Chess strategies for playing the Sicilian Defense

Sacrifices are an essential part of chess. Those who never consider sacrificing will miss countless opportunities and find that promising positions repeatedly slip away. Players who do not appreciate their opponents' sacrificial possibilities will be unable to see danger signs, and find themselves on the wrong end of too many king-hunts. Rather than merely cataloguing the various possibilities and providing examples, LeMoir discusses the possible follow-ups to the sacrifices, the defensive options against them, and the positional factors that might suggest whether the sacrifice will be sound or unsound. There are many important types of chess positions that can only be played well by those who understand the thematic sacrifices that are possible.

Most chess games of beginners and post-beginners are decided by fairly straightforward tactics. Anyone who wants to progress beyond this level and become a strong club player or a candidate master, needs to understand that somewhat mysterious-looking resource, the positional sacrifice. International Master Merijn van Delft has studied and loved positional sacrifices for as long as he can remember. This non-forcing tool is not just a surprising and highly effective way of creating a decisive advantage during a game. Positional sacrifices are also instruments of superior beauty. Van Delft has created a unique thematic structure for all types of positional sacrifices. He shows the early historical examples, explains which long-term goals are typical for each fundamental theme and presents lots of instructive modern examples. He then concentrates on those sacrifices that have become standard features of positional play. Solving the exercises he has added will further enhance your skills. Playing a positional sacrifice will always require courage. Merijn van Delft takes you by the hand and not only teaches the essential technical know-how, he also helps you to recognize the opportunities when to take the plunge. Mastering Positional Sacrifices is bound to become a modern-day classic.

The Sicilian Defense is the most popular chess opening at every level of tournament play. Here, a multinational line-up of leading experts gives recommendations against their own pet lines in the Sicilian Defense. The authors are all either Grandmasters or International Masters, and readers now have a complete guide to playing with White against the Sicilian.

Most competitive players are very familiar with the idea of a sacrificial checkmating attack, but the positional sacrifice has been strangely neglected. By means of a subtle positional sacrifice, a player can sometimes fundamentally alter the course of a game in his or her favor. In this instructive and entertaining book International Master Neil McDonald demonstrates just how effective well-executed positional sacrifices are. Topics covered include sacrifices to open lines for the pieces, sacrifices as a defensive weapon, the exchange sacrifice, the psychology of sacrifice and much more.

The Art of the Exchange Sacrifice Tigran Petrosian, the ninth world chess champion, was one of the deepest thinkers the chess world has ever seen. His handling of complex positions was legendary. With his rare strategic feeling and exceptional vision, Petrosian gradually became one of the top exponents of the art of the exchange sacrifice, and perhaps the leading protagonist for the positional exchange sacrifice. Acclaimed author Vassilios Kotronias has assembled a splendid collection of Petrosian’s games, exemplifying the artist at work. The Greek grandmaster presents 36 games – all deeply annotated – in which he puts the Tiger’s signature sacrifice under the analytical microscope. And each game has an exceptional introduction putting it into historical perspective. As noted by American grandmaster Alex Fishbein in the Foreword: You will find your share of positional exchange sacrifices here. But you will also see exchanges sacrificed in the midst of a crushing attack. You will see sacrifices born of desperation, to save a bad ending. You will see correct and incorrect sacrifices. In fact, Tigran Petrosian will lose some games here. This is real life; there are mistakes, and the author explains it all to you. Vassilios Kotronias has brought you the material in a way that will enhance your appreciation of chess as an art form. He has also offered you practical lessons you can use in your own chess endeavors. You are already familiar with the exchange sacrifice as an art form. Now enjoy the brilliant games of its greatest artist, Tigran Petrosian.

The Inscrutable Exchange Sacrifice! The exchange sacrifice, giving up a rook for a bishop or knight, is one of the more mysterious concepts for most players to fathom. In this book – the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to the various types of positional exchange sacrifices – Belarussian grandmaster Sergey Kasparov weighs the pros and cons of this sacrifice – when it should be “on,” and when not. With almost 200 annotated games, he examines common themes in exchange sacrifices, including Domination, Fighting for the Initiative, Utilizing an Advantage, Launching an Attack against the King, Reducing Your Opponent’s Offensive Potential, Destroying a Pawn Chain, Building a Fortress, Activating Your Bishop, and much more. He also takes a look at a selection of games by former world champions Tigran Petrosian and Anatoly Karpov and their handling of this sacrifice. This book has the ability to add an important, practical dimension to your game – the positional exchange sacrifice. Whether you are evaluating the possibility of sacrificing the exchange, or perhaps preparing to defend against it, Sergey Kasparov’s ground-breaking work will help you sort things out. It is a practical guide which makes the exchange sacrifice more, well, scrutable!