Secrets of Chess Defence (Defend in Chess)

Learn how to defend and counter-attackDefence is traditionally a neglected area of chess study, but it is also one of the most important, rewarding and intriguing. Good defensive abilities earn players a great many half-points and full-points. The climax of the defence is the launching of a devastating counter-attack, a skill at which all the great chess champions have been adept.Mihail Marin provides an in-depth treatise on many aspects of defence. Of particular interest to club players is his discussion of how to defend against unsound attacks, and the problem of how to parry the attack while retaining winning chances. Other topics include attack and defence in equal positions, where both sides must judge carefully how much of their resources to devote to the attack and the counter-attack.The main subject, though, is the case where the defender is fighting for his life, and must decide how to maximize his chances of survival. Marin considers psychological issues and explains the main options available to the defender: simplification, cold-blooded defence, a positional sacrifice, ‘blackmailing’ the attacker, or a counter-attack.Throughout the book there are exercises for the reader, together with full solutions.Mihail Marin is a strong grandmaster from Romania. He achieved his first major success in international chess by qualifying for the interzonals in 1987. He has won the Romanian Championship on three occasions and has played in ten Olympiads. For several years he was editor of the magazine Chess Extrapress."Maximize your chances of survival with this guide to defense and counter-attack." - Mark Donlan, Chess Horizons"the part I found most interesting were the chapters covering defence by means of sacrifices." - John Pugh, Chess Post"The author of Secrets of Chess Defence may not be that familiar to the general chess public, but he will be once this book receives well-deserved acclaim. Romanian GM Mihail Marin has written a wonderful book that is not only educational but also funny. Amazingly no translator is credited. Either Marin is completely at home writing in English or editor Burgess has done an outstanding job preserving the author's voice as he relates anecdotes from his days playing on the Romanian national team. Secrets of Chess Defence covers many subjects that have been poorly dealt with in the chess literature including Two Minor Pieces for a Rook and the Economy of Resources in Defense. Reading this book one cannot help but appreciate that Marin possesses a high level of chess culture. My advice is buy Watson and Marin's books and call in sick to work for a couple weeks!" - John Donaldson, USA Team Captain Read more