Editorial Reviews:
This is a new series which 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 practising 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.

Editorial Reviews:
Former US Open Champion Timothy Taylor presents a repertoire for Black against the universally popular Spanish Opening (Ruy Lopez). The backbone of Black’s repertoire is based on the Modern Steinitz Defence, which has justifiably earned a reputation as an important alternative to the main lines. The Modern Steinitz may lead to razor-sharp gambits, such as the Siesta Variation, where just one slip by either player could prove to be fatal. But perhaps the main attraction of the Modern Steinitz is its flexibility, as Black can also choose to play in a more positional and solid manner.

Editorial Reviews:
The Scotch Game is an ideal opening weapon for White. It’s ambitious, totally sound and leads to a wide variety of strategically complex positions. The Scotch was a particular favourite of Garry Kasparov, who invigorated it with a number of major discoveries to make it an opening to be feared throughout the chess world.

Editorial Reviews:
The Ponziani Opening enjoys a long history, but for some unknown reason it has been neglected in recent times. Don't be fooled by its apparently harmless reputation: the Ponziani is full of tricks and catches many unsuspecting opponents by surprise. It's also a perfect weapon for those who don't fancy learning the masses of theory associated with more high-profile openings like the Ruy Lopez. In "Play the Ponziani", Dave Taylor and Keith Hayward present a comprehensive guide to this intriguing opening. They provide coverage of all the main lines, identify the best lines for both White and Black, and highlight the key tactical and positional ideas. This book provides everything you need to know to play the Ponziani in your own games. It is ideal for improvers, club players and tournament players. It presents bonus coverage of what to do if Black avoids the Ponziani. It is packed with original ideas and analysis.

Editorial Reviews:
The Ruy Lopez is incredibly common at all levels of chess, and everyone who plays 1 e4 e5 as Black needs to have a reliable antidote to this powerful opening. In this book, Milos Pavlovic provides the answer, devising a sound and yet ambitious repertoire for Black, the basis of which is provided by the legendary and ever-popular Marshall Attack. The Marshall is a perfect weapon for Black, as it avoids passive positions and the so-called ‘Spanish torture’ of many other variations. In contrast, with the Marshall Black’s objectives are clear-cut and often involve a direct mating attack against the white king!

Editorial Reviews:
The Ruy Lopez (or Spanish Opening) is one of the critical chess battlegrounds. It has long been recommended as an excellent chess opening for training purposes, as it leads to a wide variety of structures and strategies. This book is a complete guide to handling the black side of the Lopez, based principally around the Zaitsev Variation, upon which Anatoly Karpov relied during much of his career. This line leads to sharp play, often in open battles where Black gains active counterplay and challenges White to seize the initiative on the kingside. The authors explain in detail how Black can weather the storm. They also explain how Black can handle the practical problem of the Ng5 repetition, and recommend reliable procedures against White's other options in the Lopez, starting off with the Exchange Variation, and moving on to a variety of closed systems.

Editorial Reviews:
The Ruy Lopez is an incredibly popular opening at all levels of chess; this is perhaps unsurprising given that it’s recognized by most experts as White’s greatest chance of obtaining a lasting advantage after the moves 1 e4 e5. Also known as the Spanish Opening, the Lopez is steeped in rich tradition, having provided the battleground for countless clashes between World Champions of past and present: Kasparov, Fischer, Karpov, Topalov, Kramnik, Anand – the list is endless! Given its immense popularity, one issue a prospective Lopez player has to face up to is the mountain of theory that has gradually developed over the years. In this book, however, Andrew Greet circumvents this potential problem by advocating a comprehensive and yet concise repertoire for White, one that can be assimilated into an opening armoury with relative ease.

Editorial Reviews:
The Advance Variation is a popular and direct way of meeting the ultra-solid French Defence. Very early on in the game White opts to fix the pawn structure and establishes a genuine space advantage, upon which he later hopes to mount a serious attack. This method of playing against the French Defence has become a firm favourite amongst uncompromising Grandmasters such as Alexei Shirov, England's Nigel Short and the rising star in Russia, Alexander Grischuk.

Editorial Reviews:
The Scotch Game is one of the oldest openings in chess and has a great history, but more recently it was catapulted back into the limelight due to the enterprise of World number one Garry Kasparov, who completely rejuvenated the opening with an abundance of original ideas for White. He utilised the opening in World Championship matches and other elite events, with very successful results. As a direct result of this, the Scotch Game, a dynamic and sharp opening, has once again become popular at all levels of chess. In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster and openings expert John Emms goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of the Scotch Opening and its numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips and warnings to guide the improving player, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.

Editorial Reviews:
The Ruy Lopez Exchange (or Spanish Exchange) is a classical and well-respected opening that is a favourite amongst Grandmasters and club players alike. It has provided the battle scene for many heavyweight clashes between the world's elite, including (amongst others) Alexei Shirov, Jan Timman, Nigel Short and Michael Adams. Very early on in the game, a distinctive pawn structure is obtained, and in this particular opening it's the understanding of key ideas, plans and structures that's more important that the memorisation of long theoretical variations.

Editorial Reviews:
The Italian Game (sometimes referred to as the Giuoco Piano) is one of the oldest openings around, and also one of the first lines a player learns when he or she is introduced to chess. It leads to play that is easy to understand: both sides develop their pieces logically and begin attacks on the opposing kings. The Italian Game gives both White and Black the opportunity to play either aggressively and in gambit fashion, or in a restrained and positional manner. One of White's most exciting and attacking options is the legendary Evans Gambit, which has been brought back into the limelight in this modern era by such uncompromising players as World number one Garry Kasparov, Alexander Morozevich and England's Nigel Short.

Editorial Reviews:
The Petroff Defence is considered as one of Black’s most reliable methods of meeting the king’s pawn opening. By counterattacking as early as move two, Black avoid the hazards of having to face lines such as the Scotch Opening, the Italian Game and the ‘Spanish torture’ of the Ruy Lopez. An early breach of a central file together with active piece play for both sides characterises the Petroff as a typical king’s pawn opening.

Editorial Reviews:
The Ruy Lopez (also known as the Spanish Game) is an extremely popular opening and one of the oldest in the history of chess. It has been played by virtually all the greats of the game, providing the battle scene for many world championship clashes involving the likes of Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov and Kramnik. Now, for the first time in many years, Grandmaster Glenn Flear investigates the main line of the Lopez, outlining the crucial ideas and tactics for both White and Black. Using illustrative games, Flear studies the fashionable and theoretical variations, plus the tricky sidelines. This book is perfect for those wishing to play the positions with either colour.

Editorial Reviews:
The Two Knights Defence is one of the trickiest tactical openings around. If White initiates complications with either 4 Ng5 or 4 d4, play becomes extremely sharp and gambits and counter gambits abound. Anyone who enters the murky waters of the Two Knights Defence must be well prepared for the mind-boggling complications that ensue. In this book, openings theoretician Jan Pinski guides the reader through both the well-trodden paths of the main lines plus the less fashionable side variations of this most complex opening. Using illustrative games, Pinski studies the key ideas and tactics for both Black and White.

Editorial Reviews:
This is a fully revised edition of John watson's classic Play the French, providing Black with a complete repertoire in the French Defence, one of the most strategically and dynamically complex opening systems.

Editorial Reviews:
The Four Knights has the distinction of being one of the oldest openings in the history of chess. In a king's pawn opening, both players bring out their knights before contemplating further development. Despite its deceptively peaceful appearance, the Four Knights can lead to wild gambit play as well as calmer positional waters, while adherents include the renowned tactician from Latvia, Alexei Shirov.
In this new book, International Master Jan Pinski delves into the secrets of the Four Knights for the first time, studying the tactical and strategic ideas for both white and black players. Pinski covers both the fashionable main lines and the tricky sidelines, bringing the reader right up to date with the expanding theory.

Editorial Reviews:
The Marshall Attack is one of the oldest and most important openings in the history of chess. Black sacrifices a pawn against the Ruy Lopez in exchange for a long-lasting attack. Generations of the world's top players have fought on the Marshall battleground, but the final verdict on its soundness has not yet been reached. However, of one thing you can be sure: Black certainly has a lot of fun in trying to checkmate the white king! It is perhaps because of this reason that as White, many Grandmasters, including the world number one Gary Kasparov, have decided to avoid the issue altogether, preferring the more tranquil waters of Anti-Marshall systems. The ideas and strategies of both approaches are studied in depth here by a renowned openings theoretician.