So you're a fairly decent chess player. You compete in tournaments, you play on the Internet. But you would love to make that leap to become a chess master. What do you need to know, how much do you have to practise, and how much of the success of the masters is simply a matter of innate talent, superior brainpower or just good luck? This useful book, aimed at all chess players who aspire to become chess masters, shows you what the masters know and you don't. Written by one of our biggest-selling and best-loved chess authors, in his trademark chatty, accessible but always informative style, this book is filled with practical exercises and test games that will reveal the secrets of how to join chess's elite ranks.

So you're a fairly decent chess player. You compete in tournaments, you play on the Internet. But you would love to make that leap to become a chess master. What do you need to know, how much do you have to practise, and how much of the success of the masters is simply a matter of innate talent, superior brainpower or just good luck? This useful book, aimed at all chess players who aspire to become chess masters, shows you what the masters know and you don't. Written by one of our biggest-selling and best-loved chess authors, in his trademark chatty, accessible but always informative style, this book is filled with practical exercises and test games that will reveal the secrets of how to join chess's elite ranks.

So you're a fairly decent chess player. You compete in tournaments, you play on the Internet. But you would love to make that leap to become a chess master. What do you need to know, how much do you have to practise, and how much of the success of the masters is simply a matter of innate talent, superior brainpower or just good luck? This useful book, aimed at all chess players who aspire to become chess masters, shows you what the masters know and you don't. Written by one of our biggest-selling and best-loved chess authors, in his trademark chatty, accessible but always informative style, this book is filled with practical exercises and test games that will reveal the secrets of how to join chess's elite ranks.

An instructional book about the crucial questions that masters ask themselves before committing to a move – a checklist for all players to ask themselves before making their own moves. Beginners learn to ask themselves the key questions. As they improve, they ask more sophisticated questions: 'What did my opponent's last move allow me to do?", 'Where is his position weakest?", 'Should I take an irrevocable step now or wait?', 'What does my opponent want me to do?'. For chess master players these are almost subconscious checklist. Andy Soltis runs through the checklist of things to ask before making a move with fascinating and illuminating examples of real chess games, from Karpov to Judith Polgar, from Magnus Carlsen to Fabiano Caruana. A key to improving is to ask all of these questions and find the right answers, for players looking to improve. The advice of Chess Masters is good advice for all chess players and the best way to take your play to the next level.

What Does It Take to Play Master-Level Chess? Becoming a master is a goal many chessplayers seek. And for most, it is an unfulfilled dream. Now, for the first time, the topic is squarely addressed. Not by a super grandmaster or high-powered international master, but by a “regular” national master, a master who earned his stripes in the trenches, battling his way to the title. In Reaching the Top?!, author Peter Kurzdorfer shares his journey to the coveted 2200 Elo mark. Using his own games, major topics covered by the author include: Learning From Past Mistakes; Choose Openings to Suit Your Style; Handling Material Inequality; Practical Endgames; How Sound Do Your Openings Need to Be?; When Things Go Terribly Wrong; Overcoming Difficulties; and How to Win. This guide shows what it takes to play at the master level. What you need to know. What you do not need to know. It is a practical presentation that will not only help aspiring masters, but also any player seeking to improve his game. So come on in and sit by the side of a chess master as he plies his craft, marveling at the wonderful, intricate combinations and positional ideas and shuddering at the opportunities that supposedly strong chess players missed time and time again. However, there is one requirement: you do have to love the game and give it your best shot, every game, every move. Mix in some discipline and concentration, and you too may be able to play master-level chess... About the Author After a 30-year adventure spent immersed in chess beginning in the early 1970s, Mr. Kurzdorfer is back. He is a longtime national master, chess teacher, certified coach and tournament director, former contributor and later editor of Chess Life and School Mates magazines, a former judge for the Chess Journalists of America, and author of The Everything Chess Basics Book and the Tao of Chess.

Increase your chess knowledge within the year! In this book, Andrew Soltis analyzes 365 key chess games in an easy way for busy people. In this book, 365 of the most instructive short games of chess are analyzed, step by step, by well-respected author Andrew Soltis. Arranged as daily lessons, this book is perfect for chess players who would like to reach the next level of skill but can't devote hours and hours each day to study. Learn to feel confident with each tactic – each game features test-yourself quizzes (with answers at the back of the book) to help cement understanding, as well as chess diagrams for those who learn visually. Challenging tactics are revisited in later games to help you recognize when they occur and how chess masters use them to their full advantage. With this book, Andrew encourages you to learn to think like a chess master within the year. From Castling to Zugzwang, learn something new everyday!

Becoming a Grandmaster is the ultimate aim for serious chess players, but whatever your chess abilities, this book will take you to the next level. Packed with tips, tricks and practical exercises aimed at players of all skill levels who aspire to greatness. Even an average chess player can find the same moves as a Grandmaster as much as 75 percent of the time. The difference is that only the Grandmaster can find the other 25 percent. This book identifies the kinds of moves and techniques that account for that 25 percent. Among the topics covered in the book are: Mysterious rook pawn moves, Tacking, Piece Nullification, "King Feeling," and how to play for a win without risk. Written by one of our biggest-selling and best-loved chess authors, in his trademark chatty, accessible but always informative style, this book is filled with practical exercises and test games that will reveal the secrets of how to join chess's elite ranks.