ion in chess education. The government recognizes the importance of chess and the existing programmes are constantly refined and updated. Russian chess teachers and trainers are simply the best in the world.

The Complete Manual of Positional Chess is the latest and most comprehensive product of this Russia striving for perfection. This handbook, probably the most thorough grounding in the history of teaching chess, was recently created for chess teachers at the DYSS, the special sports school for young talents in Russia.

Konstantin Sakaev and Konstantin Landa present a complete set of instructions and tips for trainers and self-improvers. It teaches you not only how to enhance your fundamental knowledge and technical skills, but also how to work on your physical and psychological conditioning. You are handed basic and advanced tools to improve in a wide array of areas: quick development and fighting for the centre in the opening, calculating cleanly and taking decisions in the middlegame, tackling your fear of disturbing the material balance, and how to restrict the role the chess computer plays in your life.

If you complete Sakaev and Landa's course you will be able to assess virtually any position you are confronted with. With its all-encompassing approach this ground-breaking book allows everyone to reap the fruits of the long tradition of instructive excellence in Russia.