· 64 deeply annotated instructive games

· 5 areas of positional sacrifice

· Carefully selected exercises with solutions

"Half a century ago I left a country whose red color dominated a large portion of the world map. One way or another, the fate of almost every single person described in this book is forever linked with that now non-existent empire.

Many of them ended up beyond its borders too. Cultures and traditions, and certainly not least of all a Soviet mentality, couldn’t have just left them without a trace.

Having been transplanted into a different environment, they had to play the role of themselves, apart from certain corrections with regard to the tastes and customs of a ew society.

Nevertheless, every one of them, both those who left the Soviet Union and those who stayed behind, were forever linked by one common united phenomenon: they all belonged to the Soviet school of chess."

The legendary Bobby Fischer would likely vote for the bishop. Other authorities like Nimzowitsch would prefer the knight. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Of course, it is clear a bishop usually dominates in open positions while the knight should be preferred in blocked positions. But what does that “usually” mean? Are there exceptions? Sure, a bishop can dominate even in a blocked position if the controlled diagonal is important. Further, the knight can dominate in open positions if there is a good outpost or influential place for it.

This book considers a gambit treatment of the Slav and the Semi-Slav.

White offers the c4-pawn in order to get a space advantage and a long-term initiative. It also covers the Closed Catalan and the modern line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.g3 0-0 6.Bg2 dxc4 7.Ne5. The author’s idea is to throw 1...d5 players off their comfort zone by dragging them into sharp unbalanced positions. If you are fed up with all the mainstream Slav/Meran theory out-there, this book will offer you new refreshing approaches for both sides.

Grandmaster Kiril Georgiev has been one of the strongest Bulgarian players for many years. He was a Junior World Champion and a bronze medalist in Europe. He has played in 15 Olympiads and also coached Bulgarian national team. His peak rating was in the world's top ten. Kiril wrote the books The Sharpest Sicilian, Squeezing the Gambits, Fighting the London System and The Modern English.

In the first book ever exclusively devoted to the Exchange French Variation, American grandmaster Alex Fishbein recognizes that the Exchange French is an opening for a player who likes active piece play, fights for the initiative, excels in positions with possibilities on both sides of the board, and finds strategic and tactical nuances that arise out of almost nothing. And if you play the French as Black, then this book will help you deal with White’s 3.exd5.

Authors of French Defense books from the black perspective have recognized for a while that there is no draw here at all and have proposed lines where Black can create interesting play. Indeed, both sides can create complications. The author shows that playing “boring” moves is actually risky with both White and Black. The Exchange French is a vibrant opening, just like any other, and yet there has been very little literature showing how to play it from the white side. That void is filled with this book.

While the main point of this book is to build a White repertoire, any player of the Black side of the French will benefit by reading it. A good number of the sample games end well for Black, whereas in the games in which White gains the upper hand, Fishbein is careful to note improvements for the second player. I have been playing and writing about the French Defense, including this variation, for many years, but I came across a lot that I hadn’t known in nearly every sub-variation.

I suspect that most readers of this book will be pleasantly surprised to find out how rich the play can become in the French Exchange Variation. That alone is enough to reward a careful reading, and Fishbein’s careful exposition of lines and strategies will undoubtedly translate into extra points over the board. – from the Foreword by John Watson

Z okazji stulecia urodzin Wasilija Wasiljewicza Smysłowa Rosyjska Federacja Szachowa wydała album fotograficzny przedstawiający życie siódmego mistrza świata. To nie tylko fotobiografia wielkiego szachisty, ale także panorama szachowego życia naszego kraju przez siedemdziesiąt lat, od lat trzydziestych do początku XXI wieku.

Album wydany na papierze kredowym. Zdjęcia w albumie są wydrukowane na kolorowo.

Viktor Moskalenko’s bestselling books The Flexible French (2008) and The Even More Flexible French (2015) were hailed by reviewers from all over the world as eye-opening, full of new ideas, easy to read, sparkling, and inspirational.

Time has not stood still, and the popular French Defence has seen a lot of new developments, not in the last place thanks to Moskalenko’s books. The Ukrainian grandmaster himself has kept playing and researching his beloved chess opening and decided to write a new book with countless improvements, alternatives, new ideas and fresh weapons that will delight and surprise the reader.

As always, Moskalenko’s analysis is high-level, yet his touch is light and fresh. In his own inimitable style, he whets the reader’s appetite and shares his love for the French with gusto. The wealth of original and dynamic options in every main line proves that the French continues to be a highly intriguing defence that is very much alive.

The Fully-Fledged French is a typical Moskalenko book: practical, accessible, original, entertaining and inspiring.

Viktor Moskalenko (1960) is an International Grandmaster and a FIDE Senior Trainer. Other books by the former Ukrainian champion include Training with Moska, The Fabulous Budapest Gambit, and An Attacking Repertoire for White.

The Caro-Kann is a rare beast among chess openings. While respected as a sound and safe way to start the game, it also avoids symmetry or simplification. This allows Black many ways to keep the game unbalanced and play for a win.

Автор, международный мастер, тренер ФИДЕ, задумал эту книгу как вводный курс по стратегии, в понятной форме объясняя ее базовые принципы.

В первом томе рассматриваются позиционные маневры и приемы, типичные для каждой отдельной фигуры, во втором - для сочетания фигур в их взаимодействии или противостоянии.

В книге содержится множество примеров, в которых надо найти нужные ходы в партии или решение для заданной позиции.

Данная работа послужит отличным пособием как для самостоятельного обучения игроков, так и для шахматных тренеров.

Перед вами знаменитый труд, написанный международным гроссмейстером и опытнейшим шахматным литератором А.С.Волчком.

Во втором томе автор дополняет содержание начального курса более трудными примерами из практики.

Для их решения потребуется умение сочетать несколько разных тактических приемов.

Вы научитесь разнообразным комбинационным элементам, форсировать игру, проводить эффектные тактические удары и комбинации.

Материал расположен в форме уроков, заканчивающихся примерами для самостоятельного решения.

Изучив эту книгу, вы бесспорно значительно усилите свою игру!

3-е издание, дополненное и переработанное.

Книга Джонатана Хокинса отвечает на вопрос о том, как обычный игрок клубного уровня сумел в короткий срок выйти на штурм гроссмейстерских высот.

Секрет успеха – в знании того, что нужно изучать, и как это делать максимально эффективно. Сделав упор на изучение эндшпиля, Джонатан разработал метод «строительных блоков» и выделил строго необходимые темы для глубокого анализа. Результатом упорной работы стал его стремительный взлет по рейтинговой лестнице.

На страницах книги впервые открываются секреты записных книжек автора. Его личные наработки и методы, доказавшие свою эффективность, помогут читателю серьезно повысить свою практическую силу игры за счет глубокого освоения ключевых аспектов шахмат. Многие задания учат тем идеям, которые не найти ни в одном учебнике.

“To utilize the Giuoco Pianissimo successfully, a club player needs only to master the general ideas of this setup, without overloading their brain with hundreds of variations. At the same time, they find themselves in the pleasant company of the world’s elite, and may even pick up recommendations to improve their opening from top grandmasters. Of course, such interactions will bring an amateur some concrete benefits in the opening, but more importantly it will increase their understanding of the game as a whole, because they will start to learn from the games of high-level players, with a vested interest!” ~ Alexander Kalinin & Nikolai Kalinichenko

New In Chess Yearbook, which appears four times a year, contains the latest news in chess openings. Each issue brings you dozens of new ideas on the cutting edge of modern chess opening theory. Have a look at what this issue has to offer.

Forum

The experiments have continued in the many online events held during the OTB lockdown. That makes excellent Forum material! Han Schut writes about Magnus Carlsen’s 7.g4 in the QGD (it gets played earlier and earlier) and René Olthof was pleasantly surprised by a Vasily Ivanchuk win with the King’s Gambit – an opening on which we also have a Survey, for the first time in ages, by Bogdan Lalic. And be sure not to miss Krishnan Sasikiran’s amazing analysis of a recent correspondence game featuring the Anti-Sveshnikov Sicilian.

From Our Own Correspondent

This time Erwin l’Ami presents a mixture of standard and non-standard openings. You’ll be surprised to know that From’s Gambit seems to hold up even in correspondence games! That is an encouraging thought for all those gambiteers out there. The Catalan and the QGD are also extensively scrutinized, the latter with a correspondence game by the Dutch GM himself, and he concludes with a study of two nice offbeat openings.

Reviews

The same juxtaposition as in the Correspondence column can also be found in Glenn Flear’s reviews this time. A Complete Opening Repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e5! by new author Yuriy Krykun (who will be awarded the IM title soon and has also written Surveys for us) features some fresh out-of-the-box ideas, and this is even more so in the case of Unconventional Approaches to Modern Chess Volumes 1 and 2 by Alexander Ipatov, whose middle name seems to be ‘Unorthodox’. More classical approaches can be found in Martyn Kravtsiv’s thorough work The Italian Renaissance (also 2 volumes!) and Squeezing 1.e4 e5: a solid strategic approach by Alexander Khalifman and Sergei Soloviov.

This book is written with the intention to introduce the reader to the creative chess ideas of Michael Basman. He gave up more intense regular tournament chess around the turn of the millennium, to concentrate his energy on the development of school chess. And that is what he is mainly known for in recent times, as the motor who made the UK Chess Challenge blossom. Nowadays the yearly nation-wide school competition still attracts around 40,000 children, and that is not even the record. […]

In my first volume of the Anti-Sicilians, we will be examining the Rossolimo variation. The Sveshnikov and Classical Sicilians, where Black begins with 2 ... Nc6, have consistently been a popular way for Black to acquire counter-attacking chances straight from the opening. These openings are the favorites of many top level Grandmasters; none more so than Magnus Carlsen, who most famously fashioned the Sveshnikov Sicilian against Fabiano Caruana in the 2018 World Championship match. The Rossolimo variation with 3.Bb5 is the clearest indication that we are attempting to frustrate Black’s counterplay. By delaying opening the center, we can simply wait for Black to show us how he intends to continue before we make any big commitments. Most importantly, we have the positional threat of Bxc6, which Black has to be wary of if he himself tries to open the center too quickly. In nearly all variations our principal aim is to achieve rapid development, ensuring optimal conditions for a timely central break. In the main three systems (3 ... d6, 3 ... e6 and 3 ... g6), my multiple suggestions are based on the dual concepts of playing as actively as possible, whilst simultaneously frustrating Black’s ideals.

The first volume dealt with the Najdorf and Scheveningen variations, and it is now time to pay attention to three other extremely popular systems: the Taimanov, Kan and Richter-Rauzer variations. After careful consideration within the Thinkers Publishing team, we decided that it made sense to group these variations together. In particular, the first two are closely related and share the feature that, in both cases, Black plays …e7-e6 and …a7-a6 at an early stage. They typically have the idea of retaining more options for their king’s bishop by postponing …d7-d6 (or even omitting it entirely.) The bishop may go to b4 or c5 in different lines.

006 Key to Symbols

009 Foreword by Le Quang Liem

010 Introduction

PART I - Alternatives to the modern major lines

015 Chapter 1 - Questionable setups for Black

019 Chapter 2 - Bird’s Defense

031 Chapter 3 - Schliemann Defense

053 Chapter 4 - Cozio Defense

073 Chapter 5 - Smyslov Defense

091 Chapter 6 - Classical Defense

111 Chapter 7 - Steinitz Defense

145 Chapter 8 - Norwegian Variation

151 Chapter 9 - Averbakh Variation

PART II - Berlin Defense

173 Chapter 10 - 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 4

179 Chapter 11 - 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 5 and 6

201 Chapter 12 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nf5

239 Chapter 13 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nxe5

303 Chapter 14 - 4.d3: Sidelines on move 4

315 Chapter 15 - 4.d3: Black plays 4...d6

337 Chapter 16 - 4.d3: Black plays 4...Bc5

PART III - Ruy Lopez Open Defense

391 Chapter 17 - Sidelines on move 6 and 7

405 Chapter 18 - White plays 8.Nxe5

425 Chapter 19 - White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Bc5 and 9...Nc5)

469 Chapter 20 - White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Be7)

Книга рассказывает о шахматных соревнованиях в 1945 году. Об участии советских (российских) шахматистов в соревнованиях за рубежом... В 1945 году - это был в основном Алехин. Рассказывается о главных соревнованиях: чемпионаты СССР, республик, городов, областей, спортивных обществ... Освещены только очные соревнования... Основное внимание в книге посвящено РСФСР. Освещены события и отдельно по областям, краям, республикам. Издание энциклопедического формата тиражом 45 экземпляров!

Pentala Harikrishna shows you the ins and outs of the French Defense.

Make the next step in your chess development.

The French Defence is coming back to fashion again!

This book examines what might be described as the “pure” Réti Opening. White starts with 1 Nf3 and intends to meet 1...d5 with the “Réti” response 2 c4. 

Новая работа заслуженного тренера Белоруссии, автора классических трудов «Стратегия эндшпиля» и «Контуры эндшпиля», – о понимании современной игры в сложном игровом эндшпиле.

Из предисловия 14-го чемпиона мира Владимира Крамника: «В юности, когда я только начинал изучать шахматы, одной из, можно сказать, «библий» по игровым окончаниям была книга этого же автора «Стратегия эндшпиля». Она считалась «канонической», все тренеры в Советском Союзе рекомендовали своим ученикам: «Читай Шерешевского!» Я сам внимательно проштудировал эту книжку, и мне она очень понравилась. Слышал, что она понравилась и Магнусу Карлсену – понятное дело, много лет спустя. Книга «С молодежью – в эндшпиль» продолжает ту же линию, но назвать ее «вторым изданием», конечно, будет несправедливо – в ней очень много нового. Причем не просто дополнительных свежих примеров (по объему этот двухтомник, наверное, раза в 3-4 больше советской книжки в мягком переплете), но и оригинальных концепций, новых подходов к изучению эндшпиля».

Книга адресована, в первую очередь, юным шахматистам, их тренерам и родителям, но будет полезна всем любителям шахмат независимо от возраста и квалификации.

Первый капитальный труд, посвящённый замечательному шахматисту, дважды игравшему матч за звание чемпиона мира, Ефиму Дмитриевичу Боголюбову. В шахматной литературе творчество Боголюбова представлено недостаточно широко. А между тем шахматное наследие одного из величайших шахматистов первой половины XX века - это кладезь шахматных идей и приёмов.

Первая часть книги представляет собой биографический очерк, дополненный редкими, ранее неизвестными документами и фотографиями. Во второй части, где рассматривается шахматное творчество Боголюбова, даётся его творческий портрет. Тематическое разбиение партий Боголюбова выпукло иллюстрирует широту диапазона его мастерства. Творчество Боголюбова настолько многогранно, что из его партий можно подобрать пример на любую тему общей шахматной теории.

Подробные комментарии, распределение материала по темам делают книгу хорошим учебником шахматной игры.

Do you like active piece play? Fighting for the initiative from move one? The Tarrasch Defense just may be what you are looking for.

Its advantages include:

It can be played against pretty much anything: 1.Nf3, 1.c4, 1.g3, 1.d4. Play 1...e6, 2...d5 and 3...c5 and you are there!

It leads most of the time to a typical IQP pawn structure, and it is difficult for the opponent to shape the game into another course.

Black’s pieces naturally enjoy open lines and active posts so it’s easy to play the opening moves quickly and successfully!

Following on from his first successful book The Correct Exchange in the Endgame, Eduardas Rozentalis turns his attention towards the best tool for chess improvement: test your current knowledge!

Our author has provided the most important key elements to practice one of the most difficult decisions: exchange or not!

With most competitive games nowadays being played to a finish in a single session, this knowledge may prove invaluable over the board. His brand new coverage is the best tool for anyone looking to improve his insights or can be used as perfect teaching material.

Keep cool and find creative solutions when under pressure and attack.

Only the very best dared to play for a win against Tigran Petrosian. The 9th World Champion was extremely difficult to beat because his defensive techniques were virtually unmatched. In the rare case that someone managed to bring him into difficulties they ran a serious risk of having to face a vicious counterattack.

Piąta część z serii Repertuar Arcymistrza 1.e4

Everyone knows they should work on their endgame play. So many hard-earned advantages are squandered in ‘simple’ endings... But it’s tough finding a way to study endings that doesn’t send you to sleep and that helps you actually remember and apply what you have learnt.

There is no doubt that the Nimzovich Defense is one of Black’s most inspiring openings after 1.e4. Black strives to unbalance the position by creating new problems for White from move two, giving himself every opportunity to fight for the initiative from the outset. It is no surprise that 1 ... Nc6 appeals ambitious players who relish a complicated battle. In this book, GM Christian Bauer explains how to use this powerful weapon drawing from his own successful experiences. He is not shy to show you the fundamental ideas, the traps, the pitfalls and naturally the move order subtleties which play such an important role in our modern game of chess. We are convinced this book will give you plenty of confidence and make your opponent think more than twice.

Вниманию читателей предлагается вторая и заключительная книга из серии «Недооценка контригры соперника». На этот раз она посвящена миттельшпилю. Авторы подобрали 111 учебных примеров из партий современных гроссмейстеров, сыгранных исключительно в 2019 году.

По статистке большинство партий заканчивается уже в миттельшпиле. Поэтому крайне важно уметь хорошо разыгрывать именно эту стадию шахматной партии. Авторы постарались таким образом систематизировать материал, разбив его на соответствующие главы, чтобы работа над книгой дала максимально продуктивный результат, появлялись новые знания и вырабатывались профессиональные навыки правильного разыгрывания миттельшпиля.

Книга предназначена для тренеров, шахматистов-разрядников и широкого круга любителей шахмат.

In Decision Making in Major Piece Endings former World Championship Challenger Boris Gelfand discusses his path to decision making in endgames involving rooks or queens, as well as the often neglected “4th Phase.”

Countless games are decided by good or bad technique in such endgames, so readers are certain to benefit from the insights of a world-class Grandmaster on this vital topic.

Grandmaster Boris Gelfand has been an elite player for over 30 years, winning the World Cup, Olympiad Gold, the Candidates and many other top tournaments.

Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard is the only chess writer to win all the major awards for chess writing.

Из предисловия 14-го чемпиона мира Владимира Крамника: «В юности, когда я только начинал изучать шахматы, одной из, можно сказать, «библий» по игровым окончаниям была книга этого же автора «Стратегия эндшпиля». Она считалась «канонической», все тренеры в Советском Союзе рекомендовали своим ученикам: «Читай Шерешевского!» Я сам внимательно проштудировал эту книжку, и мне она очень понравилась. Слышал, что она понравилась и Магнусу Карлсену – понятное дело, много лет спустя.  

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.

Grandmaster Boris Gelfand has been an elite player for over 30 years, winning the World Cup, Olympiad Gold, the Candidates and many other top tournaments.

A book by stalwart chess writer on an aspect of chess that is quite common, but little is written about, swindling in chess. In chess, a swindle is a ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, and thereby achieves a win or draw instead of the expected loss. Renown chess writers Horowitz and Reinfeld observe that swindles, "though ignored in virtually all chess books", "play an enormously important role in over-the-board chess, and decide the fate of countless games".

Andrew Soltis, American chess journalist, says swindles are not accidental or a matter of luck. Swindling is a skill. But there has been almost nothing written about how to do it, how to make yourself lucky in chess. Swindling means setting traps that exploit an opponent’s over-confidence. It means choosing the move that has the greatest chance of winning, rather than the move that has the least chance of losing.

Soltis’ new proposal will explain to players of all levels how to do just that with plenty of examples to explain along the way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

International Grandmaster Andrew Soltis is chess correspondent for the New York Post and a very popular chess writer. He is the author of many books including What it Takes to Become a Chess Master, Studying Chess Made Easy and David Vs Goliath Chess.

Данная книга содержит большой пласт теоретической и практической информации, связанной с заключительной стадией шахматной партии – эндшпилем. Автор исследовал и представляет на суд читателя более 100 эпизодов шахматной борьбы из партий, сыгранных 137 гроссмейстерами из более чем 40 стран мира исключительно в 2019 году. Целью данной книги является развитие навыков правильной оценки позиций, встречающихся в шахматных партиях, нахождение путей опровержения, сделанного гроссмейстером или мастером ошибочного хода, и, соответственно, определение сильнейшего хода в предлагаемых примерах.

Книга предназначена для работы шахматных тренеров и самостоятельного изучения квалифицированными шахматистами.