At the U.S. Championship in 1989, Stuart Rachels seemed bound for the cellar. Ranked last and holding no IM norms, the 20-year-old amateur from Alabama was expected to get waxed by the American top GMs of the day that included Seirawan, Gulko, Dzindzichashvili, deFirmian, Benjamin and Browne. Instead, Rachels pulled off a gigantic upset and became the youngest U.S. Champion since Bobby Fischer. Three years later he retired from competitive chess, but he never stopped following the game. In this wide-ranging, elegantly written, and highly personal memoir, Stuart Rachels passes on his knowledge of chess. Included are his duels against legends such as Kasparov, Anand, Spassky, Ivanchuk, Gelfand and Miles, but the heart of the book is the explanation of chess ideas interwoven with his captivating stories. There are chapters on tactics, endings, blunders, middlegames, cheating incidents, and even on how to combat that rotten opening, the Réti. Rachels offers a complete and entertaining course in chess strategy. At the back are listed 110 principles of play—bits of wisdom that arise naturally in the book’s 24 chapters. Every chess player will find it difficult to put this sparkling book down. As a bonus, it will make you a better player.

From world-renowned chess expert Bruce Pandolfini comes the perfect book for anyone who appreciates the game of chess–no matter what age or skill level. This fascinating compendium is filled with history, lore, trivia, quotes, and puzzles that celebrate the wonderful world of chess. Inside you’ll find: ·Anecdotes about famous players and famous games ·Puzzles and brainteasers ·Tips, tricks, and secrets from chess experts ·Quotes, jokes, and writings on chess from Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Will Smith, Stanley Kubrick, and many more

Explains all legal chess moves, and discusses the regulations governing tournaments, lifetime rankings, and tournament director certification.

In American Grandmaster, Joel Benjamin takes the reader on a journey through chess adventures spanning more than thirty years. Tracing through his own career, from being a prodigy in the 'Fischer boom' era thorough to an experienced Grandmaster with many titles, Benjamin is in a unique position to highlight the major changes that have occurred both in US and international chess throughout the last four decades.