Whip the Winawer with The Ram! The French Defense is one of the most popular responses by Black to 1.e4. And the Winawer is the most popular variation of the French. In this book, the authors advocate an early advance of the h-pawn – The Ram – and plans related to it. This move was first used in the game Pilnik-Ståhlberg, Mar del Plata 1946. Argentine grandmaster Hermann Pilnik would go on to win many games with the Ram. The major tabiya of this line arises after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 ...

Chess Openings Can Be Simple! Because of the sheer volume of variations, possible transpositions and ever-changing theory, chess openings can be overwhelming � even intimidating. This book is an introduction to understanding and playing chess openings. The author, Danish Master Carsten Hansen, stresses opening play based on comprehending opening principles as well as useful, fundamental knowledge. With an overview of all the most important opening variations, examples of good and bad ope...

Analytics The Method of Logical Analysis You are invited to take an instructive journey with one of the most successful chess coaches of our era, Greek grandmaster Efstratios Grivas. Over 40 critical aspects of the royal game are examined by this experienced, well-respected trainer. Grivas presents almost 240 games, most with complete scores to assist comprehension, illustrating his themes with practical, insightful examples and explanations. And the convenient structure of the book is suc...

Most chess opening books are either too detailed or too shallow. Chess Opening Essentials has exactly the right balance and is an accessible primer and a reference book at the same time. It gives a flavor of how every opening works and points at the various middlegame plans that apply after the opening has ended.Chess Opening essentials helps beginners to develop a solid understanding of fundamental opening ideas, gives casual players the ability to choose the opening that suits th...

The 20th Anniversary Edition!In 1998, the authors set out to demonstrate the viability of the Accelerated Dragon as a weapon for Black, not fearing the Maroczy Bind or any other set-up White can come up with.In the intervening year, the opening has been part of the opening repertoires of world top players such as Carlsen, Ivanchuk, and numerous other top grandmasters.Even though the original material is now older, it is still very instructive and will enhance anyone's ...

Forging New Paths in an Ancient Opening The Queen’s Gambit Accepted is one of the oldest known openings in chess. It was first mentioned in chess literature in the late 15th century. Over 500 years later, American Grandmaster Max Dlugy demonstrates in this groundbreaking work that the QGA is still a fighting, uncompromising opening that allows Black to play for a win from the very first move. But his comprehensive coverage is something players who face the QGA with White will also want to ...

This complete repertoire shows White how to reject the classical principles of opening play. Instead of placing pawns in the center, White allows Black to build the ideal pawn center. As Black tries to hold the center, White prepares to smash the center apart with Blacks slightest mistake. Plentiful diagrams and explanations

The ideas & plans behind ALL chess openings!Volume 2 of an accessible primer and reference book about chess openings. Provides a solid foundation to build your opening repertoire on. Explains what you should be trying to achieve, with clear indications for further study.* Comprehensive: covers all main variations likely to arise* Easy-to-use: important moves and key positions are highlighted in colour* Long-lasting: it doesn’t outdate because it is about basic...

Get ready to rattle your opponents from the get-go! Opening Hacker Files is a new series created for players who are interested in playing interesting chess, fun openings and have good results without having to learn endless amounts of opening theoryCarlsen Variation? In 2018, World Champion Magnus Carlsen unveiled a new Anti-Sicilian to beat Polish top grandmaster Radoslaw Wojtasczek: 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qd2 followed by b2-b3 and Bb2.Since then the open...

The King's Gambit is the most daring and dangerous opening. White throws caution to the wind, and Black must know what he is doing to avoid early defeat. The King's Gambit was all the rage in the 19th century, but has an enduring popularity throughout the chess world. Remarkably, it is once more the focus of the top grandmaster attention, for example when Nigel Short played it three times in a row against the world's best at the Madrid 1997 tournament.

Tried and True for More than Two Centuries The Scotch Game is a solid opening that has been tried and tested in practice by some of the strongest chessplayers in the world for more than two centuries. The idea behind the Scotch Game is simple and easily understandable. White eliminates – in a purely mechanical fashion – Black’s e5-pawn which initially impedes his ambition to dominate in the center. This is very appealing for White, as he controls the direction of the struggle’s development...

Throw Down the Gauntlet from the Very First Move! The Modern Defense has been popular for decades. However, within the purview of this defense, there is a system that challenges White right from the get-go. The brainchild of Georgian grandmaster Bukhuti Gurgenidze, Black plays 1...g6 and follows with a timely ...c6 and ...d5. Occasionally classified as part of the Caro-Kann, it draws battle lines immediately. The move 1...g6 in general is an aggressive approach, throwing down the gauntlet ...