so I've just got MCO - and I'm lost already. Without a point of
reference as to where to start I'm feeling overwhelmed - I can't read
and absorb all of it. So where do I start? Should I pick 1 or 2 openings
for both white & black, and concentrate on them first? If so, any
recomendations?
Also, how do you know what your opponent is playing so I can look it
up?
Thanks in advance for your advice,
Jon
Hi Jon,
First of all I am not so fond of these openingsbook, they are as you
say overwhelmed. Another thing they get very quickly out of date. If
you don't have it already get a database, SCID is good and it is free.
That is assuming you have computer that can handle it.
What you can do with MCO is to check up your opponents, look what
they are playing and see what it recommends. Try to find a variation
you think will work for you. Do some analyses and see if you get a
middle game and an idea what to play. Try to locate some similar
games and play through them.
Next to using the MCO, and/of ECO (5 volumes), SECO (Small ECO - 1
volume), NCO, BCO... I very much appreciate my Fritz Powerbook
2002 with 7,6 million openings positions, taken from 630,000 high-
class tournament games, but it's complementary. It only offers stats
and no explanations, but you have access to all 630,000 games to
replay and choose your favourite line(s) in which you feel comfortable.
Cheerio! Jan
Hi Jan,
I haven't been using MCO only ECO. Is there explanation in MCO of
the ideas behind the moves? Or is it like ECO showing symbols for
which side that is standing a bit better, but no explanation of why. In
my database I have annotated games + I can go through as many
games with the different moves as I think I need. I like to get my
opinion of the openings and not follow the stats. I think it was Mark
Twain that said someting like "There is lie, damn lie and statistic."
A good place on the net to get the ideas behind the moves is
http://www.chessbaseusa.com/NY1924/1924toc.htm
Hi! MCO offers a short introduction to the openings, outlining the
general ideas. But just briefly. So, some literature is found in it, but
it's still very encyclopedic, as it is meant to be. NCO (Nunn's Chess
Openings) has more variations but hardly any text. Both are each
other's match, as I understand from serious reviewers like John
Watson and Randy Bauer.
Earlier today I was reading here (for the first time in my life!) about
the King's Indian Attack for White. I did some research on it and I
rather like the setup, particularly as explained in another post here,
that it gives White a lot of freedom and allows it to determine the
course of the game. Maybe Dave can give more details. MCO is very
brief on it. I'll look for a good book on this opening. Goodnight. Jan
The main use of the KIA is if you are like me and usually play 1.e4
but don't like facing a French defense after 1.e4 e6 then you just roll
in to it with 2.g3 then 3.Bg2 and 4.Nf3...totally takes black out of their
opening while giving you a solid position.
For some good examples of this look at Bobby's games and
Petrosian's...two World Champions that employed it quite a bit.
Also Chess Digest has quite a few books on it.
Dave
Don Maddox does a pretty credible job of getting that kind of
information together. Don't walk in believing that you will find a lot of
new ideas there though - there are a number of annotated games on
the CDs and qulaity of of the analysis is generally good but this is not
about a lot of new theory. In sum, good reference material for those
want to survey openings on a computer.
-ww-
Hi Jan,
Thank you for your answer. I am a bit negative against most opening
books because when I started over 30 years ago I bought some but
there were very little explanation of the ideas and my opponents
usually got out of the variations very early. When ECO first came out I
had high hope on them and bought all 5 parts just to be confused and
still my opponents played something else. I have found a few books
now that I like and funny enough it is King's Indian Attack which I play
against 1. e4 e6, but the setup can be played against other openings
such as Sicilian, Caro-Kann and others. I have two books on the
subject, The Ultimate King's Indian Attack by Angus Dunnington
reprint version from 2001. The other one is Attacking with 1. e4 by
John Emms but he only have variation against French KIA. Haven't
bought it yet but Chessbase has just started selling a CD-rom with
KIA. I have found many of their openings CD's to be rather good.
Hi! Thanks to you I'm showing right now quite some interest in the
KIA. Yes, I also found Dunnington's on the site of my regular chess
supplier in Brussels and I also visited ChessBase, where I found the
Don Maddox CD-ROM (he also published a CD-ROM on the Réti at
ChessBase). However, I've been looking for -but not yet found-a
critical, independent review. I have the habit of not trusting the
publishers' and/or sellers' reviews, because their only aim is... to sell!
Whatever the quality. I would therefore very much appreciate your
opinion on Dunnington's book. I can't as yet make up my mind to
either buy the book, or the CD-ROM. Can you feedback me on the
Dunnington, please? Thanks. Cheerio! Jan
Hi! Dunnington's book is very good. He explain the ideas with this
setup, what to think about and then showing them in several master
games. I am pleased with the book. You can play KIA against nearly
all defences with the exception of 1... d5.
He writes:
"The beauty of the opening is that White adopts the setup based on
Nf3, g3, Bg2, d3 and e4 practically regardless of Black's play."
"We must also not forget the psychological victory of depriving our
opponents the opportunity o show us their encyclopaedic theoretical
knowledge of, say, the Caro-Kann when we reply to 1 e4 c6 with 2 d3
and spoil the party immediately."
So what it is worth I recommend the book. Don't know how Don
Maddox KIA CD is, but I have the one on Réti and I found he
explained it well and there were questions in the end to see if you had
understood it.
Thanks! I've just ordered the... Don Maddox CD-ROM. It contains
20,000+ games of 754 annotated and a lot of tests, so you can see
how much you've grasped. Also contains many texts. As soon as it
arrives by post and I had a chance to look into it, I'll be back to you.
Cheerio! Jan