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Cyrus Lakdawala
Published in 2013
- Beginner Friendly - walks through typical questions about key positions.
- Non-Explorative - updates few details beyond the books by Odessky / Jacobs & Tait / Keene.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌑
Read Order: 1st
- Start with this if you want a strong grip on the fundamental opening ideas with 1.b3.
📘Nimzowitsch/Larsen Attack 1.b3
Raymond Keene
Published in 1977
- The first major compilation of 1.b3 ideas, strategies, and repertoire choices.
- Historical Exploration - shows how players in the 1800s employed this opening.
- Opening Idea Focused - it focuses on finding playable ideas.
- Easy to Consume - chapters are often 2 to 10 pages at most.
- Introductory - no deep engine-backed analysis, less useful for 1.b3 veterans wanting a strong repertoire.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read Order: 2nd
- This book is great if you're wanting a wider set of ideas that occur in 1.b3 opening variations.
🌐Chessable - Short and Sweet - 1.b3 (FREE)
GM Baskaran Adhiban
Published in 2021
- www.chessable.com/short-sweet-1-b3/course/74311/
- A free introductory course with emphasis on lines stemming from c4 and interesting sidelines.
- Incomplete guide to 1.b3 theory.
- Strange Variation Names - makes learning these lines more fun & easy, but not a perfect classification system.
- Introductory - lines are illustrative rather than complete weapons.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐🌑🌑
Read Order: 3rd
- Currently the best introductory 1.b3 course in the Chessable format, but lacks completeness.
📘Play 1.b3 - The Nimzo-Larsen Attack - A Friend for Life
Ilya Odessky
Published in 2008
- Explores ideas and ponders on them, he really discusses where our thoughts should be in a position.
- Lots of stories / anectdotes. I'm not really a fan of some of them.
- Dissuade players from believing any variation is "superior" - it thinks about positions concretely and provides the evidence that any player must find to justify any move.
- Encourages a player to a healthy habit of proving their moves. If an idea does not work in one position, does it work in another? If an idea works in one position, what could cause it not to work?
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐🌑🌑
Read Order: 4th
- This book converts 1.b3 beginners to an intermediate / advanced understanding of this opening and others.
📘Nimzo-Larsen Attack
Byron Jacobs & Jonathan Tait
Published in 2001
- Builds upon Keene's book by providing deeper analysis of model games.
- Throws everything it can at you - which is fine, but difficult to consume.
- Endgame analysis of model games - good for general improvement, bad for getting a grip on the opening.
- Frequent Context Switching - painful to grasp the concepts they're trying to highlight via comparison.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌑
Read Order: 5th
- This book is essentially the ultimate resource for constructing a competitive repertoire as a 1.b3 player.
📘b3 - Attacco Nimzo-Larsen
Alessio de Santis
Published in 2017
- Apparently a great Italian chess book covering 1.b3.
- The excerpt and all of its model games are available online if one wants to recreate the book by hand.
- Appears to be a rather complete repertoire.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌑
Read Order: 6th
- I'd wager it is an excellent resource for building a competitive repertoire for veteran 1.b3 players.
🌐Chessable - Lifetime Repertoires - 1.b3 (PAID)
GM Baskaran Adhiban
Published in 2021
- www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-1-b3/course/60771/
- Expands upon lines from the free Short and Sweet course.
- A more rigorous repertoire.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌑
Read Order: 7th
- Good for adding an additional dimension to your 1.b3 repertoire, but not strictly necessary.
1.b3 - Repertoire: ―Books 📖Chat room