1st Book on Openings

Hi all, here's my question: I am around 1500 here, started practicing my tactics and endgame, can name a few openings, but that is about it. Now, I'd like to understand openings a bit more. I know the opening principles and they have served me well so far. However, I'd like to understand more about the opening without having to choose uninformedly some opnings which I may not even like. I want to get an opening book which delves deeper without focussing on 1 line. I do have an opening book on the King's Gambit, bit I def did not get the best out of it. Where can you check the main lines? The book had rather modern side lines without explaining the main lines and / or leaving out basic motifs and tactics. Where can I find / learn them? However, I am moving away from the KG to understand different chess positions better and like playing both...e4, d4. Any suggestions for a first book on openings /opening theory would be very welcome. Thanks for any input !

Fundamental Chess Openings would be a good start.

Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren (2009)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf

hi

Chess Opening Essentials (The ideas &Plans Behind All Chess Openings) is a good book. However you would need the 1.e4 one and the 1.d4 one

just use the wikipedia pages instead of those little bit of everything books

I agree - Fundamental chess openings gives a good general survey and gives you the basic ideas behind all the different openings

Thank you all for your advice. I have found this site pretty late but i have learned so much from it and the members here. Thanks so much

I think the Reuben Fine classic Ideas Behind the Chess Openings is great for beginners.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708112658/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review315.pdf

I believe that it is possible to see a sample from Fundamental Chess Openings by going to the Gambit Publications site.

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/FCO_Fundamental_Chess_Openings.pdf

Here are some reviews of the Essentials books:

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627115737/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen99.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627105306/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen124.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627070808/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen137.pdf

In case anyone only looks at the first review, I should perhaps mention that FM Carsten Hansen seemed to think that the series improved over time. A major objection throughout is to the inclusion of many games without annotation. I have mixed feelings about that. I feel that one generally needs some sample games to understand an opening, but it may not be much help to look at games with no commentary. Potential buyers should probably look at sample pages available at the New in Chess site.

https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/380.pdf

https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/926.pdf

https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/927.pdf

https://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/Pdfs/940.pdf

You can find Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren here:

http://en.bookfi.net/book/1400220

This site has lots of other chess books as well. 

thanks for this link. It's really useful.

thanks for this link. It's really useful.

One can see a sample of Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren here:

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/FCO_Fundamental_Chess_Openings.pdf

Seirawan's Winning Chess Openings is not as comprehensive as FCO, but it is probably a lot more readable. If I remember correctly, it was written around 1999. Here is a review:
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf

I suppose one might also consider the large section on openings (with lots of sample games) in The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093123/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review756.pdf

From the last two decades, one might also consider Understanding the Chess Openings by IM Sam Collins

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Understanding_the_Chess_Openings.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627031504/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen76.pdf

and Back to Basics: Openings by FM Carsten Hansen.

http://www.thechessmind.net/blog/2010/1/30/a-brief-review-of-carsten-hansens-back-to-basics-openings.html

Good Chess Openings Books for Beginners and Beyond....

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-openings-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

 

Full book may be found at https://archive.org/details/fundamentalchessopenings.