The Full English Opening: Mastering the Fundamentals [Paperback]

Currently the best guide in the market for this particular opening. Hansen has clearly put in an amazing amount of work into this book and the outcome is a neatly structured and comprehensive overview of a strategically complex opening. While the book's main audience is probably players up to 2200, I think strong master-level players looking to pick up this opening will also find this book extremely useful. A thorough grounding, where the subtleties of the move orders are carefully weighed up, as are the various counters by Black. In the title, the term Full English can be considered as appropriate, as the author discusses just about all sensible variations that can arise from 1.c4, in those cases when play doesn't transpose to queen's pawn openings. Many club players will appreciate the widespread explanations concerning the aims, plans, and strategies involved. This first one-volume book on the English Opening is in my opinion much more than the cover of this book wants us to believe. Carsten Hansen certainly digs deeper than just the fundamentals and strategies of the move 1.c4. The idea behind this book is to teach the reader the underlying concepts which form the backbone of the English. Having said that, it should be noted that this doesn't mean that the book is free from theory. It is not. In fact, there is quite a bit of theoretical knowledge contained within the volume. Not to be overlooked are the included exercises designed to help the reader to gain an understanding of the underlying themes. In solving them the reader is almost guaranteed to deepen their knowledge of the English. I recommend this book not only to anyone who plays or is considering playing the English, but also to anyone who wants to better learn closed and semi-closed pawn structures. There is some sound advice along the way, which in some cases flies refreshingly in the face of modern convention...An excellent and highly accessible starting point for club and tournament plalsW