«Playing the French», de Jacob Aagaard y Nikolaos Ntirlis (tapa blanda)

Playing the French by Jacob Aagaard and Nikolaos Ntirlis is an English-language chess opening book on the French Defence, built around a complete repertoire for Black and written for players who want to understand the opening rather than just memorise lines.

What this book covers

The authors present a full Black repertoire based on 3.Nc3 Nf6 and 3.Nd2 c5. The French Defence is known for its solidity and for the strategic depth that often appears once the centre closes, so this is a practical subject for opening study and repertoire building.

The book is also useful if you play the French Defence as Black or want to prepare more confidently against it as White.

Why it stands out

Playing the French is aimed at readers who want more than a list of variations. It focuses on the ideas behind the moves, making it a useful guide for players who want to build a repertoire around understanding rather than memorisation.

Edition details

• Product type: chess opening book
• Title: Playing the French
• Authors: Jacob Aagaard and Nikolaos Ntirlis
• Language: English
• Binding: paperback
• Pages: 464
• Publication date: 27 November 2013
• ISBN: 978-1-907982-36-1