The Two Knights Defence


Book Description

Openings expert Jan Pinski studies the Two Knights Defence, one of the trickiest tactical openings.




The Two Knights Defence


Book Description




A Chess Opening Repertoire for Blitz & Rapid


Book Description

Playing blitz is one of the great joys in every chess player’s life. In modern times, faster time controls have become more important than ever. Every day, innumerable numbers of rated blitz and rapid games are being played in online and over-the-board competitions and championships. In blitz, even more than in ‘classical chess’, it is important to make the right decisions quickly and almost instinctively. That is why world-famous opening expert Grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov and his son, International Master Vladimir Sveshnikov, have created a chess opening repertoire for club players that is forcing, both narrow and deep, and aggressive. The aim is to be in control as much as possible. You want to be the one who decides which opening is going to be played, you want to dictate the technical and strategic choices. And you want to keep the pressure, increasing your opponent’s chances to stumble. In designing their repertoire, father and son Sveshnikov have made a crucial choice: they do not want you to end up in positions where finding the theoretically best move is all-important, but in positions where it is relatively easy to keep finding the moves with the greatest practical effect and use. If you play the lines the Sveshnikovs have selected, your results will improve. You may even end up playing their variations in ‘slow chess’ as well.




Italian Game and Evans Gambit


Book Description

The Italian Game (sometimes referred to as the Giuoco Piano) is one of the oldest openings around, and also one of the first lines a player learns when he or she is introduced to chess. It leads to play that is easy to understand: both sides develop their pieces logically and begin attacks on the opposing kings. The Italian Game gives both White and Black the opportunity to play either aggressively and in gambit fashion, or in a restrained and positional manner. One of White's most exciting and attacking options is the legendary Evans Gambit, which has been brought back into the limelight in this modern era by such uncompromising players as World number one Garry Kasparov, Alexander Morozevich and England's Nigel Short. In this book, openings expert Jan Pinski investigates the different strategies and tactics in the Italian Game and Evans Gambit. Using model games for both White and Black, Pinski provides crucial coverage of both the main lines and offbeat variations. This book arms the reader with enough knowledge to play the Italian Game and Evans Gambit with confidence. * Written by well known opening theoretician * A useful guide for club and tournament players alike * All main lines are covered




Tango!


Book Description

Presents a repertoire for Black against queen's pawn openings based on the dynamic Black Knights Tango. Using illustrative games, this book gives a grounding on the key tactics and strategies behind this ambitious opening, while also highlighting the various tricks and traps that both sides have to watch out for.




The Life & Games of Vasily Smyslov


Book Description

The Life & Games of the Seventh World Chess Champion Vasily Smyslov, the seventh world champion, had a long and illustrious chess career. He played close to 3,000 tournament games over seven decades, from the time of Lasker and Capablanca to the days of Anand and Carlsen. From 1948 to 1958, Smyslov participated in four world championships, becoming world champion in 1957. Smyslov continued playing at the highest level for many years and made a stunning comeback in the early 1980s, making it to the finals of the candidates’ cycle. Only the indomitable energy of 20-year-old Garry Kasparov stopped Smyslov from qualifying for another world championship match at the ripe old age of 63! In this first volume of a multi-volume set, Russian FIDE master Andrey Terekhov traces the development of young Vasily from his formative years and becoming the youngest grandmaster in the Soviet Union to finishing second in the world championship match tournament. With access to rare Soviet-era archival material and invaluable family archives, the author complements his account of Smyslov’s growth into an elite player with dozens of fascinating photographs, many never seen before, as well as 49 deeply annotated games. German grandmaster Karsten Müller’s special look at Smyslov’s endgames rounds out this fascinating first volume. [This book] is an extremely well-researched look at his life and games, a very welcome addition to the body of work about Smyslov... – from the Foreword by Peter Svidler




The Sicilian Four Knights


Book Description

A Straightforward and Solid Way to Meet 1.e4 With all the many books and articles on the Sicilian Defense, there is surprisingly little about the Four Knights Variation. Its starting position is reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6. It may also be reached after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6. Some prefer 2...e6 to 2...Nc6 because it avoids 3.Bb5. The fundamentals of the Sicilian Four Knights are not hard to learn. Black reaches the middlegame quickly and safely, with lively piece play in the dynamic positions which arise. There is no easy ride for White here, and, in particular, if he gets over-ambitious, he can find himself on the receiving end of a powerful attack very quickly. The material is very well structured, and the assessments are objective and backed with accurate analysis which will not cause the reader fatigue by becoming exceedingly elaborate ... But, above all, this is an opening that is definitely sound and this work proves it. It will improve your ability to score against both weaker and stronger opposition, offering clear-cut and occasionally bold play. Author David Willis has done a fine job of clearly presenting the analysis, providing us with comprehensive explanations and sound lines in an opening that deserves more attention and popularity. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Four Knights to all levels of players. – From the Foreword by Vassilios Kotronias About the Author Correspondence senior master David Willis is one of the strongest American correspondence chessplayers. He is also a master in over-the-board play and has been relying on the Sicilian Four Knights as his go-to defense against 1.e4 for years. He lives with his family in San Diego. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.




The Black Knights' Tango


Book Description

A guide to a chess opening for Black, which enables it to fight for the initiative from the very start of the game. As well as in-depth coverage of lines which are unique to the Tango, the text presents a complete repertoire for Black in those variations which transpose to other openings.




Keep it Simple: 1.e4


Book Description

Why is this repertoire called simple? For the simple reason that the variations are straightforward, easy to remember and require little or no maintenance. International Master Christof Sielecki has created a reliable set of lines for chess players of almost all levels. The major objective is to dominate Black in the opening, by simple means. You don’t need to sacrifice anything or memorize long tactical lines. Unless Black plays something stupid, when tactics are the simplest punishment. Sielecki developed this repertoire working with students who were looking for something that was easy to understand and to learn. Most of the lines he selected are occasionally played by grandmasters, but on the whole they lie outside the mainstream of opening theory. That means that there is hardly any need to monitor theoretical developments. Sielecki always clearly explains the plans and counterplans and keeps you focussed on what the position requires. Ambitious players rated 1500 or higher will get great value out of studying this extremely accessible book.




The Blumenfeld Gambit


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