Books published by publisher Gray Rabbit Publications

Chess becomes fun when we learn how to survive the opening and stop falling into our opponents’ cheap tactical tricks.And that’s what this book is about! By understanding opening play and learning how to exploit tactical ideas, we turn the tables on our opponents. Now they will be the ones getting outmanoeuvred, tricked, trapped and pushed off the board!Chess Opening Traps for Kids is a serious course on how to play the opening, illustrated with memorable and entertaining examples. By focusing on 100 key themes, Graham Burgess explains how to use opening tricks to our advantage. Every opening features hidden dangers for both players, so we need to avoid pitfalls while making full use of tactics to achieve the opening goals of purposeful development and central control.Most of the 100 sections feature a basic example followed by a more complex one. Some of the traps have claimed grandmaster victims, while others are more likely to arise in junior chess. Either way, the aim is to learn the theme so well that you can use it when similar opportunities arise in your own games. A series of exercises at the end of the book allows you to check that you have grasped the main points. Throughout the book there are tips on how to spot tactics in advance and advice on opening strategy.Award-winning author Graham Burgess has written 25 chess books, ranging from general guides to works on specific openings. He is a FIDE Master and a former champion of the Danish region of Funen. In 1994 he set a world record for marathon blitz chess playing and in 1997 won the British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award. Nowadays he lives in Minnesota.Gambit's best-selling "Chess for Kids" series is a favorite among kids, coaches and club-level adult chess-players. Each book contains 50 or 100 sections of real chess instruction, presented in clear and user-friendly fashion. A section of exercises allows readers to check what they have learned. The books are all published with a hard "paper over boards" cover and are illustrated with delightful drawings by an experienced artist."Stronger and older kids learn to appreciate the benefits of reading chess books if they want to improve, but making the transition for younger players is not so easy. One book that will help to bridge that gap is 'Chess Opening Traps for Kids' by Graham Burgess. This attractively produced hardback book offers young chess players tips on how to improve their opening play and tactical eye ... should prove entertaining for a wide audience from near beginner to about 1600. ... an excellent stocking stuffer for the young chess player who is new to the game and wanting to study on their own. Recommended." - IM John Donaldson, USA Team Captain"The author has a nice, accessible style of writing. ... I was completely overwhelmed by the most incredible titles, such as A Violent Unpin, A Piece Trapped in Noah's Ark, Rampant Pawns and the Long Diagonal, A Mousetrap for Rooks, A Horrible Discovery and Sizzling Long-Diagonal Skewer. ... there is no doubt that we have a book here that can be fun for youth players and above all has a pleasant training angle. ... a nice collection of tactical ideas that can lead to rapid success." - IM Herman Grooten, schaaksite.nl"This book shows 100 traps, some of which I have never seen myself so this is not just for kids, believe me. It is a well-presented hardback book, consistent with the format in this excellent series, and there are three sections covering Basic Tactics, Combining Ideas and Advanced Concepts. ... Kids and adults learning chess will benefit from reading this and learning the various traps - of which there are many to fall into. Buy this and remember that forewarned is forearmed." - Carl Portman, carlsplanet.co.uk"I learned something mind-blowing from 'Chess Opening Traps For Kids'. ... the piece-value chart that I’ve used all my life is wrong!" - Alexey Root, former USA Women's Champion, sparkchess.com

Chess might seem a complex and mysterious game, but the ultimate goal is simple: checkmate. Checkmate can occur in all stages of the game, from snap mates in the opening, through middlegame attacks to simplified endgames. Learning how to use our pieces together to corner the enemy king is a fundamental skill that all chess-players must constantly practise, sharpen and develop. This book lays out, in systematic and thorough fashion, a wide range of mating patterns and techniques, in particular showing how each piece-pair can combine to deliver mate. A working knowledge of these ideas enables players to move on to mating combinations, where pieces lay down their lives so that the remaining forces can deliver mate. Gude explains an amazing variety of tactical devices, and illustrates them in unforgettable style with some of the most brilliant mating attacks from practice, new and old. There are chapters on how to attack kings in the centre, as well as standard (and other!) attacks against the castled position. This is a true textbook of checkmate; readers will never be short of mating ideas, and will instinctively know when there is a possibility to launch an attack, or when they must parry the opponent’s threats. Fundamental Checkmates also features more than 300 exercises with full solutions. Antonio Gude is an extremely experienced chess writer and teacher from Spain. Several of his books on tactics and for beginners are long-standing best-sellers in Spanish language. Gude has also translated a great many books, including some of the classics of chess literature.

This book is a comprehensive manual for those new to chess, which explains with great clarity the basics of the game. Using innovative methods, Gude ensures that readers quickly grasp each key concept before building on it by introducing new ideas. This is an interactive course. With a total of 280 questions and exercises to tackle, the reader will quickly gain skills rather than mere knowledge. Gude strips the mystery away from tactics and combinations by looking first at the strengths and weaknesses of each piece in isolation, and then showing how they work together with each of the other pieces. He also presents guidelines on chess strategy that will help shape the reader’s understanding of chess, and a wide variety of patterns for the reader’s all-important ‘mental database’. The section on openings explains the main aims of each major opening, and the style of game to which they tend of lead, together with some key variations. Later chapters provide examples of how to launch attacks, putting together the skills from earlier chapters, and deal with issues such as chess training, psychology and competitive chess at club and tournament level.

Assuming no knowledge of chess beyond the rules, Maurice Ashley guides you on an inspirational journey through the world of chess tactics. He brings the pieces to life by examining their fundamental characteristics, and shows how their powers can be put to use to win pieces or give checkmate – the building-blocks upon which all chess skills are based. Ashley writes: “the approach is unique because it is basically me: the way I teach, the way I talk about chess, the way I think. You’ll find my love for the martial art aikido in these pages, as well as my ridiculous love for sports, story-telling and teaching.” But his approach is not just entertaining: teams under Ashley’s guidance have won nine national junior championships. His charismatic teaching methods are the stuff of legend – and are to be the subject of a movie. This book makes his ideas and material available to all: teachers and students alike.

"an ideal way for a parent to help a child enhance his or her chess knowledge” – Cecil Rosner, Winnipeg Free PressFor chess-players of all ages and abilities, it is vital to get off to a good start. This simple guide provides all the tips and ideas needed to play purposefully from move one. That's because these 50 Mighty Openings are the very ones used by chess masters and grandmasters to outwit opponents time and again.This book teaches the names and starting moves of all the main chess openings, and explains the basic ideas. Beginners will learn how to position their pieces for maximum impact. More experienced players will discover some remarkable tactical and strategic themes that are vital for chess mastery.Throughout the book, numerous devastating opening traps are highlighted. You will have fun posing difficult problems for your opponent - whether a friend, a chess-club rival or your Dad!Chess Openings for Kids makes learning the chess openings fun. Playing these powerful openings helps develop an understanding of how the pieces work together. Soon you will be able to play strong moves in any opening position, and approach every game with confidence - and success.International Master John Watson is a former US National High School Chess Champion. He is arguably the world's foremost writer on chess openings, and the author of award-winning books on chess strategy. FIDE Master Graham Burgess has written more than twenty chess books, ranging from general guides to works on specific openings. He also holds the world record for marathon blitz chess playing.“Highly recommended as a first book on openings and maybe as the book that will replace all the unread opening books in your chess library. ... To be able to provide both enthusiasm, inspiration and basic knowledge is a praiseworthy effort.” – farbrortheguru.blogspot.com“...provides a very succinct overview of the main openings and the ideas behind them. ... my favourite aspect of the book was the set of pithy subtitles given to each chapter. Sometimes flippant, they nevertheless shed just a little light on the opening in question. ... one of those sentiments may inspire you to try the opening in question, and that’s exactly what the authors recommend” – GM Luke McShane, New in Chess“I like the layout of this book, and its design makes it possible for readers to just ‘drop in’ on any particular chapter, learn something, and then move along ... Chess Openings for Kids should get a lot more use by 95% of chess-playing kids than the more comprehensive opening tomes like ECO, MCO or BCO” – Rick Kennedy, www.chessville.com“The idea of the book is to provide basic information for juniors on 50 Mighty Openings. Six pages of introductory comments, highlighting the merits of thing such as development, King safety and pawn structure. Then it’s on to the 50 Mighty Openings in question. These include all of the classics, starting with the Giuoco Piano and ending up with the Reti Opening. Each one received a double-page spread of coverage, with good notes and plenty of diagrams to explain the first few moves. ... The book succeeds in its aim. Juniors, familiar with the moves and basic tactics and now wanting to take the next step, should be able to strengthen their play and worry their opponents with some judicious name-dropping.” – Sean Marsh, marshtowers.blogspot.com

Warning: this book is not just entertainment. The author wants to teach you a lot about chess and improve the quality of your play! He has selected 50 miniatures from throughout chess history – the earliest are from the 1850s, while the most recent are from grandmaster events just a few months ago! A miniature is a decisive game, won in 25 moves or fewer. Most of these 50 games feature brilliant tactics, attacks on the king, and even a few outrageous king-hunts. In many, the winner had to overcome cunning defensive ploys and inventive counterattacks. But our aim in this book is not just to admire the players’ skill, but to learn how we can play like this in our own games. Chess coach Ataman is keenly focused on the instructive points, explaining which features of the position justified the attacks, and what prompted the critical decisions. Where analysis is given, it is restricted to what it would be realistic for a human to work out at the board. But why are miniatures so instructive, especially for younger players? It’s because we get to see an idea or plan implemented successfully, in full. Once we understand what players are trying to achieve, we can then appreciate how to oppose these ideas, and the cut-and-thrust typical in modern grandmaster play will make a lot more sense. Alper Efe Ataman is a FIDE Master from Turkey. He is a chess publisher, author and an experienced trainer, especially at the scholastic level.

“As instructive as it is enjoyable ... the many examples and exercises will sharpen the skills of players of any age” – Grandmaster Michael Adams, Daily TelegraphThis chess puzzle super-challenge contains 100 fun positions to solve, ranging from encouragingly easy to mind-numbingly hard. Using an innovative format, every puzzle is preceded by an instructive example, illustrating an important pattern.Each puzzle has been graded to suit a wide range of chess abilities. Beginners or younger readers will enjoy reading the basic warm-up exercises. The more experienced can wrestle with some classic puzzles, whilst at the same time learning of typical themes and killer concepts.The final challenging chapters - Mission Impossible - are guaranteed to torment and inspire the most talented of future champions!Chess is recognized in many countries as a useful tool for developing creative thinking in children. Chess Puzzles for Kids will quickly enable children to enjoy using their new-found skills to outwit friends and relatives.Murray Chandler gained the chess grandmaster title by winning events in New York and Amsterdam. During 28 years as a professional player he has taken part in over 150 international tournaments, in 32 different countries. His previous books for young players - "Chess for Children" (with Helen Milligan), "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess" and "Chess Tactics for Kids" - are widely used in schools and by junior coaches.“Grandmaster Murray Chandler writes excellent books for kids who already know how to play. I like his latest work...it expands on his two previous books How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and Chess Tactics for Kids. In all these works Chandler presents the mating and tactical patterns in such a clear and entertaining way that it is a joy to read it. And as I said before, it is not only for kids.” – Grandmaster Lubosh Kavalek, Huffington Post“Teachers, mums and dads, children who are beginners, and beginners who don’t want to stay beginners, should stop and browse here. Most of the games are recent and at the back, as if you haven’t suffered enough, are thirty test positions... an excellent Christmas present.” – James Pratt, British Chess Magazine“Chandler guarantees that ‘the cumulative effect of knowing a few hundred such patterns will make you a very dangerous opponent,’ which is something the reader will learn once they begin implementing these themes in their own games. Chess Puzzles for Kids will surely help a student improve their pattern recognition and overall tactical acumen, while also making a nice holiday gift!” – Michael McGuerty, Chesscafe.com

Shortlisted for the English Chess Federation Book of the Year Award: “once picked up, the book is most difficult to put down” - ECF Press ReleaseChess might seem a complex and mysterious game, but the ultimate goal is simple: checkmate.Checkmate can occur in all stages of the game, from snap mates in the opening, through middlegame attacks to simplified endgames. Learning how to use our pieces together to corner the enemy king is a fundamental skill that all chess-players must constantly practise, sharpen and develop.This book lays out, in systematic and thorough fashion, a wide range of mating patterns and techniques, in particular showing how each piece-pair can combine to deliver mate. A working knowledge of these ideas enables players to move on to mating combinations, where pieces lay down their lives so that the remaining forces can deliver mate. Gude explains an amazing variety of tactical devices, and illustrates them in unforgettable style with some of the most brilliant mating attacks from practice, new and old. There are chapters on how to attack kings in the centre, as well as standard (and other!) attacks against the castled position.This is a true textbook of checkmate; readers will never be short of mating ideas, and will instinctively know when there is a possibility to launch an attack, or when they must parry the opponent’s threats. Fundamental Checkmates also features more than 300 exercises with full solutions.Antonio Gude is an extremely experienced chess writer and teacher from Spain. Several of his books on tactics and for beginners are long-standing best-sellers in Spanish language. Gude has also translated a great many books, including some of the classics of chess literature. He is the author of "A Complete Chess Course", also published by Gambit.“Mating patterns and combinations are well covered in Antonio Gude’s new book. The Spanish writer admires beauty in chess and explains how attacks and combinations work together with mating patterns. He is well-read, knows important games from the past and present, and uses famous endgame compositions to create a useful mating manual for wide readership” – Lubosh Kavalek, Huffington Post“Checkmate diamonds shimmer on every page” – Sean Marsh, Chess Magazine“The number of great examples is overwhelming. On the one part there are classic game fragments you may already know, but also a lot is new, giving something for everyone. I myself am currently using this book as study material for my constant training… the book is actually suitable for any chess player. Highly recommended” – IM Dirk Schuh, Rochade Europa

"It has some of the best practical advice I've seen... a marvellous primer in the essentials of chess that is of value both to casual and experienced players" - Cecil Rosner, Winnipeg Free Press Many chess-players find it difficult to improve their game beyond a certain level. They can see basic tactics, know a little about openings and can calculate a few moves ahead. However, so do their opponents. What is the next level, and how does one get there? This book is aimed at chess-players who have progressed well beyond beginner level and have acquired the basic skills required to play at club level, but need guidance to improve their understanding of chess. It is based on the training program that Hall himself followed when he was an up-and-coming player. The lessons are not based on 'quick fixes', but instead provide a well-rounded course in all aspects of chess that will equip the reader well for his or her chessboard battles, and provide a firm yet flexible basis for further improvement."It is rare to find a chess improvement book that strays from the ordinary, but this book provides a lot of useful insight with a fresh perspective. This book is crammed with excellent ideas and methods for improvement, and it is obvious that the author has a passion for chess both as a player and as an instructor." - Randy Bauer, Randy's Reviews Jesper Hall is a strong international master from Sweden. He is a member of the Swedish national team, was runner-up in the Swedish Championship in 1996 and plays regularly in the German Bundesliga. He trains the 30 best juniors in Sweden via the Internet and has been employed by the Swedish Chess Federation to develop Swedish chess."I could recommend this book to anyone who feels that he/she has reached a plateau as an average player and wants to try to advance to the next rung of the ladder" - Alan Sutton, En Passant"A good solid training book, sound advice presented in a way that is structured, organised and easy to follow" - Amatzia Avni, Kingpin"Hall draws greatly on his own experiences and his own love for and fascination with the game is obvious. I particularly agree with his basic approach to coaching which is that chess should be fun, and that particularly for young players, playing lots of chess games is more important than studying and being coached. I also strongly agree with this (page 166): Verdict: a fine addition to the literature of chess coaching that can also be used as a self-improvement course." - Phil Adams, Checkpoint"The examples are great, the pieces of advice even better and the presentation is logical and easy to follow" - Bibliotekstjänst

This guide to proper behavior at the dinner table provides an introduction to etiquette for kids and a refresher in manners for adults. Offering three tips for each letter of the alphabet, kids are asked to examine the factors that contribute to proper form. Guides Polly Politely and Milton Manners introduce kids to the correct way of handling situations such as choosing utensils at the table, passing the salt and pepper, chewing ice, and disposing of olive pits. In addition to situation-specific guidance (“Finger foods, like an airplane, need to land somewhere first. . . . No direct flights from the serving dish into the mouth”), this book provides the means for determining appropriate behavior in any situation by asking children to consider those around them.

“My fellow teachers at my elementary-middle school have been trying to get a real curriculum for our chess program, and in Gude’s book I think we’ve found it” – Ben George, Houston, TexasThis book is a comprehensive manual for those new to chess, which explains with great clarity the basics of the game. Using innovative methods, Gude ensures that readers quickly grasp each key concept before building on it by introducing new ideas.This is an interactive course. With a total of 280 questions and exercises to tackle, the reader will quickly gain skills rather than mere knowledge. Gude strips the mystery away from tactics and combinations by looking first at the strengths and weaknesses of each piece in isolation, and then showing how they work together with each of the other pieces. He also presents guidelines on chess strategy that will help shape the reader’s understanding of chess, and a wide variety of patterns for the reader’s all-important ‘mental database’.The section on openings explains the main aims of each major opening, and the style of game to which they tend of lead, together with some key variations. Later chapters provide examples of how to launch attacks, putting together the skills from earlier chapters, and deal with issues such as chess training, psychology and competitive chess at club and tournament level.Antonio Gude is an extremely experienced chess writer and teacher from Spain. Several of his books on tactics and for beginners are long-standing best-sellers in Spanish language. Gude has also translated a great many books, including some of the classics of chess literature.“A one-volume introduction to chess. The book is divided into two parts. The first covers the basic aspects of chess in six chapters, followed by more advanced material such as combinations and tactical themes, attacking play, a suggested opening repertoire and tips to be a successful competitor. The last four chapters are special because the reader is introduced to advanced concepts with very clear explanations and examples” – Miguel Ararat, www.gainesvillechesstraining.com