Although his career lasted barely ten years, Gyula Breyer (1893-1921) was a highly successful and imaginative chess player. He won the championship of his native country Hungary as a teenager and achieved remarkable results against the leading players of his day. But first and foremost, Breyer was a revolutionary in his chess thinking. He promoted the idea of dynamic chess and formulated many of the Hypermodern concepts, long before others started their investigations. After his death, however, he was omitted from most of the chess history books, or relegated to a one line reference. Today he is only known for the Breyer variation, an ever popular defence against the Ruy Lopez. Jimmy Adams has unlocked Breyer’s legacy from the archives and made it accessible to the chess world at large, with translations from Hungarian into English. This monumental book presents 242 of his games, annotated by Breyer himself and many others. It features a large number of articles, columns and fragments from newspapers, magazines and books, sparkling with chess and literary wit. The majority appear in English for the first time – and indeed in any language other than Hungarian. By piecing together this material in chronological order, Jimmy Adams has constructed a mesmerizing biography, covering Gyula Breyer’s intense, unconventional and ultimately tragic life. Also included is a collection of his chess problems, some of which are truly amazing.

"[It's] enough to drive experienced chess players to insanity, but they will enjoy the ride....The author warns the reader from the start anything goes....Buy this book...and have fun!"--Games It's outrageous and amazing and irresistible: these brainbusting chess problems are the devilish inventions of the world's greatest puzzle creators. Chess mavens won't believe what they'll find, because in these games, the usual rules just don't apply. For example, there's Billiards Chess, where pieces can carom off the board at a right angle and return. In Checkless Chess, check is an illegal move...unless it's checkmate. Refusal Chess allows a player to refuse an opponent's move and demand an alternative. There's even a variation called Collaboration, in which both sides must cooperate to achieve checkmate. And, the coup de grace: the world's hardest chess problem ever posed.

For centuries, blindfold chess--the art of playing without sight of the board or pieces--has produced some of the greatest feats of human memory, progressing to the extent that the world record in 2009 was 45 [and is now 46] simultaneous blindfold games. This work describes the personalities and achievements of some of blindfold chess's greatest players--including Philidor, Morphy, Blackburne, Zukertort, Pillsbury, Reti, Alekhine, Koltanowski, Najdorf and Fine, as well as present-day grandmasters such as Anand and Kramnik. Including some never before published, 444 games scores are presented, peppered with diagrams and annotations. Hints for playing blindfold, and its practical value, are also included.

Tartakower’s Legendary Magnum Opus The decade after the First World War was one of exciting change for the royal game. A new wave of dynamic chess was taking shape, led by the young lions Alekhine, Réti, Nimzowitsch, Breyer, Euwe, Tartakower and others. They were successfully asserting their new ideas against the Old Guard. It was in this period that Savielly Tartakower’s magnificent work Die Hypermoderne Schachpartie was first released. A massive tome of over 500 densely packed pages, the first edition was published in German in 1924. It was an instant best-seller and a second edition soon followed with corrections and additional material. At first glance, it appears to be an opening manual with incredibly comprehensive notes. But in fact it is much more. There are essays on strategy, tactics, endings, history and other chess-related topics, all presented in Tartakower’s wonderful writing style. However, don’t be fooled by the witty aphorisms and humor. The scope and depth of Tartakower’s annotations would be unmatched until Chess Informant came along in the 1960s. And the rise of the silicon monsters notwithstanding, there is much fertile opening theory to be found and explored. The Hypermodern Game of Chess is the first English-language work of the second edition. Several hundred diagrams have been added and some reformatting of the text has been done to meet the expectations of 21st century readers. In every other respect, it preserves all the comprehensive content. The Hypermodern Game of Chess is now available in English. See why it has inspired generations of chessplayers. And see why Tartakower’s magnum opus is, as they say, the stuff of legend...

The Patriarch of Hungarian Chess Ask any chessplayer today if they recognize the name “Maróczy” and you will probably get a reply that it describes a pawn configuration designed to limit black pawn levers. While technically correct, such a reply would overlook the life and legacy of one of the great grandmasters, organizers, and arbiters in chess history. Géza Maróczy was the first Hungarian world-class grandmaster. In the most comprehensive biography of him ever written, Hungarian chess historian László Jakobetz traces Maróczy’s life from the earliest years, his maturing to an elite player and his significant contributions to the royal game. This remarkable book has over 180 annotated games, supplemented by hundreds of rare archival photographs. Also included are Maróczy’s complete tournament and match records, along with crosstables, from Budapest 1892 to his final tournament in the Netherlands in 1947. Until now, very few books worthy of Géza Maróczy’s influence and chess legacy have been published worldwide. Therefore, I am delighted that this comprehensive biography presents to chess-loving readers the exceptional personalities and chess events of past eras, along with many interesting lessons and insights for the present generation. – from the foreword by Lajos Portisch Most players are familiar with modern Hungarian grandmasters such as Judit Polgár and Péter Lékó, but it was the great patriarch of Hungarian chess Géza Maróczy who paved the way for them.

The Zaitsev System is one of the most dynamic setups for Black in the ever popular Ruy Lopez chess opening. When Alexey Kuzmin joined the coaching staff of World Champion Anatoly Karpov in the 1980s he started analysing the Zaitsev System, and later continued his investigations as a second of Alexander Morozevich. For this book he has updated and improved his analysis, and found countless innovations that change the assessments of many lines. One of the drawbacks of the Zaitsev, some feel, is that White, if he wishes, can make a draw by repetition early on. To avoid this possibility, Kuzmin presents a brand-new weapon, which he calls the Saratov Variation, based on an early exchange on d4, that was never played by either Karpov or Morozevich. Kuzmin has written a practical guide for Black with extensive verbal explanations of the strategic ideas for both sides. His lucid style combined with ground-breaking analysis has resulted in a unique chess opening book: a guide that is suited for both club players and Grandmasters. Former World Champion Garry Kasparov once called the Zaitsev System ‘a revelation’. Kuzmin’s book, chock-full of novelties and presenting a most remarkable new plan for Black, can be called a revelation as well. Igor Zaitsev himself wrote a special introduction.

The best, the worst, the shortest, the oddest, the longest, the most deceitful, the most memorable, the most brilliant, the dumbest--of players, games, matches, tournaments, books, ideas, etc. The lists are replete with background detail and exact facts--this second edition of Soltis's classic 1984 book is altogether an essential part of any chess collection and a browser's delight. The new edition contains 25 percent more lists, games, diagrams and annotations. The majority of lists from the first edition have been updated or expanded--or both.

This is a continuation of a series of comprehensive chronological reference works listing the results of men's chess competitions all over the world--individual and team matches. The present volume covers 1964 through 1967. Entries record location and, when available, the group that sponsored the event. First and last names of players are included whenever possible and are standardized for easy reference. Compiled from contemporary sources such as newspapers, periodicals, tournament records and match books, this work contains 1,204 tournament crosstables and 158 match scores. It is indexed by events and by players.

Alexey Bezgodov provides a complete chess opening repertoire for Black against 1.d4. After replying with 1…d5, the former Russian Chess Champion advises you to take up the Double Queen’s Gambit and play 2…c5! against both 2. c4 and 2. Nf3. In The Double Queen’s Gambit Black’s attitude is as active and ambitious as that of White in the Queen’s Gambit. This ambition may seem premature at first sight, but many strong grandmasters have already successfully played this system. After thoroughly investigating and analysing this opening, Bezgodov has gained a lot of experience in practical grandmaster play. The system not only turned out to be playable but also brought him success, and not just because of its surprise value. Bezgodov’s conclusion is that there is no clear and compelling way for White to reach an advantage. The fresh ideas and the clear explanations in The Double Queen’s Gambit may change your view on modern chess opening theory. Bezgodov provides dozens of exercises to test your understanding of his system.