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chowchi23
I’ve been looking for a chess opening book preferably for black against 1. E4 and 1. D4. I’ve done my best to do my own research and develop my own repertoire but it’s difficult to find line moves for an opening AND understand the meaning and principle for each move. Can anyone recommend me some books for black or white? My opening is my weakest point in my chess abilities. I’m around the 1450 rapid elo rating so books around and above that level would be awesome. Thanks in advance
Toldsted

If you want a repertoire book that covers it all (White and Black), and is not to comprehensive then I can warmly recommend Graham Burgess: An 1diot-proof Chess Opening Repertoire (sorry for the misspelling but cc autodetection have problem with the real name).

But at your level I actually think that you doesn't have to focus to much on the opening. Your White games looks good - you will probably do better if you decide for 1.e4 or 1.d4 for a while. And you do great with Black after the fine and natural 1.d4 d5.

So I will recommend you to focus on your answer to 1.e4. It seams that you do relatively fine with the Scandinavian (1...d5) and the Caro-Kann (1...c6), so search for a good book on one of these and then focus on learning this opening for the next months.

tygxc

@1

"I’ve been looking for a chess opening book"
++ I recommend Zürich 1953 - Bronstein. It contains 210 annotated games between top players and gives you insights on all games played.

"My opening is my weakest point in my chess abilities." ++ This is certainly not true.
Your weakest point is tactics.
You do not win or lose because of the opening, but because of tactical errors.

ThrillerFan

First you need to figure out which opening you need to learn. I would look at your previous games as Black, for instance, and see which opening you have been playing before even knowing what an opening is. That is how I became a French player way back in 1995/1996.

Then I would suggest getting the appropriate books from the First Steps series by Everyman, which are written in a more elementary fashion. Like First Steps: The French or First Steps: The Caro-Kann or First Steps: 1.e4 e5, etc.

You cannot stop there, though. After that, you need to go deeper. I probably own two dozen books on the French Defense. Different perspectives, different Variations. New ideas that crop up at say, move 14, etc. Learning an opening is a life long project, not just some cheesy 20 minute video away.