The Art of Sacrifice in Chess

This truly outstanding book, first published in Russian in the 1970s and regarded there as a classic, contains everything you need to know bout how to deliver checkmate. It contains a wealth of elegant and sophisticated chess tactics as well as systematic and effective instruction.

Is the ability to make combinations something you are born with or can it be acquired by practice? Russian chess trainer Livshitz, who has had extensive experience teaching a wide range of players from novices to masters, presents here a course for developing your combinational skill, based on the recognition of tactical motifs. As you work your way through this carefully graced series of tests, themes such as 'diversion,' 'interference,' 'X-Ray,' and many more will become an integral part of your chess armoury, to be employed in your own games.

Publisher: Dover
Author: T. D. Harding
Year of Publication: 2001 Pages: 208
Notation Type: Algebraic (AN)


Book Description As noted British chess author T. D. Harding explains in the preface to Counter Gambits: Black to Play and Win, the aim of this book is to show you how to win games with Black. The method? Calculated aggression, right from move one! To offset the distinct advantage White is thought to have because it moves first, Black can engage in dynamic counterplay to avoid those openings that give White the opportunity of early exchanges. Following a brief explanation of symbols, this excellent guide covers such topics as dynamic counterplay, counter-gambits in open games, Black sacrifices in the half-open games, counters to the Queen's Gambit, Indian counter-gambits, and an index to openings and variations. Seventy-seven games, including ten new to this edition, are fully annotated, while more are found in the theoretical notes, with commentary. Among the counter-gambits used in the quest for dynamic counterplay are the Budapest, Blumenfeld, Falkbeer, and Latvian — all illustrated in great detail. A new update "Update 2001," written especially for this edition, examines developments in the field since this book was first published in the 1970s. Players at all skill levels — beginner to advanced — are sure to benefit from this expert analysis of gambits and counter-gambits.

As the famous saying goes 'Chess is 99% tactics.' What are chess tactics? Tactics are maneuvers that take advantage of short-term opportunities, often (but not necessarily) involving combinations or sacrifices. In this DVD, Susan will introduce the most common tactical elements in chess.

Simon Williams, one of Britain's most dynamic and aggressive chess-players, has selected his favourite attacking games from the modern era, and annotated them with an infectious zeal that will inspire and instruct. He takes us inside the decision-making process, explaining how each stage in an attacking concept is formed, and shows how top players spot the signs that indicate it is time to stake everything on an all-out assault. We also get insights into the role of intuition and calculation in both attack and defence

Publisher: Quality Chess
Author: Mihai Suba
Year of Publication: 2012 Pages: 376
Notation Type: Figurine (FAN)


Book Description In chess, sacrificing material is the most dramatic way to try to seize the advantage. Most sacrifices have a forcing aim in mind, but most profound of all are positional sacrifices where the end is impossible to foresee and thus fine judgment and understanding are required. Such sacrifices are usually a mystery to average players, but acclaimed author and chess grandmaster Mihai Suba explains the secrets of this technique in his characteristically bold and humorous style. About the Author(s) Mihai Suba is a Romanian grandmaster whose previous book, Dynamic Chess Strategy, was highly acclaimed by the critics and won the BCF Book of the Year prize.

There are many differing opinions amongst the top players in the world of chess, but there is one thing upon which World Champions, Grandmasters and other experts all agree: the art of chess calculation is the absolute key to the success of a player. Master this discipline and you can surely expect your results to improve dramatically. Jacob Aagaard tackles the 'art of chess calculation', unravelling its many secrets and arming the reader with the necessary tools to be able to calculate effectively at the chessboard.

Excelling at Combinational Play: Learn to Identify and Exploit Tactical Chances by Jacob Aagaard, 239pp. (Everyman 2004) Being able to solve puzzles and combinations is one of the principal components of a successful chess player. But how can one improve on such an important skill? How can one acquire combinational vision? The answer lies within the pages of this book! Experienced chess writer Jacob Aagaard explains how tactical intuition and ability develops and uses pattern recognition to improve the reader's tactical ammunition. Is also no secret that the continued practice of puzzles and combinations helps to sharpen the chess brain, and here there is a wealth of exercises and problems to solve accompanied by the full solutions and explanations.