Opening book
Encyclopedia
Chess opening book refers either to a book on chess opening
s, or to a database of chess openings used by chess programs.
s, are by far the most common type of literature on Chess
play. These describe many major lines, like Sicilian Defence
, Ruy Lopez
, and Queen's Gambit
, as well many minor variations of the main lines.
There are several types of opening manuals:
. Such programs are quite significantly enhanced through the provision of an electronic version of an opening book. This eliminates the need for the program to calculate the best lines during approximately the first ten moves of the game, where the positions are extremely open-ended and thus computationally expensive to evaluate. As a result it places the computer in a stronger position using considerably less resources than if it had to calculate the moves itself.
Modern chess engines are designed to be controlled by a graphical user interface such as Winboard, ChessBase
or Arena through the Universal Chess Interface
protocol or Chess Engine Communication Protocol
. In this case the opening book may often be specified in the GUI and then the GUI makes the moves from the opening book on behalf of the engine when the occasion arises.
Opening books used by computers are often in a binary undocumented or PGN format. Examples are ChessBase's .ctg format or Pgn Format and Arena's .abk format. One notable exception is the Polyglot book format which is fully documented and which is being implemented in an increasing number of programs.
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
s, or to a database of chess openings used by chess programs.
Literature
Opening books, which discuss chess openingChess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
s, are by far the most common type of literature on Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
play. These describe many major lines, like Sicilian Defence
Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4...
, Ruy Lopez
Ruy Lopez
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del...
, and Queen's Gambit
Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves:The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest known chess openings. It was mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490 and was later analysed by masters such as Gioachino Greco in the seventeenth century...
, as well many minor variations of the main lines.
There are several types of opening manuals:
- Manuals dealing with one specific opening - Often these manuals have highly optimistic titles, like Black to Play and Win with 1...g6 (Andrew SoltisAndrew SoltisAndrew Eden Soltis is a chess Grandmaster, author and columnist.He won at Reggio Emilia 1971–72 and was equal first at New York 1977. He was awarded the International Master title in 1974 and became a Grandmaster in 1980...
), but some are more modest: Starting out: the King's IndianKing's Indian DefenceThe King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It arises after the moves:Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.The Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening...
(Joe Gallagher). In general, these books are the most accessible to the general reader, and cover the most material for individual opening systems. - Manuals giving a system or repertoire - These manuals discuss two or more opening systems, often related by similar tactical themes, pawn structures, or strategic aims. The aim is generally to get the player to the middle game with a playable position without too much trouble, no matter what the opposing player does.
- Manuals giving general opening advice and guidance - Possibly the most famous example of this type of manual (in English) is Reuben FineReuben FineReuben Fine was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the early 1930s through the 1940s, an International Grandmaster, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology.Fine won five medals in three chess Olympiads. Fine won the U.S...
's The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings. This type of book does not analyze any opening system to much depth, but teaches the ideas that will help its reader understand opening play. - Encyclopedic manuals that aim to be comprehensive - These manuals, from the five volume Encyclopedia of Chess Openings to the single volume works like Nunn's Chess Openings and Modern Chess OpeningsModern Chess OpeningsModern Chess Openings is an important reference book on the chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Clewin Griffith and John Herbert White...
by Nick de FirmianNick de FirmianNicholas Ernest de Firmian , is a chess grandmaster and three-time U.S. chess champion, winning in 1987 , 1995, and 1998. He also tied for first in 2002, but Larry Christiansen won the playoff...
and Walter KornWalter KornWalter Korn was an author of books and magazine articles about chess. Despite his status as a writer, there is no known record of him playing tournament chess, and few chess players ever met him...
aim to cover as many opening systems as possible at the expense of understanding the ideas behind the opening. Usually, at the end of a sequence of moves provided in a theory tableChess opening theory tableA chess opening theory table or ECO table presents lines of moves, typically from the starting position. Notated chess moves are presented in the table from left to right...
, the reader is told that one side stands slightly better than the other. However no information is given on what that assessment is based on or how to proceed in the game. - DVD demonstrating the openings - These DVDs are the modern idea of describing the main ideas and themes of the openings. Those are explained by strong masters, using video to explain as a teacher does the principles.
Computers
"Opening book" is also used to describe the database of openings given to Computer chess programsComputer chess
Computer chess is computer architecture encompassing hardware and software capable of playing chess autonomously without human guidance. Computer chess acts as solo entertainment , as aids to chess analysis, for computer chess competitions, and as research to provide insights into human...
. Such programs are quite significantly enhanced through the provision of an electronic version of an opening book. This eliminates the need for the program to calculate the best lines during approximately the first ten moves of the game, where the positions are extremely open-ended and thus computationally expensive to evaluate. As a result it places the computer in a stronger position using considerably less resources than if it had to calculate the moves itself.
Modern chess engines are designed to be controlled by a graphical user interface such as Winboard, ChessBase
ChessBase
ChessBase GmbH is a German company that markets chess software, maintains a chess news site, and operates a server for online chess. Set up in 1998, it maintains and sells massive databases, containing most historic games, that permit analysis that had not been possible prior to computing...
or Arena through the Universal Chess Interface
Universal Chess Interface
The Universal Chess Interface is an open communication protocol that enables a chess program's engine to communicate with its user interface....
protocol or Chess Engine Communication Protocol
Chess Engine Communication Protocol
The Chess Engine Communication Protocol is an open communication protocol that enables a chess engine to communicate with its user interface....
. In this case the opening book may often be specified in the GUI and then the GUI makes the moves from the opening book on behalf of the engine when the occasion arises.
Opening books used by computers are often in a binary undocumented or PGN format. Examples are ChessBase's .ctg format or Pgn Format and Arena's .abk format. One notable exception is the Polyglot book format which is fully documented and which is being implemented in an increasing number of programs.
General chess opening books
- How to Play the Opening in Chess. 1993. Raymond KeeneRaymond KeeneRaymond Dennis Keene OBE is an English chess Grandmaster, a FIDE International Arbiter, a chess organiser, and a journalist and author.p196 He won the British Chess Championship in 1971, and was the first player from England to earn a Grandmaster norm, in 1974. In 1976 he became the second...
and David Levy. ISBN 0-8050-2937-0. - The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings - This is a very technical and advanced work in five volumes published by Chess InformantChess InformantChess Informant is a publishing company from Belgrade that periodically produces a book of the same name, as well as the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, Encyclopaedia of Chess Endings, Opening Monographs, other print publications, and software Chess Informant (Šahovski Informator) is a...
of Belgrade. http://www.sahovski.com/ - Batsford Chess Openings 2. 1989, 1994. Garry KasparovGarry KasparovGarry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
and Raymond KeeneRaymond KeeneRaymond Dennis Keene OBE is an English chess Grandmaster, a FIDE International Arbiter, a chess organiser, and a journalist and author.p196 He won the British Chess Championship in 1971, and was the first player from England to earn a Grandmaster norm, in 1974. In 1976 he became the second...
. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9. - Nunn's Chess Openings. 1999. John NunnJohn NunnJohn Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
(Editor), Graham BurgessGraham BurgessGraham K. Burgess is an English FIDE Master of chess and a noted writer and trainer. He became a FIDE Master at the age of twenty. He attended Birkdale High School in Southport, Merseyside. In 1989 he graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in mathematics...
, John Emms, & Joe Gallagher. ISBN 1-85744-221-0. - Modern Chess OpeningsModern Chess OpeningsModern Chess Openings is an important reference book on the chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Clewin Griffith and John Herbert White...
, 15th edition (MCO-15). 2008. Nick de FirmianNick de FirmianNicholas Ernest de Firmian , is a chess grandmaster and three-time U.S. chess champion, winning in 1987 , 1995, and 1998. He also tied for first in 2002, but Larry Christiansen won the playoff...
. ISBN 978-0-8129-3682-7. - Fundamental Chess Openings, Paul van der SterrenPaul van der SterrenPaul van der Sterren is a Dutch chess grandmaster. He won the Dutch Chess Championship twice, in 1985 and 1993...
, 2009, Gambit, ISBN 978-1-906454-13-5. - Mastering the Chess Openings, four volumes, John WatsonJohn L. WatsonJohn Leonard Watson is a chess International Master and author.Watson was born in Milwaukee and grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. He was educated at Brownell-Talbot, Harvard, and the University of California at San Diego, where he took his degree in engineering...
, 2007, Gambit. - Chess Opening Essentials, four volumes, Stefan Djuric, Dimitri Komarov, & Claudio Pantaleoni, 2008, New in ChessNew In ChessNew In Chess is a chess magazine that appears eight times a year with chief editors International Grandmaster Jan Timman and Dirk Jan Ten Geuzendam. It contains notes by top players and chess prodigies on their own games...
.
See also
- Modern Chess OpeningsModern Chess OpeningsModern Chess Openings is an important reference book on the chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Clewin Griffith and John Herbert White...
- Encyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsEncyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsThe Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
- List of chess books
- Chess endgame literatureChess endgame literatureChess endgame literature refers to books and magazines about chess endgames. A bibliography of endgame books is below.Many chess writers have contributed to the theory of endgames over the centuries, including Ruy López de Segura, François-André Philidor, Josef Kling and Bernhard Horwitz, Johann...