Cyrus Lakdawala

The Petroff Defence has traditionally been regarded as a reliable defensive mechanism to counter the aggressive 1 e4. It also has a reputation for being one of the most drawish of all openings and a choice that Black only makes when content to achieve a draw. However, in recent years, this has all changed. A new generation of players, spearheaded by the 2018 World Championship challenger, Fabiano Caruana (whose qualification route was built heavily around the Petroff), are re-interpreting this ancient defence. While recognising the impressive solidity of the Petroff they are honing it into a fine counter-attacking weapon. Opening Repertoire: The Petroff Defence examines all aspects of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans. The suggested lines for Black are based around the very latest games and analsysis. * A complete repetoire for Black in the Petroff Defence. * A question and answer approach provides an excellent study method.

This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practicing of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of opening knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to study any chess opening and at the same time improve your general chess skills and knowledge. The Petroff Defense is a solid and reliable way to meet 1 e4. It has a strong reputation and has been employed regularly by many grandmasters, most notably former world champions Anatoly Karpov and Vladimir Kramnik. By choosing counterattack instead of defense as early as the second move, Black immediately avoids many favorite weapons for White, including the Ruy Lopez, Italian Game, Scotch Game and a number of daunting gambits. This practical advantage for those playing Black in the Open Games cannot be underestimated. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in studying all the important lines in the Petroff. Using illustrative games, he explains the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about successfully playing the Petroff Defense. *Essential guidance and training with the Petroff *Provides repertoire options for Black *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

The King's Indian Attack, featuring White's early kingside fianchetto and d3, while usually involving the e4 advance and often a kingside pawn storm, was one of Bobby Fischer's favourite openings. It is simple to learn without the need to worry about huge blocks of theory and it is taught through 77 illustrative games. That said, being simple to learn doesn't mean that the opening doesn't have its fair share of excitement - and complications. It certainly has - both tactical and positional - once you get into the middlegame, but there is very little that you need to learn by heart after you digest the key ideas from the book's introduction and illustrative games. This book features eleven games with Fischer as White. The book recommends White's best easy-to-remember set ups against all of Black's main replies. The key material is delivered as follows: Chapter 1: The Reversed King's Indian Chapter 2: The Reversed Pirc Chapter 3: KIA vs ...d5 ...c6 and ...Bxf3 Chapter 4: KIA vs ...d5 ...c6 and ...Bh5 Chapter 5: KIA vs Reversed London System Chapter 6: KIA vs French Defence Chapter 7: KIA vs ...e5/...d6 Structures Chapter 8: KIA vs Reversed English Formations The author himself is a frequent practitioner of the opening. The book features nine games with Cyrus as White and another three as Black. Further, he has taught it to numerous students over the years. Other games feature elite players including Carlsen, Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand, Petrosian, Botvinnik, Gukesh, Ding, Nepo, Nakamura, Pragg, Svidler, Giri, Timman, Kamsky, Polugaevsky, Erigaisi, Lilienthal and Stahlberg.

The King's Indian Attack, featuring White's early kingside fianchetto and d3, while usually involving the e4 advance and often a kingside pawn storm, was one of Bobby Fischer's favourite openings. It is simple to learn without the need to worry about huge blocks of theory and it is taught through 77 illustrative games. That said, being simple to learn doesn't mean that the opening doesn't have its fair share of excitement - and complications. It certainly has - both tactical and positional - once you get into the middlegame, but there is very little that you need to learn by heart after you digest the key ideas from the book's introduction and illustrative games. This book features eleven games with Fischer as White. The book recommends White's best easy-to-remember set ups against all of Black's main replies. The key material is delivered as follows: Chapter 1: The Reversed King's Indian Chapter 2: The Reversed Pirc Chapter 3: KIA vs ...d5 ...c6 and ...Bxf3 Chapter 4: KIA vs ...d5 ...c6 and ...Bh5 Chapter 5: KIA vs Reversed London System Chapter 6: KIA vs French Defence Chapter 7: KIA vs ...e5/...d6 Structures Chapter 8: KIA vs Reversed English Formations The author himself is a frequent practitioner of the opening. The book features nine games with Cyrus as White and another three as Black. Further, he has taught it to numerous students over the years. Other games feature elite players including Carlsen, Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand, Petrosian, Botvinnik, Gukesh, Ding, Nepo, Nakamura, Pragg, Svidler, Giri, Timman, Kamsky, Polugaevsky, Erigaisi, Lilienthal and Stahlberg.

Chess games are won and lost in the fight to create, attack and exploit each other's weaknesses. A weakness can be of pawns, pieces, squares, files, on colour complexes - and so on. Pinpointing weaknesses and knowing how to exploit them is an integral part of building a Winning Chess Strategy. Hence, in this volume of our series, American author Cyrus Lakdawala tackles this multifaceted term, making it approachable for anyone wishing to learn how to find and exploit the soft spots in their opponent's camps.

Chess games are won and lost in the fight to create, attack and exploit each other's weaknesses. A weakness can be of pawns, pieces, squares, files, on colour complexes - and so on. Pinpointing weaknesses and knowing how to exploit them is an integral part of building a Winning Chess Strategy. Hence, in this volume of our series, American author Cyrus Lakdawala tackles this multifaceted term, making it approachable for anyone wishing to learn how to find and exploit the soft spots in their opponent's camps.

The chess board is rarely big enough for both armies, leading to a fight for the centre, and a fight for space, which together with material and time are key elements of chess strategy. How we fight for extra space and exploit it once conquered is the topic of this volume in the Winning Chess Strategies series, Exploiting a Space Advantage. Cyrus Lakdawala explains how to squeeze your opponents into submission, when a space advantage leads to an attack, why we should be careful not to overextend, as well as many more concepts that can help you better understand the elusive concept of space. Get ready to stop feeling cramped and start grabbing some space

The chess board is rarely big enough for both armies, leading to a fight for the centre, and a fight for space, which together with material and time are key elements of chess strategy. How we fight for extra space and exploit it once conquered is the topic of this volume in the Winning Chess Strategies series, Exploiting a Space Advantage. Cyrus Lakdawala explains how to squeeze your opponents into submission, when a space advantage leads to an attack, why we should be careful not to overextend, as well as many more concepts that can help you better understand the elusive concept of space. Get ready to stop feeling cramped and start grabbing some space

All chess players have heard about the power of the bishop pair - but many have no understanding of when the two bishops are superior, nor why they are superior, when they are, and least of all, what to do with the advantage of the two bishops, when achieved. Questions like these are at the epicentre of this refreshing new project, headlined by prolific and well-established author Cyrus Lakdawala. Keeping variations to a bear minimum, but using extensive explanations combined with his trademark prose, the American International Master dissects this well-known but rarely understood theme, in terms that make it accessible to players on all levels of their chess development. Exploiting the Two Bishops aims to be both an exciting and pleasant read, as well as a deeply instructive textbook, granting the ambitious player all they need to put in their arsenal an invaluable Winning Chess Strategy.

All chess players have heard about the power of the bishop pair - but many have no understanding of when the two bishops are superior, nor why they are superior, when they are, and least of all, what to do with the advantage of the two bishops, when achieved. Questions like these are at the epicentre of this refreshing new project, headlined by prolific and well-established author Cyrus Lakdawala. Keeping variations to a bear minimum, but using extensive explanations combined with his trademark prose, the American International Master dissects this well-known but rarely understood theme, in terms that make it accessible to players on all levels of their chess development. Exploiting the Two Bishops aims to be both an exciting and pleasant read, as well as a deeply instructive textbook, granting the ambitious player all they need to put in their arsenal an invaluable Winning Chess Strategy.

Hikaru is a five-time US chess champion, ranked as high as second in the world with a stratospheric peak rating of 2816, the 10th highest of all time. He is also a top chess streamer with over a million followers across social media, consistently on the list of the five wealthiest gamers in the world. Nakamura has represented the US in 5 Olympiads, earning a team Gold and two Bronze medals. "Naka's" chess style is confrontational. He thrives on aggression, confrontation and complications, making him one of the most entertaining players in the world. In 72 fully annotated games, this book covers Hikaru's most exciting and instructive battles against many of the world's top players. Opponents include world champions Carlsen, Kramnik, Anand, and Ding Liren, leading US rivals Caruana, So and Shankland, as well as other world-class players such as Short, Nepo, Gelfand, Karjakin, Topalov, and Kamsky.Cyrus Lakdawala was born in Mumbai, India, in 1960, moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1966, and later moved at age 18 to San Diego, California, where he continues to reside. He reached a peak USCF rating of 2597 in 1994 and obtained the IM title in 2002. He is a 6-time Southern California State Champion and won the San Diego Chess Club Championship 23 times.Cyrus began writing chess books in 2009 and since then has written 77 books, making him the most prolific chess writer in the world. He continues to coach and two of his students became International Masters. This is his second book for Elk and Ruby.

Hikaru is a five-time US chess champion, ranked as high as second in the world with a stratospheric peak rating of 2816, the 10th highest of all time. He is also a top chess streamer with over a million followers across social media, consistently on the list of the five wealthiest gamers in the world. Nakamura has represented the US in 5 Olympiads, earning a team Gold and two Bronze medals. "Naka's" chess style is confrontational. He thrives on aggression, confrontation and complications, making him one of the most entertaining players in the world. In 72 fully annotated games, this book covers Hikaru's most exciting and instructive battles against many of the world's top players. Opponents include world champions Carlsen, Kramnik, Anand, and Ding Liren, leading US rivals Caruana, So and Shankland, as well as other world-class players such as Short, Nepo, Gelfand, Karjakin, Topalov, and Kamsky.Cyrus Lakdawala was born in Mumbai, India, in 1960, moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1966, and later moved at age 18 to San Diego, California, where he continues to reside. He reached a peak USCF rating of 2597 in 1994 and obtained the IM title in 2002. He is a 6-time Southern California State Champion and won the San Diego Chess Club Championship 23 times.Cyrus began writing chess books in 2009 and since then has written 77 books, making him the most prolific chess writer in the world. He continues to coach and two of his students became International Masters. This is his second book for Elk and Ruby.