As a youngster (with a class "B" ranking), I remember waiting for my copy of MCO (by Korn and Evans) to arrive in the mail. I couldn't have been more excited--here was a book that promised to answer ALL my opening questions. Indeed, to my inexperienced mind, MCO contained the sum total of all opening theory.

Today, the harsh realities of opening theory has been burned permanently upon my brain. Books exceeding a thousand pages can easily be written on any one system, and databases instantly make millions of games accessible to anyone willing to turn on a computer.

So, are books like MCO, BCO and NCO now useless? Is this idea a dinosaur erroneously brought back from the past by a team of well-intentioned authors? Finally, one must ask: just who is this book written for?

Though the first two questions fall into the realm of personal opinion, this last query (concerning its audience) makes grading a book like this very difficult, if not impossible. Most reviewers think it's for non-masters, while the actual authors feel that players of every strength can benefit from its inclusion into their library. Personally, I feel that books like this are still very useful for a large percentage of the chess population, but only a close look at my reservations will allow you to decide if it's right for you.

Reservation 1: In some sections (the Accelerated Dragon on pages 179-182 is a case in point) the authors have pruned many game references. This saves space, but leaves the reader wondering whether he's following a blitz game by some beginner or a serious contest between Kasparov and Anand (which would instantly give us confidence in the moves). This problem is not constant, but I do find it annoying when it raises its ugly head (another example can be found on pages 380-381 in the QGA. Here we have 42 notes containing reams of analysis, but we also find only six game references mixed with ten analytical credits).

I don't know if non-masters really care about game references, but titled players definitely do!

Reservation 2: Nunn points out that inferior lines have, for the most part, been left out of this book. While I would have to agree that this is a virtual must in a book of this size, it also severely limits its usefulness.

As a professional, when I study an opening I insist on looking at old lines, new lines, good lines and bad lines. This gives me a feel for the system being studied, while looking at inferior moves saves me from having to reinvent the wheel when some opponent mistakenly trots out vintage 1920's theory (perhaps we can coin a new phrase here: we have TN-theoretical novelty, TL-theoretical lemon, and now TG-theoretical garbage).

Non-masters face an even bigger problem: their opponents will almost certainly play one error after another. What good is a book that doesn't tell them how to deal with the most obvious theoretical slips? A quick example of this comes about after the following moves: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5. Now White's best move is 8.0-0, but endless amateurs plays 8.Qd2. Someone with a 1200 rating might find themselves at a loss when meeting this (and you WILL face it at some time or another!) and, after a humiliating defeat, seek solace in their trusty NCO. Unfortunately, aside from 8.0-0, only 8.f3 is considered (and here the author only gives 8...Qb4! 9.Bb3 Nxe4, forgetting that the lower rated student won't know how to continue after 10.Nxc6. They should have carried on with 10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+ 12.Ke2 dxc6! 13.Bd4 e5! 14.Bxc3 Nxc3+). Tossing in lines like 8.Qd2? Nxe4! 9.Nxc6 Qxc3! would have made the book so much better.

Reservation 3: Nowadays, even advanced opening books try to make a stab at explaining the plans and ideas behind the moves that the reader is studying. Though each opening division is prefaced by a general introduction, this is far too little to satisfy players in the E-B classes, who have no idea why a piece is being sacrificed or why a specific pawn is (or is not) being pushed.

There is no doubt that Nunn and his team did a top-notch job sifting through what must have been an almost endless amount of material. They condensed it, tossed in a high number of important theoretical novelties, and molded it into a useful and easily understandable form. In fact, they did exactly what one had to do to create this kind of tome. Sadly, all their excellent work still doesn't answer our question: Who should buy this book? Who is it for?

Non-tournament players who just want to memorize a few basic systems will find this useful and, in fact, the only opening manual they will ever need. Players in the E-Expert category won't get any real opening instruction but, if they're looking for one all encompassing theoretical guide, then this is the best available. Nevertheless, I still envision these poor players losing a game to some unexpected move, rushing home to consult NCO, and finding no mention whatsoever of their opponent's shot (though that same "inferior" move would certainly be analyzed in depth in more detailed guides to that particular system).

This leaves us with masters and titled players. I enjoy consulting as many books as possible when studying an opening, and NCO would definitely be given a cursory glance (perhaps they list a game that I wasn't familiar with, or perhaps one of their TNs would directly affect me). But aside from that, this kind of book has little (if any) appeal to the professional player.

Overall, I think that the authors have done an excellent job (of course, these authors almost always do great work). If you're looking for a general, all-encompassing opening book (to be studied alone or with other, more detailed, sources), then this is probably a must buy. If you go into the purchase with an awareness of its many limitations, and an understanding of your own specific needs, you won't be disappointed.

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