A winning streak in chess, says Cyrus Lakdawala, is a lot more than just the sum of its games. In this book he examines what it means when everything clicks, when champions become unstoppable and demolish opponents. What does it mean to be ‘in the zone’? What causes these sweeps, what sparks them and what keeps them going? And why did they come to an end?
Lakdawala takes you on a trip through chess history looking at peak performances of some of the greatest players who ever lived: Morphy, Steinitz, Pillsbury, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Fischer, Tal, Kasparov, Karpov, Caruana and Carlsen. They all had very different playing styles, yet at a certain point in their rich careers they all entered the zone and simply wiped out the best players in the world.
In the Zone explains the games of the greatest players during their greatest triumphs. As you study and enjoy these immortal performances you will improve your ability to overpower your opponents. You will understand how great moves originate and you will be inspired to become more productive and creative. In the Zone may bring you closer to that special place yourself: the zone.
Cyrus Lakdawala is an International Master and a former American Open Champion. He has been teaching chess for four decades and is a prolific and widely read author. His Chess for Hawks won the Best Instructional Book Award of the Chess Journalists of America (CJA). Other much acclaimed books of his are How Ulf Beats Black, Clinch It! and Winning Ugly in Chess.
“Lakdawala is the author of quite a few acclaimed and prize-winning chess books, and this one is another direct hit. His annotations are never dull, which cannot be said of all other chess writers. It’s almost 400 pages full of chess delight.” – Bab Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad
“In the Zone is the rare book that is both instructive and entertaining and should appeal to a wide audience, primarily players rated from 1800 to 2300.” – International Master John Donaldson
“As ever, Lakdawala provides entertaining but also instructive coverage of a great many fine games in his latest work. He also explores just how such winning streaks, by the likes of Carlsen, Kasparov, Morphy and Pillsbury, arose and why they came to an end. If you fancy overpowering your next opponent or just improving your creativity, a study of some seriously impressive winning streaks in Lakdawala’s company might just come in handy.” – CHESS Magazine
“The prolific American author has the clever idea of looking at thirteen players who have excelled at events starting with Morphy and ending with Magnus Carlsen at Grenke Classic 2019. This is a good excuse to look once again at Fischer’s stunning victory at the 1963/64 US Championship with 11/11 and every game is examined to find a link why Fischer dominated. There is an attempt in every chapter to explain why the player was at the peak of his powers and if there are numerous games then a few are selected to emphasise his prowess. A book that makes you think.” – International Master Gary Lane, Chess Moves Magazine
“Lakdawala’s tone of voice is unique in chess literature; he is like a friend you have known for a long time. His qualities as a trainer and an author reinforce each other.” – Thomas Binder, Glarean Magazine
“Lakdawala writes in a charming and highly instructive manner.” – Jeremy Silman, author of How to Reassess Your Chess
“This is an excellent and original idea for a book. We meet some of the greatest players from Morphy onwards and look at their peak performances. It might even inspire you to get ‘into the zone’ yourself in your next tournament, whenever that might be. As a highly experienced author and teacher, Lakdawala knows just how to get the balance right between words and variations, and has used a modern engine to check the analysis. You’ll find lots of Exercises (for you to solve), Principles (to help you improve) and Moments of Contemplation (to think about an interesting position).” – Richard James, British Chess News
“Aside from discussing the streaks and the tournaments in which they occurred, Lakdawala annotates the games in his trademark humorous style. There is also a look behind the curtain to reveal what goes into achieving such amazing streaks: luck, craft, excellence as well as the ability to put it all together in one tournament. A welcome look at some phenomenal performances.” – Carsten Hansen, American Chess Magazine
WINNER of the English Chess Federation 2008 Book of the Year Award!
"One of the most original and interesting books to have won the Book of the Year Award."
SHORTLISTED for The Guardian 2008 Book of the Year Award
SHORTLISTED for the ChessCafe 2007 Book of the Year Award
Part 1: Overthrow of a Colossus: London 2000, Part 2: Photo Finish in Brissago: 2004, Part 3: Big Brother in Chess City: Elista 2006
An extraordinary account of the main battles in the life of Vladimir Kramnik, a World Champion and a Samurai, in Bareev’s words.
From London to Elista gives a fascinating look behind the scenes of top-level chess. It provides superb analysis of all the games by Bareev, but it does much more.
In Socrates-style dialogues, Bareev and co-author Ilya Levitov reveal everything about the preparation, the progress and the aftermath, about the secret strategy and the brutal stress of the three battles.
This rich book is indispensable for anyone who wants to know what makes top grandmasters tick. It is written from the horse’s mouth, and it is full of honesty, irony, history, wit, anger, wisdom, and even poetry. With many photographs.
Evgeny Bareev is one of the world’s strongest grandmasters today. He was Kramnik’s second during the matches against Kasparov in 2000 and against Leko in 2004, and was in close contact with the Kramnik team during the scandal-plagued match with Topalov in Elista. Ilya Levitov has been an ardent chess amateur all his life. He is a close friend of Vladimir Kramnik and Evgeny Bareev.
Former Dutch Champion IM Gert Ligterink, de Volkskrant:
"A terrific read."
ChessVibes:
"Simply breathtaking."
British Chess Magazine:
"Absolutely riveting."
John Watson, The Week In Chess:
"This is simply one of the very best books of the decade. Certainly in the genre of matches and tournaments, there's no contest."
Bob Long, Chessco:
"It's insider stuff. It's history. It's anecdotes. It's real. It's terrific."
Johan Hut, Schakers.info:
"A monumental book."
ChessCafe:
"A backstage pass to the inner sanctum of world championship contenders."
Elburg Chess Reviews:
"I can assure you that this is one of those books that you cannot put down."
Cor Jansen, PZC:
"For those interested in chess technique there are brilliant analyses. Lovers of intrigue and tall stories have a lot to enjoy. But the psychology of power play is not forgotten, either."
GM Peter Heine Nielsen, Skakbladet:
"A fascinating read. A close-up by Bareev, who gives an exciting, detailed but also critical report of the matches."
Delaware Chess Newsletter:
"A BIG chess book and a lot of fun."
Schach Magazine:
"One is astonished how often Kramnik 'reads' the minds of his opponents (..) Many things that were inexplicable untill now can be understood because of this book."
Dutch edition. We also offer an English edition.
Voor het eerst in de geschiedenis neemt een schaakster uit Noord-Korea deel aan het North Sea Chess Tournament. Ze staat onder grote druk om te presteren, net als haar tegenstanders, onder wie een frauduleuze Italiaan, een IJslandse rokkenjager, een fundamentalist uit Tunesië en het Nederlandse talent Christiaan N’Koulou. In en buiten de speelzaal worden de grenzen van het spel opgezocht en overschreden. Ook geheime diensten bemoeien zich met de zetten op het bord. Als op de rustdag de Amerikaanse deelnemer dood in bad wordt gevonden, moet sponsor Godfried in actie komen om met gevaar voor eigen leven zijn toernooi te redden.
De Sponsor, een literaire thriller van internationale allure, is gebaseerd op de aantekeningen die een van de sponsoren gedurende een decennium maakte voor en achter de coulissen van het Hoogovens-Corus-Tata Steel-schaaktoernooi.
Voor de schaakliefhebber staan in een aparte bijlage de analyses van de partijen die in het verhaal een rol spelen.
Fred Das is internationaal ondernemer, ontwikkelaar van onroerend goed en een verdienstelijk schaker. Na de verkoop van zijn bedrijf is hij vooral fulltime huisvader.
Jeroen Terlingen was vakbondsjournalist, redacteur bij Vrij Nederlanden docent journalistiek. Hij schrijft boeken, maakt films en geeft cursussen.
WGM Erika Sziva op schakers.info
"Niet-schakers zullen opkijken van sommige stiekeme gebeurtenissen die schakers zelf regelmatig hebben meegemaakt op schaaktoernooien. Ik bedoel dan vooral de psychologische oorlogsvoering, en de geheime affaires die kunnen ontstaan tijdens de spanning van een toernooi."
When Under the Surface was published in 2018, it won the ECF Book of the Year prize and was universally acclaimed for its originality and instructive value, with GM Peter Wells calling it “a modern classic” and GM Matthew Sadler praising the author’s “original ideas about all sorts of chess topics and a wonderfully witty and enthusiastic way of bringing them across.” Seven years later, this new edition adds four new chapters along with various improvements to the original content. Author Jan Markos shows how a grandmaster perceives chess, presenting his concepts as vividly memorable metaphors such as Magnetic Skin, Karpov’s Billiard Balls and many others which will come as revelations to even titled players. Rediscover the original Markos magic while adding The Hannibal Manoeuvre and other new concepts to your chess arsenal.
Next year, Chess Informant will proudly celebrate its 60th anniversary. To commemorate this remarkable milestone, we are delighted to present the first volume in our new series: "From the Chess Informant’s Archives."
From the vast trove of material accumulated over the decades, we have chosen to begin with Selected Endings. Endgames first appeared as a special section in Informant No. 5 and have been published regularly ever since.
This volume presents a carefully curated selection of 705 endgames, chosen not only for their instructional value but also for their aesthetic beauty and conceptual depth.
All endgames are presented in the spirit of their time - as they were played and annotated when they first appeared.
The book is also for experienced chess players as well as beginners!
The Grand Prix Attack is one of White’s deadliest weapons against the Sicilian Defence. It continues to be highly popular with tournament chess players all over the world. While earlier publications mainly focused on tactics, this book the finally gives the GPA the coverage it deserves.
The 1962 Candidates’ Tournament in Curaçao was one of the fiercest chess battles of all time. At the height of the Cold War, eight players contested the right to challenge World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik. The format of the tournament was a gruelling quadruple round-robin. Twenty-eight games were to be played on the tropical island, in a contest that lasted two months.
The air trembled with drama and intrigue. One of the favourites, the brilliant Mikhail Tal,was taken to hospital after 21 rounds and had to withdraw. Three other players from the Soviet Union, Keres, Petrosian, and Geller, were making suspiciously short draws when playing each other. The two American players came to blows over the services of the second they were supposed to share.
Bella Kortchnoi, whose husband took an early lead in the tournament, was a puppet in the hands of the scheming Rona Petrosian, the wife of the later winner. And one of the favourites was a lanky 19-year-old boy from Brooklyn, Bobby Fischer, who openly accused the Soviets of collusion and was later proven right.
In the end, Tigran Petrosian was the winner and went on to become the new World Champion the following year. But such was the impact of Fischer’s accusations that this was the last time such a battle was organised. Henceforth the challenger to the highest crown was determined in a series of matches. Curaçao 1962 was the last Candidates’ Tournament until the concept was restored only in modern times.
In Curaçao 1962, Jan Timman returns to this clash of giants and takes a fresh look at the games. Timman describes the course of the tournament and annotates the most important games (including 16 of Fischer’s!) in his usual lucid and instructive style. Curaçao 1962 revives a tradition of great tournament books, such as Alekhine’s New York 1927 and Bronstein’s Zurich 1953.
Shortlisted for the British Chess Federation 2005 Book of the Year Award.
Please keep in mind that the same stories are also featured in The Essential Sosonko.
As a respected trainer who became a world-class chess grandmaster after leaving Leningrad and moving to Holland in 1972, Genna Sosonko observes the golden age Soviet chess from a privileged dual perspective. Combining an insider's nostalgia with the detachment of a critical observer, he has produced unforgettable portraits of the heroes of this bygone era: Tal, Botvinnik, Geller, Polugaevsky, and the legendary trainer Zak are some of his subjects. This New Editon has two brand new stories. Delightful —The Washington Post.
The Reliable Past is the eagerly awaited sequel to Russian Silhouettes, Genna Sosonko's marvellous collection of portraits from the golden age of Soviet chess. In this new book, the author again shows himself a perceptive chronicler of a time when chess occupied a unique position in his native country, but he also wanders across its borders with his memories of Dutch World Champion Max Euwe and a touching tribute to the first ever British grandmaster, Tony Miles.
The Sixth Edition of a Modern Masterpiece
When it appeared in 2003, the first edition of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual was immediately recognized by novice and master alike as one of the best books ever published on the endgame. The enlarged and revised sixth edition – 504 pages – is better than ever! German grandmaster Karsten Müller, widely recognized as one of the best endgame theoreticians in the world today, has carefully updated the sixth edition with the help of American grandmaster Alex Fishbein.
Here is what Magnus Carlsen, the 16th World Champion, had to say in his foreword to the sixth edition:
“This book occupies a very special place in chess literature… Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual will fill you with the joy and knowledge that will surely improve both your endgame skills and your understanding of our royal game.”
Here is what Vladimir Kramnik, the 14th World Champion, had to say in his foreword to the fifth edition:
“I consider it to be one of the very best chess books published in recent times…”
“Dvoretsky’s analysis is staggering in its depth and accuracy.” – John Watson in his review of the first edition in The Week In Chess.
“Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual comes close to an ultimate one-volume manual on the endgame.” – Lubomir Kavalek in his review of the first edition in his Washington Post column.
The Nimzo-Indian Defence continues to be one of the most important chess openings, both at club level and with top players. In recent years it has undergone a number of significant changes and it’s high time for a thorough look at the current state of affairs.
Top grandmaster Ivan Sokolov is the perfect authority to do so.
The Strategic Nimzo-Indian: A Complete Guide to the Rubinstein Variation is the first of a two-part series. In this ground-breaking and clearly structured first volume, Sokolov investigates all lines after the move 4.e3. Volume 2 will be about 4.a3, the Sämisch Variation.
Inspired by great masters like Mikhail Botvinnik, Ivan Sokolov has played the Rubinstein Variation all his life, and he has even beaten World Champion Garry Kasparov with it.
Although play can become very sharp, the Nimzo-Indian requires a profound positional understanding. Ivan Sokolov does not simply give variations, but provides clear explanations of the structures and plans in the various branches, and presents new ideas and resources for both Black and White.
Each chapter ends with a summary containing key strategic and tactical advice.
Ivan Sokolov is a top grandmaster who was born in Bosnia in 1968. He was Yugoslav champion in 1988 and Dutch champion in 1995 and 1998. He rose to the number 12 spot in the FIDE world rankings. In his rich career Sokolov has beaten world chess champions like Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik and Viswanathan Anand.
Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe:
"This book is simply far superior to anything else I have seen written on this opening – my own book included (..) The narrative, the explanatory prose, the analysis, the countless improvements, new ideas and so on, makes this book phenomenally splendid. If you want to understand how to play this opening, then this book is a perfect place to start."
GM Glenn Flear:
"The author is constantly pointing out the positional consequences of the various thematic ideas throughout the lines (..) There are times when his research will almost certainly change the future course of theory (..) Whatever your connection to the Nimzo, make sure that you get hold of a copy. An absolute must."
John Donaldson, Chess Today:
"An outstanding book (..) Sokolov backs up [his] verbal assessments with concrete variations, but the prose is much more valuable for the layman rated below 2400, who will remember the helpful advice long after the analysis has been forgotten."
Joe Petrolito, Australasian Chess Magazine:
"There is a lot of explanatory material to complement the analysis and orientate the reader (..) [Sokolov] is not afraid to challenge previous analysis, even describes some old analysis by Botvinnik as 'wishful thinking'! (..) A dense but readable book on a mainstream opening that can only enhance Sokolov's growing reputation as an author."
Nagesh Havanur, Chess.com:
"I am fascinated. To begin with, this is a repertoire book for d4 players who meet the Nimzo-Indian. But other players reaching d4 d5 positions would also find this useful. There is a serious effort to find an edge for White in every line. The author of course knows that it is not an easy task as the Nimzo-indian is a sound system. Hence, he resists the temptation of finding convenient wins for White."
Gary Lane, Chess Moves Magazine:
"Very readable, with clear, precise comments (..) Sokolov reveals his secrets in the Rubinstein Variation so everyone can be a winner."
Max Euwe Center, Amsterdam:
"A monumental work with lots of explanations, while paying attention to historical games as well as the current state of affairs."
Generally recognized as the world's greatest expert on the c3 Sicilian, Russian grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov has written the definitive book on this fascinating opening. Sveshnikov covers all lines of the c3 (or Alapin) Sicilian and explains the history, the basic ideas and the latest developments from recent grandmaster practice. With hundreds of games, accessibly explained, and many exercises. A special and attractive feature is a listing of 'opening catastrophes' in the c3 Sicilian. A magnificent, up-to-date, clear-headed and well-structured book.
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