PCO: Practical Chess Openings

The first truly modern single-volume guide to the chess openingsChess opening theory has changed out of all recognition in the 21st century, yet chess literature has been slow to catch up with this. Martyn Kravtsiv, a grandmaster and trainer of the same generation as Magnus Carlsen, is here to redress the balance.Prompted by computer investigations, players no longer expect to gain a large advantage as White by force. Few stick to a narrow repertoire. They seek lines that computers underestimate but will cause problems for human opponents. Modest lines with a drop of poison have become fashionable. Yet outlandish gambits and random-looking pawn advances also appear in top-level play. Time-honoured openings have fallen by the wayside, if computers have shown it is too easy to gain an advantage against them, or have simply analysed them to death.This huge book fully takes on board these developments. The most space is devoted to lines that are popular today, and that deep computer analysis suggests have the brightest futures. If an opening cannot be recommended, Kravtsiv explains why with the minimum of variations. He identifies openings more suitable for rapid chess, and what type of work is needed from readers who are interested in playing each opening. Nothing in this book is dictated by the paradigms of older opening works.Covers all openingsEmphasizes human understandingDeals concisely with unreliable linesLavish detail on topical openingsExplains strategic themes new and oldExamines ideas from neural networksMartyn Kravtsiv is a grandmaster from Lviv, Ukraine. He was blitz champion of the 2008 World Mind Sports Games (at age 17), represented his country at the 2017 World Team Championship and was a coach for the team that won silver medals at the 2016 Olympiad. Kravtsiv currently works as a trainer at the children’s chess school in Lviv, and has written three books for Gambit."I spent a lot of time browsing through this book and was often surprised to learn something brand new in variations I hadn't looked at for some time. Thanks to Gambit Publications for reviving this traditional format and infusing it with new ideas" - IM John Watson, Chess Life"Over 500 pages covering opening theory. Highly recommended for those who want a very broad repertoire, and those who want to have a general idea of the possibilities available before creating their repertoire." - Luis Fernández Siles @capakhine"I was astonished to find out that this book had been published. ... Kravtsiv has presented the lines that he thinks will be of the greatest practical use to the prospective reader. ... In an age of neural networks and cloud analysis, I think this book has the potential to revive the single-volume openings encylopaedia. Whether you want to build or refresh your chess opening repertoire, or want an idea of where to target future analysis, this book is highly recommended" - Paul Hopwood, CHESS magazine"I have seen many one-volume opening books, but never as well-written a work as this one from the chess genius GM Martyn Kravtsiv ... His talent to explain chess is extraordinary. ... a balance of explanations and topical lines ... the ideal one volume chess companion!" - John Elburg, chessbooks-nl Read more