This is volume four of a four volume set on the openings, which was the precursor of Modern chess openings (MCO) and the Encyclopedia of chess openings (ECO). It is a massive 696 pages in large format, 10 5/8” x 7 3/8”, and weighs almost 3 pounds. This is not the reprinted edition which sells for almost as much. It has a frontispiece photograph of the author, and many diagrams. It covers mostly 1 e4 e5 openings; see the photographs. The hinges are cracked between pages two and three, but the binding is sound, and there are no loose pages. There is some foxing due to age. If you watched the Queen’s gambit series, the heroine Beth Harmon used modern chess openings as her “bible”; this series of four books proceeded, and far exceeded MCO in its depth of coverage for the time period covered. Someone on eBay wants nearly $700 for the complete four volume set. Buy my copy and the other volumes separately and save! I paid about $60 for this book many years ago. The only reason I am selling is I have the complete set in hardcover.