Play The Open Games As Black [Paperback]

John Emms (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

This book fills a gaping chasm in chess literature. For years, those who wish to take on the black side of the Ruy Lopez have had to muddle their way through against the variety of alternative openings at White's disposal. This book gives a choice of systems for Black, to counter anything White might try in order to avoid the Ruy Lopez - the Scotch, King's Gambit, Italian Game, Four Knights, etc. Grandmaster Emms is ideally qualified to deal with this subject, having faced them as Black, but also having played many of them as White before graduating to the Ruy Lopez.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Gambit Publications specialises in chess and has an unrivalled reputation for originality and editorial excellence. The company is owned and staffed entirely by leading chess masters and grandmasters.

About the Author

John Emms is one of England's strongest grandmasters, and is on the verge of breaking into the world's top 100. He is also a skilled and versatile writer: he has several opening monographs to his credit, and was co-author of the "The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games" and the new openings 'bible', "Nunn's Chess Openings. He also writes regularly for the "British Chess Magazine" and coaches pupils of a wide variety of playing standards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Gambit Publications (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1901983277
• ISBN-13: 978-1901983272
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extremely useful and interesting book, March 9, 2001

By 

Daniel Altamirano (Riverside, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Play The Open Games As Black (Paperback)

This book provides a repetoire for black after 1.e4 e5 (excluding the Ruy Lopez, the addition of which would add at least 200 pages). The coverage is very good and recomendations are top of the line.

The recommendation against the King's Gambit is: 1.e5 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 (3.Bc4 --coverage is of ...Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4!? and 4. ...c6. The first is a reversed Schliemann Attack in the Ruy Lopez. After 5.e5 d5! a position is reached in which it is favorable for white to have played with an extre tempo as in the regular version, there would not be a bishop available to attack. 4. ...c6 is the trusted main line where black plans d5.) g5! 4.h4 (against 4.d4 and 4.Bc4, Emms gives the option of Bg7! holding on to the pawn.) g4 5.Ne5 (5.Ng5?! h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 is recommended) Nf6 (the Berlin Defense! This would definitely be my choice for black. I have played the white side of the King's Gambit before and studied it using Neil McDonald's "The King's Gambit." This move appears to be stronger than 5. ...d6!?) 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 (also the move I would choose over Bg7.) Emms goes on to cover the rest of the lines and even covers a line not in McDonald's book, the Rice Gambit. I was very pleased to see such good recommendations made here. For those who enjoy treading off the beaten path, the Becker defense (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 h6!?) is also given as another defense(!) to the King's Gambit.

The Two Knights Defence is the recommendation against the Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6). At first I was put off by the combativeness of this opening and wished Emms had recommended the positional Guioco Piano instead (3. ...Bc5). However, I soon realized that I was learning how to play the open games and one should fight for any advantage one can get when playing this type of opening. Developement is important and one should be ready to sacrifice a pawn or two to accelerate it. A complete repetoire for the Two Knights Defence is given. Against 4.Ng5 the recommendation is 4. ...d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bc6 c6 7.dxc6 bxc6. The Traxler (Wilkes-Barre) variation is not covered, i.e., instead of 4. ...d5 one plays 4. ...Bc5. For 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Emms gives both the more simple Nxe4 and the more complicated Bc5. The latter can lead to the Max Lange Attack. If you have heard of this opening and wondered what it was, here is your chance to play it.

I have just realized that if I don't stop talking about the specifics with this book I will never shutup. Here is some more general information about the book: In almost every major variation, more than one option is given to black. Both declining and accepting various gambits is covered. Generally, one option is given for the adventurous player and one is given for the positional player. Emms does a great deal of home analysis and provides good background information on each opening. He really does cover every option available to white from second move alternatives to move 30 and beyond of the Max Lange Attack.

If you are interested in playing the black side of 1.e4 e5, you really do need this book to have a coherent repetoire. Besides, it is one of the best openings repetoire books you will ever find.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the serious player, not for the novice, May 24, 2002

By 

Matthew Chapman "Chaptrek" (Danbury, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Play The Open Games As Black (Paperback)

As any player who responds to 1. e4 with 1. . . e5 will tell you, its really irritating to hope for an Italian Game and instead find yourself in a strange variation of the King's Gambit with no prior experience. Wandering around on a clifftop while blindfolded is a godd analogy. Emms' book is very useful in preparing a player for every white opening following 1 e4 e5 except for the Ruy Lopez. While a short book (only 224 pages) it is well worth the purchase price for the sheer density of its analysis. SImply put, this book consists of 200 pages of analysis with the occaisional sentence interspersed between moves (I exaggerate, but this is close to the truth). For an experienced player willing to spend hours poring over analysis and memoriing lines, this book is ideal. For a novice or a player with limited time for study, it should probably be avoided.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't know much about art but I know what I like., February 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Play The Open Games As Black (Paperback)

Some time ago I decided to change to playing 1. e4,e5 2. Nf3,Nc6 with black - mainly to get into the two knights that I'd been fascinated by. Seeing this book appearing was too good to be true. I bought it instantly and started reading it thinking he couldn't really cover everything. In truth he doesn't. He doesn't cover the Ruy. But after going through this book, you should be prepared for everything else white throws at you. He covers a lot of lines very lightly, but sufficiently that you can sit down in front of the board and play them with confidence. On some lines you may want additional stuff - e.g. KG and scotch, but he is all around the white repertoire. Bottom line: The best opening book I have read. If you want to play 2.Nc6, you want this book on the shelf.