a clear plan.

Real improvement comes from recognizing strategic patterns, mastering typical pawn structures, and understanding the middlegame positions that arise from your chosen openings. This means studying model games, analyzing key transitions from opening to middlegame, and developing training habits that prioritize understanding over the mere accumulation of variations.

Only through such an approach can you build a reliable opening repertoire—one founded not on the fragile thread of memory, but on the enduring strength of genuine chess understanding.

Yet, when working on our openings, how often do we stop to consider the sustainability of our progress? How frequently do we think about the transfer of knowledge between different phases of study, the practical integration of computer-assisted analysis, or the simple reality that chess learning remains a fundamentally human process, regardless of how many databases, engines, and training modules continue to emerge?

This book seeks to answer those questions. Its goal is not merely to help you learn openings, but to help you understand them, retain them, and apply them successfully in practical play.

A complete and practical repertoire against the Ruy Lopez built around the solid and flexible Deferred Steinitz Variation. This guide equips players with reliable structures, clear plans, and modern insights, while also providing full coverage of the critical Exchange Variation—ensuring you’re prepared for both positional battles and tactical challenges.

Classic amateur mistakes is an essential read for the aspiring tournament chess player.

Experienced Author and coach Grandmaster Daniel Gormally argues that amateur players have a different outlook on chess compared to more experienced and professional players.

Due to a lack of confidence in their chess calculation, they often struggle to deal with concrete positions and will succumb to paralysis by analysis. If you ask an amateur player about a typical chess position, they will often waffle on in such a way about the general features of the position to the extent that your eyes will glaze over. Ask a professional player about that same position, and by contrast they will bombard you with variations.

In this entertaining, humorous and entertaining read, Gormally gives his reasons why this is and tries to explain how they can improve, as well as also analysing other classic amateur mistakes, like moving a piece too often and not attacking enough.

The sum result is a tome that will not only help the amateur player to achieve better results but will also give them a consistent process going forward at the board that they feel comfortable with.

Daniel Gormally is a chess Grandmaster based in Alnwick in Northumberland. As well as being the author of several chess books including the comfort zone, pandemic shark and mating the castled king, he also runs a moderately successful chess YouTube channel.

In 2024 Gormally won the UK rapid play championship in Peterborough, and in 2025 he won the UK open blitz championships in Leamington Spa. In 2026 Gormally officially became a senior chess player and is hoping to use this fact to avoid playing underrated juniors in open tournaments, as much as possible.

In his spare time Gormally likes to read comic books and watch Korean cooking game shows, as well as trying to repair his bad back by going to the gym and attending yoga classes.

The Golden Age of Yugoslav Chess (1919–1990) explores one of the richest and most influential eras in chess history, tracing the rise of Yugoslavia as a global chess powerhouse across seven remarkable decades. From the formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after the First World War to the final years before the country’s dissolution, this book captures the players, tournaments, ideas, and cultural forces that shaped an unforgettable chess tradition.

Featuring legendary grandmasters such as Vidmar, Gligorić, Ljubojević, Matanovic, Velimirović, and countless others, the book highlights Yugoslavia’s unique contribution to chess theory, attacking play, and international competition. Readers are taken inside iconic events like the legendary Bled tournaments, the celebrated “Tournament of Peace,” and the famous Chess Olympiads hosted on Yugoslav soil, where East and West met over the chessboard during the Cold War era.

Beyond the games themselves, The Golden Age of Yugoslav Chess paints a vivid portrait of a vibrant chess culture fueled by clubs, publications, cafés, and passionate communities. Richly illustrated with historical photographs, rare documents, annotations, and memorable games, the book reveals how Yugoslavia became a bridge between chess schools and a breeding ground for creativity and fighting spirit.

More than a historical account, this is a tribute to a generation that helped define modern chess — a golden age whose influence still resonates today.

The Lighter Side of Chess celebrates the game we love from a refreshingly humorous angle. Beyond deep calculations and serious tournament battles lies a world filled with blunders, bizarre positions, unexpected checkmates, and unforgettable moments of human comedy.

Georg and Adrian brought together a delightful collection of entertaining games, amusing goofs, and curious chess facts that reveal just how funny chess can be. From legendary masters caught in embarrassing mistakes to incredible oversights that defy belief, each chapter reminds us that even the greatest players are human—and that laughter is part of the game.

Perfect for casual reading, coffee-table browsing, or sharing with fellow chess enthusiasts, The Lighter Side of Chess is a joyful tribute to chess as a source of fun, surprise, and endless amusement. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a weekend player, this book proves that chess doesn’t always have to be serious to be brilliant.

The Janowski Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 a6. Black plays ...a6 to prepare the queenside expansion ...b5, aiming to challenge White’s c4 pawn and gain space. The idea was introduced by the Polish-French grandmaster Dawid Janowski around the turn of the 20th century.

Compared with classical QGD lines, this variation is less theoretical and offers flexible development for Black. White usually responds by strengthening the center and preventing ...b5, often with moves like a4, Nf3, or cxd5. The resulting positions typically feature a strategic battle between White’s central control and Black’s queenside expansion.

The best way to begin the Uncrowned Champions series is with the great Akiba Rubinstein. Whatever I do, I like to build my work on logical foundations, and therefore Akiba must be presented first. Why? Quite simply, there has never been a player in chess history who cared so persistently and profoundly about logic in chess.

Moreover, Akiba did not merely use logic to find good moves—he created chess logic itself. How? You have surely heard of centralizing and harmonizing the pieces as a fundamental strategic principle. Akiba was the first to apply this consistently. You have also heard that pawn action should only be undertaken once the pieces are optimally placed—again, Akiba was the pioneer. And what about the famous principle of “do not rush”? Once more, Akiba was the first to embody it fully.

As we can clearly see, we are fully justified in saying that Akiba Rubinstein was the first complete chess player—the first to master chess logic in its entirety. He was the first to play clear, plain, methodical chess. No unnecessary extravagance, no reckless risk-taking, no bluffs, no wild sacrifices—none of that. Only sound, logical moves, combined with a persistent striving for centralization and harmony.

Such a chess maestro must be your number-one mentor—especially if you have not yet reached master level. Everything starts with him. Your chess education, your journey from club or café player to master, should begin with Rubinstein. He is the leading mentor for many phases of the game, especially the middlegame and the endgame.

Every proper chess education should begin with the endgame, and therefore our first chapter is devoted to Rubinstein’s endgame masterpieces. Do not worry, however—most of the games presented in this book are also excellent tools for learning endgames. The next chapter focuses on centralization, where you will learn to appreciate its immense benefits. This is followed by a chapter on various strategic concepts, helping you become familiar with the foundations presented throughout the book.

Chapters on activity and harmony, and finally on logic and psychology, conclude the work. The emphasis throughout is on synthesizing these core concepts, without ever losing sight of activity, harmony, and logic. In the final section, psychological aspects are introduced to illustrate the real struggle of chess—the battle between two human beings, with emotions fully involved.

The 64 games presented here are my personal selection, chosen for their logic, instructive value, and beauty as I perceive it. I sincerely hope you will enjoy the material and develop your own appreciation and love for Akiba Rubinstein and his style. My lifelong mentor should become yours as well.

I truly believe that adopting his ideas, principles, and concepts is essential for reaching true master level. And if you are already a master, I am confident this book will still broaden your horizons and teach you many new and important things. Above all, I hope you will fall in love with Akiba’s style and discover how natural and effective it is to apply his concepts in your own games.

Andrew Burnett is a Scottish FM who has represented his country on numerous occasions. He is the author of cult classic Streetfighting Chess and his love of the Dragon opening stretches back to his teenage years when he was looking to escape from 1.e4 e5! He is currently working on the third – and final – volume of DragonMasters.

When 1975 dawned, the Sicilian Dragon, the most ferocious and exciting of openings the chess world had ever known, was on its knees begging for mercy.

Anatoly Karpov had just slain Viktor Korchnoi and Fischer’s contemptuous approach – “open the h-file, sac, sac, mate!” – seemed to have spelled the Dragon’s end. But already in the background there were acolytes attempting to repair the damage, to replace the beast’s scales and recharge its fiery breath.

DragonMasters 2 covers the tempestuous two decades that followed, pitting the world’s deadliest attackers against each other: tactical brutes such as Planinc and Velimirovic, Miles and Mestel, Short and Tiviakov – all choosing sides in the greatest opening debate of all.

Would the sword-and-spear DragonSlayer followers of Karpov and Fischer prevail once again? Or would the reinvigorated DragonMasters prove that myth and legend could survive in a modern setting? The final answer would arrive at the very top of the world...

Each exercise invites you to step into the shoes of the masters:

– Can you find the hidden combination that turned the tide?

– Will you spot the knockout blow that secured a brilliant victory?

– Can you defend as resourcefully as the Armenian greats when under pressure?

This collection is designed for players of all levels who want to sharpen their tactical vision and gain insights from the rich legacy of Armenian chess. With positions ranging from instructive classics to breathtaking brilliancies, the book offers a training ground where calculation, creativity, and intuition meet.

Whether you are a club player looking to improve, a coach seeking fresh material, or a chess enthusiast who loves the beauty of tactics, this book is your gateway into the magic of Armenian chess.