Winning Chess Openings | Yasser Seirawan

Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan is an accessible and engaging guide aimed at helping players improve their understanding of chess openings. Seirawan, a renowned Grandmaster, presents a comprehensive yet simple introduction to various opening principles. 

The book covers classical and modern opening formations. It provides insights on transitioning smoothly from the opening phase to the middle game.

Seirawan's writing style is praised for being easy to follow and enjoyable, making complex strategies more approachable for novice and intermediate players. The book includes move-by-move analyses, strategic formations, and practical advice for players who want to build a solid opening repertoire. It also emphasizes how proper opening play sets the foundation for the rest of the game, mainly focusing on the principles behind each move.

This book will guide you on how to:

• This book is ideal for beginner and intermediate players
• Read about Seirawan’s earliest memories of chess, including his first game!
• Learn how to avoid losing in ten moves or fewer
• Gain insights and knowledge on the importance of controlling the centre in every opening
• Master key elements like time, force, space, and pawn structure
• Develop strategies based on tried-and-true opening principles
• Use openings employed by World Champions
• Humorous, well-written, and entertaining, considering how dry this subject can be!

*This book is a part of Seirawan’s Winning Chess series:  Play Winning Chess # 1 - Winning Chess Endings – Winning Chess Tactics

Reader’s reviews:

This book is both informative and accessible, with Yasser Seirawan delivering his content in a conversational style that feels like he's a mentor sitting beside you, guiding you through each step.

He balances encouragement with gentle critique, offering insights into successes and mistakes. The opening chapter shares his journey in learning chess, covering how he developed winning strategies and the lessons learned from losses. 

He then explores popular chess openings, providing detailed explanations and variations. Seirawan’s engaging writing style makes the book enjoyable for beginners and intermediate players, offering practical advice to help improve their game – Toddle.

I am still working through this book, but I like it so far. As an intermediate player, I find the descriptions very informative. GM Yasser Seirawan conveniently gives the move orders repeatedly in the descriptions of variations, so you don't have to keep flipping back and forth to see how the move orders developed. I don't think this is for advanced players, but this is a fine choice for beginners or intermediate players – Kennedy.

About the Author:

Yasser Seirawan is a Syrian-born American chess Grandmaster and four-time United States champion. He won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1979. Seirawan is also a published chess author and commentator.

Other details:

Paperback
272 pages
Dimensions: 19.05cm x 1.91cm x 23.50cm
ISBN-13: 9781857443493