A complete defense provides Black with a first move that can be played against anything.

A Complete Defence for Black

Computers & Technology

Keene, Raymond

Jacobs, Byron

Graphics & Design

Batsford

Inspired by Alexander Kotov's Think Like a Grandmaster, chess columnist and international master Byron Jacobs has created a system that trains players to think methodically in typical over-the-board situations. He focuses specifically on helping them to analyze accurately and make sense of complex positions--precisely those aspects of chess where games are won or lost.

Analyse to Win: Visualising Victory

Humor & Entertainment

Puzzles & Games

B.T.BATSFORD LTD

This updated edition aims to provide all that an average club player needs to know about the opening as White. One line has been selected against each of Black's possible defences, with all the variations giving scope for originality. 
The repertoire is based on solid foundations: White opens with 1 d4 and 2 c4, a scheme followed by Kasparov, Karpov and Alekhine, among others. An aggressive style is presented and well-known players' moves from famous tournaments are cited throughout as examples. The intermediate-level or tournament player who follows the recommendations in this book should be safe from accidents in the opening, and can look forward to a rich middlegame position.

An Opening Repertoire for White

Despite being a relatively young opening the Benko is highly respected.

The Benko Gambit

Kinsman, Andrew

The King's Indian Defense is a hypermodern opening, where Black deliberately allows White control of the centre with his pawns, with the view to subsequently challenging it with the moves ...e5 or ...c5. Until the mid-1930s, it was generally regarded as highly suspect, but the analysis and play of three strong Ukrainian players in particular-Alexander Konstantinopolsky, Isaac Boleslavsky, and David Bronstein-helped to make the defence much more respected and popular. It is a dynamic opening, exceptionally complex, and a favourite of former world champions Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, and Mikhail Tal, with prominent grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi, Miguel Najdorf, Efim Geller, John Nunn, Svetozar Gligorić, Wolfgang Uhlmann, Ilya Smirin, and Teimour Radjabov having also contributed much to the theory and practice of this opening. The King's Indian Attack is a mirror image of the setup adopted by Black in the King's Indian Defense. Yet, because of White's extra tempo, the nature of the subsequent play is often different from that of a typical King's Indian Defence. By its nature, the KIA is a closed, strategic opening that presents its practitioner with common themes and tactics and a comfortable middlegame against various defences. White's most common plan involves a central pawn push, e4-e5, leading to a central bind, kingside space, and concrete attacking chances on a kingside-castled black king. Black's resources-more queenside space for example-are not to be underestimated. In fact, this asymmetry often leads to violent middlegames and neatly constructed mating nets involving sacrifices.

The Complete King's Indian (Batsford Chess Library)

Henry Holt Co.

Winning With the Benko (Batsford Chess Library)

Book by Keene, Raymond, Jacobs, Byron

An Opening Repertoire for White (Batsford Chess Library)

Complete Defense for Black

Starting Out in Chess by Byron Jacobs
Tips for Young Players by Matthew Sadler
Rapid Chess Improvement is the ideal book for serious adult players who want to improve. It describes a study plan which came about thanks to a re-evaluation of standard chess teaching and includes several unique components aimed at improving deficiencies in the play of adult players.This book is the only one of its kind for the simple reason that it has been written by an author who hugely improved his own rating over a 12 month period by following his own advice. He therefore fully understands the challenges faced by enthusiastic players who are relatively new to the game. This is in sharp contrast to most books aimed at this level which are usually written by very strong players who have long forgotten what it feels like to be starting out in the game.

A Chess Course from Beginner to Winner

Sadler, Matthew

De La Maza, Michael

Everyman Chess

Two great books from the Everyman Chess Library, Mastering the Opening by Byron Jacobs and Mastering the Middlegame by Angus Dunnington in one volume. These books are ideal for keen club players who want to improve and are seeking to better their understanding of these key stages of a chess game: the opening, when the battle lines are drawn and the middlegame when the armies commence hand to hand combat. Both books are written in a user-friendly style with plenty of notes, tips and warnings to illustrate key points. The authors are experienced at writing for players of all levels and are particularly noted for their ability to explain ideas in a clear and straightforward fashion. The books are particularly useful for those players who honed their skills with the earlier Everyman Chess books Improve Your Opening Play and Improve Your Middlegame Play.

Mastering the Opening and Middlegame

Dunnington, Angus

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Jacobs, Byron. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Jacobs, Byron