Books published by Thinkers Publishing

The Najdorf is one of the most respected variations of the Sicilian Defence. Over decades it has remained a sound yet attacking weapon in the hands of the world's finest players including several world champions. Join Robert James Fischer, Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, MVL and legions of club players by playing for a win with Black using the Najdorf. Expert and Grandmaster Milos Pavlovic will be your practical and honest guide in this fifth book for Thinkers Publishing.

This bookin front of you assists all players in their efforts to improve, and alongtheir way, our young chess guns provided fresh insights how to trap and trickyour opponent in the opening and early middlegame. With the many computer-assistedlearning tools available, the player’s capacity to improve is limitless. Thisbook offers the reader an insider’s candid view of how to unbalance the game inthe modern age of chess.

En este nuevo libro, Romain examina el más reciente aspecto de su carrera: ser asistente de un jugador de la élite. Trabajó con Veselin Topalov desde 2010 hasta 2014, período en el que con su ayuda sobresalen la victoria del búlgaro en la serie Grand Prix 2012-2013 y el convertirse en Candidato a la Corona Mundial. Edouard nos cuenta todo sobre esta mágica experiencia. Al repasar los torneos donde asistió al GM Topalov, el autor, no sólo analiza bellas partidas sino que además explica cómo se las agenciaron para crear nuevas ideas e incluso llega a revelar algunas que no se han jugado todavía. También da respuesta a las preguntas que más curiosidad despiertan en la mayoría de los entusiastas del ajedrez: ¿Cómo te conviertes en ayudante de un jugador de la élite?, ¿En qué consiste ese trabajo?, ¿Cómo se aúnan esfuerzos para colaborar?, ¿Cómo se prepara una partida o torneo importante?, ¿Cómo se comporta un genio ajedrecístico en la vida real?Si disfrutas las partidas fascinantes, las ideas inesperadas en la apertura y deseas conocer lo que sucede tras bambalinas, definitivamente, ¡este libro es para ti!

Do you relish the prospect of setting your opponent awkward problems from the early start of the game? If so, you should just continue reading, for in the Bg5 Najdorf, it’s every man for himself, and only the best informed and most creative resourceful player survive. The Bg5 variation gives White very dangerous attacking ideas, and Blacks really needs to know a precise defense to come out of this variation alive. This book provides weapons that are ideal choices for those who revel in forcing opponents into chaotic and uncomfortable positions.Lukasz Jarmula, a player and writer of international caliber, will be your truthful guide!

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Averbakh variation against the King's IndianDefense (KID). Who would not want to have a variation against the KID thatkeeps White's position completely under control, that is positional in natureand that stays away from dark and murky waters or messy tactical situations?Many players like to play a variation against the KID that bears the hallmark ofstrong grandmasters and has stood the test of time. This book examines suchvariation with a repertoire for White and an in-depth analysis of all ofBlack's responses.The Averbakh variation represents a shift in White's approach to the fight againstthe KID. Rather than focusing solely on the queenside while accepting a certaindanger of being checkmated on the other side of the board, as it happens in theKID in many lines, White uses a strategy of positional control, in which heuses the KID in a calm, positional way. Initially, the character of the battleis indeed relatively calm and positional, but not too calm to land innear-equal positions immediately. White's development schedules followstrategic logic. In the following parts of the game, White generally retainshis first mover advantage, in positions where he retains control.Repertoire books on the KID start from Black's point of view, overestimating Black'schances and downplaying White's options and plans. In my opinion, that requiresan analytical response from White's point of view. In this book, I will showthat, using recent theoretical developments and my own novelties and analyses,White has a serious chance to come out of the opening with a long-term plus.

In his well-known entertaining style, the author takes us through the fascinating history of the World Champions of Chess. A striking and beautiful book full of anecdotes, stories and thrilling games played by the titans of our royal game. It is a book you can read time and again and will surely find a treasured place on your bookshelf!

In the first volume of "Crucial Chess Skills for the Club Player", attention is given to the three key elements of practical play. These three aspects aren't closely related to each other, but together form the key to improvement for any ambitious chess player. In the first 3 chapters Ris explores the most essential positions for rook endgames, offering practical advice along the way. He also offers ways to sharpen tactical vision in chapters four to six. In particular, he seeks to cultivate an ability to sense opportunities to strike. The final part, chapters seven to nine, he examines positional play in such a way that the student's overall understanding of the game is deepened. The result is that Robert offers a course to help students master all facets of the game! Volume two is expected end of 2018.

Do you relish the prospect of setting youropponent awkward problems from the early start of the game? If so, you shouldjust continue reading, for in the Mar Del Plata and King's Indian, it’s every man for himself,and only the best informed and most creative resourceful player survive. This variationgives both colors very dangerous attacking ideas, and you really needs to knowa precise defense to come out of this variation alive. This book providesweapons that are ideal choices for those who revel in forcing opponents intochaotic and uncomfortable positions.

In his revolutionary opening books, Bauer reveals the secrets of how to play certain unknown variations. He takes an in-depth look not only at the main lines but also more offbeat tries, creating a comprehensive, ready-to-use manual for any player. Beyond any question or doubt, Christian is a top author.

Proper handling of Bishops in the Endgame is an important feature in today¿s chess and a must for every chess player who wants to climb the world¿s chess hierarchy. This book deals with all important themes and ideas on the world of Bishop endings.

Before you is the tournament book of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021. Theevent that has been won in sensational fashion by the young Dutch grandmasterJorden van Foreest. In a tiebreak in the third blitz game, he was just a bit faster ofhis compatriot Anish Giri. The barrage was necessary because both players verysurprisingly ended with the wonderful score of 8½ out of 13 in joint first place. Withthis they had left behind, among others, World Champion Magnus Carlsen (7½) andthe number two in the world, Fabiano Caruana (8). An unprecedented achievement, because the tournament in Wijk aan Zee is sometimes called the "Wimbledon of chess" of the elite tournaments. After the last round, in which Van Foreest in a formidable way had left the Swede Nils Grandelius chanceless, it was waitingfor the game between the Spaniard David Antón Guijarra and Anish Giri. Ourcompatriot was in a bad position, lost perhaps, but he managed to free himself fromthe tangled position and gain an important half point. It was decided beforehandthat a tiebreak would be held, consisting of at least two blitz games. Should theseresult in a 1-1 score, an Armageddon game would be played. This turned out to bea nervous and blood-curdling fight, with the pieces flying around. In the end theyounger OF the two, Jorden van Foreest, emerged victorious and thus the youngGroninger booked the greatest success of his still young career. Apart from thecommotion in the Dutch seaside resort of Wijk aan Zee, where the tournament washeld – under strict corona rules – the whole of the Netherlands rose to its feet whenthis great result became known. Hadn't we had to wait since 1985, when JanTimman won the Hoogovens chess tournament, for a Dutch chess player to standon the highest podium? And now it was even two players from this country whocould dispute together who would take the highest honor

One, and sometimes more engines, toil without rationing electricity, sometimes checking on their master¿s ideas or more oft en showing their own evaluations and recommendations on screen with each conclusion supplemented by an exact numeric equivalent. There is no arguing with such an expert. Is it even necessary? He, as the almighty judge, knows all and can answer any question. All that is needed is patience. During a mutual training session, a young player who is currently one of the top in the world, asked Garry Kasparov: ¿How did you evaluate positions in the past?¿ After all standard evaluations like ¿better¿ or ¿worse¿ are too vague and cannot begin to satisfy a modern professional. Th e very question feels like a giant gap between the approach to solving chess problems then and now. Intuition and improvisation are gradually phased out by exact knowledge and calculation. So far this has only become fully evident in the opening. More than anything else it has become opening preparation which has made the biggest fundamental change to professional chess. So now let us peer behind the curtain!

Gata will share in his first volume how he became one of the world elite class players and contender for the title of World Chess Champion. Why and how he used different styles of play and will reveal how this learning process helped him to become a chess professional.

This book invites the reader to enter the wonderful elite chess world with one of the most creative GM¿s of all time, Alexander Morozevich. It tells about his approach to the core of fighting, about his strongest points but also about his weaknesses. It presents masterpieces and painful losses. However, the author not only shows a panorama of his creativity but also offers the reader to think over the problems together with `Morö. You can simply take place in his seat, look through his eyes and finally play like Morozevich!

The Richter-Rauzer is one of the most complex and rich battlegrounds in the Open Sicilian. This book is the distillation of the authors' decades-long experience in this variation, offering a practical approach based on understanding and knowledge of typical ideas. Do you wish to explore something double-edged and sharp, this book will leave you confident and fully armed to play for a win. For this second revised edition, Grandmasters Kozul and Jankovic teamed up to present you a way to even throw your most experienced opponent off balance!

The Berlin Defense is one of the most popular openings for Black against 1.e4 for the last two decades in the higher echelons of the chess world. In this book, the critical ideas are explained in a way that even Club players will feel the confidence to add this evergreen opening to their repertoire by explaining the opening concepts lucidly in such a way that anyone who reads this Book will have the courage to play Berlin in their games. In this book, GM Priyadharshan Kannappan has chosen some off-beat tracks on the Berlin endgame and also has considered 4.d3 as the mainline of Berlin, the 1st for any Berlin book, but is a modern necessity due to the increasing popularity of 4.d3.The book packs enough punch in novelties for the opening aficionados, and this up to date book presents new ideas and variations that were previously never shed light on in the Berlin. GM Priyadharshan has given equal importance to the various sidelines that lead up to the Berlin endgame, and also in the Berlin endgame, and has suggested options where Black actively fights for dynamic positions, and not just gets satisfied with equal positions.The book also has 100 games suggestion that one must study to improve their overall understanding of the various pawn structures and ideas involved in the Queenless endgame.

The advantage of ¿our¿ Benoni is based on a waiting approach. Black would like to choose a perfect moment to play ¿e6xd5, waiting for White to adopt some piece setup that turns out to be inconvenient for him after this exchange. At the same time, we would like to avoid some dangerous or deeply explored variations like the Flick-Knife (a.k.a Taimanov) or systems where White can place his bishop on the optimal f4-square. A lot of variations in this book can also be useful for King¿s Indian players, as a main or alternative way to play. My own journey in the world of the Delayed Benoni started when I was a King¿s Indian kind of guy!As every rose has its thorn, so White can annoy us by answering our ¿e6xd5 not with the routine c4xd5 but rather with e4xd5. This produces a completely different pawn formation, with an open e-file. White enjoys a space advantage but Black has his chances. And just as White can depart from the well-trodden path with e4xd5, so Black can dispense with the almost automatic ¿e6xd5 and instead play ¿e6-e5, producing a sort of King¿s Indian formation. In the Main Line, covered in Chapter 4, White has already played h2-h3 and this pawn can become a target when Black gets his kingside attack moving.Our opponent can force us into a Modern Benoni, by playing f3 (Sämisch) or f4 (Four Pawns). I think that I have succeeded defending Black¿s case, even finding some important nuances improving on the existing theory.From my personal experience, the only way for White to achieve some advantage is the h3 and Bd3 variation with e4xd5, the Main Variation covered in Chapter 4. The problem for White, though, is that Black can answer that line in many different ways. So White must be thoroughly prepared and acquainted with all the nuances of our system. And even then, White¿s advantage is just a ¿normal¿ one.I give a different approach to this variation, three (!) different ways for Black to respond. The reader can also, through the game commentaries, see the development of the variation in my practice.In my opinion, the Delayed Benoni is a kind of mystery for White also, since it has not been covered deeply enough in chess publications. So I think that this work could be useful for White players, too.

After his first two most successful volumes of Chess Middlegame Strategies, Ivan Solokov explores in his final volume ideas related to the symbiosis of the strategic and dynamic elements of chess. He combined the most exceptional ideas, strategies and positional play essentials. These three volumes will give you a serious head start when studying and playing a middlegame.A book and series that cannot be missed in any serious chess library!

In his sixth book for Thinkers Publishing, Milos Pavlovic has taken a serious look at the recent developments within the Scotch Game. Drawing upon his considerable opening experience, he investigates the most interesting and dynamic lines for White and Black, making this book a complete repertoire one. He found many novelties and highlights the most important positional and tactical themes this opening provides.We are quite convinced this 'complete repertoire book' will give you an extra boost to play this fascinating opening being one of the old-time favorites of Garry Kasparov.

These three volumes contain the most memorable games of five-time US Champion Gata Kamsky. Volume 1 covers the period before his early retirement. Volume 2 and 3 cover the period after his return to the game and will be available in the Autumn of 2019 and 2020.The annotations are an attempt to search for the truth and reveal the workings of a Grandmaster's mind. The introductions are designed to show the reader what he thought, felt and experienced at the time and during each game. In addition, he sometimes shares his personal opinions on subjects like politics and his philosophy of life.