Looking for Trouble … helps you to recognize threats by providing over 300 problems in which you focus on identifying and meeting threats in the opening, middlegame and endgame. The author’s clear explanations are presented in a manner that should greatly benefit players of all levels

In this book, premier chess instructor and trainer Mark Dvoretsky examines one of the most important aspects of positional skill, namely the art of playing with pieces, of maneuvering and finding the best squares for your pieces.

The lines covered in this book, the Ruy Lopez Main Lines, arise (with a few exceptions for move order and such) after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0. Some of the lines are incredibly theoretical, but rather than burden you with a ton of theory in lines you will have limited chance of using in your own games, the emphasis is on the lines that are more likely to occur in your games. Those lines will be in chapters 3 and 4, the two longest chapters of the book. This book is by no means an all-encompassing theory work, which means that there is a lot of theory that is not discussed in the notes. This is of course intentional. The book is written to entertain and inspire. If you find some lines that you like, you are encouraged to dive deeper into those lines before using them in your own games.

The subject of this book is the Fianchetto Variation of the Queen’s Indian Defense, which arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3. The Queen’s Indian as a whole has been played consistently since its invention by Aron Nimzowitsch in the early years of the 20th century and it remains a very popular opening at all levels. While its foundation is solid, things can quickly become very sharp and heavy on theory, particularly when Black plays 4…Ba6.

The idea of the Miniatures series is to present a mix of interesting miniatures, combinations, instructive mistakes along with some accompanying opening theory putting everything into context This volume is dedicated to Sicilian Najdorf.

Opening Originals focuses on both sound and dangerous opening ideas that have escaped wide notice.

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.

Four hundred years ago, an Italian chess master, Gioachino Greco, discovered an extraordinary bishop sacrifice on h7 that often leads to checkmate or a significant material advantage. More amazing still, he recorded the idea! This book chronicles the history of that idea, what many have come to call the Classic Bishop sacrifice, from its discovery and formative years through its remarkably complex uses in modern chess. During the past century, several annotators have attempted to explain the circumstances under which the sacrifice works, and when it doesnt. Edwards reviews their efforts and, in a spectacular ninth chapter, provides a modern classification. His taxonomy of the sacrifice is comprehensive and full of pleasant surprises for beginners and even accomplished masters. This book represents a thematic approach to chess tactics and strategy. Careful readers will suddenly discover that they are able, quickly and accurately, to see 5-10 moves or more ahead in these lines. Here you will find hundreds of carefully annotated games. Learn from brilliant moves and strategies; and take full advantage of others instructive mistakes.

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.

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.

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