It's not easy finding a good opening to play against 1 e4, especially if - like the majority of chess players - you don't have endless hours available to study the latest theoretical developments. If you choose fashionable openings, in this information age it's sadly often a necessity to keep up with theory if you want to survive the opening with Black. This book provides a solution. Neil McDonald advocates his favourite opening - the very popular French Defence - but chooses a repertoire for Black that requires only the minimum amount of move memorization. The lines he selects are very easy to learn and play - perfect for those who are unwilling to be slaves to opening theory. But they are also reliable, and all the main recommendations have been used successfully by Grandmasters.

• An easy-to-learn defence against 1 e4
• Provides solutions to all of White's options
• Ideal for improvers, club players and tournament players

English Grandmaster Neil McDonald is an experienced and successful player on the international chess circuit. He is a respected chess coach, who has trained many of the UK's strongest junior players. McDonald is also a talented chess writer and has many outstanding works to his name.