Play 1e4 e5: A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Open Games (Everyman Chess) [Paperback]

Nigel Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

There is no doubt that playing the Open Games is one of Black's most reliable and yet aggressive ways of meeting White's favourite opening move, 1 e4. Experts also agree that playing these fundamental openings is a crucial step in the development of a chess player, while moving up to the highest level it provides the battleground for countless duals between the likes of World number one Garry Kasparov, Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. It's true that some Black players are put off by the seemingly endless number of variations they can be faced with, as White can choose a between the King's Gambit, Vienna Game, Scotch Opening, Bishop's Opening and a number of wild and offbeat gambits. However, in "Play 1 e4 e5!" Nigel Davies provides a complete answer to this perennial problem by offering a concise and practical repertoire for the Black player, whilst crucially including a dependable defence to the Ruy Lopez - White's most popular attacking try in the Open Games. Davies is the perfect choice for this subject, having been battle-hardened by years of international competition in these openings. It includes a complete defence to 1 e4. It is written by a 1 e4 e5 expert. All of White's tries are covered, and includes White's main weapon, the Ruy Lopez.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

There is no doubt that playing the Open Games is one of Black's most reliable and yet aggressive ways of meeting White's favourite opening move, 1 e4. Experts also agree that playing these fundamental openings is a crucial step in the development of a chess player, while moving up to the highest level it provides the battleground for countless duals between the likes of World number one Garry Kasparov, Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. It's true that some Black players are put off by the seemingly endless number of variations they can be faced with, as White can choose a between the King's Gambit, Vienna Game, Scotch Opening, Bishop's Opening and a number of wild and offbeat gambits. However, in Play 1 e4 e5! Nigel Davies provides a complete answer to this perennial problem by offering a concise and practical repertoire for the Black player, whilst crucially including a dependable defence to the Ruy Lopez - White's most popular attacking try in the Open Games. Davies is the perfect choice for this subject, having been battle-hardened by years of international competition in these openings.

*A complete defence to 1 e4
*Written by a 1 e4 e5 expert
*All of White's tries are covered
*Includes White's main weapon, the Ruy Lopez

Nigel Davies is both an experienced Grandmaster and chess trainer. A former British Open Quickplay Champion, Davies is the author of several successful chess books and is highly experienced in chess publishing. Previous works for Everyman Chess include Alekhine's Defence and The Trompowsky.

About the Author

Nigel Davies is both an experienced Grandmaster and chess trainer. A former British Open Quickplay Champion, Davies is the author of several successful chess books and is highly experienced in chess publishing. His previous works for Everyman Chess include Alekhine's Defence and The Trompowsky.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Everyman Chess; 1st edition (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857444019
• ISBN-13: 978-1857444018
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go and buy this book - it really is great!, January 19, 2006

By 

Christian Hoethe (Braunschweig, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Play 1e4 e5: A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Open Games (Everyman Chess) (Paperback)

Grandmaster Nigel Davies recommends a complete black-repertoire based on the move 1 ...e5! in reply to 1 e4. What immediately caught my eye was the fact that the book is dedicated "For the Memory of Paul Keres", one of the greatest experts in the open games and, in my opinion, one of the most venerable Grandmasters of all time.

Lets have a short look at the content:

- against the Kings Gambit 2 ...Bc5 is recommended

- against the Scotch it is also 4 ...Bc5

- against the Scotch Fourknights its 5 ...Bb4

- against the Fourknights with 5 Bb5 its also 5 ...Bb4

- scottish and similar gambits with c3 are countered by ...d7-d5

- Ponziani 3 ...Nf6

- Two Knights e4 e5, Nf3 Nc6, Bc4 Nf6, Ng5 d5, ed5 Na5, Bb5+ c6, dc6 bc6 or 4 d4 ed4, e5 Ne4 or 4 d4 ed4, O-O Ne4

- Vienna and Bishops Opening with 2 ... Nf6 and a possible transposition to the Two Knights

- in the Ruy Lopez, Davies recommends the Keres variation e4 e5, Nf3 Nc6, Bb5 a6, Ba4 Nf6, O-O Be7, Re1 b5, Bb3 d6, c3 O-O, h3 Na5, Bc2 c5, d4 Nd7!? and all kinds of very good recommendations to possible sidelines in the Ruy Lopez (such as e.g. 5 ...Qf6!? as reply to the Exchange variation).

I really am delightened about this book! Sometimes even sidelines are covered with two or three games (!) and this really makes you feel safe, to have a weapon against everything White may throw at you - and thats great! I believe it was mentioned by Top-reviewer Jill Malter that Davies only fails to cover the Alapin with 2 Ne2 and I suppose this must have been a

simple (and minor?) oversight.

Davies writes that Grandmaster Psakhis once told him that every ambitious player should have a good education in the open games if he or she aims at improving further - this book for sure is a very good "exam" then! Besides: John Emms' book "Play the Open Games as Black" still is a very good addition to this work of Davies' though Emms did not cover the Ruy Lopez. Both books succeed in inspiring for the magical world of the Open

Games!

Go and buy this book - it is great! Play 1 e4 e5! like Keres, Alekhine and many others. Enjoy and win with it!

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some very good advice on how to defend against 1 e4, November 27, 2005

By 

Jill Malter ([e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play 1e4 e5: A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Open Games (Everyman Chess) (Paperback)

In this excellent chess book, the author advises defending against 1 e4 with 1...e5. And so do I. Although I often answer 1 e4 with 1...d5, my other defence is 1...e5, and I play the Berlin Defence to the Ruy.

Davies, however, recommends playing the Chigorin, and he has a good reason: the line he recommends, 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 Na5 10 Bc2 c5 11 d4 Nd7 12 Nbd2 exd4 13 cxd4 Nc6 14 d5 Nce5 15 Nxe5 Nxe5 16 f4 (White can also try 16 a4 Rb8 17 axb5 axb5 18 f4 Ng6 19 Nf3 Bh4 20 Rf1 Bg3 21 f5 Ne5 22 Ng5 Nd7) 16...Ng6 17 Nf3 Bh4 18 Nxh4 Qxh4 19 f5 Ne5 20 Rf1 Bd7 21 f6 Bxh3 22 gxh3 Qg3+ gives Black a draw (he does show ways for Black to play for more in this defence). Not only that, White's attempts to win in this line tend to be risky.

Well, that is fair. I think this line is certainly worth trying. Davies also has some good recommendations for other White tries on moves 12 and 9. In addition, Davies does not try to spook White by playing 7...0-0 and 8...d6 (reversing the order of moves 7 and 8 to see if White will panic and play an anti-Marshall). That's a good idea too, given that Black would simply have to learn a couple of anti-Marshalls.

Of course, Black also has to learn how to defend against the Worral attack (6 Qe2), as well as Exchange Variations on moves 4 and 6. But the book has plenty of good material to help one do just that. Of course, since I play the Berlin, I don't have to worry about this. But I do need to know all the stuff that follows, with White variations on moves 2 and 3.

One reason many folks don't play the Black side of the Ruy is that they're afraid they'll get 3 Bc4, or 3 d4, or 3 Nc3, or 3 c3, or 2 f4, or 2 d4, or 2 Nc3, or 2 Bc4. These are the Italian, the Scotch, the Four Knights, the Ponziani, the King's Gambit, the Danish Gambit, the Vienna, and the Bishop's Opening, respectively. And some of these may transpose into other openings. All this may seem like too much to learn!

Davies has some good practical advice here. Versus 3 Bc4, he recommends the Two Knights Defence (which is what I play). By the way, that lets him recommend a good line against the Bishop's Opening which can transpose into a Two Knights. And he supplies some solid lines against the rest of these openings as well. In general, he turns down gambits (2...Bc5 versus the King's Gambit, and ...d5 against the Scotch Gambit and the Danish Gambit). I prefer to accept these gambits, but it takes more work to learn how to do so safely. The author's approach is less scary.

I do have a very minor criticism. You see, there is, unfortunately, a, um, White opening this book fails to cover, namely the Alapin. Yes, White can play 1 e4 e5 2 Ne2. The idea is pretty obvious, namely to get in f4, with the f-pawn defended by the Knight. There may later be possibilities to play Nf4 or Nxf4, with the Knight now covering d5 as well as threatening to open the f-file just by moving. While Black should be okay after 2...Nf6 3 f4, I think some discussion of this opening would be in order in this book. Of course, Black can also try to transpose into a Sicilian after 2...c5 or into a Scotch after 2...Bc5. Here's a casual game I played for those who are interested in this opening:

1 e4 e5 2 Ne2 Bc5 3 c3 Nf6 4 d4 Bb6 5 Ng3 exd4 6 cxd4 d5 7 e5 Ne4 8 Nxe4 dxe4 9 Be3 0-0 10 Bb5 a6 11 Ba4 Bf5 12 Nc3 Kh8 13 f3 Ba5 14 0-0 Bxc3 15 bxc3 Bg6 16 fxe4 Bxe4 17 Qg4 Bg6 18 Bg5 Qc8 19 Qxc8 Rxc8 20 e6 (after getting such a nice center, am I simply hanging my e-pawn?) 20...fxe6 21 Rae1 Bf5 22 Bb3 Nd7 23 Bxe6 (looks like I'm getting that pawn back) 23...Bxe6 24 Rxe6 h6 25 Bh4 Rf8 26 Re7 Rxf1+ 27 Kxf1 Rd8 28 Ke2 c5 29 Rxg7 Kxg7 30 Bxd8 cxd4 31 cxd4 and White eventually won.

In spite of this minor omission, I strongly recommend this book.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent repertoire, January 10, 2007

By 

Tom "'A' Class" (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play 1e4 e5: A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Open Games (Everyman Chess) (Paperback)

I own several repertoire books, both for white and black, but I find that this book always seems to appear in my car, or by my bed, or by my board. The reasons I return to it over and over is that the lines advocated are a great mix of simple and strong. Many repertoire books advocate lines that are universal, but no necessarily the strongest. Davies does an excellent job of picking lines that are relatively easy to learn but still playable at any level of chess. The fact that he advocates both a mainline closed lopez and the two knights shows that he is concerned that players play only strong lines, but his choices of Bc5 in the scoth and king's gambit show a reconigition that not all of us have unlimited time to study. By using the strongest and most complicated lines with the most common openings (lopez, italian) and simpler but still solid lines for the less common, Davies really helps to economize your preparation. This book gave me the confidence to play ...e5, which I had normally eschewed before as giving white too many options. White does have a lot of options, but all of them can be well met, and Davies provides the means to do so. I have found this to be an extremely valuable book.