The Bishop's Opening Explained


Book Description

The Bishop’s Opening allows White to dictate the pattern of play from as early as the second move. It is ideal for club and tournament players as it leads to positions in which a successful outcome depends on knowledge of the important ideas for both sides. The key plans and strategies are explained to make it easy for those who have limited time to study. A large number of world-class players employ it, clearly confirming that it is a highly respected and formidable opening. The opening was first recommended by Philidor in the 18th century, and then used to great effect by the legendary Paul Morphy and Howard Staunton. More recently Bent Larsen has inspired a new generation of players to take up the opening with victories at the highest level. The book covers: How to play the opening successfully by using model games Explains the basic elements and strategies for both sides The tricks and traps in the opening for both players How to play the middlegame by following easy plans




The Secret Life of Bad Bishops


Book Description

The Bad Bishop is a notorious villain in chess, but often a perfectly respectable bishop is falsely accused. The Secret Life of Bad Bishops takes an in-depth look at the bishop - not just dealing with good and bad bishops but also more nuanced cases where a "double-edged bishop" could turn out to be a game-winning hero or a fatal liability. All phases of chess are covered, from opening to middlegame to endgame. The final two chapters test the reader's newly enhanced understanding with carefully chosen exercises and instructive solutions.




Complete Chess Strategy


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The Bishop


Book Description

The Power of the Pieces In his new, ground-breaking series, The Power of the Pieces, Belorussian grandmaster Sergey Kasparov examines the strengths, weaknesses and overall characteristics of each piece on the chessboard. This first volume in the series is about the bishop. Its role in the opening, middlegame and endgame is discussed in detail, amply supported by over 140 examples from tournament praxis. Topics include: Bishops of the Same Color; Opposite-Color Bishops; Bishop vs. Knight; Bishop vs. Rook; Two Bishops vs. Knight and Bishop; Bishop vs. Pawns; The King’s Indian Bishop; The French Bishop; The Nimzo-Indian Bishop; The Fianchetto on g2; The Stonewall Bishop; The Advantage of the Two Bishops; The “Bad” Bishop; The Attacking Bishop; and Opposite-color Bishops in the Middlegame. Popular chess author Sergey Kasparov is known for his entertaining writing style. His books are always instructive and insightful. Books previously published by Russell Enterprises include The Exchange Sacrifice and Doubled Pawns.




Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess


Book Description

From America’s foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit comes a comprehensive guide covering all aspects of the game, to improve your technique whether you are a newcomer or a longtime fan. One of America's best-known chess masters, Bruce Pandolfini has helped millions learn the intricacies of chess through his acclaimed books and workshops. In this exciting volume, he presents a complete overview of the entire game and its culture. Structured as a dialogue between a beginning student and an expert teacher, Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess takes the student step-by-step from fundamentals to advanced, highly strategic play. Combining easy-to-follow diagrams with trenchant and up-to-date analysis, Pandolfini puts a new twist on accepted chess theory, offering a seamless beginning-to-end approach, including: • a short introductory history of the game • the moves, rules, and contemporary notation forms • the basic principles of chess • how to develop an opening repertoire • the art of tactical play • pattern recognition and memory aids • traps and pitfalls to be avoided • middlegame play, strategy, and planning • defense and counterattack • transitions to the endgame and the endgame itself • computers and the future of chess • the best websites for playing chess online With Pandolfini's expert insight into the history and modern world of chess, as well as several appendices to enhance play and appreciation, Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess makes the perfect gift for players of all ages and will be the benchmark title for chess players for years to come.




The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes


Book Description

Join Holmes and Watson as they examine interrupted games to deduce prior moves. A series of increasingly complex chess mysteries culminates in a double murder perpetrated by Professor Moriarty. The master sleuth instructs his companion (and us) in the intricacies of retrograde analysis; readers need only a knowledge of how the pieces move.




A History of Chess


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Birth of the Chess Queen


Book Description

“Marilyn Yalom has written the rare book that illuminates something that always has been dimly perceived but never articulated, in this case that that the power of the chess queen reflects the evolution of female power in the western world.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer Everyone knows that the queen is the most dominant piece in chess, but few people know that the game existed for five hundred years without her. It wasn't until chess became a popular pastime for European royals during the Middle Ages that the queen was born and was gradually empowered to become the king's fierce warrior and protector. Birth of the Chess Queen examines the five centuries between the chess queen's timid emergence in the early days of the Holy Roman Empire to her elevation during the reign of Isabel of Castile. Marilyn Yalom, inspired by a handful of surviving medieval chess queens, traces their origin and spread from Spain, Italy, and Germany to France, England, Scandinavia, and Russia. In a lively and engaging historical investigation, Yalom draws parallels between the rise of the chess queen and the ascent of female sovereigns in Europe, presenting a layered, fascinating history of medieval courts and internal struggles for power.




A World of Chess


Book Description

With more than 400 illustrations, and detailed maps, this immense and deeply researched account of the history of chess covers not only the modern international game, derived from Persian and Arab roots, but a broad spectrum of variants going back 1500 years, some of which are still played in various parts of the world. The evolution of strategic board games, especially in India, China and Japan, is discussed in detail. Many more recent chess variants (board sizes, new pieces, 3-D, etc.) are fully covered. Instructions for play are provided, with historical context, for every game presented.




Bishop Versus Knight


Book Description

Controversy has long reigned over the relative strengths of the bishop and knight. Mayer uses practical examples to illustrate positions which favour one minor piece over the other and provides a serious analysis of the long-debated topic.