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Posted by nemesis1010
beck-web.com

6/21/2008
14:50:18

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Subject: Books on Openings

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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
beck-web.com

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.


———
Shankland Is US Junior Chess Champion — Samuel Shankland, an 18-year-old international master, survived a three-way playoff on Tuesday to win the United States junior chess championship. Shankland was the No. 2 seed, but he beat Ray Robson, the top seed and a chess grandmaster, in an Armageddon game to claim the title. As there were three players tied for first, there were two playoff games. Robson, by virtue of having the better tie-breaker scores, met the winner of the first game. In that one, Shankland beat Parker Zhao. The playoff involved long Armageddon games, just like the one used at the U.S. Chess Championship earlier this year. Shankland and Zhao, each chess player secretly bid on how much time, up to ...
Posted by bogg
beck-web.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)
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Krush Is US Women's Chess Champion; Playoff Will Decide US Junior — Irina Krush, 26, won the United States Women’s Championship on Monday by defeating Abby Marshall, 19, in the final round of the chess tournament. Krush finished with 8 points. It is Krush’s third title. She previously won in 1998 and 2007. For winning this time, she earned $16,000. Krush’s principal rival, Anna Zatonskih, 32, the 2009 champion, who was tied with Krush before the final round, could only draw against Sabina Foisor, 20. She finished with 7.5 points and tied for second with Tatev Abrahamyan, 22, who beat Katerina Rohonyan, 26. Zatonskih and Abrahamyan each earned $10,500. Krush’s win over Marshall was not easy. Marshall, playing in her first U.S. Chess Championship, had ...
Posted by mathemagician_
beck-web.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.
———
Mamedyarov Leads in Dortmund — Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan took over the lead of the elite Sparkassen Chess-Meeting tournament in Germany on Sunday after he drew his game while his co-leader, Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine, lost. Mamedyarov has 3 points after four rounds, Ponomariov has 2.5, Le Quang Liem of Vietnam, who beat Ponomariov, has 2, and Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the defending chess champion, Peter Leko of Hungary and Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany are tied for last with 1.5 points each. The standings are startling as Kramnik, Leko and Naiditsch are all previous champions in Dortmund, while the top three players have never won there. Mamedyarov faced Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, the defending chess ...
Posted by mathemagician_
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6/22/2008
04:52:37

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*Giuoco Piano, of course.
———
Viktor Laznicka seals runaway World Open victory — The World Open in Philadelphia has been staged annually since the early 1970s, and although it has never quite justified its grandiose title it is still a huge magnet for chess players from grandmasters to novices. It is a big money event, with high entry fees but first prizes of several thousand dollars even for weaker sections. Its continued success reflects a ruthless policy by the organisers towards rating cheats, coupled with a highly flexible schedule. The final rounds are on Independence Day, but it is possible to compete anywhere between three and seven days and to re-enter if you start badly. For GMs in the top section, it can be a vicious battle. They normally get a minimum ...
Posted by doctor_knight
beck-web.com

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.
———
Endgames, part 1: Rook against Bishop — A superb lesson from Magnus Carlsen in endgame technique. It's been a while since we looked at the endgame, so this week we begin a short series on this often neglected area with a terrific demonstration of endgame technique from the ever-improving chess world No 1 Magnus Carlsen. Although White has the advantage of rook against bishop, Black has an extra pawn and a solid position on the chess board. How did Carlsen make progress? RB I'm pretty sure the answer lies in g4. The question is whether to nudge the pawn forward immediately or whether some preparation is needed first, perhaps exchanging on d5 or advancing the king to e3. The only way is concrete calculation, so let's see what ...
Posted by thunker
beck-web.com

6/23/2008
12:03:43

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"Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" by Reuben Fine

Posted by ccmcacollister
beck-web.com

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
beck-web.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