All chess players know the impact of a surprising move in a game. The victim is disorienated and often blunders in reply, while the player landing the surprise feels invigorated, lusting for the battle ahead.
It is thus quite a surprise in itself that this is the first book devoted to this imoortant practical aspect of chess psychology. Avni, a highly experienced and respected chess writer, provides a detailed understanding of the many ways of surprising the opponent. This is far more than a list of tips for how to find startling moves. Avni explains a whole theory of surprise, which the reader can absorb and make a fundamental part of his approach to chess.
The book includes games where surprise played a major role, annotated by GMs Ronen Har-Zvi, Gad Rechlis, Eran Liss, Ilan Manor, Ram Soffer and IM Artur Kogan.

About the author: FIDE Master Amatzia Avni is a psychologist. He has written several acclaimed works on chess, including Creative Chess and Danger in Chess, both published by Cadogan.