This structured, self-paced guide gives step-by-step assistance in mastering the fundamentals of French, the second most popular language in the United States. Includes added information on what not to say, conversational shortcuts, and slang.

-- Co-author Paul Truong is a five-time National Chess Champion of Vietnam and is currently the reigning US Open Blitz Chess Champion. Grandmaster Susan Polgar is the Women's World Chess Champion and former #1 ranked woman in the world of chess. -- There are few books more comprehensive than Alpha Teach Yourself Chess in 24 Hours or any that will have as broad-based an appeal to both beginning, intermediate, and tournament-ready players -- The U.S. Chess Federation has 88,000 registered members at all levels of experience. There are nearly 2,000 USCF-affiliated chess clubs, and more than 100,000 chess players participate in USCF events every year. The official publication, Chess Life, is distributed nationally every month to more than 250,000 readers. The origins of chess are still a matter of much debate -- some believe the world's most popular board game originated in India; others claim it was created in China in the Sixth century, A.D. One thing is clear, however: chess is a game that transcends languages and borders and nationalities. Alpha Teach Yourself Chess in 24 Hours is a clear, concise, and fully comprehensive guide to learning this challenging but vastly enjoyable game. The book takes the beginner through the basics (rules, value of chess pieces, etc.) and takes the reader step by step until they are ready to tackle their first tournament. Along the way, the reader will learn basic chess middle games, basic chess endgames, and all the facets necessary to understand the different levels. This book will be a must for the beginner, the intermediate, or even those who know the chess but would like to brush up on their game.

One of the biggest challenges a person faces in his/her career is becoming a manager. Not only must a manager lead, they must motivate, organize and innovate. It can include reading financial statements, organizing teams, resolving disputes and understanding the overall organizational culture of a company. Macmillan Teach Yourself Management Skills in 24 Hours offers new managers a well-organized, structured approach to self-training. Covering everything from negotiation and project management to interviewing techniques and performance appraisals, this title offers 24 straightforward chapters, each of which can be read and studied in about an hour.

Presents the story behind the self-learning artificial intelligence system with its stunning chess skills

COGNITIVE ANALYTICS AND REINFORCEMENT LEARNING The combination of cognitive analytics and reinforcement learning is a transformational force in the field of modern technological breakthroughs, reshaping the decision-making, problem-solving, and innovation landscape; this book offers an examination of the profound overlap between these two fields and illuminates its significant consequences for business, academia, and research. Cognitive analytics and reinforcement learning are pivotal branches of artificial intelligence. They have garnered increased attention in the research field and industry domain on how humans perceive, interpret, and respond to information. Cognitive science allows us to understand data, mimic human cognitive processes, and make informed decisions to identify patterns and adapt to dynamic situations. The process enhances the capabilities of various applications. Readers will uncover the latest advancements in AI and machine learning, gaining valuable insights into how these technologies are revolutionizing various industries, including transforming healthcare by enabling smarter diagnosis and treatment decisions, enhancing the efficiency of smart cities through dynamic decision control, optimizing debt collection strategies, predicting optimal moves in complex scenarios like chess, and much more. With a focus on bridging the gap between theory and practice, this book serves as an invaluable resource for researchers and industry professionals seeking to leverage cognitive analytics and reinforcement learning to drive innovation and solve complex problems. The book’s real strength lies in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation. It offers a rich tapestry of use cases and examples. Whether you are a student looking to gain a deeper understanding of these cutting-edge technologies, an AI practitioner seeking innovative solutions for your projects, or an industry leader interested in the strategic applications of AI, this book offers a treasure trove of insights and knowledge to help you navigate the complex and exciting world of cognitive analytics and reinforcement learning. Audience The book caters to a diverse audience that spans academic researchers, AI practitioners, data scientists, industry leaders, tech enthusiasts, and educators who associate with artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cognitive sciences.

Chess concepts explained in clear, simple language,for young players.,.

A chess grandmaster and a certified financial planner show readers how to approach investing like a chess player, and how to gain financial freedom. Discover how you can apply the strategies of chess to manage your money better. World Chess Champion Grandmaster Susan Polgar and international investment advisor Douglas Goldstein, CFP, share practical examples and never-before-heard stories from the chess, and show you: · What is holding you back from financial freedom · How to apply the strategies that Susan Polgar used to win 10 Olympic medals to managing your money · The 64 strategies that can make you as “Rich as a King!” Praise for Rich As a King “An entertaining, informative, and very interesting treatment of investment strategy, tactics, and wisdom.”—Michael Spence, Nobel Prize Laureate, Economics, 2001 “Goldstein and Polgar integrate chess and investment strategies in a remarkably entertaining and educational fashion. Chess players who know little about investing and investors who know little about chess will gain fresh insights into both.”—Ken Rogoff, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund; professor, Economics Department, Harvard University; chess grandmaster “A treasure trove of financial tips, brilliantly weaving together the strategic thinking of a chess master with the practical advice of an experienced financial analyst.”—Doug Shadel, PhD; AARP financial fraud expert and author of Outsmarting the Scam Artists “This fast-moving, enjoyable book shows you how to think better, make better decisions, and achieve your long-term goals of “financial victory” with great certainty.”—Brian Tracy, bestselling author of Million Dollar Habits

Deep Neural Networks have revolutionized computer engines for Go, Shogi and chess. Finally computers are able to evaluate a game position similiar to the way human experts do it. By that, computers are able to identify long-term strategic advantages and disadvantages. But how do chess engines based on neural networks such as AlphaZero, Leela Chess Zero actually work? This book gives an answer to that question. With lots of practical examples and illustrations, all basic building blocks that are required to understand modern chess are introduced. Based on that, the concepts of both classic and modern chess engines are explained. Finally, a miniature version of AlphaZero to play the game Hexapawn is implemented in Python. Chapters include: Single-Layer and Multilayer Perceptrons, Back-Propagation and Gradient Descent, Classification and Regression, Network Vectorization, Convolutional Layers, Squeeze and Excitation Networks, Fully Connected Layers, Batch Normalization, Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU), Residual Layers, Minimax, Alpha-Beta Search, Monte-Carlo Tree Search, AlphaGo, AlphaGo Zero, AlphaZero, Leela Chess Zero (Lc0), Fat Fritz, Effectively Updateable Neural Networks, Fat Fritz 2, Maia, Supervised Learning Hexapawn, Reinforcement Learning of Hexapawn (Hexapawn Zero)