There are not too many feelings more satisfying in chess than winning very quickly by cleverly snaring an opponent in an opening trap. Conversely, all chess players, even budding World Champions, have experienced the utter humiliation of losing in exactly the same manner! In this entertaining and instructive book, Grandmaster James Plaskett presents a wealth of illustrative games that contain disasters in the crucial opening phase of the game, where for one reason or another the battle is concluded prematurely. Studying Catastrophe in the Opening will allow readers to capitalize on any early blunders by their opponents, while also avoiding the various pitfalls that await chess players in the opening.