Three hundred years after the Ottoman Empire was founded, its military decided to venture into the naturally rich lands of Africa. In 1557 a force of 1400 to 1500 men invaded The Kingdom of Medri Bahn, a kingdom that would remain under Ottoman rule until it was conquered by the powerful Muhammad Ali dynasty of Egypt and Sudan in the 19th century.

The borders of what we call modern-day Eritrea were decided in 1869 during the infamous Scramble for Africa and the arrival of Italian settlers in 1880. After the death of Ethiopian emperor Johannes IV in battle there was major confusion in the nation giving the Italians the opportunity to form a nation in the highlands of Northern Ethiopia in the year 1889 known as Eritrea, which translates to Sinus Erythraeus in Greek or simply Red Sea in English. Since then, Eritrea has been on a downward trajectory for over a century...

This has been a book which has been in the works for a while. Jonathan Penrose was one of the greatest British Chess players of all time. A lifetime amateur, Dr Penrose represented his nation at the highest level whilst dominating the British Championships in his mid-20s to early 30s. In the book I look at his ten British Championship wins and the story behind each one in an engaging and immersive manner. The book covers a wide variety of games from precise endgames to tactical back-and-forth affairs. I have made the book easy enough to read and understand for beginners whilst also making it complex enough for advanced player to take valuable and practical lessons which I can use in their own games.

This book has been helped by invaluable contributions from brother Oliver Penrose as well as teammate and friend Raymond Keene, a massive thank you to them.