Nowadays, chessplayers spend almost all their free time preparing openings, and rarely spend the time necessary to perfect the vitally important technique of calculating. Regular training in solving and playing out endgame studies is a good recipe for eliminating that shortcoming. This training is directed at developing resourcefulness, fantasy (in chess, these qualities are called "combinative acuity"), and the readiness to sacrifice material, in pursuit of the goal - winning! How do we develop good habits of winning endgame play? There are lots of manuals, but this may be the first in which a famous practical player, a trainer with a world-renowned name, and a study composer who has earned the title of International Grandmaster of Composition, share their views in one and the same book.
Matthew Sadler is one of the UK's strongest ever players. He became a grandmaster at 19, won the British Championship twice and, amongst other amazing achievements, made a gold medal winning score of 10.5/13 on board four for England in the 1996 chess Olympiad. In 2000 Matthew quit full-time chess. However, he re-emerged ten years later in 2010 to play a rapidplay tournament in Wageningen, Holland which he promptly won with 7/7. In 2011 he played in strong international events at Barcelona and Oslo and won them with the Fischer-like scores of 8.5/10 and 8/9 respectively. After a decade away from the game, these results are simply astounding. Matthew's extraordinary ability at chess stems not simply from natural talent but is based on a brilliant aptitude for preparing to play. He understands exactly what needs to be studied and how to go about it. In this book he recounts how he organised the preparation for his 'comeback' and from his results the success of this method is self-evident. In this book Matthew shares his secrets and reveals how to: – Incorporate unorthodox openings into your repertoire; – Study middlegame situations; – Understand what is important in the endgame.
The Russian grandmaster presents practical and effective recipes against a broad range of annoying variations: 2.a3?, 2.Na3?!, 2.b4?!, 2.b3, 2.Nc3, 2.d3 and many others. Black players will learn how to fight back and throw a spanner in the works when White tries to spoil their game.
Not yet available
It is hard to understate the importance of tactic ability to overall chess proficiency. Of course other elements such as a knowledge of opening play and an understanding of strategy are also important. However, it is undoubtedly the case that 99% of games are won or lost because one player either spots or overlooks a tactic. Consider your own games and just imagine how much stronger you would be if you never overlooked a tactical idea. The good news is that your tactical ability is not some genetically-acquired unalterable trait. Tactical ability can always be improved through the application of diligent practice. Tactical themes are repetitive. The same arrangements of pieces occur again and again and a continual study of the subtle interactions between the forces will inevitably lead to a greater sharpness in actual play. In Tactical Training, experienced chess coach and prolific author Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through numerous tactical themes. Topics include: – Checkmating patterns, – The 32 major combinational concepts, – Numerous positions ranked in terms of level of difficulty. The final chapter focuses on a 2020 online match between Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, currently the top two ranked players in blitz, the form of chess where tactics predominate.
The follow up of the successfull tactics books of Csaba Balogh. The book consists 551 practical puzzles from the January of 2013 to the July of 2015.
Mikhail Tal’s splendid account of his world championship match victory
This book covers the final two decades of Tal’s life and games, from 1972 until his death in 1992.
John Watson and Eric Schiller provide club-players with solutions to a huge selection of rarely-played or tricky chess openings. They concentrate upon ideas and strategy, with enough analysis to satisfy the needs of practical play.
In Technical Decision Making in Chess former World Championship Challenger Boris Gelfand discusses his path to decision making in endgames and positions where one side possesses a structural or material advantage. This investigation into a top Grandmaster’s technical understanding will illuminate difficult parts of the game that many players find elusive. Concepts like the “Zone of one mistake” are certain to be a revelation to many.
Opening preparation is essential, but for aspiring players understanding the middlegame is even more important.
Grandmaster and renowned chess coach Zenón Franco provides a training course designed to help all aspiring players to improve their chess. During each lesson, you are invited to play a 'game' in which you try to find the best moves at all the important moments. Points are awarded for selecting the best moves - and are deducted for selecting blunders! At the end of each lesson there is a points scale to indicate how well you have 'played'. This means you are able to accurately measure your progress as you work through the book. Readers are tested in all aspects of chess: attack, defence, counterattack, tactics, structures, strategy, endgames and so on. Following this interactive course of lessons is an ideal way to improve your game.