Answers.Body: <p>I highly recommend the book <em>Fundamental Chess Openings</em> by Paul van der Sterren. It is a comprehensive survey of the chess openings with an emphasis on themes.</p>
  
  <p><em>Understanding the Chess Openings</em> by Sam Collins is a similar book and is also pretty good but FCO is more comprehensive.</p>
  
  <p>The original book along these lines was <em>The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings</em> by Reuben Fine but it is very dated now (it was originally written in in 1943).</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-09-10T19:15:19.970Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for the quick response.
  Anyone have any other resources .. I've e.g. heard of "kingscrusher"'s videos on youtube being highly recommended. (I'll definitely look into the books recommended, but prefer not to do so much reading)
Answers.UserDisplayName: pete
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-09-10T18:44:59.437Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-09-10T18:44:59.437Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: dfan
Body: <p>I'm looking for some information on the ideas or themes behind different opening lines.
  E.g. Queens Gambit / Slav defence .. white tries to accomplish X and black tries to do Y without books of theory covering every variation. I'm just looking for general ideas e.g. White's black bishop is very strong - Black will try to trade it off ... or fight will be around isolated pawn etc etc.
  thanks
  (I'm a 1700 player) </p>
  
Tags: <opening>
Title: Where can I find good information on the ideas/themes behind certain opening lines?
ThreadText: # Where can I find good information on the ideas/themes behind certain opening lines?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-09-10)
  
  I'm looking for some information on the ideas or themes behind different opening lines.
  E.g. Queens Gambit / Slav defence .. white tries to accomplish X and black tries to do Y without books of theory covering every variation. I'm just looking for general ideas e.g. White's black bishop is very strong - Black will try to trade it off ... or fight will be around isolated pawn etc etc.
  thanks
  (I'm a 1700 player)
  
  **Tags:** opening
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2013-09-10. Score: 1 | Accepted answer
  
  I highly recommend the book *Fundamental Chess Openings* by Paul van der Sterren. It is a comprehensive survey of the chess openings with an emphasis on themes.
  
  *Understanding the Chess Openings* by Sam Collins is a similar book and is also pretty good but FCO is more comprehensive.
  
  The original book along these lines was *The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings* by Reuben Fine but it is very dated now (it was originally written in in 1943).
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks for the quick response. Anyone have any other resources .. I've e.g. heard of "kingscrusher"'s videos on youtube being highly recommended. (I'll definitely look into the books recommended, but prefer not to do so much reading)  
  
  ---
  
  