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.

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Items 1 to 36 of 46

    Attack with Black
    A Ukrainian Champion Provides a Blockbuster Repertoire with the Benko and Blumenfeld Gambits
    Aveskulov examines all of White's options and move-orders after 1 d4 Nf6, and shows an aggressive reply to each of them.
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    Attack with Black
    A Ukrainian Champion Provides a Blockbuster Repertoire with the Benko and Blumenfeld Gambits
    Catalog Code: B0182GB
    Our Price: $22.95

    A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire for White
    A Complete Plan of Attack with 1. d4 and 2. c4
    Such has been the acclaim for John Watson's ground-breaking works on modern chess strategy and his insightful opening books, that it is only natural that he now presents a strategic opening repertoire.
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    A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire for White
    A Complete Plan of Attack with 1. d4 and 2. c4
    Catalog Code: B0181GB
    Our Price: $26.95

    A Rock-Solid Chess Opening Repertoire for Black
    The French Connection - Winning Ways with 1. e4 e6 and 1. d4 e6
    In this book, Grandmaster Eingorn shows that it is possible both to play solidly, and to take White out of his comfort zone. He recommends ideas and move-orders that are a little off the beaten track, but which he has very carefully worked out over many years of his own practice.
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    A Rock-Solid Chess Opening Repertoire for Black
    The French Connection - Winning Ways with 1. e4 e6 and 1. d4 e6
    Catalog Code: B0180GB
    Our Price: $23.95

    Chess Openings for Kids
    Featuring 50 Mighty Opening Systems
    For chess-players of all ages and abilities, it is vital to get off to a good start. This simple guide provides all the tips and ideas needed to play purposefully from move one. That's because these 50 Mighty Openings are the very ones used by chess masters and grandmasters to outwit opponents time and again. This book teaches the names and starting moves of all the main chess openings, and explains the basic ideas.
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    Chess Openings for Kids
    Featuring 50 Mighty Opening Systems
    Catalog Code: B0164GB
    Our Price: $16.95

    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 4
    Gambits - Preparation - Fianchettoes - Symmetry
    In this highly-acclaimed and popular series, John Watson helps chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. He explains not only the ideas and strategies behind specific openings, but also the interconnections of chess openings taken as a whole. By presenting the common threads that underlie opening play, Watson provides a permanent basis for playing openings of any type.
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    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 4
    Gambits - Preparation - Fianchettoes - Symmetry
    Catalog Code: B0162GB
    Our Price: $29.95

    A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire
    An Easy-to-Learn Repertoire for the Chessboard Assassin
    Bored with the same old openings? Worried about having to learn too much theory? Then this book will come as a godsend. Aaron Summerscale presents a set of exceptionally dangerous opening weapons for White. Each recommended line is based on a solid positional foundation, yet also promises long-term (and short-term!) attacking chances.
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    A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire
    An Easy-to-Learn Repertoire for the Chessboard Assassin
    Catalog Code: B0159GB
    Our Price: $19.75

    Understanding The Marshall Attack
    A Layman's Guide to the Supergrandmasters' Favourite Gambit
    The Marshall Attack is a chess opening like no other. Rather than subjecting himself to the 'Spanish torture' so typical in the Ruy Lopez, Black simply gives away a centre pawn. But in return, he gets long-term attacking chances and activity that can persist well into the endgame.
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    Understanding The Marshall Attack
    A Layman's Guide to the Supergrandmasters' Favourite Gambit
    Catalog Code: B0160GB
    Our Price: $23.95

    Play the Alekhine
    A Life-Long Specialist Explains an Uncompromising Chess Opening
    The Alekhine is arguably the most forcing and aggressive reply to 1 e4. Black immediately forces the pace and drags the game onto his own favoured territory. This strategy is not without risk, but those who specialize in the Alekhine find that the opening has a real practical sting and quick-strike potential.
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    Play the Alekhine
    A Life-Long Specialist Explains an Uncompromising Chess Opening
    Catalog Code: B0143GB
    Our Price: $19.95

    Fundamental Chess Openings (FCO)
    A New One-Volume Guide to All the Chess Openings
    The first moves of a chess game define the nature of the whole struggle, as both players stake their claim to the critical squares and start to develop their plans. It is essential to play purposefully and to avoid falling into traps or reaching a position that you don't understand.
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    Fundamental Chess Openings (FCO)
    A New One-Volume Guide to All the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0142GB
    Our Price: $29.95

    Chess Explained - The Grunfeld
    A Guide to a Dynamic Counterattacking Opening
    Chess Explained books provide an understanding of an opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have. The Grunfeld Defense is one of the most aggressive openings at Black's disposal.
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    Chess Explained - The Grunfeld
    A Guide to a Dynamic Counterattacking Opening
    Catalog Code: B0049GB
    Our Price: $24.95

    Chess Explained - The Main Line Slav
    Exploring the Dynamics of an Intricate and Robust Opening
    Chess Explained books provide an understanding of an opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have. The Main-Line Slav is one of the key battlegrounds of modern chess, with adherents among all levels of chess-players.
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    Chess Explained - The Main Line Slav
    Exploring the Dynamics of an Intricate and Robust Opening
    Catalog Code: B0048GB
    Our Price: $24.95

    Win With The Stonewall Dutch
    Rock Solid or Flexible - Your Choice!
    The Stonewall Dutch is a traditional favourite amongst club players, as it offers Black ready-made attacking plans on the kingside. As Grandmaster Bent Larsen has noted, the Dutch also has the tendency to 'bring out the coward' in opponents, giving it an added practical sting. However, up until the late 1980s, the Stonewall wasn't fully trusted at grandmaster level, despite its earlier use by Alekhine and Botvinnik. Black's attacking plans were too one-sided, and White's methods too well worked out.
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    Win With The Stonewall Dutch
    Rock Solid or Flexible - Your Choice!
    Catalog Code: B0137GB
    Our Price: $29.95

    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 3
    Flank Openings, Practical Play and General Topics
    In this highly-acclaimed and popular series, John Watson helps chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. He explains not only the ideas and strategies behind specific openings, but also the interconnections of chess openings taken as a whole. By presenting the common threads that underlie opening play, Watson provides a permanent basis for playing openings of any type.
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    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 3
    Flank Openings, Practical Play and General Topics
    Catalog Code: B0055GB
    Our Price: $29.95

    Chess Explained - The Nimzo-Indian
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Chess Explained books provide an understanding of an opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have.
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    Chess Explained - The Nimzo-Indian
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0092GB
    Our Price: $23.95

    Chess Explained - The French
    Two Experts Explain the Workings of a Profound Opening Complex
    The French Defence is one of the most important chess openings. It's qualities are such that it appeals to a wide range of chess temperaments: it is solid yet uncompromising, and with a variety of chaotic variations to appeal to the most bloodthirsty of players, but also offering more tranquil lines to those seeking a quieter existence. While it is hard for White to avoid at least some imbalance in the position, he also has a wide choice. In some of the most critical lines, he accepts major structural weaknesses in return for piece-play and dynamic chances, while he can also seek to establish a modest space advantage without such heavy positional commitments.
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    Chess Explained - The French
    Two Experts Explain the Workings of a Profound Opening Complex
    Catalog Code: B0122GB
    Our Price: $23.95

    Grandmaster Secrets - The Caro-Kann
    The Inside Story on a Popular and Rich Opening Complex
    Chess Explained is a new series of books about chess openings. They are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games.
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    Grandmaster Secrets - The Caro-Kann
    The Inside Story on a Popular and Rich Opening Complex
    Catalog Code: B0018GB
    Our Price: $29.95

    Chess Explained - The c3 Sicilian
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Chess Explained is a new series of books about chess openings. They are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games.
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    Chess Explained - The c3 Sicilian
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0063GB
    Our Price: $19.95

    Chess Explained - The Meran Semi-Slav
    A Dynamic Opening Explained with Words and Examples
    Chess Explained books provide an understanding of an opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have.
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    Chess Explained - The Meran Semi-Slav
    A Dynamic Opening Explained with Words and Examples
    Catalog Code: B0064GB
    Our Price: $23.95

    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 2
    Unlock the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings
    For most chess-players, opening study is sheer hard work. It is hard to know what is important and what is not, and when specific knowledge is vital, or when a more general understanding is sufficient. Tragically often, once the opening is over, a player won't know what plan to follow, or even understand why his pieces are on the squares on which they sit. John Watson seeks to help chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. In his previous books on chess strategy, he explained vital concepts that had previously been the domain only of top-class players.
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    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 2
    Unlock the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0076GB
    Our Price: $29.95

    Chess Explained - The Modern Benoni
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Chess Explained is a new series of books about chess openings. They are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have.
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    Chess Explained - The Modern Benoni
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0091GB
    Our Price: $23.95

    The Ruy Lopez - a Guide for Black
    A Reliable Defense with more than a Spark of Aggression
    The Ruy Lopez (or Spanish Opening) is one of the critical chess battlegrounds. It has long been recommended as an excellent chess opening for training purposes, as it leads to a wide variety of structures and strategies. This book is a complete guide to handling the black side of the Lopez, based principally around the Zaitsev Variation, upon which Anatoly Karpov relied during much of his career. This line leads to sharp play, often in open battles where Black gains active counterplay and challenges White to seize the initiative on the kingside.
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    The Ruy Lopez - a Guide for Black
    A Reliable Defense with more than a Spark of Aggression
    Catalog Code: B0095GB
    Our Price: $14.95

    Chess Explained - The Queen's Gambit Declined
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Books are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have.
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    Chess Explained - The Queen's Gambit Declined
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0126GB
    Our Price: $23.95

    Chess Explain - The Sicilian Taimanov
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Chess Explained is a new series of books about chess openings. They are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games.
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    Chess Explain - The Sicilian Taimanov
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0046GB
    Our Price: $19.95

    Chess Explained - The Classical Sicilian
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Chess Explained is a new series of books about chess openings. They are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games.
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    Chess Explained - The Classical Sicilian
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0047GB
    Our Price: $19.95

    Creative Chess Opening Preparation
    How to Seize the Initiative and Pose Novel Problems for the Opponent
    Grandmaster Eingorn is an chess opening trendsetter. Throughout his career, he has introduced many novel concepts in the openings, and some of the systems he has introduced have gone on to become absolute main lines, such as the Rb1 Exchange Grunfeld. Here he explains the methods by which he prepares his openings and works out new systems from scratch, and how readers can do the same.
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    Creative Chess Opening Preparation
    How to Seize the Initiative and Pose Novel Problems for the Opponent
    Catalog Code: B0071GB
    Our Price: $14.95

    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 1
    Unlock the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings
    For many chess-players, opening study is sheer hard work. It is difficult to know what is important and what is not, and when specific knowledge is vital, or when a more general understanding is sufficient. Tragically often, once the opening is over, a player won't know what plan to follow, or even understand why his pieces are on the squares on which they sit. John Watson seeks to help chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings.
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    Mastering the Chess Openings - VOLUME 1
    Unlock the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0075GB
    Our Price: $29.95

    Beating the Fianchetto Defences
    A Challenging Repertoire Versus Five King's Fianchetto Defences
    Grivas provides a full and detailed repertoire for White against five important openings: the Grunfeld, King's Indian, Benoni, Benko and Modern. In each case, he has recommended a line in which he has a wealth of experience, and has played a significant personal role in developing over many years. The recommendations are geared towards posing Black unconventional problems: your opponents will not be able to churn out lengthy memorized variations, but will need to solve problems at the board in positions that are somewhat different in character from those normally reached in these openings.
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    Beating the Fianchetto Defences
    A Challenging Repertoire Versus Five King's Fianchetto Defences
    Catalog Code: B0081GB
    Our Price: $14.95

    Chess Explained - The English Opening
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Chess Explained is a new series of books about chess openings. They are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have.
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    Chess Explained - The English Opening
    A New Approach to Understanding the Chess Openings
    Catalog Code: B0094GB
    Our Price: $19.95

    Win with the London System
    Dynamic New Approaches to Make Your Opponents Crumble!
    The London System is a perennial favorite of club players, as it is a very sound and solid system with a real practical sting. The authors of this new book seek to maximize this sting in two principal ways.
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    Win with the London System
    Dynamic New Approaches to Make Your Opponents Crumble!
    Catalog Code: B0014GB
    Our Price: $25.95

    Play the 4. f3 Nimzo-Indian
    The Most Aggressive Response to the Nimzo Explained by One of it's Leading Exponents
    The Nimzo-Indian is an extremely popular and reliable defence, upon which most world champions have relied at some point in their careers. Black controls the vital e4-square with his pieces, and retains total flexibility with his central pawns. By playing 4. f3, White challenges Black's idea head-on. Either Black grants White control of e4, or else he must commit his pawn to d5, whereupon White can begin concrete action in the center.
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    Play the 4. f3 Nimzo-Indian
    The Most Aggressive Response to the Nimzo Explained by One of it's Leading Exponents
    Catalog Code: B0035GB
    Our Price: $14.95

    A Complete Guide to the Grivas Sicilian
    4... Qb6 - A Subtle and Reliable System for Black Explained in Detail
    This book is in every way a definitive guide: Efstratios Grivas provides the inside story on a variation of the Sicilian Defence that he has worked for more than 20 years to perfect, and which rightly bears his name. The Grivas Sicilian (1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Qb6) has proved itself sound and reliable in practice, but is also far less well investigated than most Sicilian systems.
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    A Complete Guide to the Grivas Sicilian
    4... Qb6 - A Subtle and Reliable System for Black Explained in Detail
    Catalog Code: B0052GB

    Regular Price: $23.95

    Special Price: $9.58


    How to Build Your Chess Opening Repertoire
    A User-Friendly Guide to Choosing and Planning Your Openings
    In this book, the first to focus on these issues, Steve Giddins provides common-sense guidance on one of the perennial problems facing chess-players. He tackles questions such as: whether to play main lines, offbeat openings or 'universal' systems; how to avoid being 'move-ordered'; how to use computers; if and when to depart from or change your repertoire.
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    How to Build Your Chess Opening Repertoire
    A User-Friendly Guide to Choosing and Planning Your Openings
    Catalog Code: B0019GB
    Our Price: $19.95

    The Nimzo-Indian - 4. e3
    Comprehensive Coverage of the Long-Established Main Line of the Nimzo
    Ever since Nimzowitsch introduced his flexible, dynamic defence to the queen's pawn, debate has raged over White's best reply. Many variations have been in and out of fashion, but one line in particular has proved an enduring weapon - the sound and solid 4 e3 line, known as the Rubinstein Variation. The 4 e3 Nimzo is extraordinarily rich in strategy. All manner of different central pawn-structures can arise, such as the blocked centre characteristic of the Hübner Variation and a variety of IQP positions.
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    The Nimzo-Indian - 4. e3
    Comprehensive Coverage of the Long-Established Main Line of the Nimzo
    Catalog Code: B0078GB

    Regular Price: $23.95

    Special Price: $9.58


    Understanding the Leningrad Dutch
    An Experienced Chess Trainer's Guide to a Dynamic Opening System
    For many years, the Leningrad Dutch was viewed with some suspicion in view of the slight positional weaknesses created in Black's position. However, in the 1980s, dynamic new approaches were introduced by such players as Sergei Dolmatov, Evgeny Bareev, Mikhail Gurevich and especially Vladimir Malaniuk that changed the way people thought about the Leningrad Dutch. These players showed how an active approach could compensate for these defects, and offer Black excellent winning chances.
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    Understanding the Leningrad Dutch
    An Experienced Chess Trainer's Guide to a Dynamic Opening System
    Catalog Code: B0083GB
    Our Price: $21.95

    The French - Tarrasch Variation
    Comprehensive Coverage of an Important Modern Chess Opening
    This book continues the coverage of the French Defence that was begun by Pedersen in The Main Line French: 3 Nc3. It is essential reading for all those who play the French, and for those who meet it with the popular and flexible Tarrasch Variation.
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    The French - Tarrasch Variation
    Comprehensive Coverage of an Important Modern Chess Opening
    Catalog Code: B0028GB
    Our Price: $14.95

    The Sicilian Sozin
    A Life-Long Sozin Devotee Explains the Subtleties of this Aggressive System for White
    This book presents in detail the theory of the Sozin in all its forms, including the razor-sharp Velimirovic Attack.
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    The Sicilian Sozin
    A Life-Long Sozin Devotee Explains the Subtleties of this Aggressive System for White
    Catalog Code: B0042GB
    Our Price: $14.95

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