One Pawn Saves the Day: A World Champion's Favorite Studies: 1 - Softcover

Tkachenko, Sergei

Softcover

ISBN 10: 5950043340 ISBN 13: 9785950043345

Publisher: Limited Liability Company Elk and Ruby Publishing House, 2017

Synopsis

Learn great traps, turn losses into draws and draws into wins!

Sergei Tkachenko, a member of the Ukrainian team that won the 5th World Chess Composition Tournament in 1997 and which came second in 2000, 2004, 2013, and 2017, has collected 100 studies whose common theme is that white ends up with just one pawn in the finale, yet manages to win or draw.

With the exception of three studies, there are no more than six moves in any solution, so experienced chess players can analyze the positions directly from the diagrams.

Newbies to chess problems will also find analyzing these studies useful. The diverse set of tactical ideas involving a single pawn in the finale will enable them to gain a deeper understanding of the pawn's resourcefulness.

Some of these studies are classics from bygone ages. Others were originally published in the Soviet Union.

About this title

Review:

“These books are excellent in three ways. Firstly, the chosen studies are exceptionally beautiful. I was constantly oohing and aahing with satisfaction! Secondly, the examples are a good mix of the famous and unfamiliar. I’ve solved a fair number of studies in the past, but about 75% of the studies in each book were unfamiliar to me, which is excellent. Thirdly, the level of the studies is very rewarding. Some are harder than others but the knowledge that a pawn (in the first book) or a knight (in the second book) will deliver the final blow is a wonderful hint that always helps you in the right direction without revealing too much.” – Grandmaster Matthew Sadler, New in Chess, January 2018

“Tkachenko is a lauded study composer with a keen aesthetic eye, and the studies are beautiful while remaining comprehensible” – John Hartmann, US Chess Federation website, 22 November 2017

“The concept is simple, but fun.” – Chessbase website, 20 December 2017

“It's a good workout, and the book's small size and well-chosen puzzles makes it a handy and enjoyable way to pick up some practice not just at home but when you've got a few minutes on the go.” – Dennis Monokroussos, The Chess Mind blog, 24 December 2017

“Not only were the studies relevant, they were also compelling – just like chess puzzle books, except deeper, more textured and often profoundly entertaining with many surprising “aha” moments by way of conclusion... ...I have found myself reading the books in this series just about anywhere – on my commute to work, in my lunch break, in the bathroom, while waiting for my better half to finish her shopping, etc. One of these books is always by my side. So if you enjoy studies, or are curious about studies, but haven’t yet got around to looking at them, this series will be just right for you.” – Carsten Hansen, American Chess Magazine, March 2018

About the Author:

Sergei Tkachenko (born in 1963, near Odessa, Ukraine) is a member of the Ukrainian team that won the 5th World Chess Composition Tournament in 1997 and which came second in 2000, 2004, 2013, and 2017. He has won the studies section of the Ukrainian Chess Composition Championship six times and has won prizes, many of them for first place, in over 100 international chess composition tournaments.

Sergei coaches the Ukrainian chess composition team. He is also the press secretary of the Chess Composition Committee of the Ukrainian Chess Federation.

Sergei is an award-winning author who has written 18 chess books (in Russian), including compositions and on historical themes. He is deputy chief editor of a Ukrainian chess composition magazine called Problemist of Ukraine and has a regular studies column on the ChessPro website. Sergei is a member of the Ukrainian Union of Journalists. He is a historian and archivist, as well as being a mechanical engineering graduate.

About this edition

• Publisher: Limited Liability Company Elk and Ruby Publishing House
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 5950043340
• ISBN 13: 9785950043345
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 204