The Story Of Chess In 50 Moves

The History of Chess in 50 Moves tells the 1,500-year story of chess in fifty selections. The fifty people, places, or things all make fascinating stand-alone stories that can be read individually, but taken together they give the reader a sense of how chess has changed, adapted, and thrived down through the centuries. The story begins in the East and follows the movement of chess along the silk trade routes as comes to the West via Persia. From there it spreads to Africa, Russia, and Europe, where it takes the form that is familiar to us today. The greatest players, matches and tournaments of all time get their moments in the sun, but equally important are the bigger trends and patterns, from the evolution of different playing styles to the emergence of computer technology. Chess has a rich history, and The History of Chess in 50 Moves reflects this with a rich selection of historical illustrations and photographs. Specially drawn diagrams also appear throughout to help specific moves come to life.

The History of Chess in Fifty Moves recounts the 1,500-year history of the game of royals, from its ancient beginnings to Deep Blue, Kasparov and internet chess. As stand-alone stories or in sequence, the 50 chapters explain how chess has changed, adapted, and thrived through the centuries. It reveals the sublime players, the controversies, the great tournaments and upsets, the victories... nothing is overlooked. Entertaining and faithful text descriptions, artwork reproductions, archival photographs, callout boxes, quotations of interest, and chessboard diagrams bring chess's colorful history to life. The stories cover the globe's chessboards and the game's generations of players, including: The Turk, the automaton hoax that fooled royalty Theories on the origin of chess The longest match The Polgar sisters The decline of Boris Spassky The Bobby Fischer phenomenon The Soviet invasion Chess, codebreaking and Bletchley Park The female Soviet, Vera Menchik The first official chess Olympiad Phillip Stamma notates chess The Da Vinci connection Capablanca versus Alekhine The Internet changes everything. For chess players at all levels, The History of Chess in Fifty Moves is an exciting treat they will return to again and again.

Modern Ideas in Chess is a series of 45 essays dealing with the evolution of game, its leading players, their ideas and contributions to their respective periods. The chronology starts in the Romantic era of Anders-sen and Morphy, continues through the Classical School of Steinitz, Tarrasch, Lasker, and runs to the dawn of the Hypermodern Revolution; the 70 year stretch from 1852 to 1922. Working in small chunks Rti had to be selective in what he extracted from each player and period. Plus the individual elements all had to tie in with the larger canvass Rti was painting for his readers. You dont have to get too far into the book to realize that Rti was a creative artist using the tension of chess ideas to reflect the larger intellectual struggle of mankind. How does Rti do it? A solid chess foundation obviously helps, also keen observation of the human experience coupled with a powerful command of language. Together these serve up indelible images that stick in the mind of the reader and lift this work far above the ordinary. Modern Ideas in Chess is one of the rare books that transcends the time frame in which it was written. It stands on its own, timeless, one of the true classics in the literature of the game.

This is an updated and largely expanded edition of the highly acclaimed Starting Out: The Sicilian. John Emms goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Sicilian and its many variations.

A fresh, engaging look at how 32 carved pieces on a Chess board forever changed our understanding of war, art, science, and the human brain. Chess is the most enduring and universal game in history. Here, bestselling author David Shenk chronicles its intriguing saga, from ancient Persia to medieval Europe to the dens of Benjamin Franklin and Norman Schwarzkopf. Along the way, he examines a single legendary game that took place in London in 1851 between two masters of the time, and relays his own attempts to become as skilled as his Polish ancestor Samuel Rosenthal, a nineteenth-century champion. With its blend of cultural history and Shenk’s lively personal narrative, The Immortal Game is a compelling guide for novices and aficionados alike.

A chess grandmaster reveals the powerful teachings this ancient game offers for staying present, thriving in a complex world, and crafting a fulfilling life. Refined and perfected through 1,500 years of human history, chess has long been a touchstone for shrewd tacticians and master strategists. But the game is much more than just warfare in miniature. Chess is also an ever-shifting puzzle to be solved, a narrative to be written, and a task that demands players create their own motivation from moment to moment. In other words, as Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson argues in this kaleidoscopic and inspiring book, there are ways to see all of life reflected in those 64 black and white squares. Taking us inside the psychologically charged world of chess's global elite, Rowson mines the game for its insights into sustaining focus, quieting our inner saboteur, making tough decisions, overcoming failure, and more. He peels back the beguiling logic of chess to reveal the timeless wisdom underneath. This exhilarating tour ranges from learning how to love our mistakes to considering why people are like trees; from the mysteries of parenting to the beauty of technical details, to the endgame of death. Throughout, chess emerges as a powerful and accessible metaphor for the thrills and setbacks that fill our daily lives with meaning and beauty.

Explains all legal chess moves, and discusses the regulations governing tournaments, lifetime rankings, and tournament director certification.

WINNER of the ChessCafe 2008 Book of the Year Award SHORTLISTED for The Guardian 2008 Chess Book of the Year Award Why is it that the human brain so often refuses to consider winning chess tactics? Every chess fan marvels at the wonderful combinations with which famous masters win their games. How do they find those fantastic moves? Do they have special vision? And why do computers outwit us tactically? Forcing Chess Moves proposes a revolutionary method for finding winning moves. Charles Hertan has made an astonishing discovery: the failure to consider key moves is often due to human bias. Your brain tends to disregard many winning moves because they are counter-intuitive or look unnatural. It’s a fact of life: computers outdo us humans when it comes to tactical vision and brute force calculation. So why not learn from them? Charles Hertan’s radically different approach is: use COMPUTER EYES and always look for the most forcing move first. By studying forcing sequences according to Hertan’s method you will: Develop analytical precision Improve your tactical vision Overcome human bias and staleness Enjoy the calculation of difficult positions Win more games by recognizing moves that matter. This New and Extended Fourth Edition of Hertan’s award-winning modern classic includes 50 extra pages with new and instructive combinations. There is a foreword by three-time US chess champion Joel Benjamin, and a special foreword to this new edition by Swedish Grandmaster Pontus Carlsson.