Chess Opening Essentials: The Ideas and Plans Behind All Chess Openings
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Chessable is a great tool, but if you do it according to the recommended spaced repetition suggestions, it will suck all of your chess time into that opening memorization vortex.
Jun 22, 2018
0
#22
CoffeeAnd420 wrote:
OMG ...once AGAIN: OP is a 1300 in correspondence on here (LOL) and he's spending time studying the opening. You guys are literally insane and SO stubborn it's unbelievable. No matter how many times people tell you to stop worrying about the opening and to work on tactics/endgames, you're just DEAD SET on studying those opening lines that aren't helping you one bit, aren't you?
Hey, it's your dime and it's your time.
Looking at your ratings I don't think advices from you about chess improvement are very valuable.
ed1975 wrote:
Spongey – do you (or anyone else) have an opinion on this series of books as a possible one-stop-shop to the main openings? Thanks.
My opinion is that it is not realistic to hope for a one-stop-shop to the main openings, but look at the reviews and samples for yourself.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627115737/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen99.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/380.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627105306/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen124.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/926.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/927.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627070808/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen137.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/940.pdf
ed1975 wrote:
Aha, thanks Baddogno - I will at some point in my development get FCO instead then!
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/FCO_Fundamental_Chess_Openings.pdf
baddogno wrote:
... I found volume 1 and there are a dozen or so little bookmarks strewn throughout so at one time I was actively involved with the set. ... I already had and liked FCO. So maybe I was a little prejudiced from the start. It's all pretty much must know main line info though so ...
"... Overall, I would advise most players to stick to a fairly limited range of openings, and not to worry about learning too much by heart. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
RussBell wrote:
... Also, of course, the survey books make it possible to easily compare the various openings, and get a sense for what they are all about.
For that sort of purpose, I think it makes sense to place a higher priority on readability and consider such books as:
Winning Chess Openings by GM Yasser Seirawan (~1999)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093123/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review756.pdf
Back to Basics: Openings by FM Carsten Hansen (2010)
http://www.thechessmind.net/blog/2010/1/30/a-brief-review-of-carsten-hansens-back-to-basics-openings.html
Year1993 wrote:
... Starting out series is to learn the basics of an opening, not to build repertoire. ...
You might want to consider:
Moret in his My-First-Chess-Opening-Repertoire books.
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9033.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9050.pdf
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/vincent-moret/
Opening Repertoire: 1 e4
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7819.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
First Steps: 1 e4 e5 and First Steps: Queen's Gambit
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7652.pdf
dannyhume wrote:
Curious if it would make logical sense for someone to first read about ALL major openings in general (e.g. reading these opening surveys such as FCO, COE, or Watson's series) before they dive into specific openings to get an overview of the various ways to approach the opening?
It is a pretty daunting project to try to learn a little bit about a lot of openings, but, if one wants to try, I suggest going for a book that places a priority on being readable. Example: Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Openings.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
While reading such a book, don't forget that the primary purpose is to get help with making choices.
CoffeeAnd420 wrote:
… You guys sitting down reading books on theory when you're still hanging pieces in correspondence chess? Complete waste of time. You need to spend time on tactics and board vision right now. Theory isn't doing you any good yet.
Beginners are often urged to play over games. I don't see any reason to refrain from using games from an introductory opening book for this purpose.
"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf
Year1993 wrote:
It is actually not a bad idea to studying opening. Studying opening themes/ general plans and tactical ideas is necessary. Of course, it does no good to post-beginners like me to study long variation of an opening. But surely, I need to know what I must do in an opening.
Have you considered Discovering Chess Openings?
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Jun 23, 2018
0
#31
dannyhume wrote:
Chessable is a great tool, but if you do it according to the recommended spaced repetition suggestions, it will suck all of your chess time into that opening memorization vortex.
Memorization is one part of the thing, but not everything. If you don't understand why you do a move you will have problems to remember it. I know that in the Marshal Defense in the QG I have to play first Nf3 to prevent e5, and only afterwards play e4 and gain a tempo on the black knight.
In classical books, if the author doesn't explain moves, you will not have the chance to ask him the idea behind a move. In Chessable you can! I asked already dozens of questions to GM Alex Colovic, the author of a book on the QGD, and he usually answered me at the same day, often within 10 minutes. You have a kind of private coach in Chessable. If the authors don not have the time to answer you, other students certainly will do. I can not imagine a better way to learn an opening.
Year1993 wrote:
… Some comments recommended to study one specific opening for a week to know the standard lines as well as the ideas/pawn structure.... behind each opening. This includes replaying master games with the move guess. From that all, play that opening for a month and come back to the opening book for a week. And, repeat the same routine.
My impression is that it does not work very well to do things like take a week off for opening study. I suspect that the likely result would be that the lines would all tend to jumble together in one's mind after studying for a week. Better, in my opinion, to think of opening knowledge as gradually accumulating. One sprinkles bits of opening study (mostly playing over sample games) amidst one's other chess activities, playing (slow) games, doing problems, etc. A lot of the time, one will end up facing a position with no knowledge of a specific move indicated in a book. One has to accept that as part of chess, and think of opening knowledge as a sometimes helpful aid. After a game, it makes sense to try to look up the moves in a book and see if it has some indication of how one might have played better in the opening. Many opening books are part explanation and part reference material. The reference material is included in the text with the idea that one mostly skips it on a first reading, and looks at an individual item when it applies to a game that one has just played. Resist the temptation to try to turn a book into a mass memorization project. There are many important subjects that one should not neglect because of too much time on opening study.
"... I feel that the main reasons to buy an opening book are to give a good overview of the opening, and to explain general plans and ideas. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... If the book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... there will come a time, whether on move two or move twenty, when your knowledge of theory runs out and you have to decide what to do on your own. ... sometimes you will leave theory first, sometimes your opponent. ... It happens in every well-contested GM game at some point, usually a very significant point. ..." - IM John Cox (2006)
"... Everyman Chess has started a new series aimed at those who want to understand the basics of an opening, i.e., the not-yet-so-strong players. ... I imagine [there] will be a long series based on the premise of bringing the basic ideas of an opening to the reader through plenty of introductory text, game annotations, hints, plans and much more. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055734/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen38.pdf
"The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)
"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf
ed1975 wrote:
... Despite our ratings, we still need to have some ideas of what we are supposed to be doing in the opening beyond very general principles, when faced with particular responses. …
It probably seems very uncomfortable to face a position without knowing the book move, but chess involves doing this a lot, and, over time, one becomes accustomed to the necessity. Be content with only gradually learning more of the opening book stuff.
ed1975 wrote:
… And such an opening survey book will also help us create a very modest opening repertoire for use later on as we improve.
For the purpose of finding openings to choose for one's repertoire, it seems to me that readability is far more important than comprehensive variation coverage.
CoffeeAnd420 wrote:
... Right now, what good is the theory to you if you turn a +4 advantage into a -7 disadvantage in time trouble because you hung a piece? ...
Perhaps such accidents happen less often if one improves one's ability to avoid a difficult position.
Year1993 wrote:
… OP asks about the books he is interested in, not a way of learning chess or a study plan. Going off the topic is a good way to piss someone off, especially when he is serious about the question being asked. Just saying...
Man, do I have a LOT of sympathy for this point. I really hate it when people jump into a thread with ridicule. Nevertheless, my tingling sponge-sense moves me to admit that there is a valid point to be made here. For a book with general opening coverage, it is perhaps worthwhile to do some thinking about what uses may actually be practical. The eventual use may influence the sort of book that would be the best choice.
Year1993 wrote:
BTW, OP, I think the either the Starting Out series or the Chess Explained series are what you are looking for. Both of them explain the ideas/plans of both sides. ...
Might want to consider books like the much more recent: First Steps 1 e4 e5
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
kindaspongey wrote:
Year1993 wrote:
BTW, OP, I think the either the Starting Out series or the Chess Explained series are what you are looking for. Both of them explain the ideas/plans of both sides. ...
Might want to consider books like the much more recent: First Steps 1 e4 e5
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
Ideas from a book expert like you are way better than mine!
BTW, do you guys know which book explains the very fundamentals of opening like castling opposite side or castle queenside vs castle kingside pro and cons. When to castle, when not to...
Year1993 wrote:
BTW, do you guys know which book explains the very fundamentals of opening like castling opposite side or castle queenside vs castle kingside pro and cons. When to castle, when not to...
Have you tried Discovering Chess Openings?
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf