Beating the Open Games

The second edition includes an additional 48 pages and many minor corrections.

Many players would like to play the main lines of the Ruy Lopez with Black, but fear answering 1.e4 with 1...e5 because of White's great variety of deviations.

Acclaimed author Mihail Marin presents a repertoire for Black against the Open Games, meaning the Italian Game, Evans Gambit, Scotch, Vienna, Spanish Exchange Variation, Spanish and Scotch Four Knights, Bishop's Opening, Centre Game, Ponziani, and not least, the notorious King's Gambit.

Marin has delved very deep, in the process increased his own chess understanding, and unearthed many new ideas for both white and black.

In this book Marin reveals his own opening repertoire, which he prepared for high-level international competition. In his own words: "One common nightmare of grandmasters is that their opening notes get stolen and used by somebody else. What I have done is 'much worse' than leaving my personal analysis unlocked: I have simply publsihed it!"

But besides giving concrete answers to any worries players might have about facing the Open Games, Marin uses his renowned writing skills to lucidly convey the main strategic ideas.

This way Marin has succeeded in writing a middlegame book, disguised as an opening book. No one can read this book without being entertained and educated at the same time.

Mihail Marin is a Romanian grandmaster with many years of competitive experience at the top level. His previous book for Quality Chess, Learn from the Legends, won the ChessCafe.com Book of the Year for 2005, and was short-listed for the BCF's Book of the Year.

GM Glenn Flear, New in Chess Yearbook:
"Sensational"

IM Jeremy Silman:
"Beating the Open Games, joined with A Spanish Repertoire for Black, is the greatest repertoire book(s) ever written for players 1800 right to grandmaster.Marin's legend as a serious chess writer seems to grow every time he puts his fingers on a keyboard."

Steve Giddins, British Chess Magazine:
"I would strongly recommend this book to any actual or potential 1.e4 e5 player."

Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe:
"This book provides something for every level of player, from around 1500 to even strong grandmasters. If you play 1.e4 as White or 1...e5 as Black, you will not regret purchasing this book, it is well worth it and then some!"

A PDF with many of the updates will become available on www.qualitychessbooks.com for those who bought the first edition.

The main variations of the Ruy Lopez will follow in the second volume: A Spanish Repertoire for Black