An outstanding theorist and successful coach shares his memories of communication and cooperation with Mikhail Tal, Anatoly Karpov, Isaac Boleslavsky, Elena Akhmylovskaya and other outstanding chess players. Separate large chapter – a story about many years of work with Boris Gelfand: over these years (1980-1993) the student went from a 12-year-old candidate for master to the holder of the 3rd rating in the world. Albert Kapengut – winner of 6 gold medals at the World Student Olympics, seven-time champion of Belarus, participant in the individual and team championships of the USSR among men, champion of the USSR as part of the Burevestnik team. The book includes 70 games commented in detail by the author, a careful study of which will help the reader not only better understand popular opening schemes, but also get a taste for serious analytical work. “My story is not so much about a career, although “you can’t erase words from a song,” but about memorable situations, often funny, sometimes absurd, and dotted about people I met along the way, sometimes with touches of biography, prompting readers to become interested in more complete information.” ;" (A. Kapengut). For a wide range of chess lovers.

Party, biography, photos, statistics. Mikhail Tal, the eighth world chess champion. A short, fragile youth with big black eyes, a phenomenal memory and unique intuition proved to the chess world that 2x2 = 5 (!). A genius of attacks and combinations, he always acted in accordance with S. Tartakower's postulate - “sacrifice in order not to become a victim!”. For Tal, chess matter in battles is nothing, beauty is everything! He melted the "chess Antarctica", took millions of fans into voluntary chess captivity. In the life of Tal, there was no everyday life, the game of chess for him has always been a holiday. Truly the gigantic strength of the spirit again and again prevailed over the hardships of the flesh. He did not think about the future, giving joy to his contemporaries, and his descendants left his creativity - an imperishable bible of chess combinations.

Honored Master of Sports, International Grand Master of the ICCHF, Honored Trainer of Russia Gennady Nesis talks about the creative path of the FIDE World Champion Alexander Khalifman. Of particular interest is that the fruitful collaboration between the author and the hero has been going on for 17 years, marked by many successes of Alexander Khalifman. The author also shares with readers his thoughts on the role of the coach in the process of preparing players, comments on games illustrating the creative biography of the world champion. The book will undoubtedly be useful and interesting to a wide range of chess lovers.

Readers are offered a two-volume monograph devoted to the biography and exciting career of the world champion in chess Boris Vasilievich Spassky. The book presents 198 parties, many of which were specially commented on by international grandmasters for the first time, as well as literary essays by Leonid Eduardovich Gutzeit and grandmaster Nikolai Vladimirovich Krogius about the difficult path of Boris Spassky up the chess staircase. The materials from the first person were drawn to the maximum extent - Spassky's interview and comments to parties published in the open press. Designed for a wide range of chess fans

The book tells about the life and career of one of the most original grandmasters - Anatoly Lutikov. The original presentation of the material allows you to use the book as a textbook chess game.

In the fifth book of the series, the Petersburg grandmaster Alexander Khalifman tells readers about rare answers that Black can apply after 1.e4. With the exception of Alekhin’s defense, the remaining debuts in this book are practically not used by the world's leading chess players. Nevertheless, the author devoted quite a lot of analysis to these principles, which were not entirely correct from the point of view of modern theory. After all, a practitioner chess player must be prepared for even the most unexpected opening "surprises" of an opponent.

In the sixth book, Petersburg Grandmaster Alexander Khalifman tells readers how to fight against the French defense. After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5, he recommends the most principled move as the struggle for the opening odds - 3. Кс3. Further, such answers of Black as 3 ... Kc6, 3 ... de and 3 ... Kf6 are dealt with in detail.

In the seventh book of the series, Petersburg GM Alexander Khalifman continues his story about how to fight against the French defense. After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Kc3 Black’s most popular answer is analyzed in detail - 3 ... Cb4.

Second, revised edition. We bring to your attention the biography of the first Russian world chess champion, a man of surprisingly bright and at the same time tragic fate of Alexander Alekhin Alekhin (1892-1946). Written on a strictly documentary basis, with the involvement of new, previously unknown sources discovered by the author in the archives of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, the book traces the life of the genius chess player throughout its entire length - from birth in Moscow to the mysterious death in a hotel in a small Portuguese town Estoril.

The Astrel publishing house continues to release a new series - Encyclopedia of Chess Olympus, dedicated to the life and work of all world chess champions from Steinitz to Kramnik. The authors are famous Russian writers and historians of chess Isaac and Vladimir Lindera. Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhin (1892–1946) is the 4th world chess champion (1927–35, 1937–1946). Among the greatest chess players of all time, Alexander Alekhin is distinguished by the scale of his creative heritage and the aesthetic appeal of the game. From 1908 to the last years of his life, he participated in 94 tournaments, in 64 of them came out the winner and in 12 occupied second places. He played 26 matches (including 5 in the world championship) and was the only chess champion in history who died undefeated. Alekhin influenced the chess life of dozens of countries and peoples due to his vivid performances in tournaments, matches, touring tours, as well as literary works.

In the 8th volume of the series, the St. Petersburg grandmaster Alexander Khalifman talks about the methods of playing white against the most popular debut in modern tournament practice - the Sicilian defense. The author analyzes both a number of rare black answers on the second and third moves, and the actual Paulins system today. It is calculated on chess players of any qualification - from beginner to grandmaster.