Andrew Soltis – författare

How does one determine the "best" chess games? What one may see as brilliant, another may see as simply necessary. Like some art lovers, chess fans claim that they know a good game when they see it, and that they know better from good. But "best"? How is this articulated? This book, itself a work of art, is brought together by the use of five criteria: the overall aesthetics (clever and relentless are insufficient qualities); the originality (e.g., not yet another white knight sacrifice in a Sicilian); the level of opposition (the loser played very well); the soundness (i.e., are the moves refutable with perfect play?), accuracy (few of the moves are second-best), and difficulty (the winner overcame major obstacles) of the game; and finally the overall breadth and depth (one wants a series of sparkling ideas, with no dry patches).The 100 best games were taken from an initial field of about 7,000 played from 1900 through 1999 that had already gained some attention in magazines, books and periodicals. Three hundred games were then selected that appeared to have features consistent with the criteria. The 300 games were evaluated with scores--points given for each category of criteria. The games were then ranked, one to 100, by the score they received. No attempt was made to balance the selection according to period, nationality of players or opening. Also included is a chapter on the most overrated games of the twentieth century and one on games that would have made the list if… Includes 335 diagrams, an index of players and an index of openings by ECO codes.

A crucial decision spared chess Grandmaster David Bronstein almost certain death at the hands of the Nazis--one fateful move cost him the world championship. Russian champion Mark Taimanov was a touted as a hero of the Soviet state until his loss to Bobby Fischer all but ruined his life. Yefim Geller's dream of becoming world champion was crushed by a bad move against Fischer, his hated rival. Yuri Averbakh had no explanation how he became the world's oldest grandmaster, other than the quixotic nature of fate. Vasily Smyslov, the only one of the five to become world champion, would reign for just one year--fortune, he said, gave him pneumonia at the worst possible time. This book explores how fate played a capricious role in the lives of five of the greatest players in chess history.

This book describes the intense rivalry--and collaboration--of the four players who created the golden era when USSR chess players dominated the world. More than 200 annotated games are included, along with personal details--many for the first time in English. Mikhail Tal, the roguish, doomed Latvian who changed the way chess players think about attack and sacrifice; Tigran Petrosian, the brilliant, henpecked Armenian whose wife drove him to become the world's best player; Boris Spassky, the prodigy who survived near-starvation and later bouts of melancholia to succeed Petrosian--but is best remembered for losing to Bobby Fischer; and "Evil" Viktor Korchnoi, whose mixture of genius and jealousy helped him eventually surpass his three rivals (but fate denied him the title they achieved: world champion).

This is the autobiography of chess grandmaster and journalist Andy Soltis, one of the very few grandmasters who had a professional career outside of chess, and a prolific author of chess-related nonfiction. It describes how chess and journalism fought for his time for more than 60 years and how he managed to score coups and make blunders in both fields. Among his distinctions: He is the only person to have both interviewed Donald Trump and played chess with (and nearly beat!) Bobby Fischer.

So you're a fairly decent chess player. You compete in tournaments, you play on the Internet. But you would love to make that leap to become a chess master. What do you need to know, how much do you have to practise, and how much of the success of the masters is simply a matter of innate talent, superior brainpower or just good luck? This useful book, aimed at all chess players who aspire to become chess masters, shows you what the masters know and you don't. Written by one of our biggest-selling and best-loved chess authors, in his trademark chatty, accessible but always informative style, this book is filled with practical exercises and test games that will reveal the secrets of how to join chess's elite ranks.

Strategies and examples for beating a superior opponent in chess.Chess history is littered with David vs Goliath chess struggles where the weaker player has prevailed. Chess masters, even international grandmasters, can be defeated by young, improving players who use the right techniques and proper attitude.In David vs Goliath Chess, renowned chess writer Andrew Soltis takes you through 50 annotated games that show how weaker players have scored stunning upsets by overcoming a superior opponent’s greater knowledge and experience.He gives tips on everything from the best psychological mindset to take on a strong player, to studying your opponents past games, identifying weaknesses and identifying chess strategies he or she won't expect.A great chess improver book that will benefit any regular chess player, including club players, giving the reader confidence to take on anyone at chess.

A book by stalwart chess writer on an aspect of chess that is quite common, but little is written about, swindling in chess. In chess, a swindle is a ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, and thereby achieves a win or draw instead of the expected loss. Renown chess writers Horowitz and Reinfeld observe that swindles,"though ignored in virtually all chess books","play an enormously important role in over-the-board chess, and decide the fate of countless games".Andrew Soltis, American chess journalist, says swindles are not accidental or a matter of luck. Swindling is a skill. But there has been almost nothing written about how to do it, how to make yourself lucky in chess. Swindling means setting traps that exploit an opponent's over-confidence. It means choosing the move that has the greatest chance of winning, rather than the move that has the least chance of losing.Soltis' new proposal will explain to players of all levels how to do just that with plenty of examples to explain along the way.

An updated, expanded edition of the 2003 classic, with all 100 games reanalyzed, along with six additional gamesThis book covers the entire career of an American chess grandmaster and eleventh World Chess Champion, going well beyond his My 60 Memorable Games, and includes rarely seen"lost"Fischer gamesWith new insights into what made the enigmatic Fischer play – and act – the way he did.“Bobby Fischer...The precision and energy that he played with is unmatched in the history of chess.” Magnus Carlsen, World Chess ChampionNearly 30 years since his last chess game, Bobby Fischer’s fame continues to grow. Appearing in Hollywood movies, documentaries and best-selling books, his life and career are as fascinating as they ever were and his games continue to generate discussion. Indeed, with each new generation of computer, stunning discoveries are made about moves that have been debated by grandmasters for decades.International Grandmaster Andrew Soltis played Fischer and also reported, as a journalist, on the American’s legendary career. He is the author of many books, including Pawn Structure Chess, 365 Chess Master Lessons and What it Takes to Become a Chess Master.

An insightful new book that is perfect for newcomers to chess inspired by Netflix's Queen's Gambit.Written by one of the best chess communicators in the business, chess master and chess journalist Andy Soltis divulges practical advice and explains technical terms that chess books often overlook. From learning how to train your mind with chess information to choosing the best chess opening, dip in and out of this invaluable guide to improve your chess in a minutes. Chess questions answered in this book include: Is there a best way to study chess?How do I know if I have a natural talent?How important is chess memory and how can I train mine?How long should I think before choosing a move? Is there a proper way to think? Can I think like a chess computer?How do I develop chess intuition? Don't try to swallow too much information in one sitting. Dip in and out of these great chess questions to better understand the game and let the improvement happen incrementally.

An instructional book about the crucial questions that masters ask themselves before committing to a move – a checklist for all players to ask themselves before making their own moves.Beginners learn to ask themselves the key questions. As they improve, they ask more sophisticated questions: 'What did my opponent's last move allow me to do?", 'Where is his position weakest?", 'Should I take an irrevocable step now or wait?', 'What does my opponent want me to do?'. For chess master players these are almost subconscious checklist. Andy Soltis runs through the checklist of things to ask before making a move with fascinating and illuminating examples of real chess games,  from Karpov to Judith Polgar, from Magnus Carlsen to Fabiano Caruana. A key to improving is to ask all of these questions and find the right answers, for players looking to improve. The advice of Chess Masters is good advice for all chess players and the best way to take your play to the next level.

Following on from the enduring success of one of the most important chess books ever written, Bobby Fischer: My 60 Memorable Games, and the recently released Magnus Carlsen: 50 Memorable Games, celebrated chess writer Andrew Soltis delivers a book on Fabiano Caruana, the Grandmaster set to rival current world champion Magnus Carlsen. This book details Caruana's remarkable rise from chess prodigy to one of the best chess player in the world, exploring how he acquired the skills of 21st-century grandmaster chess over such a short period of time. This book dives into how he wins by analysing 60 of the games that made him who he is, describing the intricacies behind his and his opponent's strategies, the tactical justification of moves and the psychological battle in each one.

There are more than 30 moves you can choose from a typical chess position, yet Masters regularly manage to select the best moves – and they do it faster, more confidently and with less calculation than other players.  This is because Masters have shortcuts that enable them to think more efficiently.  This instructive and practical guide explains these techniques, including:  Using specific cues to identify good moves Streamlining analysis of the consequences of moves Using both objective and highly subjective criteria to find the right move – from any position

Are you a Kasparov, a Carlsen or a Fischer? Use this book to identify your own unique chess style and discover how it aligns with the tactics of the game’s greatest players. Then explore tips and tricks that help you avoid pitfalls, improve your strengths and become the best player you can be.Every chess player has a naturally individual style of playing, based on the moves they like to play. Some people choose the kind of moves world champion Magnus Carlsen regularly uses, while others prefer a strategy favoured by the legendary Bobby Fischer. And some even find themselves emulating the way a chess computer works. But very few players are aware of how these moves fit together to create a consistent, personal chess style.Reveal Your Chess Style contains 100 diagrams, each with a multiple choice of possible moves for the reader to choose from. Analysing the answers will explain how the reader’s choices reveal their hidden style, and which famous player they most identify with on the chessboard.A host of advice is also included, on developing the player's style further to avoid regular errors, increase skill and win more games – or they may want to adopt traits from other styles instead! This truly original book, from an International Grandmaster and venerable chess author, is a must-have for anyone who wants to improve their game and really get to know themselves as a chess player.

Do masters methodically cut their way through the branches of a tree of analysis? Is it true that attacking players calculate a dozen moves ahead, while positional specialists rely on abstract principles? What exactly does it mean to “calculate,” anyway?In The Inner Game of Chess, GM Andy Soltis shows that the key to good calculation is good visualization of the position in front of us and then after the moves we’re considering. Being aware of tactical motifs; knowing when to stop looking; and verifying your chosen move are essential, but they all depend on the basic requirement to see clearly what’s going on. The author discusses common obstacles to clear visualization and offers techniques to overcome them in your own play.This 21st-century edition of Soltis’s celebrated work features new material and revised analysis, while retaining all the insights that made The Inner Game of Chess an instant classic.

This large and magnificent work of art is both an interpretive history of Soviet chess from the Bolshevik Revolution to the collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991 and a record of the most interesting games played. The text traces the phenomenal growth of chess from the Revolutionary days to the devastations of World War II, and then from the Golden Age of Soviet-dominated chess in the 1950s to the challenge of Bobby Fischer and the quest to find his Soviet match. Included are 249 games, each with a diagram; most are annotated and many have never before been published outside the Soviet Union. The text is augmented by photographs and includes 63 tournament and match scoretables. Also included are a bibliography, an appendix of records achieved in Soviet national championships, two indexes of openings, and an index of players and opponents.

Every chess player needs to know how to handle his pawns. Pawns form the 'playing fields' of chess games, a semi-permanent 'structure' that can determine whether a player wins or loses. This comprehensive guide to pawn structure teaches the reader where pieces are best placed, which pawns should be advanced further or exchanged, and why certain structures are good and others disastrous. This invaluable book is a major update of this chess-world classic, first published in 1975 and unavailable for several years.

Most chess games are not won – they are lost. Many instructional chess books tell you how to improve a position when it is already (or may be) favourable. This book offers help when you definitely do not have the advantage. Every chess player needs a sound arsenal of defensive techniques. This book covers them all – counterplay, when to accept sacrifices, how to anticipate short- and long-term threats, and how to minimise losses. It also helps you create a strong underlying psychological framework for defensive technique – it teaches you how to stay cool under fire, how to stonewall and how to exploit your opponent's weaknesses.

The great Mikhail Botvinnik, world champion said: 'The foundation of chess is exchanging/' Knowing when and what to exchange or trade in chess is essential to improve your game, and this is the only book to help you do that.In chess an exchange or trade of chessmen is a series of closely related moves, typically sequential, in which the two players capture each other’s pieces. All chess pieces may be exchanged or captured in an exchange – apart from the king which however can capture an opponent’s piece. Either the player of the white or the black pieces may make the first capture of the other player's piece in an exchange, followed by the other player capturing a piece of the first player, often referred to as a recapture. These maneouvres happen throughout chess, but understanding when and how to do this to your best advantage can improve your game significantly.Written by the hugely popular chess writer, Andrew Soltis, My Kingdom for a Horse tells you whether you should exchange your bishop for a knight, which pair of bishops you should exchange, when you should keep rooks on the board and when should you refuse to trade anything.This unique book will provide the answers on an important and integral part of chess strategy.

Becoming a Grandmaster is the ultimate aim for serious chess players, but whatever your chess abilities, this book will take you to the next level.Packed with tips, tricks and practical exercises aimed at players of all skill levels who aspire to greatness.Even an average chess player can find the same moves as a Grandmaster as much as 75 percent of the time. The difference is that only the Grandmaster can find the other 25 percent. This book identifies the kinds of moves and techniques that account for that 25 percent. Among the topics covered in the book are: Mysterious rook pawn moves, Tacking, Piece Nullification, “King Feeling,” and how to play for a win without risk.Written by one of our biggest-selling and best-loved chess authors, in his trademark chatty, accessible but always informative style, this book is filled with practical exercises and test games that will reveal the secrets of how to join chess's elite ranks.

Increase your chess knowledge within the year! In this book, Andrew Soltis analyzes 365 key chess games in an easy way for busy people. In this book, 365 of the most instructive short games of chess are analyzed, step by step, by well-respected author Andrew Soltis. Arranged as daily lessons, this book is perfect for chess players who would like to reach the next level of skill but can't devote hours and hours each day to study.Learn to feel confident with each tactic – each game features test-yourself quizzes (with answers at the back of the book) to help cement understanding, as well as chess diagrams for those who learn visually. Challenging tactics are revisited in later games to help you recognize when they occur and how chess masters use them to their full advantage.With this book, Andrew encourages you to learn to think like a chess master within the year. From Castling to Zugzwang, learn something new everyday!