Mastering Opening Strategy

Publisher: Dover
Author: T. D. Harding
Year of Publication: 2001 Pages: 208
Notation Type: Algebraic (AN)


Book Description As noted British chess author T. D. Harding explains in the preface to Counter Gambits: Black to Play and Win, the aim of this book is to show you how to win games with Black. The method? Calculated aggression, right from move one! To offset the distinct advantage White is thought to have because it moves first, Black can engage in dynamic counterplay to avoid those openings that give White the opportunity of early exchanges. Following a brief explanation of symbols, this excellent guide covers such topics as dynamic counterplay, counter-gambits in open games, Black sacrifices in the half-open games, counters to the Queen's Gambit, Indian counter-gambits, and an index to openings and variations. Seventy-seven games, including ten new to this edition, are fully annotated, while more are found in the theoretical notes, with commentary. Among the counter-gambits used in the quest for dynamic counterplay are the Budapest, Blumenfeld, Falkbeer, and Latvian — all illustrated in great detail. A new update "Update 2001," written especially for this edition, examines developments in the field since this book was first published in the 1970s. Players at all skill levels — beginner to advanced — are sure to benefit from this expert analysis of gambits and counter-gambits.

Most competitive players are very familiar with the idea of a sacrificial checkmating attack, but the positional sacrifice has been strangely neglected. By means of a subtle positional sacrifice, a player can sometimes fundamentally alter the course of a game in his or her favor. In this instructive and entertaining book International Master Neil McDonald demonstrates just how effective well-executed positional sacrifices are. Topics covered include sacrifices to open lines for the pieces, sacrifices as a defensive weapon, the exchange sacrifice, the psychology of sacrifice and much more.

Combinations are the central element in chess; they make the game so magical and captivating. The beautiful point of sacrificing a queen, the strongest piece, in order to checkmate with a lowly pawn brings a smile of joy to all chess lovers. Virtually all chess games possess a combination, either one hidden in the shadows of analysis carefully avoided or one that provides a decisive blow.

There are many differing opinions amongst the top players in the world of chess, but there is one thing upon which World Champions, Grandmasters and other experts all agree: the art of chess calculation is the absolute key to the success of a player. Master this discipline and you can surely expect your results to improve dramatically. Jacob Aagaard tackles the 'art of chess calculation', unravelling its many secrets and arming the reader with the necessary tools to be able to calculate effectively at the chessboard.

David Levy, International and World expert on computer chess, has analyzed the brilliancies of the masters and, in this book, explains how you can learn to recognize the symptoms and produce your own stunning finishing stroke. Make a small sacrifice and buy this elegant combination of explanation and instruction!

Superb defensive technique is a hallmark of all great chess-players. With a few deft counterstrokes, they not only deflect what looked like an overwhelming offensive, but also expose the darker side of their opponent's build-up. Is this sheer black magic, or are these skills that ordinary players can develop?

>Sacrifices are an essential part of chess. Those who never consider sacrificing will miss countless opportunities and find that promising positions repeatedly slip away. Players who do not appreciate their opponents' sacrificial possibilities will be unable to see danger signs, and find themselves on the wrong end of too many king-hunts. Rather than merely cataloguing the various possibilities and providing examples, LeMoir discusses the possible follow-ups to the sacrifices, the defensive options against them, and the positional factors that might suggest whether the sacrifice will be sound or unsound.

There are many differing opinions amongst the top players in the world of chess, but there is one thing upon which World Champions, Grandmasters and other experts all agree: the art of chess calculation is the absolute key to the success of a player. Master this discipline and you can surely expect your results to improve dramatically. Jacob Aagaard tackles the 'art of chess calculation', unravelling its many secrets and arming the reader with the necessary tools to be able to calculate effectively at the chessboard.