This is a book on creative, innovative and unusual openings. Prof. Hoffmann writes in the introduction "With the courage of his opinion, Mr. Bird has decided to embody these tabooed openings and games arising from them in an independent volume. Here in black and white he has set down the heterodoxies of which he is accused, and he submits them to the judgment not alone of critics who have pinned their faith to certain special lines of play, but to that of the whole Chess world."
1st edition, 1895; 344 pages.
- Preface
- Introduction by Professor Hoffman
- Preliminary Remarks
- As to Originality of Invention
- Progress of the Chess Openings
- What Constitutes Novelty
- Statistical Table of Chess Openings Adopted to 1844 and in 1851, 1862, and 1883
- Analysis of Walker's Collection of 1020 Games
- The Chess Openings and their Best Known Branches
- Table of Principal Deviations
- The Two Knights Defence
- Lesser Bishop's Gambit (Bird exclusively plays)
- Giuoco Piano (Bird Forms of Attack)
- Scotch (Bird Defence)
- Evans Gambit Attack without Castling (Bird 1889)
- Ruy Lopez Attack, five early Specimens before 1851
- Philidor Defence, last century forms of
- The KBP2 or Bird's Opening and Replies
- Sicilian Defences as Played only by Bird, 1883
- Openings Popularised by Staunton
- Deviations in Gambits Suggested and Adopted by Bird
- Chess of the Day