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Posted by nemesis1010
blitzbrain.com

6/21/2008
14:50:18

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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


Posted by tag1153
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6/21/2008
19:21:10

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fwiw

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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


Posted by chessisvanity
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6/21/2008
20:15:40

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MCO no thanks.

Message:
MCO covers lines but no explanation.

I suggest "Understanding the chess openings" by Collins.


———
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Re-elected as World Chess Federation President — Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was re-elected as president of the World Chess Federation on Wednesday. Mr. Ilyumzhinov reportedly defeated Anatoly Karpov, the former world chess champion, by a vote of 99 to 55. Each country in the federation, which is also known by the acronym FIDE (for Fédération Internationale des Échecs), had one vote. Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s new term runs to 2014; he has been president of FIDE since 1995. The election was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, where the biennial Chess Olympiad is also being played. As part of Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s ticket, Georgios Makropoulos of Greece was re-elected deputy president; Lewis Ncube of Zambia and Beatriz Marinello ...
Posted by bogg
blitzbrain.com

6/22/2008
00:09:33

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nemesis1010

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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)
———
Ivanchuk Dominates Chess Olympiad — The chess olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia is in full swing, moving into the second half. The Open section has 149 teams listed, nearly 750 chess players. The women section has 115 teams, roughly 575 chess players. Head and shoulders above all players stands Vasyl Ivanchuk. The 41-year old Ukrainian grandmaster smashed everything coming his way so far, winning five straight games and amassing a giant 3357 performance rating. On Tuesday, Ivanchuk added his sixth victory against the Georgian GM Baadur Jobava. His team leads the chess olympiad after seven rounds, having won six matches and drawing one. The 11-round olympiad concludes Sunday, October 3. Ivanchuk was ...
Posted by mathemagician_
blitzbrain.com

6/22/2008
04:40:28

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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.
———
New Jersey Man Plays Kasparov and Carlsen — Chess players are not movie stars — no one has ever stalked a chess player, at least not for playing chess — but some fans go to great lengths to meet and even play against the game’s best. Jonathan B. Crumiller is a fan, and he lived out a dream this month. Crumiller, who is a master but certainly not a top chess player, is the chief operating officer of Princeton Consultants and lives and works in New Jersey. On Sept. 8, he was in London at a fund-raiser for Anatoly Karpov, the former world chess champion, who is running for president of the World Chess Federation. As part of the event, there was an auction to play a consultation game with Garry Kasparov, another former chess champion, and ...
Posted by mathemagician_
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6/22/2008
04:52:37

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Message:
*Giuoco Piano, of course.
———
Chess stars align in Siberia — The 39th Chess Olympiad began Tuesday in Khanty-Mansiysk, a small Siberian city in Russia. The immense chess tournament has attracted 146 men's teams and 114 women's teams representing 142 nations. Half of the 484 participants in the men's section hold the grandmaster title. The ninth-seeded U.S. men's chess team consists of grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura (Missouri), Gata Kamsky (New York), Alexander Onischuk (Virginia), Yury Shulman (Illinois) and Robert Hess (New York). That's an impressive lineup with a fair chance at a medal. They defeated Faroe Islands, 4-0, and Mongolia, 31/2-1/2, in their first two matches. The sixth-seeded U.S. women's chess team is probably ...
Posted by doctor_knight
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6/23/2008
08:49:40

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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.
———
After Four Rounds of the Chess Olympiad, Several Favorites Have Fallen — Seven teams have won all of their matches through the first four rounds of the biennial Chess Olympiad. Four of those teams — the top two Russian teams, Hungary and Armenia — were ranked among the top six at the start, so their standing is no surprise. But three of the leaders — the Netherlands, the Republic of Georgia and Vietnam — are unexpected, in particular the last two, who were ranked No. 20 and 27, respectively, when the chess competition began. Several of the pre-tournament favorites ran into unexpected trouble early on. Ukraine, which was ranked No. 2, gave up a drawn match to Croatia, No. 28, in Round 3. (Matches are between teams of four players). Ukraine is now tied for ...
Posted by thunker
blitzbrain.com

6/23/2008
12:03:43

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"Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" by Reuben Fine

Posted by ccmcacollister
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6/25/2008
13:15:40

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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.


Posted by nemesis1010
blitzbrain.com

6/26/2008
04:33:02

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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