{"title":"Chess Elevation","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781836840374","title":"The Iron English","description":"\u003cp\u003eGrandmaster Simon Williams was taught the English Opening at the age of six and 1 c4 was his weapon of choice until long after he became an International Master. For this new work, he teamed up with acclaimed theoretician International Master Richard Palliser to explore his old favourite.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1 c4 remains an excellent choice for the club and tournament player. This book focuses on the set-up popularised by the sixth world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, the so-called Botvinnik formation with 2 Nc3, 3 g3, 4 Bg2, 5 e4 and 6 Nge2. This system is compact but still aggressive and rewards an understanding of plans and strategies rather than rote memorisation of moves.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Opening Repertoire: The Iron English leading chess authors Simon Williams and Richard Palliser guide the reader through the complexities of this dynamic variation and carves out a repertoire for White. They examine all aspects of this highly complex opening and provide the reader with well-researched, fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical middlegame plans.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA dynamic and easy-to-play repertoire for White\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete coverage featuring several new ideas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake your opponents out of their comfort zone!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56307341361525,"sku":"9781836840374","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57697066090869,"sku":"9781836840367","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840374.jpg?v=1793083675"},{"product_id":"9781836840084","title":"London System","description":"\u003cp\u003eChess theory ebbs and flows. Lines that have been discarded for decades suddenly become all the rage and everyone starts playing them. A case in point are queenside openings where White plays Bf4. For years these had been the chess equivalent of flared trousers but in recent times they have been reinvented and even the best players in the world are now sporting them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe London System (1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 followed by 3 Bf4) is at the forefront of this renaissance. Formerly regarded as a quiet backwater, useful only to avoid theory, it is now a hot topic. A big advantage of playing the London is that (unlike other lines these days) it is highly unlikely you will get caught out in the opening. White’s position is very solid and the early play revolves far more around plans and concepts than having to defuse engine-inspired bombs that have been lobbed into your position.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this book Cyrus Lakdawala carves out a complete repertoire for White in the London and familiarises the reader with all the latest concepts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA complete repertoire for White, playable against any Black system\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf Black does not react well, White can often whip up a vicious attack\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe question-and-answer method continually tests the reader's understanding\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56307435962741,"sku":"9781836840084","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57685710078325,"sku":"9781836840206","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840084.jpg?v=1792598869"},{"product_id":"9781836840060","title":"Maximise Your Chess Potential","description":"\u003cp\u003eDan Heisman has been teaching chess for over 50 years and has been doing so full-time since 1996. He therefore knows very well what kind of advice actually helps players improve. This book is a distillation of that advice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book is based around his X (twitter) column \"Chess tip of the day\" which has been running since 2009 and features over 4,000 tips. The most useful advice has been distilled into 164 tips that contain additional helpful material, including illustrative stories and many diagrams with instructive play.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese tips represent ways to highlight and address the most common problems experienced by chess enthusiasts of all levels. They also suggest ways to mitigate or even avoid these these problems entirely and by doing so improve their chess play and learn to study more effectively. The tips lean towards general improvement rather than focusing on specific positions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe topics addressed include: general improvement, thought processes, psychology, tactics, safety, positional concepts, strategy, openings and endgames.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56307650199925,"sku":"9781836840060","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57685867299189,"sku":"9781836840183","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840060.jpg?v=1792599085"},{"product_id":"9781836840039","title":"Accelerated Dragon","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Accelerated Dragon (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6) has attracted the attention of many creative players. In the past these included Tigran Petrosian and Bent Larsen while modern aficionados include the dominant player of the era, Magnus Carlsen, as well as Viswanathan Anand, Veselin Topalov, Vassily Ivanchuk, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and many others.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe opening is characterised by the swift fianchetto of the dark-squared bishop on g7. It is a close relative of the \"normal\" Dragon (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6) but with one crucial difference - Black delays committing the d-pawn to d6, a decision which complicates the play. If White does not respond accurately, Black will often gain the opportunity to play ... d7-d5 in one go. This can mimic the effect of a bomb going off as the white position is laid to waste.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe traditional reason why the accelerated version of the Dragon is viewed with a little suspicion is that with 5 c4 White can set up the Maroczy Bind - a potentially powerful clamp on Black's game. However, there are good ways to fight against this plan and they are examined in detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA strong aggressive line where \"natural\" moves can be disastrous for White\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA complete repertoire for Black against 1 e4.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe question-and-answer method continually tests the reader's understanding.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307725631861,"sku":"9781836840039","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840039_ea1a52be-2060-4179-9db5-1d62a96a5022.jpg?v=1786034598"},{"product_id":"9781836840008","title":"Strategic Play with 1 e4","description":"\u003cp\u003eMany players approach the opening with a desire to learn sharp lines and out-prepare their opponents. This is an exhausting task, which gets more difficult by the day. However, there is a different strategy which is more practical and designed for longevity. This is to develop an advanced understanding of typical positions. Such a policy is the best approach against different move orders and new ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMilos Pavlovic’s 1 e4 repertoire is based on lines where an understanding of plans and strategic ideas is more important than rote memorisation. The focus is on important positional considerations such as:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow to make the pieces work most effectively with a given pawn structure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow to spot weak points and exploit them\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow to limit the opponent’s counterplay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpening Repertoire: Strategic Play with 1 e4 guides the reader through a complete repertoire for White. Pavlovic examines the key aspects of each line and provides the reader with well-researched and fresh analysis. Every annotated game is a lesson on typical middlegame plans, based on the instructive question-and-answer method.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56307910377845,"sku":"9781836840008","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840008_459054a2-5d9f-4575-a3ac-7817eef986a3.jpg?v=1786027770"},{"product_id":"9781836840053","title":"Benoni Mayhem","description":"\u003cp\u003eSet White difficult problems to solve at the board\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the sharpest lines to meet 1 d4 is the Modern Benoni (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 Nc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6). The hallmark of this opening is that Black makes the positional concession of allowing White a central majority and in return hopes for counterchances via active piece play. However, there are many other weird and wonderful ways to handle these \"Benoni structures\" as the very experienced chess coach and author Andrew Martin demonstrates in this highly engaging book.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMartin introduces the reader to (amongst others) the Vulture (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 Ne4), the Clarendon Court (1 d4 c5 2 d5 f5) and the Snake Benoni (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 Nc3 exd5 5 cxd5 Bd6!?). All of these are outlandish tries but nevertheless set White difficult problems to solve at the board.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn other systems Black plays \"Nimzo-style\" and jettisons the dark-squared bishop in order to inflict weaknesses on the white pawn structure. One typical line is 1 d4 g6 2 c4 Bg7 3 Nc3 c5 4 d5 and now 4 ... Bxc3+!? 5 bxc3. This is a line favoured by elite grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura who has used it frequently in blitz and rapid chess. An advantage of playing this way is that it will usually take well booked up White players outside their comfort zone and force them onto their own resources.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you want to inject a big dose of dynamism into your play with Black, the create some mayhem in the Benoni.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57707522556277,"sku":"9781836840176","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56312998003061,"sku":"9781836840053","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840053.jpg?v=1793427943"},{"product_id":"9781836840138","title":"The Greatest","description":"\u003cp\u003eWho is the greatest chess player of all time, the GOAT? Who is in the top ten? Let the debate ensue!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow do you measure greatness? Is Morphy \"greater\" than Carlsen? Can such judgements be made, and do they mean anything?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis fascinating topic is tackled head on in The Greatest by prolific chess author Cyrus Lakdawala. Avoiding presentism with carefully established criteria, Lakdawala considers \"pure strength factors\", such as dominance over peers, longevity, and tournament wins, as well as other categories such as: Who was most ahead of their time? Who advanced chess theory most?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll these factors are discussed at length alongside 80 fully annotated and instructive games from every era to back up the author’s arguments. A fascinating read on a fascinating topic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685840429429,"sku":"9781836840015","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56312998134133,"sku":"9781836840138","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840015.jpg?v=1792599048"},{"product_id":"9781836840435","title":"Exploiting a Space Advantage","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow 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!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56420032020853,"sku":"9781836840435","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840435_0988c36c-c3c4-4b77-a928-bf7ad3f86424.jpg?v=1786027780"},{"product_id":"9781836840398","title":"Exploiting the Bishop Pair","description":"\u003cp\u003eAll chess players have heard about the power of the bishop pair – but many have no understanding of when the two bishops are superior, nor why they are superior, when they are, and least of all, what to do with the advantage of the two bishops, when achieved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions like these are at the epicentre of this refreshing new project, headlined by prolific and well-established author Cyrus Lakdawala. Keeping variations to a bear minimum, but using extensive explanations combined with his trademark prose, the American International Master dissects this well-known but rarely understood theme, in terms that make it accessible to players on all levels of their chess development. Exploiting the Bishop Pair aims to be both an exciting and pleasant read, as well as a deeply instructive textbook, granting the ambitious player all they need to put in their arsenal an invaluable Winning Chess Strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56420034314613,"sku":"9781836840398","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840398_3d03b89b-8cfa-4e92-8a79-b94ef13ec23b.jpg?v=1786027779"},{"product_id":"9781836840046","title":"The Semi-Slav","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen deciding upon a repertoire to meet 1 d4, those players whose natural inclination is to be aggressive have a difficult decision. There are plenty of outright counter-attacking tries such as the Benko Gambit, the King's Indian Defence and the Modern Benoni. However, such openings are generally considered borderline unsound at the higher levels. On the other hand the safe options such as the Queen's Gambit Declined and Queen's Gambit Accepted make it difficult to create middlegame complications. So, what to do?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlay the Semi-Slav! (1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 c6). This line provides a great balance between solidity and dynamism. The opening is undoubtedly sound but also contains plenty of latent aggressive possibilities. The Semi-Slav is also one of those openings that will repay players who enjoy studying the game. The lines are intricate and the player who is better prepared will have a substantial edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this book Nicolas Yap uses the Semi-Slav as the basis for a complete repertoire with Black when facing 1 d4. Many lines based on an early Bf4 have become popular in recent years and strong counters are provided for all of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA thorough, in-depth examination of a complex modern variation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA complete repertoire for Black against 1 d4\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe question-and-answer method continually tests the reader's understanding\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56420041687413,"sku":"9781836840046","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840046_25ec1dd7-0482-4eca-b27f-5784eba533f9.jpg?v=1786034599"},{"product_id":"9781836840404","title":"Exploiting the Bishop Pair","description":"\u003cp\u003eAll chess players have heard about the power of the bishop pair – but many have no understanding of when the two bishops are superior, nor why they are superior, when they are, and least of all, what to do with the advantage of the two bishops, when achieved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions like these are at the epicentre of this refreshing new project, headlined by prolific and well-established author Cyrus Lakdawala. Keeping variations to a bear minimum, but using extensive explanations combined with his trademark prose, the American International Master dissects this well-known but rarely understood theme, in terms that make it accessible to players on all levels of their chess development. Exploiting the Bishop Pair aims to be both an exciting and pleasant read, as well as a deeply instructive textbook, granting the ambitious player all they need to put in their arsenal an invaluable Winning Chess Strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56420091953525,"sku":"9781836840404","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781836840404_67d65229-a141-4b4e-bd59-66b75559c49b.jpg?v=1786027780"},{"product_id":"9781836840466","title":"Exploiting Weaknesses","description":"\u003cp\u003eChess 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePinpointing weaknesses and knowing how to exploit them is an integral part of building a Winning Chess Strategy. 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England became a major force in international competition, producing players who could stand head-to-head with the traditional superpowers of the game. The movement culminated in Nigel Short’s World Championship challenge in 1993 — but its true legacy lay in the astonishing creativity of its leading lights.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book celebrates the play and influence of Tony Miles, John Nunn, Jon Speelman, Nigel Short, Michael Adams and Matthew Sadler, all of whom achieved world class status. Although all of them had a very clear understanding of the principles of classical chess they all very much ploughed their own creative furrows. Their extraordinary creativity created immense practical problems for even the strongest opponents and gave rise to some of the most memorable games of the modern era. 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