Chess Openings For Dummies

For the beginner and the intermediate player, this is the best chess opening bookbook on the market. This is the only book that clearly helps you choose the best type of opening foryour style of play. He uses a symbol, "Who Should Use It" for each opening in thebook. Next to the symbol he describes what type of player should use the opening. Many openings are presented -- 343 pages. As a result, pawn to Q4 is bestfor me. He also gives useful strategy tips. The material is clearly taught and well organized. Don't let the titlefool you into thinking that it's a book for bad players. Finally, each opening has the game moves for when white wins and when blackwins. Thus offense and defense are both presented. Check this book out. It's got a lot to offer.

I love this book. Great for beginners, intermediate players and maybe even advanced(?).Openings (and the reasons behind them), open, closed, semi-closed games and otheruseful information is explained in a simple, straight forward way that I found veryinteresting and informative. One of the few chess books I've read that didn't make mewant to nap after a few pages of endless notation. Recommend.

Learning chess openings is not quick or easy. However, this book does simplify a complex subject and organizes it into a manageable process. The book does not take any of the work out of learning how to use chess openings effectively. What it does is to engage you step by step to help you stick with it and not give up. It also allows you to jump around the book so that you don't have to master e4, etc. before trying something totally different. I gave it four stars. As much as I would like it to it's not going to do the work for me, so I will reserve the five star for a book that does.

A very enjoyable chess book to read and study for beginners and even for those who used to play but haven't for a long time. Great for getting older players back into the game. Don't let the "Dummies" title fool you--I stopped playing 30 years ago and found this book very helpful to gently kick-start me back into playing recently.

BACKGROUND: I bought this ~3.5 years ago, largely to exploit Amazon's free shipping offer on another item that I was more interested in obtaining. At the time, the only thing I consistently played was correspondence chess. I've since expanded into more serious realms of chess playing, including USCF rated 'slow' games; speed chess (online and over-the-board) ranging from 1|0 to 10|0, against players ranging from Class E to Expert (and even one master). My current (albeit still provisional) USCF rating is in the 2000s. Back when I read this book, I essentially had no prior experience with chess books. I've now finished about 20, and partially gone through dozens of others.Despite all of this experience since having initially read and reviewed this book, I maintain the same views that I had then.REVIEW: The phrase 'vague jack of all trades, master of none' adequately summarizes this book.Aside from a few chapters dedicated to the philosophical aspects of chess opening theory (what to strive for in an opening, types of openings, common mistakes to avoid, etc.), the book is divided by opening (e.g. Caro-Kann Defense) and further sub-divided into specific variations (e.g. Advance variation of the Caro-Kann Defense). Within each variation section is a SHORT introductory paragraph on the basic idea behind it followed by two sample games: one where white won, and one where black won with the variation.Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, insightful explanations are often sadly lacking. For example, on the Najdorf variation of the Sicilian Defense, all it says about black's 5...a6 move is "By simply moving the a-pawn instead of the g-pawn [as black does for the Sicilian Dragon variation], you change the nature of the game". Fine. But WHY does it change the nature of the game? What's the POINT of 5...a6 anyway? Such crucial insight is never provided.In addition to its vague/evasive/gloss-over explanations:1.) The position diagrams are stupidly labeled. Instead of caption that says, for instance, "Position of French Defense Winawer Variation after 15.)Nxb5", it'll say "Figure 5-7: the French Winawer", making you needlessly search the move sequence to find where it says "(see Figure 5-7)". Sometimes the diagram and its reference aren't even on the same page, making it more of a hassle.Why no one in editing thought to label the diagrams the former (correct) way, I have no idea.2.) While the book does a good job of hitting most important openings, a few big ones aren't covered at all: Benko Gambit, Bogo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Defense, for example. Some fairly popular variations aren't covered either (I realize it's probably impossible to make a readable opening book that covers everything important).CONCLUSION: Some might say I'm being too harsh because, after all, it's a "For Dummies" book. Perhaps. Nonetheless, I still think this book could have done better. It isn't terrible, but its consistently vague explanations don't make it great either. Beginners to solid intermediate level players might sincerely like this, but anyone much above ~1700 elo should likely pass on this; maybe check it out at the library or borrow it from a friend before buying it.Note also that I've gone through the entire book and its collection of games at least once.

Chess Openings for Dummies is easy to read ---easy to understand ---and easy to apply to your personal game. It gets you off with a good strong foundation to build your personal chess attacks on!

This book contains great strategies to master the highly demanding game of chess.

This was a great product for our students to read and improve their chess game.

I did not learn much. If you watch a few short youtube videos, you will surely learn and enjoy more

Absolutely perfect for me this book at this time. Last year I purchased a high-end computer chess set but have hardly used it. Read never used it since initial defeats. The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix being the impetus for this along with a memory of pocket computer chess from Tandy in my youth. I recalled I could win at levels five and six. That’s casual levels I think.Anyway I had a brainwave of chess board on kitchen table and this had me playing while eating. Though playing White I found I could read and react to my silicon opponent. I won at Play+Win level which did have me cornered in the middle with both Bishops under fire. Many breaks, many switch offs. Next level is Friendly before Normal and Advanced. After her opening move in current game, I thought about Openings. Enter Dummies book.To my absolute astonishment not only did I find the Sicilian it was also a Chapter heading AND it turned out to be my opponent’s opening move! Before the book I could see how her Queen could move and have been trying to think how to move forward and cover the potential Queen positions. I can understand how players do have a ‘sense of religious fervor’ (page 114. Dummies spelling)) for the move. Black has initiative.One slight glitch bookwise is I can’t yet see anything about ‘en passant capture’ a phrase in my Instruction book for chess set. I think its just taking a Pawn diagonally as usual; my lack. There is an Index but no show.

Scritto in un inglese chiaro e facilmente comprensibile. L'autore è ovviamente un grande esperto di scacchi e il metodo "for dummies" lo rende facile e divertente da leggere.Comprato "usato in ottime condizioni", sembra proprio nuovo.

Interesting book!

Clair, bien organisé un premier livre pour aborder les ouvertures aux échecs. On y retrouve dans un seul ouvrage toutes les types d'ouvertures