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Title: A Classic To Know, Feel Smug About, But Not Esp. Useful
Review: This is one of those "classic" books that, having read, allows you to feel superior to those barbarians who haven't been so enlightened. The truth though is that Fine isn't the only one with the "ideas behing the chess openings" - contemporary writers, with equal access to these ideas AND current variations have written equally good books. Actually, the layout of variations within Fine's book make it of little use if you're a casual tournament player looking for some info on a specific opening. Really, this is a bookshelf book. You know: a classic work, in its day, not all that useful now. Just like Ptolemy, or Copernicus, or Newton wrote classic works, Fine's relevance is mainly historical. Try Kallai, or Basman, or Reuben, or even Nunn's Chess Openings, for better practical help.
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