Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.misc,rec.games.chess.analysis Path: info!dregis From: dregis@exeter.ac.uk (D.Regis) Subject: Re: Openings book ["The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" Fine, 1943.] Message-ID: Followup-To: rec.games.chess.misc Organization: University of Exeter, UK. References: <01bc1f89$eff7b420$ae65c6d0@inficad.inficad.com> <330DB073.41C6@UC.Edu> Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 09:29:30 GMT "The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings", Reuben Fine, 1943. ======================================================== SUGGESTION: Can the diligent readers of r.g.c.* compile a list of updates to Fine's openings book, which is so valuable but so out of date? Or is there a modern title which now does the same job as Fine's? I would be happy to act as compiler/editor, and circulate the collection freely. I have in mind Larry Evans' careful collation of corrections to Fine's other magnum opus, Basic Chess Endings, so that for many years your best endgame buy was BCE plus Evans' booklet of notes. The post that prompted this suggestion is enclosed: In article <330DB073.41C6@UC.Edu> "Jeffrey L. Nauss" writes: >Steve Messall wrote: >> >> What is a good book about openings for a beginner. >> >> I play chess fairly well but I am very weak on openings. > >Try "The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings", Ruben Fine, 1989, David >McKay, New York, ISBN 0-8129-1756-1, $13.00. > >Fine goes through all of the major openings and describes the central >concepts and ideas behind them. He discusses a few lines as examples but >for the most part stays away from tables of chess moves. Another nice >feature of the book is the brief introduction to the principles of >opening play; it is very consistent with his book Chess the Easy Way. >The algebraic version has a few typographical errors which can be >annoying. And Fine can be very concise in some of his discussions, for I agree with all this; his 2-3 page overview of the double King Pawn openings should be written in gold paint on the walls of every chess club. But it does need leavening with a few up-to-date perspectives, particularly on modern openings like the King's Indian Defence. I don't know how to get these new angles easily, but one way might be to get hold of a class A/B player and check out your understanding with them. For example: >For example, in his discussion of >the Sicilian Defense, he emphasizes (among other things) White should >never be allowed to play c4 and, after White has played d4, Black must >not play e5. I'm afraid this is just what I am referring to. While there is a large amount of truth in this advice, chess openings have moved on. Allowing White to set up the Maroczy Bind with c2-c4 is not something I'm in the habit of doing, but many players swear by it - the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon and English Hedgehog are two popular systems which encourage the Bind. Also, Sicilian systems with ...e7-e5 have been a real growth area since the war. If you subscribe to British Chess Magazine, you will have read a two-part article describing the "Kalashnikov" Sicilian, a variation with ...e7-e5 which allows White to play c2-c4! The true worth of this system has probably yet to be established, but I pity the poor student who has diligently read Fine and then meets this line! - although amongst beginners this is unlikely. -- May your pieces harmonise with your Pawn structure and your sacrifices be sound in all variations D _ / "()/~ Dave Regis &8^D* Exeter Chess Coaching Page etc.: || \_/| = DrDave on BICS http://www.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/chess.html ~\ / "...what else exists in the world but chess?" _|||__SHEU ~/sheu.html -- NABOKOV "Contribute!" -- Doug Attig From info!dregis Fri Feb 28 10:40:03 GMT 1997 Article: 16997 of rec.games.chess.misc