Surprising the opponent is a primary aim of modern opening preparation.
You can't afford to be a stationary target - gone are the days when
players worked out an elaborate repertoire from which they never
varied.
These 125 opening surprises land like bombshells in the apparent calm of
standard openings and disorientate your opponents as they grapple with
original problems. This book is a treasure-trove of unusual ideas at an
early stage of the opening, each with a firm logical foundation, yet
running against the grain of conventional play. Each idea has
quick-strike potential and is supported by enough concrete analysis to
enable you to try it with confidence.
For this new edition, Burgess has thoroughly revised and expanded the
original content with a great many new verdicts and additional analysis
and ideas. Every single move has been re-examined and checked against
current theory. The brand-new sections mostly deal with ideas that were
unknown before 2016 or 2017.
Reviews of the first edition (101 Chess Opening Surprises):
"explodes right in your face, with ideas in all openings ranging from
the sublime to the ridiculous" - GM Lubosh Kavalek, Washington Post
"I was stunned by some of the author's ideas ... excellent" - GM Paul
Motwani, The Scotsman
