But the pawns' restricted mobility is precisely what makes them so important strategically: they form a semi-permanent structure -- often called a "pawn skeleton" -- that establishes the territorial lines of the coming battle and thus the nature of the battle itself. Understanding how pawns affect strategy is the subject of this important book. In it you will learn:-- how to handle the characteristic pawn structure of each opening "family" and each major variation-- how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of pawn chains-- when to exchange pawns in the center -- and when not to-- how to cramp your opponent's position and what to do if your opponent cramps yours-- how to create and exploit pawn "holes"...and much, much more, all copiously illustrated by complete games from actual play.

    It is the combined work of seven of the world's strongest grandmasters: Larry Evans, Paul Keres, Svetozar Gligoric, Vlastimil Hort, Bent Larsen, Tigran Petrosian and Lajos Portisch. What makes this book especially great and useful is that each of these seven grandmasters had vastly different styles. For example, Bent Larsen used wild, unorthodox attacking lines, whereas Petrosian, who was capable of attacking when he wanted to, preferred to sniff out his opponent's chances and wait for the opponent to attack unsoundly and fall upon his own sword.

    Including 50 of Euwe's original game notes.

    

    Games include author’s choice of the greatest game ever played. 12 photos. Indexes. Bibliography.

    

    But Morphy was more than a player. He was a shy, retiring lawyer who had been taught that such games were no way to make a living. The strain of his fame and the pull of his domineering family led Morphy to set another precedent; chess madness. Morphy's mental descent after retiring from chess became a part of his lore, made all the more magnanimous by a spate of twentieth-century examples. The Pride and Sorrow of Chess tells the full known story of the life of Paul Morphy, from his privileged upbringing in New Orleans to his dominance of the chess world, to the later tragedy of his demise. This new edition of David Lawson's seminal work, still the principal source for all Morphy biographical presentations, also includes new biographical material about the biographer himself, telling the story of the author, his opus, and the previously unknown life that brought him to the research.

    Champions since have eulogized his phenomenal play, with many of them attributing their development as players to studying his games. Botvinnik said of him: "You cannot play chess unless you have studied his games." Kasparov: "Capablanca invariably chose the right option, no matter how intricate the position." Fischer: Capablanca was possibly the greatest player in the entire history of chess." High praise indeed, and this book is an indispensable guide for anyone who wishes to improve their future games by studying the past. Contains 100 of the finest games of Capa's career, with lively, detailed annotations.