One false move, and you're dead — as in other games, chess is fraught with situations in which the wrong reaction leads directly to defeat. However, unlike most other games, chess's most dangerous moments are often subtle and easily overlooked. This volume offers guidance to players at every level on how to develop an early warning system. Its advice is structured around three main sources: outside (the opponent); inside (the player's own thought process); and the stimulus itself (the board position). The author, an Israeli psychologist and FIDE Master, shows players how to identify actual and potential hazards and how detecting them can be used not only to bolster defense but also as an attack strategy. Includes 24 black-and-white figures.

Winning in chess is impossible without taking risks. Winning requires courage and psychology, but above all: calculation. No matter how deep you calculate, you will always reach a point where you must come to an assessment, deal with uncertainties and take a decision. When your main aim is to derail your opponent’s calculation by weaving a web of deception, you engage in the highest form of risk: bluff. Renowned chess coach Vladimir Tukmakov presents more than 100 practical ways that masters and grandmasters have used to push beyond the limits of calculation and take a deliberate risk. He shows how to trick your opponent into believing your bluff. This is the first attempt to understand the nature of risk in chess. After studying this book you will think twice before wasting an opportunity to do what even the greatest players have done: bluff your way to victory.

Mastering Positional Chess is a serious, but entertaining chess instruction book. Daniel started writing it when he realized that his lack of positional understanding was causing him to lose many games.

The Power of the Pieces In his new, ground-breaking series, The Power of the Pieces, Belorussian grandmaster Sergey Kasparov examines the strengths, weaknesses and overall characteristics of each piece on the chessboard. This first volume in the series is about the bishop. Its role in the opening, middlegame and endgame is discussed in detail, amply supported by over 140 examples from tournament praxis. Topics include: Bishops of the Same Color; Opposite-Color Bishops; Bishop vs. Knight; Bishop vs. Rook; Two Bishops vs. Knight and Bishop; Bishop vs. Pawns; The King’s Indian Bishop; The French Bishop; The Nimzo-Indian Bishop; The Fianchetto on g2; The Stonewall Bishop; The Advantage of the Two Bishops; The “Bad” Bishop; The Attacking Bishop; and Opposite-color Bishops in the Middlegame. Popular chess author Sergey Kasparov is known for his entertaining writing style. His books are always instructive and insightful. Books previously published by Russell Enterprises include The Exchange Sacrifice and Doubled Pawns.

A one-of-a-kind masterclass in chess from the greatest player of all time. Learn how to play chess the Bobby Fischer way with the fastest, most efficient, most enjoyable method ever devised. Whether you’re just learning the game or looking for more complex strategies, these practice problems and exercises will help you master the art of the checkmate. This book teaches through a programmed learning method: It asks you a question. If you give the right answer, it goes on to the next question. If you give the wrong answer, it explains why the answer is wrong and asks you to go back and try again. Thanks to the book’s unique formatting, you will work through the exercises on the right-hand side, with the correct answer hidden on the next page. The left-hand pages are intentionally printed upside-down; after reaching the last page, simply turn the book upside-down and work your way back. When you finish, not only will you be a much better chess player, you may even be able to beat Bobby Fischer at his own game!

"From the basic moves to winning your first games - and beyond"--Cover

Garry Kasparov was the highest-rated chess player in the world for over twenty years and is widely considered the greatest player that ever lived. In How Life Imitates Chess Kasparov distills the lessons he learned over a lifetime as a Grandmaster to offer a primer on successful decision-making: how to evaluate opportunities, anticipate the future, devise winning strategies. He relates in a lively, original way all the fundamentals, from the nuts and bolts of strategy, evaluation, and preparation to the subtler, more human arts of developing a personal style and using memory, intuition, imagination and even fantasy. Kasparov takes us through the great matches of his career, including legendary duels against both man (Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov) and machine (IBM chess supercomputer Deep Blue), enhancing the lessons of his many experiences with examples from politics, literature, sports and military history. With candor, wisdom, and humor, Kasparov recounts his victories and his blunders, both from his years as a world-class competitor as well as his new life as a political leader in Russia. An inspiring book that combines unique strategic insight with personal memoir, How Life Imitates Chess is a glimpse inside the mind of one of today's greatest and most innovative thinkers.

Experienced chess player and writer Angus Dunnington takes a look at why the good, the bad and the indifferent all make errors, from small positional misjudgements to simply leaving a queen en prise.

The main reason why we lose at chess is no big secret: we all make unnecessary mistakes! But simply acknowledging this fact isn't enough to help us improve. The big question is, how can we eliminate these mistakes from our game, or at least keep them to an absolute minimum? Colin Crouch tackles this vital subject face-to-face. Drawing upon his considerable experience, he looks back at critical moments within games where mistakes are made, and examines how we can recognise the danger signs and avoid making impulsive decisions. The reader is constantly challenged by exercises, which provide perfect training for real over-the-board battles. Essential training to eliminate mistakesAdvice on how to improve calculation and assessmentIncludes over 50 carefully planned exercises.

The use of the queen, the active king, exchanges, pawn play, the center, weak squares, more. Often considered the most important book on strategy. 298 diagrams.