More Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps 2 (Fireside Chess Library)

His first book, Traps and Zaps, is essential for symmetric 1. e4 e5. Pretty complete. His second book,More Traps and Zaps, covers the non-symmetric 1. e4 (French, Sicilian, Caro-Kann, Modern, Pirc).These might look like "beginner" moves, they are actually essential patterns and positions. These arealso the foundations for building an understanding of reasons behind the variations (the theory).More Traps is much less explanation than the first. Neither book covers 1. d4 openings, there aresome related d4 traps as footnotes in More Traps, but no diagrams. All of these 1. e4 traps are essentialtechniques for breaking a pin, Qh5+ and double attack across rank, absolutely necessary to know becauseopening books will always assume you already know this stuff! Side Note --There is Gillam's YourFirst Chess Games that is both challenging and better for a tactical beginner (f7 weak spots, why it's abad idea to play h3 to capture a black bishop(g4) if opponent plays h5 to recapture and open the file.Gillam also shows attacks on castled positions, hunting the king, which is not in Pandolfini's Traps.I am pointing out the stages of tactics, beginner stuff, where Gillam shows bad moves then exploited.Note --- Gillam's book has an excellent intro to openings, but he doesn't name his openings anywhere.That's where Pandolfini begins, he assumes his readers know the basic ideas of attack and defense.Pandolfini covers the vital first eight moves ( 1.e4). For longer move sets, both 1.e4 and 1.d4, the next levelup is the classic Chernev's Winning Chess Traps (300 short annotated games, in 15 moves). Then, for thenext level up, is 222 d4 Traps (Knaak and Muller), and Kalinichenko 700 Ambushes (in 20 moves, annotated).

Many reviewers missed the value of this book. They thought they are supposed to memorize all these variations and hope their opponent makes those mistakes. The reason one side makes 2 bad mistakes in the opening in the beginning of the book is so Pandolfini can give you a problem to solve so you immediately see the tools within positions and why not to violate rules. As the book progresses, the patterns are repeated, but the losing side makes stronger moves, and the winning side must recognize the mistake/pattern and take 2-3 moves instead of 1 to punish the mistake. All wins are forced after the diagram. You do not have to play compromising moves and hope they fall in. Pandolfini is strongly against playing your opponent and says many times to play the board.The openings typically are 6 full moves and include (in the first part of the book) moves most intermediate players would not play, just out of habit. Sometimes the winning side plays bad moves that Pandolfini points out. Pandolfini even explains how the situation occurred because of each opening principle that was violated and why the beginner did it and what they should have done instead. The solutions are pretty easy to spot, at least in the beginning, but not difficult to spot even towards the end. His other book, Traps and Zaps, is much more challenging. Every puzzle starts with a hint, such as "fork". Often that means you will set up a fork that happens 1-2 moves deep.Knowing these tactics will mean you'll know in advance to stay out of certain situations you know will lose.Because most of the openings are only 6 moves, and the puzzles are easy, you can also use this to build up your blind fold chess abilities.Even though Pandolfini advertises 200 some puzzles, each page also gives 1-2 others in notation, without a diagram. The answers are right there on that page and you have to cover them with your hand.

I have a copy of the first book (dated 1989) that has lots of errors, but this book appears error-free (so far; I haven't read every chess problem yet). I am happy to report that this book, like the first one, mainly appears to concentrate on the e2-e4 pawn openings, which may be a bit of a problem/pain if you favour d2-d4 instead... like me.Still, look on this 'quirk' as a good reason to learn new openings, and at least you'll soon know some of the pitfalls involved with pushing the King's pawn...

The 200 plus game problems were a great learning tool. You get a game sit up and then you are asked to provide the best move. The illustration will also provide the correct solution and reason for it.

Awesome book on a number of opening traps!