Board games: Chess Books

What separated Alexander Alekhine from the rest of his contemporaries? Why did he dominate the chess world for so long? The main reason was undoubtedly his brilliant attacking style of play. Alekhine had a combinative gift and thrilled the chess public...

The Nimzo-Indian Defence continues to be one of Black's most reliable ways of meeting the queen's pawn opening. It's popular at all levels of chess and a constant source of anxiety for White players. In this book Grandmaster Chris Ward investigates...

How do chess players react in the line of fire? Are they able to remain calm in a storm? Defending against a threatening attack on their own king is one of the most difficult aspects to master in chess. Yet given the frequency of such offensives, it's...

In this instructive and entertaining book, James Plaskett, very much renowned for his attacking prowess over the chessboard, presents readers with all the necessary skills and belief to launch successful offensives against unwary opponents. Using...

In this user-friendly book, International Master Endre Vegh goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Modern Benoni and its many variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, warnings, and exercises to help i

Mikhail Tal was simply a chess phenomenon. The "magician from Riga" stunned the chess world when he became the youngest ever World Champion (at that time) in 1960, and he won countless supporters for his scintillating tactical play and his infectious...

"And the rest is a matter of technique" is an annoyingly common phrase used in chess literature. The implication from the author is that the task of converting a typically winning position into a full point or converting a drawing position into...

The Queen's Indian is one of Black's most dependable and respected defences to the queen's pawn opening. It's an established favorite amongst world-class Grandmasters such as Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand, Michael Adams, and Judit Polgar, not to mention...

Endgames involving only kings and pawns are the most fundamental of all chess positions, and a firm understanding of them is required in order to become confident of tackling more complex endings that preceded them. In this easy-to-read guide,...

The King's Indian is one of the most exciting and complex defences that Black can employ against the queen's pawn opening. The main lines of the King's Indian are very sharp and tactical but they are also extremely theoretical in nature--it can be a full...

Endgames with kings, bishops, knights, and pawns are generally considered among the most complex and can seem quite bewildering to improving players. This is hardly surprising given that even Grandmasters have been known to struggle in some areas of...

What separates a Grandmaster from an International Master? How do the thought processes of strong club players differ from that of middling club players? What techniques can enthusiastic chess players employ when striving to reach the next rung on the...

Some might say that it is impossible to learn middlegames in the same manner as the more structured parts of chess: the opening and the endgame. However, although it's true to say that middlegame play is generally more difficult to categorize, there are...

The Reti Opening has been a popular choice at all levels of chess for many years and is a favourite among hypermodern players who like to control the centre with pieces. Yet there remains a dearth of published material on this subject ...until now. In...

The Ruy Lopez (also known as the Spanish Game) is an extremely popular opening and one of the oldest in the history of chess. It has been played by virtually all the greats of the game, providing the battle scene for many world championship clashes...

These books are perfect for enthusiastic chess players who are starting out in the game, and who are seeking to understand the basic principles behind these important openings: the Pirc/Modern and the Grunfeld. These 2 books are written in a...

The Barry Attack is a highly aggressive system that arises after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4. Although the concept of the Barry Attack has been known for a century or so, the modern interpretation (as with a number of other dynamic white systems)...

The Barry Attack is a highly aggressive system that arises after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4. Although the concept of the Barry Attack has been known for a century or so, the modern interpretation (as with a number of other dynamic white systems)...

The Barry Attack is a highly aggressive system that arises after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4. Although the concept of the Barry Attack has been known for a century or so, the modern interpretation (as with a number of other dynamic white systems)...

The Black Lion is a thoroughly modern counterattacking system that is a nightmare to face. This wild and aggressive line attempts to take away White's initiative from a very early stage and is guaranteed to throw your opponents off balance. The Black...

The O'Kelly variation of the Sicilian Defence (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 a6) is a wonderful system for those who enjoy playing Sicilian positions but don't want to get bogged down in heavy theory. The O'Kelly relies far more on an understanding of general strategic...

The vast majority of chess games witness familiar strategies and well known tactical motifs. These are the games that you will find in the anthologies and opening repertoires. Sometimes however, games appear that seem to have been played on a different...

The Black Lion is a thoroughly modern counterattacking system that is a nightmare to face. This wild and aggressive line attempts to take away White's initiative from a very early stage and is guaranteed to throw your opponents off balance. The Black...

The O'Kelly variation of the Sicilian Defence (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 a6) is a wonderful system for those who enjoy playing Sicilian positions but don't want to get bogged down in heavy theory. The O'Kelly relies far more on an understanding of general strategic...

A highly adventurous repertoire designed to meet 1 e4 with 1...e5 and take the initiative! The main problem Black faces in answering 1 e4 with 1...e5 is the plethora of opening systems available to White: the Ruy Lopez, Giuoco Piano, Scotch, Ponziani,...

This is a theoretical book about a chess variation that (it could not be otherwise) I will call the Del RioVariation. It is one of the most fascinating openings that can be played today, leading almost immediately to highly dynamic and complex positions...

The Carlsbad Pawn Structure is one of the most important and instructive pawn structures in chess. It commonly arises from the Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange Slav, and other 1. d4 openings, offering a wealth of strategic ideas for both sides. This...

This book is written for beginners who are interested in the game andwould like to learn more about its various aspects.It covers the technicalaspects of chess: the use of algebraic notation (Chapter 3), chess evaluation(Chapter 4), the opening phase...

A full Black repertoire grounded in answering 1...e6 against any move! The answer against 1. d4 is the Stonewall, while the answer against 1. e4 is the French.The Stonewall Dutch is a defense that nowadays has a dodgy reputation, but this is ungrounded...