Best Selling Books by Raymond Keene

The match was held in the sports facility in Sochi, Russia on the Black Sea coast that had been constructed for the 2014 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXII Olympic Winter Games which were held from 7 to 23 February 2014. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, stepped forward and offered to fund the match. This was the first time ever in history that a head of state has offered to sponsor a World Chess Championship Match. The prize fund was one million Euros. This is the minimum prize fund stipulated by FIDE in the official regulations. The prize fund was to be divided 60 percent to the winner and 40 percent to the loser if the match ended within the 12 regular games. In the case that the winner was decided by tie-break games, the winner would have received 55 percent and the loser 45 percent.

"First published in Great Britain by Batsford in 1992"--T.p. verso.

Investigates the view that there is a polarity in modern chess. On the one hand are those who systematically analyse forcing openings, such as the Sicilian Defence; on the other are those who deliberately select offbeat openings.Are both approaches valid?

Tony Miles was a phenomenon in English chess. From an early age it was apparent that he had no respect whatsoever for the vaunted Soviet School of chess and held their grandmasters in scant esteem. At the very start of his career victories came in quick succession against such renowned opposition as Bronstein, Geller, Smyslov and Spassky. The culmination was a victory at the head of the British Chess Federation team in the European Team Championship at snow bound Skara in Sweden against the reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov. For the very first time in any anthology of Tony Miles'' games this win appears here with Tony''s own profound notes. This was an historic win with Miles using the iconoclastic 1...a6 to defeat the champion''s habitual 1e4. Amongst Tony''s exploits were winning the Junior World Championship, becoming the UK''s first FIDE grandmaster in over the board play and leading the BCF team to silver medals behind only the USSR in the prestigious Chess Olympiads. Miles also won numerous first prizes in international tournaments. He feared no-one and his will to win was legendary, as exemplified by the front jacket photograph of this book. Taken at the Tilburg 1985 tournament, this shows Miles in play on a form of stretcher against grandmaster Djinjihashvili. Although suffering from terrible back pain, Miles insisted on competing, even from this unorthodox position, the only one in which the pain subsided. Characteristically Miles went on to win shared first prize in the event. Tony Miles died tragically early in November 2001. This book is a memorial to him, written by a Grandmaster rival who faced him many times over the board. Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships

A companion volume to Two Opening Repertoires for White: Volume 1, this book details some more aggressive strategies in the opening for White again based on the key move 1d4! Together the two volumes give ambitious White players a complete arsenal of choice against all Black defences. The companion volume is Two Opening Repertoires for White: Volume 1: Keeping control with White

Between 1979 and 1985 seven International Tournaments were held in Brighton, England, as a result of the efforts of Ray Keene and Julian Simpole. Here the two organisers recombine as joint authors to record all games from these events, all results and some notes and comments to the most outstanding clashes. The players invited form a veritable roll call of British illuminati in chess - Nigel Short, Jon Speelman, Dr John Nunn, William Watson, James Plaskett, Dr Jonathan Mestel and Shaun Taulbut. The foreign challenge was also considerable including World Championship Candidate Johann Hjartarson from Iceland as well as Grandmasters Jon Arnason, Gudmundur Sigurjonsson, Heikki Westerinen, Jon Fedorowicz and Jon Tisdall. Many of these games will be unknown to the chess public. They form a treasure trove of ideas and strategies, as well as being an invaluable historical document in their own right, within the context of the celebrated English chess explosion which commenced in the late 1970s and led to an English challenge for the World Title in 1993. Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships. Julian Simpole was top board for the Brighton team that won the 1969 British Lightning Team Championship, while in 2003 he was awarded the title of Official World Chess Federation Organiser, in recognition of his work in creating and running important international tournaments in the UK.