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New In Chess Yearbook 72
£16.95/$31.95
246 pages, New In Chess
The chess players guide to opening news, this issue contains articles on:
- Gelfand's valuable lesson in the Tarrasch
- All the rage: Anti-Marshall with 8.h3
- Topalov turns Catalan calm into a storm.
- The King's Gambit: more bad news
- and dozens of other opening secrets and surprise weapons.


The English Attack
Tapani Sammalvuo
£16.99/$28.95
Gambit, 272 pages (large format)
The English Attack (Be3 and f3) became popular as a direct attacking method against the Najdorf in the 1980s, following its successful use by Nunn, Short and Chandler. Since then, it has become established as the most critical line of the Najdorf, with Anand and even Kasparov himself using it to devastating effect at the highest level. Released hot on the tails of the Batsford title of the same name by Nick De Firmian, English Attack players have never had it so good! The comprehensive coverage will enable players of all standards to play either side of the English Attack with confidence. Sammalvuo also discusses the trendy 6 f3 move-order, and the English Attack set-up against a variety of other Sicilian lines.


Mastering the Najdorf
Julen Arizemndi and Javier Moreno
£15.99/$27.50
Gambit, 224 pages
The Najdorf's landscape changes rapidly, and this presents its devotees with a complex task: they must not only keep up-to-date with sharp theoretical lines, but must also have a firm grasp of the strategies that underpin the main systems, both old and new. White has tried a wide variety of approaches against the Najdorf, including quiet positional lines and the traditional main line with 6 Bg5. Recently the idea of a rapid kingside pawn advance has found favour. This book lends a helping hand to those who play the Najdorf or wish to take up this complex opening. Two Najdorf experts from Spain present a flexible repertoire for Black, including a wealth of original analysis of the critical variations. They also explain the key ideas behind the Najdorf, focusing on those plans that are most relevant to modern practice.


An Attacking Repertoire for White
Sam Collins
£15.99/$22.95
192 pages, Batsford
An aggressive repertoire based on 1 e4, recommending the Scotch Game against 1…e5 while providing effective and easy-to-learn antidotes to Black's alternative choices – the Sicilian (c3 sicilian), French (advance), Petroff (5.Nc3), Philidor, Caro-Kann (Exchange), Pirc/Modern and Alekhine Defences. Commentaries on 51 model games illustrate the correct handling of a broad range of attacking positions, while specific lines of play are broken down and presented in a clear and accessible format, enabling readers to understand the various structures and how best to deploy all the available fighting forces. Material has been selected from modern master practice and many of the games have not been annotated before in chess literature. Moreover, in a number of variations, existing theory has been challenged and even overturned.


Chess for Children
Murray Chandler & Helen Milligan
£9.99/$14.95
112 pages
With this charming book, children will delight in learning the basic moves of chess - the most popular and challenging strategy game of all. All the rules of chess are clearly explained, step by step, assuming no prior knowledge. The lessons are reinforced by the inventive tales that George is told by his pet alligator Kirsty, self-proclaimed grand-alligator of chess. Chess is recognized in many countries as a useful tool for developing creative thinking in children. Although chess can be regarded as a rather complex and mysterious game, the rules themselves are straightforward. It doesn't take long to learn how the pieces move, and even children as young as five can enjoy exciting games. They will also thoroughly enjoy outwitting friends and relatives!


The Chess Biography of Marcel Duchamp
Volume Two: on the Road to Chess Mastery (1926-30)
Vlastimil Fiala
£24.95/$44.95
452 pages
Marcell Duchamp was the world of leading men of 20th century art – such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Man Ray, George Segal and scores of others. Marcel Duchamp was one of them. In chess Duchamp did not achieve the highest chess goals, but he was a very accomplished player that beat some of the best players of the time and played some very remarkable games. More of a chess biography (as the title states) than just a collection of games, Fiala explains the stories behind the tournaments bringing to life the chess scene of the 1920's. Nearly 400 games of Duchamps accompanied by full index of tournaments and players.


Informator 90
380 pages, Chess Informant
£20.99
Chess Informant 90 includes 470 annotated games heavily analysed in the informator language-less style from February - May, 2004. Featuring games from Moscow, Linares, Cappelle la Grande, Reykjavík, Poikovsky, Stepanakert, Monaco (rapid), Sochi and Zalaegerszeg. Informator 90 also has all its trademark features such as the voting for the ten best games and the ten most important theoretical novelties from Chess Informant 89, theoretical survey in the ECO format, selected combinations and endings from recent tournament practice, tournament standings and crosstables, and the best from Alexander Beliavsky's creative output.


Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames
John Emms
£12.99/$17.95
208 pages, Everyman Chess
Endgames with kings, bishops, knights and pawns are generally considered amongst the most complex and can seem bewildering to the improving player. This is hardly suprising given that even Grandmasters have been known to struggle in some areas of these endgames, with some examples resulting in embarassing failure to deliver elementary checkmates! In this user-friendly book, Emms begins with the absolute fundamentals of minor piece endings and slowly but surely arms the reader with the essential knowledge and confidence to move onto slightly trickier positions. As is usual with the famed Starting Out: series, there are an abundance of notes, tips and warnings throughout the book to help the improving player.


Amos Burn, A Chess Biography
Richard Forster
£55/$90
970 pages, McFarland
This enormous and definitive work on the Englishman Amos Burn assembles and analyzes all of his available games and provides a thorough biography of the famous chess master of the 19th and early 20th centuries.Burn’s life is painstakingly traced from his birth in 1848 to his death at age 76. Includes games against such luminaries as Blackburne, Marshall, Steinitz, Alekhine, and Zukertort. The book features approximately 800 games played by Burn, almost all of them annotated, about 850 chess diagrams, and about 200 photographs, indices of openings, annotators, games, players, and general subjects.
“Monumental look at a British master...one of the best chess biographies ever produced and should not be missing from any serious chess library”—The Washington Post.


Excelling at Technical Chess
Jacob Aagard
£16.99/$24.95
183 pages, Everyman Chess
In this valuable book Aagaard arms the reader with several endgame weapons that every strong technical player has in his toolbox. These include important skills such as schematic thinking, domination, preventing counterplay, building fortresses and utilising zugzwang. These tools are illustrated in deeply analysed games containing numerous different themes. A serious study of this book will ensure that the reader need no longer need fear the word ‘technique’!


Excelling at Chess Calculation
Jacob Aagard
£16.99/$24.95
192 pages, Everyman Chess
Aagard tackles the subject matter head on, unravelling the many secrets behind chess calculation and arming the reader with the necessary tools to calculate effectively at the chessboard. Aagard pays particular attention to the searching practical questions like 'when should you calculate?', 'how can you discover candidate moves?' and 'how long should you spend on critical moves?' A thorough study of this book will enable you to calculate with confidence in future games.


click here to order
Leonid Kubbel's Chess Endgame Studies (Revised edition)
£25/$40
T G Whitworth, 222 pages, Self Published
Originally published in 1984 - Mr Whitworth has found the time and inclination to revise his earlier edition of Mr Kubbel's studies originally published in 1984.
This new edition includes 440 of Kubbel's endgame studies and judging by the amount of research invested by the author must surely be considered exhaustive. Indexed by theme this is a must for all chess problem fanatics. Mr Whitworth has previously authored 'Mattinson's Chess Endgame Studies' as well as co-authored 'Endgame Magic' with John Beasley
.


Concise Chess Middlegames
Neil McDonald
£11.99/$15.95
240 pages, Everyman Chess
In this easy-to-read pocket-sized guide, McDonald concentrates on the fundamentals of middlegame play, including attacking and defending the king, good and bad pieces, and strong and weak pawn formations. At the same time, McDonald is careful not to swamp the reader with too much information. He provides simply enough material so that you can enter this part of the game with the knowledge and confidence you require. Concise Chess Middlegames is a perfect addition to McDonald’s other two books in this series: Concise Chess Endings and the best-selling Concise Chess Openings.


Inside the Chess Mind
Jacob Aagard
£16.99/$24.95
158 pages, Everyman Chess
How do the thought processes of a club player differ from that of a GM? What techniques can an enthusiastic chess player employ when striving to reach the next rung on the ladder? Aagaard provides the answers to these questions in this fascinating and entertaining new book. The material is based around numerous carefully-selected tests which are offered to a group of players of a very wide range of ages and playing strengths. Once all the participants have attempted the tests, their discoveries, solving methods and difficulties with the exercises are evaluated and compared, and conclusions are drawn. The players are also quizzed about their exercise techniques, ideas and opinions about chess in general. Inside the Chess Mind enters fresh territory in chess literature by providing a thought-provoking insight as to how the chess brains of the great, the good and the improver operate.


Botvinnik - Tal Moscow: 1961
Mikhail Botvinnik

£12.99 $25
126 pages

When Mikhail Botvinnik lost the World Championship 1n 1960 to the dazzling attacking player from Riga, Mikhail Tal, there seemed little chance of him regaining his title. Yet in the return match one year later, with a surprising demonstration of aggressive chess, Botvinnik completely outplayed his young opponent and ran out easy winner. All 21 games of the match are deeply annotated.


Botvinnik - Bronstein: Moscow 1951
Mikhail Botvinnik

£12.99/$25
124 pages

Three years after winning the World Championships, Mikhail Botvinnik had to defend his title against the challenge of David Bronstein. Though out of practice and largely outplayed by his brilliant young opponent, Botvinnik nevertheless demonstrated his fighting qualities, levelling the scores in the penultimate game and thereby retaining his title. All 24 games of the match are deeply annotated.


The English Attack
Nick de Firmian and John Fedorowicz
£15.99/$22.95
240 pages, Batsford
Two American GMs provide a practical yet thorough survey of one of the hottest opening variations around today. In response to Black's ever popular Najdorf Sicilian, White plays 6 f3, which not only supports the centre e-pawn but more importantly prepares to launch a kingside pawn storm against Black's castled king, starting with g4-g5. However, Garry Kasparov, a champion of the Sicilian Defence, has shown that Black can postpone castling in favour of queenside expansion and regrouping the knight pair at b6 and d7, ready for a swift counter-punch when White castles long. But, then again, White in turn can also delay castling to keep Black guessing - in which case both kings remain in the centre! Not surprisingly tactics and sharp play abound in this most modern of chess openings, where precise knowledge of variations is vital.

Rethinking the Chess Pieces
Andrew Soltis
£14.99 / $26.95
This book examines how the value of pieces changes in the course of a game and how masters use this knowledge to decide which pieces to exchange - and when. It investigates why the traditional 'chart of relative values' or computer analysis so often fails to explain why certain trades and sacrifices are good and others are bad. The book focuses on typical decisions a player has to make - for example, whether to trade two minor pieces for a rook and pawn, or the queen for two rooks.

The Grandmaster's Mind
Amatzia Avni
£13.99/$23.95
This book investigates how chess-players find good ideas. Amatzia Avni, a psychologist by profession, pursues this goal by interviewing top players and analysts. The discussion focuses on their most interesting and instructive games and compositions.
Avni has been careful to allow his interviewees to convey their own thoughts, rather than direct their answers to comply with any pre-existing theories. We experience the events on the board through the vivid recollections of the player. This gives us a realistic view of each struggle and how the critical decisions were really made.
Avni also presents the players with some unfamiliar positions, and records their reactions upon encountering these new situations. Once we have heard from the grandmasters, Avni discusses the essence of what was said, and provides some insights and recommendations.
The interviewees include famous grandmasters such as Boris Gelfand, Ilia Smirin and Lev Psakhis.


Chess Fathering A Nation
Olimpiu Urcan
£24.99
Double of Adolf Albin and Georg Marco, two Romanian-born chess masters from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Contains 243 games, a translation of one of Albin's rare manuals, and previously uncollected columns by Marco.

BCF Grading List 2004
£15
The 2004 Grading List contains Long play grades, Rapidplay grades, Top 100 players and Top twenties (for all ages of junior player) and several other categories.


Black is Still OK!
Andras Adorjan
£15.99/$22.95
224 pages, Batsford
When Andras Adorjan's first book Black is OK! was published in 1988 it became an immediate bestseller and a cult classic, reaching out to the hearts and minds of club players. In his new book, Black is still OK!, his message remains just as emphatic: too many chessplayers adopt an unnecessarily defensive approach with the Black pieces, when they should be more ambitious and strive immediately for double-edged positions with winning chances. Moreover, not only does Adorjan offer concrete opening variations and illustrative games to support his claim but also a philosophy to generate a positive state of mind when entering a battle. The new examples given here effectively continue Adorjan's crusade started in the revolutionary 1960s and encourage players not only to win more games with Black but also to enjoy themselves in the process!

Improve your Combinational Preparation and Tactical Skills part 1 - Roman's Lab 14
NEW £24.95/$29.95
Featured topics include: Thematic combinations, intuition, pattern recognition, most unusual combinations, combinations in the opening that come from nowhere in the Caro-Kann, Dutch and Grunfeld. Roman's best combinational and tactical game ever.

(Running time 90mins+)


Improve your Combinational Preparation and Tactical Skills part 2 - Roman's Lab 15
NEW £24.95/$29.95
Featured topics include: Multiple thematic combinations in the Nimzo Indian, Unexpected tactical shots in the Scotch, Thematic counter cobinations in the Ruy Lopez, Complex combination in the English, Unusual endgame tactics and combinations and quiet tactical moves.

(Running time 90mins+)


Offbeat King's Indian
Panczyk K and Ilczuk J
£14.99/$19.95
176 pages, Everyman
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 incredibly theoretical in nature it can be a full time job simply keeping up with the latest developments and fashion. So it is unsurprising that many playing white choose to look elsewhere for something to counter this popular opening. In Offbeat King's Indian distinguished openings expert Krzysztof Panczyk studies unusual and less theoretical systems for white, ones that are tricky and are likely to throw the King's Indian player off his or her stride early on in the game. Variations investigated include lines with an early Bd3, ones with Nge2,l and ones involving a swift Bg5. By studying this new book, white players can arm themselves with a while new weaponry of lines against the King's Indian, while those playing Black can look closely for the recommended antidotes.


The Benko Gambit Revealed
Neil McDonald
£14.99/$21.95
Batsford, 224 pages
The Benko Gambit Revealed' is the second in a new and innovative series of books. Using fresh, clear presentation, the key ideas of the openings are explained in an entertaining and accessible way. The aim of this series is to provide the essential knowledge to play the opening, while at the same time revealing the current thinking of the World's elite players. For example, 'First Moves' leads readers through the basic opening moves. 'Heroes & Zeroes' gives the best and worst performances with the opening and features some of the leading exponents of the Benko Gambit. 'Tricks & Traps' reveals how you might catch out your opponent. 'What's Hot' pinpoints the very latest ideas from the world's elite. A detailed table in the style of ECO is given at the close of the book, summarising the main variations with assessments.


How to Play Dynamic Chess
Valeri Beim
£15.99/$27.50
Gambit, Gambit, 176 pages,
Chess is fundamentally a dynamic game. Each move changes the situation and the possibilities for both sides. No piece is ever identically as valuable as any other, and their scope changes from move to move. The current generation of supergrandmasters play unrelentingly dynamic chess, but a great deal of chess literature still deals with chess as if it were a predominantly static game. Much traditional chess teaching is based around rules of thumb that might work well 'on average' or in 'typical' situations, but these rules may not equip players for the specific and sometimes exceptional situations that they face in their games. In this book, Valeri Beim explains how to factor in dynamic considerations, and weigh initiative and time against material and other static factors.


Secrets of Chess Transformations
Drazen Marovic
£15.99/$27.50
Gambit, 208 pages
One of the most important skills in chess is the ability to transform one type of advantage into another. The great champions effortlessly convert an initiative into an attack, an attack into a material gain, and move into an endgame where this advantage can be exploited smoothly. Readers know from their own games that this is not as simple as it looks. It is all too easy to miss the right moment to make the transformation, and suddenly encounter unnecessary difficulties. In this wide-ranging text, experienced trainer Drazen Marovic discusses all aspects of chess transformations, enabling readers to sense when they are necessary, and to decide how to bring them about. Topics include: pseudo-sacrifices, sacrificial risks, real sacrifices, counter-sacrifices, development advantage, overextension, and simplification.


Tactics in the Chess Opening 2: Open Games
Van der Taak
£13.95/$19.95
240 pages, New In Chess
Every chess player loves to win, but nothing compares to winning with a flourish. How happy we are when the tactics work and we decide a game with a cunning trick, a devilish trap or a delightful coup de grâce. The Open Games, more than any other segment of the entire opening spectrum, has always given rise to spectacular miniatures and fascinating sacrifices. For what is more beautiful than ancient King's Gambit slugfests or modern classics by Kasparov, Short, Shirov and other war-horses. In this book you will find more than 250 carefully selected and expertly annotated Sicilian games full of unexpected turns and brilliant surprise attacks. You can study these games or just enjoy them, but either way they will end up making you a stronger player!


Focus on Hocus-Pocus
Erwin Brecher & Danny Roth
£11.95/$18.95
200 pages, Panacea Press
The recent meeting of the two authors enabled them to combine a selection of one hundred chess problems submitted by Erwin Brecher and a similar number of bridge problems collected by Danny Roth. In the chess, the reader is invited to find a brilliant continuation which was found, or in some cases missed, by top-class players. With the bridge, the book is again a 'first'. Whereas most bridge books concentrate on either declarer play or defence, here hands are highlighted in which there is scope for good play by both sides so it is a question of 'on whom do you put your money?' There is plenty of excitement from start to finish. All four hands are shown and the discussion of bidding is kept to a minimum, only appearing where it is directly relevant to the play.
The book is excellent value to those who play either game, offering a hundred absorbing brain teasers but the real beneficiaries will be those who play both; they will be able to enjoy two bites the cherry for the price of one.


Challenging the Sicilian with 2.a3!?
Alexei Bezgodov
£14.99/$26.95
208 pages, Chess Stars
The newest book of the series "Current Theory and Practice" is devoted to the enterprising and quite original and unexplored possibility for White - 1.e4 c5 2.a3!?
The strong practical players who do not have time or desire to go into long theoretical Sicilian battles can try to enrich their opening repertoire with this remarkable system. It cannot be refuted by any encyclopedia or database. In fact the author of the book has practically invented a new and quite interesting opening. His suprising ideas and thorough analyses require considerable precision from Black. It is a remarkable phenomenon that such rare lines based on solid positional basis often yield much better practical results than the well tested routine main lines.


More Simple Chess
John Emms
£14.99/$19.95
144 pages, Everyman
In this book, Grandmaster John Emms aims to give the reader a thorough grooming on all the crucial aspects of chess strategy. Moving on from the basic principles, Emms draws upon both his own experiences and those of other international players to unravel the mystery surrounding positional chess. This book will be particularly helpful for those who have previously honed their chess skills with the highly popular Simple Chess.


The Tarrasch Formula
Sam Palatnik & Mark Ishee
£14.95/$19.95
244 pages, Chess Digest
Subtitled: "If one piece is badly placed, your whole game is bad."
Chess Digest resumes publishing with a unique new book. Palatnik and Ishee's central metaphor is an interesting one - the pack versus the herd. Imagine your own pieces as a pack of wolves trying to isolate a sick buffalo from your opponent's herd. The premise is that steady play 'to reduce the power of a single enemy piece, turning down the volume until its normal voice becomes a whisper,' can be enough to win a game. The authors examine play against weak knights, bishops, and opposite-colored bishops in situations where a piece is cut off or misplaced. They have a chapter on heavier pieces and on zugzwang. The 57 games in this book will very likely transform the way you play chess, providing a straightforward and effective method for improving your decision-making and move selection.


Chess for Juniors
Robert M Snyder
£9.99/$15
237 pages, Random House
Robert Snyder, national chess master and noted teacher, introduces this timeless game to the young beginner. Snyder teaches the basic principles and then builds on students' knowledge, giving clear instructions on how to choose and employ opening, middle, and endgame strategies to win. In twenty graduated lessons, with over 275 diagrams, Chess for Juniors covers: Basic Rules, Check, Checkmate, and Castling, Opening Systems, including the Ruy Lopez, the Sicilian Defense, the Nimzo-Indian, the Queen's Indian Defense. Basic Endgame Strategy, Tactics such as the Hanging Piece, the Fork, and the Pin, And more.


Unbeatable Chess Lessons
Robert M Snyder
£9.99/$15
237 pages, Random House
In Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors, game master Robert M. Snyder takes games played by the world's best players-including Bobby Fischer, Reuben Fine, Samuel Reshevsky-and creates lessons designed for rapid game improvement. Targeted at 8-13-year-olds, this book explains the ideas behind every move in a format that both the advanced beginner can understand and the intermediate player can greatly benefit from. As he did in his best-selling Chess for Juniors, Snyder provides clear step-by-step instruction in clear language. He applies the lessons learned by the greats to the games that every student plays.


Power Chess with Pieces
Jan Timman
£16.95/$31.95
230 pages, New In Chess
Former world championship candidate Jan Timman shows the way through the fascinating maze of the middle game. What, after all, is the point of getting an advantage in the opening if you don't know how to exploit this advantage? On the basis of countless examples encountered in his chess career, Timman deals with themes like 'strong knight against bishop' and the 'dominant bishop pair'. How is one to proceed when one emerges from the opening with a strong knight and one's opponent is stuck with a bad bishop? And is the bishop pair really as strong as they say? And how can one put this asset to maximum use? Or, conversely, how can one contain the damage if the roles are reversed?

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