All chess players know that they need to study tactics, calculation, endgames, and openings, but when it comes to defense, far too many wait until they're under pressure. The truth is that more games are lost because of defensive mistakes than strategic ones. By improving your defense, you could do more for your win rate than perhaps any other area of chess study. Mastering Chess Defense by GM Johan Hellsten is the training program you need to prepare for and defend against attacks, both in the short and long term. Inside are 31 chapters that form a compendium of all the defensive skills you need to learn. Specifically, you'll learn to deflect successfully with material or create counterthreats - as the best defense is a good offense. You will find out how to exploit the back rank as a defensive measure and learn to understand the risks of materialism - to grab material or not to grab? You will find safety on flight squares or find "lifelines" that allow you to escape from the seemingly inescapable. This is the most comprehensive modern book on defensive techniques, with hundreds of instructive examples and dozens of exercises. Strategic mastermind Johan Hellsten teaches you to defend at a master level.
