This a completely new edition, updated and extended from the original 2009 publication. It includes important changes in the basic framework of the repertoire and presents lots of new ideas and hundreds of novelties. The Sicilian Defence is the most widely played chess opening, both at club level as well as among top grandmasters. Since Black gets dynamic play in almost all variations, Black players of all levels will probably continue to play the Sicilian for a long time to come. It has been difficult for White to obtain any advantage in Sicilian sidelines, and this book therefore presents a complete repertoire for White in the most important main lines: the Open Sicilians with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3. Each variation is presented with its main ideas, its typical tactics and strategies, and with instructive games. The authors always summarize the most important features.

The Sicilian Defense is the most popular chess opening at every level of tournament play. Here, a multinational line-up of leading experts gives recommendations against their own pet lines in the Sicilian Defense. The authors are all either Grandmasters or International Masters, and readers now have a complete guide to playing with White against the Sicilian.

Aurelio Zen—cynical and tough, yet worn down from years of law enforcement—has just been given the worst assignment he could imagine. He has been sent to the heart of hostile territory: Sicily, the ancient, beautiful island where blood has been known to flow like wine, and the distinction between the police and the criminals is a fine one. Even worse, he has been sent to spy on the elite anti-Mafia squad.The only thing that makes the job palatable—and takes his mind off routine details like the rotting body found in a remote train car—is that Zen's adopted daughter, Carla, is also in town. But life becomes precarious for Carla when she stumbles upon some information she'd be better off not knowing and befriends a local magistrate on the Mafia's most wanted list. What ensues is a breakneck plot of amazing complexity that culminates in a stunning finale. Blood Rain, emotionally gripping and defiantly original, is surely one of Dibdin's finest works.

Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player of all time. From an early age on the Hungarian prodigy baffled the world with her sensational triumphs. At the age of 15 she beat Bobby Fischer’s record to become the youngest grandmaster in history. During her glorious career, which she ended in 2014, she defeated World Champions Boris Spassky, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen. To reach the 8th spot in the FIDE World Rankings (for men) and belong to the very best for many years, as Judit Polgar did, you obviously have to be a brilliant all-round chess player. Still, she will be first and foremost remembered for her attacking skills. Her electrifying combinations and tactical triumphs set her apart. As former U.S. Champion Joel Benjamin said after he lost to her: "She is a tiger at the chessboard. She absolutely has a killer instinct." Award-winning author Charles Hertan has revisited the gold mine of Judit Polgar’s games and selected her best and most instructive tactics. They are arranged by theme and presented with helpful explanations and lots of practical advice. You will be inspired by her clever traps, stunning sacrifices and cunning endgame tricks. You will learn from her tactical vision, calculating skills and counter-intuitive ideas. Strike Like Judit is a riveting guide that will help you win more games as you will find killer moves more easily and more quickly.

The novel The Godfather (1969) and the movie of the same name (1972) entrenched the myth of the Mafiosi as valiant knights, men of honor, and defenders of the traditional concept of family. As a result of this movie and other popular portrayals, the image of mobsters as “men of honor and tradition” has become iconic throughout America. Yet the truth of the matter belies this more noble image. The Mafia is a ruthless organization. Their concept of family is a twisted one. But viewed through the lens of popular culture, it is often difficult to separate the fiction from the reality. Made Men demystifies this image by dismantling the code of honor that Mafiosi live by, including its attendant symbols, rituals, and the lifestyle that it demands. Since the end of World War II, the Mafia in Italy and America has undergone major changes, which are charted by the authors through the present day. Nicaso and Danesi also consider all kinds of related organizations, not only the Italian ones, including the Yakuza, the Triads, and the Russian Mafia. The authors look at organized criminal culture in general, attempting to explain why its symbols, rituals, and practices continue to draw people in, both as literal members, or as consumers of the pop culture that glorifies them. This story traces and decodes the origins, history and success of the mafia in the U.S., bringing a better, and more accurate understanding of this ultimately brutal, violent, and corrupting “family business.” It is a story that has rarely been told in this way, but which is believed, nonetheless, important to tell.

What Amateurs Can Learn from Ulf Andersson's Positional Masterpieces One of the most effective ways to improve your chess is to take a world class-player as your example. By collecting his games, studying his choices and examining his style, you will understand what made him rise to the very top. This is what Guido Kern and Jurgen Kaufeld have done with Swedish chess legend Ulf Andersson, a positional genius with a crystal-clear style, who rose to the number 4 spot of the FIDE world rankings. Kaufeld and Kern have selected 80 of Andersson’s games and grouped them into 15 thematic strategy lessons, pinpointing exactly how the Swede made the difference in each case. Their instructive verbal explanations will improve your strategic skills and your positional feeling. Every chess player knows how difficult it can be to convert an advantage into a win. Positional technique is what you need and Grandmaster Chess Strategy teaches you exactly that. Throughout the book the authors have selected dozens of test positions at particularly instructive stages of the games.