The test positions in this instructive book cover the entire spectrum of what a modern club player should know. The reader is invited to find tactical blows, deep strategic manoeuvres, opening traps, standard endgame plans and other principles in action. Sarhan Guliev and his brother Logman Guliev have carefully selected the positions from their own games. That is why these puzzles are completely unknown outside the former Soviet Union. The fact that they originated from real games guarantees that the tests are practical, not artificial. The solutions rarely involve spectacular fireworks, as is the case in most chess puzzle books. The solution may be a quiet move or you may be asked for a reasoned evaluation. In the solutions the Guliev brothers clearly explain the underlying ideas and the principles that are involved. They always offer a general conclusion and have added thoughtprovoking and entertaining aphorisms. In addition there are points to earn with every solution, so students can keep track of their development. Solving the puzzles in this unusual and entertaining book is a most effective way to improve your chess. It will help you to develop a vital skill: the ability to take practical decision in critical moments.

This text offers a variety of entertaining and thought-provoking exercises in fundamental chess skills. It will help players off all standards to identify strengths and pinpoint areas of their play that need more attention.

Chess Tests Mark Dvoretsky (1947-2016) is considered one of the greatest chess instructors in the modern era. He left behind a great legacy of many books and publications. At the time of his passing, there were two unpublished manuscripts he had finished (and one other co-authored with study composer Oleg Pervakov). “Chess Tests offers chessplayers material of very high quality for working on various themes, from training combinative vision to techniques of realizing advantages. I recommend using those materials for in-depth work in the directions mentioned in the book. If you follow this advice, then this volume will become a valuable addition to your chess studies and will help you reinforce skills and knowledge you have already obtained. “And here is probably the most important point. Dvoretsky wanted to write a book that would not only teach some intricacies of chess, but would also be simply a pleasure to read for aficionados of the game, so he tried to amass the ‘tastiest’ of examples here. I hope that this last book by him is going to achieve this, presenting its readers with many chess discoveries and joy of communication with the great coach and author.” – From the Foreword by Artur Yusupov

Test your skills against 100 fascinating positions from actual games and then choose the best move from among three choices. After completing the challenges, you can calculate your rating - be it beginner or grandmaster! In the solutions section, chess superstar Larry Evans carefully explains why the lesser alternatives available to you are inferior and how to analyze the position for maximum understanding. You'll learn from all the elements that make up victory or defeat to not only find your true chess level but improve your play.

The upgraded 2024 edition of a modern classic

An excellent tool for self-study and for study of chess in classes