An Idiot-Proof Chess Opening Repertoire Paperback – August 6, 2020

This is my tenth book by Graham Burgess. I particularly liked "A Cunning Chess Opening Repertoire for White." This book is not for masters, who look to squeeze every last bit of advantage from each move. It's for we club players (idiots.) The lines chosen hope to give us a playable middle-game even if we botch the opening.For White, it's the English, aiming for the Botvinnik formation. Plenty of help is provided to avoid being move-ordered into an unfavorable position. Interesting is 1c4 e5 2Nc3 Nf6 3g3 Bb4 which is a buzz-kill for White. Recommended is 4e4, which looks promising.For Black, against 1e4 is the Pytel variation of the Scandinavian (3...Qd6.) This line is flexible, so can be used aggressively or as a counterattack. The aggressive Shirov variation (1e4 d5 2exd Qxd5 3Nc3 Qd6 4d4 Nf6 5Nf3 c6 6Ne5 Nbd7 7f4) makes Black think. Nb6 loses time. e6 is OK. Kotronias recommends g6. Burgess says a6 for two reasons. b5 is covered, enabling a pawn push to c5, and Black has not commited to e6 or g6, making White think.Against d4, the scheme is for QGA, Slav, and Triangle players. 1d4 d5 2c4 dxc 3Nf3 c6, avoiding the Exchange Slav. Against the English, use the Symmetrical, aiming for the Botvinnik formation.A very useful work if you use these lines. I do, so I love it.

This is an excellent, complete opening repertoire for players of both White and Black - intermediate level and beyond. In particular this is the best (IMO) and most clearly organized repertoire presentation of the Scandinavian Defense for Black (1.e4 d5 / 3...Qd6 Variation) that I've seen (and I have all the books on the Scandi - including Kotronias' excellent treatment on this variation). The Scandi is also one of the easiest openings to play against 1. e4 (nothing is necessarily easy about chess, but relatively speaking this opening has much less so-called "theory" to learn than the other major defenses against 1.e4). It is thus particularly suitable and accessible to improving chess amateurs and club players.Also Burgess treatment of the English Opening (1.c4) for White is extremely thorough and detailed.Other than highly recommending this superb book there is nothing more I can add that hasn't been well said in Ken Scott's earlier, excellent review.

There are PLENTY of holes in this repertoire, and every low level player online seems to intuitively find all of them. It's difficult to learn for an e5 / center player, heavily favoring subtle KIA / modern type fianchettoed positions that are prickly and subtle, and if you mess up any move orders, you're insta-dead, despite claims of "idiot-proofness". The few times that you reach the end of a book line, you're in a massively complex position which inevitably feels like a defense, and you need to be precise. In short, just don't even pick these lines up, they're no good.

I'm rated around 1700 USCF and have many opening books. This is a great one.This is a repertoire for both colors in a single volume, only 192 pages. But the lines are not flimsy gimmicks. It's a sound and solid repertoire with some bite. The repertoire is complete and covers all major tries from the other side.I'm particularly impressed by the black repertoire vs 1.d4. The QGA-Slav hybrid is well-implemented, solid, and strong.For those who want something even simpler & shorter: it simply doesn't exist. Anything shorter than 192 pages will use unsound lines or omit variations. This book is already less than half the size of other starter repertoires.I estimate the book is appropriate for players rated 1200-2200 USCF.

I was attracted by various words on the cover of this book: “idiot-proof”, “easy-to-learn”, and “relax”. I was looking for something that had a few basic openings that wouldn’t get me in hot water right away.This book isn’t that. The lines presented are very complex and therefore very hard to remember; so not “easy-to-learn”.I would have appreciated more of an intro into each opening with a discussion of what it, in particular, was trying to achieve before diving into branched paragraphs.The Scandinavian branches into 3 “major” lines almost right away (see photo).So, if you can use this book, you are already quite advanced and probably don’t need it.If you need a book like this, you probably can’t use this one.

Here are six segments to the outline of the book with illustrative maxims:Introduction to the concept of a chess opening repertoire and why it is important."A good opening repertoire is essential for any serious chess player."Explanation of the different types of openings and how to choose the best one for your style of play."It is much better to have a few openings that you know well, rather than a large number that you only have a superficial understanding of."Detailed analysis of the main lines of the Sicilian Defense, the Ruy Lopez, and the Queen's Gambit."The Sicilian Defense is one of the most popular and aggressive openings in chess, favored by players who like to take control of the center of the board.""The Ruy Lopez is a solid and flexible opening that has stood the test of time and is a favorite of many top grandmasters.""The Queen's Gambit is a bold and ambitious opening that offers White the opportunity to gain a strong center and build up a powerful attacking position."Tips on how to mix and match different openings to keep your opponent guessing."By mixing and matching different openings, you can keep your opponent on their toes and make it more difficult for them to prepare."Strategies for handling common openings and counter-openings.Conclusion and summary of the key points of the book.