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Posted by nemesis1010 legalserv.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
Posted by tag1153 legalserv.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
Posted by chessisvanity legalserv.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.
Posted by bogg legalserv.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)
Posted by mathemagician_ legalserv.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.
Posted by mathemagician_ legalserv.com 6/22/2008 04:52:37 play online chess	Message: *Giuoco Piano, of course.
Posted by doctor_knight legalserv.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.
Posted by thunker legalserv.com 6/23/2008 12:03:43 play online chess	Message: "Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" by Reuben Fine
Posted by ccmcacollister legalserv.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.
Posted by nemesis1010 legalserv.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
Chess news: Barden on chess -- India's Vishy Anand and his Russian challenger Vlad Kramnik meet this afternoon in Bonn in game four of their 12-game, €1.5m world title chess match. The eagerly awaited showdown has lost some of its gloss due to Kramnik's mediocre results at Dortmund and Moscow and Anand's recent disastrous last place in Bilbao. In consequence they are currently Nos 5 and 6 in the world chess rankings. I can not recall a previous world title match (except for Fide's knock-outs) where neither chess player was in the top two. Basically the result is too close to call and could be effectively decided if in one game either side can unleash a computer-prepared chess opening bomb. Expert opinion is ... Anand wins 3rd game of world chess match -- Defending chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India scored the first victory in his title match against Russian Vladimir Kramnik with a third game that saw both chess players take off the gloves and go at each other with gusto. After a dull draw in game one and a complex but civilized draw in game two, the two engaged in play they described as "complicated," but that description hardly catches the flavor of Friday's game. Anand, playing with Black, opted for the super-sharp Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defense, which Kramnik avoided in game one. Anand's 14th move, a bishop to b7, was a novelty at this level of play. Afterward, Kramnik said, "I have my doubts about it but ... Anand, Kramnik draw in 4th game of chess match -- Defending chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India played to a 29-move draw with Russian challenger Vladimir Kramnik on Saturday in the fourth game of their world chess championship match. Anand leads the 12-game match 2.5-1.5. He won the third game in spectacular style on Friday after the two men drew their opening games. Saturday's draw was a tame affair in comparison with the previous day's game. Anand had the white pieces and the opening was the solid Queen's Gambit Declined. As often happens in this chess opening, Black wound up with an isolated d-pawn and White had only the slightest chance of an advantage. Kramnik summed the opening up after ...