Standard Vinyl Analysis Tournament Chessboard - 1.75 in. (44mm)

Trains and boats and planes are all part of a day in the life of globe-trotting Grandmaster Julian Hodgson, as is his constant surveillance of the chessboard in search of some lethal tactical strike. Now, in Chess Travellers Quiz Book, Hodgson reverses roles and, setting the brainteasers himself, challenges readers to find the winning combination in 200 test-yourself positions, all taken from practical play. These are arranged chapter by chapter, in order of increasing difficulty, anticipating that by the time you reach your final destination you will be a keener, sharper, more imaginative player.

Sam loyd is widely considered to be the finest chess composer that ever lived, often authorizing problems with witty themes that would challenge even the strongest of players. What isn't so well known is that he was also one of the best chess players in the U.S.,despite having a playing style that was highly flawed. Like his problems, Sam would often try to create fantastic combinations over the board during his games, rather than simplifying and going for the win.

This book, edited by Grandmaster Andrew Soltis, presents 58 of Sam Loyd's problems for your consideration. In addition to the puzzles, the author extensively discusses the man behind the puzzles.

The 300 practical chess problems included here, taken from actual tournament play, contain scores of traps, sacrifices, mates, winning combinations, and subtle exchanges that will help sharpen players' eyes and test their skills against the masters.

Tactical skills are paramount in chess. More than anything else, a player's ability to find tactical solutions determines how successful he is over-the-board. No endgame scheme, opening idea or strategic plan, however brilliant a concept it may be, is of any value unless it is accurately calculated and implemented.

The best way to develop tactical skills is to practice them by tackling new and challenging positions. This book provides a wealth of chess puzzles to test just about every facet of your tactical ability. It is very unlikely that even those who have read many other chess puzzle books will recognize more than a handful of these positions. Franco has searched recent events and used powerful computers to seek out previously unpublished puzzles, and has also drawn extensively upon Latin American sources that he has been scouring for brilliant examples over the last three decades.

Following the pattern of Gambit's hugely successful Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book (by John Emms), the book begins with 100 relatively easy positions suitable for novices, and ends with 100 extremely tough puzzles, which provide a mind-bending challenge even for grandmasters. There are 1001 puzzles in all, including themed sections and graded tests, all with detailed computer-verified solutions and verbal explanations of the main instructive points.

Is the ability to make combinations something you are born with or can it be acquired by practice? Russian chess trainer Livshitz, who has had extensive experience teaching a wide range of players from novices to masters, presents here a course for developing your combinational skill, based on the recognition of tactical motifs. As you work your way through this carefully graced series of tests, themes such as 'diversion,' 'interference,' 'X-Ray,' and many more will become an integral part of your chess armoury, to be employed in your own games.

As most chess instructors and players know, it is much more difficult to teach and learn strategic concepts than tactics. In this program, German grandmaster Dr. Karsten Mueller will help you develop your strategic chessplaying skills.

A fascinating collection of more than two hundred typical errors committed by the world's greatest players challenges you to test your skills by choosing between two moves: the right one, or the one actually played. You will be amazed at how even world champions make errors in critical situations and violate the basic principles of chess.

There is something here for everyone. The puzzles in the first two chapters are based on a clear-cut tactic or checkmate, such as those explained in Gambit's best-sellers How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and Chess Tactics for Kids. The endgame challenges highlight tactics and principles in action. In practice it is vital to defend resiliently and seek counterattacking chances – there is an innovative chapter on these rarely-covered themes as well as puzzles where the reader must decide how to punch home an attack.