The Four Knights

The Four Knights Game is one of the oldest chess openings and continues to be a popular choice among beginners and club players. In recent years leading grandmasters such as Alexey Shirov and Emil Sutovsky have injected the Four Knights with numerous fresh ideas and changed its peaceful reputation. White has quite a few ways to create tension and play for the attack. Russian International Master Andrey Obodchuk has written a repertoire book for white players based on the Spanish Four Knights variation (starting with 4.Bb5). Covering a range of positional themes as well as sharp and amazing adventures, Obodchuk has created an easy-to-handle toolbox for amateur chess players of intermediate level, as well as a challenging exposition for stronger players.

The Four Knights is an opening with a long and distinguished history. Despite its deceptively quiet appearance, it can lead to extremely sharp play as well as more strategic battles in the main lines.

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.

International Master Jan Pinski delves into the secrets of the Four Knights for the first time, studying the strategic ideas for both white and black players. Pinksi covers both the fashionable main lines and the tricky sidelines, bringing the reaser u

Traditionally regarded as a solid, but rather dull opening, the Four Knights has recently been completely transformed by the games of Nigel Short, Murray Chandler and John Nunn. Grandmaster John Nunn looks at this newly revitalized and effective winning weapon and presents his selection of the most theoretically important games. John Nunn is one of the co-winners of the British Chess Federation's Book of the Year Award for Secrets of Grandmaster Play.

Return to the thrilling magical world of Britannia with this new adventure from the creator of The Seven Deadly Sins After defeating the Holy Knight Talisker and joining up with Nasiens the herbalist, Percival and company head to the city of Sistana to arrange transportation to Liones. However, not all is well in the city of Sistana. A Holy Knight is searching for a fragment of the “Coffin of Eternal Darkness,” telling the townsfolk that it will protect them from the danger of the Four Knights. However, a young lady with a strange power knows he has other intentions. When Percival arrives, he discovers that he has a personal stake in stopping this evil plan. But with such a powerful opponent, he may not survive the attempt…

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An unforgettable fable about a father's journey and a timeless guide to life's many questions—from Ethan Hawke, four-time Academy Award nominee, twice for writing and twice for acting. A knight, fearing he may not return from battle, writes a letter to his children in an attempt to leave a record of all he knows. In a series of ruminations on solitude, humility, forgiveness, honesty, courage, grace, pride, and patience, he draws on the ancient teachings of Eastern and Western philosophy, and on the great spiritual and political writings of our time. His intent: to give his children a compass for a journey they will have to make alone, a short guide to what gives life meaning and beauty.