HOW TO BUILD YOUR CHESS OPENING REPERTOIRE is not a book for those looking for specific information on a particular line. Rather it is a guide on how to study openings and build up a proper repertoire.

The author relates how he reached master strength with an unsystematic study program and found himself unable to progress further with a repertoire of junk openings. Unclear on how to address his problems, Giddins was saved when business called him to Moscow and he started working in his spare time with Russian IM Igor Belov. The latter, raised in a no-nonsense chess environment, immediately set him straight with solid advice that forms the basis for this book.

Some of the material presented in HOW TO BUILD YOUR CHESS OPENING REPERTOIRE has been covered before in works by Nunn, Tisdall, Sadler and Dvoretsky. Clearly it would have been pretty hard for Giddins to have started out from scratch. That said, this book is very well written and quite entertaining. Giddins writes about an incident in which he discarded his normal repertoire to sidestep a well-prepared opponent and predictably got a bad position from his “surprise” opening. We can hear the sarcasm in Belov’s voice when going over the game with his pupil afterward: “It is easier to win from an equal position that you have played before, than from a bad one you know nothing about!”

Today, when opening theory is growing by leaps and bounds, the thought of picking up a new opening can be daunting. If you have always played the Caro-Kann, trying to take up a Sicilian line can be a bit overwhelming. Giddins (Belov) offers sound counsel. Rather than try to learn an entirely new opening, why not look for variety within your opening complex. Are you a 5...exf6 Caro player who wants to mix it up on occasion? Then why not add 5...gxf6? The material you need to combat the Panov-Botvinnik, Advance and Two Knights variation are already in your pocket. Play the Sveshnikov and want something to go along with it? The Four Knight’s Sicilian might just fit the bill.

Who is this book for? Giddins points out quite correctly that those below 1600 should not focus on openings but instead direct their attention at mastering basic skills. Players from 1600 up to 2400 will learn things from this book, but those in the range 2000-2400 will derive the greatest benefit.

Recommended (to see Silman’s review of this same book, click HERE).

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