Archive for the ‘chess books’ Category
January 17th, 2009 | 
Author: 
The Regency Chess Company
Chess is 99% tactics… is an old saying. This may be an exaggeration, but even the remaining 1% still depends on tactics. When Martin Weteschnik started working as a trainer in his local chess club, he quickly realized that even the stronger club players had great weaknesses in their tactical play. He also discovered that simply asking them to solve a huge number of puzzles did not fix the problem. These players clearly needed a good book, but when Weteschnik looked for it he found nothing suitable, so he decided to write it himself.
The Regency Chess Company
For Lluis Comas Fabrego chess is about more than just winning as many games as possible, it is a creative search for the truth. In True Lies in Chess Comas Fabrego takes on the challenging task of separating the truth from lies in chess literature. Guided by many practical examples and clear advice, the readers will learn how to reduce the complexity of chess towards the essential features of each position, and so improve their play. The author argues that in modern chess the tendency to prefer concrete analysis to the written word is dangerous. Humans are incapable of finding the correct move by brute-force calculation like a computer. We must simplify the problem by focusing on the elements that our judgement tells us are most significant. Comas Fabrego shows how his creative approach has helped him find many novelties in the opening, particularly concentrating on the a6-lines of the King’s Indian in which he is a renowned expert.
The Regency Chess Company
In modern chess it is often difficult to be creative in the opening, but in this book Tiger Hillarp Persson shows it can be done. Tiger presents his own favourite line against 1.e4: the Modern Defence with a6. With the laid-back approach he brings both to the game of chess and life in general, he covers White’s various replies to his system, with a repertoire based on understanding, typical reactions, and interesting games, rather than theory to be memorised. Pieces are sacrificed in a great number of games and famous grandmasters will meet their doom on the pages of this refreshingly lively opening book. Tiger Hillarp Persson is a grandmaster from Sweden who is famous for his original style. As well as being hard to beat, he has defeated players of the highest level. This is his first chess book.
The Regency Chess Company
The Berlin variation of the Spanish is one of the most popular openings among world class players. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 Black can play a completely sound opening based mainly on understanding rather than memorizing theory. Many opening books make this claim, but the scarcity of forcing lines in the Berlin mean that in this case it is true. The trick is to gain the requisite understanding, and this is where John Cox’s eloquent prose comes into its own. After reading his explanations it will be clear why this robust opening has gained the nickname The Berlin Wall.
The Regency Chess Company
The Benko Gambit is one of the most dynamic defences for Black against 1.d4 and is favoured by world class players such as Veselin Topalov and Alexander Khalifman both of whom have used this defence to score memorable victories. The dynamic counter play Black receives in return for the sacrificed queenside pawns gives Black compensation, often lasting all the way into the endgame. In this entertaining and instructive book renowned theoretician Jan Pinski clearly identifies the critical lines every player needs too know in order to play this opening, and clearly explains the core ideas in the opening. Besides being completely up-to-date and thoroughly researched, the book also contains a large amount of new analysis, including the currently popular Epishin Variation. Though still in his 20s IM Jan Pinski is already a renowned author and opening expert. In this book he combines his usual high level of theoretical insight with a wonderful introduction on the typical decisions every player faces in this opening.
The Regency Chess Company
In 2003 Dorian Rogozenko helped Ruslan Ponomariov to prepare for his later-cancelled match against Garry Kasparov. The subject: the Sicilian Sveshnikov. Now you can have a private training session worthy of a World Champion with this remarkable book, which successfully combines theoretical depth with clear explanations. In New In Chess Yearbook 77, GM Sergei Tiviakov (Elo 2699) gave the book a rave review of 10/10, claiming to be unable to find any faults in it.
The Regency Chess Company
San Luis 2005 is the most celebrated chess tournament of the decade. Bulgarian Grandmaster Veselin Topalov triumphed and proved that he is a worthy successor to World Champions such as Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. In this ambitious work Gershon and Nor analyse all the games from the tournament, but there is no danger of the reader drowning in masses of variations, as the authors clearly explain the ideas behind the moves. Tournament books used to be a familiar part of chess literature with Zurich 1953 a classic example, however such books are now rare because of the huge effort they demand from the authors. Gershon and Nor have risen to the challenge and produced a book that is destined to become a modern classic, a magnificent book worthy of an extraordinary tournament. Many colour photographs of the event and the surrounding Argentinean scenery help the reader feel what it was like to be at San Luis 2005.
The Regency Chess Company
Questions of Modern Chess Theory is the lost masterpiece of Soviet chess literature. It was written by a double Ukrainian Champion, and published in the Soviet Union in 1956. Russian experts say it is one of the most influential chess books of the 20th century, yet it has never been published in English.
Questions of Modern Chess Theory has been edited to make it useful for the 21st century and is now accessible for the first time to an English-speaking audience. Isaac Lipnitsky was a major player on the Soviet chess scene just after World War Two, strong enough to take the scalps of Keres, Smyslov and Petrosian. He would no doubt have been a household name had he not tragically passed away at a young age in 1959. The missing link between Nimzowitsch’s My System and chess today, updated for the 21st century.
The Regency Chess Company
Chess is developing faster now than ever before in history, and the appearance of strong chess computers has changed the way players think. In the past many positions would have been rejected on principle as impossible to defend, and even the best players would shy away from capturing material if it meant that they would have to face a difficult defence. This attitude has changed, and today’s top players are not afraid of walking a very fine line in defence. This book gives practical advice on various methods of defence, offering readers the chance to test and train with 200 challenging examples. While not for the faint-hearted, this book will help the reader greatly improve in this vital part of the game. Jacob Aagaard is one of the most respected chess authors in the world, 33 years old, born in Denmark, but resident in Glasgow, Scotland. His best results are his three GM-norms, all attained in 2004. Jacob has written many highly regarded chess books. Especially close to his heart is the Excelling at Chess series of 5 books, from which the first, Excelling at Chess, (translated into numerous languages), won Book of the Year at chesscafe.com, while the final two received even better reviews.
The Regency Chess Company
The Semi-Slav is one of the most popular chess openings that Black can play against 1.d4. The Semi-Slav is both sound and ambitious, which makes it a favourite of the chess elite. American IM and theoretical expert David Vigorito provides a full repertoire for Black with two options against the main lines. If you want to play this topical opening you cannot do without this book.
