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What’s your favourite opening book?

25 April 2007 10:29 AM | Last modified: 10:39

Everyone has a favourite chess book, and if you ask strong players they will probably mention Bronstein’s book on Zürich ‘53, the games collection of Tal or perhaps Fire on Board by Shirov. Today a small variation on this theme, because I suspect that many players also have a favourite opening book. An opening book that had a great influence on their play. To me that’s Beating the Sicilian 2 by John Nunn. Nunn, who turns 52 today, doesn’t write opening books anymore, as he told me in August last year. Sadly, because his books are great.

Beating the Sicilian 2 (Batsford, 1990) was of course the successor to Beating the Sicilian (1984) but then I didn’t play chess yet. (In 1995 Nunn wrote, together with Joe Gallagher, Beating the Sicilian 3. Now the book Experts vs. Sicilian by Quality Chess can be considered its successor.)

I only started in 1990 and got a copy of BTS 2 about two years later. The book had great influence on my play. I still feel the most comfortable in Siciliaans-like positions where I’m White and have castled kingside. These are the positions in which I’ve beaten my strongest opponents (several IMs and also once GM Wojtkiewicz). The most instructional commentary I’ve ever seen in an opening book is Nunn’s to the following game (I’ve left out may references to other games as well the commentary at the end of the game).

>> open the game in a separate window

What’s your favourite opening book? And why?

Written by peter | Filed under Books, Birthday, Opening 

Comments

9 Responses to “What’s your favourite opening book?”

  1. arne on 25 April 2007 11:02 AM

    A book that made a great impression on me is Raymond Keene’s rather unknown book “The Evolution of Chess Opening Theory from Philidor to Kasparov” (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Evolution-Chess-Opening-Theory-Philidor/dp/0951375768).

  2. Pieter on 25 April 2007 11:45 AM

    The French Defence; main line Winawer — van John Moles (1974)
    Ik leerde de openingen lange geleden aan de hand van Bouwmeester. Hij vond dat je met zwart tegen e4 frans moest spelen (prisma pocket) Hij stelde dan voor om na 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Pc3/Pd2 de: te spelen. Gemakkelijk te leren en functioneel tegen zowel pc3 als pd2. Toen las ik Moles over de Winawer en zag de schoonheid van het schaken: Koning op f8, tempoverlies, via de zijkanten spelen.
    Wat er bij kwam was dat een franse winawer stelling naar mijn idee een mooie stelling is om naar te kijken, of je nu verstand van schaken hebt of niet, het ziet er fraai uit. Hebben meer mensen dit? Een stelling is mooi ongeacht of jij beter staat of niet, er een mooie combinatie aankomt of niet.

  3. Moonnie on 25 April 2007 12:28 PM

    Opening for White According to Kramnik - Khalifman.

  4. Marvol on 25 April 2007 2:53 PM

    For its original prose (including chapter titles) and its inspiring and encouraging attitude, my favorite is definitely ‘Understanding the Grunfeld’ by Jonathan Rowson. It made me wanna go out there and whoop ass with the Grunfeld :).

  5. Sanne on 25 April 2007 8:52 PM

    The Sveshnikov reloaded by Dorian Rogozenko is one of the best opening books I own.
    Also The Chigorin Defence by Valery Broznik comes to mind, a very complete work wrote with clearly a lot of love for the game.

  6. Tom M on 26 April 2007 1:45 PM

    Naast de sublieme Khalifman serie, het intressante concept van Experts vs the Sicilian vind ik, ”Understanding the King’s Indian” van Mikhail Golubev erg goed. Alle partij zijn door hem gespeeld.Ik vind het goed dat een sterke speler de theorie behandeld d.m.v. zijn eigen partijen. Hij kan dan namelijk bijv. laten zien waar hij zelf in die opening tegen aan is gelopen… Hij schrijft de strategische ideeën naar mijn mening ook prima. En, tot slot, hij geeft niet 1 variant, maar meerdere mogelijkheden. Het is prettig om altijd nog een paar mogelijkheden achter de hand te houden.

  7. Nate C on 26 April 2007 3:37 PM

    The two that I’ve gotten the most use of over the years are:

    The Complete Benko Gambit by John Fedorowicz and Play The French by John Watson. Because these books are so comprehensive I’ve found these books to be most usefull as references when going over games that I have already played. If you are looking to pick up the Benko Gambit or the French these books aren’t for you. I also recently bought Mastering the Chess Openings Volume 1 and Dangerous Weapons: The French both by Watson, the former is a good book for picking up most 1.e4 openings. The latter is just a fun read and not a bad choice for someone looking to take up the french.

  8. Dan Scoones on 27 April 2007 3:33 AM

    So many great opening books have been publshed that it is difficult to name a single favourite. But one that stands out in my mind is Winning with the Trompowsky by Peter Wells.

  9. azzouz on 14 July 2007 5:34 PM

    i have any thing all e4

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