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New Chess Books and CD-ROMs (Page 4 of 4)

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Books by Publisher: BatsfordBCMCaissa EditionsCaissa KftChess DigestChess EnterprisesChess PlayerChess StarsDoverEverymanGambitHardinge SimpoleHaysICEInformatorMcFarlandMcKayMoravian ChessNew in ChessOlmsPickardQuality ChessRussell EnterprisesThinker's PressMISCELLANEOUS
Books by Year Published: 2008200720062005200420032002200120001999Garry Kasparov Books


Chess Gems: 1000 Combinations You Should Know by Igor Sukhin (Mongoose Press, 2007)Chess Gems: 1000 Combinations You Should Know by Igor Sukhin
£15.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Combinations have long been considered the most creative aspect of chess. From the vast sea of chess games, a thousand combinations have been chosen. The most artistic, elegant, and famous: yet chess tactics are not only for aesthetic enjoyment - they help win games. This book will expand your chess horizons and help you to see how chess combinations have evolved over the last 1,000 years. Learn to recognize tactical patterns from real-life examples • improve your chances of finishing off your opponent with a tactical blow • find combinations missed by Grandmasters. Chess Gems is certain to sharpen your knowledge of both tactics and chess history • 335 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review
  

Basic Endings by Vlado Kovacevic (Croatian Chess Federation, 2007)Basic Endings by Vlado Kovacevic
£12.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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The most profound secrets of chess are hidden in chess endings; the thorough knowledge of the endgame directly determines the horizons of our chess culture. This book presents a lot of material and the systematic revelation of chess secrets to the attentive and ambitious reader. It is intended as a guide not only for beginners, for young and talented players, but the author hopes it may also be used as a manual by chess coaches and a valuable source of reference for top-level players. In short this book is is intended for all those who are aware of the importance of chess endings and wish to improve their technique and broaden their chess horizons • 140 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review
  

1000 Endgame Studies by Andras Meszaros (Magyar Sakkvilag, 2007)1000 Endgame Studies by Andras Meszaros
£16.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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The composing of endgame studies dates back many many centuries. It entails coming up with an idea and then turning it into a fantastic masterpiece. Hungarian IM Andras Meszaros brings together 1000 studies ranging from simple king and pawn endings to more complex multi-piece studies. Each page has six studies with diagram with the answers at the rear of the book • 313 pages, hardback • Read the November 2007 review
  

Great British Chess Triumphs (Impala Publications DVD-Video x 2, 2007)Great British Chess Triumphs DVD-Video
£24.99 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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Once again Impala Film Division brings chess fans incredible archive footage - for decades feared lost - of British wins by Nigel Short and Jon Speelman against the world’s best ever chess champion Garry Kasparov. This two-DVD set features the players’ own remarks and has an overall in-depth commentary by Grandmaster Raymond Keene. The jewel in the crown this time however are the long-lost wins by Britain’s Tony Miles against the reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov. Miles beat Karpov in a brilliant cliff-hanger but was then deprived of his moment of glory when BBC technicians went on strike and refused to screen the game. Impala Film Division has now located long-lost footage of this incredible win in archives in Berlin and for the very first time this historic Black win by Tony Miles is presented to British viewers. DVD 1: Miles beats Karpov (1983); Speelman beats Kasparov (1989). DVD 2: Short beats Kasparov 1 (1987); Short beats Kasparov 2 (1987). Video running time: approx. 95 minutes • Read the November 2007 review
 

Power Play 5 - Pawns by Daniel King (ChessBase DVD-ROM, 2007)Power Play 5 - Pawns by Daniel King
£21.50 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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You might be a brilliant tactician or a fearsome attacker, but you won’t always be able to apply these skills when you play. If a game takes on a quieter nature, it is crucial that you develop an understanding of pawn structures, pawn play and pawn weaknesses. In this fifth Power Play DVD, Daniel King discusses strong and weak pawn structures, isolated pawns and pawn islands, how to create pawn weaknesses, how to cramp a pawn structure, the power of centre pawns and much more. Remember, weak pawns can decide the game. At the end of the DVD you can test your understanding of pawn play and pawn structures by examining a series of specially selected test positions. The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer. Francois André Danican Philidor: THE PAWNS ARE THE SOUL OF CHESS. Video running time: more than 6 hours! • Read the November 2007 review
 

International Chess Calendar 2008 (Russell Enterprises, 2007)International Chess Calendar 2008
£6.99 plus postage £1.00 UK, £2.00 overseas

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The famous yearly ChessCafe Chess Calendar, including the days of birth and death of the most important chessplayers. Plus a number of games, problems, pictures and a monthly chronicle of chess events 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. • Read the November 2007 review
  

The Fabulous Budapest Gambit by Viktor Moskalenko (New in Chess, 2007)The Fabulous Budapest Gambit by Viktor Moskalenko
£17.90 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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The Budapest Gambit is popular with club and internet chess players all over the world, and it is easy to see why. It has surprise value, it’s not hard to learn, and it leads to sharp and dynamic play from the very start of the game. But what about its strategic value? Grandmasters tend to be sceptical about gambits like this. However, when Viktor Moskalenko started playing the Budapest, its all-round appeal struck him, and since then he has won many games with it in countless tournaments. This book contains quite a few of Moskalenko’s own games, as well as games by other star players from the past and the present. They illustrate perfectly the dynamic character of this gambit as well as its solid strategic foundations. The Fabulous Budapest Gambit does not shower you with long computer-generated variations, but provides crystal-clear insights into the wide spectrum of this opening, explaining the plans for both White and Black. Moskalenko’s lively style will infect you and encourage you to start playing this opening, which is a great weapon at any level, from club player to grandmaster • 260 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review
  

Vishy's Victory: The Undisputed 2007 World Chess Championship by Ray Keene, Julian Simpole & Steve Giddins (Impala, 2007)Vishy's Victory: The Undisputed 2007 World Chess Championship by Ray Keene, Julian Simpole & Steve Giddins
£19.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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After 13 years of strife and divided world titles, the match between Kramnik and Topalov in 2006 finally brought the great chess schism to a close. The agreed next step in the world championship reunification process was a match-tournament, to give other leading contenders a chance, before the title reverts to a match format in 2008. Julian Simpole was the man on the spot, while notes and back-up to this thrilling event have been provided by experienced chess author Steve Giddins. Finally, Ray Keene has added the Grandmaster touch • 215 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review
  

Chess Secrets: The Giants of Strategy by Neil McDonald (Everyman, 2007)Chess Secrets: The Giants of Strategy by Neil McDonald
£14.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Chess Secrets is a brand new series of books which uncover the mysteries of the most important aspects of chess: strategy, attack, opening play and gambits, classical play, endgames and preparation. In each book the author studies a number of great players from chess history who have excelled in a particular field of the game and who have undeniably influenced those who have followed. The chess world has been blessed with some wonderful strategists, innovators of the game with their instructive play and profound teachings. In The Giants of Strategy, Neil McDonald chooses his selection of the most prominent ones and highlights the major contributions they have made. He examines their differing approaches and styles, and from Nimzowitsch to Kramnik, how they followed in each other's footsteps. A careful study of this book will help you to understand and improve in one of the most crucial elements of the game. An entertaining and instructive guide to chess strategy. Learn from the greats of the game. Discover how famous chess minds work • 256 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review
  

Gambiteer II by Nigel Davies (Everyman, 2007)Gambiteer II by Nigel Davies
£14.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Are you fearless in your approach to chess openings? Do you like to attack your opponents from the very beginning? Are you happy to take calculated risks? Are you a Gambiteer? If the answer to these questions is 'yes' then this is the book for you! In this second volume of the Gambiteer series, opening expert Nigel Davies produces an ambitious and uncompromising repertoire for Black. His two main choices are the Albin Counter Gambit and the Schliemann Gambit. As gambits go they are the pick of the crop, having been tried and tested by some of the World's most inventive players. All of the opening lines Davies advocates lead to positions of open warfare, where sharp, tactical play completely dominates dreary, positional subtleties. Are you ready for the battle? Then cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war! Includes an armoury of aggressive ideas for Black. Features chess at its most bloodthirsty. Ideal for the attack-minded player • 192 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review
  

Practical Endgame Play - Beyond The Basics by Glenn Flear (Everyman, 2007)Practical Endgame Play - Beyond The Basics by Glenn Flear

£19.99 plus postage £3.50 UK, £5.00 Europe, £7.50 RoW

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Welcome to a new type of endgame book. A book that includes...

  • The most common endgames you will ever encounter.
  • Examinations of material balances you will reach in almost half of your games.
  • Over 500 pages of grandmaster advice and analysis, assisted by the latest computer software.

Forget those books which just recycle established theory. Forget those books which concentrate on fantastical studies. Grandmaster and endgame expert Glenn Flear has created an in-depth book of all endgames which feature either two pieces for each side, or two pieces against one - an essential area of the game that has never before been comprehensively covered in one volume. Why is this so important? Because these situations arise incredibly frequently in practical play. These are the endgames that matter. If you can handle such endgames well, your results will improve. This book shows you how • 544 pages, softback • Read the October 2007 review


 

1000 Minor Piece Endings by Jozsef Pinter (Caissa Kft, 2007)1000 Minor Piece Endings by Jozsef Pinter
£21.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Hungarian GM Jozsef Pinter continues his series of endgame books following the successful 1000 Pawn Endings and 1000 Rook Endings. This 550-page volume concentrates on endings containing bishops and knights. The book is split into 39 sections with an index of the players at the rear • 550 pages, hardback • Read the November 2007 review

 

Chess Praxis (New Translation) by Aron Nimzowitsch (Quality Chess, 2007)Chess Praxis (New Translation) by Aron Nimzowitsch
£14.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Chess Praxis is a superb collection of Aron Nimzowitch’s best games annotated by the great man himself, but it is even more than that. Nimzowitsch and his hypermodern ideas had a huge influence on modern chess thinking. Nimzowitsch first expounded his ideas in My System. In his follow-up Chess Praxis he demonstrated and explained how his concepts worked in his own games. This is a completely new translation of Nimzowitsch’s classic work, which will allow the reader to appreciate influential ideas explained in modern language • 215 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review

 

Quarterly for Chess History 13/2007, Ed. Vlastimil Fiala (Moravian Chess, 2007)Quarterly for Chess History 13/2007, Ed. Vlastimil Fiala
£21.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Volume 12 includes:  Chess Biographies of K. Hromadka, Rudolph Sze and W Lewis, Forgotten Chess Tournaments of Munich 1886 and Zoppot 1937, Chess Match Showalter vs Albin 1894, Correspondence Chess in Singapore 1900-1902, Women's Chess - Mrs Showalter vs Mrs Worrall 1894, Chess Research, Chess Miscellany no.301 -325, Chess Reviews • 436 pages, hardback • Read the November 2007 review

 

Chess Student Vol. 1-5 (1946-1952) by E G R Cordingly & K Whyld (Moravian Chess, 2007)Chess Student Vol. 1-5 (1946-1952) by E G R Cordingly & K Whyld
£29.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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This volume contains the complete run of the chess magazine Chess Student Quarterly that ran irregularly between  November 1946 and March 1952. The magazine deals mainly with practical chess - games and tournaments, etc. Included is a book on the candidates match between Boleslavski - Bronstein in Moscow 1950,  published by the  authors in 1951 • 569 pages, hardback • Read the November 2007 review

 

The American Chess Journal (Oct 1879 - Apr 1881) Ed. C C Moore (Moravian Chess, 2007)The American Chess Journal (Oct 1879 - Apr 1881) Ed. C C Moore
£24.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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This complete run of seven issues published quarterly in Chicago by C. C. Moore from October 1879 to April 1881. Moore was assisted with the journal by Sam Loyd, G H Mackenzie and James Mason. Contained articles, games, and news from across the USA • 154 pages, hardback • Read the November 2007 review

 

The Accelerated Dragon by Nigel Davies (ChessBase DVD-ROM, 2007)The Accelerated Dragon by Nigel Davies
£18.99 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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The Accelerated Dragon is much more than just a dynamic yet solid means of countering 1 e4. By knowing how to counter the Maroczy Bind, Black can counter both the English and Reti Openings and even develop the basis of a defence against 1 d4. Whilst having been used extensively by superstars such as Bent Larsen and Tigran Petrosian, Davies argues that the Accelerated Dragon is an even more effective proposition for club players. As he explains on this DVD, many White players are under the mistaken impression that the positions are like a regular Sicilian Dragon. And if this is the case they can find himself being demolished right out of the opening. Video running time: 4 hours. System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, DVD drive, mouse, soundcardRead the November 2007 review
 

Victor Bologan: Selected Games 1985-2004 by Victor Bologan (Russell Enterprises, 2007)Victor Bologan: Selected Games 1985-2004 by Victor Bologan
£16.50 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Moldovan star Victor Bologan is among the world's strongest and most dynamic grandmasters. You are invited to join him on a highly personal, autobiographical journey, as he presents 52 of his games, deeply annotated. These games are highlighted against a background of his life experiences and development, resulting in one of the most splendid game collections available today. The text and games are nicely complemented by over thirty photographs, and indexes of players, openings, tournament results and even strategic, tactical and psychological techniques • 236 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review

 

Topalov-Kramnik WCC 2006: On the Edge in Elista by Veselin Topalov and Zhivko Ginchev (Russell Enterprises, 2007)Topalov-Kramnik WCC 2006: On the Edge in Elista by Veselin Topalov and Zhivko Ginchev
£18.65 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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This match featured two world champions in a class by themselves: the profound Russian world champion Vladimir Kramnik, who had defeated the seemingly invincible Kasparov to take the traditional matchplay world title in 2000 and the brilliant Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov, ranked no. 1 in the world, winner of the FIDE title in 2005. Truly it was the immovable object versus the irresistible force. Not since Bobby Fischer had faced Boris Spassky in Reykjavik in 1972 had the chess world seen such a tumultuous, controversial title bout with such major implications for the future of world chess. The match had it all: deep positional play, razor-sharp tactics, accusations of cheating and political interference, threats of lawsuits, and even a game forfeited under protest. This is Veselin Topalov's very personal account of his 2006 world championship match against the reigning world champion Vladimir Kramnik. With the help of co-author Zhivko Ginchev, Topalov shares his thoughts, hopes and fears as he fought for the most prestigious title in the chess world • 220 pages, softback • Read the November 2007 review

 

Karlsbad 1907 by Georg Marco and Karl Schlechter (Caissa Editions, 2007)Karlsbad 1907 by Georg Marco and Karl Schlechter
£31.50 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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An English translation of this original famous tournament book in German by Georg Marco and Karl Schlechter. This edition has the advantage of enhancements such as the addition of 15 photos of many of the players along with corrections and additional analysis using the new, very strong program, Rybka. The tournament was one of the strongest of the last century with only Lasker, Tarrasch and Burn, missing from the roster of the world's best players of that day. The young player Rubinstein won in fine style, followed by Maroczy just one-half point behind and by Leonhardt, Nimzovich, Schlechter, Vidmar, Duras, Teichmann, Salwe, Wolf, Dus-Chotimirski, Marshall, Spielmann, Tartakower, Berger, Mieses, Chigorin, Olland, E. Cohn, and Johner in that order. This was to be Chigorin's last tournament, though he still showed flashes of his brilliance in individual games. Marco and Schlechter contributed superb notes in a style combining wit, depth, and accuracy • 451 pages, hardback • Read the November 2007 review

 

New In Chess Yearbook 84 (New in Chess, 2007)New In Chess Yearbook 84
£17.50 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Readers from all over the world join in discussions on previous surveys. Titled players, correspondence players and club players shed their light on opening developments and search for the truth together. With contributions by Richard Palliser, Miso Cebalo, Valery Bronznik, Bogdan Lalic, José Vilela and many others.  Sicilian Defence - Najdorf Variation 6 Be3 e5 7 Nb3 - SI 14 8 - Anka Sicilian Defence - Najdorf Variation 6 Be3 e5 7 Nf3 - SI 14 8 - Kolev Sicilian Defence - Rauzer Variation 6...Bd7 - SI 27 5 - Galkin Sicilian Defence - Rossolimo Variation 4...Qc7 - SI 31 9 - Kolev Sicilian Defence - Taimanov Variation 6 Nc6 - SI 39 12 - Langeweg Sicilian Defence - Alapin Variation 2...d5 - SI 46 6 - Mikhalchishin Sicilian Defence - Alapin Variation 2...Nf6 - SI 47 6 - Sveshnikov Sicilian Defence - Alapin Variation 2...Nf6 - SI 47 10 - Grivas Pirc Defence - Classical Variation 5 Be2 - PU 16 7 - Marin/Stoica French Defence - Steinitz Variation 5 f4 - FR 4 4 - Matamoros French Defence - Winawer Variation 7...0-0 - FR 11 4 - I Almasi French Defence - Tarrasch Variation 3...Be7 - FR 14 4 - Pert Caro-Kann Defence - Panov Variation 6 Nf3 - CK 3 1 - Olthof Scandinavian Defence - Main Line 5 Bc4 - SD 11 7 - Prié Alekhine Defence - Larsen Variation 4...de5 - AL 10 2 - Finkel Petroff Defence - Steinitz Variation 3 d4 - RG 2 2 - Fogarasi Ruy Lopez - Berlin Defence 3...Nf6 - RL 7 1 - Grivas Ruy Lopez - Siesta Variation 5...f5 - RL 11 2 - Van der Tak Ruy Lopez - Marshall Attack 8...d5 - RL 17 4 - Morgado/Alvarez King’s Pawn Opening - Two Knights Defence 4 Ng5 - KP 12 8 - Van der Tak Slav Defence - Marshall Gambit 4 e4 - SL 6 1 - A Kuzmin Tarrasch Defence - Marshall Gambit 5 e4 - TD 1 3 - Williams Catalan Opening - Accepted 4...dc4 - CA 3 1 - Stohl Queen’s Gambit Accepted - Central Variation 3 e4 b5 - QG 3 2 - Karolyi Nimzo-Indian Defence - Classical Variation 4 Qc2 d5 - NI 23 4 - Lukacs/Hazai Queen’s Indian Defence - Petrosian System 4 a3 - QI 4 18 - A Kuzmin Queen’s Indian Defence - Nimzowitsch Variation 4...Ba6 - QI 15 6 - Antic Grünfeld Indian Defence - Exchange Variation 7 Bc4 - GI 5 8 - Mikhalevski King’s Indian Defence - Fianchetto Variation 3 g3 - KI 67 3 - Lukacs/Hazai King’s Indian Defence - Anti-Grünfeld 3 Bg5 - KI 81 1 - Fogarasi Benoni Defence - Blumenfeld Gambit 4...b5 - BI 3 8 - Landa English Opening - Hedgehog Variation 3...e6 - EO 40 6 - Greenfeld Réti Opening - Lasker Variation ...Bf5 - RE 6 2 - Vilela • 246 pages, softcover • Read the November 2007 review
  

Chess Explained: The Queen's Gambit Declined by James Rizzitano (Gambit, 2007)Chess Explained: The Queen's Gambit Declined by James Rizzitano
£12.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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The Queen’s Gambit Declined is one of the most important and popular of chess openings. While an immensely solid and classical choice for Black, it has remained highly topical for more than a century. Both sides have ways to create imbalance and test their opponent’s skills and knowledge in a full-blooded struggle. Most of the world champions have taken both sides of the QGD, with Spassky and Karpov especially notable defenders of Black’s cause. In addition to the traditional main lines with Bg5, White has at his disposal the Exchange Variation and the Bf4 system, both of which can be handled in highly aggressive style if he wishes. Rizzitano covers all these lines and a plethora of other important lines, focusing on the fundamental ideas on which they are based • 127 pages, softback • Read the October 2007 review

 

The Immortal Game: A History of Chess by David Shenk (Souvenir Press, 2007)The Immortal Game: A History of Chess by David Shenk
£20.00 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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A surprising, charming, and ever-fascinating history of the seemingly simple game that has had a profound effect on societies the world over. Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched? What is it about its thirty-two figurative pieces, moving about its sixty-four black and white squares according to very simple rules, that has captivated people for nearly 1,500 years? Why has it driven some of its greatest players into paranoia and madness, and yet is hailed as a remarkably powerful intellectual tool?
  Nearly everyone has played chess at some point in their lives. Its rules and pieces have served as a metaphor for society, influencing military strategy, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and literature and the arts. It has been condemned as the devil’s game by popes, rabbis, and imams, and lauded as a guide to proper living by other popes, rabbis, and imams. Marcel Duchamp was so absorbed in the game that he ignored his wife on their honeymoon. Caliph Muhammad al-Amin lost his throne (and his head) trying to checkmate a courtier. Ben Franklin used the game as a cover for secret diplomacy.
  In his wide-ranging and ever-fascinating examination of chess, David Shenk gleefully unearths the hidden history of a game that seems so simple yet contains infinity. From its invention somewhere in India around 500 A.D., to its enthusiastic adoption by the Persians and its spread by Islamic warriors, to its remarkable use as a moral guide in the Middle Ages and its political utility in the Enlightenment, to its crucial importance in the birth of cognitive science and its key role in the aesthetic of modernism in twentieth-century art, to its 21st century importance in the development of artificial intelligence and use as a teaching tool in inner-city America, chess has been a remarkably omnipresent factor in the development of civilization.
  Indeed, as Shenk shows, some neuroscientists believe that playing chess may actually alter the structure of the brain, that it may be for individuals what it has been for civilization: a virus that makes us smarter • 327 pages, hardback • Read the October 2007 review
 

1...d6 Universal by Nigel Davies (ChessBase DVD-ROM, 2007)1...d6 Universal by Nigel Davies
£18.99 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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1...d6 can be used as a universal defence against every White opening, offering Black the kind of dynamic play that is absent from more traditional defences. If White eschews the chance to occupy the centre with e4 and d4, it is often Black who gains space early on, and this can be used as the basis for a powerful attack on the kingside. On this DVD, Nigel Davies presents everything you need to know to convert the Pirc Defence into a universal system of counterattack, offering winning chances against every White opening under the sun. Video running time: 5 hours. System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard • Read the October 2007 review • Read the November 2007 review
 

New In Chess Magazine 2007/6
(New in Chess, 2007)New In Chess Magazine 2007/6
£6.50 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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Carlsen 'Brilliant and Resilient' wins the 40th Biel Festival • Interview with Alexander Grischuk • Unstoppable Ivanchuk wins in Canada • The World Open is won by Varuzhan Akobian • Victor Bologan on Chess Amazons • Rowson on the SOS series • and much more.
 

Informator 99 (Sahovski Informator, 2007)Informator 99
£21.00 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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The latest issue covers events held between 1 January 2007 and 30 April 2007, including Wijk aan Zee, Moscow, Morelia/Linares, Poikovsky, Zafra, Monaco, Dresden, Gausdal, Malmo, Kramnik-Leko rapidplay. It includes the usual trademark sections: the voting for the ten best games and the ten most important theoretical novelties from the previous issue, theoretical survey in ECO format, the most interesting recent combinations, endings and studies, tournament standings and crosstables, and the best of Yasser Seirawan’s creative output • 339 pages, softback • Read the October 2007 review
 

Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings Volume C, 5th Edition (Informator CD-ROM, 2007)Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings Volume C, 5th Edition
£24.99 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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This thoroughly revised and updated fifth edition of the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, Volume C, brings additional 104 'pages of brand new material: 1 e4 e6, 1 e4 e5 (Ruy Lopez, French, Petroff, King's Gambit, Two Knights', Philidor, Italian, Scotch, etc). It is based on games and analyses from Chess Informators 1-96, with analysis and assessments by leading grandmasters. Four different formats (CIE, PGN, CBH, CA)  • Read the October 2007 review
 

Chess Informant 5-99 Endings Section (Informator CD-ROM, 2007)Chess Informant 5-99 Endings Section
£24.99 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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This disk contains 2,494 prime examples of endgame positions culled from nearly four decades (1968-2007) of Chess Informator, thus offering a rich treasury of available endgame material. History has not been rewritten - all the game continuations are quoted in full, with annotations honed to near perfection with a little help from computer analysis. This product comes with fully searchable endgame classification keys, which can also be used for training purposes in training mode. In four different formats (CIE, PGN, CBH, CA) • Read the October 2007 review
 

Chess Results 1936-1940 by Gino Di Felice (McFarland, 2007)Chess Results 1936-1940 by Gino Di Felice
£25.00 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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This comprehensive chronological reference lists the results of men’s chess competitions all over the world. From the famous to the lesser known, both individual and team matches from 1936 through 1940 are remembered here. Entries record location and, when available, the group that sponsored the event. Both first and last names of players are included whenever possible and are standardized for easy reference. Compiled from contemporary sources such as newspapers, periodicals, tournament records and match books, this work contains 990 tournament crosstables and 125 match scores. It is indexed by events and players • 380 pages, softback • Read the October 2007 review

Chess Explained: The Modern Benoni by Zenon Franco (Gambit, 2007)Chess Explained: The Modern Benoni by Zenon Franco
£12.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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The Modern Benoni is a perennial favourite among players looking to create winning chances with Black. It is one of the few openings where White has no easy way to force drawish simplifications or deny Black any dynamic counterplay. Both players need to understand the imbalances in the position and pursue their plans with great vigour. In this book Franco shows how Black can seek to create the kind of mayhem that has attracted champions such as Tal, Kasparov and Topalov to the Benoni, and also demonstrates how White can seek either to put a positional clamp on the game, or else to storm Black's position before his development is complete. A special section deals with the vital question of move-orders • 111 pages, softback • Read the October 2007 review

 

Fighting the Anti-Sicilians by Richard Palliser (Everyman, 2007)Fighting the Anti-Sicilians by Richard Palliser
£14.99 plus postage 10% UK, 20% overseas

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The Sicilian Defence is by far Black's most popular answer to 1 e4 at all levels of chess. The reason for this is easy to understand: from the very first move Black unbalances the position and can play for a win without needing to take unjustified risks. This is particularly the case with the Open Sicilian, where Black can take comfort from the knowledge that his superior pawn structure ensures control of the centre and excellent long-term chances. Faced with this problem, along with the fact that Open Sicilians generally carry a massive build-up of theory, it's unsurprising that many White players prefer to play one of the various 'Anti-Sicilian' lines on offer. These numerous alternatives to 2 Nf3 include the primitive but dangerous Grand Prix Attack, one or two wild gambits, and also some tedious and niggling variations such as 2 c3 and the Closed Sicilian, which are designed to stamp out any fun Black was envisaging when playing 1...c5. These annoying lines have become the scourge of Sicilian players, but in this book Richard Palliser, a lifelong Sicilian devotee, decides it's finally time for Black players to fight back! Drawing upon his vast experience and understanding of Anti-Sicilians, Palliser creates a dynamic and practical repertoire for Sicilian players to use against these possibilities. In many instances he offers more than one solution for Black - ambitious or solid - and he pays special attention to tricky move orders, weapons that present-day players are likely to use • 256 pages, softback • Read the October 2007 review


 

ChessBase Magazine 119 (ChessBase DVD-ROM, 2007)ChessBase Magazine 119
£17.50 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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Top tournaments: Dortmund, Elista and Foros • Kramnik Speaks about Dortmund, Mexico and much more (video) • Van Wely and his tricky victory in Baku (video) • Carlsen analyses his victory over Aronian • Gelfand demonstrates an interesting drawn game from Elista • Van Wely with the best attacking game from Foros • Karjakin analysis on his brilliancy from Foros • Read the October 2007 review
 

Vladimir Kramnik: My Path to the Top by Vladimir Kramnik (ChessBase DVD-ROM, 2007)Vladimir Kramnik: My Path to the Top by Vladmiir Kramnik
£27.50 plus postage £1.50 UK, £3.00 overseas

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Born in 1975 in Tuapse on the shores of the Black Sea, Vladimir Kramnik studied at the Botvinnik-Kasparov chess school. At 16 he was included in the Russian Olympiad team and scored a sensational 8½/9, the best result at the 1992 Olympiad. After that followed a string of great tournament results, culminating in a world championship challenge. In 2000 Kramnik played the chess legend Garry Kasparov and beat him to take the title, which he successfully defended in 2004 against Peter Leko and 2006 against FIDE champion Veselin Topalov, whom he defeated to take the unified world championship title.  On this DVD Vladimir Kramnik retraces his career from talented schoolboy to undisputed world champion in 2006. With humour and charm he describes his first successes, what it meant to be part of the Russian Gold Medal team at the Olympiad, and how he undertook the Herculean task of beating his former mentor and teacher Garry Kasparov. Kramnik dissects his wins against Leko and Topalov, giving us a vivid impression of the super-dramatic final games of  the 2006 match. His commentary is full of useful advice and provides a fascinating insight  into the thought processes that govern top level play. The DVD contains more than six hours of video with narrative and game analysis. There are also five additional segments from an exclusive video interview on the intrigues that surrounded the 2006 world championship, and on the state of the chess world in general.  System requirements: PC, Windows Vista or XP, sound card and DVD-Drive  • Read the October 2007 review
 

 


MORE NEW CHESS BOOKS • 200720062005200420032002200120001999Garry Kasparov Books

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