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Hans Böhm, Y. Afek - The Royal Chess Couple in Action (K-5713)
K-5713
New product
The Royal Chess Couple is a combined attempt to introduce the various traits of the most significant piece with the most powerful piece on the chessboard. Following a short historic review of the development and metamorphoses of each piece over time, the reader is offered 240 positions (480 in total) from tournament practice as well as from the magic world of chess composition.
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Data sheet
| Language versions | English |
| Author / Authors | Yochanan Afek |
| Publisher | Thinkers Publishing |
| Year of Publication | 1st edition 2019 |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | 9789492510570 |
| Hardcover | No |
| Paperback | Yes |
| Downloadable | No |
| Width | 17 cm / 6.69 inch |
| Height | 23.5 cm / 9.25 inch |
More info
In each position a royal piece plays either a crucial offensive or defensive role. These positions are subdivided into 60 themes, four positions per theme, arranged by their increasing difficulty. The reader may use the positions as training challenges to improve his understanding and playing skills or just to enjoy playing through them. In either case he will learn to appreciate the characteristic qualities of each piece alone and in collaboration with other pieces.
Yochanan Afek (1952) was born and grew up in Tel-Aviv and now lives in Amsterdam. In more than 50 years of his professional chess career he has been a highly active player, trainer, journalist, organizer and composer of studies and problems. He is an over the board International Master, a Grandmaster of chess composition and International Arbiter for both. His most memorable tournament victory is winning the Open Paris Championship 2002. He is the co-author of the highly acclaimed "Invisible Chess Moves" (Book of the year 2011), "Extreme Chess Tactics" (2017) and "Practical Chess Beauty" (2018).
Hans Böhm learned the basics of chess from his parents. He quicly became an International Master during the period that Spassky, Fischer and Karpov were dominating the chess world. Later, his professional career turned to journalism, writing, commentating and being a presentator of several tv-shows. You can call him the real Dutch ambassador of chess. In 1988 he became the world record holder, Guinessbook of Records, of a simultaneously display against 560 opponents, achieving a most remarkable positive score of 94%.
Hans and Yochanan compiled a most impressive historical overview of our royal game. In this first volume they focused on the Royal Chess Couple: the King and Queen. The ideal training tools for any chess enthousiast or trainer in search of the needed chess finesses.
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Content
007 KEY TO SYMBOLS
009 FOREWORD
011 A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW
011 First period: estimated precursors: 4000-400 BC
013 Second period: Chaturanga for two people 400 BC-750
014 Third period: Europe in the Middle Ages 750-1475
015 Fourth period: From 1475 to the present - modern chess
024 Special rules: castling, mate and stalemate
027 PART I. THE KING
027 Shouldering
029 Opposition
033 Bypass
035 Wrong king moves
037 Sophisticated king moves
040 Stalemates in pawn endings
043 Short, powerful and instructive
045 Shouldering in practice
048 Self confinement 48
051 Facing a queen
054 A bishop under control
056 Combative kings
060 Remain cautious!
062 Stalemating Black!
064 Surprises in the opening
067 Weaving a mating net
070 Just one is right!
072 The paradox prevails
074 Defensive mechanisms
077 The queen is tamed
080 Reti maneuver
083 Asymmetry
085 The hand of the king
089 King vs. bishop & knight
092 Batteries
096 Positional draw or stalemate!
099 Vive la petite différence!
102 Perpetual attack
105 Only one tempo
108 Taming a knight
111 The bishop is tamed
115 Taming a rook
118 Defying the bombardment
122 Reti’s manoeuvre in practice
125 Castling
128 Open attacking lines
131 Pinning and unpinning
134 The fearless kings of Nigel Short
137 Forks
140 Mutual zugzwang
144 Corner play
148 Sacrificial castling
152 Deliberate self-blocking
155 Chameleon echo
158 Dismantling a knight
162 On the edge
166 Systematic movements
170 Prophylactic moves
172 Building a fortress
176 Surprising king moves
180 Dutch miniatures
184 The king of puzzles
187 Kasparov’s subtleties
190 The runaway king
193 The hand of the world champion
195 Across the chessboard
199 Coping with an imprisoned rook
202 King moves only
205 Smiling kings
207 The hand of the authors
211 PART II. THE QUEEN
211 Mate
213 Stalemate in practice
215 Staircase
219 Smothered mate
223 The back rank
225 Queen and bishop against queen
228 Perpetual check
230 Queen and knight against queen
233 The hand of the first lady
236 A queen for a double check
238 Surprises in the opening
241 The overloaded piece
243 Winning exchanges
246 Winning exchanges in practice
249 Removing a defender
252 Pinning and unpinning
254 King hunt
256 Repeating sacrifices
260 Mutual queen sacrifices
264 Queen against pawns
267 Cross pin
270 Queen facing rook and bishop
273 Queen against two rooks
275 Offensive retreat
278 Zugzwang
282 Deflections
286 Mitrofanov’s deflection
289 The hand of the world champion
291 The hand of world champions (2)
293 A whole queen for a square
295 Queen and bishop battery
298 The royal couple in action
300 Triangulation
303 Queen and pawn battery
306 Queens and an unexpected guest
309 More decisive underpromotions
312 Multiple queens
316 Corner play
318 A queen for a knight fork!
322 Chameleon echo
325 On the skewer
329 Big names lose in grand style
331 Positional draw
334 The king of queen sacrifices
337 Bristol and Turton
339 The most remarkable queen moves
342 Heavy artillery
345 The phoenix
348 Quiet queen sacrifices
351 Systematic movements
354 World Championship matches
357 Know your classics
359 Missed opportunities
362 Dutch sacrifices
364 Miniatures
368 Sweets
371 The all mighty queen
374 Artistic stalemate
377 Joint queen sacrifices
382 The hand of the authors