Walnut and Maple Classical Tiroir Chessboard with Storage Drawers

Max Euwe was World Chess Champion in the 1930s and he collaborated with International Master Kramer to write this great treatise on how to play chess middlegames. Book II of the series examines the initiative, the different types of attack on the king, the art of defense, maneuver and liquidation, and the common failings over the chessboard to which even great players are occasionally subject.

Following on from his successful Understanding Chess Endgames, John Nunn turns his attention to the middlegame - the phase of the chess battle where most games are decided, yet the one that has received the least systematic treatment from chess writers. With the outstanding clarity for which he is famous, Nunn breaks down complex problems into bite-sized pieces.

Many of the classics of Soviet chess literature have struggled to see the light of day, but none more so than Soviet Middlegame Technique by Peter Romanovsky. The original version of this famous guide to the middlegame was published in 1929 when Romanovsky was Soviet Champion. Romanovsky later decided to update and improve his work.

Publisher: ISHI Press
Author: Ludek Pachman
Year of Publication: 2012 (Reprint) Pages: 185
Notation Type: Descriptive (DN)


Book Description Continuing his major work on strategy and tactics in modern chess, the internationalyl renowned Grandmaster, Ludek Pachman, now turns his attention to the play of the pawns and the achievement of control of the center squares. Though the pawns are the weakest pieces in chess, their importance in determining the character of the attack (and defense) and the development of strategic play cannot be underestimated. Pawns are essential to the protection of important squares and pieces. They are the best means of blockading enemy pawns and when correctly deployed, their advance can open vital files and diagonals, thereby creating weaknesses in the opposite position. Despite its limited power, the pawn has one special advantage over other pieces in that it can be promoted when it reaches the eighth rank; a successful pawn advance can completely change the balance of power and the outcome of a game. Pawns have aptly been described as "the soul of chess." Vital of chess mastery is a basic understanding of the importance of control of the center squares. The effectiveness of the pieces depend upon the strength of their position and center control creates a vital sapatial superiority. The effective play of the pawns and center control have been touched upon on other works, but seldom with the insight and lucidity revealed in this second volume of Pachman's masterwork.

Every chessplayer hopes to make brilliant moves which will overcome the opponent in a blaze of glory. But such combinations come into being only as a result of proper planning, as demonstrated in Chess Middlegame Planning. The lucid and penetrating analysis of the games in this volume demonstrate the imagination and creativity necessary for proper handling of the central stage of the game.

Study of this important book, with dozens of highly instructive and clearly explained games from the greats of chess, will enhance your middlegame skills and will let you understand why pawns are considered to be 'the souls of chess'.

Basic concepts of middle game play are systematically and logically presented.

As I also remarked in my review, the Soviet concept of a beginner is clearly wider than ours, and to make the book even wider in its scope and appeal I have added some supplementary material. I must confess that I have had some misgivings about the correct rendering of certain technical terms, but in the absence of an internationally accepted terminology each translator must take his own line on such matters. Also in translating certain extracts quoted from authors whose books are available in English I have followed the Russian text in those rare cases where it differs slightly from the English version. I trust that this book will give real pleasure to its readers and help those players who wish to learn to play combinations.