An interesting thought! I am not the one to throw the first stone since I am a lazy time opthimist but I would like to vitalize the ACIS group somehow before searching in wider circles. How? I dunno but I would love to take part in some ACIS co-op.

Have you considered if we should move the ACIS stuff to Chess.com (small world)? I am "Quest of the Chess Novice". You me and Blunderprone are on Chess.com...

pat·zer   (ptsr, pät-)

Word!

I totally agree. It always makes me angry or giggle when I read advice along the lines that MCO or something similar is all that an improving player needs.

When I started off, my own philosophy led me astray... I figured out that middlegame and endgame issues was no use of studying first, since the opening position was equal, and if I didn't manage the openings draw was all I could hope for. So what was the use of entering middlegame a piece down, or hopeless endgames with hardly any pieces left... So I studied the openings... Year after year... And I never really came out of the study of the openings.

Half way down the road of my life, I sure have some insight in opening theory, but the really philosophy I am really left with is that you can more or less play any opening moves. And it is the follow up that counts. How you develop after the first initial moves. I really wish I had such a book, and started middlegame and endgame studies earlier...

In those years I could spend a month on deciding that 6...d5 7.0-0 was the best line in an opening. So I played 6...d5. And was stuck when my fellow patzer opponent didn't play 7.0-0, but 7.b3. And all my study was in vain since my opponents didn't play after my "optimal" lines. My advice to young people of today would be, glance some openings, learn some basic ideas and issues, avoid some traps - and go on study middlegame (tactics) and endgames (strategy). On my level of play "any" first moves are kind of OK... Bitter fruit of learning, isn't it? LOL

Thank you, airbus! For all of us who play a little chess for Brain Exercise, I honestly think that this book is all you need. At least for OTB play. If you want to fight off semi serious cc player, then you need a more detailed opening reference book.

I think I would have avoided buying 83% of my Opening books if I had bought this little gem earlier.

Nice work, farbror. Yes, what if there could be a thin little book with all the chess opening issues I ever would need... What a dream... LOL Keep up your good work, and keep telling us about good chess litterature.

Patzer means a person who is poor at chess. I do not really know where it comes from but it is the english translation.

Why do they use the word Patzer? Is the english translation Panzie or Patsie ?