Alexander Kotov, one of the most robust attacking players of the twentieth century, came second in his first appearance in the Soviet Championship in 1939 and shared the first place with Bronstein in 1948. In his international debut in Holland in 1946, he beat both Botvinnik and Euwe. His greatest success was his overwhelming victory in the 1952 Interzonal. Recentlyy he has devoted this time to chess organisation and writing.

Readers of his earlier books will know that the Russian grandmaster has always put great emphasis on understanding, planning and training. Success in chess, as in any sport, depends on hard work as well as talent. In this new book Kotov looks at the ways in which grandmasters prepare for different aspects of the game and shows how current Soviet training methods can help the club or tournament player of whatever strength. As in his earlier books, Kotov tackles the great problems and challenges of chess head on, and succeeds in producing a thoroughly practical book, pithily written.

Queen v rook/Minor Piece Endings is the seventh volume to be translated from Yuri Averbakh's classic series in Russian on the endings and then updated. It deals with endings in which the queen is matched against rook, knight or bishop, with or without pawns. It is by far the most complete work on the subject ever to be published. Yuri Averbakh, international grandmaster, who master-minded the series in the 1950's, is a leading UUSR chess organiser. Ken Neat, who has competed in the last two British championships, has translated three of the earlier volumes and a number of other Batsford chess books.

In the ending of the advantage of a single "insignifiant" pawn can frequently prove decisive, as that pawn inexorably pushes forward and is finally able to reach the last rank and transform itself into a queen. Despite this basic fact of chess that any beginner knows, pawn, endgames are usually played very badly. The present work, already established as a classic in its Russian edition, is by far the most complete work on pawn endgames ever published. Containing no less than 911 examples, it will prove invaluable both to the student of chess and to the practical player. In both match and tournament games there is usually an adjournment at about the time that the ending is reached. It is then that any player without the most authoritative reference work puts himseld at a great disadvantage and is in danger of throwing away both half and whole points. Pawn Endings could solve a player's adjournment problems.

In a series of twelve 'lessons', grandmaster O'Kelly shows you how you can improve your play to become an expert. Grandmater Alberic O'Kelly de Galway is a renowned chess teacher. At the chessboard he has had many tournament victories. He is the author of a number of books on chess, inclusing Assess Your Chess Fast. This is a correspondance course in book form. The material was devised to meet the needs of grandmaster O'Kelly's students. This is almost a guarantee of quick progress and increase in strength to the eager pupil who wishes to improve his chess. The result of your progress, however, depends on your own efforts; but do no hurry and rush, do not run before you can walk.

Queen and Pawn Endings is the second volume to appear of Averbakh's great classic series on the endgame. The original Russian edition quickly estblished a world-wide reputation. These are the endgame books that Fischer had sent to him for use during his World Championship match. The English translation has been updated and is by far the most complete work on queen and pawn endgames ever published. Every one of the 268 examples has its own diagram. In both matches and tournaments, games are often adjourned at the moment that the ending is reached. It is even then that any player without the most authoritative reference work puts himself at a great disadvantage and is in danger of throwing away both half and whole points. Queen and Pawn Endings can help to solve a player's adjournment problems..