5 comments about Play Winning Chess.

1. I originally bought this book for my wife as an introduction to chess. I started reading it myself, and became quite hooked. Now I am reading through the entire series and am on book 3, Strategies.
   
   This book has three of the biggest names around behind it: Seirawan, Jerry Silman, and the Microsoft publishing powerhouse. The result as might be expected is as good an introduction to chess as you are likely to find.
   
   The authors break Chess fundamentals into 4 parts:
   
   1.) Force
   2.) Material
   3.) Space
   4.) Time
   
   A final section includes instructive games. There are also quizzes and tests along the way to keep things interesting. The result is you will have a very solid grasp of the basics of this greatest of games after reading this volume.
   
   Another advantage of this book is that it is the right length, you can work through it easily in a couple of weeks, so it is not to overwhelming. It also is insightful while not being too difficult, so it won't discourage the newcomer. But it is perspicacious enough to enlighten the midlevel player as well.
   
   Well written, well thought out, and well edited, this is the introductory chess book for this decade. Recommended for beginning to mid-level players.



2. I have been away from chess for many years. Recently I decided to take it up again. After losing a number of matches against my computer I concluded I needed to go back to basics. This book is easy to follow and includes all the basics one needs to understand to be competitive in chess. Whether you are just beginning or need a refresher course, this is an excellent book for you. The author also includes short biographies and the chess styles of famous grand masters.



3. This is for people who really want to start playing chess like the pros do. If you already know how the pieces move this book steps you through at your own pace with puzzles of increasing difficulty. I recommend this book to all my friends who want to start playing in tournaments like me and they absoluetly love it.



4. This book is a must have for those that are new to the game of chess or that want to start delving into the theory that will be mandatory if one wants to go from losing every game to winning some. The first third of the book was useless for me, because it focused on how the pieces move about the board and chess history. Nothing which i didnt already know or need to know. The book then continues with tactical basics like pins/forks and Seirawan gives sample games where one can see these tactics in action. So, yes I think it is a great book for beginners or newbies, but not for someone who is looking to progress into the intermediate phase of their chess training. His other books provide much more theory and topic specific info than this one.



5. I picked up this book around the age of 13 when I decided that I was going to begin playing competitively. When I first began reading this book, I only knew how to setup the pieces on the chess board, and how different pieces moved. By the time I finished this book, I knew how to write algebraic notation; I understood the purpose of the chess clock; I even learned a few "chess manners", such as tipping over your King if too shamed to state that you wished to resign. This book also gave me a broad and concise overview of chess concepts and tactics (most importantly, the opening) so that I would not be overwhelmed when I would begin to study more advanced chess.
   
   This book is the perfect starting point for any beginner or anyone new to competitive chess. Although this book may not be of much use by players who have been playing competitively for some time, it nonetheless contains some introductory information that may even take an experienced (1700 rated player) player by surprise; it touches on concepts that are usually overlooked by more experienced players. I believe this book can be as valuable to the new player as it can be to the experienced player who's caught in a slump.
   
   The important thing to note is that, although this book contains much useful information in itself, this is only the starting point; this book kindly paves the way for the reader, after finishing this book, to begin tackling more important concepts and tactics.
   
   After finishing this book, I recommend Seirawan's "Winning Chess Openings" then progressing onto Jeremy Silman's "How to Reassess Your Chess" OR "The Amateur's Mind", another one of Silman's works (although I would not recommend reading the two books simultaneously, both of them should be read, one after the other). These books should and will strengthen your game, and they will also create a firm foundation for your playing style.
   
   I hope that you are able to get the same thrill and knowledge that I acquired through this book. Like Jeremy Silman said in one of his books, "May things go so well for you!"

5 comments about Life & Games of Mikhail Tal.

1. 6 stars! This book, along with My 60 Memorable Games was the best book I have ever read. Mikhail Tal explains his ways from a junior player to a GM and even WCH!



2. Mikhail Tal's autobiography is unique among chess literature. It combines Tal's self-effacing humorous style with his analysis of the games that made him one of the greatest combinational players of all time. He discusses his meteoric rise to attain the world championship and without any complaint, discusses how he lost it in the shortest period of time of any world champion. But most of all, are his games, his daring sacrifices, and his ability to pull wins from thin air (hence the nickname "the Wizard of Riga"). One thing a chess reader should not do is attempt to analyze Tal's games with a chess engine like Fritz, for Tal made many mistakes. His brilliance lies in the fact that his chess ideas were so complicated and beautiful that they overwhelmed opponents whose minds could not operate at pentium processor speed. Probably players in the intermediate to advanced range will find the book most enjoyable. However, the beginner will derive great benefit just from getting to know Tal. In any event, this book is a must have for any chess library.



3. 
   Doesn't get much better than this regarding chess books. Agree with a previous writer that Tal ranks near the top in terms of chess players -- along with Fischer, Capablanca, Alekhine, Morphy, and Kasparov. Tal was known as the king or master of the sacrifice.



4. This is simply the best chess book I have ever seen! Learn from Mikhail Tal's games,from his beautiful,strong and humorous language! According to me,he tells how exactly chess should be played. This book is about 400 pages and includes 100 Tal games,beginning from his youth , all the way to and beyond his winning the world championship. As he says: "Chess fans are surely more happy to see grandmasters risk,rather than just push wood."



5. This is simply one of the best chess books I have ever read. Not only does the reader learn a number of valuable things from Tal's games or positions from those games (each of which is annotated by Tal himself), but we also learn about the man behind these great games. Part chess book, part autobiography, "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal" is one of the most immersing, engrossing, and fascinating books available on any game.
   
   Mikhail Tal was a Russian chess player who, for a very short time, was the World Champion. He is famous for his brilliant attacks, but in this book, I found much more. He wasn't just an aggressive player; he loved to attack, but he didn't do just that. Instead, he tells you something about every part of the game, attacking, and defending, and much more, all while making the reading experience enjoyable, which is a great achievement in itself.
   
   The book is written like an interview. A journalist and a chess player converse about the latter's career and games. The chess player - Tal himself - vividly describes his life in the chess world to the journalist. Although you may not think the life of Tal is very interesting, I assure you that you are wrong - it's fascinating! He tells wonderful stories and describes many great games, almost as if you were at his house, asking him him about chess while he tells you about his life experiences. A wonderful book, as it blends wonderful chess lessons with great stories into one wonderful volume that every chess player should have in his/her library.

No comments about Flexible French: Strategic Explanations & Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Players.

2 comments about 100 Endgames You Must Know: Vital Lessons for Every Chess Player.

1. I have the spanish version of this book. This is one of the most didactic and best written book I have (and I have 2 hundreds of them). The endings are showed in a clear way. If you will buy this book, you will be not dissapinted.
   best regards,
   FS



2. This book covers the most essential--and frequently seen--basic endgames that a chessplayer should know for tournmanet play. Also known as "basic positions", "theoretical endings", or "exact endings", these positions have at most only 1 or 2 pawns on either side (or both). A list of these positions can also be found in the book GM-RAM by Rashid Ziyatdinov, although there is no comment or instruction on how to play them. Which is why the present book fills a much needed void.
   
   Essentially the author covers the most common scenarios for each type of endgame with these basic positions. His explanations and comments are clear, informative, and extremely useful. I do wish he had included a few more examples in some of the categories, but apparently they were deemed not common enough to be included. For example, in the group rook v. minor piece, he only covers the pawnless versions, and rook & pawn v. bishop. Most books also include rook & pawn v. bishop & pawn. Still, the book is definitely worth buying.
   
   For those readers like myself you wish to supplement his coverage, I recommend some of the books listed in his excellent, annotated bibliography. This book will definitely aid the average chessplayer in securing that much desired win instead settling for a draw!

5 comments about Winning Chess Tactics, revised (Winning Chess - Everyman Chess).

1. It has been said that chess is 99% tactics. So studying tactics is a requirement for getting better at chess.
   
   This is the 2nd book in Yasser Seirawan's "Winning Chess" series. It discusses all of the fundamental tactical tools which should form the foundation of a solid chess player's skill. In addition Seirawan introduces readers to some of the great attacking players in chess history and their games.
   
   Overall, I think the book did a superb job explaining the different tactics and provided ample examples and exercises to drive the points home. The only problem I noticed was either a diagram was wrong (#77) or the analysis appears to be incorrect.
   
   I would highly recommend this book as a first book on tactics.



2. I used to lose almost every game I played. I never took Chess serious until I played a thirteen year old and was thoroughly beaten. I knew I needed help and fast. This book broke tactics down to a level I never got from other chess books. It was not hard to follow and I learned a lot in just the first few chapters.



3. If you are a beginner chess player, with a rating below say 1400, and you are bewildered by the array of chess material ... rest easy. This book and tactics and this entire series of chess titles are absolutely excellent, and the best presented and thought out thematic chess books aimed at lower rated players in a way people can easily digest. Seriwan and Silman have created a deceptively simple formula for articulating complex points, and present the material with succinctness and clarity.
   
   Really this series is the defacto education plan and reference set for the beginner to U1400 player. Sadly i bought many titles before this series was publised .. you can spare yourself wasted time and money.



4. If you want a good book on tactics, this is the one for the Class A player on down. There are two kinds of books on tactics; ones that are a collection of tactical problems categorized by theme and this kind which is instructional and contains just the amount of problems needed to get the point made. This book also has a great exam at the end to rate your skill level at tactics and see how much of the book you have absorbed. Couple this book with Reinfeld's Winning Chess or Combinational Challenge by Hays(for the more advanced player) and you don't need any more on the subject!



5. There are many problems with this book, and it's a shame because the book has many 4- and 5-star reviews that will most likely overshadow this one. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to write a review on this book.
   
   1. The tests in this book have several major problems. Usually there are 4-6 tests for each tactic. The first two questions are usually on par with the examples, or slightly harder. Then the questions drastically get tougher. Like one reviewer pointed out... one question will require a simple 2-move combination, and the next requires you to figure out the 100% perfect move-list for a 10-move checkmate. Sorry, I'm not a grandmaster Yassir! The problem is that the tests don't progressively get tougher. There are usually more tougher tests than easy ones too, which I think only demoralizes the reader when they realize that they can't figure more than 30% of them out.
   
   2. Sometimes the first question is actually one of the toughest! This is rare, and it happens! Great method of instruction! (sarcasm). Another problem is that none of the examples are challenging, but Yassir expects the reader to use the vague general principle taught and exercise it to master-level strength in the tests. It's like the questions were purposefully tougher than the examples, and I don't understand the reason.
   
   3. There are not enough easy tests to cement the pattern of the tactic in the reader's mind. In fact, there is often only 1 test of each pattern for the tactic being demonstrated. As we know, pattern recognition only happens with constant repetition, so the book is more or less useless on this front. Maybe the problems in "Chess Tactics for Students" were simpler, but at least I can recognize those tactics rather quickly at a glance. This book hasn't helped me at all in my games.
   
   4. Sometimes tests at the beginning also use tactics taught in later chapters. For example, there's a clearance sacrifice required to solve a problem in one of the first tests... but clearance sacrifice taught several chapters later.
   
   5. Sometimes the answers to the tests are wrong. On test 23, you are put in check by the opponent's queen and you have to decide how to get out of check. You can block with your queen, block with a pawn or move the king (it's a pin problem... so the goal is to avoid a pin). After looking at the position however, I immediately saw that 'e5' (blocking with the pawn) was the best solution. It does pin the pawn to the King, but if you look at the position, it's not a negative at all.
   
   However, Yassir says moving the King is the best answer... and doesn't even consider blocking with the pawn at all! He just ignored the possibility completely. After giving the position to Fritz and Rybka chess engines, both said 'e5' was the best solution. Moving the King was only second best.
   
   There are several other tests (even those 8-10 move complex ones!) where the lines suggested by Yassir are incorrect, or where other solutions could easily fit the bill as the 'correct' answer. Test 50 is a good example of this. Honestly, myself, Fritz and Yassir only agreed on the first 2 moves. At that point, Yassir was dreaming of this 8-move checkmate that doesn't exist. When asking Fritz and Rybka the answer, it goes on for much longer with completely different moves.
   
   As far as I can tell, this only serves to demoralize the reader like they are doing something wrong. The tests should have been worked out so that very few lines would work. As it stands, your answer is almost always going to be different than Yassir's answer for these long 10-move problems.
   
   6. There are spelling and grammar mistakes throughout the book, even in the revised edition.
   
   7. Explanations are usually very thin. Sometimes the author will say "and with these 4 moves, Black is in real big trouble!"
   
   The problem is that Yassir doesn't explain how he's in trouble (it's usually some kind of tactic that is unrelated to the concept that is being taught). Yassir should have explained everything so that it was understood by new and expert players alike, but he doesn't! This happens quite frequently in the book, where the reader is left to their own devices to see what the author means. It just interrupts with the flow and understanding.
   
   8. The example games at the back of the book are irrelevant. The games with Anderssen are completely pointless. Yes, the games feature tactics, but it's only because the opponent accepted gambits (because it's "the manly thing to do!") and accepted double-rook sacrifices (because "he wants his opponent to prove a point") without considering the compensation that the other player gets or actually formulating plans of his own.
   
   In effect, Anderssen's opponents were idiots... and by modern standards, nobody in their right mind would play the way either player would. In fact, they would get crushed. What is the point of analyzing inferior openings and inferior moves when today's games will never see them? We learn by osmosis. These are not the type of games we should be studying!
   
   9. Also, the examples are master-level games where 90% of the stuff is not explained. Honestly, much of it went over my head. I don't understand the point to learning from master-level games. Why not show some 1200-1500 level games instead? Like show really common tactics we will see on a regular basis... and common errors and how they can be exploited? Why not make this book practical? This approach would have made the game analysis useful.
   
   10. There needs to be more diagrams in the book. Many times Yassir will throw out move lists or entire games with one or two diagrams. Unless you have a chess set with you, you are sitting at a computer, or you can see all the moves in your head... these examples won't be of much benefit to you. They are just hard to follow, and makes it impossible to read on... say... a bus. This is a problem with many chess books, and I don't know why they couldn't add another 40 pages to the book to make it easier to read. I would have gladly paid the extra .50 cents.
   
   11. The book is also plagued with the problem where you have a diagram on one page, and it's explanation on another... causing the reader to flip back and forth. Was it really hard to paginate the examples properly, even if it meant having some white space?
   
   Make no mistake, I did learn things from this book. I think because so many examples did use clearance sacrifices or piece sacrifices that I can see them a little better... perhaps because the "I'm going to lose on the exchange" mentality has been changed. Still, the book is just poor instruction and there has to be better books on tactics out there than this one.

No comments about The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess (Batsford Chess Books).

No comments about Mastering the Chess Openings, volume 3.

5 comments about The Complete Chess Workout: Train your brain with 1200 puzzles! (Everyman Chess).

1. Richard Pallisar has done a good job!! The good points and the book layout have been mentioned by another reviewer. I just want to make a few words that, to master tactics, one has to do them everyday so that those typical motifs are engraved in your memory, but the problem as mentioned in this book's editorial, is that is there enough puzzles for solving for a considerable period of time. I think this book, with Combinative motifs, Sharpen your tactics, Manual of combination 2 and 3, along with 1000 combination gems you should know, would keep you busy at least 2 - 3 years and one tactical vision as well as the rating would improve as well. I strongly recommend this book!!!



2. Yes, there are other books on chess tactics. But I like this one. The problems are not too difficult, and they feel like the sorts of positions that one might not only come across in a game, but ones in which one would actually be looking for the kinds of combinations that work here. I like the fact that the reader is not warned what the theme is of the various combinations.
   
   I recommend this book. Those who want to try other (and somewhat tougher) books as well might want to look at "Test Your Chess IQ" by Livshitz or "Perfect Your Chess" by Volokitin and Grabinsky.



3. A skilled and prolific chess writer, Richard Palliser is also an International Master with numerous tournament successes and in 2006 became the Join British Rapidplay Champion. Clearly, he brings his many years of experience and expertise to bear in writing "The Complete Chess Workout", a comprehensive training manual for chess tactics that will prove invaluable for aspiring chess players from the novice to the expert. Special note should be made that all of the featured 1200 chess puzzles designed to built chess playing skills have been checked by computer engines. Thoroughly 'player friendly', "The Complete Chess Workout is nicely organized into eight distinct chapters: Warming Up!; Attack!; Opening Tricks and Traps; Skill in the Endgame; Loose Pieces and Overloading; Fiendish Calculation; Test Yourself; and Solutions. A comprehensive course of chess instruction under one cover, "The Complete Chess Workout" truly lives up to its title and will prove to be a welcome addition to personal, academic, and community library chess instruction reference collections.



4. Two things make this book a bit unusual among books of this sort. 1) Most of the positions are from very recent tournaments and 2) Most of the players are not household names. Both of these features make it harder for me to just remember the games.
   I don't think there's anything more instructive or entertaining in chess than working through books like this one.



5. As the other reviewers have noted this is a huge collection of tactical chess problems designed to help you strengthen your chess muscles. But just like joining a "24 Hour Fitness" center, that's just the BEGINNING! You have to use the book, work the problems, understand the ones you didn't get, go back and try them again, and then when you've done all that: DO IT SOME MORE! Find more tactical situations, analyze your games, your friend's games, get more books, buy a tactics disc and so on. Chess Fitness is just like physical fitness: It's not a mountain to scale and then you're done, it's a "health habit" you build into your life-style. The pay off comes when you play a game of chess you can be proud of. THAT is what all your hard work was aiming at. And this book is the ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER of tactical problem collections.

5 comments about How to Reassess Your Chess: The Complete Chess-Mastery Course(Exp. 3rd Edition).

1. I have been away from chess for quite some time (10 years) and I found this book to be perfect for someone of my level. I think it would be helpful for many players of various levels, perhaps not the first time player or the expert, but those in between. His example games illustrate his points nicely, and he covers many basic concepts and elements of chess strategy and tactics. I have only read part of it, but I would still recommend it to those who want to improve their game. While it doesn't cover some very basic things (like for example, certain checkmates like queen and king v. king, or king and rook v. king), it does a good job of tackling issues like space, weak squares, superior minor pieces, imbalances, knight v. bishop, etc. Silman's main point, an excellent one at that, is that his rules are guidelines, they don't always apply in every situation. You must play what the board wants you to play, in his words! I think this approach will definitely be beneficial for many players.



2. This book is held in very high regard with several high rated players I know. It has quite a few good points to it and I still plan on using it quite a bit. But there is quite a bot of crappy annotations as pointed out by other reviews. Particularly in Silman's games. Some of them are more or less just for him to gloat about wins I think.
   
   This is about strategy and it is not for beginners. In fact I felt it was above my level for quite a while. It's right about the time for me to reread this and despite its flaws I like the book.



3. I have been playing chess for nearly twenty years. Like most players, I had developed many bad habits because I had learnt to play without proper guidance and tuition. What Jeremy Silman does in this excellent book is to go back to the foundations of chess and to help the reader re-build in a way that will promote solid comprehension and long lasting development.
   
   This is a guide to the middle game, though it does cover some essential endings, mainly pawns and rooks. But the bulk of the book is about understanding how to work out a good plan for the middle game. This is an area that many players struggle with. Any one who plays a lot of chess will know the problem, a player runs out of opening moves and then flounders as they move in to the murky middle game. It is essential at this point to have a method for understanding the position and developing an appropriate plan. That is what this book helps the reader to do.
   
   I have used this book on and off for the last five years and have just won my first tournament. This book has been one of the single biggest factors in improving my chess. Most importantly, I have found myself returning to this book again and again, finding new ideas everytime.
   
   As for the style of writing, Jeremy Silman is first class. The majority of chess books I have read are pretty dull. Silman writes with a tremendous sense of fun and energy. He also covers all of the important middle game concepts, including tactical combinations, minor piece play, space, intiative, weak squares, weak pawns and sacrifices. Most of these areas I thought I already understood, but Silman helped me to deepen my understanding and bring the ideas together in a very practical way.
   
   I have read a few negative reviews about this book. One reviewer complained there was not enough endgame material. It is NOT an endgame guide, as Silman points out in the introduction. It is a book that focusses on the middle game, with a few other extras included because some times it is necessary to understand the middle game according to the other stages of the game.
   
   One reviewer also commented that deep computer analysis has shown errors in many of the examples in this book. I personally have not found any errors, though haven't run the examples through the computer because they demonstrate principles only - the principles are still valid even if the examples are not perfect. I do use computer analysis for studying my own games as well as studying grand master games. I can state unequivably that most grand master games have errors that can be shown by deep computer analysis. The best human player can't see all the sub-variations twenty moves deep like a computer can. This book does not promise to teach you to play perfect chess nor does it try to transform you in to a chess computer - such claims would obviously be false.
   
   What it does provide is a very, very good guide to help you to improve your chess. It is very thorough and a great joy to read. Most players would benefit from the themes it explores. Though I would especially recommend it for low to medium strength players, especially those who have found themselves in a rut and need a new perspective.



4. The best Chess instruction book I have ever read( read about fifty!) Anything by Silman is exeptional. I think any level of player will benefit but ideal for the club player upwards. All books make great claims for themselves. This one actually delivers.



5. It's kind of odd, books grandly titled "Think Like A Grandmaster" or "Beginner to Grandmaster in 10 Easy Lessons" (okay I made that one up) really don't explain how to play chess, yet the innoculously titled "How To Reassess Your Chess" does. I must have read close to 50 chess books and this one was definitely the most helpful. Before studying this book my chess technique was like most neophytes; wrack your brains to come up with clever ways of checkmating the king, or maybe trying to trap the Queen. (ah, what charmingly naive days!) How To Reassess Your Chess however is the single best guide to strategic thought I've read, and that's including My System by Aron Nimzovitch. Most newcomers to chess play subjectively, with no real grasp of planning. After reading and absorbing this book, you will discover how to play logically and objectively. And that's the whole point; chess although having plenty of scope for individual playing style, is really a game of logic in the end. And surprisingly, this book isn't hard to grasp at all. If you're scared of arcane terminonolgy, or fear that chess understanding is like understanding intergate calculus, don't be. It's all very easy to understand and written in a relaxed, almost friendly style. It's really beyond the scope a review to explain what's in the book but suffice to say that you must try to make an imbalance in the game, something to work in your favour. There's much more to chess than simply attacking the king. This book explains it.
   
   I don't think that this is the *only* chess book you'll need though, it's essentially a guide to strategic thought, nothing more. It doesn't cover tactics, or endgame play. But if you've ever found yourself floundering in the middlegame because you couldn't find a plan, How To Reassess Your Chess will be of great help. I have not read Silmans later books, so I can't say if they're better, but I certainly found this book very helpful and give it 5 stars. Now that doesn't mean that you will automatically become a master after reading this book, but if you absorb it you will certainly have a better undertanding of chess.
   
   *edit* as for some reviewers complaints like "Oooh but he doesn't explain attacking and defending 40+ moves into the position!", well you can only fit so much into 400 pages or so. The book is about *planning* in chess. There is a comprehensive list of further reading at the end of the book, including tactics.

5 comments about Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 2.

1. This is the book I've been waiting for. The usual approach to chess openings is to memorize piles and piles of endless variations, and hope to outbook your opponent. But we all realize how futile and unsatifsying that really is. Finally we have a book here that truly explains the ideas behind the moves. It also explains why certain moves are not played. It connects different openings to each other, so that you know what to do when your opponent inevitably veers away from theory. And furthermore, it helps you to handle tricky move-orders, which were always confusing to me before. With this book and his Strategy books, I think I'm starting to understand chess.



2. Well, I followed my own advice and got this book, even though I haven't
   played 1.d4 in about 20 years. I wasn't disappointed. Just as in
   Volume 1, this book is full of good practical knowledge and deep
   insights, tying the 1.d4 openings to fundamental principles, and to
   important concrete ideas. Through the theme of "cross-pollination,"
   we can see the give and take between different opening systems. As
   always with Watson, it is also beautifully written and a pleasure to
   read. This book helps me to prepare lessons for my students, and who
   knows, maybe I'll dust off that Queen's Gambit sometime.



3. First, I must confess that I have only read the chapters on the Queen's Gambit Declined and the King's Indian Defense.
   
   Queen's Gambit Declined chapter
   He gives detailed descriptions of the major themes of both the classical and exchange variations. I especially liked his discussion of the Tartakower Defense. I found his discussion of move orders to be quite interesting, subtle and useful.
   
   I should mention that the section, "Declining the Gambit; Other Second Moves", provides important information about the Marshall Defense, Baltic Defense, Albin Counter Gambit and Tchigorin Defense. In my view, the entire Queen's Gambit chapter is a "must read" for anyone who plays this opening or for all players who really wants to deepen their chess knowledge.
   
   King's Indian Defense chapter
   
   I have played the Strongpoint Variation (page 208) for many years but was not aware of many of the themes in this line. Watson's clearly describes various strategies that Black has used against 8.Be3, 8.Re1, and 8.d5. Again, a "must read" in my opinion.
   
   To conclude, as always, Watson has a wonderful knack for describing specific strategies of openings and their variations while also providing interesting example games that illustrate these strategies.



4. Very thorough book. I have yet to finish it, but studying the techiniques takes time. If your a chess enthusiast and want to expand your knowledge of chess openings then I would recommend this book.



5. This volume covers the QP openings.
   
   Like Volume 1 it explains the concepts concerning pawn structure and piece placement, rather than give variations to memorize.
   
   If you want to understand WHAT to do in an opening, rather than HOW to do it, these are the books for you.