Alexey Alexeyevich Troitzky (1866-1942) is considered to have been the greatest composer of chess endgame studies ever. To call him a genius is to trivialize his accomplishments, because there are many geniuses, but few can equal the output of Troitzky. In his lifetime, Troitzky composed more than one thousand chess endgame studies. Nobody really knows how many. In this work, published in 1937, he started an ambitious project to collect all of his creations together and then put them into order according to theme. In this, the first volume of the projected project, Troitzky presented in order endgames which either started with a queen or a rook already on the board or else with a solution that involved promoting a pawn to a queen or a rook. Looking at the section starting on page 259 entitled "Classification of Studies by Themes", one can see the logical ordering of this book. Previous reprints of this work have omitted 72 pages which include the analysis of the two knights vs. pawn endgames which Troitzky proved for the first time leads to a win for the two knights, depending on the position of the pawn. By removing this section, previous editors butchered the work, because many of these compositions end with a position involving two knights against a pawn. In these cases, Troitzky simply writes "And wins". To see how White wins one needs the section on two knights against pawn. Here is the complete work. Nowadays, the great sport has become trying to bust or "cook" by computer analysis the long established problems such as those in this book. However, Troitzky's compositions have stood the test of time more than those of other composers. Computers have a horizon beyond which they cannot see. Thus, endgame composition and analysis is one field where humans can still beat and perhaps will always be able to defeat even the most powerful computers. The problems in this book are truly fantastic. The solutions look impossible. Yet, what seems like many defenses are simply not there. Somehow there are no safe places where the king or queen can escape or there is a knight just in exactly the right spot to give a fork. It is good that the solutions come right after the problems, because nobody could ever solve them if the solutions were put in the back.

Thorough discourse and rigorous analysis, enlivened by wit, offers a classic exposition of the endgame. Commentary, statistics, and more than 400 studies have been completely revised and updated by the author.

• One of the world's greatest chess players reveals the secrets of how he plans his play • Packed with invaluable information on how to mobilise your forces, avoid threats and win the game • Illustrated with a wealth of annotated examples from the author's own games The legendary Anatoly Karpov has won over 250 Grandmaster tournaments, many more than any other player in chess history, and his games are characterised by his gradually and patiently pushing an opponent back to the wall, before finally finishing him off with a deadly blow. In this unique book, aimed at ordinary club players, Karpov gives a wealth of tips on how to incorporate this dramatic style of play into your own repertoire, through careful planning and evaluation of positions: looking at the fire-power of your forces, being aware of threats to your own king and how to safeguard it, and careful control of open lines. As he says himself: 'Finding the right plan is the key to success'. Warmily and accessibly written, but with Karpov's usual air of authority, this book makes you feel like you are spending an evening with the man himself, and will help you to absorb a little bit of the Karpov magic.

Nowadays, chessplayers spend almost all their free time preparing openings, and rarely spend the time necessary to perfect the vitally important technique of calculating. Regular training in solving and playing out endgames studies is a good recipe for eliminating that shortcoming. This training is directed at developing resourcefulness, fantasy (in chess, these qualities are called "combinative acuity”), and the readiness to sacrifice material, in pursuit of the goal - winning! How do we develop good habits of winning endgame play? There are lots of manuals; but this may be the first in which a famous practical player, a trainer with a world-renowned name, and a study composer who has earned the title of International Grandmaster of Composition, share their views in one and the same book.

Solving studies is well established as an effective method of chess improvement. In Practical Chess Beauty one of the world's greatest study composers shares his finest creations.Fire your imagination, gain a greater appreciation of chess geometry, and develop a finer feeling for the pieces' potential by trying to find the ideas hidden in the hundreds of studies in this book. Or simply wonder at some of the most stunning chess moves ever conceived.

John Nunn presents 250 challenging positions where your task is to find a cunning way to win or draw. In many cases the odds against success seem overwhelming, yet by using all the tactical resources in the position it is possible to achieve the goal. The studies were subjected to a rigorous checking procedure, during which thousands of unsatisfactory positions were weeded out. The 250 studies finally selected represent some of the finest creations of composers such as Kasparian, Troitsky, Pogosiants, Mitrofanov, Chéron and Réti. Nunn's detailed solutions contain many points and clarifications that have hitherto gone unmentioned, so readers will rarely be left to wonder whether their intended solution really did work. In an over-the-board game, the ability to use the pieces in harmony is paramount, and those players who can exploit every resource in a position are those who become champions. While the focus in this book is on tactics, readers will also develop a greater understanding of many important endgame topics, such as fortresses, stalemate defences, the opposition and zugzwang.

Both an instruction book and an engaging meditation on the joys of chess, this is the final work by one of the most successful chess writers of all time. Irving Chernev blends anecdotes with his observations on inspiring moves and combinations by well- and lesser-known players, including Troitzky, Réti, Kasparyan, Benko, Kubbel, Rinck, Grigoriev, and many others. Each example is introduced with a cue ("White to play and win") and includes the composer's name, the date of its original publication if available, a clear diagram with an algebraic grid, and the winning variation presented in algebraic notion. Chernev's sparkling text is complemented by introductions by national Master Bruce Pandolfini and Adam Hart-Davis, an editor who worked with Chernev and who helped assemble this posthumous publication. Appropriate for players at every level, 200 Brilliant Endgames promises to assist chess enthusiasts in sharpening their endgame skills and to enhance their pleasure and satisfaction in the game.