Berlin Wall

by John J. Cox

The Berlin variation of the Spanish is one of the most popular chess openings among world-class players. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 Black can play a completely sound opening based mainly on understanding rather than memorizing theory. Many opening books make this claim, but the scarcity of forcing lines in the Berlin mean that in this case it is true. The trick is to gain the requisite understanding, and this is where John Cox’s eloquent prose comes into its own. After reading his explanations it will be clear why this robust opening has been nicknamed The Berlin Wall.

Genres: Chess

328 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2007

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give the opening one-star haha . . . but if you are going to play this grinding endgame then this book is indispensable. After a great first chapter that gives and overview of the opening, the next 60 or so pages lays out all the "endgame" themes that you will encounter because, with this opening, forget the middle game, it is all about getting to and playing a favorable endgame so you better know where you headed. After that is a good section on the positional themes and then a "theory" section that looks at specific variations. So a quite differently structured book, but one that fits the opening perfectly.