Openings for Black - looking for a book

Can anyone recommend a really good book for beginners on openings for black?

At your level I wouldn't reccomend a opening book. Rather a good endgame book and a tactics book. If you want a opening book then look for a book that descibes the princliples of the opening without giving you lines.

Thanks for your comment, and I do understand the point you are making.  I do in fact already have a good endgame book.  What I'm looking for is something that will give me some new ideas when I am playing black.  I know there are a few such books out there, but I don't know their names and authors.

Do you want to play an unrated game with black against me? I will comment and ask questions on the moves made. Perhaps that will work better than reading an opening book. You can choose what you want me to play as well (e4 or d4).

Chess Opening by Michael basman

http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Openings-Crowood-Library/dp/0946284741

FCO.  Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren is a "must have" primer to all the important openings.  He gives the ideas behind each opening for both black and white without getting bogged down in each and every possible variation.  Do a "forum search" and I think you'll find nothing but praise for it.  All you need until you hit expert level.  Because he stresses the plans for each side rather than the latest tournament novelties it's a book that won't become outdated any time soon.  All of that said, LazyChessPlayer's advice is sound.  We should be spending most of our time on tactics and endgame technique.

I don't think we should advertise the works of Michael Basman to beginners. He was famous for openings like 1. a3, 1. a4. 1. h3 and 1. h4.

I was just searching a opening book that wasn't analysis deep with opening variations and explained more about the princliples.

Um, not wrong. He was indeed also famous for the killer grob (he also played g5 with black btw).

Have a look at his games, for example http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1026268

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1656051

In the link http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Openings-Crowood-Library/dp/0946284741 the book seemed to have a good review and when I looked into the pages it didn't look that bad (For a begginer)

Thank you all for the responses.  I will look into both the suggested books.

jeroen-n, that is a generous offer.  O.K. if I send you a challenge?

Yes, but please make sure it is unrated

I will.  And you can start the game any way you wish.  Thanks.

Emms - Play the Open Games as Black

I agree with baddogno. FCO: Fundamental Chess Openings is a great book for openings for both White and Black. That's all you need for a long time.

I agree that it's not worthwhile to spend a lot of time studying openings initially, but it is still useful to learn a few very basic tabiyas and to look up the opening after you play a game and see where you deviated from theory and why the book move is recommended over your move. This should be a very small part of one's "chess time" though.

Dan Heisman's Novice Nook article's on openings in this page would be helpful to the original poster, starting with Opening Principles, and Learning Opening Lines and Ideas.

I have looked up some reviews of Fundamental Chess Openings, and one mentioned the fact that the author does not use algebraic notation.  I am wondering what he does instead.  Can someone answer this for me?

Why dont you just downloa a free database, and browse throgh there to see if you find an opening you like.

You're probably gonna find hundreds, if not thousands of games in your chosen line, and you can learn so much just by clicking through these games, pawn structures, best piece placement, middlegame plans etc.

For me, it is a really cool way to check out openings.

He does use algebraic notation, figurine algebraic notation to be precise.

Sicilian defense against e4

And dutch defense against d4.

Both are similiar and can result in tactics aptitude test later in the middle.