Chess Openings, Theory and Practice

I was fortunate enough to find a first edition hard-cover copy of this book, years after having lost my own copy. This is the best all-around book on openings I have ever seen in over 20 years of playing and teaching chess. The "Idea Variations" are critical to the understanding of various openings, and the illustrative games are from top-notch Grandmasters of the era. I heartily recommend this book...if you can find it.

This book is one of my most prized chess books. (I have owned hundreds over the years).It is simply the best one volume openings book ever published.This book is broken down by opening variation, and sub-variation. What is unique is that the book illustrates many of the elementary traps that many of the other books omit. It also very clearly explains the ideas behind each of the openings (much more verbage in this respect than MCO or NCO, for example).It also provides what are called "idea variations". Roughly put, these are variations that may not actually occur in actual practice, but are what you would play if given the chance. (Normally they are either prevented or avoided due to strategic or tactical problems. Nevertheless, knowing them gives you a much fuller understanding of the aims of the opening.)Finally, at the conclusion of each sub-section, there is typically a small number of complete master level games illustrating the variation being discussed. Many of these are all-time classics. In this way, you get to see immediate application of the ideas without having to dig through other sources to find games featuring the opening you are studying.If you can find a copy of this book anywhere, grab it immediately! It will be a long time before you run accross another one.As to the downsides of this book, there are three significant ones;1. It is out of print - very difficult to find. Even if you do find one, you may end up paying a lot, or ending up with a book that is in not too good condition.2. It is current up to around 1963. In terms of the Double King Pawn openings this is probably less of a problem than some of the Queen Pawn openings such as King's Indian, Leningrad Dutch, Benoni, etc. or the Sicilian Defense, etc.Some of these openings have undergone some radical new developments since that time period. (For example, don't try out the Sicilian Dragon Defense armed with only the variations covered in this book - you will get hosed quickly!)3. The book is written in the older descriptive notation. For those of us who are over 40, this is probably no big deal. For those younger players, this may put them off as everything written today is in algebraic notation.I heartily recommend this book - I guarantee that you will not be sorry for choosing to add it to your library. I ONLY WISH THAT SOMEONE WOULD UNDERTAKE THE TASK OF UPDATING THIS BOOK INTO ALGEBRAIC NOTATION WITH MORE CURRENT VARIATIONS. NOTHING OUT THERE RIGHT NOW IS EVEN CLOSE!!

I have had my copy of Horowitz for over 30 years. I don't think one can truly learn to play competent chess without reading it. Although outdated in some resects, the book is really timeless. The notation is traditional, not algebraic, but I prefer it that way. Horowitz' work is peerless in examining the theories and nuances of each opening. His games are well-selected, and each offers a slightly different viewpoint into even the most pedestrian of openings. All significant openings as of 1960 are covered.Horowitz has a gift unmatched by other chess authors in terms of enabling the reader to see what has already been accomplished, AND what remains to be accomplished in each variation. The reader thus becomes a participant, not merely a rote memorizer. I prize my tattered, dog-eared, scribbled-upon copy of this book almost more than any other book that I own. My recommendation is off the scale.

I lost my orginial copy and have been trying to replace it. What a loss. The old lines given in this book were tried and true. Of all the openning books that I have this one was the base of all my planning. We need a reprint. This book was well done and well thought out. A classic masterpiece.

The "highest" complement to this 1969 chess book is that between 1970 or so when I bought it to now, I have bought over 5 copies of it. Either I have given the book away as a present to a new chess player or others have decided to borrow it indefinitely (usually at a tournament). I agree with the first reviewer that the presentation is an art of teaching; one that we lose in the modern day ECO's etc... I have many of the newest chess opening books; however, I often return to see the roots of the variations and to see the classic games and "ideal variations - traps" which one must be concerned about. I feel that every new chess player should own and read this text - the ideas behind the opening are carefully reviewed and these ideas become conceptual instead of just memorized lines.