"I'd rather have one or two of his whiplashing essays in my hands than almost any tome of philosophy". -- Thomas Moore

When opening a chess game with the Scandinavian, 1.e4 d5, Black decides on the very first move where the battle will be fought - a significant gain for any competitive player. Grandmaster Christian Bauer is one of the world's leading experts on the Scandinavian and in this book he reveals the secrets of his over-the-board success.Bauer focuses particularly on 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5, the established main line of the Scandinavian. An understanding of the move order nuances is essential, and Bauer is an ideally-qualified guide.

For news junkies and fans of the bizarre-but-true, here is an outrageous collection of all-real, all-weird news stories culled from the nation's mainstream newspapers. Line art throughout.