Bøger udgivet af Beyer, Joachim Verlag

A comprehensive work about the magic world of endgames.For starters, 100 interesting and instructive examples on important endgame topics are thoroughly analyzed and extensively commented. Especially those in which not only many useful rules of thumb are ex- plained and illustrated, but above all their not uncommon exceptions.In the chapter 'Practice makes perfect', 100 exercises give the readers the opportunity to check their previous knowledge and what they have learned in the first part.In the following 100 exciting studies, it was ensured that they do not show any artificial constructs, but positions that could well have come from practical games and whose solutions are clearly comprehensible.You can either tackle the given exercises under tournament-like conditions, or you can use the book as a pure textbook and deal directly with the solutions, because even with this approach you can enrich your existing knowledge with many typical endgame motives.Readers can rest assured that the magic from the realm of endgames will cast its spell over them and that they will enjoy the fascination of the final phase of the game.

It's not revealing anything new that most players prefer to attack rather than defend. It's also not surprising that various authors have devoted a number of books to the popular topic of 'attack' for more than a century.In this book, the author tries to present the constantly recurring mechanisms of attacking play as compactly as possible by limiting himself to a few important motives and describing typical elements of the attacking strategy. Numerous clear and meaningful rules of thumb are formulated for the in-depth study of the various subject areas.With regard to practical play, however, the point is not neglected that in chess it's not so important to know this or that rule by heart, but rather to train your intuition to recognize as reliably as possible in which case you are dealing with a rule and in which case with an exception.Among the topics discussed are, for example, such indispensable as: 'Opposite-colored bishops favor the attacker', 'The attacker should not exchange attack potential', 'Typical attack structures', 'Attack on a complex of weak squares'.One of the chapters is devoted to Mikhail Tal, one of the greatest attacking artists of all time, whose genius in this regard is illustrated by reference to some of his striking and pointed quotes - such as 'Centralize and sacrifice', 'If the opponent attacks one of your pieces, attack two of his!'And last but not least there's a chapter on the mating attack in the endgame, a look at some of the author's impressive attacking victories and all sorts of topic-related exercises for the individual chapters. In addition, practical QR codes enable you to replay the game directly on your smartphone if there's no board at hand.

Any player who prefers to rely on main lines will be well acquainted with the problem of the sheer masses of opening theory. And as they do not stop growing, there's always the risk that sooner or later they will grow over one's head.Therefore, the wish for a simpler approach is understandable. The wish for an opening that does not necessarily aim for the earliest possible advantage. The wish for general conditions which ensure that the beginning of the game can be carried out without great risks and that the actual combat action begins in the middle game.And, indeed, such an opening does exist - the so-called 'King's Indian Attack'. It offers a strategically interesting approach to the treatment of the opening which allows one to avoid all elaborate lines. In a simplified way one might call it: a lid that fits every pot. White initially only puts the king's pawn in the center. Then he turns it into a very solid central bridgehead and develops his forces in the spirit of the 'King's Indian Defence'. And what happens next depends on the defence that Black is going to choose.And far from being 'second-rate stuff', this opening must be taken very seriously. This becomes clear after a look at which top players have or had it in their repertoire. We only want to mention (representative of many others) the reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen and the former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik right now. Hear about others in the book.

What does a chess player need who is familiar with the rules, but often gets into trouble right away in the opening? This question was the starting point for the authors before they began to compile their material. The result is a book that gives explanations to help the reader understand the Queen's Pawn Openings and instructions to show him how to use them.With this work, the reader gains access to systems that are very popular today, such as the Trompowsky Attack and the London System, or surprise weapons such as the Richter-Veresov Attack or the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, of which the latter has enjoyed a loyal following of fans for many decades and is therefore surrounded by a very special aura.The main systems are presented in 11 chapters, which are de- signed according to the guidelines of the series 'read - understand - play'. The openings are explained in detail, with the authors paying special attention to the presentation of the inherent ideas and plans to ensure that the reader understands them properly instead of just playing moves that he has learned by heart. Even the meaning and purpose of a single move may be explained, insofar as it is important for understanding.Based on the knowledge that the reader will surely acquire by studying this book, he will be able to use the discussed Queen's Pawn Openings with the white and the black pieces in an appropriate way. At the same time, the work offers one or the other new idea that can surprise even an experienced opponent and promises interesting, entertaining and - last but not least - successful chess games.

The Italian Opening is one of the oldest in chess history, mentioned as early as the 15th century, but is still a frequent guest today, even at the highest level, most recently in the 2021 world championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Although the challenger lost this game, the use of the Italian Opening alone shows that it's a serious weapon even among top grandmasters.Many white players choose it because they want to obtain a sub- stantial game. The positions are often less concrete and tactical than in other openings, and because they are also less analyzed, the modern Italian offers a good mix of uncharted territory and positional understanding.With this work, the author aims to illustrate the modern ideas of the Italian Opening to players at a medium level. It deals with positions based on White's 'slow' plan, i.e. if he chooses a calm approach characterized by positional ideas. The author does not attempt to offer the reader a complete repertoire, but rather to explain the ideas of the emerging middlegame positions.The material primarily includes the systems 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 h6 6.0-0 d6 7.Re1 a6 8.a4 Ba7 9.Nbd2 0-0 10.h3 and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.h3 h6 8.Re1 a5, where especially the latter has gained enormous popularity in current practice.

After the great success of the first book (The Human Factor in Chess) on the model of the four player types, this follow-up volume contains not only specific tasks and exercises but also general questions such as: Do you prefer to calculate concrete lines or do you make your decisions more intuitively? Do you have a good sense of harmony and coordination?This approach is intended to enable the reader to assign himself to one of the player types and find out whether he belongs to the activists or rather to the pragmatists, theorists or reflectors. The result allows to draw conclusions in order to further expand the individual strengths or to develop a more universal playing style overall.Because even if you usually win thanks to your strengths, it makes sense to work on your own weaknesses as well. Of course, if there is only one move in a position, you should be able to find it. Playstyles are especially important in positions where you have a great choice. However, they also play a role when you choose the type of position, which you should strive for based on your style.Interestingly, a playstyle can also be imitated, which may even be the appropriate strategy against certain opponents. For example, certain characteristics stand out clearly in activists, and being able to adjust to them as an opponent is of course very valuable. A good example is Kramnik's win over activist Kasparov (at the London 2000 world championship match). Since Kramnik always managed to steer the game in the direction appropriate to his style, his big opponent never had the chance to demonstrate his own strengths in positions with attack and initiative.While 'The Human Factor' was about a clear distinction of the four playing styles, this book aims to emphasize the universality of each player. After solving the tasks tailored to the four player types, it becomes clear how your own competencies are distributed. Accordingly, GM Vincent Keymer states in his foreword:"Even if the further development of one's own player personality to a universal player who unites all player types may remain a utopia, it's still worth pursuing."

In designing this book, the author was guided by the following considerations. If you want to learn this or that opening, you can choose from dozens or even hundreds of textbooks. But what if you want to get familiar with the middlegame strategy used in positions that have emerged from exactly this or that opening? Or to put it another way: in positions that are typical for this or that opening.Of course, in every middlegame textbook there's one or the other position that clearly comes from this or that opening. However, their number is negligible in the context of example positions from all the other openings whose middlegame treatment the reader doesn't want to learn at all.For example, aren't the issues of hanging pawns and minority attack - the author asks with good reason - just as dispensable for an e4 player as they are essential for a d4 player? - Why should a die-hard enthusiast of Indian openings care about the strategic intricacies of positions resulting from all those complicated Queen's Gambit systems? And of course vice versa: what use are all these subtleties of Indian positions to a player who 'by nature' avoids fianchetto openings?And it's precisely this conspicuous and astounding vacuum in the area of middlegame literature that inspired the author to make a appropriate attempt at improvement: If you want to learn Sicilian middlegame strategy, you will get a textbook and exercise book in which only Sicilians are treated.However, this current book only deals with the type 'Open Sicilian'. More precisely: with positions characterized by the 'small center' consisting of the pawns on d6 and e6, which is typical for the vast majority of Sicilian systems.It deserves special mention that the more than 150 exercises have been assigned to specific topics for the benefit of entertaining diversity - for example 'the relegation candidate', 'the only move', 'violence or pressure increase' and the like.

Together with his longtime trainer Matthias Krallmann, GM Matthias Blübaum describes his path from his early youth to the title of European champion. According to his own statement, he particularly benefited from the 'Group of Princes' of the German Chess Federation, which was founded in 2008 by national youth coach IM Bernd Vökler. In this actually not so long journey of an outstanding young talent to the German top player, the reader is not only taken along, but he can also learn a lot for his own practice 'on the way' and is offered all kinds of instructive tips and tricks.In his foreword, IM Bernd Vökler writes:"...a special highlight has been achieved: Renowned endgame guru, Dr. Karsten Müller, dissects selected endgames by Matthias Blübaum ... A double delight for the reader! - In the next part, a look into the treasury of every grandmaster is granted, namely into his opening repertoire. Matthias Krallmann notes that even former world champion Alexander Khalifman once praised Matthias' complete and self-contained repertoire. - The following chapter offers some of Matthias Blübaum's games against the top stars of the scene, annotated by himself. It's mouth-watering! - At the end, the reader is once again challenged himself. The big tactics test invites you to puzzle and calculate.Matthias Krallmann and Matthias Blübaum don't offer easy reading! Typically East Westphalian, labour-intensive, exhausting, honest and straight - the portrait of the chess worker, the chess grandmaster, the chess practitioner Matthias Blübaum. You don't become number one in Germany in a sprint, but in a marathon!"

There is probably no other player who has changed the chess world in so many areas and so radically - like Robert James Fischer, for whom the name Bobby Fischer has become common among chess players worldwide.Of his spectacular successes, his downright declassifying victories against three Soviet grandmasters in the early 1970s are particularly noteworthy - a kind of changing of the guard in the fight for the world title, to which the Soviets had subscribed, so to speak, for more than two decades. This triggered a worldwide chess boom, or more precisely: it triggered a chess boom especially in the western world, because in the Soviet Union with millions of club players such a boom was apparently hardly necessary.Many players of all levels were drawn to the royal game specifically because of the events of that time. Fischer's games are legendary, and since they have of course already been extensively analyzed and commented on in a number of works, the question arises: What is another book supposed to achieve anyway?German grandmaster Karsten Müller has selected what he considers to beFischer's 60 most instructive games and checked them with various newer engines. Although he noticed numerous errors in the old analyses, Bobby's games still shine in their former glory or even brighter. Since even top programs rarely find errors, every reader can learn more than ever from these games in order to improve their own playing strength in a success-oriented manner.In addition to the numerous photos, it's above all the quotations contained in many games that take the reader back to the 'old days of chess'. Therefore, even younger players can get a good impression of what the chess world was like when, for example, there were still 'adjourned games' and 'sealed moves' - and when no player could dodge the hard analysis work by simply delegating this tedious task to his computer.

In this book, International Grandmaster and senior FIDE trainer Thomas Luther offers something for all chess fans at amateur level. The ambitious tournament player can use it to improve his playing strength. However, not all chess fans have enough time for an extensive study of their game in general and tactics in particular. In this case, it is sufficient if the reader solves a few exercises every day, because even then he will learn a lot about this topic in the long term. Meanwhile, the pure "chess gourmet" is offered many interesting and entertaining examples and comments to enjoy the diversity of his favorite game.The author takes the reader on a journey from the beginnings of chess many centuries ago to the present day. Throughout history, smart players have found clever moves and techniques that are still used today. In detailed texts, the author explains the developments in the respective epochs and shows corresponding interesting examples. In addition, the book contains chapters on tactics in the endgame and on all the subtleties related to the topic of stalemate. But don't worry, all this is not boring, but extremely instructive and entertaining on top of that!In two longer series of tests, the reader can show how strong a tactician he already is - and what progress he has made after working with this book. A large number of diagrams in the text ensure that the reader is always able to find his or her way around and can largely get by without using a chessboard.

Since every world champion was the most outstanding player of his time, it makes sense to study the various aspects of the royal game using the world champions' games - and of course to enjoy them.In this first of two volumes on the world champions' art of combination, the authors (both recognized experts in the field of chess literature) offer the reader the opportunity of trying to find plenty of these best combinations themselves - and thus to assess and improve their own tactical skills.But that's not all. In addition to often breathtakingly spectacular sample games, which are thoroughly analyzed and commented on in a comprehensible way, individual pet topics are highlighted in which the world champions have created particularly outstanding works.So you are invited to take a closer look at how Steinitz handled the 'Steinitz King' - at Lasker's phenomenal art of defense and Capablanca's mastery of 'small combinations' (for which the French term 'petite combinaison' has become common in chess language).Furthermore, at Alekhine's dashing attacks, at Euwe's seventh sense for dynamic transformations, Botvinnik's tactical solutions to strategic problems, Smyslov's virtuosity even in tactical endgames and - last but not least - at Tal's downright magical tactical works of art with which he not only bewitched his opponents, but the entire chess world.Thanks to the QR-codes above the diagrams, you can download the position directly to your smartphone and watch or analyze the game, so that the laborious and error-prone input by hand is no longer necessary.Volume 1 contains 260 combinations and many fully annotated sample games.

Since the world chess champions excel in all areas of the game, it goes without saying that you can learn the most not only from their skills in the opening and the middlegame, but also from their superb handling of the endgame. Regardless of whether they were renowned tacticians or excellent positional players - regardless of whether they analyzed their openings in depth or played them more intuitively: it is completely out of the question that any of them could have reached the highest title without perfectly handling the endgame.In order to enable his readers to learn from the world champions, the author has concentrated on their individual 'specialities' - such as Petrosian's unmistakable instinct in questions of the right exchange and his skills in the endgame '¿+¿ vs ¿+¥', on Spassky's handling of the initiative, Fischer's precision in the so-called 'Fischer endgame' with '¿+¥ vs ¿+¿', on Karpov's dominance and restriction methods, Kasparov's attacks on the king with reduced material, Kramnik's strategic power play especially on a weakened color complex, on Anand's unrelenting pressure play and - last but not least - Carlsen's technique in the so-called 'Carlsen endgame' with rooks and same-colored bishops.In addition, all sorts of 'evergreen classics' of the players are offered, some of which appear in a new light thanks to current analyzes. The reader is also given the ideal training opportunity of numerous exercises to put himself in the shoes of the world champions and to look for solutions himself. Since the model of the '4 types of players' (activist, pragmatic, theorist and reflector) is also dis- cussed in the margin, additional information can be obtained about the impor- tance of this topic, especially in the endgame.And with this in mind, the Romanian GM and endgame expert Mihail Marin invites you in his foreword not just to take a look at the most outstanding end- game achievements of the world champions, but also to enjoy them.Volume 2 contains 292 combinations and many fully annotated sample games.

Since the world chess champions excel in all areas of the game, it goes without saying that you can learn the most not only from their skills in the opening and the middlegame, but also from their superb handling of the endgame. Regardless of whether they were renowned tacticians or excellent positional players - regardless of whether they analyzed their openings in depth or played them more intuitively: it is completely out of the question that any of them could have reached the highest title without perfectly handling the endgame.In order to enable his readers to learn from the world champions, the author has concentrated on their individual 'specialities' - such as Petrosian's unmistakable instinct in questions of the right exchange and his skills in the endgame rook+knight vs rook+bishop, on Spassky's handling of the initiative, Fischer's precision in the so-called 'Fischer endgame' with rook+bishop vs rook+knight, on Karpov's dominance and restriction methods, Kasparov's attacks on the king with reduced material, Kramnik's strategic power play especially on a weakened color complex, on Anand's unrelenting pressure play and - last but not least - Carlsen's technique in the so-called 'Carlsen endgame' with rooks and same-colored bishops.In addition, all sorts of 'evergreen classics' of the players are offered, some of which appear in a new light thanks to current analyzes. The reader is also given the ideal training opportunity of numerous exercises to put himself in the shoes of the world champions and to look for solutions himself. Since the model of the '4 types of players' (activist, pragmatic, theorist and reflector) is also discussed in the margin, additional information can be obtained about the importance of this topic, especially in the endgame.And with this in mind, the Romanian GM and endgame expert Mihail Marin invites you in his foreword not just to take a look at the most outstanding endgame achievements of the world champions, but also to enjoy them.

Since the world chess champions excel in all areas of the game, it goes without saying that you can learn the most not only from their skills in the opening and the middlegame, but also from their superb handling of the endgame. Regardless of whether they were renowned tacticians or excellent positional players - regardless of whether they analyzed their openings in depth or played them more intuitively: it is completely out of the question that any of them could have reached the highest title without perfectly handling the endgame.In order to enable his readers to learn from the world champions, the author has concentrated on their individual 'specialities' - such as Steinitz's skillful handling of the bishop pair, Lasker's art of defense, Capablanca's use of the king, Alekhine's art of attacking in the 4th game phase, Euwe's skillful use of passed pawns, Botvinnik's iron logic and long-term strategy, Smyslov's meticulous rook endings and - last but not least - Tal's magic, which also often gave his endgames an enchanting touch.In addition, all sorts of 'evergreen classics' of the players are offered, some of which appear in a new light thanks to current analyzes. The reader is also given the ideal training opportunity of numerous exercises to put himself in the shoes of the world champions and to look for solutions himself. Since the model of the '4 types of players' (activist, pragmatic, theorist and reflector) is also discussed in the margin, additional information can be obtained about the importance of this topic, especially in the endgame.And with this in mind, the Romanian GM and endgame expert Mihail Marin invites you in his foreword not just to take a look at the most outstanding endgame achievements of the world champions, but also to enjoy them.

Each section of a chess game - opening, middlegame and endgame - has a special significance. In the case of a material or positional disadvantage at the beginning of the fight, it's not easy to master the middlegame, and mostly there will be no endgame at all. This means that without convincing play in the opening you will not be successful in chess.For this reason, opening books enjoy great popularity. However, since building an individual opening repertoire requires reviewing a lot of material, it makes sense to look for a time-saving approach like the one offered by this quick course.The author has tried to present all the important openings objectively and without paying particular attention to fashion trends. His work is based on the evaluation of a lot of games from tournament practice, supplemented by many of his own analyzes and those of well-known theorists. It can therefore be assumed that, after studying this book, readers will treat their preferred openings with greater understanding and will be rewarded with corresponding successes.The author, FIDE Master Jerzy Konikowski, is a recognized trainer and chess theorist. His numerous books and articles have been translated into several languages and published in many countries.

Welche Gründe sprechen dafür, das Konigsgambit zu spielen? Man lernt, ,,dynamisches" Schach zu verstehen: die feine Wechselbeziehung zwischen Zeit, Struktur und Material. Man muß nur eine Eröffnung gegen 1 ...e5 lernen. Das Konigsgambit garantiert Spaß und Abwechslung. Der Gegner wird überrascht sein, besonders wenn Sie sich der Empfehlungen aus diesem Buch bedienen! Was ist nötig, um mit dem Konigsgambit Erfolg zu haben? Nun, vor allem Erfindungsreichtum und Entschlossenheit zum Angriff. Und naturlich dieses Buch. Johansson, ein junger Autor aus Schweden, bringt Ihnen als Frucht seiner Forschungen ein ausgewähltes und erfolgversprechendes Repertoire nahe.

Winning with 1.e4! - A confident and promising title that consistently stands for the idea that White starts the game with 1.e4, determined to obtain an opening advantage.1.e4 is not only the most popular move, it's also the best chance to seize the initiative and create a lively combinatorial game. There is an abundance of theory no matter which opening Black chooses, but like a very good travel guide, "Winning with 1.e4!" leads the reader, always making sure to show him the best places while avoiding mass tourism.Here are some of the many advantages of this approach:The reader is given a carefully selected and researched complete repertoire, written from the perspective of White, but useful for Black as well.The given lines promise a game rich in content. Since they are off the beaten track and avoid the flood of theory, they often promise a surprise effect and an opening advantage. Occasionally, they are on a confrontational course with the "iron rules" of chess. For example, if there is a good reason to activate the queen very early, this is exactly what is recommended.A special note concerns the more than 80 completely annotated games. They have been selected very carefully, but often their instructive content was considered more important than the year they were played. FIDE Master Jerzy Konikowski is the renowned author of a large number of excellent opening books. Uwe Bekemann is a national correspondence chess master and the author of various books.

Thanks to the QR codes above the diagrams, you can download the posi- tion directly to your smartphone and watch or analyze the game, so that the laborious and error-prone input by hand is no longer necessary.This book is the last product of the long-term collaboration of the renowned German grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller and the chess trainer and analyst FM Claus Dieter Meyer (1946-2020), whose heart's desire was to write yet another book on endgames.The focus is on such 'magical topics' as mate, stalemate, zugzwang and rook endings - especially on examples in which 'magic' and instructive content are linked in a way that many rules of thumb can be illustrated and - what is almost more important - many exceptions to the rules."Claus Dieter Meyer and Dr. Karsten Müller take the reader on a fantastic journey - not to the center of the earth or to the stars, but to magical moments in chess endgames.Join GM Luis Engel's king's march all over the board. Marvel at Magnus Carlsen's elegance in an endgame with opposite-colored bishops. Be amazed by the blackout of a silicon monster against an opponent of its own kind.In his inimitable way, Claus Dieter Meyer went in search of such examples. Since the beginning of his coaching career, he has been driven by the desire to discover surprising points, by the joy of researching the subtlety of different move orders and the search for a glimmer of hope in seemingly hopeless situations.The most brilliant studies and exquisite games from world champions appear next to uncut diamonds from lower leagues. What all the examples have in common, however, is the original idea, the brainstorm, sometimes even a cascade of brilliant maneuvers. Collected by Claus Dieter Meyer and put on paper by Dr. Karsten Müller.This book is highly recommended as a valuable collection of material and entertaining reading for all players, learners and coaches."(Excerpts from the preface by the junior coach of the German Chess Federation, Bernd Vökler)

What does a chess player need who is familiar with the rules, but often gets into trouble right away in the opening? This question was the starting point for the authors before they began to compile their material. The result is a book that gives explanations to help the reader understand the 'Queen's Gambit' - and instructions to show him how to use it.And no matter if he is little or even completely unfamiliar with opening theory, this book gives him easy access to this difficult and comprehensive field. The ideas and plans behind each line are explained in detail to ensure that the reader understands them properly instead of just playing moves that he has learned by heart. Even the sense and purpose of single moves are ex- plained, if they are not quite obvious.Based on the knowledge that the reader will surely acquire by studying this book, it will be easy to build a game and play interesting, entertaining and - last but not least - successful chess.FM Jerzy Konikowski has published a large number of excellent opening books. Uwe Bekemann is a national master in correspondence chess. He is the author of books on gambits and the co-author of many others.

"Winning with 1.d4!" offers a complete repertoire for d4 players against all plausible responses. The recommendations were selected with the main goal of enabling the reader to leave out vast amounts of opening theory and to concentrate on a comprehensible number of lines that promise some initiative and active play and often even an opening advantage.Here is what you can expect from "Winning with 1.d4!".- Well chosen promising opening systems from the abundance of theory- Easily understandable presentation and thorough discussion of ideas and plans- Novelties and other discoveries from current tournaments, both in classical and in correspondence chess- Annotated games for your practical trainingFM Jerzy Konikowski has published a large number of excellent opening books.Uwe Bekemann is a national master in correspondence chess and has published several books on gambits.

What does a chess player need who is familiar with the rules, but often gets into trouble right away in the opening? This question was the starting point for the authors before they began to compile their material. The result is a book that gives explanations to help the reader understand the King's Indian Defense - and instructions to show him how to use it.And no matter if he is little or even completely unfamiliar with opening theory, this book gives him easy access to this difficult and comprehensive field. The ideas and plans behind each line are explained in detail to ensure that the reader understands them properly instead of just playing moves that he has learned by heart. Even the sense and purpose of single moves are ex- plained, if they are not quite obvious.Based on the knowledge that the reader will surely acquire by studying this book, it will be easy to build a game and play interesting, entertaining and - last but not least - successful chess.

What does a chess player need who is familiar with the rules, but often gets into trouble right away in the opening? This question was the starting point for the authors before they began to compile their material. The result is a book (the first of a small series) that gives explanations to help the reader understand the openings that arise after the initial moves 1.e4 e5 (e.g. such renowned and important openings as the 'Ruy Lopez', the 'Four Knights Game' or the 'King's Gambit') - and instructions to show him how to use them.And no matter if he is little or even completely unfamiliar with opening theory, this book gives him easy access to this difficult and comprehensive field. The ideas and plans behind each opening are explained in detail to ensure that the reader understands them properly instead of just playing moves that he has learned by heart. Even the sense and purpose of single moves are explained, if they are not quite obvious.Based on the knowledge that the reader will surely acquire by studying this book, it will be easy to build a game and play interesting, entertaining and - last but not least - successful chess.

In his book about the Sicilian Wing Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3) Marcus Schmücker takes a closer look at a very interesting opening, which for a long time has been regarded as a daredevil's approach or, at best, as an exotic option to avoid the enormous theoretical material of the Sicilian Defence. As a matter of fact, the idea of this gambit is quite serious. By eliminating Black's c-pawn and ensuring a swift development of his queen side, White wants to obtain positional compensation for the sacrificed pawn. The author concentrates on the best answer 3...d5, which enables Black to prevent his opponent from building a strong center with pawns on e4 and d4. The often ensuing sharp tactical skirmishes in most cases fill white spots on the theoretical maps. White has good chances to obtain advantage early on, which can even lead to a quick win if the opponent is completely unprepared.Of course, it's not to be expected that the Sicilian Wing Gambit will be used more often in GM tournaments from now on. But maybe the book can encourage more main stream players to include this neglected but serious anti-Sicilian weapon in their opening repertoire. Whether the popularity of this gambit will grow depends, however, on its success in practical games.It's the author's intention to treat all alternatives of the 'standard move' 3... d5 in a second volume.