Axel Smith – författare

Forskningen visar att var tionde svensk elitidrottare drabbas av utmattningssyndrom. Lika plötsligt som mystiskt försvinner de från såväl prispallar som media. Någon förklaring till vad som händer finns inte.

Är förmågan att pressa sig till bristningsgränsen medfödd för vissa och ouppnåelig för andra? Hur bygger man upp en sådan drivkraft?

I boken möter du åtta framgångsrika idrottare som ignorerade kroppens varningssignaler tills hela deras vardag kraschade: höjdhopparen Linus Thörnblad, triathleten Clas Björling, bandyspelaren Magnus Muhrén, kanotisten Tom Krantz, schackspelaren Ulf Andersson, löparen Johan Larsson och cyklisterna Christian Bertilsson och Marcus Streijffert.

På andra sidan väggen är en reportagebok om fantastiska idrottsprestationer, livet, hälsan, och vägen tillbaka efter ett utmattningssyndrom.

I backspegeln mötte han sin egen blick – ett vrak. Det kändes som att han dömts till döden, eller som att jorden skulle gå under. Han fortsatte att följa motorvägen och på eftermiddagen kände han för att svänga över till den andra vägbanan när en lämplig lastbil passerade. Han lyckades avstyra de tankarna, men blev rädd för sig själv och insåg att han inte skulle klara av att vara ensam länge till. Under några veckor hade han flytt undan sina problem och lyckats tänka bort merparten av depressionen och den kroniska smärtan. Men nu var han ute på tunn is.

Författare Axel Smith har en magisterexamen i litterär gestaltning. Han är stormästare i schack och blev nordisk mästare 2013. Axel har tidigare gett ut tre böcker varav Pump Up Your Rating vann pris som Årets schackbok internationellt 2013. Fascinerad av elitidrottarnas otroliga drivkraft reste Axel runt i Sverige för att intervjua idrottare, tränare, träningskamrater och forskare.

When Axel Smith was chasing his final chess Grandmaster norm, he decided he needed a change in his White opening repertoire. Instead of his usual approach of memorizing many concrete moves to try to force an advantage, he would focus on pawn structures and typical plans. The result was a repertoire based on a set-up with the moves d4, Nf3, c4 and e3. It helped Axel Smith to the GM title, and led to the creation of e3 Poison.This repertoire can be played using many different move orders, and Smith explains their pros and cons. The reader will not have to memorize many moves, but hard work is still essential to understand the themes, so many exercises are provided to test the reader. Smith shows that a practical repertoire can also be a grandmaster repertoire – it is all about understanding the positional themes and plans.

Street Smart Chess is an expert guide to scoring more points at the chessboard. When does it pay off to play hard for a win? Or safe for a draw? And how do you adapt your playing style accordingly?GM Axel Smith answers these questions, and more, by using a world-class player as a model for each chapter. Learn how Magnus Carlsen grinds out wins from level positions; how David Navara beats lower-rated opponents, and how Baskaran Adhiban beats higher-rated ones! Or serve-and-volley in the opening like Peter Heine Nielsen.Playing well is a good start in chess, but you also need to be Street Smart.

Street Smart Chess is an expert guide to scoring more points at the chessboard. When does it pay off to play hard for a win? Or safe for a draw? And how do you adapt your playing style accordingly?

Since its publication in 2018 The Woodpecker Method has been the go-to manual among chess players with a thirst for tactical improvement. The Woodpecker Method 2 is the long-awaited sequel, designed to skyrocket your positional decision-making skills.The Woodpecker Method means solving a large number of puzzles over a period of weeks; then solving the same puzzles repeatedly, faster each time. This will program the subconscious mind, improving both accuracy and the speed of one’s decision-making.The Woodpecker Method 2 has 1000 positional exercises and solutions, with detailed guidance on how to gain maximum benefit from them. All the exercises have been checked and rechecked using the latest engines, as well as tested for valuable human feedback – among others by GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who ascended to 4th in the world rankings after working through this book.

During his long journey as a chess player and coach, Grandmaster Axel Smith came to the realization that understanding colour-complex strategies is one of the key differences between strong and weak players. After many years of delivering lectures and training material to his students, Smith produced a Chessable course on the topic, which has been extensively edited and reorganized by Quality Chess to produce this book. In these pages, the award-winning author breaks down colour complexes into various sub-topics such as blockades, opposite-coloured bishops and exchange sacrifices, with carefully chosen exercises to test and reinforce the reader’s newfound understanding. Use Black & White Magic to improve your chess strength!

During his long journey as a chess player and coach, GM Axel Smith came to the realization that understanding colour-complex strategies is one of the key differences between strong and weak players. After many years of delivering lectures and training material to his students, Smith produced a Chessable course on the topic, which has been extensively edited and reorganized by Quality Chess to produce this book.In these pages, the award-winning author breaks down colour complexes into various sub-topics such as blockades, opposite-coloured bishops and exchange sacrifices, with carefully chosen exercises to test and reinforce the reader’s newfound understanding. Use Black & White Magic to improve your chess strength!

Since its publication in 2018 The Woodpecker Method has been the go-to manual among chess players with a thirst for tactical improvement. The Woodpecker Method 2 is the long-awaited sequel, designed to skyrocket your positional decision-making skills.The Woodpecker Method means solving a large number of puzzles over a period of weeks; then solving the same puzzles repeatedly, faster each time. This will program the subconscious mind, improving both accuracy and the speed of one’s decision-making.The Woodpecker Method 2 has 1000 positional exercises and solutions, with detailed guidance on how to gain maximum benefit from them. All the exercises have been checked and rechecked using the latest engines, as well as tested for valuable human feedback – among others by GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who ascended to 4th in the world rankings after working through this book.

The Woodpecker Method is the name given by Axel Smith to a training system developed by his compatriot and co-author Hans Tikkanen. After training with his method in 2010, Tikkanen achieved three GM norms within a seven-week period.The quick explanation of the Woodpecker Method is that you need to solve a large number of puzzles in a row; then solve the same puzzles again and again, only faster. It’s not a lazy shortcut to success – hard work is required. But the reward can be re-programming your unconscious mind. Benefits include sharper tactical vision, fewer blunders, better play when in time trouble and improved intuition.This book contains everything you need to carry out your own Woodpecker training. Smith and Tikkanen explain how to get the maximum benefit from the method, before presenting over 1100 puzzles and solutions, all of which have been checked and double-checked for accuracy and suitability.

Since its publication in 2018 The Woodpecker Method has been the go-to manual among chess players with a thirst for tactical improvement. The Woodpecker Method 2 is the long-awaited sequel, designed to skyrocket your positional decision-making skills.The Woodpecker Method means solving a large number of puzzles over a period of weeks; then solving the same puzzles repeatedly, faster each time. This will program the subconscious mind, improving both accuracy and the speed of one’s decision-making.The Woodpecker Method 2 has 1000 positional exercises and solutions, with detailed guidance on how to gain maximum benefit from them. All the exercises have been checked and rechecked using the latest engines, as well as tested for valuable human feedback – among others by GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who ascended to 4th in the world rankings after working through this book.

Any man in the street knows how to increase his physical strength, but among most chess players confusion reigns when it comes to improving their playing strength. Axel Smith’s training methods have guided his friends, teammates and pupils to grandmaster norms and titles. Hard work will be required, but Axel Smith knows how you can Pump Up Your Rating.Every area of chess is covered – opening preparation, through middlegame play, to endgame technique. Smith delves into both the technical and psychological sides of chess, and shows how best to practise and improve.