Russian grandmaster and sought-after private teacher Lev Alburt and former Chess Life editor Larry Parr offer a friendly and accessible series of instructional books, incorporating the inside secrets of the leg­endary Russian method of chess development.

Russia's dominance in modern chess was founded on a uniquely successful program of chess instruction. Now this program has been streamlined and adapted for American readers in a series of books that will help readers develop, step by step, from beginner status to the expert level.

From the first lesson on, Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters Volume II: Beyond the Basics incorporates easy-to-follow strategic concepts. With this system, you're never left in the dark. You learn from the start not just how the pieces move, but where and why to move them. Far more effective than any other system of instruction, this grounding in the principles of intermediate chess strategy will soon take you from total novice to an enjoyable, and competitive, recreational level.

Through instructional chapters and practice sections that feature many more exercises and game situations than other chess instruction books, you'll advance in the game - and have fun doing it - using the techniques that produced a long line of Soviet champions. Whether you want to play chess recreationally with friends, hone your mental skills with the unparalleled challenges of the game, or develop into a tournament player, Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters Volume II: Beyond the Basics will start you off right, increasing your understanding and your enjoyment of the world's greatest game.

Grandmaster Lev Alburt is a three-time winner of the U.S. Chess Championship and a two-time winner of both the U.S. Open Chess Championship and the European Cup. He is a regular contributor to Chess Life magazine and the author of several books on learning chess. Larry Parr is former editor of Chess Life and the author of many articles on all aspects of chess play and chess instruction.

"Quite simply, the quickest way to learn chess the right way. Chock full of chessercizes - a real timesaver!" - Grandmaster Larry Evans, five-time U.S. champion and syndicated chess columnist

"Lev Alburt is a brilliant teacher, and his new series written with Larry Parr is his best yet. In fact, it is the best chess instruction I have ever seen, period. Read Lev Alburt, and you will understand the game as never before." - Charles Murray, author of What It Means to Be a Libertarian

"There are no better chess teachers anywhere than Lev Alburt and Larry Parr. Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters is a gem: lucid, scholarly, highly instructive. If you play chess, you need this book." - Charles Krauthammer

"Lev Alburt is a truly great teacher, and Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters offers the per­fect balance of exposition and challenge for beginning students of the game. It is also a colorful and entertaining read, which adds to the instructional value of the material." - Martin Katahn, Ph.D., author of The Tri-Color Diet, How to Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight, One Meal at a Time, and The Low-Fat Good Food Cookbook

"Grandmaster Lev Alburt, a three-time U.S. champion, is the most brilliant and effective chess teacher alive today. He is the only top-echelon player who specializes in teaching chess to beginners and other nonmasters. Secrets of the Russian Chess Masters reveals secrets that will save you years of hit-and-miss reading. You'll be winning in no time!" -Al Lawrence, former executive director, U.S. Chess Federation

011 Understanding Chess Notation

013 Chapter 1. Strategy and Planning

021 Chapter 2. Tactics: The Soul of Chess

039 Chapter 3. Chessercizes for Tighter Tactics

065 Chapter 4. Advanced Tactical Devices

077 Chapter 5. Advanced Tactical Chessercizes

101 Chapter 6. Hard-Hitting Combinations

119 Chapter 7. Sturdy King Pawn Openings

141 Chapter 8. King Pawn Chess Movies

157 Chapter 9. Subtle Queen Pawn Openings

185 Chapter 10. Queen Pawn Chess Movies

199 Chapter 11. Common Chess Endgame Themes

217 Chapter 12. Practical Tournament Tips

221 Chapter 13. Once They Were Beginners Like You

225 Index