Mastering Chess Openings- Jon Watson

Hi, as you can tell by my rating, I am not an expert at chess, but I feel if I had a good repertoire of openings my rating would shoot up by at least 2-300 points. I'm looking for a good book on openings, has anyone read Mastering Chess Openings by Jon Watson? The reviews all seem good on amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ASHEFBA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=14Y5UDZ04BDFJ&coliid=I32IGY3ZTA3ZBN

I don't want to waste money, but it seems like a good book, does anyone else have experience with it?

It is a very serious textbook, not light reading.  You probably will need a couple of hours a day for weeks to get through it. Are you good at studying serious textbooks?

I'm astudent in college, and I just finished finals, so I know a thing or two about heavy reading, as well as having a lot of time over winter break. 

In response to reading chess books before, I've read 3 of Jeremy Silman's books

In 2001, Dan Heisman noted, "Just because a book contains lots of information that you don't know, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be extremely helpful in making you better at this point in your chess development."

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf

There doesn't seem to be any doubt that the Watson series is well respected, but that doesn't mean that it is necessarily well-suited for the needs of f4ucorsair. In a review of the 2007 second volume, IM John Donaldson wrote, "I can strongly recommend Mastering The Chess Openings: Volume 2 to all chess players from 1800 on up."

http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Mastering-the-Chess-Openings-Volume-2-p3570.htm

Perhaps it is also worth noting what Watson himself wrote (at a time when apparently only two volumes were contemplated): "As I began work on this book it became obvious that even in two large volumes it wouldn't be possible to cover every opening, nor even the most significant variations of every opening, and still achieve the insights that I hoped to convey."

For a better idea of whether or not a book is well-suited for one's needs, I think it is a good idea, when possible, to check out an online sample. At the Gambit Publications site, it is possible to view a few of the pages from the discussion of the French Defence in the Watson series.

Watson recommend that book to 1800 and up.

Get FCO,

http://www.amazon.com/FCO-Paul-Van-Der-Sterren/dp/1906454132/ref=pd_cp_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BXJG47F8FX3J2J314H6

In a 2006 GM John Nunn book, in connection with opening study, it is stated that, if a "book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first".

Won't find many illustrative games in FCO.

"... [Fundamental Chess Openings] is not particularly suited for players who are just starting out. I would imagine players rated at least 1400-1500 would get the most benefit from this volume. This book can serve as a good guide, helping players pick openings that suit them, as well as give them some basic idea what each opening is about. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf

"... [This book] could perhaps be said to precede [the usual opening manuals]. If it has the effect on the reader that it whets his appetite for these 'usual' opening books, or at least makes him understand them a little better, this book will have fulfilled its purpose. ..." - GM Paul van der Sterren, in his book, FCO

I believe that, at the Gambit Publications site, one can see a sample from FCO with some Slav-related discussion.

For someone seeking help with choosing openings, I usually bring up Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014).

http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html

I believe that it is possible to see a fair portion of the beginning of Tamburro's book by going to the Mongoose Press site.

The 4 volume series "Mastering the Chess Openings" by John Watson is outstanding.  What makes the books outstanding are his lucid analysis and explanations.  Nevertheless, the books are primarily an openings reference.  As such, it's not something that you will typically sit down and read from beginning to end.  More likely, you will pick and choose what interests you, reading whatever and whenever you think is appropriate.

Not only is the series an excellent reference, you will learn a lot about opening theory in general from Watson's very instructive discussions of the principles and strategies relevant to the various openings.

If you were allowed to own only 4 chess openings books, I would say these would be hard to beat.  You will certainly not be wasting your money purchasing this series.

Having said all that, and considering your rating, I would suggest some introductory chess opening books which focus primarily on opening fundamental principles.

Along these lines, several good ones to check out would be:

"Discovering Chess Openings" by John Emms

"Chess Openings" by Mike Basman

""Openings for Amateurs" by Pete Tamburro

Good luck!

Discovering Chess Openings by GM Johm Emms (2006)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf