This is a real ode to chess aesthetics - the most beautiful games played in the last 150 years. There are essays about all chess pieces, about the centuries-old evolution of views on the ideal of beauty in chess. At the request of the author, the world's outstanding chess players expressed their opinion on the issues raised.

Biography, parties, photos, statistics ... Anatoly Karpov (born 1951) - 12th World Chess Champion (1975-1985) and FIDE World Champion (1993-1998). The widest range in the game - from a subtle positional sense to a bright combination of insights, from resistance to protection to filigree technique in the endings - is surprisingly combined with the scale of the personality - a politician, a businessman, a public figure, a collector. Winner of more than 160 tournaments, matches and other competitions; played more than 1,000 games, including 263 - in matches for the title of world champion.

Of all the questions of interest to the chess world, perhaps the most important is the question of the title of world champion,,, Х wrote to H.R. Capablanca in 1937. Today, when humankind entered the third millennium, the justice of these words has become
even more obvious. Chess & mdash; one of the phenomena of civilization, and the title of world champion is surrounded by a halo of reverence for the great
possibilities of the human mind. This is confirmed by the example of 14 geniuses who ascended the chess throne. Publisher & laquo; Astrel & raquo; continues to release a new series of & mdash; & nbsp;
“The Encyclopedia of Chess Olympus”, dedicated to the life and work of all world chess champions: from Steinitz
before Kramnik. Authors & mdash; famous Russian writers and historians of chess Isaac and Vladimir Lindera. Emanuel Lasker (1868 & 1941) & mdash; great chess wrestler, & nbsp;
thinker, researcher. He possessed gigantic practical strength, 27 years (!) Holding the title of the first chess player of the planet. And then he retained his potential for a long time, winning or becoming the winner of the largest international tournaments at the age of 54 (Moravská Ostrava, 1923), 55 (New York, 1924), 56 (Moscow, 1925), and even 66 years (Moscow, 1935)! For the philosopher and mathematics doctor Lasker, chess and life & nbsp;
were inseparable. In the chess struggle, he saw a model of human life.

Партии, биография, фото, статистика. Василий Васильевич Смыслов (р. 1921) стал в 36 лет седьмым в истории шахмат чемпионом мира (1957-58). Шесть предыдущих шахматных королей брали заветный рубеж с первой попытки. А те, кто не смог осилить действующего чемпиона, в дальнейшем, как правило, не проявляли своих амбиций, оставаясь в роли "великих неудачников". Вопреки сложившейся традиции, Смыслов первым вошел в одну реку дважды и сумел повторить звездный путь. Когда он, наконец, завоевал титул сильнейшего шахматиста планеты, создалось впечатление, что это тот самый "корабль", у которого нет уязвимых мест, напротив, все говорило о его "комфортабельности и благоустроенности". Увы, на каждый шахматный "титаник" находится рано или поздно свой шахматный "айсберг". Им стал для Смыслова тот, которого он еще недавно так блестяще победил, - Ботвинник. Уже через 12 месяцев Василий Смыслов стал экс-чемпионом мира. Но "калиф на год" оставался грозным шахматным бойцом еще долгие и долгие годы. Еще одним способом его самовыражения стала музыка. Красивый баритон, как и шахматный талант, унаследовал он от отца. Не случайно он повторял: "Чемпионами не становятся, а рождаются!". Внешне он не производит впечатление опасного бойца - типичный скромный интеллигент, с неторопливой походкой и загадочной улыбкой. Это для непосвященных, а вот для шахматного фантазера Д. Бронштейна образ Смыслова порой ассоциировался с поступью медведя, напролом бредущего по шахматным дебрям, и горе тому, кто нечаянно попадется на его дороге!

Party, biography, photos, statistics. Mikhail Botvinnik (1911 - 1995) - man-era! He was born under the last Russian emperor Nicholas II, and died under the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin. He received instructions from the second world champion Emanuel Lasker and gave lessons to the fourteenth champion Vladimir Kramnik himself. While studying at school, he did not know the slide rule, and at a respectable age he played chess with a computer. Botvinnik was not yet 25 years old when he became one of the living symbols of a great power and remained it for the next 60 years. His remarkably solid nature was mixed up with a mixture of communist education, the Spartan regime and an innate sense of intelligence. He was one in two persons - the Champion and the Scientist. Doctor of chess and grandmaster of electrical engineering. The main advantages of Botvinnik - iron will, a scientific approach, a clear vision of the goal. Botvinnik accumulated the best features of the Soviet chess school. And at the same time, this school embodied many of the priorities it proclaimed. Botvinnik devoted thirty years of his life to the creation of an “artificial intelligence” - a chess program, not only a “master playing by virtue”, but also “thinking like him.” "Pioneer" was his pride, and his pain, and his "blue bird". Botvinnik's multivolume legacy is a classic of world chess, his life is an example of disinterested service to chess art.

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.

Parties, biography, photo, statistics ... Robert James Fisher (born 1943) - 1st world chess champion (1972-75). His life is a challenge to society, traditions, conventions. Professional to the marrow of bones, he always wanted the cause of his life - a chess game - the society appreciated. Making high demands on himself, he believed that he had the right to present them to the conditions of chess creativity. In the era of "total" football he demonstrated real total chess - hard pressing all over the board, not a second of respite, constant threats, buildup of pressure, power in every plan, every maneuver, every holo! His aggressiveness and pressure crushed and demoralized the will of those not accustomed to similar competition of competitors.

Parties, biography. photo, statistics. Series: Encyclopedia of Chess Olympus The name of Wilhelm Steinitz (1836-1900), the first world chess champion, creator of the positional game doctrine, was deduced in gold letters on the tables of the world chess history. For 64 years of irrepressible, eternally bubbling life Steinitz symbolically filled all 64 cells of the chess planet. He showed himself to be a great and uncompromising fighter, a true chess artist, a philosopher and a converter. For two decades (1866-1886) Steinitz was considered the king of chess in Europe, and then he was worthy of an official world title for eight years (1886-1894).

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.

A guide for chess lovers of all ages. Its pocket format will allow the reader to improve his skills both on a long journey and during leisure hours. This book presents: chess rules, popular debuts, examples in the middle game and endgame, illustrated with beautiful diagrams, a dictionary of chess terms.

Large encyclopedic format The book of the famous chess writer Anatoly Matsukevich is an unusual textbook on playing debuts. For the first time in the world chess practice, 4,000 parties, no more than 12-13 moves in length, are systematized on debuts and are accompanied by useful, understandable explanations in any language. For a mass reader with minimal chess preparation.

Before you are the complete rules of an ancient and wise game. In a simple, accessible and concise form, the publication outlines the basic rules of a chess game: you will learn how pieces move, how to use castling, what is “taking on the aisle”, how to record a game and much more. The book will be interesting not only for adults, but also for children who are just starting to take their steps in understanding the amazing and fascinating world of chess. Examples of the game of champions, whether it is possible to take the move back, what are the cases of draws - all this can also be found here. And having mastered, with the help of this book, the recording of a chess game, you will be able to read on your own the textbooks of the chess game and other special literature.

English grandmaster David Norwood's book is an unusual chess textbook. It is designed for those who make the first steps into the magical world of chess (first part), and for those who, knowing the basics, seek to improve their skills themselves by solving simple typical tasks (second part). 

On page 3 is the owner’s tag.

In recent years, Russians have made great strides in various Japanese logic games, including Japanese shogi chess. Moskvich Alexander Nosovsky, a master of sports in Renju, is one of the active popularizers of this game. The book of Muscovite Alexander Nosovsky, a renju master of sports, introduces the reader to the history and rules of the shogi game, as well as to the best games of leading Japanese masters.

This book presents: the best and most instructive games of John Nunn; excellent instruction on strategy and tactics; advice on how to think at the board; facts from the world of professional chess.

Karpov, Kasparov, Ponomarev - personalities known today to the whole world. Already in their youth, these chess players won victories over the venerable grandmasters, won various tournaments. Who gives high hopes today, who tomorrow will dictate fashion in the chess world? About this, about the first victories, about innovations in chess and about many other things the book tells ...