Small Steps to Giant Improvement -vol 1 + vol 2 hardcover

Small Steps to Giant Improvement - Vol 1

In chess you cannot take your move back, but you can always return a misplaced piece to its former square at the cost of some time. Pawns on the other hand can never move backwards, making pawn moves truly permanent decisions.

This irreversibility makes Pawn Play among the most difficult aspects of chess strategy, which is one reason few books have been written about this topic – and some that have are almost incomprehensible. Double Olympiad gold medallist Sam Shankland has gone the other way – breaking down the principles of Pawn Play to basic, easily understandable guidelines every chess player should know. Shankland starts with extremely simple examples, but then lifts the level, illustrating the universality of the book’s guidelines by showing how grandmasters could have made better decisions by using them.

Sam Shankland is a Grandmaster and permanent member of the US national team, winning an Individual Gold Medal in 2014 and Team Gold in 2016. In 2015 and 2017 he played Board 1 for the US team at the World Team Championship. This is his first book.

Small Steps 2 Success - Vol 2

Pawn play is a fundamental aspect of chess strategy, yet often neglected in chess literature. In this, his second book on pawn play, Super-GM Sam Shankland sheds light on the vital topic of Passed Pawns.

Passed pawns – whether connected, lone or protected – are common occurrences in middlegames and endgames, and your effectiveness in playing with or against them will make the difference between victory and defeat. Just like in his previous book, Shankland breaks down each topic into a series of crystal-clear guidelines to aid the reader.

Sam Shankland is a world-class Grandmaster and a mainstay of the US national team. He won the 2018 US Championship and is a double Olympiad gold medallist with a 2700+ rating.

Praise for the author’s previous work:

“A beautifully produced hardback... Shankland wins me over by illustrating these guidelines beautifully... an excellent, original book. 5/5 Stars”
GM Matthew Sadler, New in Chess

"The book accomplishes its goals very well and the discussions are enlightening... a self improvement manual well worth studying! 5/5 Stars"
Carsten Hansen, American Chess Magazine

“An intimate, unvarnished interrogation of a strong Grandmaster’s mind at work, and a clear articulation of the pragmatism at the heart of contemporary chess praxis. It is a fascinating first effort from the new US Champion, and I sincerely hope that the promised second volume soon sees the light of day.”
John Hartmann, Chess Life

• Casa editrice Quality Chess
• Code 7175_abb_hardcover
• Anno 2018, 2019
• Pagine p.336 + p.360