Compares the two theories behind chess thought--the technical and the creative--using the techniques of thirteen famous players as examples

In this enlarged edition of a modern classic (first published in 1991) on the battle of chess ideas, grandmaster Mihai Suba developed the concept of ?dynamic potential? in modern chess strategy. In improving your position on the board the old strategy principles often lead to conflicting conclusions. Suba takes another view on the meaning of, for example, ?bad positions? and ?quiet moves?, and uses a light touch to explain his ideas. With many entertaining and instructive examples the author explores ?the accumulation of potential? as the modern way to get the advantage. A thought-provoking and yet very practical guide.

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.

A chess match seems about as solitary an endeavor as there is in sports: two minds, on their own, in fierce opposition. But is this the case? Inevitably these two minds are in dialogue, and perhaps might be better understood as partners in play. And surrounding that one-on-one contest is a community life that can be as dramatic and intense as the across-the-board confrontation. Gary Alan Fine has spent years immersed in several communities of amateur and professional chess players--children and adults--and in Players and Pawns he takes readers deep inside these worlds, revealing a complex, brilliant, feisty world of commitment and conflict. Opening with a close look at a routine, yet financially troubled, tournament in Atlantic City, Fine carries us from planning and setup through the climactic final day's match-ups between the weekend's top players, introducing us along the way to countless players and their relationships to the game. At tournaments like that one, as well as in locales as diverse as collegiate matches and cash games in Manhattan's Washington Square Park, players find themselves part of what Fine terms a soft community, an open, welcoming space built on their shared commitment to the game. Within that community, chess players find both support and challenges, all amid a shared interest in and love of the long-standing traditions of the game, traditions that help chess players build a communal identity.

Perceptive coverage of all 210 games from the legendary tournament, which featured Smyslov, Keres, Reshevsky, Petrosian, and 11 others, including the author. Suitable for players at all levels. Algebraic notation. 352 diagrams.