Chess Opening Essentials, Volume 3

The ideas & plans behind all chess openings.

Volume 3 of an accessible primer and reference book about chess openings. Provides a solid foundation to build your opening repertoire on. Explains what you should be trying to achieve, with clear indications for further study.

Comprehensive: covers all main variations likely to arise
Easy-to-use: important moves and key positions are highlighted in colour
Long-lasting: it doesn’t outdate because it is about basics – not the latest fashions
Complete: explains the plans and counterplans for both Black and White
Down-to-earth: simple, verbal introductions (not a database dump full of dead trees)
Convenient: every opening is illustrated with a number of instructive games

This book helps beginners to develop a solid understanding of fundamental opening play, gives casual players the ability to choose the opening that suits their style and taste, and is a tool for club players to test and review their opening repertoire.

Buy all 4 volumes combined with a nice discount here.

Schakers.Info:
"For players with a rating up to 1900 this book covers a large part of the road."

British Chess Magazine:
"It gives an outline of each opening and major variation in turn, explaining the ideas and most popular choices for the benefit of elementary players. The reviewer was impressed by the practical advice given in the notes in this well-produced volume."

Joe Petrolito, Australian Chess Magazine:
"Both volumes [2 and 3] succeed brilliantly."

Nederlands Dagblad:
"It is about the basics of the opening, about ensuing middlegame positions, and about the plans one should pursue. Ideal for the club player who wishes to improve."

FreeChess:
"All systems are clearly listed and presented, without losing itself in endless variations."

GM Paul Motwani, The Scotsman:
"Full of great ideas, clear explanations and instructive games."

Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe:
"By far the best volume in the series thus far."

Erik Rausch, Rochade Europa Magazine:
"When you open this fat paperback for the first time, you will be surprised: colour! Compared with this, books from Everyman, Gambit or Olms look like black-and-white television (..) Not only is the main line explained and the reader made hungry for more, but he gets enough strategic knowledge and insider-tips to get, even if he plays the opening for the first time, into the middlegame safely."

Gary Lane, Australasian Chess Magazine:
"I like the way it handles information for club players."

Arne Moll, ChessVibes:
"The key positions of each opening are displayed in red (yes, red) diagrams. The name(s) of the inventors are in bold, red font, and references to other sources or sections of the book are also in red .. very useful for finding my way around the book."

Pekka Pakarinen, Suomen Shakki Magazine (Finland):
"A patzer like me, let alone someone with an Elo under 1700, should not buy a complex monography (..) before getting this instructive opening book."