Opening

I like the ideas but hard to implement and certainly notthing extraordinary. This book is over rated ...

The book is basically a series of studies on reoccuring patterns in the stock and commodities markets. Crabel found that volatility is mean-reverting in the speculative markets. Just as night follows day, volatile markets follow quiet markets. There are more than a dozen robust volatility patterns evaluated and explained. The only real weakness I can see is that Crabel used point values instead of percentage values. This was a common mistake of professionals back in the early 1990's. You will need to convert these. For example, if the S&P 500 is currently meeting the criteria for one of the low-volatility "set ups" then place a buy stop 2.5 points above the open and a sell stop 2.5 points below the open. If filled set your mechanical stop-loss 1.5 points outside the current days existing range.

Well, 2.5 points was a reasonable move back in 1991 (when the S&P was trading around 400). But 2.5 points is just noise today. To adjust simply divide 2.5 points by what-ever the S&P was trading at back in 1991 to get a percentage. Then multiply this percentage by today's S&P level (around 1000). This will result is something like 6.2 points. Do the same thing for your stop-loss as well.

Crabel's logic was/is sound but the research in the book should have been based on percentage moves. These are what have held reasonably stable over time.

Also, to be successful you will need to be able to track at least 75-100 stocks. Otherwise you will not get enough set-ups to maintain proper diversification. Volatile, liquid stocks obviously work best. A program like Neovest or Radarscreen (Tradestation) will be very helpful.

What the readers here say is true. I bought a used copy for about 1100 a few years back and was well worth it. An absolute tour-de-force of ideas and studies that are in use by Toby Crabel himself (he runs a hedge fund). The primary method he uses (ORB) is actually used by the majority of Hedge Funds today. I do reccomend that the reader check other auction sites for better deals.

The author shows a game and in the same game there are 600 variations. Very difficult to play thru.

As well, the author will gave an example of an opening and after 10 moves claim - both sides even: Why learn an opening to be even, learn an opening to win.

The book is good if you can read the old notation. It left me frustrated from time to time because I'm so used to the new notation (ex. 1.e4)

An excellent book which is not out-dated and for the price an absolute steal. Though some older opening books can be criticized as a tad bit out-date most can still be used today to learn the basics structures of different openings. Besides, the actual variations used in a game works better if it is your own creation rather than a memorized version and this applies to beginners as well as the experts. Excellent for intermediate players, but can also be used by all. If you are not comfortable with descriptive notations, GET COMFORTABLE! You will be missing out on a lot of excellent books (which are usually half the price). Being comfortable with descriptive as well as algabraic gives you the option and the flexibility to buy whatever chess books are out there, especially the best!

100 games, well annotated. Each is preceded by some historical background. Often, there are anecdotes embedded within the text. There are plenty of comments amongst the ample and occasionally comprehensive annotation. In principle, this is a fine book, for a fairly advanced player.

Geller devotes the most attention to opening variations. Half the book is arranged by opening, in fact, and the other half by player, which makes me think that Geller was never sure whether he sought to illuminate the openings or to show off his own victories.

And yes, he has only victories here, but they are not all brilliantly won games. For example, in Game 99 against Fischer, he reveals after Fischer's
20. a3?
"This loses in paradoxical fashion. As Fischer writes, a couple of hours after the game he found the problem-like win.... [extensive analysis follows]... This is the truth, established after many years of painstaking analysis. The number of moves with two exclamation points demanded of White shows how difficult it was to find all this during the restricted time of one game. A calculation of all the variations was impossible, and intuition in sharp situations was not Fischer's strongest weapon." A very intersting comment.

If you're a strong player looking for instruction on a wide variety of openings, then this book may be recommended. It is far too advanced for me.

This may be a petty complaint, but there is something visually unattractive about the contents. It may be the old-style diagrams, where to me the black and white queens are nearly indistinguishable. It may be the in-line algebraic annotations, which are in the exact same font as the text. It may be the lightness of the printing. Whatever the reason, I do not enjoy opening this book. However, the format is certainly superior to Bronstein's popular Zurich collection, so I may hold the minority opinion. Also, the Cadogan cover and binding are typically sturdy.

I think the book is aimed at about 1900-2000 rated players.

Hi, I am a Master, and for many years now I have made a living by teaching chess, lately all on the Internet. I also ask if you are seriously considering buying this book, that you stop and read all of the other reviews FIRST!

Don't be fooled by the four-star rating, the material in this book is super-outstanding. (The pages are somewhat see-through, the fonts are not the kind I prefer, and the diagrams are the old-style type that I don't care for ... they are too hard to see clearly.) And I almost never give a five-star rating anymore, I save that for the chess books that border on perfection. {A shrinking group, to be sure!}

One of the things you should know is that GM E. Geller was a VERY STRONG PLAYER!! (Maybe he belongs in the 100 strongest of all time!) He won the championship of the Soviet Union twice - one of these tournaments was (statistically) one of the strongest of that type ever held. He was a CANDIDATE for the World Championships ... SIX (6) TIMES!!!!! He had a PLUS (lifetime) score against many great players like Bobby Fischer! (Only Spassky proved to be his undoing, stopping him twice in the Candidate Matches to the tune of 2.5 - 5.5.)

Another important fact he was EXTREMELY rspected by his peers as both a theoretician AND a teacher. (Mikhail Botvinnik said of him: "Before Geller, we did not understand the King's Indian.")

He was also a hard working player who was an extremely industrious analyst. One player - whom I shall not name here - was very suspicious of others analysis, and trusted almost no one. But when he was given a piece of Geller's work, he took it at face value, and did not even bother to check it!!

So the only question that remains to us now is determine is this a good chess book, and does it have something worthwhile to offer?

I think the key here can be found in the title ... or HOW DO I APPLY CHESS THEORY??? (I have always been a theory hound, and if I had won all my games where I stood better out of the opening, I would have been a GM a long time ago!!)

In the intro to game # 30, Geller tells you: # 1.) About the Dragon; # 2.) How it got its name; # 3.) And the general procedure with which to tackle this tough line. His notes are extremely incisive, I do not see how anyone could not learn something if they were to apply themselves.

This is NOT a perfect book - but almost no chess book is! (I have studied all 100 of the games here. A small handful I have subjected to DEEP, computer-assisted analysis.) And as one gentleman already noted, this is NOT a beginner's book.

But consider this: # 1.) ONE HUNDRED very carefully annotated games; # 2.) MANY different opening lines; # 3.) Geller often tells you there are 2-3 good ways to meet certain lines, and which one may be best; # 4.) Things like openings, mid-game plans, and the technique for certain endings are discussed in GREAT detail.

I personally think that this book would benefit ANY player who fell into one of the following groups: # 1.) Might be a fan of Geller's; # 2.) Is looking for s SERIOUS chess book, maybe one he (or she) could study for years!; # 3.) Is looking to model themselves after a very strong player; # 4.) Is looking to sharpen or improve your tactics. If you feel you belong in any of these groups, then this is a book for you. (But if you would characterize yourself as a lazy person, don't bother.)

My rating of the MATERIAL and game choice in this book would be outstanding, A+. As long as you really want to work hard and have good study habits, I feel this could be a book that you could benefit from. IT IS ALSO A BOOK WITH SOME REALLY NICE GAMES AND SOME FANTASTIC ANALYSIS!!

Among players who never became world champion, few are as great as Geller (perhaps only Keres, Nimzowitch, and Rubinstein). Indeed, Geller is the only player who has a winning record against the greatest player of all time: Robert James Fischer! Because I know Eduard Gufeld---Geller's Trainer----I could go on and on recounting tails of Geller's genius; however, such is not the purpose of this review. Nonetheless, I must say that even given Geller's greatness he has outdone himself with this game collection. This is a truly brilliant book: It is a classic! Geller's games leave one with the impression of the profound and of the barely comprehensible. There is no watering down of ideas in this book: Everything is presented to the reader just as Geller saw it. This book is pure, unmitigated grandmaster chess! If you want to "think like a grandmaster," this is the book for you. However, even if you are only interested in chess as a recreation, it is worth buying the book just to play through Geller's win against Psakhis---not to mention the innumerable other masterpiecies!

My problem with this book is that some of the recommendations in this book are very complex defenses which beginning and intermediate players might find difficult to use. They are very tactical, and Gufeld does little explanation of them. There is some analysis, but many times he will just attach a game fragment and say who's better with no explaination of why or what to do. He gives brief strategy summary at the beginning of each section, but as an intermediate player (USCF Rating of 1650) I find it difficult to use these recommendations in my own play, because there is little explaination of the variations. If you use the recommendations, you may need to do your own research and analysis (which you should do anyway), but isn't part of a repertoire book's job to do some of the homework for you? What it does do is give a repertoire for most major defenses so that a player does not have to pick one himself. My best use for it was to look at the sections and find my own choices for variations and use the sections as a list of defenses I need to prepare for using other sources.

This is a great book; it is very well-indexed and right tothe point. Its recommendations are all sound and all are open attacking game. It does require further research if you wish to play many of the lines, but it is a great place to start. It is very well-done, and very easy to follow. Excellent!

I love this book, and finally found a book that presents a comprehensive repertoire that I can live with. The recommendations rae internally consistent, such as the Vienna along with the Grand Prix attack, as both involvve an early f4, along with the Dutch, which involves an early ...f5. As another reviewer pointed out, this book contains enough information to get you up and running, to do further research. The book also is good in providing recommendations for all the other second moves you will see as black if you play the Dragon. I was pleasantly surpised by this book! It is really wonderful.

This is a similar book to Deng Ming Dao's "Wandering Daoist" only the story of Wang Liping's training is not embellished in the manner of Saihung. Although I'm sure the average western practitioner of Qigong will likely shake his/her head regarding some of the 'training' methods used by the three old masters it is a good reminder of what one used to have to (and perhaps still should?) undergo before getting into serious practice. It is interesting how, right from the start, Wang Liping demonstrated many qualities essential to following the Tao including great patience and humility.

The book follows his initial training including stints in a hole in the ground and under a large cast-iron kettle. It then follows his journery with his masters into the mountains just as the Cultural Revolution began to sweep across China. Along the way many lessons are imparted including some interesting methods of cultivating with trees. The main portion of the story ends with Wang Liping's return to his village and subsequent marriage (!) as his masters admonish him to carry on the way in a form suitable for the new age.

The book finishes with some commentary on Wang Liping's present activities including some stories from his group training sessions - some of the first held in China as strict controls on Qigong began to be lifted.

I enjoyed the story as well as the information contained in here. There are some great views on meditation, including the aforementioned tree style, in addition to the overview of his training. There are also some very interesting tidbits about the location of the lower Dantien shifting in relation to the cultivator's distance from the equator. There is also an interesting comment that there are meridians within the body that are not terminated - that is, they are open to the universe.

Recommended...

After reading this book, I had the fortune to meet a long time student of Wang LiPing and to study with this student for two years. He taught many of the techniques spoken of in the book and demonstrated a number of them. My teacher is now studying with a Buddhist master and has no vested interest in supporting Wang LiPing, however he vouched that Wang LiPing in fact demonstrated to him and many other students in china many of the techniques discussed in the book such as the weather changing, dream control and so forth. There were also a number of other things not discussed in the book. At any rate, based on my experiences with the techniques and based on my teacher's abilities and his stories of studying with Wang LiPing, this book is a true account of what Wang LiPing went through.

As for the way it is written, I found it to be mostly fascinating but it doesnt have the prose that Deng Ming Dao's books have and so it is difficult reading in certain places. On the other hand, this account is a true story, unlike Deng Ming Dao's trilogy and so if you are truly interested in Taoism this book is a must.

I can vouch that this is a truly astounding and brilliant book, as you would only expect it be - (look at the other books Cleary has translated, and tell me that a man with his skill and judgement would waste his time on something worthy of a one or two star review.) It comprehensively covers Wang Liping's full training and in doing so thoroughly discusses the philosophy and principles of Taoism. Along the way it details numerous Taoist practices, some only in as far as is safe or possible. Wang's apprenticeship takes place on the road over the Cultural Revolution, and is also unusual in that Wang has three teachers from two generations - a grandmaster and two mentors. The narrative is rich with annecdote, explanation and detail, though if your feeling sluggish, keeping an eye on the scope and depth of what is being gestured towards can prove a little testing at best. As such it can in fact make for disconcertingly easy reading - (most of it was related to two of Wang Liping's students by Wang Liping himself over a series of meetings.) As a document of Taoism as it stands today this book is particularly valuable: it sets out the monumental tasks, responsibilities and difficulties facing a lineage holder during China's uneasy settling after a century's upheaval and, perhaps most importantly, it unceasingly places Taoist philosophy and practice in the context of contemporary knowledge and epistemology. What becomes abundantly clear on reading the authors' lucid explanations is that in its interaction with modern knowledge Taoism is set to become the science par excellence and that, in essence, it is just that already. anguspretty@hotmail.com

This book focuses on the Von Henning Schara Gambit against 1. d4 and the Center Counter (Icelandic and Porteguese Gambits) against 1. e4.

In general, both of thses lines offer very interesting counter chances for a player of the black pieces willing to invest a pawn to unbalance things. This is very important if you are attempting to play for a win with black, rather than just holding a draw.

I am not much of an expert (yet) in the Von Henning Schara, but I done extensive studying and playing the Center Counter (Icelandic Gambit and Porteguese) System featured in the book. I have to take exception with some of the other reviewers, I thought that the book actually seemed rather thorough compared to many of the other books I have read on the subject.

What really impressed me was the amount of analysis available on some of the sideline variations leading to the main line. (I have encountered these specific variations quite frequently, both over the board and on the internet).

My feeling on repertoire books is that their job is to get you acquated with a system by explaining the key ideas, and then provide a number of illustrative games to see the ideas in action. This book does an okay job of fulfilling that objective.

Beyond that, if you want to find some highly obscure line it is time to consult a specialized database and find those games yourself. I don't think that a reasonably priced, normal sized book can provide that level of detail.

Overall, this is a pretty decent book. It is probably best suited for players in the rating range of 1300 - 1900 USCF.

Crticize the man, accuse him of churning out books, but I use this book, Gambit Opening Repertoire for Black, constantly. It is the best repertoire book for black that I know. It promotes exciting dynamic lines that will improve your play, especially your tactics. In each of these openings, you will choose the battlefield, not white. The book is well-written, with lots of good analysis. I wish it had been even more comprehensive, but then I would not have been able to get it for a song. For the Schara gambit lines in the Tarrash, I am using this book in conjunction with Schiller's Complete Defense to Queen Pawn Openings and Meeting 1. d4 by Aagaard. Get this book, you will be amazed and chess will be more fun for you.

The value of these gambits is that you will never play boring chess, and you will be forced to be aggressive to try to win. IN that sense, these gambits force you to become a much better player, and force you to learn tactics, because if you can't spot tactics to give you an edge, you will simply be a pawn down! Schiller's books are alive with energy and enthusiasm. FOr these reasons, I love this book, and find myself picking it up quite often. Face it, the Center Counter (and gambit variations) can be a very effective tool as black: he dictates the opening and can be better prepared than white.

I had great hope for this book -- what promise! Tying together "gilded age misfits, Japanese eccentrics." The first chapter on John Manjiro and Melville has great narrative power, unfortunately the rest of the book falls into a poor mix of ties between New Englanders and the Japanese. One of my big problems with the book is that the Japanese presence is hardly felt -- instead we have long, winding chapters on Henry Adams, Percival Lowell, Mabel Todd, etc. (interesting people in their own right) but whose ties to Japan don't have the sustaining narrative power as those like Melville or Manjiro.

Mr. Benfey's book is definitely informative. I found his list of sources and quotations to be appetizing -- yet I could barely force myself to finish the book. Its focus is more on what the New Englanders, ok white Americans, came away with from Japan even if it was the boiled down crack of Okukura's "Book of Tea" or Nitobe Inazo's "Bushido." Thank god Okakura existed -- otherwise, Mr. Benfey would have not had any glue to keep his American characters in this book.

This is an excellent book on what Japan meant for the people who visited in the early days of the Meiji period. The author concentrates on a series of vignettes to explore the significance of Japanese culture in the lives of some of the leading US citizens of the period. It was not all just collections of fans and diets of raw fish. Some of these early travlers used a trip to Japan to acquire ancient artifacts (many of which are in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts), Henry Adams went on quest for nirvana, the artist John La Farge went with him and absorbed new artistic techniques that marked his subsequent work. The cast of characters also includes Isabelle Stewart Gardner and Theodore Roosevelt.
This is a very interesting book, sure to delight the reader who really wants to know what happens when west meets east.

The Meiji emperor's opening of Japan to trade in 1868 led to a relentless wave of Yankee artists, writers, and scientists who gravitated to Japan for the peaceful and beautiful alternatives it offered in the aftermath of America's Civil War. A coarse, business- and trade-centered culture of commercialism was replacing what they saw as America's old values as the country rebuilt, and they sought solace and inspiration in a completely different, aesthetic world. In this story of the remarkable interactions of Japanese and American intellectuals from 1868 - 1913, Benfey shows how the two cultures viewed each other, learned from each other, and influenced each other's future, focusing on the literary, artistic, and aesthetic legacy, rather than on the hard political realities.

Like a wave spreading outward in concentric circles, the intellectuals of New England radiated their enthusiasm for Japan and its traditions. The American travelers knew each other, learned from each other, and influenced each other. Edward Sylvester Morse of Salem, Massachusetts, was one of the first to make a life commitment to Japan, attracting in his wake Isabella Stewart Gardner, William Sturgis Bigelow, Percival Lowell, and artist Ernest Fenollosa. Isabella Stewart Gardner, in turn, introduced T.S. Eliot, Edith Wharton, and Henry and William James to Japanese art and thought, while historian Henry Adams and painter John La Farge attracted William Morris Hunt, architects H. H. Richardson and Frank Lloyd Wright, and others. Kakuzo Okakura, journeying to the U.S., had similar influence.

Benfey brings American and Japanese cultural history to life, creating real people with real emotions, problems, and commitments. His insight into the creative process adds verisimilitude to his portraits, and his ability to describe and evoke moods, whether they be in his recreation of samurai life or his depiction of a tired climber's first glimpse of Mt. Fuji, give a liveliness to the prose usually more characteristic of fiction than non-fiction. His nature imagery is so vibrant that the reader experiences journeys to the countryside alongside the participants.

In an Epilogue, which focuses on the year 1913, Benfey ties up the loose ends and finishes the stories of the characters on whom he has focused. His limited time frame has allowed him to explore America's influence on Japan in great detail, along with the "Japanese phenomenon" in this country, bringing to life the individuals who were responsible for it and illustrating the long-term effects. The book is a thoughtful and lively account of one of the most important cultural exchanges in history, and Benfey makes it both understandable and exciting. Mary Whipple

RUNNING WITH THE MACHINE is the only book I have ever encountered about an unsuccessful campaign for a state legislative seat. In that, it is a valuable addition to the campaign story genre. For me, it was an extra bonus that I work in state politics in New York, where the story takes place. The first virtue of the book, then, is that it is in a way a totally new contribution. The second virtue is that it is an interesting story about the thing that I do. Not everyone can share an appreciation of that latter point, but thousands of legislative staffers and candidates in this state alone certainly can. I think those interested in politics more generally can as well, especially since people writing books usually ignore campaigns of this size and magnitude.

The third and greatest of the book's virtues is that it really details what happens in a competitive legislative campaign (at least in New York State). As a story, this book works better than a "how to," yet it contains just about as much instructional detail.

Nevertheless, RUNNING WITH THE MACHINE is flawed, in large part because it is a memoir. Dan Lynch is a very bitter man, or at least he writes a very bitter story. He seems to have been motivated to run by a sense of idealism that was totally eviscerated by the experience of running. His level of contempt for voters, his opponent and his opponent's team, some of his less than enthusiastic allies, and the process itself becomes so shrill as to detract mightily from the otherwise fine account of an interesting campaign. Lynch has been around politics for years, but he just...can't...get...over how his opponent claimed that he "led the charge" for a bill that he had merely voted for. Lynch labels hyperbole as lies and fails to recognize when he is guilty of exactly what he complains about.

Lynch, a former reporter and newspaper editor, is also astounded by the media's lack of interest in his campaign. While once he may have criticized politicians for trying to make news via press release instead of action, now he is flabbergasted that his press releases are ignored. Once he may have sneered at scripted candidates, now he is flummoxed when reporters want to pursue their own story line instead of the one established by his campaign team. After years of writing, he chooses not to mention an example of a story or column he ever wrote comparing a local candidate's voting record to campaign material (almost certainly because he never wrote such a piece...or seen one), this time he is amazed that the local newspapers ignored that scoop about his opponent.

All this and more detracts from what is otherwise an enjoyable, informative book. Nevertheless, it does not detract so much as to slow the book down or make it any less interesting. RUNNING WITH THE MACHINE is certainly all that - and it is well worth reading.

I have a lot in common with Dan Lynch: I am running for New York State Assembly (in the 1st District -- eastern Long Island) as the Democratic candidate (even though I'm not a Democrat) in a district that's highly Republican against an entrenched GOPer. I'm also a former longtime journalist. Website: johnson.gs

So far, this book has been right on with detailing what it takes to run such a race. It's a blueprint and interestingly written. Hopefully, I can avoid some of the mistakes Lynch made and go with the flow a little better. Lynch's book is helping me visualize what my own race could end up being like.

Thanks, Dan.

Having just seen what a few million dollars can "buy" in my local election, I found Dan Lynch's book particularly fascinating...all citizens need to get much much better informed about who we elect and not vote by the ads. And to do this, we need the media to be much more responsible in covering the issues and the candidates' backgrounds. Otherwise, we get a lot of hidden "special interests" that we don't know about and find that the slick ad messages have little or nothing to do with the person who is now our representative.

Of course, every gambit has its ups and downs. The main up point in the Smith-Morra is that it can catch black off balance and destroy him if he doesn't play precisely. There are many clever traps that white can lay and many positions where black can just be overwhelmed by white's initiative. The downside to the Smith-Morra is that it is refuted. If black plays the correct moves and knows basically what he is doing (about 1 hour total for this opening as black and you can refute it) then he should have no problem winning. I gave the book 2 stars because Burgess gave it a good try, but unfortunately the gambit has been refuted for years. 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Bc4 e6 6.Nf3 a6. As you will notice most of white's play comes from Nb5 or attacks against f7. I guess that all of those attacks are voided with this variation.

The Smith(Morra)gambit is an exciting way for an agressive player to oppose the siclian defense (1. e4 c5). However, the gambit does involve some risk (for both players, really) which is why many players are put off by the variation.

If you are an attack minded 1. e4 player and you like razor sharp positions in which you may be more familar than your opponent - look no further. If you like to push wood for hours and play safe, unassuming chess - forget it!

Burgess does a very nice job of explaining the ideas behind the Morra gambit in the introductory chapters - something that I wish a whole lot more opening books would emulate! The book contains a large number of master game references for study. There is even a game featuring World Champ Garry Kasparov as black (and he nearly lost against the Morra!!).

The only reason I have given this book four stars instead of the full five, is that there are some places where I feel that Burgess is a tad optimistic about whites chances. All openings have good and bad points and the Morra is no exception. However, the book sometimes stretches a bit and tries to convince you that white can hardly ever lose. (If an opening could really promise all that everyone would start to play it and the game would become obsolete).

Graham Burgess does a great job in not only organizing his work, but also presenting the tactical pitfalls that come up so frequently in this wild gambit. I do admit that his book is a little optimistic, but there is no proven way to get anymore than equality for black.

I recommend the Smith-Morra Gambit to anyone who plays 1. e4, is tactically inclined (positionally impaired?!), and doesn't mind a sharp struggle. And if you want to play the Smith-Morra Gambit there's no better book than Winning With The Smith-Morra Gambit. Note: Winning With The Smith-Morra Gambit is part of the Winning With... series (even though you may very well win with it.)

The Smith-Morra Gambit isn't for everyone, and consequently this book is not for everyone, however if you are failing to comprehend the complexities of the Open Sicilian, or your failing to make progress with your anti-Sicilian pet line, give the Smith-Morra Gambit a try, you'll be surprised at how many people blunder when only following common opening principles. For example, after 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cd 3. c3 dc 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Qe2 Be7 9. Rd1 the natural developing move ...O-O leads to a hopelessly lost game for black after 10. e5!.

Contrary to common belief, The Smith-Mora Gambit is a sound and very dangerous weapon against the Sicilian, notwithstanding a player has to have an excellent instinct for tactics, thus I cannot recommend it to anyone less than 1700, and of course, the timid.

5 stars because it's the best representation of the Gambit (it's organization is second only to Pirc Alert, it shows tactical patterns, and it's all you need in oder to play the opening confidently.)

I enjoy playing the Scotch and I was very excited when this new book came out. But, I must say it was not quite what I expected. I am an above average player (1700) and I had hoped this book would add something to my other Scotch book. Sadly, it didn't.

It explain clearly on the plan of playing Scotch, and also have many new line.

This is one of the best opening books I own. The introduction provides useful information about white's plans in the different variations covered. The primary variations covered (after 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4) are 4. ... Nf6 and 4. ... Bc5 with some limited coverage for 4. ... Qh4. I especially like Well's discussion for games 15 and 16 (covering 4. ... Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Ba6 9. g3 g6) and how they lead to winnable end games for white. End games, by the way that at first (and second and third for an average Joe like me) glance do not look advantageous for white.

This book has plenty to offer to the intermediate player.