I’ve recently started going through Fundamental Chess Openings from Paul van der Sterren.
I like that instead of just listing a lot of lines, the book explains the different openings and what they aim to achieve. But it’s still geared towards the best line.
I’d like to see a book that discusses the less stellar choices.
I’ve also got Pandolfini’s chess traps and zaps, and it’s always fun to leaf through it, but I play around 1600, so most of this stuff is fairly obvious to me.
I’d like a book that discusses the mistakes who aren’t quite so obvious.
For instance, every book will tell you re-taking immediately in the Petrov is a bad idea. (i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 … ) generally at this point, 3… Nxe4 is not recommended, but rather 3… d6. None of the books I’ve seen really discusses why 3…. Nxe4 is not the way to go, although I’m thinking 3. Qe2 gives White too much initiative for no good reason, as well as an uncomfortable column on the uncastled Black king.
Paul van der Sterren’s book mentions the Polish opening, but he’s just dismissing it as "bad". i.e. (1. e4 2. b5) Except Chessmaster can manage to make it dangerous (against me at least!), as it particularly precludes Nc3 in most cases. I think it’s an interesting opening even if it’s "bad". I’d like to see a book that explores it further and explores along the way.
I sometimes like to play my "own" variation of the centre game, although I’m sure I can’t possibly be the only one to ever think of this. It goes: 1.e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd1 (instead of what the "book" will generally say Qa4). I reserve this for weaker players and I figure queen safety is important here. I busted the centre, that was the whole point of 2. d4 and I’m kind of happy with it. My queen is no longer "developed" – that might be both the objection to, and the virtue of 4. Qd1.
Anyway, what I’m looking for is abook that would discuss the "rather bad" choices in openings anbd perhaps even go into what’s good about those openings.
Any suggestions?
Sorry. Polish opening is a response to 1. d4… i.e 1. d4 b5. It doesn’t work with e4.
Incoming search terms:
- centre game chess book
- bad chess opening
- bad chess openings
- bad chess vs good chess
