Pushing Horizons – The Chess Legacy of GM Vladimir Akopian – Vladimir Akopian

Name: Pushing Horizons – The Chess Legacy of GM Vladimir Akopian – Vladimir Akopian - Thinkers Publishing
SKU: 9789493435087
Price: 49.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Hardback – 355 pages

Teaser Pushing Horizons – The Chess Legacy of GM Vladimir Akopian – Vladimir Akopian

The book is divided into four parts:

- Part 1: Memorable Games
  - Contains the author’s 25 most memorable games.
  - Emphasis is on memorable, not necessarily best — includes some draws and one loss.
  - Had the focus been on best games, the selection would have been different.
  - Includes seven games against world champions.
  - This was the most difficult and time-consuming section to compile.
  - Time span: 1991–2010.
- Part 2: Memorable Fragments
  - Features 50 carefully selected fragments — both instructive and curious.
  - Strict selection process applied here as well.
  - Covers a broader time span: 1982–2016.
  - Includes early-career material, with some never published in databases.
- Part 3: Studies
  - Presents 75 studies, of which:
    - 50 require White to draw,
    - 25 require White to win.
  - Excludes most difficult and interesting rook studies (with a few exceptions).
  - Notes that composing studies is far harder than composing problems — described as “a hell of a job”.
- Part 4: Chess Problems
  - Contains 150 of the author’s best chess problems — the author’s favorite part of the book.
  - The first problem was composed at age 12 and published by Alexander Sarychev, a renowned composer and study-maker.
  - Despite early success, the bulk of problem composition came later in life.
In total, the book contains 300 carefully selected items:
- 25 games
- 50 fragments
- 75 studies
- 150 problems
The author hopes that each of these 300 snippets offers something worthwhile and valuable to the reader.

SKU 9789493435087 Categories Theory, English, Languages, Strategy, Tactics Tags Akopian, legacy, Vladimir

Pushing Horizons – The Chess Legacy of GM Vladimir Akopian – Vladimir Akopian

€49.00

In stock

Description

I decided to divide the book into four parts. In the first and the most difficult and time-consuming part of the book you will find my memorable games. I emphasize that these are my most memorable games, not my best games so out of 25 games given here there are a few draws and one loss. If I had decided to collect my best games the selection would have been quite different. It should therefore come as no surprise that as many as seven games with world champions found their way into the book.

The second part consists of my 50 most memorable fragments. There you will see both instructive and curious examples. Here too the selection process was quite strict. While the memorable games cover the period of 1991-2010, the fragments cover the span from 1982 till 2016. And since they cover my early years as well, you will find some of them that did not find their way into databases.

The third part of the book contains my 75 studies, in 50 of which White must draw and in 25 must win. I have many more but except for a couple of examples I decided not to include the most difficult and interesting rook studies in the book. I have to say that composing studies is much more difficult than problems; it’s just a hell of a job.

And finally, the fourth, my favorite part of the book, featuring my 150 best chess problems. I should talk about this in greater detail: I was 12 when I composed my first problem. It was later published in the article by the famous composer and study-maker Alexander Sarychev, whom I had had the great fortune to meet. Yet, despite this positive experience at a young age, it was only much later that I composed a significant number of problems.

And so, I hope that in each of the 300 snippets presented in the book, be it games, fragments, studies or problems, the reader will find something worthwhile. At least, the author really strove for that.

Vladimir Akopian, August 2025, Los Angeles.