Mastering the Chess Openings Volume 1

For years I have been looking for a good general opening reference book that explains overarching ideas and strategies! And finally! Finally! I found it. Sadly it has been hear for quite a long time but I let other blog reviews steer me away. Watson writes this and the other 3 volumes (more on those in a minute) so that you can begin understanding an opening right away AND continue many of the sidelines as you and your opening needs grow! SUCH WELL WRITTEN EXPLANATORY PROSE!!I also purchased volumes 2 and 4. I think they are essential. And are just as well written. You can read these books all the way thru for a great chess education or just go opening by opening as your needs dictate. I will eventually purchase volume 3 but I never see the English opening so not yet!I can't say enough about these books!!I tried Emms' "Discovering Chess Opening". It was mediocre.Mednis' "How to Play Good Opening Moves" IS great but limited but still an excellent book.I recently purchased "Openings for Amateurs" and it was HORRIBLE!Watson's books are fabulous.I browsed the explanatory prose in the much ballyhooed Fundamental Chess Openings and it doesn't seem to hold a candle to Watson. Maybe it does??But I am sold on Watson's books.

It took joining a local chess club and repeatedly getting clobbered right out of the opening to realize that in order to stand much of a chance I needed to invest more time in the study of opening theory. I already have a copy of MCO but it is heavy on spewing out moves, light on explanation and has more than a few typos that sometimes make following the variations difficult. I researched books on opening theory and finally settled on Watson's Mastering the Chess Openings series. This is a somewhat more costly resource than many of the others available (four volumes instead of a single book) but it's a worthwhile investment.Volume 1 of the series deals with the majority of king pawn openings, 1. e4. It is certainly not exhaustive in that it does not cover every single variation of every king's pawn opening, but it has the large majority of what most chess players will encounter over the board. The openings covered include:- Giuoco Piano- Two Knights Defense- Philidor's Defense- Ruy Lopez- King's Gambit- Sicilian Defense- Caro-Kann Defense- French Defense- Pirc DefenseWatson does a great job of explaining all of these opening systems (or opening defenses as appropriate). That is, rather than give a summary blurb about the opening and then just prattling on with move after move, he walks the reader through the opening, explaining the purpose behind each move. Then, once finished with the main sequence of moves, he includes one or more instructive games with relevant analysis and variations. This is so much more helpful than a cold and clinical presentation of silent moves.Watson's writing style is very clear and approachable. He neither talks down to his readership nor does he assume that everyone has a doctorate in chess.This is a superb series on chess openings which will leave the reader with a much clearer understanding of not just the moves involved in the openings but also an understanding of the purpose and goals of any given opening and variation covered. Although the cost of the series is more than that of a single volume it is well worth it.

Very nice and organized book with a comprehensive approach towards opening. Not too big, not too short. Ideal for players in my level (bellow 2000). Recommended by Brazilian GM Rafael Leitao as a good literature on openings. He was right.

And a lot less expensive!

I have this volume and volume 2 of the series. My impression is positive, except for two things:1. This is a four-volume set. The open games and the semi-open games comprise only this one volume! That means a lot less coverage for these openings than they should have for a work of this size. For instance, these openings get two of five volumes in the "Encyclopedia of Chess Openings" (40%). They get 386 pages out of 739 (52%) in "Modern Chess Openings".2. Several openings are not covered whereas some less-common ones are covered. For instance, the Petrov and the Scotch are not covered, whereas the Philidor is. Several other open and semi-open games are omitted.

(Written by Brenda's husband who has been an almost life long dabbler in chess).I learned the moves of chess in 1954 at the lunchtime Chess Club during the first year at the local Secondary Modern as those deemed unfit for Grammar School were then sent to. Since then my interest has waxed and waned as the pressures of life dictated. During these nearly 65 years I have amassed a sizable chess library. I have many books on chess opening theory but nearly all are lists of variations and variations of variations!! The others don't explain much beyond very basic ideas or just assume that one is a Grandmaster or one in the making with a deep insight and they race ahead at breakneck speed. I bought Volume 1 and was immediately drawn in by what for me was an entirely new approach which I quickly related to and enjoyed. So impressed was I that I ordered the other three volumes and was not disappointed. If you are a chess genius then you probably don't need these books but for Mr Chess Average they are a goldmine of information. So why 4 stars? I am intimidated by some of the slightly, negative reviews written by far greater chess minds than mine and I worry that I have missed something along the way. From my own view, the series far surpasses the twenty or so books that I already have on Opening Theory which possibly I may understand better when I have finished with Mr Watson? Don't hesitate, they really are good!

A must read for every chess player an opening repertoire of e4 openings.

Good.

Não li todo, mas os capítulos iniciais me deixaram satisfeito com a aquisição.

O melhor curso de aberturas que conheço.