Rewire Your Chess Brain is not your average chess book. It does not deal with opening theory or middlegame strategy. It focuses purely on problems and studies, all of which are the results of artificial construction rather than scenes from real-life battles. In a chess study, White has to play and win (or draw). In a chess puzzle, White has to force mate in a stipulated number of moves. The starting positions in both forms rarely resemble anything found over the board in real life play. However, the solutions are invariably surprising and often quite beautiful. The best examples of both forms have often been compared to great works of art. However, these are not mere gallery pieces, lacking practical application in real life play. Solving these puzzles can be extremely challenging and will, without question, improve the “real world” tactical ability of anyone attempting to do so. Prolific chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala has been intrigued by studies and problems all his life. When training his students he often sets them studies and problems to solve. Many of them who have adopted this technique have seen extraordinary increases in their chess ratings. In this book Lakdawala assembles the problems and studies that are most effective to improve tactical ability. Work your way through this book and you will undoubtedly see the results in your own games.

'... a human being, an intellectual human being who constantly bends the entire force of his mind on the ridiculous task of forcing a wooden king into the corner of a wooden board, and does it without going mad!' A group of passengers on a cruise ship challenge the world chess champion to a match. At first, they crumble, until they are helped by whispered advice from a stranger in the crowd - a man who will risk everything to win. Stefan Zweig's acclaimed novella Chess is a disturbing, intensely dramatic depiction of obsession and the price of genius.

Chess enthusiasts can sit down with 20 of the world's top players to answer the question posed by this instructive and amusing guide. Grandmaster Daniel King based How Good is Your Chess? on his popular Chess Monthly column. His easy-to-follow, test-yourself guide asks readers to predict their opponent's moves; points are awarded (or deducted) according to the readers' degree of success. In addition to helping players to judge their standard of play, it presents opportunities for improvement by providing a look at complete games and the chance to work out and study the plans and ideas of the experts. Algebraic notation used throughout

In this sequel to his instant classic Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition, a highly original take on practical middlegame instruction, Arthur van de Oudeweetering presents players of almost every level with a fresh supply of essential, yet easy-to-remember building blocks for their chess knowledge. Pattern recognition is one of the most important mechanisms of chess improvement. It helps you to quickly grasp the essence of a position on the board and find the most promising continuation. In short, well-defined and practical chapters, experienced chess trainer Van de Oudeweetering presents hundreds of examples of middlegame themes. To test your understanding he provides an abundance of exercises. After working with this book, an increasing number of positions, pawn structures and piece placements will automatically activate your chess knowledge. As a result, you will find the right move more often and more quickly!

Sharpen your chess skills with winning tactics and strategies The skill and strategy required to win at chess can feel intimidating, but Chess for Beginners breaks it down into manageable lessons to help new players up their game. Start with a rundown of the basic game mechanics, then explore clear and concise guidance for the strategies and tactics that will help you achieve consistent success. Learn to position your pieces and coordinate your attack with: A comprehensive overview—Find clear illustrations and directions that show you all the components of a chessboard, how each piece moves, and how to read chess notation. 10 Powerful short-term tactics—Practice shorter sequences of chess moves—like deflections, sacrifices, and forks—that help you put your strategy in play and take control of the board. 10 Essential long-game strategies—Learn how to activate your pieces, keep track of the whole board, think several moves ahead, go for a quick checkmate, and more. From your first move to your last, Chess for Beginners shows you how to play a better game.

Garry Kasparov was the highest-rated chess player in the world for over twenty years and is widely considered the greatest player that ever lived. In How Life Imitates Chess Kasparov distills the lessons he learned over a lifetime as a Grandmaster to offer a primer on successful decision-making: how to evaluate opportunities, anticipate the future, devise winning strategies. He relates in a lively, original way all the fundamentals, from the nuts and bolts of strategy, evaluation, and preparation to the subtler, more human arts of developing a personal style and using memory, intuition, imagination and even fantasy. Kasparov takes us through the great matches of his career, including legendary duels against both man (Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov) and machine (IBM chess supercomputer Deep Blue), enhancing the lessons of his many experiences with examples from politics, literature, sports and military history. With candor, wisdom, and humor, Kasparov recounts his victories and his blunders, both from his years as a world-class competitor as well as his new life as a political leader in Russia. An inspiring book that combines unique strategic insight with personal memoir, How Life Imitates Chess is a glimpse inside the mind of one of today's greatest and most innovative thinkers.