Do you wish to surprise your opponent on the first move?
Do you enjoy playing creatively from the beginning of the game?
Look no further than 1 b4!
With this aggressive pawn lunge White takes the game into relatively unknown territory and forces Black players onto their own devices.
In this landmark book, Yury Lapshun and Nick Conticello take an in-depth look at 1 b4. The authors provide a practical and fun-to-play repertoire for White, offering options against all of Black’s main possibilities. Read this book and confound your opponents with 1 b4!
About the Authors
US Master Nick Conticello won two Chess Journalist of America awards in 2003, and was named Organizer of the Year by the United States Chess Federation in 1996.
Yury Lapshun is an International Master and a winner of several important tournaments. He’s also an experienced coach who has guided individuals and teams to national championships. Originally from the Ukraine, he has been resident in New York for 20 years.
Reviews
“IM Yury Lapshun and his companion US master Nick Conticello have managed to create, in this latest Everyman Chess book, an impressive written reference book on the Sokolsky opening. Every important line, so as for example the famous line 1 b4 e5 2 Bb2 Bxb4, gets a important in-depth turn.”— John Elburg Chess Mail
“I must say that players who adopt 1.b4 as their main weapon aren’t really trying to ‘avoid’ theory as much as they are trying to force the game into ‘their’ lines of theory. The cost is likely going to be that Black isn’t pressed to find forced moves early in the game. Therein lies the advantage of an opening like 1.b4: the first player is just a bit better acquainted with the terrain and will know what sorts of mistakes to be on the lookout for, while the Black player is looking for moves. ‘Play 1 b4!’ does an excellent job of getting a reader into that position as White.”—Bill McGeary Chessville.com
“There is no illusion of grandiose White advantages; in fact, in the introduction co-author Conticello says “If you want to guarantee yourself a small advantage with no risk, the Sokolsky is not for you!”. So right from the start the book is looking to provide a platform for the player of the White pieces to “get a game.” No more, no less. For any player looking for just such a platform, I recommend this book without hesitation.”— Chessville.com