By IM John Donaldson, USA Olympic Team Captain and author
American Grandmaster Raven Sturt has written a whopper of a book on Bird’s Opening (1.f4) that comes in at close to 600 pages. Many books on the Bird’s incorporate transpositions to other openings – the King’s Gambit after 1.f4 e5 2.e4, a reversed Leningrad Dutch 1.f4 d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3, and a Closed Sicilian 1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.e4 followed by g3 or a Grand Prix Attack 1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.e4.
This is not the case with Sturt’s work which offers original lines like 1.f4 Nf6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 a6 4.c4, 1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 Bf5 4.Nc3 with the idea of a quick d3 and e4, 1.f4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.e4 d5 and 1.e4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Nf6 5.e5.
Sturt, while being a strong champion of the Bird, maintains objectivity and points out 1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.b3 g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 Nc6 7.0-0 d6 is one of Black’s answers to 1.f4. He then examines 8.Bb5! Na5! 9.Be2 Bf5 and 9…Nc6.
If you are a Birdman or Birdwomen this is a book you will want to have.
