Winning Chess Manoeuvres

When a chess master finds a winning strategic idea it is seldom by accident.

An amateur, staring at a position on the chess board is often fumbling in the dark, his head spinning with a multitude of general rules and vague notions. The master’s approach is concrete. He knows how and where to look, because he has studied the games of other masters.

In this book, grandmaster Sarhan Guliev presents a wide range of strategic manoeuvres that have been repeatedly employed by great chess players. He shows how masters generate ideas from the games of other masters:

-- positional sacrifices
-- amazing counterplay concepts,
-- unorthodox exchanges
-- winning with g2 – g4 or h2-h4
-- overcoming a blockade
-- the advantages of double pawns
-- the e5 pawn wedge
-- the uses of the queen-bishop battery
-- and much more.

Winning Chess Manoeuvres is brimming with interesting and instructive stories about the chess greats, and written in an accessible and entertaining style.

After studying this book, ambitious chess players will find winning strategic manoeuvres quicker and more often. They will not find them by accident or by relying on general principles, but because they have built up a large stockpile of highly practical ideas.

International Grandmaster and FIDE Senior Coach Sarhan Guliev won the championship of Azerbaijan three times. He is a highly experienced chess teacher, coach and writer.

IM Dirk Schuh, Rochade Europa:
"A wonderful goldmine of strategic ideas that anyone should know who wishes to improve at chess."

British Chess Magazine:
"A very original book, with a wealth of instructional material which is well presented and the topics are clearly explained. I am sure that players of nearly all strenghts would gain some benefit from reading it. Moreover, it is a very enjoyable book to read. Highly recommended."

Chris Wainscott, ChessIQ:
"Both highly original and highly instructive (..) I give this one five out of five stars and recommend that anyone who is serious about improving at chess purchases this book and works through it."


Matthew Sadler, former British Champion:
"I learned so much new from this book!"

Max Euwe Center, Amsterdam:
"A treat of a historybook, a deep source of chess knowledge and a collection of ideas to cherish and to return to time and again."

Elburg Chess Reviews:
"Fascinating manoeuvres and amazing counter play ideas."

B.H.Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad:
"Guliev shows that (grand)masters are standing on the shoulders of the greats from the past. With interesting lessons about the art of the exchange, the positional sacrifice, how to make a plan when you have double pawns, etc. Guliev also points out in which situations you have to do exactly the opposite of what one would expect."