This is a well-established training manual which encourages the average player to understand how a grandmaster thinks, and even more important, how he works. Kotov tackles fundamental issues such as knowing how and when to analyze, the tree of analysis, a selection of candidate moves and the factors of success.

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.

This book pits readers against the grandmasters by placing them in real-game situations where there is a way to defeat a well-known player. Kongsted: "Your task is to find the moves which lead to the defeat of some of the strongest players in the world. Quite often one move can change the course of the game, and calculating with precision at the right moment can mean the difference between winning and losing. Even if you have had a lost position for a long time, you may suddenly get the chance to turn things around if your opponent drops his guard for a moment." Contains 351 puzzle positions with full solutions. All positions are taken from real game positions, and the reader is challenged to find the continuation that defeated a top-class player. Includes a self-rating system.

Chess as art and recreation; checkmating combinations, endgame play, strategic principles, more. Full details and analysis of author's famous game with Emanuel Lasker. 94 diagrams; other illustrations. "Very enjoyable." — Cleveland Chess Bulletin.

At the age of 13 years, 4 months and 26 days, Magnus Carlsen became the youngest chess grandmaster in the world. The international press raved about the Norwegian prodigy. The Washington Post even called him ‘the Mozart of chess’. Ten years on Magnus Carlsen is the number one in the world rankings and a household name far beyond chess circles. Time Magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013. How Magnus Carlsen Became the Youngest Chess Grandmaster in the World is the fairy-tale-like story of his rise. The story-teller could not have been better qualified. Simen Agdestein trained Magnus in the years leading up to his grandmaster title, repeatedly pinching himself in amazement at his pupil’s lightning progress While you follow Magnus on his wonderful journey, Agdestein is your guide, providing insights into the Carlsen family life and explaining the secrets of Magnus’ play in clear and instructive comments. This is an inspiring book for any chess player. It will fascinate parents and help gifted children to realize their full potential.

Jonathan Rowson's competitive success as a chess Grandmaster and work as an applied philosopher have given him a unique perspective on why the great game is more important than ever for understanding the conflicts and uncertainties of the modern world. In sixty-four witty and addictive vignettes, Rowson takes us on an exhilarating tour of the game of life, from the psychology of gang violence, to the aesthetics of cyborgs, the beauty of technical details, and the endgame of death. Chess emerges as a singularly powerful metaphor for the thrills and set-backs that invest our daily lives with meaning and complexity.