Rating:  Summary: Very disappointing Review: I consider myself an average chess player, that is I play at what I estimate to be 1400 - 1600 ELO. I do not consider myself an expert an eny opening, but am comfortable with a couple of openings mainly the Roy Lopez, Guico Piano, and QP openings. I was hoping that his book would help me learn the basics of some more openings, the way that Chernev's Logical Chess helped me with the QP openings. This book was a complete disapointment, I didn't learn a thing from it. The main problems I had with it were the lack of explanation to each opening and the basic format. The basic format of the book is to take one game and use this game to show the main variations in the opening. I found that this made it hard to use.
Rating:  Summary: In production Review: I finished writing this monster book of over 800 pages earlier this month (May 97), and it is in production now. All standard openings are discussed and illustrated with complete games. The book will appeal to those new to chess openings and experienced players looking for some new strategies. Unlike most one-volume encyclopedias, this book concentrates more on discussion of ideas than on tabulating modern fashion
Rating:  Summary: A pretty good book. Review: I'm an average player who wanted to work on my opening strategy. This not only helped with that, but my game as a whole has jumped up a couple hundred points. I recommend this book to people like me who are looking for improvement on my openings.
Rating:  Summary: Seriously in need of an editor. Review: OK as a survey of openings for the beginner, who may even pick up a few pointers. But do not expect to learn any opening from this book. It can be used as a starting point for further investigation, but has limited usefulness after that. This was my first Schiller/Cardoza book and I was appalled by the lack of editing. E.g., wrong diagrams; starting one of the featured games from move 4 and having virtually all of the same game included as a sideline discussion in the previous featured game; howlers such as "Black resigned. Black won.", "Sahevening" Sicilian, and many many more.
Rating:  Summary: Performs admirably Review: Schiller does an excellent job at listing the common and (mostly) time-tested openings and giving a brief commentary and analysis. He doesn't list many variations for all but a few games but if he had the volume would be immense and thus more expensive. I should point out that this probably shouldn't be your first book on chess openings. If you're a beginner moving on from the basics and looking for something to increase your arsenal of openings one of Schiller's books that concentrate on Black or White's openings would offer more direction. An Intermediate player might look to the MCO. This would make an excellent second chess book, however.
Rating:  Summary: Good intro work. Review: This book does exactly what the author intended it to do. It is NOT an in-depth book for every variation. It is a good, solid book with lots of verbage to help you understand the basics of a new opening. Do you think you may want to investigate several new lines, but are not sure if you want to buy a whole library on that one variation? Get this book. I guarantee you will be pulling it down off the shelf after every visit to the club. "What was that line that person played?" Eric will enlighten you in a way the average player should be able to grasp it. Buy MCO, and you will have a most complete set of reference books.
Rating:  Summary: a must have for players with 1100-1800 rating Review: well organized. well-annotated. vast. sights into middlegame for each opening.
Rating:  Summary: Bad Analysis, Baad Speling, The Grammar Bad!! Review: Well, I think you get the point from the heading of this review. First of all...the analysis is terrible. For example, in the game between Ivanchuk and Shirov in the section on the Semi-Slav defense, he gives 23...d4!! as such an excellent move...it's a BLUNDER!!! Black loses 12 moves later with no way to improve his moves. Matthew Sadler in his book on the semi-slav (Game 1) even points out it's a blunder. Let's see now...Sadler is in the top 50 in the world, Schiller is a United States National Master (The United States is WEAK compared to other countries, and I come from the USA). I think with White winning, no ?'s by either side after move 23, and Sadler being much higher ranked...I'd trust him over schiller. Spelling Issues: I don't think I need to dive into the "horible mispelings dat dis buuk iz ful of, as the othur revues alrady writen wil point dis out". Grammar Issues: Also all you have do is read introduction to already see grammar really really bad. Finally, what do you call a dumb statement like "some lines I cover more simply because I know them better" in an introduction to a book for what is obviously a beginner? Does this mean that if Schiller say, knows the Torre Attack, but doesn't know the Trompowsky Attack, he basically would just make up junk as he goes along? What is this author trying to do to the chess world? It seems to me that he figures he's obviously not good enough to write a real book that an expert would read, so let's just sucker the beginners into buying his books...they'll fall for buying his junk, waste their money, and will Schiller care...heck no!!! He's got all the money in the world now. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!
Rating:  Summary: Bad Analysis, Baad Speling, The Grammar Bad!! Review: Well, I think you get the point from the heading of this review. First of all...the analysis is terrible. For example, in the game between Ivanchuk and Shirov in the section on the Semi-Slav defense, he gives 23...d4!! as such an excellent move...it's a BLUNDER!!! Black loses 12 moves later with no way to improve his moves. Matthew Sadler in his book on the semi-slav (Game 1) even points out it's a blunder. Let's see now...Sadler is in the top 50 in the world, Schiller is a United States National Master (The United States is WEAK compared to other countries, and I come from the USA). I think with White winning, no ?'s by either side after move 23, and Sadler being much higher ranked...I'd trust him over schiller. Spelling Issues: I don't think I need to dive into the "horible mispelings dat dis buuk iz ful of, as the othur revues alrady writen wil point dis out". Grammar Issues: Also all you have do is read introduction to already see grammar really really bad. Finally, what do you call a dumb statement like "some lines I cover more simply because I know them better" in an introduction to a book for what is obviously a beginner? Does this mean that if Schiller say, knows the Torre Attack, but doesn't know the Trompowsky Attack, he basically would just make up junk as he goes along? What is this author trying to do to the chess world? It seems to me that he figures he's obviously not good enough to write a real book that an expert would read, so let's just sucker the beginners into buying his books...they'll fall for buying his junk, waste their money, and will Schiller care...heck no!!! He's got all the money in the world now. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!
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