Raymond Keene

The history of the World Chess Championship continues in this volume with the epic struggles between Botvinnik, Bronstein, Smyslov, Tal and Petrosian, via the brief but spectacular advent of Bobby Fischer, and on to the modern superstars Karpov and Kasparov. All games from the matches are annotated and this book with its companion volume, World Chess Championship: Steinitz to Alekhine, forms a valuable addition to the library of any chess enthusiast who wishes to possess a complete collection of games played at the very highest level.

A new edition of Ray Keene and Barry Martin's lucid presentation of how to start on the stimulating path of playing chess. It features: a clear explanation of the legal moves for each piece; a straightforward guide to special rules, such as castling and en passant; and a discussion of how to begin - basic openings - and how to finish - endgames. There is also an updated gallery of chess 'heroes' past and present, a section on the Golden Rules of chess mastery, and - to reinforce the important ideas - a selection of puzzles (with solutions) to test progress and understanding.

Inspired by both Daniel Defoe's 'A Journal of the Plague Year' (1722) and 'The King', an anthology of the witty and provocative chess columns of the Dutch Grandmaster, Jan Hein Donner, Ray Keene here collects his thoughts and writings on the year 2020 - both in chess and the wider world. His reflections include the impact of Covid-19 on the popularity of chess, the remarkable influence of the Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit', the growing army of teenage Grandmasters, the online pivot of chess competition and the emergence of chess entrepreneurs, such as World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.. Like Donner, Ray uses chess as a metaphor for observations on art, culture and civilisation.

Inspired by both Daniel Defoe's 'A Journal of the Plague Year' (1722) and 'The King', an anthology of the witty and provocative chess columns of the Dutch Grandmaster, Jan Hein Donner, Ray Keene here collects his thoughts and writings on the year 2020 - both in chess and the wider world. His reflections include the impact of Covid-19 on the popularity of chess, the remarkable influence of the Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit', the growing army of teenage Grandmasters, the online pivot of chess competition and the emergence of chess entrepreneurs, such as World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.. Like Donner, Ray uses chess as a metaphor for observations on art, culture and civilisation.

This match between the number one and number two ranked players in the world is one of the most eagerly-awaited World Championship clashes of recent years. Defending champion Magnus Carlsen first gained the title in 2013 when he beat Viswanathan Anand. He has already successfully defended his title twice, against Anand in 2014 and against Sergey Karjakin in 2016. Carlsen has been the highest ranked player in the world since July 2011. ***** His challenger, Fabiano Caruana, has been playing brilliantly in the run-up to the championship, registering numerous tournament victories against elite competition. He gained the right to challenge Carlsen thanks to a superb victory in the Berlin Candidates event early in 2018 where he scored 9/14, finishing a point clear of the best players in the world. Prior to the match he has drawn to within three points of the champion on the current ratings (Carlsen is 2835, Caruana 2832). Caruana is the first American since the legendary Bobby Fischer to play a match for the supreme title. ----- * All match games analysed in great detail. --- * Portraits of the protagonists with key games and moments from their careers. --- * History of the World Chess Championship.

Ten easy lessons teach beginning and novice players everything they need to play and win at chess This new edition, perfect for beginning and intermediate players, is designed with a cleaner, easier text design and large easy-to-use diagrams. Ten easy lessons teach beginning and novice players everything they need to play and win at chess. From setting up a chessboard and moving the pieces, to basic concepts and winning strategies--and even how to get rated and play on the Internet--this is a great book for players looking to learn how to play and/or improve their game. The book is jam-packed with numerous examples, hundreds of easy-to-read diagrams, and clear explanations, to make learning both easy and fun. Chapters cover rules, basic openings, strategy, tactics, computer chess, middle game and endgame play, making this book perfect for budding chess players

Premi re phase d'une partie d' checs, l'ouverture est capitale. La strat gie de l'ensemble du jeu - et donc le r sultat final - y est inscrite. Toutefois, pour commencer jouer aux checs avec succ s, point n'est besoin d'un savoir encyclop dique. Il importe, d'abord, de parfaitement saisir le sens de ce que l'on joue.Ce {R pertoire d'ouvertures pour le joueur d'attaque} r unit, {pour le d butant comme pour l'amateur d j confirm }, les principales lignes d'attaque agressives. Il constitue un v ritable mini-arsenal qui permettra au joueur de devenir tr s vite op rationnel et m me redout dans les comp titions d'amateur de tous niveaux.

Tony Miles was a phenomenon in English chess. From an early age it was apparent that he had no respect whatsoever for the vaunted Soviet School of chess and held their grandmasters in scant esteem. At the very start of his career victories came in quick succession against such renowned opposition as Bronstein, Geller, Smyslov and Spassky. The culmination was a victory at the head of the British Chess Federation team in the European Team Championship at snow bound Skara in Sweden against the reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov. For the very first time in any anthology of Tony Miles' games this win appears here with Tony's own profound notes. This was an historic win with Miles using the iconoclastic 1...a6 to defeat the champion's habitual 1e4. Amongst Tony's exploits were winning the Junior World Championship, becoming the UK's first FIDE grandmaster in over the board play and leading the BCF team to silver medals behind only the USSR in the prestigious Chess Olympiads. Miles also won numerous first prizes in international tournaments. He feared no-one and his will to win was legendary, as exemplified by the front jacket photograph of this book. Taken at the Tilburg 1985 tournament, this shows Miles in play on a form of stretcher against grandmaster Djinjihashvili. Although suffering from terrible back pain, Miles insisted on competing, even from this unorthodox position, the only one in which the pain subsided. Characteristically Miles went on to win shared first prize in the event. Tony Miles died tragically early in November 2001. This book is a memorial to him, written by a Grandmaster rival who faced him many times over the board. Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships

In just 10 easy lessons, beginning and novice players learn everything they need to know to play and win at chess. From setting up a chess board and moving the pieces, to basic concepts and winning strategies, and even how to get rated and play on the internet, this is a great book for players looking to learn and improve their game. The book is jam-packed with numerous examples, hundreds of easy-to-read diagrams, and clear explanations, to make learning both easy and fun. Chapters cover basic openings, strategy, tactics, computer chess, middlegame play, endgame play, the best games of chess ever played, the history of chess, and lessons from the greatest players who ever lived. Great for beginners!

With FIDE (the World Chess Federation) claiming that its Tournament in Libya - in fact, little more than a rapidplay open - was the world title clincher, this match for the Classical World Chess Championship would confirm one of the two mental matadors -Kramnik or Leko - as the legitimate heir of Steinitz, Alekhine, Fischer and Kasparov. Peter Leko, the Hungarian Grandmaster, qualified from the Dortmund Candidates' Tournament in 2002 to meet Vladimir Kramnik from Moscow, who had unseated Garry Kasparov in London 2000. Although both contenders were noted for their solidity, the clash turned out to be a sporting classic, as Kramnik poured every ounce of energy into the last games in an effort to rescue his title.

Compiled by three grandmasters and two international masters this scholarly treatise explains in depth the thinking behind a defence that has been a favourite of champions such as Capablanca, Botvinnik, Petrosian and Karpov. Even Kasparov has been known to use the Caro Kann on occasion, for example in one case to defeat Mikhail Tal.

In 1981 - World Champion now for 6 years - Anatoly Karpov had reached the height of his powers. He was a master of sharp modern opening systems, thought swiftly and acted decisively. His play was virtually error free. Facing this juggernaut the veteran Viktor Korchnoi pulled out the final stops for his ultimate chess challenge to become champion. In vain. Karpov brushed aside his efforts to secure one of the easiest victories ever achieved at chess summit level. As in 1978 Korchnoi produced his orange robed Ananda Marga gurus to help him chant for victory - but in the sober atmosphere of the Italo-german mountains-rather than the exotic and heady surroundings of the far eastern Philippines-the antics of Korchnoi's suppporters had little effect. Karpov emerged as a seemingly unbeatable colossus. Now guaranteed a reign of at least 9 years Karpov had already exceeded the championship performance of Capablanca and was threatening to surpass the exploits of such mighty champions as Steinitz, Lasker, Alekhine and Botvinnik.

The 1978 world chess championship in the Philippines was the most riotous of modern times. Pitting the soviet defector Korchnoi against the golden boy of the soviet establishment - Karpov - the players were not just content to hammer each other over the chess board; they also enlisted such weird assistants as the parapsychologist Dr Vladimir Zukhar and orange-robed gurus from the Ananda Marga sect. The dramatis personae were completed by President Marcos, his shoe-collecting First Lady Imelda and a gaggle of shady characters from the KGB. Grandmaster Ray Keene was Korchnoi's chief second during this wild chess extravaganza and this book tells the inside story of one of the most exotic chess competitions ever staged.

A companion volume to Two Opening Repertoires for White: Volume 1, this book details some more aggressive strategies in the opening for White again based on the key move 1d4! Together the two volumes give ambitious White players a complete arsenal of choice against all Black defences. The companion volume is Two Opening Repertoires for White: Volume 1: Keeping control with White

The first part of a full explanation of one of the most important defences to the Queen's pawn in contemporary chess. It has been a favourite of Fischer, Kasparov, Karpov, Petrosian and Botvinnik, to name but a few of the greats who have employed it. This book - unlike many rivals - concentrates on full games with notes explaining strategies that will never go out of fashion.

The King's Indian is noted as a dynamic counter-attacking defence par excellence. This book describes the key strategies for both sides in the main lines such as the Fianchetto variation, the Petrosian system, the Samisch/ Four Pawns attack and Averbakh. Analysis is backed up with verbal explanation making this book an ideal introduction for those wishing to take up or face the King's Indian in competitive situations.

In early 1985 Florencio Campomanes - the now disgraced former president of FIDE, the World Chess Federation - halted the World Title challenge from Garry Kasparov "without result", thus forcing a rematch in the autumn of that same year. This book recounts Kasparov's determined fresh assault on the world title which made him at age 22 the youngest champion in the history of the game.