1.d4! The Chess Bible: Mastering Queen’s Pawn Structures

Product Description

In his first book (we anticipate many more), the young Hungarian author makes a worthy attempt to walk his readers through a complete 1.d4 opening repertoire. Yet while he is taking you thru the opening he never forgets the other phases of the game. As a result, the subsequent middlegame and endgame elements are remarkably well organized benefiting both beginner and advanced players to acquire powerful skills with 1.d4!
In what way is this book special? How can it make someone a better player? These are perfectly legitimate questions and whenever I buy a new chess book, I essentially ask the same ones.
The short answer is that this book will give you a comprehensive understanding of the chosen openings. Unlike many other books with a similar profile, it goes beyond pure theory and in addition to giving a great deal of practical advice, it touches on issues such as sample games, typical tactical strikes and, in the last chapter, endgames.   On top of all this, a homework section enables you to immerse yourself in a given topic and achieve an in-depth understanding of it in your own time.
We follow this structure because as a coach, I know how important it is to receive as much guidance as possible on a new opening. Only this can lead to true mastery.
Let me recommend this book to any player who wants to learn more about closed openings, adopt a new approach to chess and build up a thorough and sophisticated repertoire.  I have tested these openings with my students with good results, so I believe this book is suitable for anyone with an Elo rating from 1600-2500. 
 
 

Review

Juhasz has written his book with two ideas in mind. The first is to provide non-professionals with a repertoire against the majority of Black’s answers to 1.d4. The second is to explain the typical ideas and plans for both sides through the use of model games which may or may not be connected to the intended repertoire. 
One doesn’t normally see the Catalan recommended for non-professionals (the target audience for 1.d4! The Chess Bible is roughly 2000-2300), but like Christof Sielecki’s 1.d4 Keep it Simple  where the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 is advocates, this book has some cleverly thought out ideas to sidestep massive amounts of theory. In this case the preferred move orders are 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 7.Be3 and 4…Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Nbd2. Objectively the latter doesn’t promise a lot against reasonable play, but kudos to Juhasz for designing a Catalan repertoire which is so manageable.
Playing the Catalan via this move order with 3.g3, instead of 3.Nf3, and advocating 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.h3 Bg7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Bd3 against the Modern Benoni, means White will need an extra Benoni/English line after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5.
Additionally, 1.d4! The Chess Bible is not one stop shopping for those desiring a complete repertoire playing 1.d4. The Dutch, Benko Gambit and Queen’s Gambit Accepted are among the Black defenses not covered. These caveats considered, 1.d4! The Chess Bible, is still a good introductory work for its intended audience. IM John Donaldson June 2021.

In summary, if you play 1.d4 then this book will provide a unique insight into many typical structures and plans and if you play the King’s Indian, Grünfeld, Benoni, Slav or the black side of the Catalan then this book will be beneficial.
In many ways this book has provided a fresh approach to teaching openings and, tells us a great deal about the author in the process.
It is clear as daylight that IM Armin Juhasz is a talented trainer and author with a great passion for teaching. We are convinced that his time must be in high demand!
John Upham, British Chess News, Cove, Hampshire, 27th April, 2021

 
“All beginnings are difficult” is an old saying, and this is true as well from my review of this book. I am reminded of the story where an elderly woman says to her surgeon, “Doctor, I am so afra