The answer book of an international grandmaster and an experienced coach (among whose students is A. Grischuk) Bloch's Maxim contains over 1200 combinations from practical games and specially compiled examples. All tasks are characterized by intense struggle, in which the goal is achieved by single moves. The book is intended for both young and adult amateurs, and for masters. The arrangement of examples by topic allows you to use the book not only as a task book, but also as a textbook. Of particular interest are over two hundred specially compiled by the author overstressed positions in which white wins the only way during the course of white, and black wins during the course of black. These examples, as well as over 50 fragments from the parties of the author and his students, are published for the first time.

This collection of wonderful combinations is based on the famous magazine “Chess” published in the USSR. The editorial office was located in Riga, its members included strong Latvian chess players, and the editor-in-chief of the publication for many years was the eighth world champion Mikhail Tal, who always took an active part in the development of the magazine. Perhaps the most popular section among readers has always been “Find the best continuation without moving the pieces.” A fresh dozen of the most beautiful and instructive combinations, mainly from current tournaments, were published on the back cover, and the solutions were given in the next issue. The combinations were selected by the editorial team very carefully, because the magazine's circulation was more than 60,000 copies and was distributed in more than 50 countries! This edition includes combinations published in the mentioned section from 1980 to 1990. By solving these combinations, you are sure to improve your tactical skills and significantly strengthen your game.

The authors continue to study typical opening and middlegame positions. Royal Fortress No. 2 has pawns on squares f7, g6, h7 (or f2, g3, h2), and they are usually joined by another defender – bishop on g7 (g2). This formation is called fianchetto, it is found in many popular openings, such as the Catalan Opening, King's Indian Defense, Grunfeld Defense and a number of others.  The authors analyze in detail the techniques of attack, defense and counterattack. Most examples – from the creativity of modern chess players (for example, a separate chapter is dedicated to the strongest Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi); they are complemented by parts that have become a classical heritage. The book contains about 300 positions for independent solution, so it is not only a textbook, but also a solid problem book. Grandmaster Konstantin Chernyshov, head of the Interregional Grandmaster School in Kostroma, and his daughter International Master Natalya Kareva – experienced coaches, whose students include grandmasters and masters, champions of Russia and Europe among juniors.  The book is addressed to young chess players and their mentors. 

Chess was invented in the 5th century AD in India and spread throughout the world. The uniqueness of this game is that it still covers the minds of everyone - from young to old! Chess combines elements of science and sports. They develop logic, perseverance, attentiveness, analytical thinking and memory.  Checkers is a fun, dynamic and relatively simple game. Every country in the world has it. It is comparatively easier to find a partner here than in chess. Backgammon – one of the oldest known board games. It is known that it came to us from the East. First, you need to master the basic techniques, so that later you can boldly apply various tricks during the game.  Cage length: 4.5 cm. King height: 8.8cm King base diameter: 2.8 cm The length and width of the field when unfolded: 44 X 44 cm. Material: wood Country of origin: China.

The youngest first–grader in the USSR, the world champion among young men, a participant in the candidates tournament at the age of 19 - Boris Spassky's rise was rapid. And then fate gave the brilliant chess player a test of strength: he stumbled twice at the decisive moment and remained beyond the threshold of interzonal tournaments ... Only ten years after his first great success, Spassky managed to pass all the qualifying tests and earn the right to a match for the crown, but he failed to defeat the Iron Tigran Petrosian the first time. It took three more years of super–efforts: by Sisyphus he rose again to the foot of Olympus and did not miss a second chance - in 1969 he became the Tenth king of chess! An essay about the life of Boris Vasilyevich and his sporting path full of ups and downs was written by Dmitry Oleynikov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, curator of the Chess Museum of the Chess Federation of Russia. 70 beautiful and instructive games of Spassky were commented on by the champion of Russia in 1993, the famous author and theorist grandmaster Alexey Bezgodov, as well as grandmaster Dmitry Kryakvin and FIDE master Steve Giddins. The preface was written by the 14th world champion Vladimir Kramnik. For a wide range of chess fans.

The 2012 World Vice-Champion continues his story, begun in the best-selling books Positional Decision Making in Chess. ("Book of the Year" according to the English Chess Federation), "Dynamic Decision Making in Chess" and "Technical Decision Making in Chess." The new book discusses ways to make decisions in positions without minor pieces. The reader will get acquainted with rook and queen endings, as well as with what Romanovsky called the "fourth stage", that is, the late middlegame / early endgame, where only heavy pieces remain on the board. «Gelfand is very good– and very honest – explains what decisions he was able to calculate and what he had to make on the basis of general reasoning, and how he did it. This resulted in a book of the type that I love. A chess player of any strength can find a lot of useful things here. (Grandmaster Matthew Sadler, reviewer of novelties in chess literature in the magazine "New in Chess"). For a wide range of chess lovers.

The Caro-Kann defense is one of the most popular modern openings, which is firmly included in the repertoire of most elite chess players. The author of the book, a well-known grandmaster and theorist, offers a full repertoire for black in response to 1.e4, explains in detail the main strategic ideas of each option and gives the exact order of moves, offers a number of novelties in current schemes. In each chapter, alternative plans for black are considered, so that the reader can make a choice according to his taste, and it was more difficult for the opponent to prepare. Much attention in the monograph is paid to correspondence games in which players use all the achievements of modern technology. All analyses during the work on the manuscript are checked on powerful computers. Carefully selected positions for the solution will help the reader to consolidate the acquired knowledge. The 2nd edition supplements the section with the 10 most interesting current parties. The book is addressed to chess players of any level – from amateurs to professionals.  

Grandmaster Carlos Torre – like a chess comet; his genius flashed dazzlingly and quickly went out in the chess firmament! He – the author of the most famous “mill” in the history of chess, the 2nd world champion Emanuel Lasker fell into its merciless millstones. The authors spoke about the life and work of the Mexican genius (the book contains 25 commentated games by K. Torre). Torre’s book “How a Chess Player is Formed” is presented, an essay by international master Yaroslav Prizant about Torre’s attack in modern practice. In the section "Play like Torre" – 36 instructive examples from his practice to solve. Finally, there is an interview with Carlos Torre, conducted by Gabriel Velasco in 1977. Working with the book will give readers not only aesthetic pleasure, but will also help improve their skills.

The height of the king is 95 mm, the diameter of the base of the king is 42 mm. Currently used in tournaments of the Central House of Chess Players. The kit is sold without a board.