El riesgo y el farol en el ajedrez: el arte de asumir riesgos calculados

This Risk & Bluff in Chess: The Art of Taking Calculated Risks is a chess book about one of the game’s most practical and least discussed themes: when to take a calculated risk, and when to use bluff as a real over-the-board weapon. It is aimed at players who want to sharpen not only their calculation, but also their understanding of chess psychology and decision-making under pressure.

What this book is about

In chess, you cannot win by playing safely all the time. Even after deep analysis, there comes a point where you have to choose a move without complete certainty. Vladimir Tukmakov shows the difference between calculated risk and bluff, and explains why players such as Lasker and Tal used both so effectively.

His approach is built on the idea that chess is not pure science. Every move is shaped by tension, emotion, time pressure and the way the opponent thinks. If you can judge what your rival sees, what they fear and where they may go wrong, you gain an advantage that goes beyond the raw evaluation of the position.

Bluff is treated here as a deliberate form of risk: a way of creating a situation in which the opponent believes in a threat they cannot fully verify at the board. That practical, tournament-focused angle is what sets the book apart from more conventional works on strategy and tactics.

What you will find inside

Vladimir Tukmakov uses real games and practical examples throughout the book, drawing on the experience of top-level play to show how strong players handle uncertainty. The result is a collection of more than 100 practical examples showing how masters and grandmasters pushed beyond calculation alone and chose to take conscious risks.

This is not dry theory. The book is built around concrete positions, practical situations and often engaging stories from elite chess. It shows not only that risk can work at the highest level, but also how to make an opponent believe in the psychological trap you have prepared.

It will appeal to a wide range of readers, from ambitious club players and tournament competitors to anyone who enjoys chess writing with a strong practical and psychological focus.

Author

Vladimir Tukmakov is the author of this book. He also wrote Profession Chessplayer and Modern Chess Preparation.

Key details

• Product type: chess book
• Title: Risk & Bluff in Chess: The Art of Taking Calculated Risks
• Author: Vladimir Tukmakov
• Subject: calculated risk and bluff in chess
• Approach: practical examples from real games
• Examples: more than 100 practical examples
• Award shortlist: English Chess Federation Book of the Year Award 2016