John Nunn’s Chess Course

Following on from his successful books Understanding Chess Endgames and Understanding Chess Middlegames, John Nunn fleshes out the theory by showing how World Champion Emanuel Lasker handled a wide variety of practical situations. We see how Lasker’s play, which his opponents found so unfathomable, was based on logic, extreme pragmatism and a deep understanding of how chess-players think.
– Covers topics not usually considered, such as queenless middlegames and manoeuvring
– Dissects strategic issues including piece activity, pawn-structure and bishop vs knight
– Looks at psychological aspects of chess, such as choosing lines which are most uncomfortable for the opponent
– Discusses how to handle inferior positions
– Explanations focus on general ideas rather than detailed analysis
– Features more than 100 of the most instructive examples from Lasker’s career
– Concludes with a selection of exercises, with full commentary and explanation

Emanuel Lasker from Germany – chess player, mathematician and philosopher – held the world title for 27 years, longer than any other champion. His victories against many of the all-time greats were based on an ahead-of-his-time understanding and had a subtle but profound influence on modern chess thinking.