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Title: Starting Out: The French by Byron Jacobs ISBN: 1-85744-229-6 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: March, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.33 (3 reviews)
Rating: 1
Summary: Starting out, or don't even start?
Comment: The winawer variations is covered fairly well, where he gives useful tips and warnings and present important games.
The rest of the book however is pretty worthless if you are looking for a book to get you started with the french. For example, in the 3.Nd2 variation, he shows a wild position arising (it is all theory) and gives no help at all to the black player:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd 8.cxd f6
"There are wild complications after 9.Nf4 Nxd4 10.Qh5 Ke7 11.Ng6+ hxg6 12.exf6+ Nxf6 13.Qxh8."
Well yes, thanks a lot, but I would like to know how I should continue if I don't want to lose in a few moves. But Byron stops right here...
Many of the games in other main lines are also examples of black getting killed instantly, and the notes won't give you much help either. You're on your own in the middle of some highly popular and theoretical positions.
The part of the winawer is fine, the rest is just very very bad. Can't be recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Especially for intermediate level chess players
Comment: Compiled by chess author and journalist Byron Jacobs, Starting Out: The French is an extensive analysis of The French defense and its variations for Black in the classic game of chess. Insightful explanations and page after page of play-by-play games, with visual diagrams enhancing the appropriate positional shorthand, make Starting Out: The French a superb guide, especially for intermediate level chess players seeking to advance their skills.
Rating: 4
Summary: The Best Beginner Book on the French
Comment: The reason this book is good may not so much be content, but the fact that there are no other books on the French Defence designed for beginners. I know somewhere there is a Learn French with the Read and Play Method...
There are a lot of good reasons to play the french. First, it's an opening that gets a lot of play in top level tournaments, so you always have something new going on in your opening. Second, it is a counterattacking opening, just like the sicilian. The real difference is that in the french you don't have to learn as many structures to play, unless you want to.
I can't really comment on the section about the Winawer, as I have no desire to play it. However, the section on the classical, Tarrasch, and Advance have helped me understand the "why" behind the varations I've memorized. Just reading through this, I have realized points when in games I had a winning position because of an opponents tactical or positional blunder, only to lose it.
The games in the book are mostly master level games from the last couple of years, giving the book an up to date feeling. Plus, all lines of the french are covered. The entire book won't be helpful to everyone though, unless you're looking to find lines that suit you. All in all, get this book, play through the games, and you'll have a great base to expand on for the future.
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Title: Starting Out: The Caro-Kann by Joe Gallagher ISBN: 1857443039 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Starting Out: the English by Neil McDonald ISBN: 1857443225 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: August, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Starting Out: The Sicilian by John Emms ISBN: 1857442490 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Starting Out: King's Indian by Joe Gallagher ISBN: 1857442342 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Starting Out: The Queen's Gambit by John Shaw ISBN: 1857443047 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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