World Champion Openings

New update includes the exciting games and moves of the newest World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik. This serious reference work covers the essential opening theory and moves of every major chess opening and variation as played by the world champions. Reading as much like an encyclopedia of the must-know openings crucial to every chess player's knowledge as a powerful tool showing the insights, concepts and secrets as used by the greatest players of all time, WCO covers an astounding 100 variations of crucial openings in full conceptual detail with more than 100 actual games from the champs themselves. A must-have book for serious chess players.

Wilhelm Steinitz, the winner of the first official World Chess Championship in 1886, would have rubbed his eyes in disbelieve if he could have seen how popular chess is today. With millions of players all around the world, live internet transmissions of major and minor competitions, and educational programs in thousands of schools, chess has truly become a global passion. And what would Steinitz, who had financial problems his whole life and died in poverty, have thought of the current world champion, Magnus Carlsen, who became a multi-millionaire in his early twenties just by playing great chess? The history of the World Chess Championship reflects these enormous changes, and Andre Schulz tells the stories of the title fights in fascinating detail: the historical and social backgrounds, the prize money and the rules, the seconds and other helpers, and the psychological wars on and off the board. Relive the magic of Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Tal, Karpov, Kasparov, Bobby Fischer and the others! Andre Schulz has selected one defining game from each championship, and he explains the moves of the Champions in a way that is easily accessible for amateur players. This is a book that no true chess lover wants to miss.

Genna Sosonko lived the first 29 years of his life in Leningrad. He emigrated to Holland in 1972 and was one of the strongest grandmasters in the world. His bestselling book, Russian Silhouettes, was shortlisted for the world’s premier chess book award, the British Chess Federation Book of the Year.

This aggressive counterattacking repertoire covers Black opening systems against virtually every opening except for 1.e4 (plus most flank games), based on the exciting and powerful Tarrasch Defense, which helped win Kasparov and Spassky championships. Black learns the Classical Tarrasch, Symmetrical Tarrasch, Asymmetrical Tarrasch, Marshall and Tarrasch gambits, and Tarrasch without Nc3, to achieve early equality or even an outright advantage in the first few moves. This is an important opening book for aggressive players looking for an edge. 288 pages

"The definitive guide to the concepts and secrets of chess tactics as played by the world champions"--Cover.

This great beginning book shows players how to confidently start out a chess game with solid near-foolproof openings. Easy-to-read and targeted to novice and new chess players, the oversized format is filled with large diagrams, clear explanations, and ideas and concepts that are easy for new players. Even better, no knowledge of chess notation is required, nor does the reader need to memorize variations. Everything learned becomes common sense and the game becomes fun. Schiller, an ardent teacher of children and beginning players, shows the top ten most important chess openings and teaches readers the importance of focusing on the four clear goals of the opening. This book makes us want to learn chess all over again! 160 pages