It's true that some Black players are put off playing e5 by the seemingly endless number of variations they can be faced with, as White can choose a between the King's Gambit, Vienna Game, Scotch Opening, Bishop's Opening and a number of wild and offbeat gambits. However, in Play 1 e4 e5! Nigel Davies provides a complete answer to this problem by offering a concise and practical repertoire for the Black player, whilst crucially including a dependable defence to the Ruy Lopez ö White's most popular attacking try in the Open Games. Davies is the perfect choice for this subject, having been battle-hardened by years of international competition in these openings.

192 pages