Mastering the Chess Openings (Vol 2)
MASTERING THE CHESS OPENINGS volume 2 (John Watson)
320 pages (248 mm by 172 mm).
£19.99/$29.95/€31,10
For most chess-players, opening study is sheer hard work. It is hard to know what is important and what is not, and when specific knowledge is vital, or when a more general understanding is sufficient. Tragically often, once the opening is over, a player won't know what plan to follow, or even understand why his pieces are on the squares on which they sit. John Watson seeks to help chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. In his previous books on chess strategy, he explained vital concepts that had previously been the domain only of top-class players.
Here he does likewise for the openings, explaining how flexible thinking and notions such as 'rule-independence' can apply to the opening too. Watson presents a wide-ranging view of the way in which top-class players really handle the opening, rather than an idealized and simplified model. This volume, focusing on queen's pawn openings, is a book that will make chess-players think hard about how they begin their games.
It also offers both entertainment and challenging study material in openings such as the Nimzo-Indian, King's Indian and the entire Queen's Gambit complex. International Master John Watson is one of the world's most respected writers on chess. His groundbreaking four-volume work on the English firmly established his reputation in the 1980s, and he has produced a string of top-quality works since.
In 1999, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, Watson's first book for Gambit, won the British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award and the United States Chess Federation Fred Cramer Award for Best Book. His pupils include the 1997 World Junior Champion, Tal Shaked.
Download a pdf file with a sample from the book
."...it is clear that Watson digs deeper in this book than only on the vital concepts of modern play! Conclusion: Buy it for the highly instructive explanations from John Watson!" - John Elburg,
"If you read my reviews regularly you will be aware of how highly I rate John Watson as both a writer and communicator. He has the happy knack of being able to get to the very essence of his subject matter, and present it in a clear and logical manner, something which can not be said of many other chess authors today. Though relatively more expensive than many, these two volumes alone are as useful and informative as a dozen dedicated opening monographs and figure very highly on my recommended reading list for all aspiring players." - Alan Sutton, En Passan
t"Although Watson leaves out a few openings (a6 slav for example), what he does cover, he does well. Explaining the first moves of the openings and then showing top level games and some other possible ideas from that position. Just like the first volume, he does a nice job of explaining the openings and giving the reader a good feel for the position. If you liked the first volume or are just wishing to learn more about the d4 games in general, this is an excellent choice." - Andy May,
"One of the strongest chapters in Mastering the Chess Openings Volume 2 is the one on the Queen's Gambit Declined. I particularly liked Watson's treatment of the Exchange variation which he divides into the Carlsbad ( Nf3) and Modern (Nge2) variations. Not so long ago White either castled short and played for a minority attack with b4-b5 or castled long and went for a kingside attack. Today add the plan of playing in the center with e3-e4 - sometimes in conjunction with b4 ( see Kasparov-Short from their 1993 World Championship match) and prophylactic moves like a3 and h3." - IM John Donaldson,
