General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Colin Purdon
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:45 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Colin Purdon » Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:30 pm

The Chess Openings by Gunsberg. My copy was published in 1920, though I believe it is basically a reprint of a much earlier version from around 1895.

It is a pocket-size book with a tabular layout similar to MCO. 45 of its 101 pages are devoted to the King's Gambit, whereas all openings beginning 1 d4 (I should say 1 P-Q4) get a total of seven pages. I don't refer to it that often.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8453
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by NickFaulks » Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:38 pm

Colin Purdon wrote:
Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:30 pm
45 of its 101 pages are devoted to the King's Gambit
How does it assess the Muzio?
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Colin Purdon
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:45 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Colin Purdon » Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:50 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:38 pm
Colin Purdon wrote:
Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:30 pm
45 of its 101 pages are devoted to the King's Gambit
How does it assess the Muzio?
"We could very easily, and in an interesting manner, fill up this little volume with a treatise on the Muzio Gambit, and even then, perhaps, we should not have said the last word. For our own part, we should just as soon play this Gambit as any other."

I suppose that would be replaced by the "unclear" symbol, nowadays.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8453
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by NickFaulks » Mon Jun 08, 2020 10:06 pm

Thanks, I did not expect such an explicit answer.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Richard Thursby
Posts: 285
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:25 am
Location: origin + pathname + search + hash

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Richard Thursby » Mon Jun 08, 2020 10:21 pm

World Champion Openings (1998 edition) by Eric Schiller. It has a large number of diagram misprints but was my introduction to the notable final game of the fourth Karpov-Kasparov world championship match.

The section on openings in The Mammoth Book Of Chess by Graham Burgess. I won it in a tournament many years ago when the organiser awarded a junior prize in my section and I was the only junior entry.

Colin Purdon
Posts: 67
Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:45 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Colin Purdon » Mon Jun 08, 2020 10:56 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Mon Jun 08, 2020 10:06 pm
Thanks, I did not expect such an explicit answer.
I thought as much, but I found that I was interested in the answer to your question so I looked it up!

Kevin Thurlow
Posts: 5821
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:03 pm

"We could very easily, and in an interesting manner, fill up this little volume with a treatise on the Muzio Gambit, and even then, perhaps, we should not have said the last word. For our own part, we should just as soon play this Gambit as any other."

I much prefer books written like that!

"Catastrophe in the Opening" by Neishtadt was rather good from memory. He quoted an opening book where someone had said after move 12, "better for white", and some cunning postal player had found a rather good 12.....something, forcing resignation! I don't have my copy to hand or I would reveal what it was...

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:28 pm

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:03 pm
"Catastrophe in the Opening" by Neishtadt was rather good from memory.
There's also "200 Modern Chess Traps in the Fianchetto openings" published in 1970.

Within the past couple of years, I worked my way through this, searching for the games and positions. It was a mixed bag as to whether the traps were genuine or illusory. The decisive error could be a few moves on from the highlighted position.

The very first example in the book is the Geller trap from 1968 which also caught Agdestein in a recent World Cup.

This runs 1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Qd2 e5 8. Nf3 c6 9. 0-0 exd4 10. Nxd4 Nc5 and now 11 f3 is a mistake because of 11. .. Nf6xe4. The odd looking 11. Qf4 leaves White a small advantage, according to engines and games since 1968. The same position can arise from Black playing 6. .. Na6.



Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:25 pm

Thanks Roger. Interesting game.

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:22 pm

Everyone is equal.
ALL LIVES MATTER

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Fri Jun 12, 2020 6:12 pm

Thanks for your replies. Anymore recommended General Reference Books for Chess Openings?

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Jun 30, 2020 12:30 am

Simon Rogers wrote:
Fri Jun 12, 2020 6:12 pm
Thanks for your replies. Anymore recommended General Reference Books for Chess Openings?
Also, I was wandering if the Fifteenth Edition, which came out in 2009, is the latest in the Batsford's Modern Chess Openings series?

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Aug 04, 2020 6:13 pm

Is the Fifteenth Edition of Batsford Modern Chess Openings the latest one.?
Does anyone know? It came out in 2009.

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Simon Rogers » Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:33 pm

Any plans to bring out a Sixteenth Edition of Batsford Modern Chess Openings?
When did the latest edition of Nunn's Chess Openings come out?

Mike Gunn
Posts: 1022
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 4:45 pm

Re: General Reference Books for Chess Openings

Post by Mike Gunn » Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:06 pm

There is only one edition of Nunn's Chess Openings: the original published in 1999.

I don't think this type of book is going to be published any more (overtaken by computer databases).

Post Reply