Overview

Every chess player needs a high-quality answer to1.e4, and there is nothing more reliable than 1...e5. Black stakes a claim inthe centre and prepares to deploy his pieces on good squares. The challengenowadays is to build a robust repertoire without being overwhelmed by the volumeof material and continual advances in opening theory. In Playing1.e4 e5 - A Classical Repertoire, Nikolaos Ntirlis offers the best ofboth worlds: a complete repertoire against 1.e4, built on sound positionalprinciples, which does not require excessive memorization. Against the Spanishthe author recommends the Breyer System, one of the most stable, computer-proofoptions at Black's disposal. The Scotch, Italian, Four Knights and variousother sidelines and gambits are handled with the same clarity and efficiency.

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9781784830144

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Reviews

4/5 Stars ""It's probably pretty much the ideal repertoire for a player wanting to take up 1.e4 e5 without having to learn the whole world! … Ntirlis does his normal thorough, creative job."" -- GM Matthew Sadler, New in Chess ""It's a guide that is both practical and theoretically robust, and it will be of interest to grandmaster readers as well as amateurs. Overall, I found the book to be thorough, high-quality and surprisingly easy to read. I say ‘surprisingly' because, as I mentioned, I half-expected Ntirlis' correspondence background to hamper his efforts to recommend a practical repertoire, but he's really done a good job. Despite having read several books on 1…e5, this is the first that almost convinced me to take it up myself. And who knows…! Four stars"" -- GM David Smerdon ""Overall, this book offers a wealth of new, fresh ideas and a White repertoire against the Sicilian main variations which personally convinces me more than Parimarjan Negi's work on this complex… Those who are prepared to work through the book conscientiously will certainly achieve many good positions… I highly recommend this book!"" -- IM Dirk Schuh ""Overall, this is one of the best books I've ever held in my hands."" -- IM Dirk Schuh ""Playing 1.e4 e5: A Classical Repertoire is well organized and well written… Ntirlis offers plenty of explanatory prose to explain the main ideas for both sides. Highly Recommended."" -- IM John Donaldson ""The proposed lines, drawn from the Two Knights complex and Breyer, are certainly sharp and principled, but they are not outlandishly so. Ntirlis has read everything relevant, cites most of it, and distills the typical plans brilliantly… This is a very advanced book, but for those looking for a one-stop solution to 1.e4, it might be just what the doctor ordered."" -- John Hartmann, Chess Life

"4/5 Stars ""It's probably pretty much the ideal repertoire for a player wanting to take up 1.e4 e5 without having to learn the whole world! … Ntirlis does his normal thorough, creative job."" -- GM Matthew Sadler, New in Chess ""It's a guide that is both practical and theoretically robust, and it will be of interest to grandmaster readers as well as amateurs. Overall, I found the book to be thorough, high-quality and surprisingly easy to read. I say ‘surprisingly' because, as I mentioned, I half-expected Ntirlis' correspondence background to hamper his efforts to recommend a practical repertoire, but he's really done a good job. Despite having read several books on 1…e5, this is the first that almost convinced me to take it up myself. And who knows…! Four stars"" -- GM David Smerdon ""Overall, this book offers a wealth of new, fresh ideas and a White repertoire against the Sicilian main variations which personally convinces me more than Parimarjan Negi's work on this complex… Those who are prepared to work through the book conscientiously will certainly achieve many good positions… I highly recommend this book!"" -- IM Dirk Schuh ""Overall, this is one of the best books I've ever held in my hands."" -- IM Dirk Schuh ""Playing 1.e4 e5: A Classical Repertoire is well organized and well written… Ntirlis offers plenty of explanatory prose to explain the main ideas for both sides. Highly Recommended."" -- IM John Donaldson ""The proposed lines, drawn from the Two Knights complex and Breyer, are certainly sharp and principled, but they are not outlandishly so. Ntirlis has read everything relevant, cites most of it, and distills the typical plans brilliantly… This is a very advanced book, but for those looking for a one-stop solution to 1.e4, it might be just what the doctor ordered."" -- John Hartmann, Chess Life"

Author Information

Nikolaos Ntirlis is an opening expert and adviser to numerous GMs. He is an avid researcher, and in this book he draws on masterly insights from chess legends such as Capablanca and Smyslov, as well as the latest analytical tools that modern technology has to offer.

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