Bauer/Paoli - The modernized flank attack

Have you ever wondered why it takes grandmasters just seconds to see what's happening in a chess position? It's all about pawn structures, as Ivan Sokolov explained in his groundbreaking book Winning Chess Middlegames.

In his 2010 bestseller, Grandmaster Sokolov focused on structures arising from 1.d4 openings; in this new companion guide, 1.e4 players get their turn. This new volume covers a dozen topical structures including various pawn formations in the flexible Ruy Lopez, Italian and Petroff openings. But also Black's doubled f-pawn in the Rauzer Sicilian, the notorious Maroczy Bind, the mysterious Hedgehog, the versatile Sveshnikov and the paradoxical French Winawer. Deeply analysed top-level games illustrate the motifs in all these structures.

Club players who study Winning Chess Middlegames 1.e4 or 1.d4 will:

• significantly improve their middlegame skills
• develop an accurate sense of which positions suit their style
• gain new strategic and practical knowledge of openings

Ivan Sokolov's analysis is profound but accessible, and he doesn't take anything for granted. As reviewer Sean Marsh wrote of the first volume: "The lucid and informative explanations convey a large amount of genuine Grandmasterly wisdom. This is easily one of the best middlegame books of recent times."

Ivan Sokolov is a top grandmaster who was born in Bosnia and lives in the Netherlands. He is a former Yugoslav and Dutch Champion and has beaten World Champions Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik and Viswanathan Anand. As a coach, he led Uzbekistan to victory at the 2022 Chennai Olympiad. Sokolov has written a dozen highly acclaimed books.

1 Dealer, 1 Big Blind, 1 Small Blind, 2 keys, 2 sets of playing cards, 5 casino dice, 300 casino poker chips with laser sticker, 11,5 gr., Ø 39 mm, thickness 3,3 mm, aluminum case - perfect until 6  or 7 players 

Poker is basically a very simple Game. Players pay their bets into a central pot over several rounds, which is won at the end by the player with the highest combination of cards. Although there are hundreds of playing variations, most follow the same pattem of play

Understanding Chess Exchanges by Bagheri & Salehzadeh. Have you ever wondered how chess grandmasters always seem to know which pieces need to be exchanged? Or how an attack is influenced by the number of pieces on the board? When should we keep the queens on, and when should we switch to an endgame?
 
Understanding Chess Exchanges shares expert insights into using exchanges as a strategic weapon. Your newfound knowledge will then be tested using exercises taken from elite modern practice. With a particular focus on Magnus Carlsen – the master of exchanges – this book reveals the principles behind a vital part of chess strategy.
 
Chess mastery is the art of knowing when principles should be followed and when they must be broken. This book guarantees that you will not only become familiar with the typical guidelines, but also learn about their exceptions. Filled with tips, principles and practical advice, Understanding Chess Exchanges is an invaluable asset to a chess player’s arsenal! 352 pages

Unanimo est un grand jeu d'expression et d'imagination dans une petite boîte métallique. Au départ, les cartes 'mots' sont empilées face cachée sur la table. L'un des joueur en retourne une. Chaque joueur écrit alors sur son bloc 8 mots que lui inspirent l'illustration. Ensuite vient la phase de lecture : chaque joueur ayant inscrit le même mot que le lecteur lève la main et empoche 1 point. Mais si le lecteur est le seul à avoir inscrit le mot, il ne marque aucun point. D'où le nom 'Unanimo', ce sont les réponses communes qui sont récompensées !