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Posted by nemesis1010
play-online-chess.com
6/21/2008
14:50:18
play online chess |  Subject: Books on Openings
Message:
Can anyone recommend a good book on openings that you've used and has genuinely improved your game? A quick search on Amazon produces far too many and very similar looking results, so I don't really know where to begin :). Basically I'd like one or two books that demonstrate the pros and cons of all popular openings and defences, so that I can hopefully expand my game beyond my current staple of Queen's pawn and English openings, and French defence.
Cheers in advance
Mike
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Posted by tag1153
play-online-chess.com
6/21/2008
19:21:10
play online chess | fwiw
Message:
I have about 100 chess books....probably 95 were impulse buys at tourneys, and they sre doing a wonderful job of collecting dust on the bookshelf. The one book that any serious student needs imho is an MCO (or other encyclopedic style opening manual). My MCO is about 20 years old now, and practically falling apart - but it has 20 years of my handwritten notes on the "trees" of just about every opening you've ever heard of....it is the one tool that helped me to be able identify openings better. But keep this mind - this "advice" is coming from a lifelong class C patzer, so it is probably best to disregard it:)
tag1153
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Posted by chessisvanity
play-online-chess.com
6/21/2008
20:15:40
play online chess | MCO no thanks.
Message:
MCO covers lines but no explanation.
I suggest "Understanding the chess openings" by Collins.
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Posted by bogg
play-online-chess.com
6/22/2008
00:09:33
play online chess | nemesis1010
Message:
It is hard to go wrong with books written by John Watson. Although I haven't read them, his two volume set 'Mastering the Chess Openings' has been spoken highly of by friends.
CTCampbell (Bogg)
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Posted by mathemagician_
play-online-chess.com
6/22/2008
04:40:28
play online chess |
Message:
I would recommend 'Chess Openings' by Mike Basman, it's quite an old book - first published in 1987 - but inside it describes some general principles etc. then goes onto give insight into The Guico Piano, Sicilian, Nimzo-Indian and Morra-gambit. So if those openings interest you, and you can find a copy (I found my copy in a second-hand-book store), it has my seal of approval - quite an honour if i do say so myself.
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Posted by mathemagician_
play-online-chess.com
6/22/2008
04:52:37
play online chess |
Message:
*Giuoco Piano, of course.
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Posted by doctor_knight
play-online-chess.com
6/23/2008
08:49:40
play online chess |
Message:
I'm not sure how advanced a book you're looking for, but if you're not looking for an advanced book, Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Openings is quite good. I've also got a big book by Graham Burgess (I believe it was my first real chess book) that has a fairly comprehensive overview of openings. He usually shows the main line with some commentary and depending on the importance of the opening, he may show and comment on all the major variations and show a game or two for each. I believe the book was called "Chess Strategy" or something similar and it is big and red. It has lots of other interesting/useful information too.
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Posted by thunker
play-online-chess.com
6/23/2008
12:03:43
play online chess |
Message:
"Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" by Reuben Fine
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Posted by ccmcacollister
play-online-chess.com
6/25/2008
13:15:40
play online chess | Just dropping in ....
Message:
to say I certainly second BOGG's recommendation of IM John Watson. (Of Course ... BOGG's
always right on Chess, in case you haven't noticed yet :)
Great books and author. I especially liked Play The French #1. The info there was enough to
boost several adherents from Iowa alone, into Sr. Master Postal Performances in the French at
that time. Of course there was something of a French Conspiracy here at the time :)
Very popular.
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Posted by nemesis1010
play-online-chess.com
6/26/2008
04:33:02
play online chess | Cheers everyone
Message:
Though I'm still undecided, lol :)
I will probably start doctor_knight's Yasser Seirawan recommendation and then move onto John Watson's series (I note on Amazon there's a third volume due for release in October).
mathemagician_'s Mike Basman book does sounds interesting. But also appears to be a bit of a rarity - can't see it at all on Amazon or Ebay.
I actually find this link useful as an encyclopaedia of all openings, although the strategy and thinking behind them is very minimal:
 www.csm.astate.edu
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