Chess Opening Books
1. e4 e5: Sizzling Ideas for Black!
The Open Games (those beginning 1 e4 e5) are now more topical than ever, featured in a high proportion of elite-level games. This new user-friendly guide offers players of all levels a carefully worked-out repertoire, taking into account this wealth of new material. Noted opening writer Sverre Johnsen has also taken a critical look at the more traditional Open Games, where theory is often based on old or obscure games.

How to Beat the Open Games
This book offers a White repertoire against the Open Games. The reader will find the deep investigation of the modern treatment of the Italian Games - as Carlsen, Anand, Vachier Lagrave, and Kramnik play it. It also covers the Bishop's Opening, the Hungarian Defence and other minor lines.

Bc4 Against the Open Games
A Black repertoire based on the Queens Gambit Declined. All the opening variations for Black have been chosen according to the latest fashion in the games of the top-class grandmasters.

Play 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6!
The Queenside Fianchetto Factor. In the first full book to examine 2.b3 against the Sicilian, French and Caro-Kann, mainlines, interesting sidelines and current theory are reviewed. In addition, what actually happens in modern practice is surveyed. With 2.b3, you will have one more arrow in your theoretical quiver to battle Black. And, like it or not, Black will be compelled to do deal with the queenside fianchetto factor.

Sabotaging the Sicilian, French & Caro-Kann with 2. b3
The Scandinavian (also known as the Centre Counter Defence) occurs when Black meets White's 1 e4 with 1 ... d5, immediately countering in the centre. White invariably continues with 2 exd5 when Black can choose between two systems, both of which are covered in this book. Firstly 2 ... Qxd5, which regains the pawn immediately but exposes the black queen early on – a feature that complicates the play for both players. Secondly 2 ... Nf6, which invites White to risk attempting to hold onto the d5-pawn. If White goes down this path then a complex tactical struggle can easily develop.

First Steps - The Scandinavian
Tired of Bad Positions? Try the Main Lines!
When Boris Avrukh released his 1.d4 repertoire books in 2008 and 2010, they caused a sensation. Volume 2A is the third out of four brand new volumes in which Avrukh revamps, expands and generally improves upon his previous work in every way possible. This chess book provides a world-class repertoire against the Grünfeld and King's Indian, two of Black's most popular and dynamic defenses.

Grandmaster Repertoire - 1. d4 - King's Indian and Grunfeld - 2A
Winning Quickly at Chess Series
Everybody wants to win fast, preferably straight out of the chess opening. This book is a collection of games played by top players i which either White or Black wins in 15 moves or less either a result if blunders, an accumulation of mistakes or brilliant chess tactics.
Through the study, if the games in this volume, you will improve your opening play, opening repertoire, strategies and tactical ability.

Catastrophes & Tactics in the Chess Opening - Volume 8: 1. e4 e5
Winning Quickly at Chess Series
Everybody wants to win fast, preferably straight out of the chess opening. This book is a collection of games played by top players i which either White or Black wins in 15 moves or less either a result if blunders, an accumulation of mistakes or brilliant chess tactics.
Through the study, if the games in this volume, you will improve your opening play, opening repertoire, strategies and tactical ability.

Catastrophes & Tactics in the Chess Opening - Volume 7: Minor Semi-Open Games
In many ways, the Najdorf Sicilian is the ideal defense against 1.e4 - aggressive and leading to creative and exciting play, allowing Black to play for a win and yet unquestionably sound. Despite the Najdorf's great popularity and reputation as a theoretical labyrinth, Bryan Smith believes it is possible to play it "by the light of nature," with experience providing a guide. The twenty-nine annotated games in this book were carefully selected for their instructional value, their theoretical relevance, and - most of all - their aesthetic appeal.

The Najdorf in Black and White
Tired of Bad Positions? Try the Main Lines!
The Pirc chess opening is more of a counterattack than a defense: Black allows his opponent to occupy the center and provokes a confrontation, trusting in the power of the g7-bishop and the dynamic potential in his position. It is the perfect weapon for players who seek a complex strategic fight with the black pieces.

Grandmaster Repertoire - The Pirc Defense
Fighters Repertoire
The Benko gambit is the ideal way to fight and seize the initiative as Black. Grandmaster Perunovic revisited all the modern lines and provided unbiased coverage of the more recent ideas, the most important being the delay of the recapture of a6. He found and tested in practical play, many new but still typical Benko manoeuvres. If you wanna surprise the 1. d4 player, this book and opening will be your perfect guide!

The Modernized Benko Gambit
In this instructive book, part of the acclaimed Batsford "Mastering the Openings" series, IM Dr. Danny Kopec explains the Sicilian from Black's point of view in terms of pawn structures, tactical themes and plans, rather than dense analysis of specific lines of play.By going through the mastery lessons, step by step, the reader will gain true understanding of the ideas behind the main variations of the Sicilian and the confidence to progress thereafter to a study of more advanced theory.

Mastering the Sicilian
The Opening Choices that Made Magnus King
New in Chess Yearbook is the #1 guide to Chess Opening news! It is published four times per year, ensuring the most up-to-date and topic chess opening information. It includes 25-30 surveys per issue, covering all of the fashionable lines, wild gambits and even forgotten variations! If you're serious about chess, you need New in Chess Yearbooks!

NIC Yearbook 125 - HARDCOVER EDITION
The Opening Choices that Made Magnus King
New in Chess Yearbook is the #1 guide to Chess Opening news! It is published four times per year, ensuring the most up-to-date and topic chess opening information. It includes 25-30 surveys per issue, covering all of the fashionable lines, wild gambits and even forgotten variations! If you're serious about chess, you need New in Chess Yearbooks!

NIC Yearbook 125 - PAPERBACK EDITION
A Complete Modern Repertoire for White
The Sicilian Defence is the most widely played chess opening, both at club level as well as among top grandmasters. Since Black gets dynamic play in almost all variations, black players of all levels will probably continue to play the Sicilian for a long time to come. It has been difficult for White to obtain any advantage in Sicilian sidelines, and this book therefore presents a complete repertoire for White in the most widely played main lines: the Open Sicilians with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3.

Dismantling the Sicilian - New and Updated Edition
Positional Repertoire
The Reti opening has been quite popular in recent years. In the 'Modernized Reti', the author explains how this subtle opening needs to be handled. With many transpositions into different types of positions, it is one of the richest White choices has when starting the game. If you are looking for a refined, positional and dynamic way to play as White, this book will show you the way!

The Modernized Reti
Combating the King's Indian and Benoni with 6. Bg5!
The Sämisch variation is a powerful method to counter the popular King's Indian Defence. The key move is the advance f2-f3, consolidating White's central space advantage and limiting Black's options for counterplay. In the traditional Sämisch White develops the queen's bishop on e3 but in the modern version, as explored in this book, the move Bg5 is preferred.

Opening Repertoire - The Modern Samisch
An understanding of Hedgehog structures is an essential component in any chessplayer's knowledge. These structures arise when the black c-pawn is exchanged early on for the white d-pawn (as in the Sicilian Defence). White then adopts a formation with pawns on c4 and e4 and Black curls up in a Hedgehog formation with pawns on a6, b6, d6 and e6.

The Hedgehog
In Playing 1.d4 d5 – A Classical Repertoire, Nikolaos Ntirlis provides a top-class repertoire for Black after 1.d4 d5 with the Queen's Gambit Declined. This is truly the Rolls Royce of chess openings, having been played with both colors by most World Champions and world-class players for more than a century. As a lover of chess history, Ntirlis has distilled the best ideas from the games of legendary players such as Rubinstein, Capablanca and Alekhine, and updated them using the latest analytical tools that modern technology has to offer.

Playing 1. d4 d5 - A Classic Repertoire
Much More Than Just a Sharp Surprise Weapon
The Fabulous Budapest Gambit does not shower you with long computer-generated variations, but provides crystal-clear insights into the wide spectrum of this opening, explaining the plans for both White and Black. Moskalenko's lively style will infect you and encourage you to start playing this opening which is a great weapon at any level, from club player to grandmaster.

The Fabulous Budapest Gambit - New and Updated Edition
A Practical Black Repertoire with d5, c6 Volume 2 deals in depth with the Caro-Kann Defence 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 and various deviations for White as 1.e4 c6 2.d3; 2.Nc3; 2.c4.

A Practical Black Repertoire with d5, c6 - Caro-Kann and Other Defences - Vol. 2
Chess Miniatures
The Ruy Lopez Main Lines, arise (with a few exceptions for move order and such) after 1 e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0. Some of the lines are incredibly theoretical, but rather than burden you with a ton of theory in lines you will have limited chance of using in your own games, the emphasis in this book is on the lines that are more likely to occur in your games.

Miniatures in the Ruy Lopez: Main Lines
Chess Miniatures
The Fianchetto Variation of the Queen's Indian Defense, which arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3, has been one of White's main weapons against the Queen's Indian since the opening's invention, but thanks to its constant attention of top players it has been thoroughly developed including main fascinating & sharp sidelines.

Miniatures in the Queen's Indian: 4.g3
Confronting the Sicilian on Your Own terms
The Sicilian jungle is vast. Unless you have a massive amount of time on your hands, it is an exhausting task to keep a sharp opening repertoire together against Black's numerous possibilities. It does not mean that it is impossible, nor does it mean that you shouldn't do it. But for the average player with an average amount of time available for chess studies, it is important to pick the right battles. This is where our weapon, the Chameleon Sicilian, comes in handy.

The Chameleon Variation
An Arsenal of Red-Hot Opening Ideas to Shock and Confuse Your Opponents
These 125 opening surprises land like bombshells in the apparent calm of standard openings and disorientate your opponents as they grapple with original problems. This book is a treasure-trove of unusual ideas at an early stage of the opening, each with a firm logical foundation, yet running against the grain of conventional play.

125 Chess Opening Surprises
A Complete Opening Repertoire for White Against 1. d4 Nf6
In this book the London System opening is presented using all of the most important games with thorough comments, through which the readers will have the opportunity to understand the essence of this opening. Author Grandmaster Nikola Sedlak will show that this system is fully deserving of your attention for analysing and playing, that it's unjustly neglected in comparison with other openings and also that it gives players myriad interesting positions on the board, free and creative play, with lots of space for further growth and improvement.

Winning With the Modern London System - Part 2
Chess Miniatures
The Najdorf Sicilian, which arises after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 has been and continues to be a tremendously popular opening at all levels. It is sharp, unbalanced, with many theory-laden lines - and fun. The main lines after 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 are steeped in theory, making them tricky to play, especially for players with limited time to study.

Miniatures in the Sicilian Najdorf
The Queen's Gambit Declined is one of the central pillars of chess opening theory. Virtually every world champion has played the opening with both the white and black pieces and it is a great favorite at all levels in chess. The reason for its enduring popularity is that it is rich in the classic strategic themes. Either side can end up with an isolated d-pawn, White can pursue a queenside initiative while Black counters on the other wing or White can attempt to build a powerful centre that Black hopes to undermine.

The Queen's Gambit Declined - Move by Move
If you want to make any sort of serious progress at chess it is vital to understand fundamental endgame play. Having an instinctive understanding of which positions are winning, drawing and losing is essential as it enables you to plan your endgame strategies with great confidence, knowing that you are heading for positions that are favourable to you. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala analyses all the fundamental endgame positions and carefully explains the methods needed to win the favourable ones and draw the unfavourable ones.

First Steps - Fundamental Endings
A Compact and Ready-to-Use Black Repertoire for Club Players
Renowned German chess trainers Erik Zude and Jörg Hickl have created an ideal club player’s repertoire for Black. This compact manual presents a set of lines that is conveniently limited in scope, yet varied, solid and complete. If you have an Elo rating between 1400 and 2200, you don’t need to look further because you can Play 1..d6 Against Everything!

Play 1... d6 Against Everything
Winning Quickly at Chess Series
Everybody wants to win fast, preferably straight out of the chess opening. This book is a collection of games played by top players i which either White or Black wins in 15 moves or less either a result if blunders, an accumulation of mistakes or brilliant chess tactics.
Through the study, if the games in this volume, you will improve your opening play, opening repertoire, strategies and tactical ability.

Catastrophes & Tactics in the Chess Opening - Volume 6: Open Sicilians
Winning Quickly at Chess Series
Everybody wants to win fast, preferably straight out of the chess opening. This book is a collection of games played by top players i which either White or Black wins in 15 moves or less either a result if blunders, an accumulation of mistakes or brilliant chess tactics.
Through the study, if the games in this volume, you will improve your opening play, opening repertoire, strategies and tactical ability.

Catastrophes & Tactics in the Chess Opening - Volume 5: Anti-Sicilians
A Ready-To-Go Package For Ambitious Beginners
Experienced French chess trainer Vincent Moret provides a complete, ready-to-go chess opening repertoire for Black. It consists of a sound set of lines that do not outdate rapidly, do not require memorization and are easy to digest for beginners and post-beginners.To show the typical plans and the underlying ideas in the various lines of his repertoire, Moret not only selected games of Grandmasters. He also uses games of young, improving players to highlight the errors they tend to make.

My First Chess Opening Repertoire for Black
A Straightforward Guide for Black and White
International Master Luis Bernal has unraveled the Berlin and made it accessible for amateur players. His practical guide is fully up to date, explains typical formations and strategies, and presents new ideas and resources in the old Berlin Wall structures.

The Berlin Defense Unraveled
A Straightforward Guide for Black and White
International Master Luis Bernal has unraveled the Berlin and made it accessible for amateur players. His practical guide is fully up to date, explains typical formations and strategies, and presents new ideas and resources in the old Berlin Wall structures.

SHOPWORN - The Berlin Defense Unraveled
Regular Price: $29.95
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A 21st Century Opening Repertoire
When Axel Smith was chasing his final chess Grandmaster norm, he decided he needed a change in his White opening repertoire. Instead of his usual approach of memorizing many concrete moves to try to force an advantage, he would focus on pawn structures and typical plans. The result was a repertoire based on a set-up with the moves d4, Nf3, c4 and e3. It helped Axel Smith to the GM title, and led to the creation of e3 Poison.

e3 Poison
Chess Opening Books
The first phase of a chess game is known as the Chess Opening. It is during
this phase of the chess game that the initial moves are made. Similarly, those
moves are commonly referred to in the chess world as the “Chess Opening”.
While there are literally billions of possible positions after the first 4 moves
have been made in a game of chess (288 billion to be exact), only a small number
of these chess openings have been studied by chess professionals and chess
computers and deemed to be sound for practical play.
To help differentiate one chess opening from another, each chess opening is
given a unique name to identify it. While it is common for a chess opening to be
named after the player/s that introduced them to popular play, including the
Benko Gambit (after Grandmaster Pal Benko), the Sicilian Najdorf (named
after Grandmaster Miguel Najdorf) and the Philidor Defense (named after Francois-Andre
Danican Philidor), this is not always the case Some chess openings are named
after the locations and/or cultures in which they originated, including the
London System, the French Defense, the Sicilian
Defense, The English Opening and
the Vienna Game. While others are named after the pieces that are moved during
that opening, including the Queen’s Pawn Gambit and the King’s Indian
Defense.
There are 6 basic objectives during the chess opening. They are Piece
Development, Control of the Center of the Board, King Safety, Prevention of Pawn
Weakness, Piece Coordination and to Create positions in which the player is more
comfortable than the opponent.