Chess Openings for Black, Explained: A Complete Repertoire Paperback – January 6, 2009

This is a great book for club players looking to learn the accelerated dragon, nimzo indian, and/or bogo indian defense. The book covers main lines (and some side variations) that are backed by a common idea. Each chapter covers a variation (e.g. Nimzo 4. Qc2) and is underlain with a certain plan. While some of the lines are excessively long, they are accompanied by text that explains the middlegame plans to provide further guidance. This book is best-suited for an ambitious club player, maybe 1500 USCF and above. For beginner players, a non-repertoire book such as Logical Chess Move by Move or Winning Chess Strategies would be much more helpful.

I have the 2nd edition. Great coverage of the accelerated dragon, Nimzo-Indian, and defending against 1. c4. Also includes defending against uncommon lines, for example, the Colle, Veresov, Bird's Opening, Wing Gambit, Orangutan (1.b4...) to name a few.There is blue text to help make certain diagrams and comments stand out from the normal text. I would have liked to have had this book many years ago.... Great job by the three authors.

As described, prompt delivery

My only complaint, and it's a big one, is that all board diagrams have white at the bottom. This is a book about black openings, but not one of the diagrams shows the board from what you would see if you were playing the black pieces. In future editions, they should flip the boards.

I've just received this book a couple of days ago, and although I 'm sure it will proof to be a tremendous addition to the lectures on the "Roman's Encyclopedia of 40 Essential Chess Openings" DVD's, there is one thing I don't understand:In Chapter 5 - The Accelerated Dragon - Intro and Main Line (page 61), nobody even passingly mentions the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5!, a revelation of Dzindzichashvili which is shown on DVD number 4 of "Roman's Encyclopedia of 40 Essential Chess Openings". On this DVD GM Dzindzichashvili states that 'White must castle here!', because other moves than 8.0-0 (after 7.Bc4 Qa5) get him in real trouble.For instance 8.Nb3? Qb4 9.Bd3 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+ (+/-); 8.f3 Qb4 9.Bb3 Nxe4 10.Nxc6 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+ 12.Ke2 dxc6 13.fxe4? (13.Bd4? e5! 14.Bxc3 Nxc3+ 15.Kf2 Nxd1+ gives Black two extra pawns and a won endgame) 13...Bg4+ (-+). At the end of this sequence, in on specific line Black ends up trading his Queen for a White Rook + Knight + 1 pawn with more active pieces and the better position.If it's true what IM John Donaldson says [...]: '(I think GM Alburt was more involved with general editorial work as he didn't have these openings in his repertoire when he was an active player).' then I can only conclude that GM Dzindzichashvili withholds vital information from his readers (maybe he found some holes in his own "revelation"?).Okay, okay, I'll explain what this "revelation" is all about:Black stopped playing the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 (see above for other White 8th moves) ...0-0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.f4 Qh5 12.Qd3 b5 13.a3(13.Qxb5 Nxd4 14.Qxh5 Nxh5 or 13.Ncxb5 Nb4 14.Qc4 a5 followed by ...Rfc8 and ...Nxe4 or 13.Ndxb5 Nb4 14.Qc4 a5)13...a5 14.Nf3 b4 because of 15.Ne2 threatening 16.Ng3 trapping Black's Queen. Then Dzindzichashvili came up with: 15...bxa3! 16.Ng3 axb2! 17.Nxh5//((17.Rab1 Nb4 18.Nxh5 (18.Qe2 Qb5 (-/+))18...Nxd3 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.cxd3 a4! 21.Ba2 Be6! (Dzindzi first suggests 21...a3?, before playing ...Be6, but this fails to 22.d4! of course, because then 22...Be6 runs into 23.d5). Finally, 17.Ra4 is bad too, because of 17...Qh6 18.f5 g5 19.Bxg5 Ne5 A)20.Qe3 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 (21.gxf3 Qxh3; 21.Rxf3 b1=Q+) 21...Qxg5 B)20.Qe2 Nxf3+ 21.Kh1 Qxg5))//17...bxa1=Q 18.Rxa1 Nxh5 and Black has Rook, Knight and a pawn for his Queen, and more active pieces...Attention! One day after I wrote this review, the postman dropped off another book I've ordered a while ago: "Accelerated Dragons" (Everyman Chess, by J.Silman and J.Donaldson, 320 pages, first published 1998, reprinted 2004). This book contains 38 pages on the line missing in "Chess Openings for Black, Explained (A Complete Repertoire)" - now I even know the name for it: "The Anti-Yugoslav Variation"."Accelerated Dragons" also contains 22 pages on the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6) and lots of other important stuff any Dragon Player sooner or later will need to take a look at. I've written a (very) short review on this at first sight impressive book too - just received it today, right?By the way, another reviewer here, "A.J. Goldsby I "A.J.G.", seems to think that J.Silman and J.Donaldson cover the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 (2...g6, but this transposes) 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.f3 correctly in their book "Accelerated Dragons". He should take a look at page 11 where one reads: '(...) Many times Black's fianchettoed bishop, c6-knight, and queen wreck havoc on White's position. For example: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.f3? Qb6! 9.Bb3 Nxe4! 10.fxe4 Bxd4 and Black has won a pawn.'I still recommend this (these) book(s), and other work from IM J.Silman, IM J.Donaldson and GM Dzindzichashvili, but regarding the latter I'm left with some doubts...

This is the BEST format for an opening book I have ever seen. You can read it without a board since there are many diagrams. There are just enough variations to give you the idea of where the important sidelines are. There are 'memory marker' positions at the end of every chapter and the openings chosen are unbalanced and fun to play. This is possibly the only opening book you will need as black.....

I find the variations analyzed by the author spot on. I previously purchased the book but found the electronic format more convenient (not need to carry the book anywhere). I believe my playing strength with black has improved. Highly recommended!

I bought this book to add to my white repertoire, and have found the analysis of the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon to be very good. There are also some uncommon openings discussed as well. I would recommend this book. (I'm currently rated 1205, for what it's worth).