YUSUPOV - Chess Evolution The Fundamentals vol.1

Chess players can look ahead, formulate a clear plan, and act accordingly. That's why chess is the perfect learning environment for becoming a strategic expert. But how do you train this? It starts with playing many games and analysing them carefully afterwards. At the same time, you should learn from the best by studying the games of the world's strongest players and gradually build their techniques into your play. This book offers you 100 strategic exercises from the games of the best of the best, the World Champions from Bobby Fischer to Ding Liren. You will learn foundational techniques such as: how to improve your worst-placed piece; how to exploit a lead in development; or make the right piece trade; and how to create a strong square; plus numerous others. Solving these exercises will help every ambitious club player better understand how to make and execute plans. 260 pages

Si quelqu'un s'y retrouve, il me fait signe Voici donc (au choix) le premier volume d'une triplette baptisée Chess Evolution, ou le troisième d'un trio dénommé The Fundamentals - à moins qu'il s'agisse simplement du septième tome d'un projet global qui en comportera neuf Ce qui est sûr, c'est que les 24 nouveaux chapitres truffés d'exemples et bardés d'exercices présentés ici vous feront cogiter quelques dizaines d'heures, et seront certainement profitables. Au boulot !

Sergei Tiviakov was unbeaten in a streak of more than a hundred chess games as a professional player. Who better to share the secrets of Rock Solid Chess and the activity and value of pieces than Tiviakov?

The highly acclaimed first volume of his chess strategy trilogy dealt with pawn structures. In this second volume, Sergei moves on to discuss piece play and unique chessboard situations. Topics covered include the bishop pair, opposite-coloured bishops, centralization and the almost-ignored question of when and whether to castle.

Tiviakov also demonstrates how the value of pieces can vary drastically depending on their exact position. He shows how the entire assessment of a position, and the correct strategy for playing it, can be changed by moving a single pawn from one square to another.

In the final chapters, Tiviakov discusses how to play cramped and passive positions, how to play for a win with Black and how to choose your strategy, based on the opponent’s style and other psychological factors.

Illustrated with examples from classic games and from his own games, and supported by instructive exercises, Volume Two of Rock Solid Chess offers invaluable and unique instruction on topics not covered in traditional textbooks. These strategy lessons will significantly improve your chess and are suitable for all readers, from club players to grandmasters.

Sergei Tiviakov is a grandmaster, Olympic gold medallist, three-time Dutch Champion and European Champion.
Yulia Gökbulut is a FIDE Women's Master, chess author and sports writer from Turkey. 251 pages

Titre moyennement explicite : on sait bien ce qu'est une contre-attaque dans le domaine sportif, mais c'est moins évident aux échecs. En fait, le livre nous parle plutôt de défense active et d'opportunités à savoir saisir (les titres des chapitres sont, eux, éloquents : Rendre coup pour coup, réfuter les attaques prématurées, pensée prophylactique, regroupement, simplification) La forme est identique aux précédents opus du GMI paraguayen : un choix de parties commentées en détail, sans beaucoup d'effort de synthèse. Bah, on ne peut pas tout avoir !