Sergei Tiviakov was unbeaten in a streak of more than a hundred chess games as a professional player. Who better to share the secrets of Rock Solid Chess and the activity and value of pieces than Tiviakov? The highly acclaimed first volume of his chess strategy trilogy dealt with pawn structures. In this second volume, Sergei moves on to discuss piece play and unique chessboard situations. Topics covered include the bishop pair, opposite-coloured bishops, centralization and the almost-ignored question of when and whether to castle. Tiviakov also demonstrates how the value of pieces can vary drastically depending on their exact position. He shows how the entire assessment of a position, and the correct strategy for playing it, can be changed by moving a single pawn from one square to another. In the final chapters, Tiviakov discusses how to play cramped and passive positions, how to play for a win with Black and how to choose your strategy, based on the opponent’s style and other psychological factors. Illustrated with examples from classic games and from his own games, and supported by instructive exercises, Volume Two of Rock Solid Chess offers invaluable and unique instruction on topics not covered in traditional textbooks. These strategy lessons will significantly improve your chess and are suitable for all readers, from club players to grandmasters. Sergei Tiviakov is a grandmaster, Olympic gold medallist, three-time Dutch Champion and European Champion. Yulia Gökbulut is a FIDE Women's Master, chess author and sports writer from Turkey.
Content: 007 Introduction 009 Chapter 1) The effect of moving one pawn on the assessment of the position 029 Chapter 2) The relative value of tempi in different positions 053 Chapter 3) The relative value of pieces depending on their position on the board 081 Chapter 4) The advantage of the two bishops 103 Chapter 5) Opposite-coloured bishops 128 Chapter 6) Maximum centralization: the key to success 149 Chapter 7) Domination 172 Chapter 8) Playing cramped and passive positions 197 Chapter 9) Flexibility with castling 224 Chapter 10) Choosing a plan depending on your opponent’s style, your own physical and psychological condition, and position in the tournament 247 Conclusion 249 Index of names 251 Explanation of symbols 253 Bibliography
