{"title":"Herman Grooten","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the strategic mind of Herman Grooten, a celebrated chess author. Perfect for players seeking to sharpen their tactics and deepen their understanding of the game, explore Grooten's insightful guides.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"chess-endgames-for-club-players-book-herman-grooten-9789493257498","title":"Chess Endgames for Club Players","description":"After the success of his award-winning classics,\"Chess Strategy for Club Players and Attacking Chess for Club Players\", Herman Grooten has now written an equally instructive 400-pages endgame manual. Building on his experience as a player and coach, Grooten takes an original approach to convey his message: the endgames are divided according to theme, not chess material. This is a novel, but very effective way to learn the ins and outs, since many themes can occur with different material balances. The book is richly illustrated with many examples from practical play, as well as endgame studies, which present the motifs in their purest and most attractive form. The result is a lively and highly instructive guide to the endgame.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49746050253073,"sku":"NGR9789493257498","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9493257495.jpg?v=1751351832"},{"product_id":"chess-strategy-for-club-players-book-herman-grooten-9789056917166","title":"Chess Strategy for Club Players","description":"Every club player knows the problem: the opening has ended, and now what? With this new edition of his award winning book, International Master Herman Grooten presents to amateur players a complete and structured course on how to recognize key characteristics in all types of positions and how to make use of those characteristics to choose the right plan. His teachings are based on the famous Elements of Wilhelm Steinitz, but Grooten has significantly expanded and updated the work of the first World Champion. He supplies many modern examples, tested in his own practice as a coach of talented youngsters. In Chess Strategy for Club Players you will learn the basic elements of positional understanding: pawn structure, piece placement, lead in development, open files, weaknesses, space advantage and king safety. You will master the art of converting a temporary plus into other, more permanent advantages. The author also explains what to do when, in a given position, the basic principles seem to point in different directions. Each chapter of this fundamental primer ends with a set of highly instructive exercises. This new 3rd edition has, besides various corrections and improvements, a new introduction and a brand-new chapter called 'Total Control' with new exercises.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49777282089233,"sku":"NGR9789056917166","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50481056055569,"sku":"GOR009614636","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51064952062225,"sku":"NIN9789056917166","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51713732903185,"sku":"CIN9056917161VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51831382737169,"sku":"CIN9056917161G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":52879978135825,"sku":"CIN9056917161LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9056917161.jpg?v=1751453592"},{"product_id":"understanding-before-moving-2-queen-s-gambit-structures-book-herman-grooten-9789492510426","title":"Understanding before Moving 2 - Queen's Gambit Structures","description":"In volume 2 Dutch International Master Herman Grooten provides the full coverage of the Queen's Gambit Structures. As usual his instructive material is impressive, explaining in detail all possible plans for White and Black, making this book indispensable if you want to understand these typical structures or play this opening.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49795683320081,"sku":"GOR013113026","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51644490285329,"sku":"NIN9789492510426","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52688813555985,"sku":"NLS9789492510426","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9492510421.jpg?v=1751223380"},{"product_id":"understanding-before-moving-volume-1-revised-extended-second-edition-book-herman-grooten-9789464201017","title":"Understanding before Moving - Volume 1 - Revised \u0026 Extended Second Edition","description":"Although my first book in this new series was well received, it turned out that a new updated and revised edition would not be an unnecessary luxury.  This was partly due to the fact that it did not seem a bad idea to add more comments to a sub-variant in the Italian Game, the Max Lange Attack, which had received little attention in the first edition, but could be further explored. That has happened in this edition. Furthermore, it turned out from practice that the part in the Ruy Lopez where White can choose to close the center with d4-d5 needed further explanation. This closed position with a pawn chain arisen in the center, as we know that from the King’s Indian Defense, contains some hidden secrets that could be explored a little more. That is why I have compiled several extra pages in which the most important strategic (and also tactical) details of this type of positions are presented. Of course, two model games had to be added for both colors. These have now become the games Sutovsky – Stefanova, Hoogeveen 2015 (for White) and Bruzon Batista – Morozevich, Biel 2006 (for Black), which I have provided with a broad analysis and will be added right behind this strategic overview. Because this book has also become available on the internet platform chessable.com, it seemed a good idea to generate some extra exercises on top. These should of course not be missing in the printed edition. Since in the original version mainly the tactics were dominant, I have now chosen to split the chapter with the exercises into two parts: •\tSection 1: Tactical exercises •\tSection 2: Strategic exercises I offer sixteen extra exercises, divided in both sections and adding more than 80 pages to the previous edition. All in all, with this new edition, I hope to have fulfilled the expectations raised in some reviews. I wish the reader a lot of reading and playing fun while working through this book! Herman Grooten, December 2020.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49795683516689,"sku":"GOR012139585","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51067034173713,"sku":"NIN9789464201017","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52471947886865,"sku":"NLS9789464201017","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9464201010.jpg?v=1751254841"},{"product_id":"understanding-before-moving-3-sicilian-structures-part-1-book-herman-grooten-9789492510631","title":"Understanding Before Moving 3 - Sicilian Structures - Part 1","description":"Club players love to study openings as so much material is available. However, it has often been shown that results do not match the amount of study invested, as in practice it is much harder to navigate your way around an opening when the opponent deviates from theory. That is why Herman treats the study of openings in a completely different way. He focuses on increasing insight. In this book he discusses the backgrounds of openings, provides guidelines and explains in an instructive and accessible way the basic principles of a position. This book, the third in its series, provides an overview of the positions and corresponding plans arising from our beloved Sicilian Defense, being in this case ‘Part 1’, The Najdorf and Scheveningen Structures. Three more parts are being written as we speak.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49796017586449,"sku":"GOR012139588","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51067598831889,"sku":"NIN9789492510631","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52689149133073,"sku":"NLS9789492510631","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B07Y4MCS5T.jpg?v=1751001641"},{"product_id":"chess-strategy-for-club-players-book-herman-grooten-9789056912680","title":"Chess Strategy for Club Players","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49878520824081,"sku":"GOR002961904","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49897110044945,"sku":"CIN9056912682G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50216673083665,"sku":"CIN9056912682VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51483364622609,"sku":"GOR009314546","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53575353336081,"sku":"CIN9056912682A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9056912682.jpg?v=1750732813"},{"product_id":"sleutelconcepten-in-het-middenspel-deel-2-book-herman-grooten-9789464201543","title":"Sleutelconcepten in het middenspel deel 2","description":"Talloze onderwerpen zijn mooi beschreven en keurig uitgewerkt. Maar bij het bestuderen van partijen van schaakstudenten, of het nou talentvolle jeugd was, of volwassen clubschakers van divers niveau, viel me één aspect op dat ik als volgt zal proberen te beschrijven: nadat de klok is aangezet en de partij is begonnen, wordt de opening gespeeld. Veel spelers blijken redelijk goed op de hoogte van de theorie. Onvermijdelijk komt het moment waarop één van beide spelers afwijkt, waardoor beide spelers op zichzelf zijn aangewezen. In de fase daarna moeten de spelers hun weg zien te vinden in een wirwar van varianten en plannen. Zij mogen de tactiek niet uit het oog verliezen, maar bovenal zullen zij een strategisch plan moeten bepalen. In deze fase viel mij – door de bank genomen – op dat veel clubschakers over het algemeen de momenten waarop tactiek een rol speelt, goed in de gaten hebben. Laten we zeggen dat er gemiddeld om de vijf zetten tactiek in de stelling zit. Echter… die andere vier zetten moeten zij toch zelf verzinnen! Maar hoe moeten zij dat doen? Waar moeten ze op letten? Welke principes dienen zij te hanteren. Hoe zien ze of een bepaald strategisch kenmerk dominanter is dan een ander? Als ervaren speler en gediplomeerd schaaktrainer kon ik er meestal wel een vinger achter krijgen waar het ergens mis ging. Dat was bij elke speler telkens anders, maar toch slaagde ik er soms in om een “grootste gemene deler” in de partijen van iemand op te sporen. Daarmee was ik er nog niet. Want elke partij was natuurlijk verschillend met de partijen die nog gingen komen. Hoe kon ik deze speler daadwerkelijk vooruit helpen hiermee? In deel 2 komen de belangrijke Pionnenstructuren aan bod!","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51066673103121,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51066675527953,"sku":"NIN9789464201543","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52689991926033,"sku":"NLS9789464201543","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9464201541.jpg?v=1750904580"},{"product_id":"understanding-before-moving-3-part-2-book-herman-grooten-9789464201109","title":"Understanding Before Moving 3 - Part 2","description":"Before you lies the second volume in a trilogy about the Sicilian Defense. The first volume dealt with the Najdorf and Scheveningen variations, and it is now time to pay attention to three other extremely popular systems: the Taimanov, Kan and Richter-Rauzer variations. After careful consideration within the Thinkers Publis­-hing team, we decided that it made sense to group these variations together. In particular, the first two are closely related and share the feature that, in both cases, Black plays …e7-e6 and …a7-a6 at an early stage. They typically have the idea of retaining more options for their king’s bishop by postponing …d7-d6 (or even omitting it entirely.) The bishop may go to b4 or c5 in different lines. The Richter-Rauzer is, in theory, just one of the possible developments from a Classical Sicilian. We have already dealt with a few games that started with the Classical and where Black shortly played …e7-e6; and 6.Bc4 (the Sozin variation) was rightly treated within the Scheveningen pages. However, it is clear that White’s most po­pular counter, the Richter-Rauzer variation (6.Bg5) deserves separate attention. While looking at the variation structure for the Kan and Taimanov and deciding on which model games to use, I noticed a lot of possible transitions to the ‘Hedgehog’ structure, shown on the right. The key features are white pawns on e4 and c4, and at least four black pawns on a6, b6, d6 and e6. This structure is ideally suited to the task of playing for a win as Black, because of the very complicated middlegames that arise. (And one often needs complicated middlegames to have a better chance of ‘converting’ a rating advantage!) The ‘Hedgehog’ is definitely a structure rather than a variation, but it has such a distinctive character of its own that I chose to examine it first in chapter 2. This simplifies later discussion of the Taimanov and Kan variations by removing the need to discuss every possible way of entering a Hedgehog structure.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51066859553041,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51066862633233,"sku":"NIN9789464201109","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52671698469137,"sku":"NLS9789464201109","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/946420110X.jpg?v=1750808250"},{"product_id":"key-concepts-of-chess-volume-1-the-hedgehog-book-herman-grooten-9789464201253","title":"Key Concepts of Chess - Volume 1 - The Hedgehog","description":"This is the first volume of the new series \"Key Concepts of Chess\". The idea is to deal with middlegames in which a certain structure or essential theme becomes central. The idea of starting this series is in line with the \"Understanding before Moving\" series because the aim, is to improve the understanding of club chess players. According to the author, playing an opening should be 'hung up' on stereotypical ideas and concepts belonging to this structure. The thorough exploration of middlegame structures is beyond the scope of opening books, hence it makes more sense to expose it in this complementary series.   In this first volume, the \"Hedgehog System\" is discussed in detail. Apart from being part of the author's repertoire, this typical set-up deserves to be widely highlighted. Although in the second part of the trilogy on the Sicilian, the Hedgehog has already made its appearance, in this book the seemingly fragile, but oh so treacherous creature can reconsider its spines in an extensive way.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51067214692625,"sku":"NIN9789464201253","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52689579147537,"sku":"NLS9789464201253","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53631051104529,"sku":"GOR014987694","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9464201258.jpg?v=1751159897"},{"product_id":"attacking-chess-for-club-players-book-herman-grooten-9789056916558","title":"Attacking Chess for Club Players","description":"Every chess player loves to attack the enemy King. Your goal is clear, your thinking is concrete, your creativity is in gear and direct victory is just around the corner. Few things in life are better than a conducting a blistering King's attack!\u003cbr\u003e But how good are you actually at attacking? Have you ever analysed your efforts? Looked at calculation errors, missed chances and derailed efforts? Highly experienced chess trainer Herman Grooten finds that many of his pupils overestimate their attacking skills. Their fond memories of successful assaults often obscure the fact that there was a lot of room for improvement in their play.\u003cbr\u003e After the immense success of his award-winning classic Chess Strategy for Club Players Herman Grooten has now written an equally accessible primer on attacking chess. He teaches you how to spot opportunities, exploit weaknesses, bring your forces to the frontline and strike at the right moment.\u003cbr\u003e Grooten concentrates on training the most valuable skills: visualizing, structuring, anticipating, calculating, memorizing and other mental aspects. This is not just another collection of useful thematic moves but a complete and highly structured course of attacking techniques. With great and fresh examples, clear explanations and many instructive exercises.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51381365440785,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51381365571857,"sku":"GOR008990008","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52385831092497,"sku":"CIN9056916556VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53099626299665,"sku":"NIN9789056916558","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9056916556.jpg?v=1751000742"},{"product_id":"understanding-before-moving-1-book-herman-grooten-9789492510372","title":"Understanding before Moving 1","description":"This book provides an overview of the positions an corresponding plans arising from the Ruy Lopez and Italian Openings. This learning method was developed by the author enabling the chess player to understand any structure that is derived  from both opening set-ups.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51750047809809,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51750047842577,"sku":"GOR013450260","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9789492510372.jpg?v=1751099504"},{"product_id":"sleutelconcepten-in-het-middenspel-volume-1-de-egel-book-herman-grooten-9789464201260","title":"Sleutelconcepten in het Middenspel - Volume 1 - De Egel","description":"Dit is het eerste deel van de nieuwe serie Sleutelconcepten in het Middenspel. Het idee is om middenspelen te behandelen waarin een bepaalde structuur of essentieel thema cen­traal komt te staan. De gedachte om deze serie te beginnen, sluit aan bij de andere serie Begrijp wat je doet omdat het streven is om het inzicht van clubschakers te verbeteren. Het spelen van een opening dient volgens de auteur ‘opgehangen’ te worden aan stereotiepe ideeën en concepten behorende bij die structuur. Het grondige uitdiepen van midden­spel­structuren gaat te ver bij openingsboeken, vandaar dat het logischer is om dat te gaan doen in deze complementaire reeks.    In dit boek wordt het Egelsysteem uitgebreid besproken. Behalve dat de speelwijze deel uitmaakt van het repertoire van de auteur, verdient deze zeer typische spelsoort het om  ruim onder de aandacht gebracht te worden. Hoewel in het tweede deel van de trilogie over het Siciliaans de egel al zijn intrede heeft gedaan, kan het ogenschijnlijk kwetsbare, maar o zo verraderlijke diertje in dit boek op uitgebreide wijze zijn stekels recht overeind zetten!","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52689618370833,"sku":"NLS9789464201260","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9789464201260.jpg?v=1762335819"},{"product_id":"understanding-before-moving-3-part-3-sicilian-structures-dragon-sveshnikov-four-book-herman-grooten-9789464201826","title":"Understanding Before Moving 3 - Part 3: Sicilian Structures - Dragon - Sveshnikov - Four Knights","description":"You are holding before you the much-awaited final volume of my trilogy about Open Sicilians. The first volume dealt with the Najdorf and Scheveningen variations, while the second concerned itself with the Taimanov, Kan, and Richter-Rauzer variations. In the pages that follow, I round off the collection with the Dragon, Accelerated Dragon, Sveshnikov, Kalashnikov, and Four Knights variations. Each of them is the subject of extensive literature already. So while it is unavoidable that I go into some theoretical details, my intention here (as with the previous volumes) is not to drown you in opening analysis, but rather to focus on general considerations and plans, giving an idea of the interplay between structure and strategy in each of the variations. There is overlap between the strategic elements of the Dragon and its Accelerated cousin in this regard, and between the Sveshnikov and Kalashnikov. But they each get their own chapter nevertheless, because talking about general considerations does not mean it’s clever to eschew granularity entirely. There are individual traits associated with each of the 5 systems.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52839169786129,"sku":"NIN9789464201826","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52859834171665,"sku":"NLS9789464201826","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":52862659232017,"sku":"NGR9789464201826","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9789464201826.jpg?v=1764729493"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-herman-grooten.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}