Birds Opening

Like almost everyone, I've played 1. e4 since I learned to play. Then, for the past 15 years or so, I've played nothing else. I am fairly ready for most responses to it - The Spanish, the Sicilian, the French, the Caro-Kann. At least I won't get in trouble within the first 7 or 8 moves of a game.But I wanted to find some lines that I could bet my opponents would never have seen. Something crazy, but also sharp and exciting. Somehow, one day, it occured to me: the Bird.So I got this book. I browsed it, and thought, well, before I dive into the book, why not play a few games just to feel it out? I won 3/4 of them, against a player ranked 200 points higher than me. Why? Partially because I got a good kingside attack in every game. However, in every game, I was thinking, God, why did I get myself into this!? In every game I was forced to sacrifice material to have a chance - and it worked out 3 times. So far, a few weeks in, that seems to be a pattern. (Another pattern is that when the Bird goes wrong, it really goes wrong.)So I've started working through the book, and I cannot agree more with the reviewer who says it's poorly organized. That it is.However, the ideas are in there, and I'm finding them, and it is a helpful book. It seems to be for entertainment rather than repertoire building, and that's fine with me - the Bird is not a "repertoire" kind of opening.For fun, I recommend this opening. And this book is not a bad introduction to it, provided you know how to attack and play the middle game. Like the last words of this book say, "Good luck!"Edit: A few weeks later, I want to add some stuff. First, this is really the most fun I've ever had playing chess. NO ONE is prepared for this. And there's no better feeling than storming the kingside pawns. Second, now that I've really gone through the book, it really is full of good advice and insight. Very well done. Not organized as I'd prefer, but very well done.

I bought this book especially for the chapter on the From's Gambit Lasker Variation which I play exclusively against Bird's Opening. (1.f4 e5!? 2. fxe5 d6 3. exd6 Bxd6 4. Nf3 g5?!). The coverage of this variation is excellent and given the few times that I face Bird's Opening, I find that this book is all I need. I cannot comment on the other chapters although the introduction is novel, providing historical games.At first I thought there was not enough analysis because of a lack of responses to moves that I thought may be obvious, but after careful study of the 5 illustrative games, with the help of Chess Tempo opening database and Fritz, I can see that moves that I considered natural were mistakes that did not need mentioning in the book. I have had to revise my review and I now consider that Taylor does indeed provide in depth, comprehensive analysis of a number of lines, including traps that black can set and that white needs to avoid.The only criticism I have is that Taylor is extremely biased against the From's Gambit Lasker Variation, almost considering it unsound. However various databases give black even chances of winning and drawing (around 33% win for white/33% draw /33% win for black, depending on the database you look at). Taylor contends that with good play using current theory, white should achieve much better results. I guess this is fair enough given he is an avid Bird's player with good results. He does provide one game out of five where black wins and admits that more over the board play may be necessary to test out some lines. It would have been good if he had provided black with some new emerging theory but I guess this is for another book.

In 30 years of competitive chess, I've encountered the Bird five times, and lost twice. I always thought there was hidden bite to it, so I bought this book thinking I might be able to add it to my repertoire. I was simply making things too complicated. The Bird, as the book states repeatedly, is simply a Reversed Dutch. Merely play the black side of the queen-pawn game, as if playing against the Dutch, and you're equal immediately. The book accomplishes the opposite of its claims. It does not prove that The Bird is a winning line for white, but that black has nothing to fear. The Bird is rarely played in competitive chess because it's weak. Now I know exactly how weak. I'm thankful but it's not worth the money.

What a book by Timothy Taylor !! Being a non orhtodox chess player I was looking for good books on the Bird. Some older books like the ones by Andrew Soltis does exists but they are more for less advanced player. I think that when you are ready to play 1. f4 you are at least an intermediate to advanced player, because this opening can put your play into bizarre formation right from the start. The book deals with everything from 1. f4, d5, 1. f4, c5, 1. f4, Nf6, 1. f4, e5, etc... The from gambit is very well explained with two main lines (... g5 variation and the Ng5 variation) but also less common approach by white. All the other main lines are analysed in great details, and I think that this is the first book on the Bird that goes as deep as this. After reading this book I finally understood why and when to put the Queen bishop on the b2 square and when not to do so. This is very well explained with many many many other details on every single main lines or other lines that you can imagine. The book is design in a way that each variation can be unsderstood not only for which move to make, but also for its positionnal approach. Overall, if you want to play a non orthodox opening as white, the Bird may be for you and this book is an excellent choice. A last word : the author makes it clear that your chess friends may laugh at you when you play 1. f4, until you start winning against them... and you will because this book is a gem !

I find the book very good for several reasons.1. very comprehensive - it covers all the responses from black and usually there are more than just one suggestion in the lines for you too choose from.2. New analysis - there is a lot of material here I have never seen anywhere else and the emphasis is on going for a win rather than just using the Bird to get out of the main openings.3. Good layout, nice with a index of complete games and overall an interesting selection of games.I used to be afraid of the From gambit, but after reading this book I just grab the pawn and give my opponent a big smile.Admittedly, I have not read other books on the Bird to compare with, but I really do not have the need for other books after getting this one.I think the book is suitable for players that have reached a playing strength where they want to do serious opening studies - i.e. not for complete beginners, but I would say above 1500 (my own ELO is around 1950 at the time of writing)

The author, Timothy Taylor, should be congratulated for such a clear exposition of this unusual, yet vital, opening. I particularly enjoyed his mix of objective and subjective comments. He wasn't hesitant in making personal judgements concerning the worth of particular lines. Clearly he's a proven expert with this opening, and that comes across very clearly.

Word of advice with this opening id advise you to use the book for the variations and make your own variation graph on one page , this opening has had me a great many of wins to not more than 2 losses when ive used birds , key point were applicable pawn to b4 vutting out blacks c5 push great move

Voilà un livre original et intéressant (à l'image de l'ouverture traitée) ! L'auteur, en commentant des parties de grands joueurs (GM danois notamment, dont quelques parties de B. Larsen et H. Danielsen) et ses propres parties avec ce système, livre son diagnostic sur cette ouverture qui sort délibérément des sentiers battus. L'ouvrage n'est pas organisé de la meilleure des façons puisqu'il peut être difficile d'y retrouver un coup qu'on veut étudier en détail et "l'index des variations" à la fin n'est qu'un copier-coller de la table des matières, en légèrement plus détaillé. Mais les commentaires sont vraiment précieux, et l'étude des parties successives donne une excellente vision d'ensemble des idées de cette ouverture. Bref, une mine de renseignements et un voyage échiquéen en terre nouvelle garanti !

livre très pédagogique et très utile pour comprendre une ouverture originale.Le format Kindle est très pratique.Un grand merci.Cordialement.