Keep it Simple: 1.e4: A Solid and Straightforward Chess Opening Repertoire for White Kindle Edition

I am rated USCF 2000 and I've been between my floor of 1900 and 2158 for the past 30 years, give or take. I started out as a die-hard e4 player and lately have been playing other openings. Now that I'm older, I have limited time for chess study, and keeping up with the latest developments out to move 30 in the Najdorf just isn't viable anymore. I have experimented with the London and Trompowsky and they are ok. The Colle is also decent, but lacks the dynamism needed to beat players 100 points below me. Along comes Sielecki's "Keep It Simple, 1.d4" and it was like a breath of fresh air! It's the perfect companion to my other openings as White. IM Sielecki presents the material in a logical, straightforward manner and all of the lines have been tested against today's top engines. Not all of the lines will give White the advantage against best play, but that's pretty much the same with all openings these days. Even in these "equal" middlegames, White will have an easier game to play with moves that are not difficult to find, while Black must continually find the "correct" moves to hold the balance. Highly recommended for all club players.

I am only the third reviewer, I believe, and I would normally wait a bit longer to review: so far I have read one section very carefully (and gone over it with a strong chess engine and ChessBase), and skimmed many other sections to see what lay ahead.But after doing that much, I was so impressed with the author's efforts and explanatory writing style that I felt the book clearly deserves 5 stars. Indeed, I hope other reviewers will join me and get this book's online rating up to where, in my humble opinion, it clearly belongs.Keep in mind that I don't know the author or have any personal involvement in the book's success, but it seems important that an author who writes with such care and skill should be supported.What a great book -- and one that, unlike most chess books that I own, I will likely finish because it is so usefully organized, intelligently thought out, and engagingly presented.I am normally a "c-pawn or d-pawn player" but am always looking to expand my chess understanding, and this book appears to provide a big opportunity to do that. The author simplified the selection of an e-pawn repertoire for those of us who lack a diligent International Master's understanding and experience. But he has not simplified the repertoire to the point of dumbing it down or rendering it too easily met.It seems just right to me: masterable but not routine, and likely to make an opponent think and not react by rote. And the author provides enough genuinely insightful and helpful explanation to enable us to play not merely by rote, as well.Furthermore, I was pleased to see that a number of illustrative, annotated games were provided as well, something many of us appreciate in an opening book.It occurs to me that I may be shooting myself in the foot leaving such a positive review: what if it causes a chess adversary to read and benefit from this excellent book? Oh well, this author deserves whatever appreciation he gets.

It is not always easy to do the right thing; but the sheer excellence of this author speaks to my conscience, and I feel compelled to write what is now a second glowing review of his work products.No, I don't know him and he's not a relative by blood or marriage. No, I don't work for the publisher, or anybody else for that matter. If I were to act in my own best interests here, I would stay silent and hope Christof's fame as an author did not expand. Why? Because his writings have had a profound positive effect on my own chess play, as demonstrated by a surprising and sustained increase in my win/loss ratio on a well known chess server. By praising his work, I might help online competitors find helpful teachings. So it would be self-interested for me to stay silent.But the author truly deserves praise. He appears to be among those who think and communicate clearly and earnestly. And his ability to organize with useful originality seems to be on the top shelf among those chess writers whom ardent class players may learn to treasure (as, for example, Silman, Nunn or even the dear Keres from years ago).This book requires effort to digest, and I did not find in it the lovely sample games of his earlier (and wonderful) book dealing with 1 e4. But for once I must overlook that and praise this book nevertheless. It has become my chess bible and I expect to follow its teachings, using them to explore with fascination (and the offline assistance of ChessBase and a strong engine), for as long as I continue.When first beginning to read this I was impatient with its first working section, which dealt with a response that I suspected (wrongly) would not often occur in online practice. But after playing the author's system (as best I can), I have come to believe that the author applies extensive practical experience when determining what to address, and in what order to address it.The book is long and dense, and it will likely take me years of working with it before being able to apply its teachings reflexively and reliably to a depth of many ply. Furthermore, with the help of a strong chess engine and patience, the book has lead, and will probably continue to lead, to new and interesting positions and variations not previously found (at least by me). It has initiated, in short, a remaining life's avocation for this aging chess player. So I must, in good conscience, recommend it highly

Great book, Great Condition

Once again Christof pulls it off! An inch thick book on every permutation after 1.d4. there are no games in this book so memorization is key.

This book does exactly what it claims it does. The author presents a nice opening repertoire which is easy to learn and maintain. Nicely written, does not overwhelm the reader with variations, shows the ideas.

Comprehensive and thoughtfully assembled repertoire.

This book gives you full White repertoire.I have started playing 1. d4, but was not happy with facing KID, Grunfeld, Nimzo/Queen's Indian etc. Even the mainline QGD was difficult or boring. WIth the proposed system, Sielecki gives you openings that are easy to understand (based primarily on the Catalan and Reversed Grunfeld) and there are not many ways to go wrong for White, while there are multiple things that can go wrong for Black.Yes, theoretically speaking some of the proposed openings, give Black equality and thus grandmasters might choose something else to fight for advantage as White. However, in practice Black players are not prepared to face these systems and finding the narrow paths to equality over the board is unlikely.I have been playing this repertoire for few months and my results have been excellent.The only issue I have - but not with the book, but with Amazon - is that the book arrived with a creased corner. Maybe this is irrelevant for some, but for me, who really loves books, this is terrible.

This is a book of over 400 pages advocating a repertoire based on d4/Nf3/g3/Bg2/0-0 against the most common black replies. It is well organized, clear diagrams and lots of explanative text. It is aimed at 1500 grade but there is plenty of serious material for the higher rated player. As is usual Christof Sielecki gives an open and honest narrative as he steers the reader to positions they will be very comfortable with and where they will have every opportunity to outplay their opponent. This is a book for the 1.d4 player that will last a lifetime

The cover says: "You don't need to sacrifice anything or memorize long tactical lines." This is entirely untrue.The book is full of sharp sacrificial lines, and assertions that White is better, unsupported by evidence.It's clear that Sielecki likes open, attacking chess, sacking pawns all over the place. It's a pity he didn't just say so.It's not to say the lines are bad, just not all in the playing style advertised.

To my mind, a great book. Complete coverage of the lines d4 Nf3 g3, thoroughly checked with the computer and leaving white with a solid game with lots of prospects. Transformed me into a d4 player in a week and with success. The author gives lots of variations and, importantly to me, lots of verbal reasoning and planning. All in all, a great book that establishes Sielecki into a great chess author.

If you don't have a repertoire, this is a good place to start getting one. If you do have a repertoire, this might help fill in the gaps.