In 1857, a soft-spoken genius from New Orleans burst upon the chess scene. Paul Morphy dazzled the chess world with breathtaking combinations that seemed to arise from thin air. In his brief chess career, he was universally recognized as the best in the world. International grandmaster Valeri Beim takes a close look at the play of the mid-19th century champion, putting his games under a modern, 21st-century analytical microscope. The result is a fresh and instructive look at the strategy and ...

The Basics of Chess Strategy While there are many books about how to improve your chess tactics, instructive books about chess strategy, particularly for players of less than master strength, are few and far between. In the latest entry in the widely acclaimed Back to Basics Chess Series, international grandmaster and popular author Valeri Beim explains the basics of strategic concepts in chess. His topics include: - Piece Development - The Center - Principle of two weaknesses - Pawn struct...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Who was Bobby Fischer? In this “nuanced perspective of the chess genius” (Los Angeles Times), an acclaimed biographer chronicles his meteoric rise and confounding fall, with an afterword containing newly discovered details about Fischer’s life.Possessing an IQ of 181 and remarkable powers of concentration, Bobby Fischer memorized hundreds of chess books in several languages, and he was only thirteen when he bec...

With a foreword by Dr John Nunn, Grandmaster and four times Olypic gold medallist'The Mammoth Book of Chess is a cracker . . . nobody will fail to find something new here'British Chess MagazineWINNER OF THE BRITISH CHESS FEDERATION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD, 1997Comprehensive, up to date and clear, this latest edition of Graham Burgess's chess classic is an invaluable guide to help even less experienced players to progr...

Win at Chess is the ultimate beginner's guide to this complex tactical game. You will quickly get to grips with the pieces, basic moves and elementary tactics - to help you develop your strategy and win. You will build your skill and learn how to exploit your opponent's strengths and weaknesses to ultimately force checkmate. The book is packed with new interactive features which include tips and commentaries on historic games and exercises for the reader.It won't overburden you wit...

Master the game of Japanese Chess-or shogi with this easy to follow shogi guide.The game of shogi is a chess-like game of strategy long played in Japan. This book is the ultimate strategy guide on shogi for beginners and experienced players alike. The step-by-step instructions an easy to follow diagrams lead the reader through the strategies and intricacies of one of Japan's most popular war games.The book includes explanations of:...

Compared with many recent (paper) opening books, this E-book, (2025) is the only opening book that -most- chess players will ever need.Contents: in the 'royal game' of chess, an understanding of all the phases of the game, namely opening, middle game, and endgame, is important.While the importance of the opening phase often is overestimated by beginners, at higher levels it can make the difference between a win and a loss.Second major edition, 2.06 (some important gam...

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 endgames studies is a good recipe for eliminating that shortcoming. This training is directed at developing resourcefulness, fantasy (in chess, these qualities are called "combinative acuityâ€), and the readiness to sacrifice material, in pursuit of the goal - winning! How...

Chess was invented more than 1,500 years ago, and is played in every country in the world. Stephen Moss sets out to master its mysteries, and unlock the secret of its enduring appeal. What, he asks, is the essence of chess? And what will it reveal about his own character along the way?In a witty, accessible style that will delight newcomers and irritate purists, Moss imagines the world as a board and marches across it, offering a mordant report on the world of chess in 64 chapters ...

This book is written to address an underemphasized area of chess training and study, the identification of and reaction to--threats. For beginner and intermediate-level players, the study of tactics is paramount. Almost all tactics books take the approach of providing a position where there is a forced win, checkmate or draw. However, Looking for Trouble takes a different tack. This book helps players to recognize threats by providing over 200 problems in which players can focus on identif...

A fascinating challenge and great training tool, these two- three- and four-move checkmates are great for beginning, intermediate, and expert players. Mates are in order of difficulty, from simple to very complex positions. Learn the standard patterns for cornering the king, corridor and support mates, attraction and deflection sacrifices, pins and annihilation, the quiet move, and the dreaded zugzwang. Mate challenges are presented from both Blacks and Whites perspective so players learn ...

Chess - Crowood Sports Guides is the perfect tool for anyone wanting to improve their performance, from beginners learning the basic skills to more experienced participants working on advanced techniques. Standard chess rules and basic notation is covered as well as how to use each piece effectively; tactics and strategy; how to plan for success; the three phases - openings, middlegames and endgames; advanced techniques - analysing a position, opening repertoires, when to sacrifice, key en...