The journey into the world of sparkling short games continues. Chess in Miniature: Volume 2 takes up where the first book left off, exploring the next set of ‘Secrets’ that underpin brilliant miniatures. From choosing appropriate openings to exploiting greed, from classical sacrifices to advanced calculation, this volume reveals how winners consistently shape games that delight and instruct.
With carefully chosen examples and insightful commentary, the book not only entertains but also inspires readers to attempt their own mini-masterpieces. Whether you want to sharpen your tactical instincts, enrich your opening play, or simply enjoy some of the most striking games in chess, this volume will both instruct and delight.
David LeMoir is an experienced chess player and the author of several successful books, with the canny knack of presenting new ways to look at sacrifices and tactics.
Most chess players dream of winning quickly and stylishly, but few know how to increase their chances of such success. Chess in Miniature: Volume 1 takes on the challenge by presenting the eight key Secrets to winning in 25 moves or fewer, with eight additional vital Secrets to follow in Chess in Miniature: Volume 2.
David LeMoir presents the crucial concepts using illuminating examples, containing an ideal balance of short variations and instructive prose. Learn how to become an Opportunist Tactician and a Canny Investor, while aware that The Queen Rules and Beauty Favours The Strong. A final ‘challenge chapter’ is included to test and reinforce the reader’s newfound understanding.
The Ragozin Complex is a flexible and versatile chess opening system. This important variation in the Queen’s Gambit was employed by great champions of the 20th century like Alekhine and Capablanca and it remains a dangerous weapon in the hands of modern top-level players like Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik and Vasily Ivanchuk.
But what exactly is The Ragozin Complex? Amazingly, this has never before been explained in a comprehensive book. Acclaimed chess author Vladimir Barsky has now filled this gap. He pays tribute to the legendary Soviet player and writer Isaak Lipnitsky whose ideas on the Ragozin were a part of his famous Questions of Modern Chess Theory, published in 1956.
While many of Lipnitsky’s ideas are still of value today, The Ragozin Complex sizzles with fresh and topical material from recent times, systematically collected in seven chapters that explain all the plans and counterplans in the critical lines.
For the first time, amateurs can acquaint themselves with the intricacies of the Ragozin system and start playing this flexible opening with confidence. But also professional chess players will see many secrets of this system unveiled by this practical overview.
Vladimir Barsky (1969) is an International Chess Master, a successful coach and an experienced journalist from Russia. He has written several successful books on chess openings: The Modern Philidor Defence (2010), A Universal Weapon 1.d4 d6 (2011), and, together with grandmaster Alexander Morozevich, The Chigorin Defence According to Morozevich (2007).
Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe:
"With a significant volume of original analysis and improvements over existing theory. The chapters are loaded with detailed explanations of strategic and tactical ideas based on pawn structures and piece play. Barsky has written an amazing book."
Peter Doggers, ChessVibes:
"A wonderful guide (..) It's quite amazing that there hadn't appeared a book on the Ragozin before (..) One of the better opening books I have seen in recent years."
IM John Donaldson, at jeremysilman.com:
"It seems hard to believe that a popular and well respected defense is receiving full-fledged treatment for the first time in half a century! (..) Presently this system is seen predominantly at the professional level but this book should make this aggressive defense popular with those in the amateur ranks."
Martin Rieger, Europa Rochade Magazine:
"A delightful freshness keeps the reader in thrall (..) A fantastic opening book and a labor of love."
Phil Adams, 3Cs Book Reviews:
"One can learn a great deal from this book, both from Lipnitsky's insights and the more up-to-date theory provided by its 21st century author, IM Barsky, for whom this book was clearly a labour of love (..) For many players this will provide a good answer to the question of what to aim for when White avoids the Nimzo-Indian by playing 3.Nf3."
Lubomir Kavalek, The Huffington Post:
"Vladimir Barsky brought Lipnitsky's work into the 21st century, enhancing the original ideas with new games and new developments, and creating a unique opening manual."
Marshtower Chess Reviews:
"Those with the Nimzo-Indian and QGD (and even QGA) already in their repertoire may find some useful transpositions with which to annoy their unsuspecting opponents."
Glenn Flear, Yearbook 102:
"A fascinating blend of history and modern theory, 'The Ragozin Complex' is the author's best book yet."
Joe Petrolito, Australasian Chess Magazine:
"Barsky offers a good blend of variations and commentary on the basic ideas (..) A fine example of how a quality opening book
They did it! Dejan Antic and Branimir Maksimovic have created a complete chess opening repertoire for Black players in only two books.
First they wrote the acclaimed The Modern French (against 1.e4). Now The Modern Bogo provides Black players with a comprehensive answer to 1.d4. The two books complement each other perfectly.
The point is that the authors recommend to answer 1.d4 with the direct 1...e6, for the follow-up 2.c4 Bb4+. In this way they avoid complex theoretical Nimzo-Indian lines and enable both amateur and professional players to find their own way in little-explored variations.
The Modern Bogo covers all the possibilities for White after 1.d4 e6... except for 2.e4, after which you should play the French!
Antic and Maksimovic have done a massive amount of research, and found many new strategic concepts and attacking plans. All of them are explained clearly and thoroughly.
You will find that this opening not only gives you good chances to equalize as Black, but also many opportunities to play for a win.
IS THIS BOOK ONLY FOR THOSE WHO PLAY THE FRENCH WITH BLACK? OF COURSE NOT!
More than 90% of the lines that Antic and Maksimovic cover can also be reached through the standard Bogo- and Nimzo-Indian move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6.
Dejan Antic (Serbia, 1968) is a Grandmaster who has worked as a chess trainer in Australia and Greece. International Master Branimir Maksimovic (1955) was also born in Serbia. He has worked as a chess coach for 30 years, and is a well-known chess opening theoretician.
GM Glenn Flear, author of 'Starting Out: The Open Games':
"Perhaps the best attempt that any book has made at sorting out all those grey areas, transpositions, hybrids and move-order confusions. You really get the impression that the authors know their stuff and have taken the time to help the reader cross-reference analogous themes from elsewhere."
Martin Rieger, SchachWelt:
"The many verbal explanations loosen the book up. The authors have laid much emphasis on providing their readers not just with variations, but also with lots of texts containing historical backgrounds, indications of tactical or positional pitfalls, and other details."
Sean Marsh, CHESS Magazine:
"I enjoyed the prose explanations, of which there are plenty. They really did help me to understand the ideas behind some of the lines that have remained hitherto a mystery to me (..) The book is very nicely produced and presented with helpful conclusions and exercises."
B.H.Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad:
"The authors succeeed in explaining the various concepts and attacking plans for Black quite well. Typically, a good opening book like this is also quite useful for White and contains a lot of important general advice on improving at chess."
British Chess Magazine:
"An awesome follow-up to "The Modern French'."
Uwe Bekemann, German Correspondence Chess Federation:
"A new publication which I can recommend. It is written from the perspective of Black, but for the white player it is also an excellent source of information."
Grandmaster David Smerdon, ChessVibes, on 'The Modern French':
"Despite my years of experience playing the French with both sides, I found myself learning an incredible amount, particularly regarding the ideas behind many of the common lines that I often employ, but, it turns out, only superficially understand."
A completely reassessed study of the isolated queen's pawn structure. The book is based on modern examples, with a heavy accent on the practice of Magnus Carlsen. Two important chapters deal with:
– How to maintain the balance with an isolani when the opponent has successfully blockaded it and tamed the initial initiative;
– Examples on the theme “to create or not to create an isolani later into the game”.
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.
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!
The English Opening, 1.c4, is a great practical weapon for players of all levels. White dictates the opening from the first move, reaching positions where understanding themes and plans is more important than computer-generated analysis. Win with the English! provides a complete repertoire with 1.c4, showing how to meet every major option that Black may try.
Playing the English (2023) became an instant hit with professional and club players alike, generating rave reviews. GM Matthew Sadler noted that “on top of all that great explanation, the analysis is simply first class”, while IM John Watson stated: “Every experienced English Opening player will want this book.” Still, author Nikolaos Ntirlis was determined to raise the bar even higher.
Win with the English! builds upon Playing with the English by tweaking move orders, plugging gaps and steering the play in even more practically potent directions than before. This enhanced edition leaves the best parts of the original work intact, while offering all the fine-tuning needed to make this the ultimate 1.c4 repertoire.
Nikolas Ntirlis is an award-winning author, correspondence IM and openings advisor to various grandmasters. His books are loved by amateurs and grandmasters alike, with a stellar reputation for clarity, practicality and analytical precision.
Whip the Winawer with The Ram!
The French Defense is one of the most popular responses by Black to 1.e4. And the Winawer is the most popular variation of the French. In this book, the authors advocate an early advance of the h-pawn – The Ram – and plans related to it. This move was first used in the game Pilnik-Ståhlberg, Mar del Plata 1946. Argentine grandmaster Hermann Pilnik would go on to win many games with the Ram.
The major tabiya of this line arises after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7. While 7.Qg4 – leading to a direct attack against the black king – has been played many times in this position, it leads to well-known forced lines.
But this book is devoted to 7.h2-h4, a more positional method of attacking. More strategic considerations become pivotal – getting the “feel” for the position, becoming familiar with general plans, the best squares for the pieces, etc.
Mastering the typical motifs and ideas will in fact give you the opportunity to continue positionally or to pursue an attack directed against the black king. The authors heartily recommend The Ram for all chessplayers who strive for an energetic struggle, rich in possibilities in their quest to get an advantage as White in the French Winawer.
Greek Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias, has won the championship of Greece ten times and has represented his country many times in team competitions. He is one of the most respected opening analysts in the world today.
Russian-Serbian Grandmaster Mikhail Ivanov has been successful in many European tournaments, including the 2002 Neckar Open. He is a respected chess coach and trainer. He has co-authored several books with GM Kotronias for Russell Enterprises.
Russian international master Andrei Obodchuk is an eleven-time Russian champion, eight-time world champion, participant of six World Chess Olympiads, and one of the most experienced and titled participants of the 4th FIDE World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.
The French Defence hits the sweet spot between soundness and practicality, and remains one of Black’s most popular defences at all levels. Win with the French! offers a complete, robust repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e6.
Elite theoretician and author Vassilios Kotronias presents a two-pronged approach in the most critical main lines, with a theoretically bulletproof, professional-grade option accompanied by a sound yet combative choice to generate winning chances with less memorization. This versatile approach, combined with thoughtful advice about typical themes and pawn structures, makes Win with the French! the ideal modern guide to this classic chess opening.
Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias is a ten-time Greek Champion with a peak ranking of 44th in the world, as well as a renowned theoretician and 1.e4 player. After spending many decades trying unsuccessfully to break the French Defence, he is ready to share his extensive insights on why it’s a great opening to play with Black.
The King’s Indian Attack, featuring White’s early kingside fianchetto and d3, while usually involving the e4 advance and often a kingside pawn storm, was one of Bobby Fischer’s favourite openings. It is simple to learn without the need to worry about huge blocks of theory and it is taught through 77 illustrative games.
That said, being simple to learn doesn’t mean that the opening doesn’t have its fair share of excitement – and complications. It certainly has – both tactical and positional – once you get into the middlegame, but there is very little that you need to learn by heart after you digest the key ideas from the book’s introduction and illustrative games.
This book features eleven games with Fischer as White.
The book recommends White’s best easy-to-remember set ups against all of Black’s main replies. The key material is delivered as follows:
Chapter 1: The Reversed King’s Indian
Chapter 2: The Reversed Pirc
Chapter 3: KIA vs ...d5 ...c6 and ...Bxf3
Chapter 4: KIA vs ...d5 ...c6 and ...Bh5
Chapter 5: KIA vs Reversed London System
Chapter 6: KIA vs French Defence
Chapter 7: KIA vs ...e5/...d6 Structures
Chapter 8: KIA vs Reversed English Formations
The author himself is a frequent practitioner of the opening. The book features nine games with Cyrus as White and another three as Black. Further, he has taught it to numerous students over the years. Other games feature elite players including Carlsen, Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand, Petrosian, Botvinnik, Gukesh, Ding, Nepo, Nakamura, Pragg, Svidler, Giri, Timman, Kamsky, Polugaevsky, Erigaisi, Lilienthal and Stahlberg.
Cookie settings
We use cookies to deliver and improve our services, analyze site usage, and if you agree, to customize or personalize your experience and market our services to you. You can read our Cookie Policy here.