Quality Chess Blog

Congratulations from everyone at Quality Chess to GM Gawain Jones, the new European Blitz Champion! The event was held on-line for obvious reasons, with Gawain topping a stellar field, including beating GM David Navara in the semi-final and GM Alexei Shirov in the final.

Gawain is of course the author of two superb books on the Dragon. And Gawain will be back as a Quality Chess author in 2021 when we publish his 1.e4 repertoire books – his recommended variations are dangerous but not the biggest-theory main lines, so we are calling it the 1.e4 Coffeehouse Repertoire. No publication date is fixed, but somewhere in the first half of the year.

This seems as good a place as any to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We are happy to announce that one of our favourite authors, GM Mihail Marin, is writing a book for Quality Chess about the legendary player Bent Larsen. So we have a great author, fascinating topic, ideas for the cover based on a specially-commissioned painting, but we have one problem – we can’t decide on a title.

We have been playing with ideas based on Larsen’s characteristics: optimism, creativity, fighting spirit, and so many more. Titles such as:
“The Lethal Optimist”
“The Warrior Optimist”
“The Fighting Optimist”
“The Immortal Optimist”
“The Eternal Optimist”
One of us even suggested:
“Hell-Bent on Winning”

So what do you think? Do you like any of the above? Any better ideas? New ideas are welcome – it certainly does not have to be based on any of the above.

If we use your suggested title, we will mention you on page 2 of the book, and send you a free copy of the book you helped to name.

As John said in a previous blog, Quality Chess has just published The Exhilarating Elephant Gambit. In that connection, Killer Chess Training is organizing a Gambit weekend.

For any reader of Quality Chess who wants to join the simul tomorrow, the 5th of December, 17:00-19:00 UK time, just join the team.

Also, you can join our Blitz tournament on Sunday for free here.

Now, for anyone who wants to join for the whole weekend for free, we came up with a special offer. Whoever takes a photo of their brand new Exhilarating Elephant Gambit book and upload it on social media, tagging Killer Chess Training – The rebranded 365chessacademy using the @KillerChessTraining shortcut for Facebook and Instagram, will get a free pass for the whole weekend. Bonus point if you tag also The Exhilarating Elephant Gambit page @ElephantGambit.

If your book has not arrived yet, you can make a post tagging the pages and you can use the book cover photo.

Yes, if you buy your copy now, you can still get the Gambit weekend for free.

Afterwards, go to the Killer Chess Training e-shop, add the Gambit Weekend Camp and check out without paying.

Send us an email to KillerChessTraining (a) gmail (dot) com with your order number and we will activate your pass. We can guarantee the pass for the first 50 people.

You will own the product and have access to the recordings indefinitely, so even if the live classes are not compatible with your schedule, it is still worth it signing up.

If you are not a social media person, we respect that. Go to the website, add the Gambit weekend camp to your basket, checkout without paying, send us and a photo of your book and we will activate your pass.

Quality Chess has just published The Exhilarating Elephant Gambit. In that connection, Killer Chess Training is organizing an Elephant theme tournament on lichess on Sunday. It is open to all to join.

We are continuing our free-fourth-book offer – if you buy three books or more and live in the normal European Union zone (as defined by UPS – for example, they exclude some islands and remote areas) we will send you an extra book free.

The previous default option on the free book was The Secret Life of Bad Bishops. For December and January we will switch the default option to CHESS BEHIND BARS. But if you already have that book, or would prefer a different free book, then send us an email to salesgroup@qualitychess.co.uk with your order, asking to have it replaced with one of the following titles:

ATTACKING THE SPANISH
CARLSEN’S ASSAULT ON THE THRONE
CHAMPIONS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
CUTTING EDGE 1: THE OPEN SICILIAN
CUTTING EDGE 2: SICILIAN NAJDORF 6.Be3
GRANDMASTER BATTLE MANUAL
GRANDMASTER VERSUS AMATEUR
LUTHER’S CHESS REFORMATION
REGGIO EMILIA 2007/2008
THE ALTERMAN GAMBIT GUIDE – WHITE GAMBITS
THE ALTERMAN GAMBIT GUIDE – BLACK GAMBITS VOLUME 1
THE ALTERMAN GAMBIT GUIDE – BLACK GAMBITS VOLUME 2
THE SECRET LIFE OF BAD BISHOPS
SAN LUIS 2005