Every chess player needs a high-quality answer to 1.e4, and there is nothing more reliable than 1...e5. Black stakes a claim in the centre and prepares to deploy his pieces on good squares. The challenge nowadays is to build a robust repertoire without being overwhelmed by the volume of material and continual advances in opening theory. In Playing 1.e4 e5 - A Classical Repertoire, Nikolaos Ntirlis offers the best of both worlds: a complete repertoire against 1.e4, built on sound positional principles, which does not require excessive memorization. Against the Spanish the author recommends the Breyer System, one of the most stable, computer-proof options at Black's disposal. The Scotch, Italian, Four Knights and various other sidelines and gambits are handled with the same clarity and efficiency.

It's not easy finding a good opening to play against 1 e4, especially if you don't have endless time available to study the latest theoretical developments. If you choose fashionable openings, it's often a necessity to keep pace with modern theory if you want to succeed with Black. This book provides a solution. Neil McDonald advocates his favourite opening - the very popular French Defence - but chooses a repertoire for Black that requires only the minimum amount of move memorization. The lines he selects are very easy to learn and play - perfect for those who are unwilling to be slaves to opening theory. But there's also something here for more experienced players, as McDonald goes on to offer a second repertoire based on counter-attacking lines against 3 Nc3 and 3 Nd2. *An easy-to-learn defence against 1 e4*Provides solutions to all of White's options*Written by a world-renowned expert on the French*Ideal for improvers, club players and tournament players English Grandmaster Neil McDonald is an experienced and successful player on the international chess circuit. He is a respected chess coach, who has trained many of the UK's strongest junior players. McDonald is also a talented chess writer and has many outstanding works to his name.

Since its first publication in 1950, The Right Way to Play Chess has taught chess to generations of beginners, taking them to the standard expected of good club players. It gives full details of exactly how to play the game, explains basic theory and includes many examples of play.There are separate chapters on the openings, middle and end games, plus a chapter of master games which illustrate how styles of play have changed over the years. Fully revised and updated by chess expert Richard James, a new chapter shows how to encourage and teach children to play the game.

All the average club player needs is a small and manageable chess opening repertoire. They don’t have time and energy to study hundreds of pages of chess opening theory. And why would they? Amateur games are rarely decided in the opening. Understanding structures and finding tactics are much more important. Renowned German chess trainers Erik Zude and Jörg Hickl have created an ideal club player’s repertoire for Black. This compact manual presents a set of lines that is conveniently limited in scope, yet varied, solid and complete. The core repertoire is based on lines that the authors have successfully played at (grand)master level for decades: the Antoshin variation of the Philidor Defence against 1.e4 and the Old-Indian Defence against 1.d4. There is only a limited number of plans, ideas and structures that you need to learn, and very few forcing variations. After an initial phase in which Black may at first sight look slightly passive, you will develop your position with a sequence of strong standard moves and start your highly effective counterplay. Zude and Hickl provide common sense guidance, explain all typical characteristics and give practical examples. If you have an Elo rating between 1400 and 2200, you don’t need to look further because you can Play 1..d6 Against Everything!

More than a decade has passed since IBM’s Deep Blue computer stunned the world by defeating Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion at that time. Beyond Deep Blue tells the continuing story of the chess engine and its steady improvement. The book provides analysis of the games alongside a detailed examination of the remarkable technological progress made by the engines – asking which one is best, how good is it, and how much better can it get. Features: presents a total of 118 games, played by 17 different chess engines, collected together for the first time in a single reference; details the processor speeds, memory sizes, and the number of processors used by each chess engine; includes games from 10 World Computer Chess Championships, and three computer chess tournaments of the Internet Chess Club; covers the man-machine matches between Fritz and Kramnik, and Kasparov and Deep Junior; describes three historical matches between leading engines – Hydra vs. Shredder, Junior vs. Fritz, and Zappa vs. Rybka.

The best, the worst, the shortest, the oddest, the longest, the most deceitful, the most memorable, the most brilliant, the dumbest--of players, games, matches, tournaments, books, ideas, etc. The lists are replete with background detail and exact facts--this second edition of Soltis's classic 1984 book is altogether an essential part of any chess collection and a browser's delight. The new edition contains 25 percent more lists, games, diagrams and annotations. The majority of lists from the first edition have been updated or expanded--or both.

‘Bobby Fischer gets up, tall, overweight, and slightly clumsy. He tries to fulfil the duties of the host and shakes hands, but his nervously darting eyes betray his unease with the situation. This is not a man accustomed to receiving visitors.’ Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam’s gripping encounter with the legendary American recluse, a journalist’s dream come true, is the worthy apotheosis of this unique collection of interviews which were first published in New In Chess between 1986 and 1992. Why did Kasparov think Fischer was an alien? How many stamps does Karpov have? Was it really Caruso who appeared in Smyslov’s dream to teach him how to sing? Brimming with anecdotes and revealing insights these interviews bring together chess champions of past and present. Meet legends like Botvinnik, Gligoric, Portisch and Spassky or modern stars like Anand, Kramnik, and Judit Polgar. Different as they are, they all seem to ask Ten Geuzendam the favourite question of the inimitable Miguel Najdorf: ‘Do you want to hear a beautiful story?’ A classic collection, finally available again.