Obviously, the ideal opening does not exist. Before every game, the modern chess player needs to consider numerous variables - the most obvious being his specific opponent and the tournament situation - and then compromise. As the number of games played in each variation increases and opening theory becomes more and more developed, finding a suitable opening becomes harder and harder, and players tend to follow the most popular variations.

Openings rise and fall in popularity over time, as players continue to learn and find new ideas for both sides. The two main replies to 1.e4 have always been 1 ... e5 and 1 ... c5, and with good ‘homework’ it is exceedingly likely you will equalize with either. However, in tandem with their popularity, the amount of theory that is needed to play those openings has increased as well. In this book, I recommend the Caro-Kann Defense as a viable and flexible opening for Black. Let’s examine, point by point, how it compares to both 1 ... e5 and 1 ... c5.

Judging the amount of theory required to play an opening is not an exact science, but it is quite clear that the Caro-Kann will be an easier opening to pick up from scratch than any Sicilian. The amount of theory is probably more comparable to a 1 ... e5 repertoire, depending on which variations one chooses to play.

402 Seiten, englisch, kartoniert, 1. Auflage 2020