The Tactician’s Handbook In the late 1990s, American publisher Pickard & Son released five books, each dedicated to a unique tactical theme, and each with approximately 100 pages. Written by the late Russian correspondence master Victor Charushin, the books were Alekhine’s Block, Combination Cross, Lasker’s Combination, Mitrofanov’s Deflection, and The Steeplechase. They were very well-received by chessplayers everywhere. And, in fact, Charushin had written two more books in the series, Domination, and Less Common Combinations, but these were not released. For this edition of The Tactician’s Handbook, German grandmaster Karsten Müller has carefully reviewed and then selected the material he thought most enlightening. Then instructive exercises were added. All the analysis has been checked by the silicon monster, while Charushin’s notes and comments were revised where necessary. All seven titles were then combined into one comprehensive volume. Add to that a foreword by one of the great tacticians of our time, Hungarian grandmaster Judit Polgar, and the result is an excellent, instructive handbook covering some of the most exciting tactics in chess. The Tactician’s Handbook is sure to provide you with many hours of enjoyment and instruction!

This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of opening knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to study any chess opening and at the same time improve your general chess skills and knowledge. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in studying the Alekhine Defence. Black's idea in the Alekhine Defence is a bold one. By inviting White's central pawns to advance, Black hopes later on to undermine and demolish White's centre. This ambitious strategy appeals to players who enjoy sharp lines and positional imbalances. Using illustrative games, Lakdawala outlines a reliable repertoire for Black, examines the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing the Alekhine Defence. Essential guidance and training in the Alekhine DefencePresents a repertoire for Black with 1 e4 Nf6Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

This book contains all the information necessary to start playing the opening, or meeting it as White.

The 21st Century Edition of Spielmann’s Classic Work Austrian Grandmaster Rudolf Spielmann’s The Art of Sacrifice in Chess first appeared in the mid-1930s. It was immediately recognized as a classic, a masterpiece that examined the nature of chess sacrifices. In this modernized, 21st century edition, all of Spielmann’s original work has been preserved. The antiquated English Descriptive Notation has been replaced with modern Figurine Algebraic, and German grandmaster Karsten Müller has added his own notes to Spielmann’s original text. But the German grandmaster has gone far beyond simply inserting clarifying commentary. Müller has virtually doubled the size of the original work by adding eleven new chapters, including: The Greek Gift Sacrifice Bxh2/7+; Disaster on g7; The Achilles’ Heel f7; Strike at the Edge; Destroying the King’s Shelter; Sacrifices on f6; Sacrifices on e6; The Magic of Mikhail Tal; Shirov’s Sacrifices; and The Fine Art of Defense. There are exercises at the end of each new chapter to help you hone your skill of sacrificing. “Grandmaster Karsten Müller’s notes to the original text, along with the new material, brilliantly complements Spielmann’s classic work. A welcome addition to any chessplayer’s library...” – Garry Kasparov

The Sicilian Defence is Black's most popular reply to 1.e4. Most black players hope to get an Open Sicilian because of its unbalanced play and interesting opportunities to play for a win. But what if White avoids the Open Sicilian and does not play 2.Nf3? This happens more often than you would think, as in roughly one third of the cases White players opt for one of the numerous 'Anti-Sicilian' lines at their disposal. These Anti-Sicilians vary from primitive and obscure to wild and aggressive to respected but tedious. But they have one thing in common: they are all dragging Black into territory where he doesn't want to be, and where it is easy to get ambushed. Evgeny Sveshnikov offers help. The Russian grandmaster, who is one of the most respected chess opening experts in the world, presents practical and effective recipes against a broad range of annoying variations: 2.a3?, 2.Na3?!, 2.b4?!, 2.b3, 2.Nc3, 2.d3 and many others. Black players will learn how to fight back and throw a spanner in the works when White tries to spoil their game.