Tal, Karpov, David Bronstein and Ratmir Kholmov provide annotations for the most interesting games.

    The second edition was never published in english. The 1997 edition contains all of the material from the 1993 edition and some further minor corrections.All Grandmasters are able to devote themselves body and soul to actually playing a game of chess, but few indeed are able to the same when analysing the games of their fellow Grandmasters. Yet it was by this method that Timman, following the teachings of Botvinnik, trained himself to become one of the finest analysts in the world - and why his annotations to this carefully selected collection of games are acknowledged to be of a depth and quality rarely seen in chess literature. Each game is critically dissected, and each claim of a mistake backed up by hard analysis. In striving for perfection, Timman seeks to discover the truth of each game; to provide not just a wonderful annotated game, but to present the definitive evaluation behind a top-class struggle between two great minds. This book, long hailed as classic, has been fully revised by Timman for this enlarged new edition. Dutch Grandmaster Jan Timman has been one of the world's leading players since the mid-1970s. His outstanding tournament record includes victories at Linares, Wijk aan Zee, Amsterdam, Tilburg and numerous other top-class events. He is also an exceptional match player, and has been a permanent fixture in the final stages of the World Championship cycle over the past 10 years

    There are millions of players of all ages and the number keeps growing. Maybe it's because you become a general who directs an army against your opponent in an exciting battle of wits. Whatever the reason, chess is challenging and fascinating. This is my attempt to lure you to the royal game. It's based on the very same lessons I have given to thousands of beginners. Their questions and problems have shaped it. Moreover, some of the best ideas in the book were actually suggested by new players! I have tried to be as direct as possible. To make your journey a smooth one, the fundamentals have been broken down into short, logical statements. Each idea is numbered, ordered, and clearly stated. For the most part, statements are linked in graded sequence with the easier ones preceding the harder. The format is unique and easy to follow. You should feel yourself learning step by step. You will see how chess players think about their moves. Where desirable, explanation has replaced calculation. The stress is on understanding, not memory. There are plenty of diagrams for almost every idea. Except for one practice section, you can even read this book without a chess set!

    Not only a supreme master of the complicated position, he was also an excellent annotator. In this volume he supplies much information and insight about more than 100 games played between 1939 and 1945, as well as delightfully candid views on fellow masters and rivals for the world title.In Part One, devoted to open games, Alekhine analyzes games featuring such openings as the Ruy Lopez, Four Knights Game, Philidor's Defense, and the Scotch Gambit. Part Two is devoted to semi-open games, featuring the French Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, Sicilian Defense, Alekhine's Defense, and King's Pawn, Nimzowitsch Defense. In Part Three Alekhine discusses examples of closed games, including the Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense; Queen's Gambit Declined, Slav Defense; Queens' Gambit Accepted; Queen's Pawn, Nimzowitsch Defense; the Queen's Pawn Game, English Opening, Catalan System; and more.This book lets you discover the stratagems and strategies involved in a host of fascinating struggles between the world's greatest chess players: Alekhine, Capablanca, Bogoljubov, Kashdan, Reshevsky, Tartakower, Keres, Najdor, and numerous others. With characteristic thoroughness, clarity, and humor, Alekhine guides you through the intricacies of each contest, illuminating complicated positions and offering a world champion's special insight and commentary.Whatever your level of chess expertise, you'll enjoy and benefit from studying these games, presented and analyzed by one of the supreme strategists in chess history.