The very first line of this book’s introduction was so important, it had to be on the back cover as well: “The Modern is not an opening. It is a philosophy.” A philosophy, one might add, that many players around the world adhere to: a mischievous and undogmatic attitude towards the game, a preference for understanding-based chess, and a faith that the bishop on g7 will prove its worth later in the game.

But can this cavalier, “chess is art” approach still work in the modern computer era? In this book, you will see how you can make it work. Drawing on a decade of his own experience using the Modern as one of his main weapons, Fernandez explains the concepts and theory in rigorous detail, all the while not forgetting that chess is to be played for fun.

GM Daniel Fernandez (b.1995) is the leader of a promising generation of English chess players. He won several national under-18 and under-21 titles and has since coached other players to do the same. During his masters' degree he has also become known for his work as an author. He is a regular columnist at ChessPublishing and this is his second book for Thinkers, the first being The Modernized Caro-Kann (2018.)