Book Description
The Caro-Kann Defence has a well-deserved and established reputation as an incredibly solid and, at the same time, dynamic defence to 1 e4. The Caro-Kann appeals to all types of players, but is especially useful to Black players who prefer a sound platform on which to build and who are resourceful in both defence and counter-attack. Star players who enjoy using the Caro-Kann include Vishy Anand, Michael Adams and the legendary Anatoly Karpov. In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster Joe Gallagher goes back to the basics of the Caro-Kann, studying the key principles of its many variations. Throughout the book there is an abundance of notes, tips, warnings, and exercises to help improving players, while important strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.
*User-friendly design to help readers absorb ideas
*Concentrates on the key principles of the Caro-Kann
*Ideal for the improving player
Customer Reviews:
A Good Place to Start.......2007-01-09
Joe Gallagher's "Starting Out: The Caro-Kann" provides the reader with just enough material about the defense to give it a try in a club setting or tournament game. As an introduction to the opening for low-to-moderately-rated club players, I would recommend it for its simplicity, clarity, and communication of ideas about the Caro-Kann. Most of the significant variations of the opening are covered in an overview kind of way, with a few illustrative games for each variation presented to help the reader get a feel for the ideas and strategies. Gallagher provides some relevant and lively side comments about the games, including his own experiences playing against the different variations. Each variation has a brief introductory paragraph along with some statistics about White's percentage of success in mater-level games against the variation (not terribly relevant to the intended audience) and an approximation of the amount of opening theory a player needs to know to deal with the variation competently. Interspersed throughout the games are highlighted concepts, ideas, and potential dangers in the opening variation. Using games to illustrate not just the opening, but also the transition from opening to middle game and, ultimately, the endgame is an effective format so the reader can see where the opening variation might lead. Upon full digestion of this book, a player would be ready for some more in-depth exploration of the Caro-Kann Defense.
Okay as an introduction to the Caro-Kann.......2006-07-07
Joe Gallagher's survey can only serve as a very basic introduction to the Caro-Kann. One must also bear in mind that Gallagher does NOT play the Caro-Kann Defense himself, and this at times shows itself in how he discusses the variations. Still, the book is okay if it is your first introduction to this defense. It is NOT a complete Caro-Kann Defense book -- that book hasn't been written yet... There are four new Caro-Kann books to be published in the coming months that promise us something good:
- Anatoly Karpov: "Karpov's Caro Kann: Advance and Gambit Systems" (February 2007)
- Anatoly Karpov: "Karpov's Caro Kann: Panov's Attack" (February 2007)
- Jovanka Houska: "Play the Caro-Kann : A Complete Chess Opening Repertoire Against 1e4" (February 2007)
- Peter Wells: "Chess Explained: The Caro-Kann" (November 2006)
For me, a good openings book should contain the following:
1) Historical background and major practitioners
2) General discussion of pawn structures
3) Variations -- each variation should have
- Themes and traps for White
- Themes and traps for Black
- Move by move analysis of variation
- Games survey (important historical games as well as those that illustrate strategic/tactical ideas)
4) Detailed index of variations with page number references
There are many Caro-Kann books that contain some of the above, but none of them do it all. Most of the openings books you will find out there are either a mass of variations with little or no discussion or intro-type books which are too general/superficial to provide a serious chessplayer with the tools he or she needs to compete.
[...]
Good Introduction.......2006-02-05
As always, this example of the Starting Out series provides a good first introduction to an important alternative to the ubiquitous sicilian. A reasonably good survey of the main lines and an interesting and well-annotated selection of illustrative games.
A good chess book on the Caro-Kann.......2005-08-14
The Caro-Kann is a solid defense to 1 e4. It begins with 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 (yes, those who have second thoughts with Black after seeing the almost inevitable 2 d4 can still change their minds and play 2...d6, switching to a Pirc, but that's another story).
Gallagher leads us through the main lines we need to know to play this defense, as well as to decide what to play against it with White. We begin with the Classical: 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4. And I agree with the author that those interested in this ought to buy Tal's book on his 1960 match versus Botvinnik as well. Black has a choice of 4...Bf5, which is fairly solid, or 4...Nd7, which can be a little trickier, or the more dubious 4...Nf6. The Classical lines take up over half the book.
Then we proceed to the Advance Variation (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5). Gallagher spends quite a bit of time on 3...c5 here. In this, Black is playing an Advance Variation of the French defense a tempo down. We also see a good analysis of 3...Bf5 4 Nc3, where White hopes to launch a kingside attack that includes g4 as a tempo-gaining shot at that f5 Bishop.
Next is the Panov (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 c4). This is my favorite for White. That's because I can use this analysis to play White against the Scandinavian, the Queen's Gambit Declined (if I open 1 d4), and even the Nimzo-Indian (the same isolated queen pawn position can arise in all of these). After 4...Nf6 5 Nc3 e6 6 Nf3 Be7 7 cxd5 Nxd5, we're there (the author now recommends 8 Bd3). Gallagher talks about that isolated White Queen pawn, and how minor piece trades tend to favor Black here by reducing White's attacking chances.
Late in the book, there is a section on the move 2 c4, which I think Gallagher ought to have given a little more discussion. This is an attempt by White to get to a Panov before committing to playing d4. The idea is to make it harder for Black to employ certain defences (such as 5...g6) that might otherwise be used versus the Panov. After 1 e4 c6 2 c4 (I agree with Gallagher that this move looks ugly, leaving that awful hole on d4), I think Black ought to be considering 2...e5, and Gallagher gives a couple of brief ideas here. However, Black is often content to get into a Panov with 2...d5. Next is 3 exd5, to which the author gives 3...cxd5 as the automatic response. But I disagree. I think the automatic response ought to be 3...Nf6!? After that, White will have to humbly crawl back into the Panov with 4 d4, and let Black defend against it any way she wants to. Or else "win" Black's pawn with 4 dxc6 Nxc6, but this is a well-known position from the Scandinavian, and most folks would already prefer Black.
After 1 e4 c6 2 c4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 cxd5 Nf6, I think White is getting what she wants after 5 Nc3, and she even has the option of playing 5 Bb5+ instead.
This book also has three pages on the Exchange Variation (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 Bd3). And it has a section on the infamous Fantasy Variation (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 f3). I once fell into a famous trap in this line that Gallagher boasts he won three games in as White. I, and Gallagher's opponents, played the following first nine suicidal moves as Black:
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 f3 dxe4?! 4 fxe4 e5 5 Nf3 exd4? 6 Bc4 Bb4+? 7 c3 dxc3 8 Bxf7+ (this wins by force) Kxf7 9 Qxd8 cxb2+ 10 Ke2 bxc1=N+ (as the book shows, 10...bxa1=Q gets Black mated, so I tried something else) 11 Rxc1 (White's advantage is overwhelming but now my opponent demonstrates that with bad enough play, any position can be compromised) 11...Bg4 12 Qc7+ Nd7 13 Qxb7 Rb8 14 Qxa7 Nc7 15 Nc3 Bc5 16 Qc7 Rb2+ 17 Ke1 Rxg2 18 Qf4+ Ke8 19 Rab1 Rf8 20 Rb8+ Nxb8 21 Qxb8+ Bc8 22 Ne5 Bf2+ 23 White Resigns
This book is very readable and clear, and I think it is an excellent introduction to the Caro-Kann. I recommend it.
The ideal first book on the CK.......2004-07-04
The Caro-Kann has been the first defence I studied versus 1.e4. It's a shame I didn't have that book when I studied it because Gallagher explained the ideas of the CK (for both white and black) very well, and I would have saved a lote of tiresome work (and painful defeats!) if I had it at that time!
This book is especially impressive as Galagher's own experience on the CK is from the white side only. A must buy for a first book on the CK (especially for the black player). Even more experienced players can find many interesting section as "the fantasy variation" (where white playes 3.f3; ) is astounding (here Gallagher's own experience on the white side shines through).
Book Description
The King's Indian Attack was a firm favorite of the legendary Bobby Fischer, and more recently it has been utilized with great success by world-class Grandmasters such as Alexander Morozevich. The renowned chess coach Mark Dvoretsky regards the King's Indian Attack as a perfect weapon on which to base an opening repertoire. Its great advantage over other openings is that it's a thematic system that can be employed against many different lines, while the emphasis is on the understanding of ideas rather than the dry memorization of moves. The King's Indian Attack leads to rich middlegame positions that are full of dynamic possibilities for both sides.
In this easy-to-use guide, King's Indian Attack expert John Emms goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of this attack and its numerous lines. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to help improving players, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.
User-friendly design to help readers absorb ideas
Concentrates on the key principles of the King's Indian Attack
Ideal for improving players
Customer Reviews:
Not exactly what it seems.......2007-06-24
This is primarily about the closed French and closed Siclian defenses, from white's perspective, (about 140 pages). The last 60 pages is about the reversed King's Indian opening. If your primary interest is playing 1. Nf3 as white, this is probably not the book you are looking for.
If you like opening with 1. e4, and want a systematic response when your opponent does not reply with 1. ... e5, then this is a good book for you. You will have a system of play that does not require learning the vast variations of the open French and Sicilian defenses.
Also, you will have in hand the 1. Nf3 opening, in case you want to change things up a bit with a secondary opening as white.
The book is well written and illustrated, the level of detail is suitable for the beginning or intermediate player. It assumes a basic knowledge of the game beyond just knowing how the pieces move.
A good opening book.......2006-08-15
This is a well organized and easy to understand book for players at all levels. Whether you want to play the KIA or want a better line against an opponent, this volume does the job.
An in-depth guide for intermediate to advanced chess players.......2005-11-08
Written by British chess Grandmaster John Emms, Starting Out: King's Indian Attack is an in-depth guide for intermediate to advanced chess players to the King's Indian Attack, a favorite chess strategy of the legendary Bobby Fischer, among others including world-class Grandmaster Alexander Morozevich. Starting Out: King's Indian Attack studies the fundamental principles of this tactic and its numerous lines. A wealth of notes, tips, warnings, suggestions, sample games and diagrams serve to enlighten the average player on the strengths and weaknesses of using or defending against this strategy. Highly recommended for any dedicated chess player seeking to improve his or her game against experienced opponents.
Book Description
In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster and openings expert Glenn Flear goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of the Slav and Semi-Slav Defences and their numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to guide improving players, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.
Customer Reviews:
Practical and excellent book........2006-08-23
The book is practical, clear and full of tips for 1600-2000 player. I don't know for players over this. I'm 1.700 and my friends, who read the book, are all in the 1600-2000 interval.
Good Intro to Important Defence against d4.......2006-02-05
Epitomizes the strengths, and weaknesses, of the Starting Out series. It serves as an excellent introduction to one of the most important defences to 1. d4. Players interested in using this system competitively would, of course, have to go deeper with the help of other works, such as Flear's own on the a6 Slav, currently the rage, or Silman and Donaldson's.
A good overview, but not much more.......2005-11-06
This is a good overview over almost all relevant variations in the Slav and Semi Slav (the quiet 7.... Nb6 in the Ne5-mainline seems to be missing, though). Each variation is explained very well, using one or two games from current tournament practice. You get some statistics plus a hint if a line needs a lot of theoretical knowledge or not. Beginners as well as strong players will benefit from these annotations. But the material presented is far too little to play the Slav or Semi Slav after studying it. This has of course nothing to do with the author, but with the concept of the "Starting Out" series. I think that you simply get too little material for your money, although Flear does an excellent job within these limitations.
Recommended for players under 2000 ELO or as a first overview if you plan to play (or face) these openings.
A practical and solid defense to 1 d4.......2005-09-23
If you are a chess player who is looking for a defence to 1 d4, consider the ideas in this book. The book is up-to-date, with plenty of annotated recent games as examples.
The book covers the lines resulting from 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6. Quite often, White continues with 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3. And, in this introductory book, Flear explains how to play either side of the major lines which follow:
4...dxc4 is the Slav.
4...e6 is the Semi-Slav
4...a6 is the Chameleon, a waiting move that is considered part of the Slav
In some cases, White plays 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e3. Black can now reply 4...g6, the Schlechter, which the author also has a chapter on.
But there is a line which I think is a nuisance for Black. White can simply play 3 cxd5, the Exchange Variation. Black has to recapture, and the game becomes relatively easy for White. As the book shows, Black is not in serious trouble in this line, but I certainly would rather have White.
There is a way, however, to pretty much avoid the Exchange Variation. As Flear shows, Black can play the Triangle. That's the move order I recommend. Black plays 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6. After 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 c6, Black is playing a Semi-Slav and has avoided the Exchange Variation. White can still take the pawn on move 3, but it isn't as good a line.
Most likely, White will play 3 Nc3. Now, Black plays 3...c6, blocking her Queen Bishop even more. This is the characteristic position of the Triangle. White's main choices are:
4 e3, after which Black has a choice: play 4...Nf6 and get to a Semi-Slav in which White's most dangerous move, Bg5, has been avoided. Or play 4...f5, transposing to a very playable version of the Dutch Stonewall (although White can still play 5 g4).
4 Nf3, after which Black can play 4...Nf6 and get into a Semi-Slav in which White does indeed have the option of playing 5 Bg5. Or play dxc4, the Noteboom, which is wild but okay for Black.
4 e4, the dangerous Marshall Gambit. This typically goes: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 c6 4 e4 dxe4 5 Nxe4 Bb4 6 Bd2 Qxd4 7 Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8 Be2. White's idea is to allow 8...Qxg2, answering with 9 Qd6 Nd7 10 0-0-0 and an extremely dangerous attack. So Black tends to play 8...Na6. If you are going to play this line in tournaments, I think you'll need to study more than just this introductory book, however.
Of course, that is not all Black has to learn. As I said, there is that variation where White plays 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 (you do not want to play 3...c6 here, after which White has too many good options) 4 Nc3 e6. This is the Semi-Slav, which the book spends over 100 pages on. White generally plays:
5 Bg5. This gives Black the choice of playing what Flear recommends, 5...dxc4 (the Botvinnik variation). Or trying the move I use, 5...h6 (the Moscow variation). Both require some work to learn, and Flear teaches us quite a bit about both moves.
5 e3, which leads either to the Meran variation or some Meran-avoiding sideline. The Meran variation the book recommends for Black is 5 e3 Nbd7 6 Bd3 dxc4 7 Bxc4 b5 8 Bd3 Bb7, a popular line which I've used for many years.
This book is useful and easy to read. I recommend it.
Slav Semi Slav Battle Manual.......2005-09-19
The first half of this book deals with the Slav. Roughly 119 pages, and 39 games. The second half of the book deals with the Semi-Slav Botvinnik, Moscow, Meran, Anti-Meran at roughly 126 pages and 52 games. I like the way that this book is written explaining the strategic ideas behind each variation. Also another nice thing about the book is the author recommends his favorite lines and the percentage statistics for white and black. This is nice to know but at the 1700-1800 level it is not very important. At the end of the book are a few quizzes where a position from a slav or semi slav is given, from games that were discussed in the book and you are supposed to guess the move. This is a good memory test to see if you remember the position and what to do in it. I wish there were other problems the author added that were originial given with analysis so that it was not just a pure memory test. This book is a must read for any one who plays queen pawn openings as the slav and semi-slav and the positions explained in this book occur in many openings and it is nice to know the strategic ideas. It was a good buy, and I hope to see more books on the subject from the author. The author has also written several other books on the slav, but in this book he has explained it to the masses.
Book Description
The King's Indian is one of the most exciting defenses in chess and is favored by ambitious and aggressive players. At the highest level it has been a major weapon for World Champions Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster Joe Gallagher goes back to the basics of the King's Indian, studying the key principles of its many variations. Throughout the book there are numerous notes, tips, warnings and exercises to help the improving player, while important strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. (6 3/4 x 9 3/4, 176 pages, diagrams)
Customer Reviews:
no target audience.......2006-12-29
While this book does, as other reviewers note, explain the ideas of the King's Indian in an accessible way, the author clearly has no idea of the conditions under which club players play openings. He suffers from "masteritis"--the tendency to write books for amateurs by dumbing down the advice the author would give to other masters, as if amateurs were just weaker players who competed in master tournaments. This disconnect is all too common in chess books, few of which would be published if most of their readers weren't below 2000 (there just aren't enough stronger players to pay the publisher's bills). It's ESPECIALLY problematic in a book from the STARTING OUT series, specifically targetted to low to middle level players.
Gallagher repeatedly cites the statistical results produced by a particular line--a notoriously unreliable method even for masters, as he himself tacitly admits by sometimes commenting that the poor results for Black were just because the players didn't know how to handle it. It has even less relevance for club players, in whose games dynamic factors are much more important static endgame advantages. If somebody compiled opening statistics based on amateur play, I doubt they would resemble the ones at master level.
Besides statistical success, Gallagher's main criterion for the importance of a move is fashionability. There's a good one. Why should you take this line more seriously when you are a C or B player playing another C or B player? Because a lot of IM's and GM's have played it lately; it's the latest thing; it's just so a la mode. That's not even a good reason to play it if you ARE a GM. Other things being equal, sound but unfashionable lines are more advantageous because your opponents are less likely to be booked up and well practiced against them.
But at the amateur level, it's just plain irrelevant. You are lucky if your opponents even play the moves that lead to the "main line" 20% of the time. And when they do, the latest refinements in master play will be of little use to you, because both of you will probably almost immediately play much worse errors than the slightly weaker moves the latest theory prides itself on rejecting. And nevertheless, one of you will win! That's nothing to be ashamed of; it's why chess is fun at ANY level.
At one point, Gallagher remarks that a particular line in the Four Pawns Attack is so theoretical you must "burn the midnight oil"--in other words, spend long hours memorizing many variations. This is rarely if ever good advice for players below 1800. You'd be better off spending your time drilling tactics, for example, or practicing PLAYING the opening in speed games.
To summarize: this book is intended for people who have to face the rigors and fashions of master tournaments, who want to play or play against the King's Indian Defense, but who don't know even the basic theory of that opening. With the possible exception of ten year old phenoms, there IS nobody like that.
Emphasis on Black.......2006-02-24
I just wanted to add that this book really is very close to a repertoire book for Black. Or better, the introduction to a repertoire for Black since, as in all the Starting Out books, you are given the basic ideas behind most of the variations in the opening. Many of the books in this series are more balanced. This does not detract from the quality of Gallagher's writing, which is better than average, however, and I did learn a few things that helped me as White, but after a while the Black emphasis got in the way. Recommended -- especially for players of the Black pieces.
Outstanding Opening Book.......2006-02-05
Starting Out the King's Indian (SOKID) by Joseph Gallagher is one of the best opening books I have read. The style is especially lucid and Gallagher's game analysis is both accurate and instructive on how to play chess in general. The chapters are clearly organized and Gallagher analyzes the most important games for each variation of the KID. As this is an intro versus a full repetoire book, the focus is more on the concepts behind the variations of the KID rather than detailed examination of each variation. I highly recommend the book for anyone in the range of D class to B class who would like to learn or more fully unterstand one the most important openings.
How opening books should be written.......2004-10-18
Most players, until they are rated at least 1800 (US) , should only own a general chess opening reference book (MCO, NCO) to use as a reference. Such players would be better studying the middle and endgames.
This book is a most notable exception. It covers the King's Indian Defense. It is written clearly; with sections on the different subvariations; generously annotated in *words*. This is exactly the sort of thing any player, but especially a beginner, intermediate, or club player, needs to read.
After these sections comes a game or two, lightly annotated. No need to bombard the reader at this point. Just show him what a typical game in the variation looks like, with pithy notes so as not to overwhelm the reader.
Gallagher has written on this defense before so he's an expert on it. This is an added bonus for the reader. It is written lucidly.
More advanced players could use this book as a supplement to more specialized tomes. Less experienced players could read this for their own enjoyment, or with the goal in mind of learning the opening, and/or with the idea to buy specialized books on the variations covered in this book.
Great book!!.......2004-04-20
This book was exactly what I was looking for to understand the KID and enjoy at the same time reading. The book is layed out where he explains the ideas of the variations to about move 12 and then stops to give you statistics and amount of theory and then gives about 2 or 3 games, and later in the chapter goes over some subvariations that can arise. Gallagher explains the ideas of the opening that I never understood in a simple manner. But this book isn't as simple and beginner-ish as it may sound. For instance, I have been playing chess fairly regularly for the past 4 years (but never really played the KID) and I have learned a great deal from this book! It is for players who look through MCO or NCO and don't get why Black (or White) makes this or that move and/or just don't understand the plan Black or White has in mind. The KID is complicated and easy to get lost in, and if you don't have some primer to understand each variation to a descent degree as this book gives you then moving on to more advanced KID books will be a waste of money and a headache. Anyone can get something out of this book, especially if they have a good working knowledge of chess like what you would find in Reaccess your Chess for example (great book too!!). So if don't like playing passive defence as black and like aggresive/counterattack play, then buy this book and learn the KID.
Book Description
In this innovative book, Grandmaster and renowned endgame expert Glenn Flear concentrates on the very basics of pawn endings. He outlines the key principles and rules, and demonstrates how these work in practical examples.
Customer Reviews:
A good book with some flaws........2005-08-08
As the title suggests, this is meant to be a book for players wishing to gut a solid understanding for the fundamental themes underlying strong K+P endgame play. All very well, but this book has some notable faults. Firstly and foremost is that the book is quite theoretical. It gives a lot of variations and positions which you are meant to remember. Because of this, working through this book can seem like a chore. Another point is one which is not really the authors fault so much, but some writers, notably seirawan have an individual touch through which they can communicate to amateurs and make reading there books enjoyable. Starting Out: Pawn Endgames doesn't have that touch. Nevertheless, it does contain useful information and upon going through this book once I have gathered useful points to improve my play.
An intermediate-level chess instructional.......2004-11-08
Starting Out: Pawn Endgames is an intermediate-level chess instructional and self-improvement guide, that focuses on teaching the reader about endgame situations when it's down to just kings and pawns. English chess grandmaster Glenn Fear shares his years of experience, tips, and warnings, in clear prose with numerous sample games and diagrams. From dealing with a race, to maneuvering the king, to common mistakes and practical exercises, Starting Out: Pawn Endgames is an excellent resource to hone one's skill and learn more about the game itself.
Book Description
Building and maintaining an opening repertoire can be a demanding task -- for a start there are an enormous number of different lines to choose from. There's a strong temptation amongst beginners and improving players to opt solely for tricky lines in order to snare unsuspecting opponents, but this approach has only short-term value. As players improve and their opponents become stronger, very often these crafty lines don't stand up to close scrutiny, and suddenly they back to square one with no suitable opening weapons.
In Starting Out with 1 e4! and Starting Out with 1 d4! Neil McDonald and John Cox solve this perennial problem by providing the reader with a strong and trustworthy repertoire with the white pieces based on the popular opening moves 1 e4 and 1 d4. The recommended lines given here have stood the test of time and are regularly employed by Grandmasters. Reading these books will give players the confidence to play these variations against all strengths of player and provides them with reliable opening armoury for years to come.
These books are written in Everyman Chess's distinctive Starting Out style, with plenty of notes, tips, and warnings throughout to help the aspiring player.
>Grandmaster-style opening repertoires
>Written by opening experts
>Ideal for improving players
English Grandmaster Neil McDonald is an experienced and successful player on the international chess circuit. He is a respected chess coach, who has trained many of England's strongest junior players. McDonald is also a talented chess writer and has many outstanding works to his name. Earlier Everyman Chess books include Concise Chess Openings and Starting Out: The Dutch Defence.
John Cox is a FIDE Master and a former junior international and British Junior Champion. Previous works for Everyman Chess include Starting Out: Alekhine's Defence and Dealing with d4 Deviations.
Other Books in Series
Starting Out with 1 d4!
Customer Reviews:
High Level Theory for Amateurs?.......2007-04-20
I suppose that the argument against lower rated players playing grandmaster level moves holds some weight. Obviously, a book that introduces you to the main lines of current theory is bound to fall short in terms of coverage. And, since you will be playing current theory you will also have to keep up with changes in it. Cox makes a good case for an advantage in many lines but I find it interesting that in several places that advantage is very minimal (just as if you had played some supposedly inferior variation) or, more to the point, the position is advantageous for White but you have to be a darned good player to understand what is going on. Also, what lines are you missing? I compared Cox's pages on the Zurich variation of the Nimzo-Indian (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 Nc6)to Alburt, Dzindzi, Perel.'s Chess Openings for Black Explained since they recommend the variation for Black. Interestingly, Cox had 5 Nf3 d6 6 Bd2 0-0 7 a3 Bxc3 8 Bxc3 Qe7 9 e4 e5 10 d5 Nb8 11 Be2 Nh5 12 Nxe5 but then gives 12...Nf4 as the move for Black rather than the surprising 12...Nf6 in COFBE. If I didn't own COFBE I would never have known about this. So, many master players would tell you to stay away from these lines. I listened to these arguments but bought the book anyway. I was curious but also a bit disatisfied with some of my current repertoire. Maybe I would get some new ideas?
If you are familiar with the quality found in most Starting Out books you will find that it is written like many of the others. The skull and crossbone warnings call attention to important information, there are typically at least two diagrams on each page,and the author cites recent games and ideas doing an admirable job of covering a lot of ground in a short space. The quality of writing is at least as good as the others in the series. I own nine others. I have tried playing all of the lines in the book over a period of four months now. In the end I had some difficulty playing the Slav (that positional concession with a4 just bugs me) and Grunfeld (give up a pawn? - oh my!)lines. Nobody at my level plays the Benko much so I can't say anything about it. I was most impressed with the Anti-Albin lines. I keep coming up against that Morozevich move 5...Nge7 and I think that Cox's "minimalist" approach (6 Nb3 Nf5 7 e4)is easy to play if you like those small advantages in the ending. The two or three pages on this were actually worth the price of the book since in online blitz I see a lot of the Albin. O.K. so I'm not convinced that I should be playing ALL of the lines in the book but I have found many of them quite useful and understandable as an amateur. My opening play has improved by incorporating some of the lines here into my repertoire. I think it is simply a mistake to use a repertoire "off the shelf" anyhow. You have to find the things that work for you. Of course, I also now have a better understanding of what I am avoiding when I choose some less theoretical line.
So if you are an amateur player like myself who has been playing the "simple" stuff for a while and you want to start playing some of the sharper lines in a few openings then this is a good book to start with. If you are getting good positions with your Richard Palliser Play 1 d4! lines then, by all means, keep playing them. If you don't think of this as a standard repertoire book but more like a survey of, in the author's onw words "where the world's best are presently fighting it out to establish whether White can obtain real winning chances in the opening", then you won't be disappointed.
Reliable Repertoire for Improving Players.......2006-12-10
This book, Starting Out 1 d4!, may be the best of all my opening books. Why is this? It is because this book provides a repertoire that can be counted on to get you a solid plus out of the opening. I have been duped more than once into buying a "win with the opening that always wins in 20 moves, yet it has escaped that notice of Kramnik and Ponomariov." As we all know, these books do not provide a good, let alone adequete reptoire. So then we search for and then buy book with a reliable repertore and find out that it has lines that are very easy to learn, but only bring you equality as white or the famous "chances for both sides" as black. What makes Starting Out 1 d4! different is that it actually gives you lines that are played by grandmasters. The bayonet attack for the King's Indian, the Botvinnik variation of the slav. But then the eternal question comes up: "aren't these lines designated for grandmasters who study chess 25 hours each day?"
"Yes."
Actually, the secret is that you actually won't be play Veselin Topalov very soon, so you can afford to know just a little theory and the main ideas of the opening. And that's what this book gives you. As we know from the back of every opening book in the world, knowing the ideas of your opening is the most important thing blah blah blah. This book, however, is one of the few that effectively teaches the ideas well. John Cox has written a book that should be popular with chess players for years to come. (And you should be one of the players it's popular with)
Finally, here's what the contents of the book are:
Bibliography, two pages
Introduction, four pages
Kings Indian, twenty-nine pages
Introduction, one page
The Bayonet Attack, six pages
The Fashionable 7...Na6, three pages
Alternatives to 7...Nc6 and 7...Na6, three pages
Black Avoids 6...e5, two pages
Illustrative Games, thirteen pages
The Grünfeld, twenty pages
Introduction, two pages
Black Swipes the a-pawn, four pages
Black Develops with ...Nc6, three pages
Black's Alternative Plans, three pages
Illustrative Games, seven pages
The Nimzo-Indian, twenty-five pages
Introduction, one page
Black Plays 4...d5, four pages
Black Plays 4...0-0, four pages
Black Plays 4...c5, two pages
The Zürich Variation, two pages
Illustrative Games, eleven pages
The Benoni and Benko, eighteen pages
Introduction, one page
The Modern Benoni, four pages
The Benko Gambit, three pages
Illustrative Games, nine pages
The Queen's Gambit Declined, twenty-one pages
Introduction, one page
The Exchange Variation with Nge2, three pages
Black Deviates from the Main Line, three pages
The Tarrasch Defence, five pages
Illustrative Games, eight pages
The Queen's Gambit Accepted, twenty pages
Introduction, two pages
Black Plays 7...b5, three pages
Black Forces an IQP, three pages
Other Defences to 7 Bb3, one page
Early Black Alternatives, three pages
Illustrative Games, seven pages
The Slav, twenty-five pages
Introduction, two pages
The Bishop Sacrifice, four pages
Black Plays 6 Ne5 Nbd7, five pages
Black Avoids Bf5, three pages
The ...a6 Slav, four pages
Illustrative Games, six pages
The Semi-Slav, twenty-five pages
Introduction, one page
The Botvinnik Variation, six pages
The Anti-Moscow Gambit, three pages
The Cambridge Springs, two pages
The Marshall Gambit, five pages
Illustrative Games, seven pages
The Albin and the Chigorin, ten pages
Introduction and Rare Defences, one page
The Albin Counter-gambit, two pages
The Chigorin, three pages
Illustrative Games, three pages
The Dutch, fifteen pages
Introduction, one page
The Classical, three pages
The Stonewall, two pages
The Leningrad, three pages
Illustrative Games, five pages
Rare but Tricky Tries, fifteen pages
The Budapest, two pages (a quarter of a page on the Fajarowicz Gambit, which is perhaps a bit lacking)
The Modern, two pages
Black Plays 1...d6, two pages
Black Plays 1...e6, two pages
Miscellaneous, one page (Includes 1...Nc6, 1...e5, 1...c5 2 d5 f5, 1...b5, The Vulture and the Tango)
Illustrative Games, five pages
Index of Variation, four pages
Index of Complete Games, two pages
Book Description
Everyman Chess continues its original and best-selling Starting Out series with detailed coverage of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, an opening that is very much at the forefront of contemporary chess. The Queen’s Gambit Declined is Black’s fundamental answer to 1 d4 and an opening of great historical importance.
Customer Reviews:
Another masterpiece from Neil McDonald.......2007-02-17
There aren't that many books on the QGD -- Marovic and Polugayevsky are the only authors that come to mind off the top of my head, and they're both somewhat dated. So there's definitely a niche for a book on the subject. The book under review is a godsend for a 1.d4 player like myself who wants a clear explanation of ideas. For instance, in the classical set-up (...c6, ...Nbd7, ...Be7), what does one aim for in the tabiya position that arises after 12....e5?
The book, as the author makes clear, doesn't cover every main line: it restricts itself to the Tartakower, the Lasker, the Exchange, the Classical, the Cambridge Springs, and the Bf4 lines. The author explains the ideas in each of these lines using games from both past and present. Every class player who plays or encounters the QGD will benefit from this, and even experts may pick up a few things.
In my humble opinion, mastery of QGD and QGA postions is essential for every chessplayer, regardless of whether he plays them or not.To this extent, the book belongs on every player's shelf.
Book Description
In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster and renowned endgames expert John Emms concentrates on the absolute fundamentals of minor piece endings and slowly but surely arms readers with the essential knowledge and confidence to move onto slightly trickier positions. As is normal with the Starting Out series, there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings throughout the book to help improving players.
Customer Reviews:
Minor pieces.......2005-02-07
Anyone who plays chess in tournaments generally has acquired some knowledge of endgames. But how much?
Well, in my experience, one learns the most about rook endgames. That means that most tournament players know all about getting one's rook to the seventh, keeping one's rook active, getting it behind a passed pawn, and winning won endgames with rook and pawn against rook.
But what about the endgames in this book? What if you have only a minor piece versus pawns, or a piece and pawn against a pawn? Or if you have one or two extra pawns where each side has a knight, or bishops of the same color, or bishops of opposite colors?
Well, there is one lucky case: everyone knows what to do with a bishop against a bishop of the opposite color and one pawn. The rest of it is what one has to learn, not just so that one will be able to play these endgames but so that one will know whether to try to aim for one of them during a game. I think many tournament players are surprisingly weak at just these endgames.
I think Emms does a good job. This book is quite readable for any chess player. And there are also 32 good exercises, with detailed solutions at the end of the book. It should go a long way towards bringing readers up to speed on these positions.
Did Emms omit anything I would have included? Yes. Emms never gives either side more than one piece. So we don't see two bishops against a knight or two knights against a bishop, with or without pawns. We don't see the basic mates with bishop and knight against a king, two bishops against a king, three knights against a king, or the instructive two knights versus king and pawn. Still, I think these are minor omissions.
I highly recommend this book.
Getting to the Next Level.......2004-12-09
Having been stuck at 1765 uscf for quite some time, I wondered what it would take to crash through to the A class level. More opening knowledge? (couldn't hurt) Better tactics? (no doubt!) However, it finally dawned on me that I had a very poor understanding of how to utilize Knights and Bishops. I guess I just never realized how much there was to know about these two little guys. Luckily, I came across this new book by GM Emms, and have found it both enlightening and enjoyable to read. I simply set up each position on Chessbase 8, and then holding the book, click through his lines. I find that after going through 3 or 4 examples, I gain a new insight into just exactly what I'm suppose to be doing in these types of positions, where before I was simply clueless. As you can tell, I highly recommend this book to the struggling class player who wants to break through to the next level.
Book Description
The Sicilian Defense is perhaps the most famous opening in the history of chess, and it is certainly the most popular at every level. From the first move Black claims his share in the center and constructs an asymmetrical pawn structure. Its greatest attraction is that it allows Black to unbalance the position and play for a win, without having to take any unjustified risks. The many variations of the Sicilian range from the super-solid Scheveningen to the dangerous and ultra-sharp Dragon, so it should be easy to find one that suits your style. In this user-friendly book, Grandmaster John Emms goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Sicilian Defense in its numerous different guises. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, warnings and exercises to help the improving player, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. (6 3/4 x 9 3/4, 176 pages, diagrams)
Customer Reviews:
Ideas vs memory!.......2006-08-07
When playing chess i dont do a great amount of calculating posibles moves by the other player, instead i try to apply Nimzowiths ideas and then try to make a plan using the basic concepts of his book "My System".
My chess openings are simple and i never go in depth when i use a book opening and for players like me this book is "made in heaven" because of the ideas and the way it teaches you different sicilian variations. The sicilian is a favorite opening and getting the ideas in the way this book does will help you a lot. So if you are a beginer first go to Niwzowitsch and then come to this book and you will see serious results in your game. Enjoy!!!
An excellent FIRST book on the Sicilian.......2005-10-21
I have an ELO rating of 1300, and I decided it is time to begin to work on my openings. This is a great book to start out playing the Sicilian Defence, the most popular black opening in the history of the game of chess. This book gives a clear view on all the major variations of the Sicilian, both the main lines and the anti-sicilians. However, this book, although an excellent introduction, will hardly get you ready for tournament play. I used this book to determine which variations I liked and to decide what to further research. Once you buy this book, you will require books on specific variations of the Sicilian to really get you ready for tournament play. It is impossible to cram all the information available on the Sicilian into a 190 page book. In short, if you already have Sicilian experience, you may want another book, but this is the best book on the market for beginners.
A good intro to one of the major variations of today.......2005-07-25
Starting Out: The Sicilian is a book aiming to give you a general run-down of the Sicilian, it's major variations and positions. The author has played the Sicilian from both sides and thus this book is quite un-biased. You won't be able to start playing the Sicilian after reading this book, but it helps you decide a variation you like, such as the Classical, when then you can find more specialised works. Otherwise, such as in my case, this book can help players against the Sicilian to find a weapon they like to battle the major variations. A good intro to the Sicilian.
An excellent introduction to the Sicilian Defence.......2005-02-12
John Emms is a fine author and I think this is a great book.
Suppose you are a novice at chess tournaments. One of the most enjoyable openings you can play is the White side of an Open Sicilian (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3, followed by 3 d4). The strategic ideas are clear and there are plenty of grandmaster games to use as examples. Your pawns fly down the board to open lines. And your challenge is to find the most efficient squares for your pieces. Some people want to avoid the Open Sicilian on the grounds that the lines are too complex. Don't be one of them! I think the lines are far tougher for Black than they are for White.
Emms starts by reminding us that if you play 1 e4, you'll see 1...c5 half the time.
There is one little problem with 2 Nf3 and 3 d4 of course. You just gave away your d-pawn for Black's c-pawn. As Emms warns us, if you don't play aggressively, you should lose.
This book should give you an idea of which lines you'll feel comfortable with as White.
The first system we see is the Dragon. Emms introduces the Yugoslav attack, the Classical Variation, the Levenfish attack, and 6 g3 (personally, I think that unless you play the Yugoslav or the Levenfish, you might as well not play an Open Sicilian). In the Yugoslav, as Fischer said and as Emms reminds us, you pry open the h-file (with your h-pawn) and then "sac, sac, mate!" And, of course, you trade your trashy queen bishop for Black's gorgeous Dragon Bishop. In the Yugoslav, Emms shows us 9 Bc4 and 0-0-0. You may also want to investigate 9 g4. I also like the Levenfish, which is very easy for White and very tricky for Black. In it, you blast away at Black's position with 7 e5.
The next chapter is on the Najdorf. What do you do with your Queen Bishop now? Emms shows us two popular ideas. In the Main Line (6 Bg5), that Bishop just gets in your way, so you save time by exchanging it for the Black Knight on f6. In this line, Emms covers 10 g4, but you may want to look at 10 Bd3 as well. The other option is 6 Be3, with the idea of an eventual Qd2. Before you decide to try this, play over the game Emms shows where Black plays 6...Ng4.
Chapter 3 is the Scheveningen, where you have several good choices: 6 g4 (the Keres attack), 6 Be3 (the English attack) and 6 Bc4 (the Fischer attack). I happen to prefer the latter, because I think it gives me the best chance of finding something useful for my Queen Bishop to do.
Next is the Sveshnikov. Here, Emms gives us the choice of 9 Bxf6 or 9 Nd5. 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Nd5 f5 is why I do not play the Sveshnikov for Black. I think 11 Bxb5 and even 11 Nxb5 are very dangerous for Black. But no matter what White plays, Emms explains that she has to figure out what to do about her pathetic horse on a3.
After that, the author introduces us to the Richter-Rauzer attack and the Sozin and Velimirovic attacks against the Classical Sicilian. The Velimirovic attack is especially fun to play for White. You castle queenside, play Rhg1, g4, g5, and mate Black with your major pieces.
That leaves us with five other Open Sicilians (Emms does not show us the O'Kelly variation, namely 2...a6, so just learn 3 c3 against it). They are the Taimanov (where 5 Nb5 is the most interesting), the Accelerated Dragon (where White's Queen Bishop is so classy that she may not even want to trade it for Black's dragon bishop), the Four Knights Sicilian (not popular for Black due to her isolated queen pawn), the Kan, and the Kalashnikov.
The Kan gives both sides great flexibility. This is an excellent choice for Black against a novice, as the best lines for White are slow and positional. If you are White, you simply have to learn how to play the Maroczy Bind against it.
The Kalashnikov is the only Sicilian system that I am willing to play as Black. Emms shows that both sides have plenty of options. Play is more positional than tactical. Again, White should play c4 with a Maroczy Bind, to prevent d5 by Black. And now it is Black who is trying to trade her worthless king bishop for White's Queen Bishop!
For those who want to play the Sicilian with Black (or who want to avoid 3 d4 with White), Emms concludes with the four best White alternatives: 3 Bb5, 2 c3, 2 Nc3, and 2 d4. By the way, I've actually seen people get into these via 1 Nc3 c5 2 e4 and even 1 c3? c5 2 e4.
I recommend this book. If you don't yet play the Open Sicilian with White, this book ought to add at least 100 points to your rating.
From the basics to advanced chess theory and examples.......2004-02-07
Expertly written by a renowned chess Grandmaster John Emms, Starting Out: The Sicilian is an instructively accessible guide to the art of the Sicilian defense. From the basics to advanced chess theory and examples, Starting Out: The Sicilian is illustrated with diagrams, move-by-move observations and insightful commentary, Starting Out: The Sicilian is an excellent and strongly recommended resource for any and all serious chess players seeking to better understand and improve at this popular pastime.
Book Description
In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster and openings expert John Emms goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of the Scotch Opening and its numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to guide improving players, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but confusing layout.......2005-10-29
This is a decent entry into the "Starting Out" series, with the typical strengths and weaknesses. Initial moves are very well explained, with good care going into the refutations of tricky but "bad" moves. Reading through this section has been helpful, especially for handling crazies playing online blitz chess. And it seems Emms does a good job of going into the main lines and explaining what is going on strategically, about what one has come to expect from this approach to chess books.
I had some difficulty finding certain lines. Each section starts with an overview discussion of the lines, followed by a discussion of how theoretical the line is and the current database statistics. Then come sample games and a closing "points to remember." However, the opening overview often seems to function more like additional sample game than an orienting summary. Thus, if you are in the middle of a sample game, the statistics precede. If you are in the "overview," they follow. But since it is hard to tell what is overview and what is sample game, it becomes a bit of a nuisance to locate these sections.
Also, it is not always clear if a line is discussed in the initial summary or one of the sample games. For example, Emms made the noteworthy suggestion of 5...Bc5 (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 ed 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Bc5) as a reply to the Scotch Four Knights in "Play the Open Game as Black". In that book, White's two main replies, 6 Be3 and 6 Nxc6 are clearly given as lines "B1" and "B2."
In "Starting Out: The Scotch Game" the 6 Bd3 line is dealt with exclusively in the initial summary. Then there are two intervening sample games NOT involving 5..Bc5 (10 and 11) before the other main reply, 6 Nxc6 is discussed in game 12. The index wasn't helpful as it cited the summary (pg. 46) for the 6 Ncx6 line, rather than the sample game where this line is discussed in detail (pg. 55).
Side note: there's not much in terms of new info on these lines, compared to the first book, and Kaufman's suggestions and analysis tends to be ignored.
I play Kaufman's suggested line in the "Mieses" variation, and was looking forward to learning if it was holding up in Emms new book. Emms tersely cites the line (without mentioning Kaufman) on page 111 in a footnote, up to move 17, stating ONLY that this "again gives us the typical ending discussed in more detail in the next theoretical section." Thus, to find out more about this type of position, I had to search for the previous reference and the "next theoretical section" which turned out to be on pg. 126. From there I was referred to yet another location, Game 28.
The discussion there, once found, was somewhat helpful, but the position differed from Kaufman's, starting with Black's pieces being in slightly worse locations.
It seems Emms could have troubled himself to deal more explicitly with the Kaufman lines, since "Chess Advantage in Black and White" is having such a large impact.
My last quibble is that while there is much made of Kasparov's contribution to the Scotch, and there are references to his games interspersed, good luck actually trying to find them! There is only one game cited in the index, for a sideline. There is one sub-section titled "7...Be6 and Kasparov's 8 Na4," but the subsection titles are NOT included in the table of contents. There are scads of other references, such as his games with Short and Karpov in the text, but you'll have to hunt for them. Also, quite tellingly, we never hear why Kasparov STOPPED playing the Scotch. A truly objective book would have dealt with this issue.
Thus, while I am happy to own the book, I think Emms to a minor degree, and his publishers (and their poor editorial support) to a large degree are to be faulted.
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Starting Out: Slav & Semi-Slav (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)
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Starting Out: King's Indian (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)
Starting Out: The French (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)
Starting Out: King's Indian Attack (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)
