Analyzes the moves of fifty chess matches and examines what can be learned from each game, discussing attacking the king, defense, piece power, pawn structure, and endgame themes.

In a sequel to the hugely successful 50 Essential Chess Lessons, Steve Giddins now presents 50 games that each illustrate an important winning method. This engaging and highly readable book is a painless way to build your personal arsenal of techniques and ideas. The games are mostly from the modern era, but with a few classic examples chosen to show key themes in as clear a way as possible. In these cases, the defender may have never seen the critical idea before, and fails to react appropriately. We then move on to more complex examples where the attacker needs to overcome stiffer resistance. Giddins repeatedly shows that despite the tactical complexity of many of these battles, the fundamental concepts can be grasped by all chess-players, and will help them navigate through apparently intimidating terrain. The many topics include: * Attacking weak colour complexes * The principle of two weaknesses * Choosing the right exchanges * Devastating opening preparation * Manoeuvring in 'restraint' structures * Handling must-win situations

The upgraded 2024 edition of a modern classic

This is designed to take the beginner through all aspects of the game and bring him up to the standard of a strong club player. By means of 40 carefully selected lessons the author provides a course which can either form the curriculum for a school club or be used by adults for self-instruction.

Steve Giddins is an author acclaimed for his ability to write in down-to-earth style on fundamental chess topics. In this book he answers the questions that really matter to chess-players. His topics include many basic ideas, including some that have rarely been addressed so directly in chess literature, and thus are often misunderstood by club players. Where appropriate, the answers also address highly sophisticated concepts, providing insights gleaned from many years of experience and discussions with players and trainers of the highest level. Subjects include: * Playing Chess in General * The Opening * Tactics and Combinations * Planning and Strategy * Positional Play * The Endgame * Competitive Play * Training and Computers * Throughout, the ideas are backed up with examples from practical play and thought-provoking quotes from the great chess legends, thinkers and writers.

'New (4th) and improved edition of an all-time classic The good news about endgames is: • there are relatively few endings you should know by heart • once you know these endings, that's it. Your knowledge never goes out of date! The bad news is that, all the same, the endgame technique of most players is deficient. Modern time-controls make matters worse: there is simply not enough time to delve deep into the position. Jesus de la Vila debunks the myth that endgame theory is complex and he teaches you to steer the game into a position you are familiar with. This book contains only those endgames that: • show up most frequently • are easy to learn • contain ideas that are useful in more difficult positions. Your performance will improve dramatically because this book brings you: • simple rules • detailed and lively explanations • many diagrams • clear summaries of the most important themes • dozens of tests.

Charles Hertan, an experienced chess coach from Massachusetts, has made an astonishing discovery: the failure to consider key winning moves is often due to human bias, since your brain tends to disregard many winning moves because they are counter-intuitive or look unnatural. Charles Hertan?s radically different approach is: use COMPUTER EYES and always look for the most forcing move first! By studying forcing sequences according to Hertan?s method you will develop analytical precision, improve your tactical vision, overcome human bias and staleness, and enjoy the calculation of difficult positions. By recognizing moves that matter, you will win more games!