The Slav: Move by Move

Chess games are won and lost in the fight to create, attack and exploit each other’s weaknesses. A weakness can be of pawns, pieces, squares, files, on colour complexes – and so on. Pinpointing weaknesses and knowing how to exploit them is an integral part of building a Winning Chess Strategy. Hence, in this volume of our series, American author Cyrus Lakdawala tackles this multifaceted term, making it approachable for anyone wishing to learn how to find and exploit the soft spots in their opponent’s camps.

The vast majority of chess games witness familiar strategies and well known tactical motifs. These are the games that you will find in the anthologies and opening repertoires. Sometimes however, games appear that seem to have been played on a different planet. <BR><BR>Conventional strategies go out of the window. Familiar tactical themes are nowhere to be seen. Chaos has broken out. The pieces appear to be in open rebellion and are steadfastly refusing to do the natural jobs that they were designed for. <BR><BR>Having to navigate a path in such a game can be a nightmare. Do you rely purely on calculation? Is it better to trust your instincts? Can you assess the position using “normal” criteria?<BR><BR>In order to answer these questions, prolific chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala has assembled a collection of brilliantly unconventional and irrational games. The positions in these games appear almost random. Kings have gone walkabout, pieces are on bizarre squares, huge pawn rollers are sweeping all before them. <BR><BR>Irrational chess is like nothing you've seen before. As well as being highly instructive this is a hugely entertainging book. <BR><BR>Do not adjust your set. It's chess, Jim, but not as we know it.

These days the move 1 d4 is often used as the precursor to quieter opening choices such as the London System, the Colle System or the Trompovsky. In this book the highly experienced chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala goes back to basics, outlining an aggressive repertoire for White based on 1 d4, following up with the traditional 2 c4. The emphasis of the repertoire is to gain space as quickly as possible and set Black the task of finding quick counterplay or face the risk of being overrun. Lakdawala recommends lines with f2-f3 against the Nimzo-Indian, the Petrosian System against the King's Indian and the Flick Knife (f4 with Bb5+) against the Benoni. With thorough explanations on pawn structures and piece placement, this book provides insight to both strong masters and less experienced players alike. The format is ideal for the chessplayer keen to improve their game. While reading you are continually challenged to answer probing questions - a method that greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of chess knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. * Presents a powerful, aggressive repertoire starting at move one. * Thorough explanations of typical pawn structures and piece manoeuvres. * Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study.

Mikhail Tal is a true legend of chess. He was the World Champion and also holds the world record for the longest unbeaten run in competitive chess. Tal is widely regarded to be the greatest attacking player of all time. Nicknamed 'the magician from Riga', Tal was a creative genius who made it look as though absolutely anything was possible over the chessboard. He excelled in confusing his opponents in chaotic positions, and even the best defenders of his time were unable to withstand his blistering attacks. Tal's many brilliant games have inspired generations of chess players who admire his play without ever being able to convincingly reproduce it. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala selects and examines his favourite Tal games, from the beginning to the end of his exceptional career. Lakdawala shows how we can all improve our chess by learning from Tal's masterpieces. Cyrus Lakdawala examines his favourite games of the chess legend Mikhail Tal, a World Champion who is widely regarded to be the greatest attacking player of all time. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to improve your chess skills and knowledge.

The chess board is rarely big enough for both armies, leading to a fight for the centre, and a fight for space, which together with material and time are key elements of chess strategy. How we fight for extra space and exploit it once conquered is the topic of this volume in the Winning Chess Strategies series, Exploiting a Space Advantage. Cyrus Lakdawala explains how to squeeze your opponents into submission, when a space advantage leads to an attack, why we should be careful not to overextend, as well as many more concepts that can help you better understand the elusive concept of space. Get ready to stop feeling cramped and start grabbing some space!