Opening preparation is useful, but understanding the middlegame is much more important. This book, an improved edition of a Russian classic, teaches amateur chess players 45 extremely effective skills in a crystal-clear manner. Quite a few of the ideas presented here will surprise the reader, because they offer solutions for problems the club player is only subconsciously aware. How do you activate your rook pawn? How do you prevent your opponent from opening a file? How do you restrict the efficacy of your opponents pieces? Which rook belongs on the c-, d- or e-file? What is the best way to exchange a piece? How do you castle artificially? In most cases the techniques are easy to understand and memorize. Bronznik and Terekhin do not burden the reader with deep analysis and only present those variations that are really necessary to get the point. There is a special training section at the end of the book where you can test your skills.

Opening preparation is essential, but for aspiring players understanding the middlegame is even more important. Techniques of Positional Play, an improved edition of a Russian classic, teaches amateur chess players 45 extremely effective skills in a crystal-clear manner. Quite a few of these techniques will be revelations for club players, as they offer solutions for problems amateurs are often only subconsciously aware of. For example: How do you restrict the efficacy of your opponent's pieces? What is the best way to exchange a piece? How do you prevent your opponent from opening a file? Whic ...

This is the fourth in the series of phenomenally successful training manuals by the world's leading trainer and his star pupil. By instilling players with an understanding of persistent positional features, they stress the features of positional play most relevant to the practical struggle, assuring over-the-board success. Beginner

This new 3rd edition has, besides various corrections and improvements, a new introduction and a brand-new chapter called ‘Total Control’. In this 35-page chapter Grooten adds the final instructive brick to his formidable, yet very accessible, building: inspired by Tigran Petrosian’s playing style he explains amateurs how to exploit small advantages. With a new set of exercises. ---- Every club player knows the problem: the opening has ended, and now what? First find the right plan, then the good moves will follow! With this book, International Master Herman Grooten presents to amateur players a complete and structured course on: how to recognize key characteristics in all types of positions how to make use of those characteristics to choose the right plan His teachings are based on the famous "Elements" of Wilhelm Steinitz, but Grooten has significantly expanded and updated the work of the first World Champion. He supplies many modern examples, tested in his own practice as a coach of talented youngsters. In Chess Strategy for Club Players you will learn the basic elements of positional understanding: -- pawn structure -- piece placement -- lead in development -- open files -- weaknesses -- space advantage -- king safety -- exploiting small advantages. The author also explains what to do when, in a given position, the basic principles seem to point in different directions. Each chapter of this fundamental primer ends with a set of highly instructive exercises.

After you have learned the rules of chess and developed some tactical abilities, how do you go from there? You are now ready to tackle basic issues of strategy, but what is the best way to improve and win more games? Of course, you have to train. But chess training only makes sense if it fits your level of play and if it is structured in an accessible way. Experienced chess trainer Yaroslav Srokovski has developed a practical, well-structured, compact first course in positional understanding. You will learn two fundamental skills: how to assess a position on the board and how to decide which long-term objectives you should aim for in what sort of positions. In 12 chapters Srokovksi teaches you things like: how to handle your pawns, what weak squares and strong squares are, bad pieces and good pieces, why it is important if your king is in the middle or not, why and how to get an open line, the problem of knight against bishop, what piece coordination means and why everyone talks about the bishop pair. This course, which includes many exercises, is tried and tested and ideally suited to bring post-beginners at their next level.

Most chess games of beginners and post-beginners are decided by fairly straightforward tactics. Anyone who wants to progress beyond this level and become a strong club player or a candidate master, needs to understand that somewhat mysterious-looking resource, the positional sacrifice. International Master Merijn van Delft has studied and loved positional sacrifices for as long as he can remember. This non-forcing tool is not just a surprising and highly effective way of creating a decisive advantage during a game. Positional sacrifices are also instruments of superior beauty. Van Delft has created a unique thematic structure for all types of positional sacrifices. He shows the early historical examples, explains which long-term goals are typical for each fundamental theme and presents lots of instructive modern examples. He then concentrates on those sacrifices that have become standard features of positional play. Solving the exercises he has added will further enhance your skills. Playing a positional sacrifice will always require courage. Merijn van Delft takes you by the hand and not only teaches the essential technical know-how, he also helps you to recognize the opportunities when to take the plunge. Mastering Positional Sacrifices is bound to become a modern-day classic.

Learn to develop a more powerful strategic game. Key squares, bad bishops, pawn structures, other examples appear in ascending difficulty, with cross-references. For players at every level. 495 black-and-white illustrations.