Ready, Steady, Go! is an ideal guide for parents and teachers who wish to teach children ( and perhaps themselves) how to play chess from scratch. In a series of lessons using simple language all the basics are covered.

We have put together a huge collection of material comprising many study tips plus all the Games of the Week plus all of the Prize Puzzles. A real feast at a bargain price!

How should one best go about improving at chess? The study of tactical positions will certainly do you no harm.

This is a complete tutor, reference and repertoire for the busy player with the White pieces based around the famous Sokolski, Orang Utan or Polish Opening.

This is a complete tutor, reference and repertoire for the busy player with the Black pieces based around the universal move 1..b6. Known as the Owen's or English Defence depending on Whites responses.

This is a Complete Repertoire combining the b4 and b6 eBooks at a discounted price for the pair when ordered as one item.

The Elephant Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5!?) will immediately put the e4 player on the backfoot. If you enjoy wild, open positions with tactics aplenty then this line is for you.

Use your wits, learn to think ahead, have fun and excitement AND learn a whole lot about chess: this great chess adventure has all of this and more in store for you!

Jump into chess action, move by move, to rescue Chesster from deep within King Black’s castle.

This unforgettable chess adventure is designed to advance young chess player’s skills, move by move. Discover mini-games, brain-twisters and more at every attraction.

Avec les Noirs, on a un très large éventail de réponses possibles à 1.e4. Le coup le plus naturel est 1…e5.

Grandmaster lines explained for club players – Constructing an opening repertoire is one of the chess player’s most difficult and time-consuming tasks.

In the all new, ABC of Chess Openings‘ International Master Andrew Martin explores the diverse possibilities available to everyone in the opening phase of the game. The material is broken down logically into Open Games, Semi-Open Games, Closed and Semi-Closed Games, Flank and Irregular Openings.

On this original and entertaining DVD, International Master Andrew Martin takes you on a guided tour of this fascinating and creative opening.

The venerable Ruy Lopez is one of the most interesting of chess openings.

The Benko Gambit is one of the most profound contributions to opening theory of the 20th Century. Black sacrifices a pawn as early as move three for enduring positional pressure.

Mentioned by Polerio as early as 1590, it was Horatious Caro of Berlin and Markus Kann of Vienna who introduced 1...c6 into competitive play all the way back in the second half of the nineteenth century.

The Modern Benoni is one of the sharpest and most controversial replies to 1 d4.

Thirty years ago the Trompowski opening was almost totally unknown. It took a few spectacular games by Rafael Vaganian to bring 2 Bg5 into the limelight, and after that, the die was cast. Today 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 is used by many of the best players in the world and a whole body of complicated theory has built up.

It’s easy-to-learn and easy-to-play. Here is an opening for Black which will furnish good results in the shortest possible time.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6. The Slav Defence to the Queen’s Gambit has always had a solid reputation, dating right back to the days of Lasker, Alekhine and Capablanca, but it’s only in the last 15 years that the popularity of the opening has really taken off at all levels.

The Czech Benoni has never quite made it to the top of the charts as a reply to 1 d4. Perhaps it‘s the very nature of blocked central positions which put people off. Thus after 1. d4 Sf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5 the first impression is that the Black position could become rather passive and it‘s not difficult to find excellent games by White where he stifles all the life out of Black‘s game.

Queen‘s Pawn Openings such as the Trompowsky, the London System, the Colle System, the Torre Attack and many others crop up all the time at club level.

Alekhine‘s Defence is an excellent opening to play if one wants to go for the win. Black invariably gets a tough and resilient position with ample opportunity for counterchances.

Has the Evans Gambit been refuted in this year of 2008 ? Not according to Nigel Short and the many other strong Grandmasters that you will see on this DVD.

Old fashioned? Certainly! Infrequent ? Definitely! Underestimated ? Without doubt! Dangerous? You must draw your own conclusions......

Most chess players are naturally talented, but do not have the time to devote to chess theory, such is the pace of modern life. Yet it is human nature to want to do things well and to achieve good results.

There seems very little room to create new opening ideas in 2010 and the creative competitor must work hard to find new approaches which help to win games.

The Najdorf system in the Sicilian Defence has a legendary reputation as a defensive weapon for Black. It is an opening where people often strive for a full point, instead of simply defending the position with the black pieces.

The Najdorf system in the Sicilian Defence has a legendary reputation as a defensive weapon for Black. It is an opening where people often strive for a full point, instead of simply defending the position with the black pieces.

The Najdorf system in the Sicilian Defence has a legendary reputation as a defensive weapon for Black. It is an opening where people often strive for a full point, instead of simply defending the position with the black pieces. Many great players have contributed to the development of this complex opening.

Wherever he appears, chess fans gather in crowds. Garry Kasparov is the strongest chess player of our time – and a great personality who can represent the sport like no other chess professional.

On this DVD Danish IM Jacob Aagaard introduces you to the secrets of the Nimzoindian Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4). In 15 lessons that last 4 hours and 4 minutes Aagaard shows you how you can successfully play this opening by understanding key ideas instead of memorizing long tedious variations.

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 White players often play 3.Nc3 allowing the Nimzo-Indian Defence. But what happens if White plays the just as natural 3.Nf3?

The French defence is a very powerful opening against 1.e4-players who plays aggressively. Against the French you have to understand the underlying positional themes, if not you will quickly get a difficult position. As all major openings the French defence is full of concepts and variations.

This disk is a perfect tool for players looking for a complicated battle against 1.d4.

The great popularity of the Petroff Defence at the highest level has attracted general attention lately.

Many chessplayers consider Albin’s Countergambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) nothing more than a relict of romantic chess.

In this DVD, Dutch top grandmaster Loek Van Wely presents both the Botvinnik Variation and the Moscow Variation of the Slav Defence, two extraordinary opening systems excelling by extreme sharpness and complexity.

The name Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5) describes a number of systems, each of which could easily be considered as an independent opening.

The Gruenfeld Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5) enjoys a special star status in the family of Indian openings.

This DVD by Lubomir Ftacnik is an ambitious project, presenting a comprehensive set of ideas and structures in chess openings, arising after the first move 1.d4.

On this DVD Susan Polgar will teach you an exciting and dynamic, easy to learn opening system to play - the Colle-Zukertort.

Susan brings you 20 years of her own experience to this opening which is perfect for the chess player who only wants to spend 1/10 the time it normally takes to master an opening.

The Sämisch System against the King‘s Indian Defence occurs after 5.f3. There is something solid about the move (it protects the important squares e4 and g4) and something aggressive at the same time (it prepares g2-g4 and a kingside pawn storm). The ideas behind this system are easy to learn.

The Bogo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+) stands out for two reasons: the concept behind the opening is simple and therefore easy to learn; and the Bogo-Indian has the reputation of being a reliable drawing weapon (statistically backed up by a high number of draws with it).

The variation against the Ruy Lopez presented in meticulous detail by Alexei Shirov (3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5) has so far had no recognised name and Shirov himself has named it after Vladislav Tkachiev, the 2007 European champion, the Tkachiev Ruy Lopez.

The Caro-Kann Defence, which arises after the moves 1.e4 c6 followed by d7-d5, is considered to be one of the most reliable defences to White’s 1.e4.

The Slav is typified by the move c6, and in the Semi-Slav e6 is also played; the relationship between the two is obvious.

The Caro-Kann Defence, which arises after the moves 1.e4 c6 followed by 2...d7-d5, is considered one of the most solid and reliable replies to the double step of White’s e-pawn. Black fights for his share of the centre without accepting an unnecessary weakening of his position, patiently waiting for his chance.

Shirov’s first Ruy Lopez DVD found an enthusiastic reception by the audience. In this second and current volume, Alexei Shirov continues his presentation – with topical games of his own, starting in October 2006.

New concepts in an old opening. On his third DVD on the Spanish Opening Alexei Shirov pursues new ways, analysing not only his own games but also the works of other world-class players.

The Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian Defence is considered one of the most promising replies to 1.e4, often giving rise to sharp and complex positions which require precise and inventive play from both sides.

If you want to win with Black, you must decide which is the best strategy to achieve your aim.

The Gruenfeld Indian is an active and dynamic reply to 1.d4 which can lead to complex and extremely sharp positions.

The modern form of the Philidor Defence arises via the move order 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5.

The Rossolimo Variation of the Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5) is always an excellent choice with White if you want to avoid the deeply analysed main lines of the Open Sicilian (3.d4).

The Slav and Semi-Slav revisited For Shirov the Slav and the Semi-Slav form one huge and common opening.

The Pirc Defence is a highly flexible and double-edged opening with which Black can avoid premature simplification and go for the full point.

1...d6 can be used as a universal defence against every White opening, offering Black the kind of dynamic play that is absent from more traditional defences.

The Accelerated Dragon is much more than just a dynamic yet solid means of countering 1.e4. By knowing how to counter the Maroczy Bind Black can counter both the English and Reti Openings and even develop the basis of a defence against 1.d4.

Playing 1.e4 with White is often associated with having to know reams of opening theory but this does not have to be the case. There are many unusual but playable lines which give White attacking chances whilst avoiding the well trodden paths.

The King’s Indian Attack is a unique opening system in that it offers White a dynamic and interesting game but without the need to know reams of theory.

Torre Attack, with 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bg5, is a solid and easy to learn opening system with hidden dynamic potential.

The Colle System, with 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.e3 is an unpretentious set-up for White but one which contains considerable venom. White’s pieces can suddenly be unleashed to create devastating attacks, as can be seen in the games of Artur Yusupov, Evgeny Bareev, Vlatko Kovacevic and others.

By playing the London System, with 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4, White can avoid a theoretical discussion and instead use natural ability plus a knowledge of plans.

(1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is an excellent choice for Black, especially for players at club level.

The English Opening with 1.c4 is one of the most subtle yet combative means of starting a chess game which has found favour with many of the great players in history.

Chess is turning into a young man’s game. Time limits are faster, sessions last longer and computer databases and playing engines seem to dominate opening preparation. Add the fact that older players often have jobs and families that take most of their time and it’s no surprise they suffer painful defeats at the hands of spotty youths.

The f4 Sicilian is a perennial favorite with club players. It was popularised by Bent Larsen in the 1960s and then later on by British GMs such as Mark Hebden, James Plaskett and William Watson.

Many players struggle to find solid openings to play as Black, especially if they have relatively little time to study theory.

Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time.

The Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation is one of the most important opening systems, having been played by most of the great players in history and from both sides of the board.

Tricks and traps, especially in the opening, are a dangerous reality of competitive chess. All sorts of surprises await the unwary player, from devastating sacrifices to cunning move order ploys. A knowledge of such ideas is essential if a player wants to be the hunter rather than the victim.

Opening a game with 1.g3 appears rather quiet and unpretentious yet many of the greatest players in history have chosen to play this way.

The Maroczy System of the Sicilian Defence is one of the modern openings where Black attacks the white centre mainly with pieces.

started playing the line 1.e4 c5 2.c3 in the Sicilian Defense as White in 1988. Since then I have employed it in more than 100 games, achieving a high performance score.

The Marshall Attack is one of the most dynamic replies Black has at his disposal against 1.e4.

The open games after 1.e4 e5 offer White a huge choice. Part 1 of this series covered the main line Spanish and recommended the Marshall Attack - but what to do against the Exchange Spanish, the Scotch or the Italian Game?

Modern chess is a tough relentless game, which demands that all chess players, regardless of strength, keep their command of basic technique in tip-top shape.

As the famous saying goes “Chess is 99% tactics. What are chess tactics? Tactics are maneuvers that take advantage of short-term opportunities, often (but not necessarily) involving combinations or sacrifices.

This CD by Peter Wells addresses advanced players. It contains an introduction and five lectures which deal with purely practical subjects: the calculation of variations and how errors arise. These are important themes where a grandmaster trainer is able to draw on his rich and varied experience and provide chess students with valuable tips.

As is usual with CDs by George Renko, his latest publication provides a wealth of training exercises. Before that he even explains the rules of chess.

Attacking chess – not only an important subject, but also a very interesting one. Jacob Aagaard has chosen a very beautiful example for his introduction, which illustrates important factors required for success.

Attacking chess – not only an important subject, but also a very entertaining one. For the second part of his work on the attack, Jacob Aagaard has selected more instructive examples, which he has analysed and presented on camera.

Despite the fact that many books have been written on tactics in chess, many players still find it extremely difficult to recognize tactical patterns and calculate ensuing lines.

Rustam Kasimdzhanov explains tactics in the most amazingly simple way.

You think you have seen enough checkmating combinations? I find it staggering how many checkmates are missed (by both sides) in games by the top players, let alone by us mortals.

Checkmate ends the game – that’s an undeniable fact. Yet one sometimes gains the impression that players who gleefully and unashamedly play for the attack are treated as a joke by their colleagues.

Launching a successful attack is a skilful business that often demands great creativity.

In this day and age of opening databases you might be surprised to find players getting caught out in the opening.

You might be a brilliant tactician or a fearsome attacker, but you won’t always be able to apply these skills when you play. If a game takes on a quieter nature, it is crucial that you develop an understanding of pawn structures, pawn play and pawn weaknesses.

If you want to be a well-rounded chess player, it is vital that you have a good understanding of positional play.

Why is manoeuvring important, and in what circumstances should we consider manoeuvring rather than another course of action?

When we are starting out in chess we are told that knights and bishops both have a value of three points, but it is quite clear that in some positions a bishop is clearly superior to a knight - and vice versa.

In this 9th Power Play DVD Grandmaster Daniel King discusses the theme of Major Pieces v. Minor Pieces.

You play 20 moves of elegant positional chess - but throw the game away by miscalculating.

There is a seeming inevitability to many defeats – one side has the initiative, goes on the attack and from that moment it is very difficult to turn back the tide.

The Hedgehog is not just an opening, it is a system. A system that can be used against 1 c4, against 1 e4 and also 1 d4.

What is a squeeze? When you take control of a game, deprive your opponent of counterplay and slowly squeeze the life out of your opponent.

On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King: - demonstrates typical tactical patterns; - shows how strong players use their tactical awareness; - puts your tactical abilities to the test.

Positional chess in the basic on which success is founded. Of course material can be won and also points achieved by tactical measures, but first you have to bring the relevant positions up on your board.

The theory of the critical moment in the chess game was explained once by GM Iosif Dorfman, who suggested that every game has 5 or 6 “forks” at which the important decisions are made.

Great players always had and still have more than just broad theoretical knowledge.

How Grandmasters Find Amazing Moves - Most chess fans believe that knowledge of the opening, middlegame and endgame is what separates Grandmasters from everyone else. While all of these are important, the truth is much more profound: Top players all have a deep insight into how to think about chess in ways that most players have never heard of.

Susan Polgar will share with you her experiences she had with Bobby Fischer. Early in her chess career, Susan answers some of the questions everyone wants to know; like who would of won a Fischer Karpov match in 1975, the impact Fischer had on chess, what she learned from Bobby and how he compares with today’s best.

Susan shares with you three of her best and highly instructional games on how a grandmaster thinks, reasons and approaches each move.

Magic of Chess Tactics Chess Tactics are the art of combat command.

On this DVD, Susan teaches beginners basic chess knowledge including pieces, points, rules and moves. Susan along with her teaching helpers, Champion and King Harold, set a fun stage for learning chess.

Susan will take you through 8 easy to follow lessons with highly instructive games covering the basic principles of chess.

Planning in chess is essential throughout the entire game. On this DVD, Susan will teach you the general ideas and concepts for short and long term planning in the opening, middle and endgame.

It is always nice to win a game quickly. But some opening traps are based only on hopes that the opponent will make a serious mistake. If the opponents play correctly, the trap could backfire.

The Caro-Kann is considered to be one of the safest and most reliable replies to 1.e4.

The King’s Indian is one of the most interesting and aggressive defences Black can choose.

“The pawns are the soul of chess!” And he put his money where his mouth was!

The Rossolimo Variation 3.Bb5 is considered to be one of the strongest replies to 2…Nc6 in the Sicilian Defence.

The Ruy Lopez represents one of the oldest and best openings for the first player, and everyone going for the Spanish game with Black faces the question of how he wants to tackle the white ideas.

Endgame theory constitutes the foundation of chess. You realize this in striking clarity once you obtain a won endgame, but in the end have to be content with a draw in the end because of a lack of necessary know-how.

Endgame theory forms the basis for chess. This becomes painfully clear as soon as a player has reached a clearly won endgame, yet must finally content himself with a draw because he lacks the necessary know-how. Does this sound familiar? Then avoid such accidents and make endgames your strength – by building up a solid endgame technique.

The third part of the endgame series tackles queen endings, rook against minor pieces, queen against rook and queen against two rooks. Queen endings are not nearly as mysterious as they appear at first sight. Knowing a few rules of thumb and principles will make things very much easier for you. In the case of rook versus knight or bishop, you should not only know how to draw a pawnless endgame, but also when a fortress can be set up and when not. Something similar is the case for queen against rook, except of course that when there are no pawns the queen wins against the rook. In the duel against two rooks, further aspects come into play such as the coordination of the rooks.

In the fourth volume of the endgame series a lot of themes with more material are included like rook and minor piece vs rook (and minor piece), rook vs two minor pieces, double rook endings, queen and knight vs queen and bishop, the bishop pair and endgame principles.

The first 4 DVDs in the series on the endgame cast some light on theoretical endgames and were systematically organised according to the distribution of material, starting with pawn endings and going on to deal with subjects such as the bishop pair and double rook endings. Now it is the turn of the underlying Endgame principles, which in this fifth DVD consist of activity, the initiative, mate and making the correct exchanges.

Karsten Mueller’s endgame course has already taken its place amongst the modern classics in the study of the endgame. Whereas the first 4 DVDs of his series were systematically organised according to the distribution of material, Volume 6 continues the explanation of general endgame principles begun in Volume 5. The principles dealt with in this DVD are domination and prophylaxis, don’t be over-hasty, zugzwang and schematic thinking.

The new 7th volume deals with many different aspects of endgame play: the art of pawn play, weaknesses, converting an advantage, stalemate, fortresses, the art of defence and typical mistakes.

Realizing the necessity of making yourself familiar with endgames, you will soon be con-fronted with a problem: where to start and where to finish?

Who doesn't know it, the painful experience of losing a beautiful game finally due to a lack of endgame technique?

f you want to play successful chess you must pay great attention to the endgame.

On this DVD Alexei Shirov shows that also in the endgame, it is possible to keep struggling for the full point to the very last - if you are creative and ambitious.

Russian International Master Mark Dvoretsky is perhaps the most respected chess instructor in the world today.

It is vital that players know how to handle (and win!) the basic endgames in chess. Time spent mastering the endgame will prove far more valuable than learning a few opening lines. In Chapter 1 of this DVD, Susan covers all the most important chess endgames for the novice player.

Continuing from the first DVD in this set, Chapter 3 begins with Susan discussing all the essential Rook endgames, including Rook versus one pawn, Rook versus two connected Pawns, Rook versus Bishop or Knight, the Philidor and Lucena position, multi-pawn endgames, Rook and Bishop versus Rook, Rook versus Rook and pawn, and more.

In this DVD Susan will take you to the next level on your way to mastering the endgame.

Grandmaster Polgar teaches how to play and win the more difficult endgames of all types - pawn, Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Queen endgames.

From the author, IM Igor Khmelnitsky:

Would you like to know how good is your chess? Whether you are a beginner player or a weathered master, this book will help you evaluate your current level, identify your weaknesses and offer training advice.

From the author, IM Igor Khmelnitsky:

The 2007 second volume uses the same innovative Q&A approach to training as the award winning original Guide with total focus on tactics.

Dr. Danny Kopec earned his Ph.D. in Computer Sience with a concentration in artificial intelligence. He is also an international master who may be the world’s greatest exponent of chess knowledge.

From the author, WGM Yelena Dembo:

From the author, WGM Yelena Dembo:

I have finally finished working on my first chess book, "The Very Unusual Book About Chess". It is about the middlegame and contains several interesting methods of playing this part of the game, complimented by many instructive examples by the world's leading players (Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik, Shirov, Sutovsky etc.) on each method.

The first DVD with videos from Anand's chess career reflects the very beginning of that career and goes as far as 1999.

The second DVD begins in 2000, when Anand became FIDE World Champion, and it ends with his victory in the 2007 World Championship in Mexico.

Born in 1975 in Tuapse on the shores of the Black Sea, Vladimir Kramnik studied at the Botvinnik-Kasparov chess school. At 16 he was included in the Russian Olympiad team and scored a sensational 8.5/9, the best result at the Olympiad.

Disc 1: 2 hours of instruction : annotated games showing how average players can improve and how one player was playing at the grandmaster level in his decision making game.

Disc 2: A fun DVD of extras

Psychology is one of the most important aspects of chess, yet most players put themselves at a serious disadvantage by ignoring this aspect of the game.

ChessBase is a personal, stand-alone chess database that has become the standard throughout the world.

ChessBase is a personal, stand-alone chess database that has become the standard throughout the world.

The Fritz Powerbook 2011 contains 23 millions opening positions, derived from 1,5 million high class tournament games.

The exclusive annotated database. Contains more than 4.8 millions games from 1560 to 2010 in the highest ChessBase quality standard.

The Big Database 2011 contains more than 4.8 millions games from 1560 to 2010 in the highest ChessBase quality standard with ChessBase opening classification with more than 100,000 key positions, direct access to players, tournaments, middlegame themes, endgames.

Corr Database 2009 is an extensive collection of correspondence games, featuring classical correspondence games played by mail as well as email games.

The ChessBase Opening Encyclopaedia 2010 features the complete coverage of all opening sectors, offering an optimal start for opening training. Many well-known specialists have made contributions in their field of expertise, such as Anand, Avrukh, Dr Huebner, Jussupow, Kortschnoj, Krasenkow, Marin, Postny, Ribli, Rogozenko and Stohl.

The DVD Endgame Turbo consists of 9 DVDs with endgame databases (Nalimov Tablebases). With the help of the Endgame Turbo, all five- and 12 six-piece endgames (including the sophisticated and practice-oriented endgame R, P, P - R) are played with absolute perfection.

For nearly 20 years HIARCS has been among the very best chess programs in the world.

Fritz is the world’s most popular chess program, developed by ChessBase, “the world's leading chess software company” (Washington Post).

No other program in the past years was able to win as many world championship titles as Shredder.

No other program in the past years was able to win as many world championship titles as Shredder.

The name is perhaps deceptive. Playing against Junior is not necessarily something for children, as Garry Kasparov discovered in a match in New York.

The name is perhaps deceptive. Playing against Junior is not necessarily something for children, as Garry Kasparov discovered in a match in New York.

Pocket Fritz 4 is the chess program for whenever and wherever you are..

You are holding Fritz in your hands, the program that for many years now has fascinated the chess world.

For years Rybka has been the uncontested number one in computer chess and since its great breakthrough in 2006 the program has won with remarkable regularity one world title after the other.

For years Rybka has been the uncontested number one in computer chess and since its great breakthrough in 2006 the program has won with remarkable regularity one world title after the other.

The Rybka4 opening book is a high-class compilation of opening theory.

When did that ever happen? No less than five tournament highlights one after the other in October and November: the chess Olympiad, the Grand Slam Final in Bilbao, the European Cup in Plovdiv, the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing and finally the Tal Memorial in Moscow.

During his career, Vlastimil Hort, who himself belongs to the same generation as Bobby Fischer, met no less than eight world champions over the board.