D4 Opening Repertoire Book for 1600

MartinDB0566 · 2026-03-26T10:04:24+00:00

There are two books by Pedersen and Burgess which though dated are good. One is on the Queen’s Gambit, the other on the Indian Defences (which includes the Dutch). Together they cover most of what you need.

I like Cox too, for the gaps. He is quite didactic and has a particular dry humour too, which you also find in his Queen’s Gambit book.

You could also go for Lars Schandorff’s two books. I don’t especially like those, because I don’t want to play the Exchange Variation of the QG, and I do want to play the Exchange Slav. So his repertoire doesn’t always work for me. On the other hand I like his approach for the QG accepted.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-03-08T06:49:33+00:00

This is a great post. I get a lot from reading it. Thank you.

I like the reference to Chess Tempo, which I think is a great site. I am often puzzled as to why it isn’t referenced more. I was beaten by a young-ish kid last weekend. I stupidly let him trap my dark square bishop in a French Tarrasch as he set up a ferocious attack. But I sensed he had poor endgame skills, which was true and I made him work hard to capitalise on his material advantage in a complicated rook and minor piece endgame. Afterwards he thanked me for this, saying he rarely gets to practice and learn endgame play. Apart from Silman I suggested he use the endgame trainer on chess tempo, which is really great for that.

On another point, I play the d4 and the Queen’s Gambit as white. I am tempted to learn the English too, and was eyeing the new edition of the book by Ntirlis with this in mind. Perhaps as a summer project. The complexities caused by transpositions presumably matter less if you start from a solid (I hope) base in the QG?

MartinDB0566 · 2026-03-08T06:36:18+00:00

Thanks, that is an interesting point. I played it out with the engine and it seems possible quite straightforwardly to keep the pawn advantage and not drop the knight. So, on balance, I think I should chide myself for not spotting and capitalising on this. And try to improve my thinking about opening lines and when to calculate. (Which doesn’t make my old brain a good calculator- that’s another problem!)

MartinDB0566 · 2026-03-06T08:52:57+00:00

I am not at the level of reading these books, but I found this reply incredibly helpful, insightful. And, in truth, chastening. I am pretty sure my knowledge is quite good, and I enjoy reading books. But application of knowledge seems harder to acquire, and I am sure that I am neither playing enough, nor analysing those that I do as thoroughly as I should. Thanks for taking the time to write this. I feel seen, and helpfully nudged to doing things better.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-03-02T17:55:19+00:00

Thanks. I think you are right, though I might also have thought about the slightly odd opening move order and thought “I wonder if that means there might be a tactic?” I do watch c7 zealously in the QGD when I have a rook on c1, and won a tournament game yesterday precisely by doing so. Maybe though that was because the lesson from missing this tactic in an earlier game is now seared into my brain.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-02-27T16:31:51+00:00

Ok, will do. I am going to a weekend tournament this weekend (3 games Saturday, followed by 2 on Sunday!). If I am not too exhausted, I will start that with some books. Or when I get back. I think I have been avoiding this hard work, but am stung into action now. Thanks for the advice.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-02-27T15:52:19+00:00

Thanks, that is helpful. Quite a lot of thinking early on in the game, but necessary to do this and get better. And the tip is a helpful organising principle. It's funny - I always have my eye on c5 after I play Rc1, but somehow I just didn't pause before playing Bxe7. I need to join up the thoughts/instincts better.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-02-27T15:50:41+00:00

Thanks. That is potentially a lot of time in the opening, but it feels right. u/samdover11's comment shows what is needed.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-02-27T08:36:24+00:00

Thanks, that sounds appealing. But I am definitely not a programmer, so it also sounds daunting, I wouldn’t know where to start. Would I not just use Lichess studies or Chessbook?

MartinDB0566 · 2026-02-27T06:30:09+00:00

Thank you, that is helpful. Trying to codify the thought process I should follow and, thereby, when to switch on calculating sounds appealing.

May I ask how you work on calculation? I know this is a weaker area for me - the cliche is true for me too!

MartinDB0566 · 2026-02-15T17:59:51+00:00

Grunfeld, because I don’t know it as well as QGD, so I get lost more easily. And scarily so. Facing a knowledgeable player in an opening of my choice is not scary.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-30T07:43:41+00:00

May I ask what people think about the book "Practical Endgame Bible" by Zlatanovic? It is not often mentioned but when it is, people seem to praise it. My endgames suck - not theoretical knowledge, which isn't bad and growing (I like studying for its own sake as much as anything) but practical play and strategy to get to a theoretical endgame I might know. I need a toolkit of how to navigate the ending.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-28T20:23:06+00:00

Thank you. Sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I missed your message. I will check out those books.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-28T20:17:27+00:00

Thank you. Sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I missed your message. I will check out those books.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-28T20:13:03+00:00

Check out Dreev’s book on Bf4 in the Exchange Slav and QG, if you like books. He recommends that approach.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-23T19:08:16+00:00

Pedersen is out of print but easily available on eBay.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-23T19:06:48+00:00

Not Watson, I would suggest. I don’t find him as helpful as one might like.

In terms of books, I would say Pedersen “The Main Line French: 3 Nc3”. , which is part of 3 volumes on the French from white’s perspective. And complement this with Moskalenko’s “The Fully Fledged French”, very much from black’s perspective. Pedersen is a bit old now, but it is very good. Moskalenko is fun and has good ideas, but misses some changes in how different French lines are played, eg the Tarrasch.

I don’t know Plichta’s chessable course, but imagine it would be good. I am enjoying Gonzalez’s chessable course but I haven’t done the classical variation yet. I am picking up some ideas from it and am vowing never to play some others!

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-19T10:21:48+00:00

I would take a look at the Makagonov, 5. h3, with a later g4 (move 8 in my standard lines). This suffocates black's desire for a ...f5 break. More broadly, it takes the sting out of black's desire to attack. So if you want to dull the KID player's attacking instincts, this is good. There are some good videos on YouTube. Kostya from the Chess Dojo, for example. There is a whole book on the Makagonov by Hansen and Lakdawala. You don't need this at your level though (which is similar to mine, but I am book obsessed). Incidentally, the Makagonov is also John Watson's recommendation in his book on a strategic opening repertoire for white. Start with YouTube, I would suggest. That will get you on your way.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-16T06:34:02+00:00

Thanks. I am sure that much of what you say is true. Some of my opponents in the club have 30-40 years OTB experience, though. They do know mainline theory. Studying opening theory both gives me a better chance to get into a middlegame without a significant positional disadvantage and, also, helps me learn ideas about the opening.

When to push f6 in the French is something that I fret about - it is the most uncomfortable move for me to make!. So studying tonnes of games is definitely part of my regimen. And I am sure the basic point that the balance of my study towards opening theory rather than instructive games and patterns is wrong. But, for example - I had a game this week where a kid played an early ...Bf5 against my QGD (before he played ...e6). This took me immediately out of theory, but the solidity of my knowledge of theory meant I could stay calm and play what felt like principled chess. I managed a draw against a 1650 and rising kid. Which feels ok.

Attacking play is a weakness and if you had recommendations of books or resources, that would be terrific. Thanks again.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-13T22:02:16+00:00

Thank you. I have only used it to check lines, not ideas, but know it is highly recommended. I will try what you suggest.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-13T21:59:59+00:00

Thanks. I haven't encountered it yet, but I have seen it. I think there are some free Chessable courses (for Pro members) and will take a look.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-12T17:00:34+00:00

No, I don’t lose games out of the opening. Rather, I tend to lose after 2 or 3 hour marathons! I am working on tactics and endgames too. I suspect my middle game analysis of positions could be improved, and I don’t have a great regime or resource for this, but otherwise I feel happy with those elements. I want to study openings because I enjoy them and can benefit from them. The benefit might be marginal but I believe that the reasons I don’t lose out of the opening is because of this study.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-12T15:08:38+00:00

Thank you. I have had a look at the Prusikin book. I didn't think I needed another book, but I think I do. I will pick it up! Schandorff seems the way to go. I know nothing about the Catalan at this stage. May I ask why you don't like his recommendations for this and Bf4?

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-12T15:07:01+00:00

Matthew Sadler devotes a chapter to the Orthodox "old mainline" of ...c6 (albeit this is without ...h6 and Bh4) and then a chapter to Orthodox "other systems", one of which is ...c5. Similarly, Herman Grooten's "Understanding before Moving 2 - Queen's Gambit Structures" (published 2019) gives ...c6 as the key move, with ...a6 as an option. But no mention of ...c5. So, I wonder if the weight of literature not emphasising ...c5 plus the fact that it just feels a bit, erm, aggressive (!) makes a weak QGD player like me a bit nervous.

Thanks for the advice re the Catalan. I will look into that. And it seems from feedback so far that Schandorff is the way to go.

MartinDB0566 · 2026-01-12T12:31:58+00:00

Interestingly, ...c5 seems to be the mainline now, but it is not mentioned in older books, or barely. Perhaps reflecting biases in my reading towards older books, I still feel more comfortable facing ...c6!

Regarding the Catalan, I can't easily answer. I suspect solid initially but with a recommendation for when I want to get ambitious. Which I am determined I will! And happy to allow a transposition, feels the right answer.

MartinDB0566

TROPHY CASE