Author: Stephen Whiteman
Date: 07:34:40 02/28/06
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Mark, I'm sorry to have to point this out, but someone in your circumstances shouldn't be working with Bookup. As all chess teachers (I am one) will tell you, the worst thing a relative beginner can do is spend time memorizing opening lines, which is what Bookup is designed for. People like the memorization approach because it seems so straightforward: "I memorize lines, then I get an edge in the opening." But think about it. You spend hours and hours memorizing, get into a game, and at some point your opponent leaves the book. Do you then have an advantage? Only if he's blundered, which you certainly can't count on. Instead, you're both left to your own devices, only a couple of moves farther into the game than you would have been had you not spent hours memorizing. And you're just as lost as to what to do next as you were before. Instead, your study time is much better spent on ideas. If you focus on middlegame ideas the opening will come naturally, since you'll know how to aim for a playable middlegame. If you like reading books, try "Modern Chess Strategy" by Ludek Pachman. If you prefer computer study, both ChessBase and especially Convekta (Chess Assistant) have good middlegame tutorial material. "Strategy 2.0" from the latter company is the one I'd recommend; their "Encyclopedia of Middlegame" series is excellent but more advanced. Once you've worked on your middlegame, you should read the classic "The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" by Reuben Fine, followed by either "Understanding the Chess Openings" by Sam Collins or "Mastering the Openings" by Byron Jacobs, all of which focus on ideas, rather than variations. Sorry, but you'll be better off leaving Bookup to the professional players. Regards, Steve Whiteman
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