I will say a few words about the book Lessons with a Grandmaster by Boris Gulko and Joel Sneed, from which the last game we looked at in the August 2014 column was taken. Actually this is not even one book, but two, and now a third is being prepared. I was studying the second volume just before writing this article. The books are structured in an unusual way; in my view, they should be both interesting and useful to readers of various levels - from amateurs to grandmasters. Gulko shows his student and co-author his best games (in the first volume positional advantages, and in the second tactical ones), suggesting that he answer questions associated with the search for the best moves. … [Read more...]

The famous illusionist of the past Harry Houdini was known for his impressive tricks in which he escaped from apparently impossible situations. His "namesake," the computer program that is popular at the moment, sometimes comes out with similar "tricks" when analysing positions that at first glance look hopeless or very difficult, which have arisen in practical games of the past or present. Getting to know these kinds of examples broadens our conception of the boundaries of the possible in chess and teaches us never to despair, but to stubbornly keep looking for hidden resources in any situation. I already published the article "Saving Combinations" on this topic a few years ago; you can … [Read more...]