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British Champion Jacob Aagaard explains the rules of attack (the exploitation of a dynamic advantage) in an accessible and entertaining style. This groundbreaking work is well balanced between easily understandable examples, exercises and deep analysis. Five years in the making, this book will surely not disappoint. Volume I deals with bringing all the pieces into the action, momentum, colour schemes, strongest and weakest points, evolution/revolution.

This is the first thorough examination of the nature of dynamics in chess, and the principles explained in this book are relevant in every chess game played. In lively no-nonsense language, Aagaard explains how the best players in the world attack.

English Chess Federation's Book of the Year, 2010

ISBN: 978-9197600408 - 320 pages - Published 27 January 2010

Reviews

"A joy to read"

GM Lubomir Kavalek, Huffington Post (full article)

"At first glance these books are no different from other serious manuals on the middlegame: instructive games are analysed and explained. But if you get into the books, it becomes apparent and revelatory how the examples not only explain 'how' the games are won, but also 'why' this was possible. The reader will find very clear explanations for even the most complicated connections. The fluid change between deep analysis and sharp observations will create Aha! experiences for club players and grandmasters alike."

Skakbladet

"Interesting ideas jump off the page. This is eye-catching material at its best... This is an excellent two-volume set - and that's not just my opinion; they have recently been the joint recipients of the ECF Book of the Year award. They can rightly be considered the flagships of the Quality Chess productions."

Sean Marsh, Chess magazine article on "The Best Chess Books of 2010"

"Published in Quality Chess's usual excellent format... full of lengthy analysis and instructive explanations... a highly nuanced book, full of thoughtful considerations."

Arne Moll, ChessVibes

"With the publication of Volume 2 the author completes a project which has taken him 7 years to complete and as he writes, ‘fulfilled a personal ambition'. These comprehensive volumes are one of the few that can compare favourably with Dvoretsky's manuals. This is a volume which is intended for the serious student. An excellent innovation is the provision of study positions before the main body of the text discusses them so the reader obtains maximum benefit from his efforts. But the book can also be enjoyed as a wonderful collection of attacking games and positions. The layout and presentation is excellent."

Ray Edwards, Julian Farrand, David Friedgood, ECF judges who selected the Attacking Manual 1 and 2 as their Book of the Year

"The number of different books published on the game of chess is huge... Unfortunately few of these are devoted to attacking the king which seems sort of strange. The most ambitious approach to the subject is the two volume series by GM Jacob Aagaard, Attacking Manual 1 and Attacking Manual 2.

It might seem a little strange to see new editions [of Attacking Manual 1] so soon. Normal practice is to wait for the print run to sell out and then let some time pass, but here GM Aagaard, one of the co-owners of the publishing house Quality Chess, was dissatisfied with the physical qualities of the books (the layout and binding) and some typos in the first volume. Many readers might not have noticed these defects but to Aaagard, a well-regarded author who views the Attacking Manuals 1 and 2 as his best work, it was unacceptable. The first volume, Attacking Manual 1, now has a more user-friendly typesetting with generous margins on the top and bottom, exceptionally nice binding that allows the book to stay open by itself when studying and no more typos. Attacking Manual 1 is also sixty pages longer than the first edition.

Attacking Manual 1 and Attacking Manual 2 can be warmly recommended to players from 2000 to 2500."

IM John Donaldson

"The book is very well written and very appealing, typical of Aagaard's style... All in all the book is interesting. Its reading is easy and interesting, and you may very well read it quite fast."

Gollum (full review)

"He's produced a great attacking manual.

Aagaard's great strength as an author has always been the utility of his practical examples. Few chess authors do a better job than he of finding just the right example, exercise, or game to illustrate a given point."

Derek Grimmell, ChessCafe