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.

    Play the King's Indian
    A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Most Dynamic of Openings
    The King's Indian has always been one of the sharpest, most complex and popular openings that Black can play; it still provides the setting for many encounters at the elite level of Grandmaster chess. Straight from the start, Black fights for the initiative and in many variations, while White pursues material gains, it is Black who has the psychological advantage of trying checkmate the opponent's king.
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    Play the King's Indian
    A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Most Dynamic of Openings
    Catalog Code: B0290EM
    Our Price: $24.95

    Starting Out - Grunfeld
    The Grunfeld is an energetic and popular defense to queen's pawn openings and is a favorite of the world number one Garry Kasparov. From the start of the game Black allows White to build an apparently strong centre but then attacks it with all his forces. Play can become extremely sharp and theoretical and this opening very much appeals to dynamic players.
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    Starting Out - Grunfeld
    Catalog Code: B0274EM
    Our Price: $24.95

    Tactics in the Chess Opening - VOLUME 1
    Sicilian Defence
    Every chess player loves to win, but nothing compares to winning with a flourish. How happy we are when the tactics work and we decide a game with a cunning trick, a devilish trap or a delightful coup de grace.
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    Tactics in the Chess Opening - VOLUME 1
    Sicilian Defence
    Catalog Code: B0001TITO

    Regular Price: $21.95

    Special Price: $8.78


    Encyclopedia of Chess Openings - BOOK B
    The fourth thoroughly revised and updated edition of the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, Volume B, brings an additional 104 pages of brand new material.
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    Encyclopedia of Chess Openings - BOOK B
    Catalog Code: B0002ECO
    Our Price: $39.95

    Secrets of Opening Surprises - VOLUME 2
    No Time to Study Opening Theory? Shock Your Opponent with an SOS!
    Readers of this series can ignore large areas of the ever expanding chess opening theory. They can concentrate on these surprising ideas, because SOS variations deviate very early from the regular lines in mainstream openings. Ideal for players who don't have enough time to keep abreast with main line theory. Appears twice a year. Ready-to-go chess opening ideas."
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    Secrets of Opening Surprises - VOLUME 2
    No Time to Study Opening Theory? Shock Your Opponent with an SOS!
    Catalog Code: B0002SOS
    Our Price: $21.95

    Encyclopedia of Chess Openings - BOOK D
    The fourth thoroughly revised and updated edition of the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, Volume D, brings an additional 56 pages of brand new material on 1. d4 d5 & 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 followed by 3...d5: Queen's Gambit (Slav, QG Accepted, Orthodox, Tarrasch, Tartakower, etc.), Gruenfeld, Queen's Pawn, etc.
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    Encyclopedia of Chess Openings - BOOK D
    Catalog Code: B0004ECO
    Our Price: $39.95

    Starting Out - Queen's Indian
    The Queen's Indian is one of Blacks most dependable and respected defences to the queen's pawn opening. Is an established favourite amongst world-class grandmasters such as Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand, Michael Adams and Judit Polgar, not to mention Anatoly Karpov, who has been a loyal Queen's Indian supporter and theory developer for over three decades.
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    Starting Out - Queen's Indian
    Catalog Code: B0011EM
    Our Price: $24.95

    Opening For White According to Anand 1. e4 - VOLUME III
    The third volume of the popular series "Opening for White according to Anand -1.e4" deals with the Caro Kann Defence. It has the reputation as the opening of the chess-academics. Capablanca, Botvinnik, Petrosian and Karpov - this list of great chess-champions that have been life-long devotees of the Caro-Kann Defence can be easily extended.
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    Opening For White According to Anand 1. e4 - VOLUME III
    Catalog Code: B0022EU
    Our Price: $28.95

    Controversial Samisch King's Indian
    The Samisch variation is commonly recognized as being the sharpest way of meeting the popular King's Indian Defence, although in its modern use by White, one is just as likely to see positional queenside play as any deadly assault on the black king. In this innovative opening book, Grandmaster Chris War takes a look at its transformation over time.
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    Controversial Samisch King's Indian
    Catalog Code: B0041BT
    Our Price: $9.95

    Two Knights Defence
    In this book, openings theoretician Jan Pinski guides the reader through both the well-trodden paths of the main lines plus the less fashionable side variations of this most complex opening. Using illustrative games, Pinski studies the key ideas and tactics for both Black and White.
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    Two Knights Defence
    Catalog Code: B0057EM
    Our Price: $24.95

    Main Line Ruy Lopez
    The Ruy Lopez (also known as the Spanish Game) is an extremely popular opening and one of the oldest in the history of chess. It has been played by virtually all the greats of the game, providing the battle scene for many world championship clashes involving the likes of Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov and Kramnik. Now, for the first time in many years, Grandmaster Glenn Flear investigates the main line of the Lopez, outlining the crucial ideas and tactics for both White and Black.
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    Main Line Ruy Lopez
    Catalog Code: B0122EM

    Regular Price: $24.95

    Special Price: $9.98


    Offbeat King's Indian
    Lesser Known Tries to Counter this Most Popular of Defences
    The King's Indian is one of the most exciting and complex defences that black can employ against the queen's pawn opening. The main lines of the King's Indian are very sharp and tactical but they are also incredibly theoretical in nature it can be a full time job simply keeping up with the latest developments and fashion. So it is not surprising that many playing white choose to look elsewhere for something to counter this popular opening. In Offbeat King's Indian distinguished openings expert Krzysztof Panczyk studies unusual and less theoretical systems for white, ones that are tricky and are likely to throw the King's Indian player off his or her stride early on in the game. Variations investigated include lines with an early Bd3, ones with Nge2,l and ones involving a swift Bg5. By studying this new book, white players can arm themselves with a while new weaponry of lines against the King's Indian, while those playing Black can look closely for the recommended antidotes.
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    Offbeat King's Indian
    Lesser Known Tries to Counter this Most Popular of Defences
    Catalog Code: B0167EM

    Regular Price: $19.95

    Special Price: $7.98


    Scandinavian
    From a theoretical backwater to a fully blown main line opening, the rise of the Scandinavian Defence (1. e4 d5) has been nothing short of meteoric. Over the past fifteen years the Scandinavian has become more and more popular both at club and Grandmaster level. It even managed to obtain an ultimate seal of approval when Vishy Anand employed it in his World Championship match with Garry Kasparov!
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    Scandinavian
    Catalog Code: B0172EM
    Our Price: $24.95

    Accelerated Dragons
    Many players are attracted to the Dragon Sicilian, but are put off by the fierce mating attacks that White can launch. In the Accelerated Dragon, Black aims for an improved version, saving a move with his queen's pawn. If White tries to ignore the difference, Black's instant detonation of the centre will come as an unwelcome cold shower! The authors show that White's main reply, the Maroczy Bind, is not so fearsome as was once thought Black has many ways to break out, while quite often it is possible to manoeuvre around White's 'binding pawns' and show that they imprison White's pieces as much as they do Black's.
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    Accelerated Dragons
    Catalog Code: B0145EM
    Our Price: $19.95

    Complete Defense to Queen Pawn Openings
    Essential Opening Moves
    This aggressive counterattacking repertoire covers Black opening systems against virtually every opening except for 1.e4 (plus most flank games), based on the exciting and powerful Tarrasch Defense, which helped win Kasparov and Spassky championships.
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    Complete Defense to Queen Pawn Openings
    Essential Opening Moves
    Catalog Code: B0001CZ
    Our Price: $16.95

    Gambit Opening Repertoire for White
    Essential Opening Moves
    Chess players who enjoy attacking from the very first move are rewarded here with a powerful repertoire of brilliant gambits. Starting off with 1.e4 or 1.d4 and then using sharp weapons such as the Goring gambit (accepted and declined), Halasz Gambit, Alapin Gambit, Ulysses Gambit, Short Attack and more, you'll learn how to put pressure on opponents.
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    Gambit Opening Repertoire for White
    Essential Opening Moves
    Catalog Code: B0040CZ
    Our Price: $14.95

    English Defence
    Grandmaster Daniel King explains the basic elements, strategies and tactics of the popular English Defence, on which he is a renowned expert. This book, the first on the English Defence for many years, provides everything you need to know to start playing the opening straightaway. It focuses on explaining the key themes and provides a backbone of essential theoretical knowledge. This is an ideal battle manual for club and tournament players .
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    English Defence
    Catalog Code: B0108EM
    Our Price: $19.95

    101 Chess Opening Traps
    A Collection of Deadly Traps, New and Old, to Catch Opponents of All Standards
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    101 Chess Opening Traps
    A Collection of Deadly Traps, New and Old, to Catch Opponents of All Standards
    Catalog Code: B0127GB
    Our Price: $14.95

    Queen's Gambit Declined 5. Bf4
    The Orthodox Defense to the Queen's Gambit is an extremely resilient system for Black, and a solid favorite of many world champions. As Black's main ideas are easily grasped, it is also a very popular option at club level. In this, the first major work on the subject, the flexible and powerful move 5 Bf4! is explained. While far less hackneyed than the standard systems in which the bishop goes to g5, the move denies Black the standard simplifying maneuvers and sets an entirely new set of problems.
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    Queen's Gambit Declined 5. Bf4
    Catalog Code: B0131EM
    Our Price: $19.95

    Semi-Slav
    The Semi-Slav Defense (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6) has been one of Black's most reliable defenses to the queen's pawn since the 1920s, having withstood decades of scrutiny at the highest level. Nowadays it is very popular at grandmaster level (it is used regularly by such imaginative players as Shirov and Kramnik) as well as with club and tournament players.
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    Semi-Slav
    Catalog Code: B0171EM
    Our Price: $19.95

    Fianchetto Grunfeld
    By choosing the Fianchetto System against the Grunfeld, White aims to stifle Black's normal piece play. White avoids presenting Black with a target and instead looks to probe Black's sensitive queenside. White's strategy has been used to good effect by Karpov and Kasparov, reason enough to adopt it in one's own games. This new title offers the first complete coverage of this important chess opening and is ideal for King's Indian players looking for a way to meet the Fianchetto. It also includes up-to-the-minute theory from two top-class theoreticians. Grandmaster Adrian Mikhalchishin is a well-known Ukrainian writer and player, and arguably the worlds' leading expert on the Fianchetto Grunfeld. Alexander Belyavsky is also a Ukrainian grandmaster, who became World Junior Champion in 1973 and won the USSR Championship on many occasions. He has competed regularly and successfully in countless super-grandmaster events.
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    Fianchetto Grunfeld
    Catalog Code: B0176EM

    Regular Price: $19.95

    Special Price: $7.98


    Easy Guide to Queen's Gambit Accepted
    The Queen's Gambit Accepted is one of Black's most trustworthy and yet dynamic ways of facing the Queen's Pawn Opening. Black immediately accepts the invitation to open the position, leading to positions rich in positional and tactical complexity. Now, for the first time, Graeme Buckley uncovers the secrets behind the opening which has become a firm favourite amongst many of today's top players. Everyman's new Easy Guide series represents a new approach to chess opening books: just enough detail and just enough explanation to enable readers to play an opening with confidence, without months of memorizing theory-the easy way to master a chess opening. Graeme Buckley caused quite a stir in his first year as a professional player, securing his International Master title in a matter of months, quickly followed by his first grandmaster norm. More recently he has also been involved in some major coaching projects.
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    Easy Guide to Queen's Gambit Accepted
    Catalog Code: B0237EM

    Regular Price: $18.95

    Special Price: $7.58


    Colle System: Zukertort Variation 5. b3
    The variation is named after Johannes Hermann Zukertort, the first player to deminstrate the wonderful attacking potential of the white bishops lined up on the b1-h7 and b2-g7 diagonals. As we will see, there are many move orders by Black in the Colle-Zukertort, but white usually gets by with a single sequence: 1.d4, 2.e3, 3.Bd3, and 4.Nf3 - although in this book we will see a lot of other orders. The center is usually closed or semi-open in the Colle-Zukertort and this enables white to perform some elaborate maneuvers and execute long-range plans denied him when the center is open. Positional play is supreme. The chapters are: 1)Zukertort 5.b3 vs. Koltanowski 5.c3, 2)How White Wins, 3)How White Loses, 4)Common Strategic Mistakes, 5)Main Line Zukertort Vatiation 5.b3 Analysis.
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    Colle System: Zukertort Variation 5. b3
    Catalog Code: CB0040CD
    Our Price: $7.95

    French Defense - Classical System
    French Defense - Classical System
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    French Defense - Classical System
    Catalog Code: CB0053CD
    Our Price: $12.95

    How to Play the Belgrade Gambit
    After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5 the author examines both the accepted and declined. This gambit has been reinvigorated by some new ideas and is fully playable. An excellent edition to your fighting arsenal.
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    How to Play the Belgrade Gambit
    Catalog Code: CB0072CD
    Our Price: $4.95

    The Colle System Koltanowski Variation: 5. c3
    1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 e6 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 and other moves where Black does not play c5. There aren't as many strategic plans and positional themes as in the Queen's Gambit; but there are still quite a lot - and that's enough for 95 percent of serious players. Against an amateur opponent, the Colle is a deadly weapon, a quick killer. Edgar Colle and his fellow Belgian native, GM George Koltanowski, registered a string of sparkling victories, many of them in less than thirty moves, with this system. He even had the great Alekhine on the ropes with it.
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    The Colle System Koltanowski Variation: 5. c3
    Catalog Code: CB0079CD
    Our Price: $12.95

    Four Gambits to Beat the French
    Four Gambits to Beat the French
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    Four Gambits to Beat the French
    Catalog Code: CB0086CD
    Our Price: $12.95

    Sicilian ...e6 and ...d6 Systems
    The variations of the Sicilian in which Black sets up a pawn centre with ...e6 and ...d6 have been popularized by such fighting players as Kasparov and Andersson. The play can become extremely sharp and many lines have been analyzed to move 20. This comprehensive work provides everything the modern tournament player needs to know about the Scheveningen and only a Grandmaster of the calibre of Kasparov can provide the strategy explanation necessary for an opening of this complexity.
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    Sicilian ...e6 and ...d6 Systems
    Catalog Code: B0013AC
    Our Price: $14.95

    Sicilian - Paulsen
    The Paulsen System of the Sicilian challenges one of the common perceptions of the Sicilian Defense: That there is no safe way to play the Sicilian. The Paulsen System is generally regarded as one of the most solid, safe ways to play the Sicilian against 1.e4, while also giving plenty of opportunities for counter-attack. This flexible system can allow Black to arrange his pieces in several different ways. Taimanov shows us how to handle each variation that White can throw at you, and gives many fragments of important games.
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    Sicilian - Paulsen
    Catalog Code: B0082BT
    Our Price: $19.95

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