Mastering the Chess Openings, Volume 4 - by John Watson (Paperback)

About the Book

Helps chess-players achieve a more holistic view of the openings

Book Synopsis

In this highly-acclaimed series, John Watson helps chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. He explains not only the ideas and strategies behind specific openings, but also the interconnections of chess openings taken as a whole. By presenting the common threads that underlie opening play, Watson provides a permanent basis for playing openings of any type.

This final volume draws together many themes in a wide-ranging discussion of general opening topics. By looking at familiar situations from new angles, Watson helps us greatly increase our understanding of them. In the process, he covers a wide variety of opening structures and variations not seen in the earlier volumes and presents a great wealth of original analysis.

* Réti and Fianchetto Systems
* Reversed Openings
* Symmetry
* Irregular Openings
* Gambits: Primitive or Positional
* Universal Openings

In the final two chapters, Watson presents his views on the importance of opening study and explains how players should best prepare and choose their openings for the level at which they play. He looks at the future of chess openings and explains which skills will be most important as chess evolves in the forthcoming decades.

From the Back Cover

In this highly-acclaimed series, John Watson helps chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings. He explains not only the ideas and strategies behind specific openings, but also the interconnections of chess openings taken as a whole. By presenting the common threads that underlie opening play, Watson provides a permanent basis for playing openings of any type.
This final volume draws together many themes in a wide-ranging discussion of general opening topics. By looking at familiar situations from new angles, Watson helps us greatly increase our understanding of them. In the process, he covers a wide variety of opening structures and variations not seen in the earlier volumes and presents a great wealth of original analysis.
* Reti and Fianchetto Systems
* Reversed Openings
* Symmetry
* Irregular Openings
* Gambits: Primitive or Positional
* Universal Openings
In the final two chapters, Watson presents his views on the importance of opening study and explains how players should best prepare and choose their openings for the level at which they play. He looks at the future of chess openings and explains which skills will be most important as chess evolves in the forthcoming decades.
"

Review Quotes

"...a book any chess lover should have a look at - if not for its openings, then surely for its general awesomeness." - Arne Moll, chessvibes.com

"Gambit has become one of the standards for chess literature and this is another fine example. Cover art is pleasing to the eye, spine and pages well bound and the pages are clear with good diagrams. I would suggest checking the Gambit website. To sum up; this book works on many levels. If you want a book to learn variations, well I guess you better play the Reti or some other flank opening to get this book. Should your interest be in extending your knowledge of the theory of openings and their study then I think this should go on your list immediately. On the chance that the reader of this review is looking for insight from an experienced titled player into questions of opening philosophy and how to formulate the self-questioning mode of such a player, then this book is a must. Very rarely does a player open up about how things work in openings to the extent that Mr. Watson has here." - Bill McGeary, www.chessville.com

"I find the newly published 4th volume of John Watson's Mastering the Chess Openings to be one of the most helpful opening reference books that I have seen. The renowned American IM author presents his chosen material using extremely instructive high-level games furnished with his own characteristically crystal-clear annotations. Watson brings it all together beautifully by making lots of insightful connections that will clarify in the reader's mind numerous common threads and themes as well as giving a nice compact summary of the theoretical status of different openings." - GM Paul Motwani, The Scotsman

About the Author

International Master John Watson is one of the world's most respected writers on chess. In 1999, his Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy won 'Chess Book of the Year' awards in the USA and the UK. He reviews chess books for The Week in Chess and hosts a weekly radio show on the Internet Chess Club. As a trainer, he has worked with many talented pupils, including Tal Shaked.