“A welcome way to spend an adventurous time in Renaissance Italy.”—Margaret Frazer As Court Engineer to the Duke of Milan, Leonardo DaVinci turns his superior mind to a variety of pursuits—from advances in painting to the invention of war machines. And with his favorite apprentice Dino to aid him, his keen intellect is perfect for sleuthing. . . . 1483. Milan, province of Lombardy. On a royal whim, Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, orders a living chess game to be enacted by members of his court. DaVinci conjures the spectacle in a single night, but his latest success turns bitter when one of the “pieces” is murdered. With even the Duke’s closest advisors suspect to treachery, DaVinci is the only man Sforza can trust to conduct the investigation. With his scrupulous eye for detail, DaVinci uncovers a vile nest of secrets—and danger—but the most surprising secret of all may be the true identity of his most talented, most trusted apprentice. . . . “Impressive . . . Vivid.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Readers can expect plenty of intrigue and danger in this refreshing new series.”—Mystery Scene Magazine

NOW A MAJOR GOLDEN GLOBE-WINNING NETFLIX SERIES STARRING ANYA TAYLOR-JOY When she is sent to an orphanage at the age of eight, Beth Harmon soon discovers two ways to escape her surroundings: playing chess with the janitor and taking the little green pills given to the children to keep them subdued. Before long, it becomes apparent that hers is an unusual talent, and as she progresses to the top of the US chess rankings she is able to forge a new life for herself. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting . . . 'Superb' Time Out 'Mesmerizing' Newsweek 'Gripping' Financial Times 'Sheer entertainment. It is a book I reread every few years - for the pure pleasure and skill of it' Michael Ondaatje 'Don't pick this up if you want a night's sleep' Scotsman 'Few novelists have written about genius - and addiction - as acutely as Walter Tevis' The Telegraph

When the Quint Confederacy and the Kos Empire went to war—again—Queen Samara wisely kept her Rogue Coalition out of the conflict. But staying neutral in a galactic war doesn’t pay the bills, not when both sides refuse to trade with neutral sectors.. With her people on the brink of starvation, Samara hatches a daring plan to snatch the kidnapped Kos Emperor from the Quint mercenaries holding him. The Kos Empire will pay a fortune for their emperor’s return, enough to feed the Coalition’s citizens while they wait for the return to a begrudging peace. But when her plan goes sideways, Samara finds herself evading Quint mercenaries with the very man she intends to capture. And the more time she spends with Valentin Kos, the more she realizes that he’s not the coldly indifferent villain she imagined. Torn between duty and desire, Samara must decide if saving her people is worth giving up the one thing she’s always wanted.

Forging New Paths in an Ancient Opening – Second Edition The Queen’s Gambit Accepted is one of the oldest known openings in chess. It was first mentioned in chess literature in the late 15th century. Over 500 years later, American Grandmaster Max Dlugy demonstrates in this groundbreaking work that the QGA is still a fighting, uncompromising opening that allows Black to play for a win from the very first move. But his comprehensive coverage is something players who face the QGA with White will also want to study. Dlugy not only carefully maps out Black’s best strategy, but also gives ample consideration to how White should play. The positions analyzed are a blend of the tactical elements and the key positional considerations such as space, time and pawn structure to be assessed when choosing your lines. This book will teach you not just the QGA, but chess strategy in general. It will teach you how to play solid yet lively positions and allow you to take something away from Maxim Dlugy’s classical style and lucid explanations. If you want to improve your chess while learning a reliable opening with Black, you are now reading the book you need. – From the Foreword by GM Alex Fishbein Max Dlugy has great experience with the QGA, having played it successfully for over 40 years. In this book, he presents new analysis in established lines and rehabilitates many variations, turning existing theory on its head. Whether you play White or Black, this creative, cutting-edge treatment of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted will be indispensable. This revised, expanded second edition has an additional 40 pages of new material and analysis.

Grandmaster Damian Lemos presents a repertoire for White in the Queen’s Gambit, one of the most famous chess openings. The Queen’s Gambit enjoys a long and illustrious past. It has been played by virtually all the strongest grandmasters in the history of chess, and today it remains a popular choice for players of all levels. White’s opening moves in the Queen’s Gambit are built on sound strategic principles, and it can lead to positions rich in both tactical and positional play. It’s a perfect opening to use in order to develop your chess understanding. It’s a perfect opening to use in order to develop your chess understanding. There are many defences that Black can employ against the Queen’s Gambit and it’s easy to become confused by the countless options for both White and Black. Lemos tackles this problem by providing a concise, easy-to-learn and practical repertoire that is suitable for players of all levels. Using illustrative games, Lemos examines the typical tactics and strategies for both sides, and highlights the key move order issues. This book tells you everything you need to know about playing the Queen’s Gambit. * A complete repertoire with 1 d4 d5 2 c4 * Over 50 games with grandmaster analysis * Written by a Queen’s Gambit expert

The Queen’s Gambit Declined is one of the central pillars of chess opening theory. Virtually every world champion has played the opening with both the white and black pieces and it is a great favorite at all levels in chess. The reason for its enduring popularity is that it is rich in the classic strategic themes. Either side can end up with an isolated d-pawn, White can pursue a queenside initiative while Black counters on the other wing or White can attempt to build a powerful centre that Black hopes to undermine. The Move by Move series provides an ideal format for the keen chessplayer 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. This is an excellent way to study chess while providing the best possible chance to retain what has been learnt. * Everything you need to know about the Queen’s Gambit Declined . * The Q and A approach emphasizes plans and strategies. * Written by an expert on the opening.

This book is a state-of-the-art survey of all branches of the world's most popular gambit from the viewpoint of the player who wants to attack with the white pieces. Many of the world's top young players, such as Kramni, Anand and Shirov have invested enormous amounts of time and analysis into making lines of the Slav, Semi-Slav, and QGA into reliable, ambitious weapons for Black. This book concentrates concentrates on the lines which are at the cutting edge of White's counter-efforts, and provides a selection of aggressive repertoires against Black's older defences, including the Orthodox, Tarrasch and Semi-Tarrasch. No player who has read this book need be in any doubt how to meet Black's sharp approaches - be they modern, dynamic counter attacks or old, romantic gambits.

Acclaimed writer and Eisner nominee MARK RUSSELL (The Wonder Twins, Second Coming) welcomes stunning artist BOB Q (James Bond Origin, The Lone Ranger) for the incredible next chapter of the ongoing saga of Sonja The Red, Queen of Hyrkania. Hyrkania burns, from flames allowed by its ruler, Sonja. The invasion has taken its toll...hostage kings consider revolt...Sonja will venture into unfriendly lands, to seek an alliance. Collects issues #7-#12 of Red Sonja (2019) and Savage Tales: A Red Sonja Halloween Special.

The Queen’s Gambit is easily the most talked-about chess opening since the immensely popular Netflix TV series of the same name became a hit. The screen adventures of Beth Harmon have inspired thousands to start playing the Royal Game but didn’t offer any information on this highly popular chess opening. This book fills that gap. German Grandmaster Michael Prusikin presents a solid but dynamic opening repertoire for Black against the Queen’s Gambit. He wants you to understand rather than memorize what is important. His primary focus is on explaining the relevant pawn structures and the middlegame ideas behind the lines he recommends. Prusikin deals with every single variation of the Queen’s Gambit in a way that is highly accessible for club players but at the same time surprisingly effective and concise: the Catalan, Tartakower, Carlsbad, London, Colle, Veresov, and all the others. As a bonus, the FIDE Senior Trainer also provides responses to openings such as the Bird, Réti, and Nimzo-Larsen. It may seem unlikely, and yet it is true: in less than 200 pages, Countering the Queen’s Gambit has Black covered for really every first move except 1.e4! To test your newly acquired insights in the tactical motifs and strategic ideas of the Queen’s Gambit, you are invited to solve 36 exercises in carefully selected key positions from actual games.