An Idiot-Proof Chess Opening Repertoire - by Graham Burgess (Paperback)

About the Book

"In this book, award-winning author Graham Burgess has come up with the ultimate simplified repertoire. But it is not based on boring or unambitious openings. The aim is to avoid symmetry and mass exchanges, and reach an unbalanced middlegame. You won't be dumped into do-or-die tactics where the penalty for forgetting a key move is an instant loss. There are plenty of sharp and aggressive ideas within these pages, but the openings chosen provide a firm and sound base for experimentation. If you forget the critical line and have to make something up at the board, then if you have understood the key strategic themes--which are explained with the use of mini-rules and reminders--then you should get a playable game"--

Book Synopsis

Ever wanted a complete chess opening repertoire - for White and Black - whose basics can be learned in a week? A strategic low-maintenance repertoire that does not require memorizing of long variations, and yet can frustrate both stronger and weaker opponents?

In this book, award-winning author Graham Burgess has come up with the ultimate simplified repertoire. But it is not based on boring or unambitious openings. The aim is to avoid symmetry and mass exchanges, and reach an unbalanced middlegame. You won't be dumped into do-or-die tactics where the penalty for forgetting a key move is an instant loss. There are plenty of sharp and aggressive ideas within these pages, but the openings chosen provide a firm and sound base for experimentation. If you forget the critical line and have to make something up at the board, then if you have understood the key strategic themes - which are explained with the use of mini-rules and reminders - then you should get a playable game.

As Black, we choose the slippery Scandinavian and a carefully crafted hybrid of the Slav and QGA. As White it is the English Opening, often with Botvinnik set-ups that will give our opponents fits! These will become your special lines, where you will know and understand more than most players, even much stronger ones.

From the Back Cover

Ever wanted a complete chess opening repertoire - for White and Black - whose basics can be learned in a week? A strategic low-maintenance repertoire that does not require memorizing of long variations, and yet can frustrate both stronger and weaker opponents?

In this book, award-winning author Graham Burgess has come up with the ultimate simplified repertoire. But it is not based on boring or unambitious openings. The aim is to avoid symmetry and mass exchanges, and reach an unbalanced middlegame. You won't be dumped into do-or-die tactics where the penalty for forgetting a key move is an instant loss. There are plenty of sharp and aggressive ideas within these pages, but the openings chosen provide a firm and sound base for experimentation. If you forget the critical line and have to make something up at the board, then if you have understood the key strategic themes - which are explained with the use of mini-rules and reminders - then you should get a playable game.

As Black, we choose the slippery Scandinavian and a carefully crafted hybrid of the Slav and QGA. As White it is the English Opening, often with Botvinnik set-ups that will give our opponents fits! These will become your special lines, where you will know and understand more than most players, even much stronger ones.

Graham Burgess has written 28 chess books, including three on opening play for the 'Chess for Kids' series. He is a FIDE Master and a former champion of the Danish region of Funen, and in 1994 set a world record for marathon blitz chess playing.

Review Quotes

"I think that this book succeeds very well in its aim of giving the reader a complete repertoire that makes it hard to get into trouble in the opening even if one doesn't play perfectly. ... A student or club player could do worse than to adopt all of the book's suggestions whole, whereas a master or professional player will find a number of original ideas that could be extremely useful on any level." - IM John Watson, USCF Chess Life Magazine

"a coherent and well-thought out repertoire devoid of cheap tricks or dodgy gambits" - John Upham, Britsh Chess News

"offers one-stop shopping for those looking to playing respectable openings for White and Black that don't require memorizing tons of analysis. ... Where he deserves big credit is the way he has put together a Slav repertoire versus 1 d4 that avoids the Exchange variation ... An Idiot-Proof Chess Opening Repertoire is well-researched and up to date but also offers plenty of explanatory prose to guide the reader" - IM John Donaldson, USA Team Captain

"A good title does a lot, I've heard. In that case author Graham Burgess hit the nail on the head, because this title makes me instantly curious about what he has to offer. ... he speaks the language of the club player, which is his main target group. ... Burgess's approach to this repertoire is based on using 'common sense' ... but he also gives the reader some sharp and original variations ... a good book for ambitious club players with little time who want to quickly put together a solid repertoire and enter the middlegame from a healthy base." - IM Herman Grooten, schaaksite.nl

"This renowned author of numerous excellent chess books always succeeds in making complicated chess theory understandable for the average chess player ... an excellent book" - B.H.Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad

About the Author

Graham Burgess has written 28 chess books, including three on opening play for the 'Chess for Kids' series. He is a FIDE Master and a former champion of the Danish region of Funen, and in 1994 set a world record for marathon blitz chess playing.