What Does It Take to Play Master-Level Chess?
Becoming a master is a goal many chessplayers seek. And for most, it is an unfulfilled dream. Now, for the first time, the topic is squarely addressed. Not by a super grandmaster or high-powered international master, but by a "regular" national master, a master who earned his stripes in the trenches, battling his way to the title.
In Reaching the Top?!, author Peter Kurzdorfer shares his journey to the coveted 2200 Elo mark. Using his own games, major topics covered by the author include: Learning From Past Mistakes; Choose Openings to Suit Your Style; Handling Material Inequality; Practical Endgames; How Sound Do Your Openings Need to Be?; When Things Go Terribly Wrong; Overcoming Difficulties; and How to Win.
This guide shows what it takes to play at the master level. What you need to know. What you do not need to know. It is a practical presentation that will not only help aspiring masters, but in fact any player seeking to improve his game.
So come on in and sit by the side of a chess master as he plies his craft, marveling at the wonderful, intricate combinations and positional ideas and shuddering at the opportunities that supposedly strong chess players missed time and time again. Enjoy these every-day, blue-collar battles that do not involve the cutting edge of theory or top professional combatants, but do come out of ordinary amateur chess players who have made it work for them.
However, there is one requirement: you do have to love the game and give it your best shot, every game, every move. Mix in some discipline and concentration, and you too may be able to play master-level chess.
About the Author
After a 30-year adventure spent immersed in chess beginning in the early 1970s, Mr. Kurzdorfer is back. He is a long-time national master, chess teacher, certified coach and tournament director. He is also a former contributor and later editor of Chess Life and School Mates magazines, a former judge for the Chess Journalists of America, and author of The Everything Chess Basics Book and the Tao of Chess. Though no longer active on the tournament circuit, he is involved in chess editing once again, notably with Russell Enterprises, Inc.
A 21st-Century Edition of a Great Checkmate Collection!
Ask most chessplayers from the “baby boomer” generation how they acquired and sharpened their tactical skills, and chances are a Fred Reinfeld tactics collection will be part of their answer. And now, for the first time, 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate is available in modern algebraic notation.
This may be the all-time great checkmate collection, with forced checkmate positions culled mainly from actual play. And Reinfeld's selection is simply marvelous, touching on all the important tactical themes.
In short, this is an outstanding book to hone your tactical abilities. It will help you recognize mating patterns, develop visualization skills, enhance imagination, and improve tactical sharpness. And now, with a modern 21st-century edition of this great checkmate collection finally available, there is no excuse for not only improving your tactical skills, but also enjoying yourself along the way.
Enhance Your Tactical Weapons!
1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combination is the companion volume to Reinfeld's 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate. Of course each book can be taken on its own, but together they make a wonderful collection, and cover the full range of tactical chess. And they are now both available in 21st-century editions, using modern algebraic notation.
Reinfeld has arranged his quiz positions so that they fall into orderly chapters, each with a common theme. Still, the degree of difficulty varies widely. Easiest are one move shots, suitable for players starting out. Most difficult are the examples that run seven moves and more; some of these may even stump an ordinary master.
Most of all, this a book of combinative ideas, all designed to enhance your arsenal of weapons. The first step toward mastery is to become familiar with the different types of tactical motifs. The second step is to study a great many examples of these tactical themes. So, the object of this book is to add to your knowledge, to make you a strong chess player, and (last but not least) to delight you with some of the most beautiful moves ever played on the chessboard.
Marshall’s Brilliant Victory
In the spring of 1904, most of the chess world’s elite gathered in the sleepy northwestern Pennsylvania town of Cambridge Springs, where the first great tournament of the twentieth century was to take place. World Champion Emanuel Lasker topped the field. The champions of America (Harry Pillsbury), Russia (Mikhail Chigorin), France (David Janowski) and the Austria-Hungarian Empire (Carl Schlechter) were also playing.
Among the other players in this historic fifteen-round-robin event was a young master from Brooklyn, Frank Marshall. He had some international experience, including defeating World Champion Lasker in their individual encounter at Paris in 1900. However, he certainly was not considered among the favorites at the time. Nevertheless, Marshall finished in first place, two full points ahead of the rest of the field, the only undefeated player.
The story of this great tournament is superbly told by author Robert Sherwood. Each game is deeply annotated, while contemporary sources and rare archival photos nicely supplement the round-by-round account.
With this victory, Frank Marshall took his place among the world-class players of his era. You are invited to join Marshall on his journey in this splendid account of his magnificent triumph in the first major international tournament of the twentieth century.
The Polgar Way to Better Chess!
Learn Chess the Right Way is a five-volume chess puzzle book series aimed at the novice, beginner and intermediate level player, using the unique methods of the award-winning coach and former world champion Susan Polgar. It introduces the most important checkmate and material-winning tactics, as well as defensive techniques to the new chess player. Each of the five volumes will consist of over 500 puzzles.
Volume 4 is all about exercises where you have to make a “sacrifice” for a material gain or even checkmate.
In each of the first five chapters, a certain piece is being sacrificed to checkmate the enemy King (in chapter 1 – The Queen, in chapter 2 – The Rook, and so on). In chapters 6-10, you will get no hint about which piece should be sacrificed. However, you will know what the target is, to win a Queen, or Rook etc.
In chapter 11, there will be no hints whatsoever. The goal is simple: sacrifice one of your pieces to either checkmate or gain material. Many of the examples are built on skills (such as forks, discoveries or pins) learned in volumes 1 and 2 of this series. In most of the puzzles, you will need to think 2-3 pairs of moves ahead in order to find the correct solution.
With over 40 years of experience as a world-class player and coach, international grandmaster Susan Polgar has developed the most effective way to help young players and beginners – Learn Chess the Right Way. Let her show you the way to understanding the most common and critical patterns and let her show you the way to becoming a better player.
SUSAN POLGAR is a winner of four Women’s World Championships and the top-ranked woman chess player in the United States. She became the #1 woman player in the world at 15 and remained in the top 3 for over 20 years. In 2013, she received the U.S. Coach of the Year Award and the following year, she was named the Chess Trainer of the Year by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). She thus became the first person in history to be accorded both honors. Under her guidance, SPICE chess teams at both Texas Tech University and Webster University have won a combined six consecutive National Division I Collegiate Chess Championships.
Learn Chess the Right Way is a five-volume chess puzzle book series aimed at the novice, beginner and intermediate level player, using the unique methods of the award-winning coach and former world champion Susan Polgar. It introduces the most important checkmate and material-winning tactics, as well as defensive techniques to the new chess player. Each of the five volumes consist of over 500 puzzles.
Book 5 focuses on learning how to find the right continuation in critical positions of a chess game. In the first four books of this series, the reader was introduced to all the most important, basic elements of chess tactics to win material or to checkmate.
The first part of this book includes learning about special, more advanced themes such as “Zugzwang,” “Intermediate Moves,” and “Pawn Power.” Building on the knowledge acquired throughout this book series, in the second part of this volume, the reader can practice on familiar patterns. However, just as in the real game situation, there will be no hint which patterns to look for.
The goal is simple. Find a way to either checkmate or gain material. In most of the puzzles, you will need to think 2-4 pairs of moves ahead to find the correct solution.
SUSAN POLGAR is a winner of four Women’s World Championships and the top-ranked woman chess player in the United States. She became the #1 woman player in the world at 15 and remained in the top 3 for over 20 years. In 2013, she received the U.S. Coach of the Year Award and the following year, she was named the Chess Trainer of the Year by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). She thus became the first person in history to be accorded both honors. Under her guidance, SPICE chess teams at both Texas Tech University and Webster University have won a combined seven consecutive National Division I Collegiate Chess Championships.
In Volume 3, you will be introduced to 500 must-know defensive techniques. Each chapter will start with a few introductory examples and explanation about to what to look for in the puzzles that follow.
In chapter 1, the task is to move an attacked piece. In each puzzle, there is only one good solution by moving the attacked piece to a safe square. In chapter 2, one of the kings is in check. The goal is to find the correct response. In chapter 3, a piece is attacked, but has no good square to which to move. So, rather than moving the attacked piece(s), you will need to look for a way to protect it with another piece.
In chapter 4, we focus on defensive ideas against a direct checkmate threat. In chapter 5, one side “defends” by counter-attacking. In chapters 6 and 7, you will be introduced to the game-saving techniques of drawing by stalemate or perpetual check. In chapter 8, the task is to catch a pawn that is about to promote. In chapter 9, a certain piece is about to get “trapped.” The task is to prepare for the attack and avoid material loss. Finally, in chapter 10, you can practice solving a variety of defensive ideas, with the goal to avoid or minimize material losses or being checkmated.
100 Years Later, Nimzovich Is Still Good for Your Chess!
Almost a century ago, a chess book about positional play and strategic concepts appeared on the chess scene. Written by a Latvian grandmaster residing in Denmark, it quickly took its place as one of the classics of chess literature. Since then, Aron Nimzovich’s magnum opus My System has been embraced by every generation of chessplayers.
However, there were some inherent flaws. For starters, it was quite “dense.” The reader had to plow through many subjective digressions and other literary detours before getting to the core concepts. Now American Grandmaster Alex Fishbein has adapted this classic for the modern chessplayer.
While remaining true to the original text – and with the same goals as his outstanding work with the FastTrack Edition of Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual – Fishbein has produced an eminently readable, modernized version of My System. The result is a book that not only retains the unique imagery of the original text, but a book that is also easy to understand by both club players and masters.
As the author stated in his preface: Nimzovich’s ideas have stood the test of time and, if anything, are more relevant today. In his famous foreword to the 1974 Russian edition, Mikhail Tal wrote: “This old book, sustaining many editions in different forms and different languages, is imbued with an elixir of eternal chess youth.” My aim was to retain that elixir in this new translation.
Alex brings you the best of Nimzovich’s My System, erasing all misconceptions. As a newcomer to the game, you will feel blessed to learn pure, unmistakable strategies, while if you are an old chap like me, you will appreciate the fresh clarity, helping you re-evaluate your personal chess philosophy… Nimzovich is good for your chess, and a more coherent Nimzovich even better. – From the Foreword by GM Vassilios Kotronias
In response to 1.e4, White’s most common first move, it has long been recognized that when and if Black can play ...d5 safely, the result is approximate equality. Scandinavian devotees argue all that can happen on Move 1! But it’s hardly a “peaceful” equality.
But do we really need a book that is a blur of all sorts of black and white possibilities with countless tightly-nested game fragments? Hardly. Double Trouble is a straightforward volume of repertoire recommendations, easy to understand and easy to play.
The book is in three parts. Part One, besides introducing the book generally, covers the very first moves of the Scandinavian Defense and White’s early deviations. Anyone who plays the Scandinavian will find this section quite helpful. Then Part Two covers Qd6 + g6 systems, while Part Three covers the very different Nf6 system.
In this book, popular author and Correspondence Master Marek Soszynski gives you a defense to 1.e4 that can honestly be called “complete.” Your prep could not be better...This book cuts [the theory] down to size. Marek Soszynski gives you just what you need to know to show that the old “theoretical” equalizer, 1...d5, can indeed be played, and played with verve, on Move 1! – From the Foreword by Al Lawrence
Double Trouble Scandinavian Style: Equalize early and then play for a win!
There are already many endgame books, so why this one? Well, most books deal with elementary endgames, or are very advanced and contain few exercises. But you have only really learned something when you can execute it at the board, with the clock ticking. And solving exercises is very close to this scenario.
The authors present 450 endgame exercises designed to improve your understanding of endgame theory and sharpen your endgame expertise. Starting with the chapter “Specific Positions to Know,” they take you on a journey with just the right mix of practical advice and theoretical knowledge.
Endgame Corner is detailed, well-researched, informative and in-depth, with both authors sharing their experiences, recent games and new examples... I really like this material and hope that you will as well. If you are fascinated by endings, or feel the need to improve this part of your game, this book is a “must” addition to your library. – From the Foreword by Wesley So
German grandmaster Karsten Müller hosts the popular ChessBase series Endgame Magic, and American grandmaster Alex Fishbein writes an endgame column for the American Chess Magazine.
They are two of the world’s renown endgame experts. They were the editors of the fifth edition of the best-selling Dvoretsky Endgame Manual and they also collaborated on the Fasttrack Edition of DEM5.
Oops! He’s Back!
Australian Grandmaster Ian Rogers is back with a new book of silly resignation puzzles - the only chess puzzle book where your solution cannot be worse than the player who mistakenly abandoned the game!
Pit your wits against legends from yesteryear to today, from Anderssen to Korchnoi to Gelfand, knowing that they resigned their games unnecessarily and you, perhaps, could have found a way out.
Oops! I Resigned One More Time! is the sequel to Oops! I Resigned Again!, which has gained a cult following since its release in 2021. Marvel again at 100 extraordinary positions and the stories behind them, in themed sets of five, with sneaking a peek at the answers made easy.
Australian grandmaster Ian Rogers is a journalist, author and commentator. He was Australia’s top-ranked player from 1984 until his retirement in 2007. He played 14 Olympiads for Australia and won more than 130 classical tournaments on four continents, including twice winning the Commonwealth Championship title. He resigned unnecessarily only once! This is his second book for Russell Enterprises.
Although the London System was first played almost 200 years ago, it lay dormant until the beginning of the 21st century. Then chessplayers rediscovered it, realizing that the London could be played against most responses by Black, obtaining a good game with little preparation.
Nowadays the London has evolved into an opening taken up by both club players and world champions. Magnus Carlsen has played it regularly and the new word champion Ding Liren used it to convincingly defeat Ian Nepomniachtchi in game six of their 2023 title match.
Literature on the London has focused primarily on play from White’s side. However, this new book by grandmasters Vassilios Kotronias and Mikhail Ivanov changes all that. Thea authors present four (!) separate ways to combat the London: (1) King’s Indian Setups; (2) the London Benoni; (3) the London Nimzo- and Queen’s Indian; and (4) the London Orthodox System.
The London Files presents Black many good and flexible options for neutralizing White, while also giving us Londoners many new problems to contend with ... Without a doubt, this book will give Black players highly effective means to deal with the London System for a long time to come and may even have players completely rethinking their approach with the white pieces. – From the Foreword by Ian Harris
Defang the London System and fear it no more!
About the Authors:
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 venerable chess coach and trainer. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.