First Steps: 1 e4 e5

Blant mange åpningsbøker om 1 e4 e5 er denne nye et friskt pust som gir en god innføring også for ganske ferske spillere, hobbyspillere og klubbspillere særlig opp til ratingnivå cirka 1800. Det er en bok som virker like nyttig for både hvit- og svartspillere.

Stormester John Emms nyttiggjør seg i denne boka ikke minst all erfaring han har fått gjennom mange år som lokal trener av mange unge spillere. Vi regner at den vil være svært lærerik for spillere i hele ratingnivået cirka 700 - 1700. Han starter faktisk med skolematten og i det hele tatt med flere grunnleggende temaer og motiver å mestre.

Boka inneholder mest stoff om åpningene Italiensk, Evansgambit, Prøyssisk og Spansk og også endel om Firspringerspill og Skotsk, mindre om Kongegambit, Wienerparti og Russisk som dog er med. Det er ingen repertoarbok, men gir mange ideer og tips til praktiske åpningsvalg.

Til slutt i boka har Emms en liste over anbefalinger han henviser til for henholdsvis hvit og svart i ulike åpninger gjennom boka.

Forfatterens forord sier en del om boka og formålet med den:

I’ve always wished to write a follow-up to Discovering Chess Openings and I’m delighted that this book has given me an opportunity to do so. In Discovering Chess Openings I concentrated mainly on basic opening principles. In this new book, the focus changes to studying a range of openings and making choices about which ones to play in your games.

I’ve chosen 1 e4 e5 openings (Open Games) because these are the first we learn, so it seemed like a very suitable subject for a First Steps book. For any young chess player (or indeed anyone ‘young’ in chess experience), there’s no better choice than to play 1 e4 e5 openings with White, with Black, or even with both colours. Playing Open Games gives you a wonderful opportunity to improve your skills and knowledge of key tactical ideas you need to master in your development as a chess player. Throughout the book you will fi nd many examples (and exercises, to keep you busy!) involving forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, discovered checks, double checks, re- moving defenders and so on.

The contents of this book are largely based on studying thousands of young players’ games over many years. The emphasis is on openin gs which have appeared most often. Recommenda- tions are made on opening choices that have been successful in developing key chess skills. I’ve recommended playing some openings with both White and Black, including the Italian Game, Evans Gambit, Two Knights Defence, Ruy Lopez and Scotch Gambit, so these openings are covered in greater detail.

If you are taking your very first steps in chess openings, please focus initially on Chapters 1-2, whereas readers with a little more experience may wish to dive in elsewhere. As it’s a First Steps book, I’ve tried to avoid encyclopaedic coverage. In any case, you certainly don’t need to remember every single variation and all th e notes before playing the opening. Take in the first few moves and the key ideas, an d then try it out in your games!

Forlagets egen omtale:

Starting a chess game with 1 e4 e5 is so common that the resulting complex of opening systems traditionally commands its own sobriquet, “The Open Games” (1 e4 met by other replies are “Semi-Open Games” and everything else comes under “Closed Games”). The central structure with pawns on e4 and e5 often leads to play based around highly classical themes which are the bedrock of successful chess understanding.

First Steps is a new opening series and is ideal for improving players who want simple and straightforward explanations. First Steps emphasizes:

the basic principles
the basic strategies
the key tricks and traps

First Steps books are based around carefully selected instructive games which demonstrate exactly what both sides are trying to achieve. There is enough theory to enable the improving player to get to grips with the opening without feeling overwhelmed.