I am focusing on the match in Moscow and working on finishing additional books whenever I have a free moment. Being away from the family gives you this chance to work from 7am to 12pm that you just do not get at home! Meanwhile Colin is quite far in the editing of MAYHEM IN THE MORRA and we are also quite far with PLAYING 1.d4 VOLUME 1 and PLAYING 1.d4 VOLUME 2. We would have liked to have the 1.d4 books out in June, but it seems just a little bit tight. There were a few places where we wanted to analyse a bit deeper and also Lars wanted to check some things, so his updates came a bit slower than was expected. Maybe we will still make it, I will start typesetting some finished chapters tomorrow (free day here) and then we will take it from there. My guess is still the first two weeks of July.
| Artur Yusupov | Chess Evolution 2 | 25 May |
| Jacob Aagaard | GM Prep – Calculation (Hardcover) | 25 May |
| Jacob Aagaard | Attacking Manual 1 – German | June |
| Marc Esserman | Mayhem in the Morra | June |
| Lars Schandorff | Playing 1.d4 – GM Guide – The Queen’s Gambit | June/July |
| Lars Schandorff | Playing 1.d4 – GM Guide – The Indian Defences | June/July |
| John Shaw | The King’s Gambit | July |
| Jacob Aagaard | GM Prep – Positional Play | July |
| John Shaw | Playing 1.e4 – GM Guide – Sicilian & French | August |
| John Shaw | Playing 1.e4 – GM Guide – Caro-Kann, 1…e5 & Minor Lines | August |
| Boris Avrukh | GM Rep – Beating 1.d4 Sidelines | Aug/Sep |
| Ftacnik | GM6a | Aug/Sep |
| Ftacnik | GM6b | Aug/Sep |
| Jacob Aagaard | Attacking Manual 2 – German | September |
| Judit Polgar | Vol. 1 – How I Beat Fischer’s Record | September |
| Jacob Aagaard | GM Prep – Strategic Play | LATER |
| Romanovsky | Soviet Middlegame Technique | LATER |
| Ntirlis/Aagaard | Playing the French | LATER |
| Tibor Karolyi | Mikhail Tal’s best games 1 | LATER |
| Artur Yusupov | Chess Evolution 3 | LATER |
| Jacob Aagaard | GM Prep – Endgame Play | LATER |
The previous time Jacob you anounced that Playing 1.d4 ( The Indian Defences and The Queen’s Gambit) would be published in the end of May and now you say they will be published in June / July. Is there something wrong with the writting procedure of the books? I feel that quality chess is very optimistic about when the books are published.
Nothing wrong as such, but at times things do not work out as we have planned. An example is Mayhem in the Morra, which is coming before announced. You will also be able to find other titles appearing almost “out of the blue”, because we expected them later on and have not yet announced them. This is less easy to identify, but it is often the real shocks to the schedule. Especially as we do books in the order they appear (so they do not grow old – a noticeable exception being non-opening books, as for example the Suba book) and a book arriving before previously expected can move other books. This happened with the Schandorff books this time around. May was maybe a little bit optimistic, but basically it would have been early June had Lars not wanted to check a few extra things carefully.
@John2012
Speaking also in Jacob’s defense, this isn’t rocket science. It’s a schedule. In life, rarely does everything go exactly as scheduled. Some things get bumped up, some things get bumped back.
Would you rather it come out in May, and have there be errors in these lines that Jacob mentions himself in the above article that the author wanted to analyze deeper, and have it looking like a Microsoft product? Or would you rather wait out the two months and get a product that is well worth the money?
I’m sure you have other chess books in your house. I plan to go thru the 5-book series that Jacobs is writing, but I’m going thru Popov’s book to brush up the basics first before reading his anyway, and I have about 300 other books on my shelf, including Advanced Chess Tactics, and I have Shaw’s QC Puzzle book coming in the next couple of days. If his subsequent books don’t come out precisely in July and September, and whenever else they said, he in no way deserves to be accused of flaws in procedure, or harrassed, or attacked either. I’d rather see him delay it and do it right rather than throw in any old junk just to meet some imaginary deadline (again, this is Quality Chess, not Microsoft).
There is only one book I can possibly see QC readers complaining about, as the delay has been a good 3 years or so, but I’m sure there is good reason for the delay, and I myself refuse to point any fingers, and that’s the King’s Gambit book, which, quite frankly, I’m in no rush to get anyway. I’m going to wait until I am actually able to browse it via a Friend’s copy or at a book seller at a tournament to see whether it’s worth picking up for someone that will only play it as Black. Until then, I’ve had spectacular results with 2…Bc5 (even before Marin’s book ever came out – Davies’s book by Everyman also recommended 2…Bc5), and there is no real need to fix what isn’t broken when my game has many other major problems that are keeping me from reaching master and need to be fixed! 🙂
Jacob, keep up the good work, and don’t let the knuckleheads that try to yank your chain bother you. There are great books published by Everyman, Chess Stars, and Edition Olms, but the ratio of Great to Not so Great books is much higher when it comes to Quality Chess than any other! 🙂
Respectfully, would it not be more prudent to wait until the galleys are at the publisher before making a date announcement?
Seems this would save you some angst and aggravation.
I appreciate your efforts to assuage our demands but it seems sometimes it only causes us to have raised expectations that, when not met, only fuel a confrontational dialog ande encourage us to complain and bitch.
Sincerely,
~ richard decredico
@John2012
I’m glad they’re taking all the time they need. Considering how much trouble Anand and Gelfand are having cracking the Grunfeld or Semi-Slav, I’m not surprised Lars needs more time. I’m happy to wait for a good thing. 🙂
I only hope that there are no more delays with Schandorff’s volumes than has been stated in this new blog post 🙂
@decredico
Not really, I think people quite quickly understand that this is a blog and not an official schedule. The blog is a possibility to look into what is happening in our company and not a promotional schedule.
What we have changed, which is quite important, is that we no longer make it possible to buy books long before they are finished on the site. This was a flawed concept.
@Gilchrist is a Legend
There won’t be. The original schedule said May/June if I recall correctly, and now it is June/July – most likely the first week of July, but please don’t squeeze me anywhere sensitive if it does not happen like this!
By the way, I am advancing quite quickly on Positional Play. The notes I have been making over the years are quite good and I will not have to work nearly as much finishing it as I originally thought.
How many pages in total for Schandorff’s two books?
Hello Jacob
What about the Open spanish from Victor Mikhalevski ?
Regards
Chris
Does anybody know what schandorff is offering against the nimzo indian?
4.e3
@Gilchrist is a Legend
About 300 each. I will only know 1-2 days before we send them to the printer.
@Christophe G.
It is on its way. There are other books again on their way, which I did not include in the list to avoid criticism if they are coming a bit slower than everyone expects.
@John2012
Samisch against KID
Russian against Grunfeld
Bg5 Aginst the Dutch
4.e3 and 5.Nge2 against the Nimzo
Nge2+Ng3 against the Benoni
5.f3 against the Benko
Hi Jacob,
What are your views on publishing books in the range of ELO 1600-2100/2300. I am really eager to buy these books.
I bet the quality in your books are unmatched and if you cover the whole set as mentioned in the blog below, what more to say.
If others share my opinion, please do support me.
Abramov Anjuhin :Recently I started working with Johan Hellsten’s book “Mastering Chess Strategy” which I found to be a must for every aspiring chess player. It has 240 educative examples and corresponding 382 exercises to train what has been learned. Besides the material the author is also outstanding: peak Elo rating 2592.
Jacob, do you have in mind to publish similar book by Quality? Herewith I excluded your GM Preparation books which shall be advanced and predominantly pure training books, while Hellsten’s book comes as a handbook.
Also please let me pass you some title suggestions:
1. GM Repertoire King’s Indian
2. Compendium of chess strategy
3. Advanced training: Tactics- workbook with 600 positions ranging from ELO 1600-2300
4. Advanced training: Strategy & positional play- workbook with 600 positions ranging from ELO 1600-2300
5. Advanced training: Endgame- workbook with 600 positions ranging from ELO 1600-2300
6. Advanced training: Calculation- workbook with 600 positions ranging from ELO 1600-2300
7. Advanced training: Attack- workbook with 600 positions ranging from ELO 1600-2300
8. Advanced training: Defence- workbook with 600 positions ranging from ELO 1600-2300
The “Advanced training” series can be seen as a prelude to GM Preparation series. I personal think that you are lacking at puzzle books for players in ELO 1600-2300 range.
Besides 5 books in GM Preparation series, you could repair and update The Quality Chess Puzzle Book and Practical Chess Defence as GM Preparation – Tactics and GM Preparation – Defence.
Thanks for care
@ French Defence
These days every publisher is freaking about French Defence repertoire books for BLACK player, so let me name them:
1. New in Chess – Dejan Antic, Branimir Maksimovic: The Modern French
2. Everyman Chess – Simon Williams: Attacking Chess: The French
3. Chess Stars – Nikita Vitiugov: The French Defence Reloaded
4. Everyman Chess – John L. Watson: Play the French 4th edition
and finally …….. 🙂
5. Quality Chess – Emanuel Berg: Grandmaster Repertoire – French Defence vol. 1 & 2
6. Quality Chess – Aagaard & Ntirlis: Playing the French
Wooooooooooow!
Jacob, please explain how shall your French book differ in comparison with Berg’s GM Repertoire?
And finally, how you gonna surpass other publisher 🙂
@Abramov Anjuhin
Our books will of course be the best ones!
Emanuel is focusing on 3.Nc3 Bb4 and 3.Nd2 Nf6. Also, his approach will be the “proof” type that is characteristic for the GM Repertoire series, where the author tries to put forward a proof for his thesis, for example that Black is ok in the French.
Ntirlis (with my assistance) will put forward a more practical repertoire, especially in the presentation, as is common for the GM Guide books. We will also focus on 3.Nc3 Nf6 and 3.Nd2 c5.
How about Ftacnik’s GM6 2nd Edition volumes? 6…e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 h5 still the line? Delayed Poisoned Pawn line for 6. Bg5 as well as 6…Nbd7. 6. f4 e6, 6. Be2 e6, 6. g3 e5, all stay same? I think you said something about the Morra Gambit, are there any other changes in this edition?
Avrukh’s GM Repertoire on 1. d4 without 2. c4: I have no idea. 🙂
Regarding the French book, I think I mentioned 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 that I play almost exclusively against the Tarrasch, but is the line you recommend 4…Qxd5?
Now you have the chance to make be very happy when you cover Nd2 c5 exd5 exd5 and not Qxd5 🙂
@Gilchrist is a Legend
I am getting a headache :-). I do not want to go into this amount of detail at this time.
Shandorff recommendations look good, but I think maybe 4.f3 vs Nimzo might have fit in better with the other choices, that said, 4.e3 is obviously a great choice, however it has been recently done by Sokolov and also Watson.
As far as I know Sokolov is currently working 4. f3 vs NID as well.
I have extracted and edited some statistics from latest Elo rating list.
Hopefully these data can be a useful guide for finding right target audience, what do you think Jacob? Who is your target audience? And what about general orientation of Quality Chess?
FIDE RATING LIST 1st May 2012
Players total = 146416
FM=6140
IM=3178
GM=1367
ELO SCALE – NUMBER OF PLAYERS – PERCENATGE:
1201-1300 – 754 or 0,51%
1301-1400 – 1816 or 1,24%
1401-1500 – 3870 or 2,64%
1501-1600 – 6795 or 4,64%
1601-1700 – 10556 or 7,20%
1701-1800 – 14856 or 10,14%
1801-1900 – 19228 or 13,13%
1901-2000 – 22114 or 15,10%
2001-2100 – 25400 or 17,34%
2101-2200 – 20058 or 13,69%
2201-2300 – 12675 or 8,65%
2301-2400 – 5350 or 3,65%
2401-2500 – 2026 or 1,38%
2501-2600 – 686 or 0,46%
2601-2700 – 187 or 0,12%
2701-2800 – 41 or 0,02%
2801-2900 – 4 or 0,002%
@Abramov Anjuhin
There are of course many more thousands of chess players ( who will buy chess books) who play correspondence chess at ICCF and elsewhere and those ( possibly the largest group of all ) who have no rating of any kind.
I think that many chess books can be of benefit and of enjoyment to a very wide band of chess ability for example Bobby Fischer spoke highly of John Purdy’s ( Ist CC Champion) chess writing. Most of Purdy’s readership would be 600-1,000 elo lower than Fischer.
I think Quality chess get it about right and continue to “raise the bar” in chess publishing.
In Schandorff’s Repertoire book against the Indian Defences, will Schandorff go over a game in the 4. e3 Nimzo discussing the differences and strategic similarities between say, the 5. Nge2 variations and something like say, the Hubner (with 5. Nf3 and a3)?
Jacob, were you at all surprised by the timing of Vishy’s draw offer in game 11 given the time pressure that Boris was in with less than 16 minutes for 16 moves? I thought he would make him play it out to the time control. Was the position that clear-cut?
@WuvMuffin72
I do not think he is getting into the Nf3 systems. I also do not see a point of why he should do so.
For teaching the reader why Nf3 is bad for obstructing the f pawn and the kind of play Black gets with a closed center with pawns on … c5, … d6 and … e5.
But you are right; throwing in a game like that in such a book is superfluous. I was just curious.
@WuvMuffin72
It is certainly not bad. Otherwise someone should tell Gelfand quickly, as he has played it two times in a row now! It is so early in the game that you cannot really explain the moves in any other language than that they are different.
GM Aagaard:
Here is a dumb question. What is so great about Romanovsky’s “Soviet Middlegame Technique”? I’ve never heard of this book before.
Thanks
@Jeffrey “notyetagm” Hall
It is two of his books published in one volume. It is two classics for the price of one.
Can you plz tell us how Schandorff deals with the move order 1. d4 d6. Does he then recommend 2. c4?
Just asking because I think that a poosible endgame 2. c4 e5 3. de: de: and Queens swapping off doesn`t look attractive at all for White.
@Waldorf
Pretty sure we will keep the center closed,
here is what Jacob said about the Old Indian Chapter
Probably a fast d5 with a Samisch set-up
@Michael
6/6. The one missing is the old Indian where he goes a quick d5 and a Samisch set-up. And then Chapter 8 with all kinds of sidelines.
1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. f3 could be the way
or 1. d4 d6 2. e4 e5 3. d5
Is that a Pirc transposition?
Yep. Only problem is black can transpose to a french but that is highly unlikely when one plays d6.
Maybe it has been asked several times, my apologies, are there any major changes in the reportoire in Schandorff Playing the queens gambit or is it an update with some additional material?
Hopefully Schandorff Playing the Indian defences will be out the beginning of july because I will a play a tournament that period and Schandorff books give me some inspiration :-).
@Michael
thx, yes you are 100% right. I forgot about this.
@Raffie
The core of Schandorff’s Queen’s Gambit repertoire remains the same, but the details have been updated. Lars selected main lines which were not going to be refuted so it’s typically changes at move 15 rather than a whole new variation needed at move 4.
I have Anand supporting me.
What do you think Jacob ?
Jacob, please let me know your views.
Just wanted to give feedback on one of the books by Quality Chess.
Popov’s book, Chess Lessons, I recently got and have thus far gone thru the first chapter, Errors due to lack of Knowledge.
The following URL is the review from JeremySilman.com: http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_jd/Chess_Lessons.html
And the following URL is the review from ChessCafe.com: http://www.chesscafe.com/Reviews/review837.htm
The former says it’s a Highly Recommended book for those over 1800. The second says it’s a “good” (not “excellent”) book, and for those 1600 to 2000, with “possibly” good use for those over 2000 to iron out weak spots.
Well, this just goes to show how little reviews are worth. The JeremySilman review is far more accurate. I spent an hour going thru the examples of chapter 1, and another 2 to 3 hours going thru the 6 positions over the weekend.
Based on the ChessCafe review, this should have been a breeze for me (my FIDE rating is 2053). Let me tell you. It wasn’t, and I BARELY passed the test. I scored either 9 or 10, depending on how you look at it. The introduction to the problems say First move is worth 1 point in that chapter, follow-up analysis is worth 2. Well, while the solutions lay out problems 2 thru 6 that way, I got the first move (and 2nd) of the first problem right, but missed 1 move before lifting the rook preparing to double up, so since I missed that 1 move in the middle, I figured it was 1 point, but the answer gives all 3 for that missed move.
Otherwise, I got problems 3, 5, and 6 correct while completely missing problems 2 and 4, and one of them, problem 4, I feel for the trap line given in the solution.
Other than that one little confusing quirk in problem 1 compared to the instructions, I have got to say that based on a complete reading of chapter 1, and a quick browse of what topics the rest of the book covers, that all readers should ignore ChessCafe’s review of this book.
This book should get a minimum of 5 stars (using Chess Cafe’s 6-star system), and the rating range should be up to at least 2200, not 2000.
If you are between 1800 and 2300, and don’t have this book yet, GET IT! I can easily see this as a source to bridge a lot of gaps in your game before trying to tackle Jacob’s upcoming 5-book series! 🙂
+1
I really like the idea of an “Advanced Training” series for lower-rated players like myself (USCF 1895). The GM Prep series is probably more than I can handle at this point in my development.
@Jeffrey hall
So what`s wrong with http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/docs/14/artur_yusupovs_awardwinning_training_course/ ?
I am not familiar with the USCF-ratings, but the Fundamentals or Beyond the Basics will suit you
I think Sunil had in mind traditional puzzle books, like the Quality Chess Puzzle Book, but for lower-rated players.
Hi Waldorf,
Yusupov series is an excellent workbook set. No doubt about it. If a beginner straight away jumps into it, he is lost. What he needs is a series of books explaining the method. Once he finishes these books he then has the Yusupov series to practise.
Just like the Yusupov series of workbook, we need a series of theory books for the under 2200 amateur’s.
@Sunil
It is possible that we should make a full reading list and sell it as a set :-).
@Jeffrey Hall
Definitely the Yusupov series. If you have gone through that and feel really confident with the content, you are getting ready for GM Preparation. Especially Positional Play should be accessible for players even under 2000. Though not easy of course.
@Sunil
In my opinion you do not need a very high level before the Yusupov books make sense to you. However, you cannot believe that you will understand everything.
So is USCF 1895 a real beginners rating? If yes, then I suggest http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/26/my_system_by_aron_nimzowitsch/ and http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/2/25/chess_praxis_by_aron_nimzowitsch/. Both books are world class !!
@Yusupows training books
In german we call
Fundamentals = jump to german rating 1500, which is approx. 1600 fide elo
Beyond the Basics= jump to german rating 1800, which is approx. 1900 fide elo
Mastery=jump to german rating 2100, which is approx. 2200 fide elo
As Mr. Aagaard already told us, and I can confirm this, even 2000rated players can still learn something from the Fundamentals-series! They are tough for fide elo 1500, but great!
If you really don`t fit to these ratingclasses and are a “real beginner” , then Nimzovichs books are a good choice 🙂
If you soak up Nimzovichs theorems and always think central, fight for open files etc then students will easily improve to fit to Yussupovs traings course and then Mr. Aagaards upcoming books
I hope this helps you.
Hi Jacob,
My intent is to promote a healthy discussion with you and also to get a reading list of QC books for the amateurs(1400-2200). We need a set of QC books which can be read by lots of amateurs to understand the Jusupov workbook series. The recommended books suggested Jusupov’s books include Dvoretsky’s books and I think someone like me would get lost in Dvoretsky.
If you already have the set, could you suggest the list of books to be covered to understand the Yusupov series. If not, could you please, please pen down these books.
I believe the success of QC lies in the fact that it delivers what the readers want and what this reader wants is Quality and not what is with everyman 🙂
@Sunil
First of all, I think a player rated 1300 and above is already ready for the Yusupov series.
But of other books I strongly recommend the most important is CHESS TACTICS FROM SCRATCH, which is a 2nd edition of maybe the most successful middlegame book we have done. Again, a “weak” player will not understand everything, but he will understand a lot and this is a great beginning.
@Jacob Aagaard
ROFLMAO
USCF 1895 is a Class A player, one class below expert (USCF 2000), which is one class below master (USCF 2200). I have beaten several masters in slow rated games.
My claim to fame is a draw with GM Ivanov (USCF 2600+) from a winning position, so no I am not a total beginner. 🙂
FYI
I think I should try reading those books mentioned above :). Yusupov’s series and Popov’s chess lessons are at my disposal :). I am a medium (average) amateur (1801 ELO) and I am goingo to test these book at me. I am curious what is the “real” value of these books :). I would like to see how difficult is to get through these books and what gaps are not filled yet.
Some time ago I was looking at Chess Lessons and just read some scraps… and it is really nice book. I am sure these books makes my holes (gaps) in chess education much smaller! After that I will try my hands at GM Preparation Series by GM Jacob Aagaard! Maybe it will not be so painful as it seems ;). Progress at some level (1800-1900) requires more than pure reading :).
I would love to see a series of books just containing puzzles with increasing level of difficulty. Especially addressed to players rated 1600-2000. I think it would have been really good to test our skills and fill the gaps (analysing answers and/or looking at scores from test[s]).
@Tomasz Chessthinker
Two things.
1) This series does exist – it is Yusupov’s series!
2) Improvement comes when you are working at 110-120% your capacity. Meaning that you do things that are slightly too difficult for you and keep going. Reading can help, but truly it is pushing yourself that makes a difference, which is why we have so many puzzle books. This is where you can find true improvement.
Hi Jacob,
as far as I remember (I’m not sure about that!) you said sometime ago that the GM preparation series will be offered in a bundle. Is it still valid? (if it was ever.)
Thanks in advance,
Frank
A great piece of advice, GM Aagaard.
Jacob, apologies for my confusion and for bringing up topic already covered, but I am dense and easily confused person!
What is the correct order for going through the Yusupov series?
I am interested in using this series both for teaching/coaching my own children (ELO @ 1000-1200) and for myself (ELO @ 2000).
Eventually I plan on purchasing entire series but financially can only buy one or two at a time.
Thank you for your answer and your patience with these types of questions.
~ richard decredico
@ decredico
see http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/docs/14/artur_yusupovs_awardwinning_training_course/
3 books Fundamentals = yellow/orange
3 books Beyond the Basics = blue
3 books mastery = green
@Waldorf
Thank you.
The order is:
Build up your chess 1
Boost your chess 1
Chess evolution 1
Build up your chess 2
Boost your chess 2
Chess evolution 2
Build up your chess 3
Boost your chess 3
Chess evolution 3
You can see the contents of all 9 books in order (in German) at http://www.jussupow.de/22982.html
@ Aagaard
“Improvement comes when you are working at 110-120% your capacity. Meaning that you do things that are slightly too difficult for you and keep going. Reading can help, but truly it is pushing yourself that makes a difference, which is why we have so many puzzle books. This is where you can find true improvement.”
One of your BEST EVER advices!!! Thanks 🙂
“… I strongly recommend the most important is CHESS TACTICS FROM SCRATCH, which is a 2nd edition of maybe the most successful middlegame book we have done.”
If it so, and I do agree, why not to try:
1) Chess STRATEGY from the scratch
2) Chess ENDGAME from the scratch
So?
I agree, we strongly need this.
@Frank
Yes, we will offer five for the price of four when they are all ready. We can only offer this within the European Union because of the way international postage is structured. But I have all the time recommended anyone to make a deal with their local chess pusher to pay for four volumes in advance and get all five. I know some would do it.
@decredico
Fundamentals series first (Orange) then Beyond the Basics (Green) and Mastery (Blue). I hope I got the colours right!
@Abramov Anjuhin
Yes, we should do this.
@ Jacob Aagaard
Wrong colours !
Orange, then Blue and last Green
Hi,
It would be great if the d4 Sidelines book would also treat the necessary repertoire responses to 1. Nf3. For instance, 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 vs Nimzo and the appropriate Grunfeld lines too etc.
@Jacob Aagaard
Just got the first three (Fundamentals–you know, for kids!) and the first of the middle series.
@Alra
That is an entirely seperate book, which is planned as well.
@MacElligott
Yeah, I know. But I did not want to take it down just because I am an idiot!
Well, I fell better about being confused by it all now…
In the meantime, these really are superb books and I am looking forward to getting as much done with them prior to this years’s World Open here in the States.
@decredico
Good luck! Just remember that permanent progress takes time and that the rewards usually takes more time to come through than we want or feel is fair. My general estimate is 50% extra time :-). But this training system works. The principles have been replicated endlessly and they work every time, but provide no miracles.
How about a guess for Avrukh’s books similar to Schandorff?
My guess:
1…Nf6:
Veresov-3…Nbd7
Trompowsky-2…e6
Torre-King’s Indian style set-up
London-King’s Indian style set-up
Colle-King’s Indian style set-up
Stonewall-King’s fianchetto set-up with …e5
Barry Attack-King’s fianchetto set-up
1…d5:
Veresov-2…Bf5
Trompowsky-2…Bf5
Torre-3…Ne4/4…c5
Colle-…Bf5/…c6/…e6 setup
Stonewall-…Bf5/…c6/…e6 setup
Barry Attack-2…Bf5
@Gilchrist is a Legend
I will talk to Andrew when he comes back and we will set up a competition a little in the style of the board game mastermind :-).
Boris said that he would aim to finish the book for the end of June. Obviously there is then editing and typesetting, but an August publication looks reasonable.
Tomorrow I will start the typesetting of Lars’ Queen’s Gambit book and the Morra Gambit. We have not yet decided exactly what the order of publication will be, but we are only a limited amount of weeks away.
The last report on the King’s Gambit book is 800+ pages in word. This will definitely be our biggest book ever!
August for Avrukh’s book and July for Schandorff’s books, what about typesetting Ftacnik’s books?
@Gilchrist is a Legend
They are not that progressed yet. It is a big work.
When can we expect excerpts for Schandorff´s books?
After 1…d5 I can`t believe that passive set-ups with Bf5, c6 and e6 are the way to go for Black when facing passive white openings like Torre, Colle and Stonewall
What about lines for Nimzo Indian/Queens Indian Players
Lines based on …e6 and …b6
@Nick
Andrew should be back tomorrow and we will make a list for people to guess to.
Seeing as that we are talking 1 book to accomodate all QP defenses, I’m going to guess that he’s going to go with systems that work with multiple openings. There is no way you can accomodate an exact King’s Indian, Grunfeld, Nimzo, QGD, Slav, etc set-ups.
Therefore, I predict the following:
1. For those that play 1…Nf6 and 2…g6 systems (KID, Grunfeld, Benoni)
– Colle is nonsense here
– London – Lines with d6, an early Qe8, and e5
– Torre – 3…Bg7 and 4…d5 (especially after 4.Nbd2). Might make Grunfeld players happier than KID players, but that’s the breaks sometimes
– Veresov – 3…Nbd7 (via 2…d5)
2. For those that play 1…Nf6 and 2…e6 systems (Nimzo/QID/BID)
– Colle – 3…b6
– London – 3…b6
– Torre – 3…h6
– Vereson – 3…Nbd7 (via 2…d5)
3. For those that play 1…d5 (QGD/Slav/QGA)
– Colle – Main Line with d5, e6, Nf6, c5, Nc6
– London – 2…e6 and 2…c6 covered, intending 3…Bd6 and 3…Qb6 respectively
– Torre – Nonsense vs 2…c6, 3…Be7 vs 2…e6
– Vereson – 3…Nbd7 (via 2…Nf6)
@Jacob Aagaard
Have the page counts for Ftacnik’s books become much more than expected? 😀
@Gilchrist is a Legend
It’s funny that I lost both Avrukh 1. d4 books when moving and now I want a reason to buy them again. It would be so awesome if QC did a minor update in the next printing… you know just with the busted lines eliminated and a few new move additions. Call it Avrukh 1. d4 1.1. 😀
@ Patrick
I wouldn´t call a colle vs. the KID nonsense since it´s basically a reversed French/KIA (1 e4 e6 2 d3 d5). It´s not completely harmless since White intends to expand on the queenside with c4, b4-b5, a4 and so on. It should certainly be mentioned in a book about d4-sidelines covering 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6.
@Alra
No new prints on the way at the moment I am afraid. We did update GM1 a bit when we reprinted though.
@Gilchrist is a Legend
No control yet! We were just to optimistic.
@Tom Tidom
3.Nbd2 is interesting here. After 3…d5?! 4.b4! White has a fantastic score.
@ Chess Tactics from Scratch
Yesterday I was working through chapter 300 Test positions – The Reloader.
Excercise number 40. V. Popov – A. Khalifman, Aix-les-Bain 2011, with Black to move, has only partial variations.
You omitted to write that after 21.Kh1 Black uses a pin: 21…. Nxe3 22.fxe3 Qh3!+ 23. Kg1 Qxg2 mate 🙂
But of course I saw this variation during my calculation 🙂
@ Lubomir Ftacnik – Grandmaster Repertoire 6a – Anti-Sicilians
Here is a full list of White deviations on move 2. Please check if you have covered them all!
1.e4 c5
[ 2.f4 ]
[ 2.d3 ]
[ 2.c4 ]
[ 2.b3 ]
[ 2.Bc4 ]
[ 2.Ne2 ]
[ 2.g3 ]
[ 2.b4 ]
[ 2.a3 ]
[ 2.Na3 ]
[ 2.Be2 ]
[ 2.Bb5 ]
[ 2.d4 ]
PS Bloggers please write your suggestions about various omitted moves in other chapters of previous book version, so that we shall not run after Jacob with sledgehammers 🙂 after the new editions is out!
@Abramov Anjuhin
You cannot include all variations. I am sure there were other variaions I should have kept in, that I did not.
@Abramov Anjuhin
I appreciate your efforts but if I see 1.e4 c5 2.Bb5 mentioned in the file, then I promise to delete it. Other moves: 2.Qh5, 2.h3, 2.a4, but this way lies madness, so let’s stop. Although I see 2.Ke2 scores 100% on my database (the idea apparently is 3.Ke3).
Uhm, I don’t get how you figure it’s a reversed French/KIA? Black in no way ever has to play e5, which is what is required in order to make it a reversed French/KIA (since White plays 1.e4 in that line).
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3, all the Bishop is ever going to do on d3 is bite on granite.
Also note, in the KIA vs French lines, Black rarely ever plays Bd6 (the reverse of Bd3 in the Colle System). More typical is 1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 and Black has some various deviations here, like I think Watson mentions something like 4…b5 somewhere, but the main line is 4…c5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 (notice, NOT Bd6), 7.O-O O-O etc.
So the Colle vs 1…Nf6 and 2…g6 does not constitiute a Reversed KIA vs French scenario.
@Patrick
I am probably more with Tom on this one, although Patrick’s points have a principled correctness to them.
At 800+ (!?) plus pages for the King’s Gambit it would seem that such a tome would be unwieldy and difficult to use, keep open and to move about inside to find specific information.
Not really sure this is such a great idea to make such a monstrous paperweight but I guess I can saw it in half on my own and create a two volume set (tongue planted firmly in cheek).
It certainly would be a good excuse to delay publishing even further that the book has become too large and needs to be restructured. But perhaps like federal banking institutions the idea is that it is now too large to fail?
🙂
And all those pages to simply demonstrate that white gets no advantage!
Quite the commitment.
2. c4 is played a few times against me in blitz, but it probably transposes to some other line.
Does that mean Ftacnik’s books will be past September?
No do not delay the King’s Gambit book any more. I have been anxiously awaiting it for months and what seems endless delays. Just do a bailout!
@ Patrick
I have something like 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 e3 Bg7 4 Be2 (not to d3!) 0-0 5 0-0 d6 6 c4 Nbd7 7 b4 e5 in mind. Of course Black isn´t forced to play …e5 here. He can play an early c5 or play …d5 instead of d6 but this leads to a Grunfeld if White continues with c4.
My point is that it´s not an irrelevant set-up. As Black you should know what you do here and so I hope it will be covered by Avrukh
I’m with decredico, don’t overload the book with information that will never be useful to anyone below 2700…the king’s gambit should be understood and concrete analysis should point out only the critical variations…just my 2 cents, regards
Imagine if it were a Grandmaster Repertoire The King’s Gambit!
@kaimano:
In this way you’ll lose the once in a lifetime opportunity to get top notch analysis on such an opening (i don’t think that anyone else cares to analyse in depth from White’s point of view!). You can always “cut” the “irrelevant” information while you’re studying the book, but the information being there is a plus and not a minus. This is just my humble opinion of course.
Except I think the book should also have information useful for those over 2700. It would be nice if the book would be useful for extremely high rated players as well as untitled players of course.
Interesting to me also that the Morra book, which would seem to have as many, or more, sub variations to cover from the white perspective than the KG, in addition to a plethora of declining options, would be the first to bubble up to the surface here (not that it was a race).
@Joeri
Grandmaster Guide The King’s Gambit out in 2-3 months. Guaranteed. More than 600 pages it looks like!
@decredico
I like this a lot. Hats off!
@Gilchrist is a Legend
It seems that way. We will just completely them well and take the time necessary. It is pretty high on the agenda anyway.
@Tom Tidom
As said before, if Black plays …d5 in this set-up and White gets in Nbd2 and b4, Black is just worse.
This means that 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 g6 should be answered with 5.Nbd2! with the idea b4.
@decredico
Yes, I will start typesetting the Morra early next week it seems. I have begun with Schandorff’s Queen’s Gambit book already. The Indians come next. Early July.
Of course in general more information is better than less information…but I think that the “deep” approach is not well tailored on the king’s gambit…some openings require exhaustive analysis (the dragon for example), others prefer the creation of a “feeling”…for example you can’t analyze too deep the KIA (king’s indian attack) because plans and concepts are more important than variations. I think the King’s gambit is in the second group so I’d prefer less variations and more concepts…by the way…any idea to make a KIA book for the future?
@kaimano
No plans for a King’s Indian Attack book; we can’t do everything.
The deep approach will turn out to be more comprehensive than deep. We start on move 2 and cover almost everything! You cannot do this without either a) having a laugh b) being stupid.
Obviously we are not comedians.
Being one that has the Slav and Tarrasch as my main defenses to 1.d4 currently, I can say that if 5.Nbd2 with the idea of b4 is winning for White, all the better! Just goes to prove that Black has to be a knucklehead to play 4…g6 and not 4…Bf5!, which only works here (with 3.Nf3 and 4.e3). Black must avoid such moves after say, 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3, as now 4…Bf5? is bad due to 5.cxd5! Same is the case after 3.Nf3 and 4.Nc3.
I hope Ftacnik’s books do not surpass the total of the King’s Gambit book :D, but what happened to the book? Were some new analyses added to the 6. Bg5 chapters or some lines were decided to have a change suddenly?
I am always confused how to remeber the order ;). Now I think it might be a bit easier to remember:
Make it: BBC as simple as (all) 1, 2 ,3!
(in every series) First Build up, next Boost …and then (R)evolution your chess
I am not sure if for you it could make it easy, but it might be a suggestion (hint) for our memory 🙂
@Jacob:
What is the estimate date of publishing your GM Prep series? (September or November this year – am I right?) I mean what it would be possible to buy the books (5 in prize of 4 – buying at your website).
PS. The chess books covers of GM Jussupov’s series as outstanding: one of the most beautiful (elegant, simple and very attractive) as I’ve ever seen! Amazing layout and clarity: especially front cover!
@ Aagaard & Ntirlis: Playing the French
Please tell us more about this book. Is it to be recommended for Sicilian and 1…e5 players? Shall it be in Grandmaster Guide style, without heavy theory and with second best lines?
But I just wonder how you will overstep fierce competition, and the most wanted:
1. Chess Stars – Nikita Vitiugov: The French Defence Reloaded
2. Everyman Chess – John L. Watson: Play the French 4th edition
3. Chess Stars – Nikita Vitiugov: The French Defence Reloaded
Do inspire us please 🙂
PS Jacob, in Mega2012 you played French Defence as Black in 17 games:
+5=7-5, with performance of Elo 2282. Is this sign for concern?
I haven’t seen Watson\s new French book (correct me if i am wrong, but it is not out yet) but i have seen his first 3 editions of “Play the French” and obviously i have worked on Vitiugov’s books quite a lot. So, i can assure you that the QC book will be much different than these books. We’ll do everything to explain the lines as well as it could get. This is a correct and much needed aproach of an opening like the French Defence in my opinion and an aproach i haven’t seen in any other book on the French so far, at least at the level we’ll do it.
As far as what lines are going to be covered it will be (as Jacob has said already) 3.Nd2 c5 and 3.Nc3 Nf6, presented in a “GM Guide”, with complete games and emphasis in practicality and understanding without leaving out important novelties in critical areas of course.
I have experience at teaching the French Defence from 2002 untill today to players of all levels, and Jacob is one of the best chess writters of modern times (i have seen in his blog, the chess player Aveskulov -with which Jacob has never met or spoke to it seems- putting Aagaard at the same level with Nimzowitch!). So, really i don’t “fear” the competition at all!
Thanks Nikos for sharing your thoughts. I’ll definitely include French Defence in my repertoire 🙂
Besides, do you know when your book shall see a daylight and how much pages will have?
Thx
I am not the man to answer this question! I can imagine at least end of summer for the book but it is really just my personal estimation.
@Nikos Can you tell us how you will react to 4. exd5? exd5 or Qxd5?
Unfortunately I cannot find you with “Ntirlis” in the Mega-DB
A repertoire with …exd5 in the French would be very much appreciated. If you like IQPs in the Tarrasch, then why not in the French too? 🙂
I have bought the new book “Modern French” from Antic & Macsimovic and it seems to be quite (not very) nice. In the chapters I have read (KIA, exchange and Advance) , they explain a lot and give almost always 2-3 alternatives.
For example in the Advance French with 6. Bd3, I have never seen a book which provides so much analysis.
But in 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bd7 6. a3 Nge7 7. b4 cxd4 8. cxd4
Nf5 9. Bb2 Qb6 10. g4 Nfe7 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Nd2 Rc8 13. Rc1 Ng6 14. h4 Be7 15.
g5 O-O A&M stop here, which I can`t accept at all because here after move 15 the fun starts 🙁
I did buy the reloaded Vitiugov too. He explains much less and for example in the Advance French with a3, b4, Bb2 etc he gives again nothing detailed about 10. Be2 variation 🙁
Combining both books gives probably a reasoanble repertoire, but I hope you two guys can even step it up 🙂
You can find me on database as “Dirlis”. Unfortunately i didn’t care much to send an email to the Greek federation in order to tell FIDE to change my name to the correct “Ntirlis”. I don’t play much these days but in one of the latest TWICS you’ll find my games from a tournament in Denmark i played together with Jacob and we both did reasonably well (both won a prize!)
I had …exd5 in the Tarrasch in my repertoire but in 2010 i discovered the correct way to play for White to gain a clear (small) edge. Eingorn, in his 1…e6 repertoire book gives a resonable repertoire for Black. In the 3…c5 5.exd5 exd5 6.Ngf6 line i like 6…a6 more that the traditional 6…Ngf6 (which was my repertoire for years) where Eingorn missed an important transposition. Details about how White gets an edge in these lines will be found in John’s “Playing 1.e4” books.
I haven’t seen A&M’s analysis on 6.Bd3 in the advance, but our solution there is very strong and the lines Black needs to memorise are very few. I don’t see the point of putting large trees of analysis in this line. Of course we’ll check all the sources before the book goes to printer and i (we) never hesitate to put in the recycle bin my (our) analysis if someone else has discovered something simpler and more effective. I have been updating my French notes for years now replacing stuff with ideas that are more practical and can be more easily explained and played in practice when i find them either in a book, or in an article or in games of GMs or low rated local players.
But i always believe that a good book is the one that starts a conversation and gives you the tools and the motivation to search further for your personal preference. This is what we’ll do: give the essential strategic knowledge (not what everyone knows, but really important stuff about the French that only top players have come to understand after years of practice and study), give a practical repertoire and we’ll hope that in this way we’ll give the tools of a journey of personal investigation. So, if the A&M book gave you the motivation to look at these lines further and come to understand the subtleties of these lines deeper, then it proved a good book for you! 😀
@ Bd3 Advance
I truly believe that is not that bad for White as we French players always read in the literature. Vitiugovs book says: “It would be quite objective to confess that the popularity of this gambit belongs to the past. However, even today there are still players who wish to enter such dire straits.”
A&M gives 6. Bd3 a “?!”, but according to my humble understanding of chess he doesn`t give a single line with a clear -+ (the small one) for Black. Maybe it is still coming, since I am not entirely through the chapter.
I myself go my own way to avoid 6. Bd3 by being tricky in the move order with 5…Nge7 and this works perfectly for me.
@exd5-Tarrasch
Sad news about this 🙁 But it will be interesting to see how this stable small plus will look like.
Could you plz be a bit more precise and tell us where in your opinion Eingorn has a leak in his suggestions?
If you have his book, then look at his …Nd6 suggestion in the critical main line of the …exd5 Tarrasch. This seems more or less OK for Black. Black’s idea is to avoid a Knight coming to f5. But, using another move order Black doesn’t have this …Nd6 idea and we transpose to more “traditional” lines. This is all i can say for now. Sorry… 🙂
No, i have a completely different opinion with you on 6.Bd3. If 6.Bd3 was good then the whole Advance French would be an excellent choice against the French. All of White’s strategies (6.a3, or putting Knights on a2 or even 6.Be2!) are based on the fundamental idea of going Bd3 eventually! If you can do it at move 6 without being “punished”, then why these big chess minds evented other systems at move 6? Please note that White can be “punished” if Black can equalise easily, and i don’t mean getting an edge, although i do believe that Black gets an edge (a small one) at the end after 6.Bd3. I can understand that you are following Moskalenko’s suggestions by putting a Knight on f5 allowing Bxf5, but in my opinion Black is a bit worse there and if not worse, then at least his position can become uncomfortable if White plays correctly and i say this after being tortured a couple of times by positional players there (i always test in training games what i am about to teach to my students!)
Of course, in club level play the theoretical assesment is not so important as it is to know the plans of the position and also important is the “practicality” of the position, which means that we know we are not going to play perfect chess but what happens if our position is so sensitive and doesn’t allow “imperfect” play in the sense that every bad move makes our position very bad? We’ll avoid those positions, but i don’t think that following the main lines of the 5.Bd3 advance leads to an unpractical position because the amount of theory you need to learn is low (and consider that it is a line very popular at club level, so a bit of theory knowledge will pay off), but in other places we prefer to avoid theory and go with simpler solutions.
Thanks for this constructive conversation by the way! It is always great so talk with French Defence lovers.
I am enjoying this too 🙂
I will buy Eingorns book because he deals with IQP-Tarrasch and I am very interested in “understanding” – at least trying to understand 😀 – these structures.
I will keep this …Nd6 in mind, maybe I can feel out where he can be “tricked” 🙂
Interesting viewpoint on the Bxf5 structure:
I know Moskalenkos regards this as harmless for Black and in my own practice I was getting very good results with it too, regardless if White pushed his h-pawn to h5 or not.
Hopefully you can include such structurell discussiosn in your book 🙂
@essential strategic knowledge (not what everyone knows, but really important stuff about the French that only top players have come to understand after years of practice and study
Sound very interesting and promising!
I can well imagine that this may refer to …f6 or …f5?
Have a look on this one: Movsesian-Gurevich, 1997
r2qkb1r/pp1b1ppp/2n1p3/3pP3/1P1P4/P3PN2/6PP/RN1QKB1R b KQkq – 0 10
In my move order Black hadn`t played …Bd7 but …Qb6 instead. With a queen on b6 I never would have thought about …f5.
But in this specific position with a queen on d8, then …f7-f5 looks even for me much more logical. Houdinis and Rybkas tell me, you can play what you like, it doesn`t matter for the eval. I believe those engines everything in tactics, but in positional and strategic aspects I am always cautios.
In the game Gurevich didn`t manage to force his play on the queenside, but concentrated all his forces on the kingside himself and in the end White found a nice tactic to gain the advantage.
I have a german rating of above 2000, which is not bad but naturally it isn`t by far the level of chess you are playing Nikos.
Getting a feeling of when it is necessary/better to try to blockade the kingside with …f5 or open the f-file with …f6 is for me very difficult to understand.
In books we always read about things like prophylactic thinking, but in concrete situations it is a tough task to deal with^^
And in this specific position I tend to believe that …f6 would have been better than …f5. I can`t believe that White can create an attack without his darksquared bishop, but who am I to judge this when Gurevich played …f5?
@Tomasz Chessthinker
I am not sure the whole series will be out in 2012, even though this is definitely something I want to do.
@Abramov Anjuhin
Nikos is the main author, I am just supporting and checking. I think you will find that the book is as good as the Tarrasch books, which received riveting reviews.
Yes, one of the nice things about the French is that computer preparation helps much less than other openings. That’s why French can be a “killer” in club level play if a Black player understands the opening well enough.
Jacob, thanks for reply 🙂
In July I’ll buy several books, so please tell me which hardvover editions will be available. I’m counting on Schandorrf’s 2 books and GM Positional play. Any date for Playing the French?
@Abramov Anjuhin
Schandorff for sure. Positional Play is a bit further into the future, though not too much.
One of the reasons GM6- 2nd editions are delayed a bit is that I decided to go to Moscow and to finish Positional Play. I will then take a break from the GM Prep project to play my last three tournaments and finish GM6s and the French book.
I will then return to Strategic Play, Endgame Play and Thinking Inside the Box.
So, I am going to be busy the next 6-9 months, before we even get to the GM Repertoire 1.e4 (for which we already have a lot of material). I am very excited about the work we are doing, but obviously, we cannot do it faster than humanly possible.
Is it still the intention John’s King Gambit book will be released before his e4 volumes? Also, I was wondering if there is a preferred chess engine you guys use? My question is motivated by Kaufman enthusing about Houdini Aquarium in his recent Complete Repertoire book.
Wouldn’t it be best to have the Play 1. E4 books on the Sicilian for White released before GM6? I dpn’t want to get GM6 and find Thea bunch of the lines refuted in the next book. It’s less of an issue the other way around because even if Black finds improvements, White won’t usually be busted. He’ll just need to accept an equal position.
@Jacob Aagaard
@Paul
Yes, we will release it within 2 months. I like using Rybka and Fritz13 in combination personally, because I want the variety of ideas offered by such different engines. John is a Houdinin fan and so is Nikos. I am not sure what Andrew uses, I assume Houdini. We are not really fuzzy, I think. The main thing is to think along with the computers.
@Alea
I think there will actually be an overlap. What is happening is that the people working on 1.e4 and the people working on GM6 are not overlapping. But I think the Sicilian is going to look good after these books, although chess is still a game that can be played…
@Jacob
Don’t let Phil Harris know you are running anything but the latest Houdini on that machine he built for you! 🙂
@George Hollands
George,
Would it make matters even worse if I mentioned that the latest Komodo seems highly useful?
Right now I finished recapitulation of Ftacnik’s GM Rep The Najdorf Sicilian, chapter 13 – The Rock 6.Be2. In dense 50 pages he analyses Scheveningen style, and I’m frustrated every day more and more. Why you can’t put in …e5 line? Is it so big nuiance for you Jacob? Come on 🙂
When will GM Prep.-Calculation be available at amazon?
A very small suggestion for change. I think you would agree that your books target a higher range of players, or at least not the rank beginner. Why then do your diagrams from series like Grandmaster Repertoire (I have 1 and 4 in front of me) include the letters and numbers for the squares? This just seems like visual clutter to me. I mean this in a constructive way – I love your books. Does anybody here find the algebraic key useful?
I find that highly useful because I can quickly see how it relates to the algebraic notation. My rating hovers around 1700 and 1800. Another thing, I LOVE diagrams. I don’t want to have to take out a chess set or plug it into the computer whenever I want to understand what the author’s talking about. The frequency of diagrams in the Move by move series is pretty much where I’d like it to be and I’m willing to pay more for it.
@Jacob Aagaard
This discussion of GM6 makes me want to have the book even more :). Do you think the book will become big like King’s Gambit, and 6. Bg5 Chapters will be more than 200 pages?
I find the algebraic to be superfluous both in book diagrams and on actual game boards.
I’ve had people (during series of blitz games) insist on switching board every game so that is is ‘set-up right.’ Used to be they made these vinyl boards without these idiot gauges but no they seem ubiquitous.
So, consider this motion seconded.
In FIDE tournaments I thought boards and clocks are provided? Each board, from board 1 to board 50 should have the same design. In almost all countries boards are provided to avoid this discrepancy.
@Abramov Anjuhin
And about 6…e5 in the Najdorf, I play almost completely 6…e5 systems too. But I am not sure if Ftacnik will want to analyse both 6…e6 and 6…e5. Having 6…e5 and 6…e6 for every main line sixth move of White where this is possible (6. Be3 (both moves 6…e5 and e6 are in the 1st edition already), 6. g3, 6. Be2, 6. f4, etc.) would be very nice, but might make the GM6b book on the main lines quite large.
@ Tom and decredico
Well, I find the algebraic very useful both in books and on boards. I am also one these guys who ALWAYS, even in free, (blitz) games insist on the right set-up. I am a German bookkeeper, this may it explain… Anyway I guess you will never find a clear majority for or against algebraic, so let it be decided by Quality.
Jacob, listen!
How about making a standard in pure training and puzzle books.
Yes, I know that we have „Quality Chess Puzzle Book“ and upcoming „Grandmaster Preparation” series, but this is not what I mean. In range of Elo 1600 – 2300, according to latest FIDE rating list of 1st May 2012, are 102027 players or 70%.
Precisely in this range you don’t have REAL PUZZLE BOOKS. „Quality Chess Puzzle Book“ is more as a collection of articles and for enjoyment. But we need real stuff which includes following:
a) Fields:
-Tactics
-Calculation
-Attack & Defence
-Strategy & Positional play
-Endgame
b) Minimum of 600 exercises in „motif“ section followed by minimum 300 exercises without clue in „test“ section, so each test should have 12 exercises just like in Jussupow’s books
c) Rating list according to earned points or percentage list should be added at the end of book
d) Difficulty range: Elo 1600 – 2300
e) Next level: Grandmaster Preparation series – Elo 2300 – 2700
I hope that you see my point now. Bear this in mind while you will evaluate my suggestion with your team members at Quality Chess:
1. you said that “reading can help, but truly it is pushing yourself that makes a difference, which is why we have so many puzzle books. „. Well this is only partially true because you’re lacking on them.
2. There are only few competitors and just in some fields:
-Tactics: unsurpassed Informator’s „Anthology of Chess Combinations, 3rd edition“, Müller’s „The Chess Cafe Puzzle Book 1“, Ivashchenko’s „The Manual of Chess Combinations 2“, and Emms’ „The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book“
– Strategy & Positional play: Müller’s „The Chess Cafe Puzzle Book 2“ and Dunnington’s „Can You Be A Positional Chess Genius“
-Endgame: Guliev’s „The Manual of Chess Endings“
3. Make a lifetime standard in puzzle books! Don’t be satisfied with few euro coins in your pocket, when you can make a history, even in your young age 🙂
We want to be better and to train in best way with Quality Chess books! Please, don’t leave us in the dark! Make us ready for „Grandmaster Preparation” series 🙂
@Ankit
In 2013 when all the books are published in paperback
@Gilchrist is a Legend
I hope not! But certainly, it will grow.
@Tom
We introduced it in 2008 and have not regretted it at all. It is helpful to have an universal style and although only some people find it useful, very few find it objectionable.
@Abramov Anjuhin
I think you need to ease a bit on your medication. At 38 I am no longer very young I fear! There are many good books in the subjects you mention. We even have a great puzzle book ourselves (Sune Berg Hansen congratulated John Shaw on making the best puzzle book ever and John just accepted it, not acknowledging my contribution [80%] the scumbag). Have you looked in CHESS TACTICS FROM SCRATCH? I think the section we have included there is a whole puzzle book in itself!
And when POSITIONAL PLAY comes, hopefullly you will be happy with this as a training book on positional play.
I have hardback edition of CHESS TACTICS FROM SCRATCH and I’m on 50th exercise 🙂 But you didn’t answer on puzzle books! Why not Jacob?
Has this updated list of recommended titles from the FIDE Trainers’ Commission been mentioned here?
http://trainers.fide.com/recommended-books.html
QC is represented by 11 entries (18 titles).
In response to those that talk about notation on boards, and turning the boards correctly, here’s my take:
1) Letters around the diagrams are not a bad thing. Those that feel the need to have it get it, those that don’t, it’s not overwhelming to the eye.
2) As for on the board, I have no issues with a board that doesn’t have it. However, if it does have it, I insist it be in the right direction for a regular, slow time control game, like 40 moves in 2 hours followed by sudden death in 1 hour. However, for Blitz tournaments, where you play a White and a Black against your opponent, I’ll set up the board, not even look to see which direction it’s sitting in (other than the fact that White’s Queen is to the left of his King), and if it’s backwards, it’s backwards. It will be forward for the other game. I get an opponent that insists on turning it around when we aren’t even taking notation? I turn the board around, give them “the look”, and all respect for them is gone!
Hesse_bub: e4 is always a white square, c5 always a dark square regardless of what the label on a board states.
This is why these labels are superfluous and silly.
Once one learns the squares that person has no need for these labels on the outside of the board.
I am not sure why so much issues there are with the notation, because if you play FIDE-rated tournaments, norm tournaments, international opens, etc. you will always receive the same board AND pieces AND clock. The last international tournament I played was Canadian Open, and if I remember correctly, I never brought pieces or boards, sometimes even clocks. The tournament organisers provided the top boards with wooden boards, wooden pieces, and FIDE clocks. The other boards had the same board type, same pieces, etc. If you play in high level tournaments (only >2200 or >2300 FIDE allowed) then the boards, pieces, and clocks are always provided. Every player in the tournament will play with same board, pieces, and clocks, so no one can complain about the board design not having or having notation or a certain design they find annoying. And if there is notation, trying to rotate a wooden board with heavy wooden pieces that the tournament provides, for any reason, is too tedious to accomplish anything useful.
@Jacob Aagaard
Are there new cover designs for each of GM6 yet? 🙂 I hope at least GM6 is released before New Year’s Eve 😀
Gilchrist is a Legend: My thinking is that the overwhelming majority of players do NOT play in these types of tournaments. I am making no assumptions about the playing strength of people that post comments on this blog but I suspect that the majority of people looking at and purchasing these fine products from Quality Chess
In the US even many of the FIDE tournaments require people to bring their own equipment so my remarks were wrought from this reality.
And in light of your comments I would say that means even less reason to keep the training wheels, er I mean notation, on book diagrams.
🙂
Even if one does not play in >2200 or >2300 tournaments or FIDE tournaments, I have noticed , especially in Europe that the tournament provides all of the boards, pieces, and clocks. One can see pictures of some tournament halls, and all of the boards are the same, also the boards and playing clocks.
I do not think I have played in a tournament with FIDE rated players only allowed that allows personalised boards, pieces, and clocks. What if someone brings a chess set with cartoon characters represented as pieces? 🙁
Perhaps the solution is to have the tournament organiser be required to provide all playing equipment, and perhaps a board without notation. I was always accustomed to the idea that the tournament organiser would provide all playing equipment from board, chess clocks, pieces, scoresheets, pens, drinking water, etc.
I cannot remember if the boards I played on there had notation or not, but no one seemed concerned about the board. Likewise I think there were the FIDE clocks provided–the type where the clock button is raised on the White player’s clock side, and the player playing as Black must press the middle button on the clock to start White’s time.
If tournament organisers provide the board without notation, and pieces, clock, etc. then at least no players can bring different types of chessboards with or without notation..
@Abramov Anjuhin
But I did!
@ Jacob or Nikos
In your upcoming book ‘Playing the French’ could you shed some light on the lines you recommend?
Tarrasch 3…c5 is it lines with Qxd5 or exd5?
Classical 3…Nf6 is 4.Bg5 is it lines with 4…Bb4, 4…dxe4 or 4…Be7?
Advance lines with …Bd7, or …Qb6
If this is asking too much detail I apologise I am just curious 🙂
@Nick
Your polite attitude is greatly appreciated. Nikos will answer all questions on this book, although I am not sure we have made all the decisions yet!
Hi Abramov,
Before I buy any book I read reviews and only when the book is Very good, I buy them. So my collection is very small but have some excellent books.
I agree with you that good books are few …
Manual of Chess Combinations 2 – Ivaschenko
Combinational Motif/Art of Combination – Maxim Blokh (The best book on tactics PERIOD and best read after Chess Tactics from Scratch)
Anthology of Chess Combinations – Informator
Chess Tutor – Leslie Ault
Positional Chess Handbook – Israel Gelfer
Can You Be A Positional Chess Genius – Angus Dunnington
The Manual of Chess Endings – Sarhan Guliev
Zurich 1953 – Bronstein
Life & Games of Mikhail Tal – Misha himself
Pal Benko – Life & Games – Pal Benko
Karpov’s strategic Wins 1&2 – Tibor
Yusupov Series
Have you tried Aagard’s book on Calculation. It’s a Gem of a Book. Aagard’s book have this kind of FRESHNESS as compared to other books. They are kind of looking at the same things as given in N number of books, but with a refreshing new look and the way he explains are so easy to understand and recall during games.
The Vacuum lies around the Endgame Exercise book and exercise book on Attack and Defense and . I have not been able to get my hand’s on Aagard’s book on Defence and Positional Play as they are out of stock but I assume it to be as good as his other books.
There are some authors who I automatically buy anything they write. Other books I read reviews that are by reviewers I trust (pro or con!) before I decide. Jacob is certainly one, Marin, Shipov, Suba and a couple others (it is early in Florida and I’m on summer break from teaching). I do tend to buy almost anything QC publishes though so I guess you could include at least one publisher.
Quality Chess are the only publisher that I will happily buy a book “blind” ie without the need to flick through it at a book stall.
I have in my library – (Hardback where available)
San Luis 2005
Karpov’s Strategic Wins 1 +2
GM Rep 1 through 9
Experts on Anti Sicilian
The Cutting Edge Vol 2.
GM Prep Calculation
Chess Tactics From Scratch
Advanced Chess Tactics
Quality Chess Puzzle Book
Yusopov Training Series
Attacking Manual 1 + 2
My System
Chess Praxis
Soviet Chess Strategy
Positional Chess Sacrifices
GM Vs Amateur
Chess Lessons
GM Battle Manual
I can honestly say that I haven’t been even slightly disappointed by any of them and would recommend all of the above as necessary additions to any serious player’s library.
Bravo Quality Chess!! Raising the bar for publisher’s everywhere.
Now…….. how do I find time to read them all?
I am also interested in the Playing the French book. I was hoping 6. a3 c4 lines are covered, one of my favourite in the Advance Variation due to the positional character of the play. And also if more than one line against each main line is covered, for example one main line and one sideline or two main lines.
@Nick:
Tarrasch: 3.Nd2 c5 and …Qxd5
3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 and on 4.e5 Nd7 5.f4 we are working on multiple suggestions at the moment.
3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 and here i have both 5…Bd7 (my long time favourite) and 5…Qb6 in my files. We have yet to decide what will be the one choice here.
@George Hollands
I feel offended! Why GM Rep 1-9 and not GM 10? 😀
@Sunil:
Excelleing at Positional Chess was my favourite of the series
Hi,
I’m enjoying slowly working my way through your puzzle book (basically the more commuting I need to do the more I get through) and curious to invest the in the grandmaster repertoire books as they appear – (for positions to set up on a board a home). i guess like many people who buy chess books, i’ve spent far more time doing ‘find the move/plan’ type exercises (e.g khmelnitsky’s chess exam series, http://www.chess.com ‘mentor’) or perhaps occasionally following live broadcasts (e.g Anand – Gelfand etc.) than actually playing competitively myself. I do enjoy competitive games (with about 12 fide games to my name my rating has emerged at about 1850)
but rarely can spare a whole long weekend and actually quite enjoy being able to delve in and out chess without necessarily being stuck to the board for 8hrs at a time.
Anyway, my question is whether I should be put off by the high rating target audience for these books or whether to just delve in and enjoy the challenge. I like that the exercises will cover a range of calcuation, strategy, endgame motives etc and aren’t directly ‘themed’ (hence why i’m more attracted to this project than the yusopov series).
Reading through some of the posts here some people do seem to be quite obsessed with ratings assigned to books and i wonder if that’s really necessary. I mean if I can’t solve a lot of the exercises but can appreciate/enjoy the answers that’s ok with me. Of course if I don’t even understand the answers that’s a different matter ;-).
With warm wishes from ‘down under’.
A general remark:
Dreaming of future books can sometimes be an excuse for not reading existing books.
He, who wants to study, has more than enough material for a lifetime.
For example, if all the people, who express their wishes for new books, would study the Yusupow series, the would have no time for posting every time about ‘the ultimate endgame/tactics/strategy book’ the need to get better.
Of course, good new books are always welcome, but if one wants to get better, he doesn’t have to wait the upcoming…
@John B
Probably the best way to work this out is to have a look at the excerpt and make up your own mind. But by principle I never discourage anyone from studying anything, only warn that some things can be quite challenging. However, the POSITIONAL PLAY book will definitely be useful for you.
@werner
I think it was Tony Robbins who was approached by a big fat lady who asked him about the most effective training system. She explained that she wanted to study the field extensively before she got started, to make sure she did it the best way. Robbins suggested that a big man shouting ‘run’ would do the trick.
@Nikos Ntirlis
Who knows, maybe we will even have multiple suggestions?!
Thanks for the reply Jacob. I’ll see how I get on with the exercises in the excerpt and go from there. For now I still have plenty of John Shaw shouting ‘run!’ at me through the puzzle book!
@John B
Indeed. I am not entirely innocent when it comes to that book either :-).
Nikos you can rest easy I have GM rep 1-5. 7-10. I am probably going to get the 2nd edition of GM6 though. I am interested in the French book too and the advance variation, just had another look at the Moskalenko ideas.
@Nikos
Don’t worry, despite it not being an opening that would fit in with my repertoire for Black (I used to play KID but now play the Slav), I will soon add your book to my collection.
I play 1.d4 and GM10 will no doubt help when I face the Tarrasch in ICCF Games. I’ve only ever faced it once OTB and was winning in about 10 moves 🙂
@Jacob
Nice story!
Is the first week of july for publication of the Playing 1. d4 books still most likely? Do you have an exact date for publication?
And what about excerpts for us, 1.d4 players 🙂
Come on guys, it is the same procedure as always. It`s done when it`s done 🙂
GM Aagaard:
Any thought of translating some of the Russian-language tactical puzzle books to the English language? There must be a mountain of material available in Russian that is not available in English. I mean translating only the very best of the best.
Thanks
@Jasper
No excact date yet. The printer is quite busy, so we might get in the back of a rather long queue with THE INDIAN DEFENCES. This happens only rarely, but is quite frustrating when it does. We are proofreading THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT and expect it printed in 3 weeks time.
@Jacob Aagaard
No plans and I think it is very unlikely we will do this. In general I have found that the old books require quite a lot of new analysis to make work and this would increase ten-fold with puzzle books. Read the foreword for PRACTICAL CHESS DEFENCE to see that I have done my dues. Besides, we have the best ever puzzle book according to many in QUALITY CHESS PUZZLE BOOK and this has not sold millions :-).
If Queen’s Gambit is printed in 3 weeks, it will be in printer soon then with excerpt? Should Queen’s Gambit book be purchased separately from Indian Defences if they are not published at the same time?
@Gilchrist is a Legend
The intention is still to publish them at the same time. There should not be more than a few weeks between them. But maybe we will change our minds on the editorial meeting tomorrow.
Nagging endlessly about excerpts is not pleasant.
I will buy both new Schandorff books for 100% sure.
Obviously you cannot read the interesting chapters in just one week and the new chess season is approaching.
If the Queen`s Gambiz book can be published 2-3 weeks earlier, then plz do it 🙂
@ Nikos
Forgive my ignorance as I am to a regular French defence player.
Regarding the repertoire choices for the upcoming book ‘Playing the French Defence’.
Is there a reason why you have chosen the McCutcheon variation. The reason I ask is that John Watson recommends this as does ‘The Modern French’ by New in Chess as does Vitiugov in ‘The French Defence Reloaded’. just seems weird that 4 recent books all suggest the same thing. Is it so much better than Be7 and dxe4?
Thanks in advance
“Is it so much better than Be7 and dxe4?”. The answer to this is: clearly yes!
I personally would much rather play the MacCutcheon rather than 4…Be7 or 4…dxe4. But the real question is which is better, Winawer or Classical? 😀
@Gilchrist is a Legend
We have a grandmaster working on a two-volume GM Repertoire in the French, with the Winawer and 3.Nd2 Nf6.
I can’t remember, did Kotronias agree to do the GM Rep: KID, or did I make that up?
@TonyRo
He delayed it, but eventually it should exist.
The abundance of French Defence repertoire books this year will definitely increase the popularity of this opening. I might start playing it regularly instead of the Sicilian as I have done for the past 10 years. The GM Repertoire books on French and Slav will definitely be an excellent repertoire for Black for both 1.e4 and 1. d4, a solid style repertoire, whilst GM6 2nd Edition and Avrukh’s GM Repertoire on Grünfeld both can serve as a more attacking player’s repertoire.
The Sicilian Najdorf as an opening repertoire, for example, one can choose either 6…e5 or 6…e6, but the French has a large amount of choices for each main move: Winawer 4…Ne7/4…Qd7/4…b6, Winawer 6…Qa5/6…Qc7/6…Nc6, Winawer 7…Qc7/7…0-0, for example is only the Winawer, with the Classical having its own abundance of choicse.
@Gilchrist is a Legend
It is typical – whenever you need a bus you wait for a long time and then two comes at once…
@Jacob Aagaard
Yeah, but even if it’s not the same people working on the 1. e4 book and GM6 2nd Ed., they could still greatly benefit from each other’s ideas. And I’d feel much more at ease if GM 6 was released after the 1. e4 book lines are already considered. If this were the Kan Sicilian, perhaps I’d be less worried, but it’s the Najdorf after all! Keep in mind that one of Flacknik’s alternative lines vs Bg5 (Chapter 18, f4 h6) is already refuted. With new engines coming out in August/September and people using 24-core core computers sometimes, or Rybka cloud, which is even more powerful, any inaccuracy can be quite costly and quickly. My guess is that Najdorf opening analysis is already at ~3500 ELO strength for the first 10-15 moves.
Re: Avrukh’s 1.d4 Sidelines books. Has it been confirmed that he would cater to 1…d5 and Nimzo players as well? I would have assumed that he’d focus on a repertoire that fit with his Grunfeld books.
@Jon
Yes. The book was delivered a few days ago and met all expectations.
Hi,
I recently met a Najdorf line that is apparently quite popular but I didn’t find in Flatnick’s book. Here goes:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. O-O
O-O 9. f4 Qc7 10. g4 Unless I’m mistaken, I really hope this will be covered in the next edition. Although, I plan on trying his e5 lines too.
The other system that wasn’t covered is a bit rare but potentially very dangerous: The Wing Gambit. The bad version’s covered but not the modern one which goes: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. b4. Again, I’m eagerly awaiting his analysis on this.
Thanks!
Ftacnik… apologies for massacring his name. 😀
@Alea
Have you checked our PGN file? You will find some of what you are looking for there.
I appreciate that the books get updates but why one enormous PGN for every book ever made by QC? I’m trying to find it now but it seems difficult.
Found the 10. g4 line! Thanks!
BTW: Immortal 2012a has the line in an update but with a different move at the end:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. Qd2
b4 9. Na4 Nbd7 10. O-O-O Qa5 11. b3 Bb7 12. a3 Qc7 13. axb4 d5 14. Kb1 dxe4 15.
b5 Be7 16. b6 Qc8 17. Bc4 exf3 18. gxf3 Ne5 19. Be2 O-O 20. c4 Rd8
However, the HIARCS opening book has Ng6 instead… unclear though because it only has 2 White wins there. I only looked at this variation by accident since I was surprised to see a pawn go to b6 when reading the PGN file.
@Alea
If you sort by ECO code it should only take a moment – however looking through many files to find something you are not sure about is a nuceance. And for those just browsing one file is an advantage as well.
I’ll try that next time.
Anyway, I keep encountering 2. Bc4 in blitz and while I’m sure it’s harmless, maybe it’s still worth analyzing in the next edition for like a paragraph.
1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bb5+ Nc6 6. d4 and apparently ChessBase shows that I accidentally transposed into some other opening that scores well for White.
I suppose well is an exaggeration, it said cxd4 was 65% White but after 7. cxd4, Nf6 is doing fine for Black.
@Alea
3…a6 with the idea 4.d4 b5 with a tempo up on the St George. I have no idea who this favours, but I would think Black is ok. But this transposition is also false I would guess. Are you sure it is not White to play in those game scoring well (and it is considered equal beyond that).
I’ve going over the Alapin coverage with engines, the HIARCS book as well as many free CTG books like Immortal 2012a. I used Tiviakov’s excellent ChessBase DVD to reference the lines too.
While interesting and offbeat, I don’t think Black can equalize fully in the d6 line. Then again, I think the Alapin is nearly as strong as the Open variation so I doubt equality is easy in any lines.
I’m also not sure if the g6 line equalizes. Tiviakov is very confident in White’s position but he doesn’t show the critical black line which probably goes like this:
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Na3 cxd4 7. Bc4 Qe4+ 8.
Be3 Nh6 9. cxd4 O-O 10. Nb5 Nc6 11. Nc3 Qg4 12. h3N! Qh5 13. Be2 Nf5 14. Bd2 Nd6
15. O-O Qf5 16. d5
It’s hard to evaluate clearly and there are no human games from here but I think White’s a bit better.
Tiviakov believes that the only line which can equalize for Black is the one he faced from Carlsen:
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 d5 7. exd6 Qxd6 8.
Na3 a6 9. O-O Bf5 10. d4 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. cxd4 e6 13. Qf3 Qd7 (Qc6 is also good)
@Alea
I am a bit more optimistic regarding Black’s options I must say, but this is one of the things that make chess interesting: the conflict of philosophies in battle!
Jacob: Eagerly awaiting your reading list.
A puzzling thought came to me; no endgame books from QC.
@John Johnson
Well, I am working on one for the GM Preparation series. And there is the Marin book. But in general we do not have a lot new to offer so far :-).
@ ENDGAME BOOK
Jacob, you could write book like “600 positions for GM knowledge level” which could include most important endgame positions.
Competition titles are:
1. de la Villa: 100 Endgames You Must Know
2. Marat Makarov: The Endgame
My book suggestion is based on the following article about chess training and training plan which I personally use.
Here is an excerpt for all my friends here on this mighty blog 🙂
WGM Irina Mikhailova, Trainer, T.V. Petrosian Chess Club Moscow, April 11th, 2008:
I. ‘BASE LINE’ TRAINING BEFORE THE INITIAL ELO RATING 2200 IS ACHIEVED:
The aim at this stage is to acquire a playing skill of approximately Elo 2200. At this stage a chess player must have:
a) successfully tested opening repertoire which includes 2 openings as White and 2
openings with the Black pieces
b) master tactics (60-70% of a success rate solving problems of an intermediate
difficulty),
c) firm knowledge of the basics of chess strategy
d) familiarize with about 15-25 common plans from the chess classic examples
e) know typical chess endings: evaluation, plan of play and standard tactical methods
for approximately ***250*** endgame positions.
II. THE 2 YEAR TRAINING AFTER THE ‘BASE LINE’ OF ELO RATING 2200:
It’s main goal is to achieve an Elo rating of approximately 2400, which corresponds
to IM level. A young chess player must:
a) incorporate 3-4 openings into his repertoire as White and as Black
b) master the tactics (90% correctly solving tests of a high complexity with the theme
of the tests unknown)
c) understand a wide palette of strategic devices: how the relationships of the
elements of a position evaluation vary depending on the pawn configuration or on
the alignment of forces on the board
d) know more then 100 typical plans from classical games
e) master elementary knowledge on chess endings: evaluation, plan of play, standard
tactical methods from approximately ***600*** endgame positions; master methods of
play in endings and the so-called ’simple’ positions.
I hope that you shall find my writing useful 🙂
It is more about the “how to master” and how to work,
I was just curious. I know your schedule must be pretty filled for a bit.
How come I don’t see Emanuel Berg: Grandmaster Repertoire – French Defence vol. 1 & 2 in the publishing schedule? Is it still going to be released?
Any release date?
Thanks!
@Arthur Calugar
Yes. But in 2012. Not all lists are comprehensive, this is a blog after all :-).
Jacob,
Speaking of the GM Repertoire on the French vs the stand-alone by Ntirlis, I have a question.
Are they basically the same thing, just GM Repertoire more in depth? Or is there communication going on between the two so as not to write two books on the exact same variations? Like if one covers the Winawer, would the other cover either the Classical, MacCutcheon, Burne, or Rubinstein? If one covers the 3…c5 and 4…Qxd5 lines of the Tarrasch, would the other cover either 4…exd5 or else something else like 3…Nf6 or 3…Be7?
Or are the two working completely independently and we possibly be looking at duplicate books with the exact same lines?
When Jacob said “But in 2012” I think he meant 2013. It is possible Jacob forgot what year this is.