This book presents the 100 most essential chess endgames — the basic endings every club player is likely to encounter in real games.
Learning how to handle these positions will help you win more games, and also save more games. Once you reach the stage where your results are no longer decided by simple tactical mistakes, the real challenge begins: converting your advantages with confidence.
With clear explanations and a structured, step-by-step approach, these 100 lessons form a complete endgame survival kit. You will learn:
* how to stay confident when the game transfers into an endgame
* how to exploit advantages you have gained in the middlegame
* how to avoid the frustration of failing to win clearly better positions
* how to approach simplification without uncertainty
Master these basic endings and they will serve you for the rest of your chess life. Study them carefully, and your technique — and your confidence — will improve forever.
Jesus de la Villa (1958) is an International Grandmaster born in Spain. He is a successful author and a well-known chess trainer. He has twice won the Spanish Championship. His book '100 Endgames You Must Know' is an international bestseller.
Available via subscription
British Chess Magazine (May 2026)
A Star is Born
Dominating the Candidates in Cyprus in unprecedented fashion, 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov earned the right to challenge World Champion Gukesh (19) in the youngest world title match ever. Vaishali Rameshbabu emerged as the winner in the Women’s Candidates.
Interview: Javokhir Sindarov
‘I have become a really good professional chess player.’
Interview: Roman Vidonyak
‘Compared to training in other sports, we are still in the Paleolithic Age.’
Prague Masters
Unruffled by Jorden van Foreest’s explosive tournament start, Nodirbek Abdusattorov retained his focus on his own play and pipped the Dutchman at the post.
Tournament Roundup
Boris Gelfand looks at recent games from around the world.
In memoriam Jan Timman
‘Being with Jan was always a comforting moment outside of time. Those playful smiles of his, the gestures, the sovereign calm.’
‘Far out, isn’t it?’
Erwin l’Ami remembers Jan Timman.
Jan’s Saga
Helgi Olafsson writes about Jan Timman’s warm ties with Iceland.
Three Timman Treats
Jacob Aagaard selected three fine Timman wins from different periods of his long career.
A Huge Appetite for Life
Jon Speelman misses a charming warrior.
Timman’s Combinations
Fair & Square
Peter Heine Nielsen’s brief review of Untold: Chess Mates.
Eze’s Edge
NIC’s Café
Erling Haaland thinks ‘chess is an incredible game’ and so does Olympic superstar Johannes Klaebo.
Celeb 64
Sir William Golding, English novelist.
The Scoresheet
Niemann-Aravindh, Prague 2026.
Improving the Worst Piece
Renier Castellanos is your Killer Chess Training coach.
Reimagining the Opening
Fresh opening ideas curated by Nikolaos Ntirlis.
Viva Ruy Lopez
A new model game presented by Christof Sielecki.
Killer Blow
Exercises to sharpen your tactics.
Sadler on Books
Bobby Fischer remains a model of relentless accuracy.
Just Checking
Who is Keti Tsatsalashvili’s favourite player?
The Last Column
Shortly after the medics had told him that he should start thinking in months rather than years, Jan Timman wrote a ‘spare column’.
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 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.
In Schach 5/2026 finden Sie Berichte über folgende Veranstaltungen/Themen:
* Kandidatenturnier
* Schachfestival Karlsruhe
* Europameisterschaft der Herren
* Fragebogen: Alexej Schirow
* Kombinationsschule, Problemschach, Turnierausschreibungen, Rezension
* Mitarbeiter dieser Ausgabe: Mateusz Bartel, Ding Liren, Alexandr Fier, Aleksandar Indjic, Mihail Marin, Peter Heine Nielsen, Franz Pachl, Michael Prusikin
* Insgesamt 32 Seiten zusätzlich!
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 story only a real Grandmaster could tell.
Lukas lives for chess. When he leaves Sweden for an island off the coast of Saint Petersburg, he vows to sacrifice everything for one goal: the Grandmaster title. Friendships falter, love slips away, and his hunger for victory turns inward. Every move brings him closer to either triumph or collapse.
The Grandmaster is a powerful novel of ambition, obsession, and the fragile boundary between brilliance and self-destruction. Moving far beyond the worn-out myth of the 'mad genius', Grandmaster Axel Smith reveals the human cost of the quest for perfection: the self-doubt, jealousy and fleeting joy that define a life lived across sixty-four squares.
This novel blends authenticity and drama with rare insight into the world of elite chess. Written by Grandmaster Axel Smith, it is a work of fiction rooted in truth. With the precision of a chess player and the empathy of a storyteller, Smith unveils the intense emotional landscape of competition. Gripping and thought-provoking, The Grandmaster will resonate with fans of The Queen’s Gambit and anyone who has ever chased perfection — or a dream.
Axel Smith is a chess Grandmaster and best-selling author. His books, including The Woodpecker Method and Pump Up Your Rating, have sold more than 50,000 copies worldwide. He holds the Swedish record for a blindfold simul with 15 games played simultaneously. An accomplished marathon runner (2:28), he lives in Lund, Sweden, with his wife and three children.
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”.
British Chess Magazine (April 2026)
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