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...
Dive into the wild world of the Sokolsky Opening with this unique and entertaining chess book. International chess author Marek Soszynski examines Magnus Carlsen’s remarkable experiments with 1.b4 — also known as the Orangutan — across more than a dozen annotated blitz and rapid games. Blending fresh analysis, practical advice, opening theory, and even a brief look at orangutans themselves, this book offers both instruction and fun.
Whether you’re a club player looking for an offbeat weapon, a fan of Carlsen’s creativity, or simply a chess enthusiast eager to explore one of the game’s rarest first moves, Carlsen Goes Ape delivers an insightful and enjoyable journey into an opening where anything can happen.
Endgame books tend not to prioritize the information most useful for reluctant endgame players, but this is the territory explored by Australian Grandmaster Ian Rogers in Rogers’ Practical Endgame Guide.
Rather than show methods of winning certain technical positions, Rogers’ Practical Endgame Guide is designed to help endgame-averse players who want to know what the ‘correct’ result of an ending is and, more importantly, what chance they will have to work out the right moves in actual play. Rogers’ Practical Endgame Guide obliges as little memory work as possible and offers plenty of general advice to keep you heading in the right direction.
Rogers’ Practical Endgame Guide covers endgame ideas that are not often highlighted but consistently turn games: recognizing Injustice Patterns, how to scare your opponent in an equal position, and understanding the endgame potential of the Tricky Knight or the Hyperactive King.
Nobody doubts that intuition in chess exists. It is part of the arsenal of every chess player, next to well-known skills such as tactical vision, the ability to calculate variations and endgame technique. But how does intuition in chess work, and where does it take us?
Intuition is by far the vaguest and hardest to grasp subject in chess, and consequently the least studied. Acclaimed author and experienced chess trainer Valeri Beim takes the bull by the horns and shows, with hundreds of well-explained examples:
– When intuition comes into play
– What the functions of intuition are
– Why some players have better intuition than others
– How intuition differs from pattern recognition
– How you can develop your chess intuition
– Why your intuition gets weaker as you grow older.
Valeri Beim deeply analyses and dissects how chess players think and demonstrates that each of us has the power of making intuitive decisions. You will learn how you can train and develop this human gift.
Beim uses plain language and illustrates his findings with sparkling tales about Capablanca, Tal, Fischer, Carlsen, and other greats in chess. With instructive examples of practical play, this is a thought-provoking, yet highly accessible work.
Valeri Beim is a grandmaster who lives in Austria. He has won numerous tournaments and plays in the Austrian and German leagues. For many years he was the head trainer at the chess school in Odessa, and he was also the trainer of the Israeli Olympiad team.
Uwe Bekemann, German Federation for Correspondence Chess:
"Bringing all this material together into a coherent and logical complex is, I think, the extraordinary achievement of the author (..) Beim highlights important benchmarks and best pratices in the text. This helps the reader to train and develop his talents."
Der Standard, Vienna:
"Beim demystifies the matter (..) Using excellently presented games, the intuitive way of playing chess is explained in a refreshingly classical and instructive way."
Luke McShane, New In Chess magazine:
"This book strikes me as an unusual thoughtful one (..) Beim has made a great effort to come up with a coherent theory of intuition, and there is plenty to enjoy along the way."
Martin Rieger, Europa Rochade:
"Very good are the prose and abundant explanations. Here is an experienced grandmaster spilling the beans!"
Marshtower Chess Reviews:
"I think the book can be read on two levels. Firstly, it represents a fine collection of inspirational games which can be enjoyed by any class of player. Secondly, it provides a deeper, thought-provoking read on a difficult subject."
Harry Schaack, KARL Magazine:
"Thrilling (..) Full of remarkable analysis and enlightening commentary (..) This book shows that mankind's intuition is still better than that of computers."
Hans Bohm, De Telegraaf:
"Beims method is always to first explain patiently what he is talking about, with pratical examples. Then he delves deeper into the material and considers things from different perspectives. That way every reader can apply what he learned at his own level."
B.H.Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad:
"The author has a clear view on how to develop chess intuition, with many interesting examples which show that it is indeed something quite different from recognition."
Joe Petrolito, Australasian Chess Magazine:
"As a trail-blazer, Beim is going out on limb with his ideas, but I think this will be an influential book on the topic (..) Highly recommended."
Dutch edition. For the English edition please click here
Over de legendarische Nederlandse schaakwereldkampioen Max Euwe is al veel geschreven, en Euwe produceerde zelf ook tientallen boeken. Maar er was nog geen representatieve verzameling van de beste partijen van deze ‘efficiënte, mensetende tijger’, zoals de Amerikaanse schaakmeester William Ewart Napier hem noemde.
Max Euwe’s Beste Partijen voorziet in deze lacune. En wie anders had dit boek kunnen schrijven dan Euwe’s opvolger in de Nederlandse schaakwereld – Jan Timman, één van de beste schaakschrijvers van deze tijd. Timman selecteerde tachtig partijen van Euwe. Het is ongelooflijk hoe hoog het niveau was dat Euwe bereikte in de vijftig jaar dat hij actief schaakte, en hoe aantrekkelijk zijn aanvallende speelstijl was.
Timman heeft veel nieuws ontdekt in de beste en meest beroemde partijen van Euwe, maar haalt ook een aantal minder bekende briljante partijen voor het voetlicht. Bij zijn analyses komt een aantal interessante paradoxen aan de orde. Zo was Euwe voor het overgrote deel van zijn carrière een amateur, maar wist hij meer van openingstheorie dan vele van zijn tegenstanders op topniveau. Als de underdog onttroonde hij de energieke Alexander Aljechin als wereldkampioen in een epische match in 1935. Op zijn 52ste wist hij nog steeds topspelers als Geller en Najdorf te verslaan met fantastisch aanvalsspel in het beroemde Kandidatentoernooi in Zürich 1953. En toen hij de zeventig al was gepasseerd bleef hij een gevaarlijke opponent voor de jongste generatie Nederlandse schakers.
Deze partijenverzameling van een soms onderschatte wereldkampioen, met analyses van topgrootmeester Jan Timman, is een onmisbare aanvulling voor iedereen die is geïnteresseerd in het Nederlandse schaken en in het wereldkampioenschap.
Jan Timman, de voormalig nummer twee van de wereldranglijst, is de auteur van vele populaire schaakboeken. Zijn boek Timman’s Titans won de ECF Book of the Year Award in 2017. Zijn recente boeken The Longest Game, Timman’s Triumphs en The Unstoppable American, zijn nu al moderne klassiekers in de schaakliteratuur.
It is not really in doubt that Bobby Fischer is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) chess players of all-time. His name is one that it is recognized immediately by almost anyone with even a passing interest in chess. His numerous brilliant games are very well known and have been seen in numerous anthologies.
However, Fischer also played many games that have generally escaped public attention. These include early games before he was well known, simultaneous games, blitz games as well as many classical games that have simply fallen under the radar. There is also a match of ten games played against Svetozar Gligoric in Sveti Stefan before his famous “re-match” with Boris Spassky.
Prolific author Cyrus Lakdawala has tracked down many of these games. They provide fresh material for die hard Fischer fans and provide numerous examples of Fischer’s extraordinary chess talent. Thanks to his remarkable ability to find clear cut plans and strategies in any position, Fischer somehow managed to make chess look easy. This is a very instructive anthology.
Cyrus Lakdawala is an International Master, a former National Open and American Open Champion, and a six-time State Champion. He has been teaching chess for over 40 years, and coaches some of the top junior players in the U.S.
¡Aprende grandes trampas, convierte las derrotas en empates y los empates en victorias!
Sergei Tkachenko, miembro del equipo ucraniano que ganó el 5º Torneo Mundial de Composición de Ajedrez en 1997 y que quedó segundo en 2000, 2004, 2013 y 2017, ha recopilado 100 estudios cuyo tema común es que las blancas terminan con un solo caballo en el final, pero logran ganar o empatar.
La mayoría de las soluciones no tienen más de seis movimientos, por lo que los jugadores experimentados pueden analizar las posiciones directamente a partir de los diagramas. Los principiantes en problemas de ajedrez también encontrarán útil analizar estos estudios. El diverso conjunto de ideas tácticas que involucran a un solo caballo en el final les permitirá comprender mejor la versatilidad del caballo.
Algunos de estos estudios son clásicos de épocas pasadas. Otros fueron publicados originalmente en la Unión Soviética o en países exsoviéticos. Varios son composiciones del propio Sergei Tkachenko.
Este es el segundo libro de una serie de estudios de finales de Sergei Tkachenko que publicará la editorial Elk and Ruby Publishing House.
Sergei Tkachenko, miembro del equipo ucraniano que ganó el 5º Torneo Mundial de Composición de Ajedrez en 1997 y que quedó segundo en 2000, 2004, 2013 y 2017, ha recopilado 100 estudios cuyo tema común es que las blancas terminan con un solo alfil en el final, pero logran ganar o empatar.
La mayoría de las soluciones no tienen más de seis movimientos, por lo que los jugadores experimentados pueden analizar las posiciones directamente a partir de los diagramas. Los principiantes en problemas de ajedrez también encontrarán útil analizar estos estudios. El diverso conjunto de ideas tácticas que involucran a un solo alfil en el final les permitirá comprender mejor la versatilidad del alfil.
Este es el tercer libro de una serie de estudios de finales de Sergei Tkachenko que publicará la editorial Elk and Ruby Publishing House.
¡Aprende grandes trampas, convierte posiciones perdidas en empates y empates en victorias!
Sergei Tkachenko, un miembro del equipo ucraniano que ganó el 5º Torneo Mundial de Composición de Ajedrez en 1997 y que quedó segundo en 2000, 2004, 2013 y 2017, ha recopilado 100 estudios cuyo tema común es que las blancas terminan con solo el rey en el final, pero logran empatar.
La mayoría de las soluciones no tienen más de seis movimientos, por lo que los jugadores experimentados pueden analizar las posiciones directamente a partir de los diagramas. Los principiantes en problemas de ajedrez también encontrarán útil analizar estos estudios. El diverso conjunto de ideas tácticas que involucran a un rey en el final les permitirá comprender mejor su potencial.
Este es el sexto libro de una serie de estudios de finales de juego de Sergei Tkachenko que será publicado por Elk and Ruby Publishing House.
The Queen's Gambit can be rather boring, especially for Black, so a couple of weapons to make things more excitement.
In this book, FIDE Master Carsten carefully analyzes two gambits for Black that both arise after the initial moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5!?. The Canal Gambit arises when White captures 5.cxd5, and Black responds 5...Qb6. The gambit is somewhat dubious, but very effective in practical play. The Prins Gambit instead sees Black respond 5...cxd4!?, which is a correct gambit, giving Black full compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
All of White's responses to both gambits are carefully analyzed.
Prepare to give White a wake-up call!
Yuri Sakharov (1922-1981) was a leading Ukrainian chess player and coach from the 1950s until his death, ranked the world number 17 in 1968 according to Chessmetrics. Although little-known in the West as he rarely played outside the Soviet Union, he qualified for six Soviet championship finals, with a highest position of joint sixth in 1967. Sakharov won the Ukrainian Championship twice and deployed many opening novelties in his time. As he aged he increasingly turned to correspondence chess, where he won gold medals at the ICCF Olympiads as a member of the Soviet team in 1972 and 1976.
As we see in this book, he went toe-to-toe with greats such as Tal, Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Polugaevsky, Taimanov, Geller, Averbakh, Stein, Ivkov and Kotov among many others. He started out as a primarily attacking player whose games often involved the Sicilian (especially the Najdorf variation), King’s Indian and Ruy Lopez openings, but he later evolved into a more universal player with strong positional skills. Sakharov also coached or seconded many future or contemporary grandmasters, including Vladimir Savon, Gennady Kuzmin, Ruslan Pogorelov, Dimitri Komarov, and Vladimir Sergeev, as well as WGMs Lidia Semenova and Elena Sedina. As his own chess understanding matured, he focused his pupils’ attention on more solid openings, such as the Slav Defense and Nimzo-Indian.
However, as first detailed to Western readers in the third volume of Sergey Voronkov’s Masterpieces and Dramas of the Soviet Championships, based on articles by this book’s author Mykola Fuzik, Yuri Sakharov had a fascinating but tragic life-story. His father was executed in 1938 during the Stalin purges. Finding himself and his mother destitute under the Nazi occupation of Ukraine during World War II, he volunteered to work in Germany, although he later escaped and joined the US Army in a civilian capacity. During his time in Germany he found himself drawn into a tragic incident of which his contemporaries were almost certainly unaware. After his return to the USSR, a case was gradually built against him culminating in his arrest in 1951 followed by a trial in 1952 and imprisonment. Yet he survived five years in the Soviet GULAG system and emerged to play his best chess in his forties.
Ukrainian Candidate Master Mykola Fuzik has written a detailed account of Sakharov’s life and career based on many years of research. He previously published a biography of another leading Ukrainian chess player, Isaak Lipnitsky, with Elk and Ruby in 2024. The current book includes reminiscences of Sakharov’s pupils and other strong players who studied with him, such as double World Senior Champion GM Vladimir Okhotnik. 121 of Sakharov’s own games and fragments, as well as four games of his contemporaries that he annotated, are analyzed in this book. Many games are annotated by Sakharov himself and others by some of the strongest contemporary players of his time, including Korchnoi and Flohr, as well as guest grandmasters and the author. In particular, Ukrainian Grandmaster Vladimir Sergeev provided a significant portion of the annotations for this book as well as making important contributions on the biographical side.
The games and commentary are highly instructive – as Vladimir Okhotnik remarks at the end of one game: “I think that this game demonstrates Yuri Nikolaevich Sakharov’s strongest sides: serious home preparation, consistent game plans, and excellent conversion technique.”
This book is supplemented with a large number of photos never published before in the West.
Chess Informant 167 “Speed-up!” presents:
* WIJK AAN ZEE 2026 by GM Miloš Perunović
* WORLD RAPID AND BLITZ CHAMPIONSHIP DOHA 2025 by FM Ivan Martić
* WORLD WOMEN'S RAPID AND BLITZ CHAMPIONSHIP DOHA 2025 by WGM Sabina Foişor
* TASHKENT IV PRESIDENT'S CUP 2025 by FM Csaba Zoltan Varga
* CHESS WORKSHOP – B 11 by GM Mikhail Bryakin
* MICHAEL'S MUSINGS by GM Michael Prusikin
* ROGERS' REMINISCENCES by GM Ian Rogers
Traditional sections:
* The best game and most important theoretical novelty from the previous Volume
* Endgames
* Combinations
* 190 games + Fragments according to ECO Codes.
The periodical that pros use with pleasure is at the same time a must have publication for all serious chess students!
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