Professional grandmasters study the latest wrinkles of their favorite openings. They have time to think about innovations in the Sicilian Najdorf, the Marshall Attack, or the Semi-Slav. It's part of their job. But club players can rarely afford such luxury, and an excellent way for them to beat their busy schedules is to play good, solid opening lines that happen to be out of style.

GM Raetsky and IM Chetverik have turned their backs on current fashion and have delved deep into the wardrobe of chess openings. These two opening specialists have selected eleven unusual variations to help readers refresh their repertoires.

Using key illustrative games (many previously unpublished), the authors present a host of surprising and accessible opening ideas. Never refuted, these openings have numbered World Champions among their victims.

Will your opponents really be so well prepared for the Albin Countergambit? Can they find their way against the tricky St. George Defense? Just how comfortable will fans of the Ruy Lopez feel when they have to think for themselves on their fourth move? Setting fashions can be a lot more fun than merely following them!