Understanding what your opponent is planning to do or trying to accomplish is one of the core skills required to take your game to the next level.

In the first full book to examine 2.b3 against the Sicilian, French and Caro-Kann, mainlines, interesting sidelines and current theory are reviewed. In addition, what actually happens in modern practice is surveyed. The authors are optimistic for White, and concentrate on the best continuations while trying to be objective. It is in that spirit that they conclude that 2.b3 is sound against the Sicilian, fun against the French, and curious against the Caro-Kann. In all three cases, the objective is to sabotage Black’s play, to take him out of his comfort zone.

One of the most popular – and intriguing – variations of the Sicilian Defense is the so-called Chelyabinsk Variation. In the West, it is known as the Sveshnikov Variation, while older opening monographs may refer to it as the Lasker-Pelikan Variation. It is called the Chelyabinsk Variation in Russia. It is the variation that arises after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5. Once dismissed by theoreticians as “anti-positional,” it is now common at all levels. In this monumental work, grandmaster Gennadi Timoshchenko, one of the creative founders of the entire line, puts the entire variation into both a personal and historical perspective and then examines the theory and practice of this line in great detail. Extraordinary analytical depth, cross-checked by strong engines, is complemented by historical and biographical perspectives to make this a truly unique opening manual. Regardless of what name you give it, Sicilian Defense: The Chelyabinsk Variation will provide you with a powerful weapon against 1.e4.

Mikhail Tal’s splendid account of his world championship match victory

A 21st century edition of a classic by Austrian Grandmaster Rudolf Spielmann. The Art of Sacrifice in Chess is a masterpiece that examines the nature of chess sacrifices.

The Sicilian jungle is vast. Unless you have a massive amount of time on your hands, it is an exhausting task to keep a sharp opening repertoire together against Black’s numerous possibilities. It does not mean that it is impossible, nor does it mean that you shouldn’t do it. But for the average player with an average amount of time available for chess studies, it is important to pick the right battles. This is where our weapon, the Chameleon Sicilian, comes in handy. It proposes a very flexible way for White to handle the Sicilian Defense using the move order 1.e4, 2.Nc3 and 3.Nge2.

The Complete Chess Course is filled with advice on how to play better chess, regardless of how strong or weak a player you may be. It begins with the most fundamental ideas, reviewing the basic moves of the pieces and pawns, and continues with fantastic examples from the very best players.

A Complete Black Repertoire against 1.e4 Built around the Super-solid Rubinstein!

Tigran Petrosian, the ninth world chess champion, was one of the deepest thinkers the chess world has ever seen. His handling of complex strategic positions was legendary. Now, for the first time, Russian international master Igor Yanvarjov has put together a superb collection of virtually all the known games played by Petrosian – with both colors – in the King’s Indian Defense and other closely related Indian structures. The author’s objective was, first of all, to reveal the richness of Petrosian’s chess world and to follow the strategic development of the King’s Indian Defense through the prism of Petrosian’s creative work. He does this with the presentation of almost 300 deeply annotated, complete games. This splendid collection of annotated games will not only have enormous appeal to King’s Indian aficionados, but to all chessplayers who wish to expand their understanding of the strategic concepts underpinning the royal game as a whole.

Akiva Rubinstein occupies a unique position in chess history. One of the greatest artists ever to sit down at a chessboard, Rubinstein was also the strongest player never to get a shot at the title of World Champion. This book focuses on the years 1882-1920, covering Rubinstein’s rise from a modest upbringing to his emergence as Emanuel Lasker’s chief challenger in the last years leading up to World War I. It also examines the effects this conflict had on his sensitive psyche and the way it influenced his play in the post-War years. The most definitive work ever done on the first part of Rubinstein’s career, this revised and expanded edition of The Life & Games of Akiva Rubinstein, Volume 1: Uncrowned King offers almost 500 games, many of them deeply annotated with notes translated from top players of the pre-World War I era, including Lasker, Tarrasch, Schlechter and Rubinstein. The authors have also made many new annotations to the games and uncovered quite a bit of interesting material, including recent discoveries on Rubinstein’s stay in Sweden after World War I. The second edition of The Life & Games of Akiva Rubinstein, Volume 1: Uncrowned King is 20 percent larger than its predecessor and with its wealth of crosstables, archival photos, multiple indexes and through bibliography it offers a treasure trove for the Rubinstein fan.

Akiva Rubinstein occupies a unique position in chess history. On of the greatest artists ever to sit down at a chessboard, Rubinstein was also the strongest player never to get an opportunity to play for the title of World Champion. This greatly enlarged second edition chronicles the second half (1921-1961) of the Polish grandmaster’s life. Dozens of archival photographs, photographs and approximately 40% more material finish off this splendid work, completing the journey begun in volume 1.

Although basic tactics are explained in a number good books, complicated tactics – the kind that separate tournament winners from the pack – require intuition, imagination and precision. The Magic of Chess Tactics helps you develop these qualities.