Antichess (Losing Chess, Giveaway Chess), in which capturing is compulsory and you try to give away all your men, has been a favorite chess relaxation ever since its first recorded appearance in 1876. Most of us play it solely for fun, a purpose to which it is admirably suited, but it has also inspired theoretical research both by humans and by computers, and the endgame phase in particular yields positions of remarkable elegance and beauty.
The aim of this book is to give Antichess players a high-quality opening analysis. It is designed as an opening encyclopedia, or at least as my playing repertoire. I try to offer a repertoire that is understandable to humans with a clear human plan if possible, and therefore my recommended repertoire is often different from the incomprehensible solutions that computers have generated. As a good understanding of the opening requires basic knowledge of tactics and endgames, they are treated in detail in the initial chapters.
