i went to the libaray to find a chess book and i found MCO-14 (Modern Chess Openings 14th Edition) by Nick de Firmian, but the only problem was i couldn't read it. i got confused, when it said

"KING'S GAMBIT

1e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3Nf3 g5

_____________________________________________________

          1             2              3             4             5             6         

       kieseritzky                                          Philidor        Hanstein     Muzio

4       h4..................................Bc4(1)

         g4                                          Bg7.....................g4

5       Ne5(a)                                    h4..........0-0          0-0(t)

         Nf6.........Bg7          d6           h6             h6          gxf3  

6       d4(b)         d4           Nxg4        d4             d4          Qf6

        d6              Nf6(f)      Nf6          d6             d6          Qf6 "

i don't get it, i understand Algebraic Notation but the way its writen i don't get. completly understand the first line under the title but after that im lost. Can some one explain it to me? plz i know its a good chess book because of the reviews and they wouldn't make 14 if they were not useful. i just need to know how to read it so i can read the next 734 pages. thx if you can help.

The numbers on the far left are for moves...and the numbers along the top are the different lines.  So you read each line going down...and when it diverges, it's indicated by the "......." (so for example the first line features 5... Nf6, and the second line is with 5... Bg7).  The names above each line are the variation names (Kieseritzky, Muzio, etc).  And there should be a whole slew of footnotes somewhere (probably on the bottom of the page, or on the next page) corresponding to all those letters in parentheses.

Just staying with this topic, does the MCO offer any theory concerning the openings, or does it simply give the opening lines.  I'm guessing it doesn't simply because Icee wouldn't be having an issue getting through the book.  That said, is there a solid book out there concerning opening theory?  It's one thing to know the lines in an opening and another thing to know why the lines in an opening are played. Right now i have Seirawan's opening book which is ok, but i think it's a little dated (am i wrong here) and i feel i've reached a point where i want to take another step forward regarding the opening.  Anyone?

MCO does not have theory in it. (Well, ok, it has a couple of paragraphs before each opening.) It's basically a different version of the ECO you're probably familiar with. It is a reference guide, nothing more- to read it cover-to-cover would be a complete waste of time, and a massive one at that.

I second Gimly's question--what IS a good book on openings with theory?

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/opinions-wanted-about-chess-opening-essentials-by-djuric-et-al

Admittedly the OP is asking a question, but the book is one of the best. To get properly comprehensive, however, you would need to buy a seperate book on each opening.

Take note, opening theory in chess means the body of moves known through being played or published as analysis. It doesn't mean, as one might naturally assume, ideas behind the opening moves.

I think the other book discussed in that link, the Watson books, are the answer -- There are three volumes and I don't pretend to have studied them closely (it's on my million year list of things to do, along with learning latin, and perfecting my breakshot in straight pool) but they really seem to fit the bill for books on opening that tell you more than just a bunch of variations and actually get into some of the larger thematic issues.

FWIW I think database software makes MCO type books obsolete. Those cross tables are tough to read. Using a (free!) database, I can generate a cross table that's easier to read, contains much more information, is assembled from data I can tweak and adjust to my own preferences, and that's clickable so i can follow the lines on an onscreen board. If I want to learn the best Caro Kann lines, let's say, I can filter for top players using that CK and see what lines they're playing. Using data that's from the past two or three years if I want to play only what's in fashion.  I can upload fresh games from the web and the db utility can check those newly imported games for games which play lines in my "repertoire" which I should pay attention to.  Meanwhile, printed books are getting stale from the day you buy one. 

There's no doubt that a db can't do it all for you, there's still  A LOT that a real GM or IM writing a book on a specific opening can tell you... but those big opening encyclopedia's are IMHO nothing but doorstops for anyone with a computer. If MCO was a stock, I'd be short selling it. 

Very important point!  I would recommend finding an opening and then starting with the everyman chess series... they are usually pretty good in explaining the basics...

 Do people still play straight pool on the east coast(in sac town all they want to do is play god forsaken one pocket-i would rather watch paint dry.)

And I second the watson opening book recommendation. 

Strangely I found the khalifman opening for anand series fantastically instructive as well.

I think the problem with opening books is they are only instructive if you look over the large tree find where you are confused and work through some of the issues the position is presenting and try and solve them WITHOUT help from other sources.  Then it becomes a learning process which you can apply yourself as opposed to a big random set of moves.  In anything you do always provide yourself with context. 

Yes they play a bit of straight pool on the east coast. Although 9 ball dominates all. (And 8 ball of course for the bar table crowd.) 1 pocket is a relatively recent vice, but it's growing. I agree that it's dreadful.

Andy Soltis' Pawn Structure Chess is IMO a very good book for openings, even though it's not about openings at all. But it's about pawn structures that arise from openings and it enables you to really connect the dots between seemingly different openings. For instance a Caro Kann has much more in common with Queen's Gambit games than it does with  1.e4 e5 games.  Making use of the Soltis book, or any opening book requires quite a lot of study. IMO.  You never "get it" the first time, you have to go back and forth back and forth between games and the book's lines and advice until things gel.