Birds Opening

by Timothy W. Taylor

Bird's Opening is an underrated and dynamic choice for White that immediately directs the game into relatively unexplored territory, setting Black players early problems and forcing them to think for themselves rather than having the luxury of relying on the theory of more mainstream openings. It's also a very flexible option that can lead to both sharp gambit play, such as the notorious From's Gambit, as well as quieter positional lines.

In this book International Master Timothy Taylor unearths the secrets of Bird's Opening and its many deviations. Using illustrative games, he examines tactical and positional ideas for both colours and recommends the best paths in both the "main lines" and the lesser-trodden paths. A study of this book will give readers the required knowledge and confidence to play the Bird's Opening with either color.

>Written by a Bird's Opening expert
>A complete up-to-date survey on an active chess opening
>Ideal for club and tournament players

Genres: Chess

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

About the author

International Chess Master

Reviews

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Timothy Taylor explains many ideas in the uncommon bird opening that starts with 1.f4. I am still not sure if white can really gain an advantage out of this opening unless he has a superior positional understanding, but at least he has equal chances and the middlegame looks very interesting and like a lot of fun.

The book is written in a refreshing, entertaining style, providing a good mix of ideas and actual games. It not only shows what works but also where black has found superior lines that simply bust white. Other reviewers at Amazon have criticised the poor organization but I had no problem in finding what I wanted.

I highly recommend the book as a dangerous weapon on club level.

[Ben de Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear explanation, with good recommendations for strategies, and plenty of example games to learn from. I have started playing this opening both in online correspondence games as over the board, and I have a lot of success with it.