Chess Duels

He describes and analyses, in depth, his most memorable encounters-both famous victories and painful defeats, against the best chess players of the last 50 years. --

Everyone is fascinated by great games of chess: the spectacular sacrifices, profound strategic plans and brilliant endgame play produced in the heat of combat are powerful expressions of the creativity of the human mind. But which, of all the hundreds of candidates, are the very greatest games ever played? Here, in this book, is Grandmaster Raymond Keene's personal selection: twelve games, played by the giants of chess, each of them representing a peak in chess-playing genius. From the slashing attacks of Paul Morphy to the classical beauty of Jose Capablanca; from the python like constriction of Aron Nimzowitsch to the dynamic aggression of Gary Kasparov: all styles of chess are present, as are the great names of chess, including Steinitz, Lasker, Alekhine, Spassky and Fischer.

Grandmaster and renowned chess coach Zenón Franco provides a training course designed to help all aspiring players to improve their chess. During each lesson, you are invited to play a 'game' in which you try to find the best moves at all the important moments. Points are awarded for selecting the best moves - and are deducted for selecting blunders! At the end of each lesson there is a points scale to indicate how well you have 'played'. This means you are able to accurately measure your progress as you work through the book. Readers are tested in all aspects of chess: attack, defence, counterattack, tactics, structures, strategy, endgames and so on. Following this interactive course of lessons is an ideal way to improve your game. A structured course of chess trainingIncludes 40 deeply annotated exercise gamesIdeal for both chess students and trainers

At the U.S. Championship in 1989, Stuart Rachels seemed bound for the cellar. Ranked last and holding no IM norms, the 20-year-old amateur from Alabama was expected to get waxed by the American top GMs of the day that included Seirawan, Gulko, Dzindzichashvili, deFirmian, Benjamin and Browne. Instead, Rachels pulled off a gigantic upset and became the youngest U.S. Champion since Bobby Fischer. Three years later he retired from competitive chess, but he never stopped following the game. In this wide-ranging, elegantly written, and highly personal memoir, Stuart Rachels passes on his knowledge of chess. Included are his duels against legends such as Kasparov, Anand, Spassky, Ivanchuk, Gelfand and Miles, but the heart of the book is the explanation of chess ideas interwoven with his captivating stories. There are chapters on tactics, endings, blunders, middlegames, cheating incidents, and even on how to combat that rotten opening, the Réti. Rachels offers a complete and entertaining course in chess strategy. At the back are listed 110 principles of play—bits of wisdom that arise naturally in the book’s 24 chapters. Every chess player will find it difficult to put this sparkling book down. As a bonus, it will make you a better player.

Batsford's Chess Bible is a landmark, full-colour chess instruction book, ideal for both beginners and more experienced players wanting to improve their game. The book takes the form of a course, with quick-start guides to help to retain the information you've learned and puzzle sections for you to test yourself as you go. To illustrate more advanced strategy and tactics, author Sean Marsh uses world-class chess 'heroes', such as Anatoly Karpov and Mikhail Tal, to bring the concepts to life. Essential topics include: Pieces and Moves: the very basics, covering the chessboard, notation, the names of the pieces and how they move, plus an overview of chess etiquette. What Chess is All About: an exploration of chess culture and history. Winning, Drawing and Losing: Covers the various ways of winning at chess, and how games are drawn. Six Openings for Life: Coverage of six of the best chess openings, each illustrated by a different 'chess hero'. Tactical Weapons: An examination of forks, pins, skewers and other tactical devices, followed by illustrative games from Tactical Hero Mikhail Tal. Positional Play: Looks at good and bad positions, plus the art of planning, seen through the games of Positional Hero Tigran Petrosian. Human Factors: Typical mistakes and blunders to avoid. Easy to follow, yet thorough and challenging, this book is an essential companion for all budding chess champions.

The Genius of Alekhine In chess literature, there have only been a very few chess books that have immediately - and permanently - established themselves as classics. Lasker's Manual of Chess by Emanuel Lasker, Masters of the Chessboard by Richard Réti and Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual by Mark Dvoretsky are three that come to mind. There are of course others, among them My Best Games of Chess, 1908-1937 by the fourth world chess champion, Alexander Alekhine. The original English edition, published three-quarters of a century ago, used English descriptive notation, contained one photograph, no crosstables and was released in two separate volumes. This new 21st-century edition, presented with modern algebraic notation, has combined both books into a single volume, added more than three dozen archival photographs, crosstables, Alekhine's complete match and tournament records, a foreword by Russian grandmaster Igor Zaitsev, as well as many more diagrams. A comprehensive computer-assisted analytical supplement has also been prepared and is available for download at no extra charge, so that, if you wish, you may compare Alekhine's impressive notes with the preferences of the silicon monster. Whether you feel as if you are revisiting an old friend, or being introduced to this splendid game collection for the first time, you will marvel at how Alekhine's games and works remain in many respects extraordinarily consonant with the modern approach. And you will not fail to be impressed by the genuine genius that is Alekhine.

The Batsford Book of Chess is a landmark, full-colour chess instruction book, authoritatively written and beautifully designed. Arranged in the form of a course, it will take you all the way from tentative beginner to formidable chess player. 'Quick Start' reference pages help you retain the information you've learned, and puzzle sections let you test yourself as you go. To illustrate more advanced strategy and tactics, the author uses world-class 'chess heroes' such as Bobby Fischer and Mikhail Tal to bring the concepts to life. Essential topics include: • Pieces and Moves: the very basics, covering the chessboard, notation, the names of the pieces and how they move, plus an overview of chess etiquette • What Chess is All About: an exploration of chess culture and history • Winning, Drawing and Losing: Covers the various ways of winning at chess, and how games are drawn • Six Openings for Life: Coverage of six of the best chess openings, each illustrated by a different 'chess hero' • Tactical Weapons: An examination of forks, pins, skewers and other tactical devices, followed by illustrative games from Tactical Hero Mikhail Tal • Positional Play: Looks at good and bad positions, plus the art of planning, seen through the games of Positional Hero Tigran Petrosian • Human Factors: Typical mistakes and blunders you'll need to steer clear of Easy to follow, yet more thorough and more challenging than other chess instruction books on the market, this book is an essential companion for all budding chess champions.