Platonov's Chess Academy: Using Soviet-era Methods to Improve 21st-Century Openings

Two world-class chess champions give readers the benefit of the visionary ideas of one of the brightest stars of the famed Soviet School of Chess.

Two of the most renowned chess trainers in the world, introduce and explain the revolutionary ideas of their old friend and mentor, Igor Platonov. Platonov was one of the most profound thinkers and theoreticians in the old Soviet Union, which held a grip on the world chess championship for decades, as the title passed from one of its stars to another. For intermediate players to grandmasters, Platonov’s visionary insights, examined and explained here for the first time, provide you with the keys to understanding the foundational concepts of the game, strengthening your chess understanding and giving you effective methods to help you find the most powerful moves in the game. 100's of Illustrations

Platonov's Chess Academy: Using Soviet-era Methods to Improve 21st-Century Openings

.

Younger School of Soviet Chess (Bell chess books)

Younger School of Soviet Chess (Bell chess books)

.

Soviet Championships (Cadogan Chess Books)

The famous Soviet Championships, run annually from 1920 to 1991, were truly extraordinary events. Every top Soviet Grandmaster, including Botvinnik, Tal, Kasparov, Spassky, Petrosian, and Karpov, participated regularly, and the best games have gone down in history. This fine book gives a complete record of the results of the Championships (by Bernard Cafferty), while the superb selection of annotated games has been specially provided by the famous Russian Grandmaster Mark Taimanov.

Soviet Championships (Cadogan Chess Books)

.

The Soviet School of Chess

“The Soviet School of Chess” is one of the most important books ever written on chess. It starts with the pre-Soviet Era with the beginning of the 19th century and recounts not only the histories of their greatest players up to modern times but also the history of their ideas. A biography is provided for each of the greatest players plus examples from their games and their contributions to chess knowledge and chess opening theory. This revised version has added in Algebraic Notation the complete scores of all 200 games referenced in the book plus the concluding diagram, in the appendix in the back. Here is the name of the player of white and black, the year the game was played, the opening and opening code, the number of moves, the result and the page in the book where the game is referenced. The games are in the order in which they are referenced in the book.

The Soviet School of Chess

.

The Soviet school of chess,

This book discusses the first Russian grandmasters and prominent masters, such luminaries as Mikhail Chigorin, Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, Paul Keres, Alexander Kotov, Boris Spassky, Mikhail Tal, Alexander Tolush and many others. Also included is a section dedicated to the women players. There are numerous, chessboard diagrams, and page upon page of annotated games and game fragments in the book.

Chess is a national game in Russia. It is played by millions of men, women, and children. Large-scale tournaments are held regularly in factories, offices, and schools.

The Russian style of play is characterized by creative scope, boldness and energy in attack, plus tenacity and resourcefulness in defense. It is founded on scientific methods of studying theory and training for competitions.

The Soviet school of chess,

Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov was born on 12 August. He was a Soviet chess grandmaster and author. One of the strongest players in the world, he set the record for the best score in an Interzonal Tournament for the World Chess Championship, a record Bobby Fischer tried to beat without success. He was a Soviet champion, a two-time world title Candidate, and a prolific chess author. Kotov served in high posts in the Soviet Chess Federation and most of his books were written during the period of Cold War between the US and the USSR. Kotov's books also included frequent praise for the Soviet system in general. The 1958 book The Soviet School of Chess (which he co-wrote with Mikhail Yudovich) stated that "The rise of the Soviet school to the summit of world chess is a logical result of socialist cultural development." Notwithstanding Kotov's forays into the political realm, his books were insightful and informative and were written in a congenial style. He often made his points by citing first-hand stories of incidents involving famous grandmasters, most of whom he knew personally. Such entertaining and enlightening personal accounts helped to ensure that his books would remain popular among chess players of widely varying nationalities and playing strengths. He died on 8 January 1981. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.