The Bottom Line
(December 2005) 'The Bishop's Opening Explained' by Gary Lane; Batsford/Sterling; March 2005; 160 pages. • 'The Bishops Opening allows White to dictate the pattern of play from the second move. It is ideal for club and tournament players as it leads to positions in which a successful outcome depends on knowledge of the important ideas for both sides.' [from the back cover] • Contains 67 games, well annotated using figurine algebraic notation. IM Lane is a former Australian champion.
Pros
- An introduction and conclusion to each chapter summarize the important ideas for each variation.
- The book is well organized, with a useful index to locate a sample game quickly.
- Typographical conventions are well used to separate the notes from the moves of the games.
- Although suitable for intermediate players, more advanced players should also find it worthwhile.
Cons
- The Closed Giuoco Piano and Evans Gambit are covered, but the Giuoco Piano is not.
- One game is given twice (and so noted by the author), but with almost the same notes.
Description
- Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4, two games.
- Paulsen Defense 2...Nf6 3.d3 c6, nine games.
- Urusoff Gambit 2...Nf6 3.d4, five games; Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3, four games.
- Two Knights Defense 2...Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3, six games.
- Closed Giuoco Piano 2...Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5, five games.
- Vienna 2...Bc5 3.Nc3 and 2...Nf6 3.Nc3, seventeen games.
- Evans Gambit 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.b4, fourteen games.
- Unusual Replies e.g. 2...f5, 2...c6, five games.
- Index of Illustrative Games and Index of Main Variations.
Guide Review - The Bishop's Opening Explained
IM Gary Lane is one of the most prolific authors of opening books active today. A quick search of Amazon.com returned 19 opening books plus three other works about chess. He also writes a monthly column for ChessCafe.com; see 'Related Guide Picks' for a link to the current column and archives. • The 2.Bc4 book, a rewrite of an earlier (1993) effort, is the first in a new 'Explained' series. Written from White's point of view, most (54) of the games are wins for White, including six games by the author. Most (53) of the games are from the period 1993-2004, the others go back to 1872. • This is the second opening book by Lane that we've reviewed and we think we understand his formula. Each chapter is devoted to one major variation, which is covered by 5-10 example games. The notes to each game take up 2-3 pages, including a few partial games to illustrate important branches. Along with the variations, there are frequent discussions of the strategic aspects of a position. The example games are generally short, and when they stretch to 40 moves or more, the commentary thins. It is an excellent format for both study and reference. • Why play the Bishop's Opening? In Lane's words, 'It has a natural attraction for those with limited time to study. It avoids the fashionable Petroff Defence and the various transpositions can lure Black into unfamiliar territory. 2.Bc4 offers a solid basis to conduct an attack, with plenty of chances of a quick kill.' (p.8)
