How To Swindle In Chess

An international Grandmaster explores a common, but little written about, aspect of chess: swindling.

In chess, a swindle is a ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, thus achieving a win or draw. It’s a skill that involves setting traps that exploit a challenger’s overconfidence, or choosing a riskier move that results in victory rather than the expected loss. But despite the importance of the swindle, almost nothing has been written about how to do it. Grandmaster and respected chess journalist Andrew Soltis explains just why swindles aren’t accidental or a matter of luck, and shows players of all levels how they can become “swindlers,” with plenty of examples along the way.