Chess Openings For Dummies
2nd Edition
Will be published approx. on 20. November 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-394-34499-4 (ISBN)
Description
Set yourself up for success by understanding the art of the chess opening
Chess Openings For Dummies helps beginning and intermediate chess players improve their game by making the first few moves count. With a strong opening, you can dictate the flow of the game, control the center, and keep your king safe. This book shows you how to make tactical early moves that put you on a strong footing for the rest of the game. Chess master James Eade shares his expert knowledge for coming out triumphant in open, semi-open, closed, and semi-closed games. Plus, you'll discover the perks of advancing with flank openings and learn the major mistakes to avoid. Learn the importance of online competitions, computers, and faster-paced chess events and their impact on the game. In language anyone can understand, this Dummies guide helps you gain a strategic advantage in chess.
Discover the most effective openings for open and closed games
Advance your game with new and advanced opening techniques
Learn why certain openings have become more popular-and why you should use them
Gain the upper hand in the first few moves and keep opponents on their toes
Looking to improve your chess openings? Chess Openings For Dummies makes it easy.
Chess Openings For Dummies helps beginning and intermediate chess players improve their game by making the first few moves count. With a strong opening, you can dictate the flow of the game, control the center, and keep your king safe. This book shows you how to make tactical early moves that put you on a strong footing for the rest of the game. Chess master James Eade shares his expert knowledge for coming out triumphant in open, semi-open, closed, and semi-closed games. Plus, you'll discover the perks of advancing with flank openings and learn the major mistakes to avoid. Learn the importance of online competitions, computers, and faster-paced chess events and their impact on the game. In language anyone can understand, this Dummies guide helps you gain a strategic advantage in chess.
Discover the most effective openings for open and closed games
Advance your game with new and advanced opening techniques
Learn why certain openings have become more popular-and why you should use them
Gain the upper hand in the first few moves and keep opponents on their toes
Looking to improve your chess openings? Chess Openings For Dummies makes it easy.
More details
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 187 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
754 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-394-34499-4 (9781394344994)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
James Eade | Carsten Hansen
Chess Openings For Dummies
E-Book
10/2025
2nd Edition
Wiley
€18.99
Available for download
James Eade | Carsten Hansen
Chess Openings For Dummies
E-Book
10/2025
2nd Edition
Wiley
€18.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Persons
James Eade became a United States Chess Federation chess master in 1981. International organizations awarded him the master title in 1990 (for correspondence) and in 1993 (for regular tournament play). Today, he writes about and teaches chess.
Carsten Hansen is a FIDE Master (1990) and Trainer (2016) and is one of the most prolific authors of chess books, with more than sixty books to his credit.
Carsten Hansen is a FIDE Master (1990) and Trainer (2016) and is one of the most prolific authors of chess books, with more than sixty books to his credit.
Content
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Icons Used in This Book 4
Beyond the Book 5
Where to Go from Here 5
Part 1: Principles of Play 7
Chapter 1: Understanding Chess Openings 9
Identifying a Chess Opening 9
Distinguishing "the" opening from "an" opening 10
Seeing how a move turns into an opening 10
Watching an opening transform right before your eyes 11
Finding an opening that's right for you 12
Reviewing Chess Shorthand 13
Describing the board and pieces 14
Describing the action 14
Chapter 2: Exploring the Elements of Chess 17
Getting Time on Your Side 18
When Spacing Out Is Good 19
Making the Most of Your Material 20
Structuring your pawns 22
Securing your king 24
Chapter 3: Picking the Right Type of Opening 25
Considering Naming Conventions 25
Examining Opening Types 27
Breaking open the board with open games 28
Counterattacking with semi-open games 28
Shutting down your opponent with closed games 29
Playing coy with semi-closed games 30
Playing on the sidelines with flank games 31
Part 2: Winning with Open Games 33
Chapter 4: Gambling with Gambits 35
Why Gamble with a Gambit? 35
Trotting Out the King's Gambit 36
The King's Gambit accepted 37
The King's Gambit declined 42
Delving into the Danish Gambit 47
When things go White's way 48
When things go Black's way 49
Gambits for Black 51
Gambits All the Way 52
Chapter 5: Opening Softly with a Big Stick: The Bishop Makes Its Move 53
Preying with the Bishop's Opening 54
When things go White's way 54
When things go Black's way 56
Keying Up for the Giuoco Piano 58
When things go White's way 59
When things go Black's way 61
Attacking with the Evans Gambit 63
When things go White's way 63
When things go Black's way 65
Chapter 6: Workin' on Some Knight Moves 67
Calling in the Calvary: The Four Knights 67
When things go White's way 68
When things go Black's way 70
Ambitious but a Bit Ambiguous: The Two Knights Defense 72
When things go White's way 72
When things go Black's way 74
Chapter 7: Employing the Royal Ruy 77
Running with the Ruy Lopez 77
Closing the Deal with the Open Variation 78
When things go White's way 78
When things go Black's way 81
Staying Open-Minded with the Closed Variation 84
When things go White's way 84
When things go Black's way 88
Marshalling Your Forces with the Marshall Attack and the Anti-Marshalls 91
When things go White's way 92
When things go Black's way 95
Chapter 8: The Best of the Rest of the Open Games 99
Pouring on the Scotch 99
When things go White's way 100
When things go Black's way 102
Waltzing with the Vienna Game 105
When things go White's way 106
When things go Black's way 109
Dabbling with Petroff's Defense 112
When things go White's way 113
When things go Black's way 115
Part 3: Having It Both Ways with Semi-open Games 119
Chapter 9: Sharpening the Sicilian 121
The People's Choice 121
Entering the Dragon 122
When things go White's way 123
When things go Black's way 126
Knocking Around the Najdorf 129
When things go White's way 130
When things go Black's way 132
Claws Out in the Chelyabinsk 135
When things go White's way 136
When things go Black's way 139
Can They Cancan in the Kan? 143
When things go White's way 143
When things go Black's way 148
Some Words about the Anti-Sicilians 151
Chapter 10: Parlez-vous the French? 153
Nothing Diplomatic Here 153
Charging the Advance 154
When things go White's way 154
When things go Black's way 157
Staying Classical 161
When things go White's way 161
When things go Black's way 163
Winning with the Winawer 166
When things go White's way 166
When things go Black's way 168
Taking Out the Tarrasch 171
When things go White's way 172
When things go Black's way 174
Chapter 11: Anyone Can Caro-Kann 177
Caring about the Caro-Kann 177
The Classical Variation 178
When things go White's way 179
When things go Black's way 181
Being Advanced 183
When things go White's way 184
When things go Black's way 186
Chapter 12: Rope-a-Dope with the Pirc and Modern Defenses 189
Picking the Pirc 189
The Austrian Attack 190
When things go White's way 190
When things go Black's way 193
Picking the Pirc Classical 195
When things go White's way 196
When things go Black's way 198
Thoroughly Modern Maneuvers 200
When things go White's way 201
When things go Black's way 203
Chapter 13: The Best of the Rest of the Semi-Open Games 205
Analyzing Alekhine's Defense 206
When things go White's way 206
When things go Black's way 209
Striking Back with the Scandinavian 213
When things go White's way 213
When things go Black's way 216
Part 4: Conquering with Closed And Semi- Closed Games 219
Chapter 14: Offering the Queen's Gambit 221
The Queen's Gambit Accepted 222
When things go White's way 223
When things go Black's way 225
Remaining Orthodox 227
When things go White's way 228
When things go Black's way 229
Testing the Tartakower 231
When things go White's way 232
When things go Black's way 233
Trading on the Exchange 235
When things go White's way 235
When things go Black's way 237
Chapter 15: Declining with the Slav and Semi-Slav 239
Declining or Delaying? 239
Going Down the Main Line 240
When things go White's way 240
When things go Black's way 242
Meeting the Meran Variation in the Semi-Slav 244
When things go White's way 244
When things go Black's way 246
Betting on the Botvinnik Variation 248
When things go White's way 248
When things go Black's way 251
Chapter 16: Getting Hypermodern with the Nimzo-Indian 253
What Is the Nimzo-Indian? 253
Playing Differently with the Saemisch 254
When things go White's way 255
When things go Black's way 257
Kicking Off with the Classical Variation 259
When things go White's way 260
When things go Black's way 262
Running with the Rubinstein 264
When things go White's way 264
When things go Black's way 267
Nimzo's Friends - Some Related Indians 269
Queen's Indian Defense 269
Bogo-Indian Defense 270
Chapter 17: Fighting Back with the King's Indian 271
The Center Can Wait 271
Getting Classical 272
When things go White's way 272
When things go Black's way 275
Playing Differently with the Saemisch 277
When things go White's way 277
When things go Black's way 279
Finessing with the Fianchetto System 281
When things go White's way 281
Chapter 18: Grinding in the Gruenfeld 283
Hypermodern to the Max 283
Examining the Exchange Variation 284
When things go White's way 285
When things go Black's way 288
Rolling Out the Russian System 291
When things go White's way 291
When things go Black's way 294
Chapter 19: The Best of the Rest of the Semi-Closed Games 297
Loving the London System 297
When things go White's way 298
When things go Black's way 300
The Trompowsky Tango 303
When things go White's way 303
When things go Black's way 306
Going Dutch 307
The Leningrad 307
When things go White's way 308
When things go Black's way 309
The Stonewall Dutch 312
When things go White's way 312
When things go Black's way 313
Part 5: Advancing with Flank Openings 317
Chapter 20: Speaking the King's English 319
The British Are Coming! 319
Reversing the Sicilian 320
When things go White's way 320
When things go Black's way 323
Stampeding in the Four Knights 327
When things go White's way 327
When things go Black's way 331
Staying Symmetrical 335
When things go White's way 335
When things go Black's way 338
Chapter 21: Getting Reti 341
The Contemporary Reti 341
When things go White's way 342
When things go Black's way 344
The Radical Reti 346
When things go White's way 347
When things go Black's way 350
Chapter 22: The Best of the Rest of the Flank Openings 355
Larsen Attack 356
When things go White's way 356
When things go Black's way 358
Winging it with the Bird's 360
When things go White's way 361
When things go Black's way 363
Some Other Flank Action 366
Part 6: the Part of Tens 367
Chapter 23: Ten Common Mistakes to Avoid in the Opening 369
Wasting Time 369
Leading with the Lady 371
Losing Material 372
Abandoning the Center 373
Creating Weaknesses 373
Pawn Grabbing 374
Exposing the King 374
Blocking Lines 375
Falling for Traps 375
Memorizing Moves 376
Chapter 24: Ten Best Ways to Study Chess Openings 377
Getting a Coach 378
Study Online 378
Finding a Friend 379
Reading Annotations 379
Playing in Real Time 379
Blitzing It Out 380
Basing the Data 380
Revving an Engine 381
Studying Your Games 381
Buying A(nother) Book 382
Chapter 25: Ten (or so) Great Chess Websites 383
Playing Sites 384
Lichess 384
Chess.com 384
Honorable mention 384
Training Sites 385
Chessable 385
Chessify 385
Chessmood 385
Honorable mentions 385
Informational Sites 386
The Week in Chess 386
ChessBase & ChessBase India 386
YouTube 386
Twitch 386
Facebook 387
Honorable Mentions 387
Index 389
About This Book 2
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Icons Used in This Book 4
Beyond the Book 5
Where to Go from Here 5
Part 1: Principles of Play 7
Chapter 1: Understanding Chess Openings 9
Identifying a Chess Opening 9
Distinguishing "the" opening from "an" opening 10
Seeing how a move turns into an opening 10
Watching an opening transform right before your eyes 11
Finding an opening that's right for you 12
Reviewing Chess Shorthand 13
Describing the board and pieces 14
Describing the action 14
Chapter 2: Exploring the Elements of Chess 17
Getting Time on Your Side 18
When Spacing Out Is Good 19
Making the Most of Your Material 20
Structuring your pawns 22
Securing your king 24
Chapter 3: Picking the Right Type of Opening 25
Considering Naming Conventions 25
Examining Opening Types 27
Breaking open the board with open games 28
Counterattacking with semi-open games 28
Shutting down your opponent with closed games 29
Playing coy with semi-closed games 30
Playing on the sidelines with flank games 31
Part 2: Winning with Open Games 33
Chapter 4: Gambling with Gambits 35
Why Gamble with a Gambit? 35
Trotting Out the King's Gambit 36
The King's Gambit accepted 37
The King's Gambit declined 42
Delving into the Danish Gambit 47
When things go White's way 48
When things go Black's way 49
Gambits for Black 51
Gambits All the Way 52
Chapter 5: Opening Softly with a Big Stick: The Bishop Makes Its Move 53
Preying with the Bishop's Opening 54
When things go White's way 54
When things go Black's way 56
Keying Up for the Giuoco Piano 58
When things go White's way 59
When things go Black's way 61
Attacking with the Evans Gambit 63
When things go White's way 63
When things go Black's way 65
Chapter 6: Workin' on Some Knight Moves 67
Calling in the Calvary: The Four Knights 67
When things go White's way 68
When things go Black's way 70
Ambitious but a Bit Ambiguous: The Two Knights Defense 72
When things go White's way 72
When things go Black's way 74
Chapter 7: Employing the Royal Ruy 77
Running with the Ruy Lopez 77
Closing the Deal with the Open Variation 78
When things go White's way 78
When things go Black's way 81
Staying Open-Minded with the Closed Variation 84
When things go White's way 84
When things go Black's way 88
Marshalling Your Forces with the Marshall Attack and the Anti-Marshalls 91
When things go White's way 92
When things go Black's way 95
Chapter 8: The Best of the Rest of the Open Games 99
Pouring on the Scotch 99
When things go White's way 100
When things go Black's way 102
Waltzing with the Vienna Game 105
When things go White's way 106
When things go Black's way 109
Dabbling with Petroff's Defense 112
When things go White's way 113
When things go Black's way 115
Part 3: Having It Both Ways with Semi-open Games 119
Chapter 9: Sharpening the Sicilian 121
The People's Choice 121
Entering the Dragon 122
When things go White's way 123
When things go Black's way 126
Knocking Around the Najdorf 129
When things go White's way 130
When things go Black's way 132
Claws Out in the Chelyabinsk 135
When things go White's way 136
When things go Black's way 139
Can They Cancan in the Kan? 143
When things go White's way 143
When things go Black's way 148
Some Words about the Anti-Sicilians 151
Chapter 10: Parlez-vous the French? 153
Nothing Diplomatic Here 153
Charging the Advance 154
When things go White's way 154
When things go Black's way 157
Staying Classical 161
When things go White's way 161
When things go Black's way 163
Winning with the Winawer 166
When things go White's way 166
When things go Black's way 168
Taking Out the Tarrasch 171
When things go White's way 172
When things go Black's way 174
Chapter 11: Anyone Can Caro-Kann 177
Caring about the Caro-Kann 177
The Classical Variation 178
When things go White's way 179
When things go Black's way 181
Being Advanced 183
When things go White's way 184
When things go Black's way 186
Chapter 12: Rope-a-Dope with the Pirc and Modern Defenses 189
Picking the Pirc 189
The Austrian Attack 190
When things go White's way 190
When things go Black's way 193
Picking the Pirc Classical 195
When things go White's way 196
When things go Black's way 198
Thoroughly Modern Maneuvers 200
When things go White's way 201
When things go Black's way 203
Chapter 13: The Best of the Rest of the Semi-Open Games 205
Analyzing Alekhine's Defense 206
When things go White's way 206
When things go Black's way 209
Striking Back with the Scandinavian 213
When things go White's way 213
When things go Black's way 216
Part 4: Conquering with Closed And Semi- Closed Games 219
Chapter 14: Offering the Queen's Gambit 221
The Queen's Gambit Accepted 222
When things go White's way 223
When things go Black's way 225
Remaining Orthodox 227
When things go White's way 228
When things go Black's way 229
Testing the Tartakower 231
When things go White's way 232
When things go Black's way 233
Trading on the Exchange 235
When things go White's way 235
When things go Black's way 237
Chapter 15: Declining with the Slav and Semi-Slav 239
Declining or Delaying? 239
Going Down the Main Line 240
When things go White's way 240
When things go Black's way 242
Meeting the Meran Variation in the Semi-Slav 244
When things go White's way 244
When things go Black's way 246
Betting on the Botvinnik Variation 248
When things go White's way 248
When things go Black's way 251
Chapter 16: Getting Hypermodern with the Nimzo-Indian 253
What Is the Nimzo-Indian? 253
Playing Differently with the Saemisch 254
When things go White's way 255
When things go Black's way 257
Kicking Off with the Classical Variation 259
When things go White's way 260
When things go Black's way 262
Running with the Rubinstein 264
When things go White's way 264
When things go Black's way 267
Nimzo's Friends - Some Related Indians 269
Queen's Indian Defense 269
Bogo-Indian Defense 270
Chapter 17: Fighting Back with the King's Indian 271
The Center Can Wait 271
Getting Classical 272
When things go White's way 272
When things go Black's way 275
Playing Differently with the Saemisch 277
When things go White's way 277
When things go Black's way 279
Finessing with the Fianchetto System 281
When things go White's way 281
Chapter 18: Grinding in the Gruenfeld 283
Hypermodern to the Max 283
Examining the Exchange Variation 284
When things go White's way 285
When things go Black's way 288
Rolling Out the Russian System 291
When things go White's way 291
When things go Black's way 294
Chapter 19: The Best of the Rest of the Semi-Closed Games 297
Loving the London System 297
When things go White's way 298
When things go Black's way 300
The Trompowsky Tango 303
When things go White's way 303
When things go Black's way 306
Going Dutch 307
The Leningrad 307
When things go White's way 308
When things go Black's way 309
The Stonewall Dutch 312
When things go White's way 312
When things go Black's way 313
Part 5: Advancing with Flank Openings 317
Chapter 20: Speaking the King's English 319
The British Are Coming! 319
Reversing the Sicilian 320
When things go White's way 320
When things go Black's way 323
Stampeding in the Four Knights 327
When things go White's way 327
When things go Black's way 331
Staying Symmetrical 335
When things go White's way 335
When things go Black's way 338
Chapter 21: Getting Reti 341
The Contemporary Reti 341
When things go White's way 342
When things go Black's way 344
The Radical Reti 346
When things go White's way 347
When things go Black's way 350
Chapter 22: The Best of the Rest of the Flank Openings 355
Larsen Attack 356
When things go White's way 356
When things go Black's way 358
Winging it with the Bird's 360
When things go White's way 361
When things go Black's way 363
Some Other Flank Action 366
Part 6: the Part of Tens 367
Chapter 23: Ten Common Mistakes to Avoid in the Opening 369
Wasting Time 369
Leading with the Lady 371
Losing Material 372
Abandoning the Center 373
Creating Weaknesses 373
Pawn Grabbing 374
Exposing the King 374
Blocking Lines 375
Falling for Traps 375
Memorizing Moves 376
Chapter 24: Ten Best Ways to Study Chess Openings 377
Getting a Coach 378
Study Online 378
Finding a Friend 379
Reading Annotations 379
Playing in Real Time 379
Blitzing It Out 380
Basing the Data 380
Revving an Engine 381
Studying Your Games 381
Buying A(nother) Book 382
Chapter 25: Ten (or so) Great Chess Websites 383
Playing Sites 384
Lichess 384
Chess.com 384
Honorable mention 384
Training Sites 385
Chessable 385
Chessify 385
Chessmood 385
Honorable mentions 385
Informational Sites 386
The Week in Chess 386
ChessBase & ChessBase India 386
YouTube 386
Twitch 386
Facebook 387
Honorable Mentions 387
Index 389