Are you looking for something a bit different? 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. Those facing 1 b4 are not allowed to fall into the comfort zone of established theory; instead they have to think for themselves from very early on.

This opening has been seriously neglected by chess literature... until now. In this landmark book, Yury Lapshun and Nick Conticello take an in-depth look at 1 b4 and its many variations. The authors use illustrative games to highlight key ideas and tactics for both sides. They also provide a practical and fun-to-play repertoire for White, offering options against both Black"es main defences and his more offbeat tries. Read this book and confound your opponents with 1 b4!

• A complete repertoire for White
• Presents answers to all of Black"es possibilities
• Ideal for ambitious and adventurous players

Yury Lapshun is an International Master and a winner of several important tournaments. He"es 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.

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. He is the Assistant Manager of the Marshall Chess Club in New York City

Content:
004 Bibliography

005 Introduction

011 The Sokolsky Gambit

035 1b4 e5 2Bb2 Bxb4

048 Black Plays ...e5 and ...d6

073 Queen's Indian Systems

100 Black Plays ...d5 and ...e6

121 Black Plays ...d5 and ...Bf5/Bg4

143 1 ...c6, 1...f5 and Unusual Moves

171 Index of Complete Games