This book is a logical follow up of Semkov’s previous work on the Nimzo-Indian Defence. It covers the Exchange Variation 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 against the Queen’s Gambit Declined. Practical results of 63% in White’s favour and the endorcement of Carlsen, Gukes, Caruana, Aronian, Sarana and many others of the elite confirm the prominent status of this system.Lately second players tend to deviate from the traditional main lines and resort to 3...a6, 3...h6, 3...Be7, 5...Bb4 and other exotic set-ups, so the author analyses them in separate chapters.
Chess games are won and lost in the fight to create, attack and exploit each other’s weaknesses. A weakness can be of pawns, pieces, squares, files, on colour complexes – and so on.
Pinpointing weaknesses and knowing how to exploit them is an integral part of building a Winning Chess Strategy. Hence, in this volume of our series, American author Cyrus Lakdawala tackles this multifaceted term, making it approachable for anyone wishing to learn how to find and exploit the soft spots in their opponent’s camps.
Cyrus Lakdawala is an International Master, a former National Open and American Open Champion, and six-time State Champion. He has been teaching chess for over 40 years, and coaches top US juniors.
All chess players have heard about the power of the bishop pair – but many have no understanding of when the two bishops are superior, nor why they are superior, when they are, and least of all, what to do with the advantage of the two bishops, when achieved.
Questions like these are at the epicentre of this refreshing new project, headlined by prolific and well-established author Cyrus Lakdawala. Keeping variations to a bear minimum, but using extensive explanations combined with his trademark prose, the American International Master dissects this well-known but rarely understood theme, in terms that make it accessible to players on all levels of their chess development. Exploiting the Bishop Pair aims to be both an exciting and pleasant read, as well as a deeply instructive textbook, granting the ambitious player all they need to put in their arsenal an invaluable Winning Chess Strategy.
The chess board is rarely big enough for both armies, leading to a fight for the centre, and a fight for space, which together with material and time are key elements of chess strategy.
How we fight for extra space and exploit it once conquered is the topic of this volume in the Winning Chess Strategies series, Exploiting a Space Advantage. Cyrus Lakdawala explains how to squeeze your opponents into submission, when a space advantage leads to an attack, why we should be careful not to overextend, as well as many more concepts that can help you better understand the elusive concept of space.
Get ready to stop feeling cramped and start grabbing some space!
Available via subscription
British Chess Magazine (September 2025)
The world’s top trainer, Mark Dvoretsky, and one of his best-known pupils, grandmaster Artur Yusupov, present a five-volume series based on courses given to talented young players throughout the world. The books contain contributions by other leading trainers and grandmasters, as well as games by pupils who have attended the courses.
In this first volume the reader is shown how to assess his strengths and weaknesses, analyse his own games, and learn from the rich heritage of the past by a study of the chess classics. Over a hundred graded test positions provide ample material for self-improvement.
WINNER of the ChessCafe 2008 Book of the Year Award
SHORTLISTED for The Guardian 2008 Chess Book of the Year Award
Why is it that the human brain so often refuses to consider winning chess tactics?
Every chess fan marvels at the wonderful combinations with which famous masters win their games. How do they find those fantastic moves? Do they have special vision? And why do computers outwit us tactically?
Forcing Chess Moves proposes a revolutionary method for finding winning moves. Charles Hertan has made an astonishing discovery: the failure to consider key moves is often due to human bias. Your brain tends to disregard many winning moves because they are counter-intuitive or look unnatural.
It’s a fact of life: computers outdo us humans when it comes to tactical vision and brute force calculation. So why not learn from them? Charles Hertan’s radically different approach is: use COMPUTER EYES and always look for the most forcing move first.
By studying forcing sequences according to Hertan’s method you will:
– Develop analytical precision
– Improve your tactical vision
– Overcome human bias and staleness
– Enjoy the calculation of difficult positions
– Win more games by recognizing moves that matter.
This New and Extended Fourth Edition of Hertan’s award-winning modern classic includes 50 extra pages with new and instructive combinations. There is a foreword by three-time US chess champion Joel Benjamin, and a special foreword to this new edition by Swedish Grandmaster Pontus Carlsson.
Steve Goldberg, ChessCafe:
"When the clock is ticking away, and you have too many viable candidate moves to choose from, remember Hertan's advice."
Former US Champion Joel Benjamin:
"By organizing and explaining the nature of great chess moves Hertan has brought us all closer to being able to find them."
Marsh Towers Chess Reviews:
"Hertan develops the reader’s skills methodically, thus enabling each tactical lesson to be learned and absorbed properly."
Erik Bouwmans, Schaaknieuws:
"Entertaining and instructive. You simply cannot stop looking."
Erik Rausch, Rochade Europa:
An intensive training course for advanced players to improve their tactical vision and calculation. You will increase your tactical striking powers a lot."
Cor Jansen, Provinciaalse Zeeuwse Courant":
"Thrilling, instructive and witty. Right on target."
Harold Dondis, The Boston Globe:
"The categories in this book are quite unusual. This work is an ample and accurate collection of startling problems bulging with combinative surprises."
Elisabeth Vicary, US Chess Federation Online:
"I love this book."
Robert Hübner (1948-2025) was one of the world’s leading players in the 1970s-1980s, reaching four world championship candidates cycles. Widely recognised as Germany’s greatest chess player since Emanuel Lasker, he reached the candidates final against Korchnoi over the 1980-1981 New Year. He was ranked number 3 in the world in July 1981, behind only Karpov and Korchnoi.
Following the success of their year by year series on Korchnoi, the winning team of Tibor Karolyi (games analysis) and Hans Renette (biography) is back with a new multi-volume series on Robert Hübner. While less information is available on his life outside chess than with Korchnoi, Hans has managed to find several contemporary sources and to interview people who knew Hübner to compile an informative portrait of Hübner the man. Some information was provided by Robert himself, although he was clearly unwell by the time this project began. In volume one, which covers the period of 1959 to 1979, we read about the early part of his career, from child prodigy to world championship candidate in the 1970-1971 cycle, when he lost narrowly to Petrosian in the quarter-final, to his gold medal on first board at the 1972 Skopje Olympiad, and ending with his shared first place in the 1979 Rio de Janeiro Interzonal.
In this series, Tibor demonstrates in particular that Hübner was one of the world’s most resilient endgame players. He was one of very few players to draw with Fischer in a difficult endgame, and he saved many lost endgames, often at critical times: he even saved them against Karpov and Kasparov. We find that Hübner generally withstood tension well, but occasionally collapsed under pressure. Also, rarely for an elite player, he was equally comfortable playing both 1.e4 and 1.d4 throughout his career.
Opponents in the 159 games and samples instructively analysed by Tibor in volume one include world champions Karpov, Fischer, Spassky, Petrosian, Tal, and Smyslov, as well as many other players from the world and German elites. The book is supplemented by a selection of tournament photos.
A Dynamic Positional Enterprise
More than a half-century ago, Hungarian-American Grandmaster Pal Benko crafted a strategy for Black to meet 1.d4. A Benoni-style pawn structure is followed by a strike on the queenside – ...b7-b5! While this tactic had already been known, it was Benko who shaped it into a dynamic, dangerous system.
In this first book of a two-volume set, the authors examine the Benko Gambit Accepted in great detail. In addition, understanding that the opening analysis should not stand alone, they examine over 300 endgames arising from these lines. The result is an incredibly thorough and comprehensive treatment of one of Black’s most energetic defenses.
In his Introduction, Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias points out that overall, the Benko Gambit is really a dynamic positional enterprise. Black sacrifices a pawn for open lines on the queenside while at the same time, the black king is relatively safe.
Three-time U.S. Champion, Grandmaster Lev Alburt has been a powerful proponent of the Benko:
An impressive work by excellent authors. I particularly like the QuickStarter! Section and the chapter on the endgames arising out of the Benko Gambit.
About the Authors
Greek Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias, has won the championship of Greece ten times and has represented his country many times in team competitions. He is one of the most respected opening analysts in the world today.
Russian-Serbian Grandmaster Mikhail Ivanov has been successful in many European tournaments, including the 2002 Neckar Open. He is a venerable chess coach and trainer. He has partnered with GM Kotronias on several books for Russell Enterprises.
Black versus The Tromp and Torre Attacks
The Trompowsky and Torre Attacks, played regularly at club level, may be quite risky to face if you are not prepared. In this comprehensive treatment of both openings – highlighting play from Black’s perspective – popular authors Vassilios Kotronias and Mikhail Ivanov, present solid paths to dynamic equality for the second player.
The common thread in both these systems is Bc1-g5 by White. In the Trompowsky, White plays it on the second move, while it is on the third move in the Torre. In addition, there is a separate chapter on a dangerous cousin of the Tromp and Torre, the “Barry-Tarzan” Attack, which usually features pawn storms after castling on opposite wings.
All three have their own QuickStarter! section. This covers the major lines, allowing the reader to begin playing these systems sooner rather than later.
There is no longer any reason for Black to fear these potentially dangerous debuts. Let GMs Kotronias and Ivanov prepare you to face the Trompowsky and Torre Attacks with confidence.
Russian-Serbian Grandmaster Mikhail Ivanov has been successful in many European tournaments, including the 2002 Neckar Open. He is a respected chess coach and trainer. He has co-authored several books with GM Kotronias for Russell Enterprises.
Designed for the typical amateur player who wants to improve his or her chess skills, this clear, straightforward guide provides the extra knowledge and technique that turns a losing player into a winner.
The author, a well-known chess teacher and author of a dozen books on openings, coaches the reader through all the fundamentals of attacking, sacrifices, defense, positional play and choosing a move, as well as how to approach the endgame. The crucial processes of assessing the position and choosing a move are examined in depth, and there are helpful sections on how to cope with difficult positions and time-trouble. Several illustrative games, from the annals of the imaginary Midlington Chess Club, add a light touch to this expert practical guide to better chess.
Tim Harding is a well-known chess author and captain of the Irish Correspondence Chess Team. He represented Ireland in the 1984 FIDE chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki.
Chess enthusiasts can sit down with 20 of the world's top players to answer the question posed by this instructive and amusing guide. Grandmaster Daniel King based How Good is Your Chess? on his popular Chess Monthly column. His easy-to-follow, test-yourself guide asks readers to predict their opponent's moves; points are awarded (or deducted) according to the readers' degree of success. In addition to helping players to judge their standard of play, it presents opportunities for improvement by providing a look at complete games and the chance to work out and study the plans and ideas of the experts. Algebraic notation used throughout.