A Spanish Repertoire for Black Paperback – Illustrated, June 1, 2007

I've got a lot of opening books, but none like this.Marin's Beating the Open Games, and A Spanish Opening Repertoire for black combine the best features of an informant encyclopedia style layout, and English descriptions of the concepts.Each variation is summarized at the end of every chapter in an Informant Encyclopedia type layout. The notes on the moves are in English and offer far more explanation than someone would get from an Informant Encyclopedia. In addition, the main concepts are shown using games and verbal explanations prior to the Encyclopedic layout at the end of the chapter.Amazingly, no one else has ever organized an opening book this way. It's always been one or the other. Games with notes, or Informant like dumps with symbols.Both books are essentially repertoire books for Black, but players on the White side will get some benefit as well. I'm sure a lot of these lines will start showing up in tournaments in the future.For the main line of the Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening), Marin offers two systems for Black, The Rubenstein system or the Petrosion system, so don't expect to learn the Marshall attack. Even if you have no desire to play the main-lines that Marin offers, this book has the best analysis available for a lot of sidelines White can throw at you.I actually switched my repertoire from the Sicilian (1.e4 c5) to 1.e4 e5 temporarily because of Marin's two books. They offered a simple and effective way for me to initially study that line of play without having to refer to a lot of other sources. I wasn't completely happy with using his Rubenstein recommendations however. I'll probably try the Petrosian system next, or perhaps find something that covers the Marshall attack to complement Marin's analysis.I believe these books are probably effective for anyone rated from 1400 on up to even Grandmaster. The concise Informant like tables that document the lines at the end of each chapter will appeal to stronger players and the early chapter explanations with sample games are good for anyone learning the opening.

This book is a wonderful historical work and a pleasure to read, but is woefully insufficient as a repertoire book on the Ruy Lopez.The 2 systems explained start on move 9 and it will be rare that White cooperates fully up to that point.It does give a very detailed discussion of the problems that Black has with finding a good square for their Queen's Knight in the closed Ruy Lopez, and explores strategic ideas for both sides well into the middle game.This is a good resource for someone who is dedicated to playing this opening with Black, but it does not provide anything close to what the title claims.

This is not just a dry opening book.The author gives clear explanations of moves even in the middlegame.In fact he usually explores the opening and the middlegame like one united phase of game.The book is also interesting from the aspect of chess history.He explains development of the variations beginning from the age of Rubinstein,Bogoljubov or sometimes even from 19th century.From there he moves to the ages of Tal ,Spassky,Gligoric and Karpov.And the publishers gave an update at their website which includes recent games(including Marin's own games).So if you buy this one you will not only buy an opening book but also a middlegame book and a book related to chess history too.

Mihail Marin is a Romanian grandmaster that excells in writing chess books probably due to his formation as an engineer and his experience as a trainer. This book explains strategic plans available in Ruy Lopez (closed systems) and makes use of well chosen practical games to reinforce the theory. As good as Marin was as a player (Romanian champion, Interzonals, etc), Marin the author is even better.

I felt this book was written for a very narrow audience and may be good for them but not for me at all.

I think that the two books by M. Marin on e4-e5 are excellent! You come to understand the ideas and you can easily play the positions. Very good stuff.

This book is the best opening book I have!I have never seen another author that can synthesize, explain and illustrate the ideas behind an opening the way Marin does here.And just as another reviewer wrote above, I'm done with trying to respond with a Sicilian to 1.e4, I'm switching to 1. .. e5!

A really excellent book about the Spanish. The author starts each chapter with an extensive coverage of the ideas in the specific opening line. This helps the reader actually to be able to "memorize" the lines that are given at the end of each chapter very quickly and easily. I have many books about openings but this one is probably the best (by the way Marin's "Beating the open games" is an excellent book as well). The other books usually give only variations without sufficiently explaining the ideas. This results in spending too much time and knowing too little. With this book it is exactly the opening. Just by reading the analyzed games (which doesn't require too many days), one is able to play the line strongly and adequately.Openings' books rediscovered.

It is not often that a book on an opening repertoire grips you like this one. The book is written in a humorous and engaging manner that deals with the Black side of a Spanish in a very thorough and competent way. I can very much recommend this book from a great author for all those who would like a sound repertoire against the Ruy Lopez.