In the first completely instructional book ever written on chess openings, National Master and game strategist for Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit Bruce Pandolfini teaches players how to take charge of the game's crucial opening phase. Of the three traditional phases of chess play—the opening, the middle-game and the endgame—the opening is the phase average players confront most often. Unfortunately, though, many openings are not completed successfully, partly because until now most opening instruction has consisted of tables of tournament level moves that offer no explanations for the reasons behind them. Consequently, these classical opening patterns can serve as little more than references to the average player. In Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps, Bruce Pandolfini uses his unique "crime and punishment" approach to provide all the previously missing explanation, instruction, practical analyses, and much, much more. The book consists of 202 short "openers" typical of average players, arranged according to the classical opening variations and by level of difficulty. Each example includes: -the name of the overriding tactic -the name of the opening -a scenario that sets up the tactic to be learned -an interpretation that explains why the loser went wrong, how he could have avoided the trap, and what he should have done instead -a review of important principles and useful guidelines to reinforce each lesson Also included are a glossary of openings that lists all the classical "textbook" variations for comparison and reference and a tactical index. Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps is a powerful, pragmatic entry into a heretofore remote area of chess theory that will have a profound influence on every player's game.

Pandolfini, who will be the commentator for the 1993 World Chess Championships in Los Angeles this fall, illustrates 200 new and effective moves for the challenging first phase of the game, explaining strategies and principles in a clear and understandable way. 200 line drawings.

The former U.S. Open Champion offers novices an introduction to chess that stresses ideas and method's for opening play.

Pandolfini, author of Beginning Chess and Chess Openings, has nursed players of all levels through the rigors of learning chess and participating in competitions. Now he focuses on the chronic deficiencies that prevent chess players from playing their best game every time. 200 bandw line drawings.

A first-of-its-kind encyclopedia for chess players, this volume features detailed explanations and invaluable illustrations for new chess players, those intent on improving their games, and anyone who needs to brush up on both the basics and more advanced play. 140 detailed illustrations.

No matter where your opponent lands his piece on the board, Chess Target Practice will teach you how to successfully attack his position. By analyzing each and every square, Bruce Pandolfini helps players learn the appropriate tactics to zero in on the target and move in for the kill. Book jacket.

From America’s foremost chess coach and game strategist for Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit comes the best chess drill book for beginners of all ages. From ever-popular chess instructor Bruce Pandolfini comes this entertaining, interactive, and effective book for teaching young chess players and other newcomers to the game. Filled with hundreds of questions and answers, fill-in-the-blanks, and true-or-false posers, Square One combines traditional chess drills with diverting games and problems to stimulate the analytical skills of beginners of all ages. Besides covering the basics—the board, moves, rules, and notation—Square One goes on to include information on attacks, checkmate, draws, and special rules, giving the beginner a broad overview of the game. With more than 200 instructional diagrams, and answers to all questions and problems, it is a complete workbook for chess players starting at square one.

In his many popular books on chess, Bruce Pandolfini has written about everything from openings to endgame strategies. In THE WINNING WAY, he draws on his long experience coaching chess champions - including Josh Waitzkin - to offer a goal-oriented approach to improving one's game. Pandolfini breaks his course into 10 separate lessons, delineating 150 individual tasks and covering such topics as how to spot typical mistakes, when to use pieces in combination, and which tactics are most effective. Problems are classified by theme, opening, and stratagem, and each one is diagrammed and explained. THE WINNING WAY helps players sharpen their basic skills to win artfully and quickly.

This account of the chess match between world champion Garry Kasparov and the IBM chess program, Deep Blue, offers a game-by-game analysis with explanations of every move. The book also ponders the history and future of artificial intelligence and questions what caused Kasparov's defeat.

A year with the boy geniuses of the nation's top high school chess team, now in paperback with a new afterword Edward R. Murrow High School has long been one of New York's public-education success stories, a school where there are no varsity sports, and the closest thing to jocks is found on the powerhouse chess team. Award-winning sportswriter Michael Weinreb follows the members of the Murrow chess team through an entire season. Weinreb delves into the history of chess in America, following the stories of greats such as Bobby Fischer, for whom the world within the chessboard is as easy to comprehend as the world beyond it is difficult.