Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps »

Bruce Pandolfini is the author of eight instructional chess books, including Bobby Fischer's Outrageous Chess Moves, Principles of the New Chess, Pandolfini's Endgame Course, Russian Chess, The ABC's of Chess, Let's Play Chess, Kasparov's Winning Chess Tactics, and One-Move Chess by the Champions. He is also editor of the distinguished anthologies, The Best of Chess Life, Volumes I and II. Perhaps the most experienced chess teacher in North America, and the Executive Director of the Manhattan Chess Club, Bruce Pandolfini lives in New York City.

Fireside Chess Library

In the first completely instructional book ever written on chess openings, National Master Bruce Pandolfini teaches players how to take charge of the game's crucial opening phase.

Of the three traditional phases of chess play — the opening, the middle-game and the endgame — the opening is the phase average players confront most often. Unfortunately, though, many openings are not completed successfully, partly because until now most opening instruction has consisted of tables of tournament level moves that offer no explanations for the reasons behind them. Consequently, these classical opening patterns can serve as little more than references to the average player.

In Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps, Bruce Pandolfini uses his unique "crime and punishment" approach to provide all the previously missing explanation, instruction, practical analyses, and much, much more. The book consists of 202 short "openers" typical of average players, arranged according to the classical opening variations and by level of difficulty. Each example includes:

* the name of the overriding tactic

* the name of the opening

* a scenario that sets up the tactic to be learned

* an interpretation that explains why the loser went wrong, how he could have avoided the trap, and what he should have done instead

* a review of important principles and useful guidelines to reinforce each lesson.

Also included are a glossary of openings that lists all the classical "textbook" variations for comparison and reference and a tactical index. Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps is a powerful, pragmatic entry into a heretofore remote area of chesstheory that will have a profound influence on every player's game.