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Unless you are new to chess, I’m sure you have heard of IM John Watson, who is a well-known and highly regarded author of chess books, including one of my favorites, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, which I think is destined to become a classic – one which will hopefully replace Nimzowitsch’s My System (ahem...)

The publisher’s back-cover blurb states the purported aim of these books:

For many chess-players, opening study is sheer hard work.  It is difficult to know what is important and what is not, and when specific knowledge is vital, or when a more general understanding is sufficient.  Tragically often, once the opening is over, a player won't know what plan to follow, or even understand why his pieces are on the squares on which they sit.  John Watson seeks to help chess-players achieve a more holistic and insightful view of the openings.  In his previous books on chess strategy, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy and Chess Strategy in Action, he explained vital concepts that had previously been the domain only of top-class players.  Moreover, he did so in ways that have enabled them to enter the general chess consciousness of club players.  Here he does likewise for the openings, explaining how flexible thinking and notions such as 'rule-independence' can apply to the opening.

In the introduction to Volume One, IM Watson himself elaborates:

Among these myriad books and products, very few are devoted to explaining the ideas, strategies and interconnections of chess openings taken as a whole.  That is, individual theoretical books concentrate upon a single opening’s moves and variations, and most discuss why some of those moves are good or bad.  A fair number of these books will also examine basic strategies underlying the opening in question, which is important and beneficial. But few give a feeling for the common threads that underlie opening play or the reasons why opening strategies can differ so radically.  In the book before you (and Volume 2 of this project), I seek to provide a durable standpoint from which to view the opening phase of the game.  Then, regardless of the uncertainties of the theory, you should be able to find your way through many of the problems posed by unfamiliar moves.

I think most club players, after reading the above excerpts, are probably shouting “yippee!”  Indeed, there are far too many books about the opening that take this approach (GM Andy Soltis’ Pawn Structure Chess is one of the rare ones, and an excellent book if I may say so).  Of some that do, the tendency is to focus on just a single opening or small set of openings.  Of others, more openings are included, but the coverage tends to be shallow.  IM Watson gives us two books and hundreds of pages covering most openings, as the table of contents show:

For example, the Scandinavian is quite popular at the club level, but not included in these books.  That’s not to say that such a player couldn’t still learn something – some other openings which are covered can lead to similar positions as the Scandinavian – but the player will have to do some detective work to find the relevant parts of the text.

In my own case, I’m a Caro-Kann player, so I was disappointed that IM Watson left out the main lines of the Caro-Kann, and that’s a decision I have a bit more trouble swallowing.  The Caro-Kann is the fourth most popular opening for Black against 1.e4 (the first three being the Sicilian, the open games, and the French), and the main line is one of the most popular approaches for White against it.  Also, it’s the main line for a reason – it contains some of the most important, interesting, and strategically rich positions in the Caro-Kann.  Given that the aim of the book is to teach about strategy, I can’t see leaving off the main line of any opening that’s included in the first place.

Also notice that no flank openings are included, which is too bad – I think the English deserved a chapter, especially since it’s so misunderstood (it’s not just the Sicilian with an extra tempo!).  This too, I found a bit disappointing.  On the other hand, I’m probably biased, since my favorite opening move as White is 1.c4!

Assuming that you do find that the openings and variations in which you are interested are included, you’ll find lots of good material.  Though a fair amount of theory is included, the text is most about explanation, as the following excerpt shows:

The Main-Line King’s Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6  3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0

White normally chooses not to enter into the Exchange Variation, which can be understood from the examples in the last section.  7 0-0 is the most flexible move, not committing to any central pawn-structure.

Strongpoint Variation

7... Nbd7

This solid knight development was the primary way of playing for several decades after the King’s Indian Defense first gained attention in the 1920s.  During that time 7... Nbd7 naturally generated many new ideas and wonderful games, but now has been overtaken by 7... Nc6 and 7... Na6.  Nevertheless, specialists still find ways to benefit from it, sometimes moving beyond minor improvements to new methods of play.  One appealing feature of 7... Nbd7 is that it is a central move and thus stays in contact with c5, e5 and f6, all key King’s Indian squares.  Compare 7... Na6, which only controls c5; or 7... Nc6 8 d5  Ne7, a two-move continuation based largely upon transfer to the kingside.  Situated on d7, Black’s knight can be used to support e5 as a strongpoint, or to play ... Ne5 or ... Nc5 if Black chooses to play ...exd4 at some point.

The disadvantages of 7... Nbd7 relate primarily to its failure to challenge White’s space advantage and the fact that it blocks off Black’s bishop on c8.  This latter circumstance (which you’ll note does not apply to 7...Na6 or 7...Nc6) means that achieving the move ...f5 may be problematic, and that White can keep the centre fluid without worrying as much about immediate attacks on the kingside.  Thus Black is unlikely to dominate one side of the board or the other, although he has access to and plays on both wings.  Another drawback has to do with a concrete feature of the King’s Indian, that c7 is left unprotected, so that Black hasn’t as much leeway to move his queen as he does after 7... Na6.

I haven’t mentioned the greatest virtue of 7...Nbd7 from our point of view: the play stemming from this move includes a majority of themes and concepts that characterize the entire Classical King’s Indian!  After 7...Nbd7 we see properties of the KID that don’t appear after 7...Nc6 8.d5  Ne7 (the main line of most of this chapter).  For example, lines in which Black plays ...Nc5 or ...exd4, and situations in which White plays dxe5 in a more effective way than in the Exchange Variation.  For those reasons we’ll delve into some details of three variations:  [etc.]

Good stuff, and at just the right level for an instructional manual for up and coming players.  The only weak spot is the introductory material to Volume One, which feels far too basic for the intended audience – if you don’t know that the center is important in the opening, then you probably aren’t ready to read these books.

If you are ready for them, let me give you a couple of pieces of advice.  First, buy both volumes, whether or not you think you need them.  Even if you only play openings that are all covered in one volume, the whole point of these books is that common open ideas can be found across a variety of specific openings.  Thus, everything you study in these two volumes with increase your understanding of opening play, no matter what specific openings you play.  Second, be prepared to spend some serious time with these books.  Although they are fun to browse through, they are meant as instructional manuals, and (as per my previous remark) the material is presented in a holistic, integrated manner – meaning that you really do need to study both volumes carefully and in their entirety if you are going to get the most out of them.  Clear your calendar!

In conclusion, I think IM Watson should give himself a hearty pat on the back for a monstrously difficult job down incredibly well.  I’d recommend this pair of books to class C through class A players as instructional manuals, and to higher rated players looking to take up a new opening and who need a good overview.
 

Copyright 2007 S. Evan Kreider.  Used with permission.
 

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