The French is one of Black's soundest defences to 1 e4 and is very popular at all levels of chess. Club players enjoy its super-solid structure, while at the top it's played by famous grandmasters such as Vishy Anand and the young Russian star Alexander Morozevich. With his first two moves Black obtains a substantial foothold in the centre, and a structure that is incredibly difficult to break down. In this user-friendly book, International Master Byron Jacobs revisits the basic principles behind the French Defence and all of its variations. Throughout the reader is helped along by a wealth...

The King's Indian is one of the most exciting defences in chess and is favoured by ambitious and aggressive players. At the highest level it has been a major weapon for World Champions Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster Joe Gallagher goes back to the basics of the King's Indian, studying the key principles of its many variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, warnings and exercises to help the improving player, while important strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.

The Nimzo-Indian is one of the soundest and most popular defences against 1 d4, offering Black the chance to unbalance the game early on and play for a win without undue risk. Advocates include virtually all of the world's top players, including Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand and Anatoly Karpov. In this revolutionary book, Grandmaster Chris Ward revisits the basic principles behind the Nimzo-Indian and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide the reader is helped along by a wealth of notes, tips and warnings from the author, while key strategies, ideas and...

The Queen s Gambit is one of the most popular and fundamental chess openings of all time and it has been the battleground for countless world-class encounters throughout the history of chess. Adherents include a long list of World champions, including Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Vladimir Kramnik. With his first two moves, Black creates a super-strong foothold in the center, one that is incredibly difficult to break down. In this book, John Shaw revisits the basic principles behind the Queen's Gambit and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide readers are aided by a...

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. Both books are written in a user-friendly style with an abundance of notes, tips and warnings scattered throughout, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. The authors of these books are very skilled and experienced chess writers, who are used to writing for players of all levels and are renowned for their ability to explain ideas in a lucid and...

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 user-friendly style with an abundance of notes, tips and warnings scattered throughout, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. The authors of these books are very skilled and experienced chess writers, who are used to writing for players of all levels and are renowned for their ability to explain ideas in a lucid...

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

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 certainly worthwhile investing a good amount of time on honing the ability to defend properly. In this valuable and entertaining book, Angus Dunnington arms readers with all the necessary skills to be able to cope with vicious assaults on their king. Using illustrative games, Dunnington investigates in depth defensive ideas such as blockading,...

In this easy-to-read guide, openings expert John Cox goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of Alekhine's Defence and its numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to guide improving playe

Endgames with kings, rooks and pawns are by far the most common type--it is estimated that rook endgames are reached in nearly one in five of all chess games. Grandmaster and well-known endgames expert Chris Ward begins with the absolute fundamentals of rook endgames. He gradually arms readers with the indispensable knowledge and confidence needed to move onto slightly trickier positions. Using examples from practical play, Ward highlights the correct plans as well as the typical mistakes made by both attacker and defender.