New Blog link – Pump Up Your Rating by Axel Smith

 

Later this summer we shall publish a book by Swedish IM Axel Smith called Pump Up Your Rating. Axel is also writing a related blog called Pump Up Your Rating at the following link. That blog is not controlled by Quality Chess, so it will be up to Axel what he writes about, but I suspect chess improvement will be a recurring theme.

I have read the first draft of Axel’s book and I am delighted with how it is shaping up, but then I would say that, wouldn’t I?

30 thoughts on “New Blog link – Pump Up Your Rating by Axel Smith”

  1. Michael :
    Could not get the link to his blog to work, its just directs us to his book here on your site.

    It looks like it does, but if you notice on the left there are links to blog posts. I was confused too.

  2. If we assue that the book would be published on the 1st of August (even if the release date shows “Expected Release July 2013”, but I know there are always some kind of unexpected turns) – is there a chance to know how many pages would it have? Maybe some kind of exceprt? (I am especially interested in reading the context – to know what topics it might contain).

    It might be really good book – and we can see what “non-GM” author want to share with us. I use the signs of (” “) deliberately because most people think that only player that gained GM title is able to share his teaching views (skills) and show how to really improve at chess.

    I am looking forward to this book (no matter if it would be published in 2 or 5 months). I have read the “Q&A session” (an interview) with the author and I am much more willing to buy this book (of course when I could browse what is inside it). It is very rare (or I did not look at many various books) to write “how to be your own coach” and “what methods works and what not”.

    I am (especially) waiting for the table of contest. Thank you for giving the author the opportunity to show his skills and share his experience! Thank you Quality Chess Team!

  3. Open Question? In GM 11 where does it cover the stonewall as black after a fianchettto on g7? Am I missing it, or is it covered somewhere else in the book by traspo? I ask because I have been playing blitz games lately and running into it a lot. And falling for some silly traps. And yes I know I can just look it up in a database, which I will, but was wondering if it’s in the book, and I just missed it…

    Thanks!!!

  4. Jacob Aagaard

    @Tomasz Chessthinker
    I am pretty sure the book will be out July, but you are fair in saying that it might be August!

    The book is 406 pages in Word. This is 300+. A table of content? I will allow John to do it if he so desires. He is the editor of this one.

  5. Nikos Ntirlis

    After a brief look at GM 11 i see that the Stonewall is covered after 1.d4 d5, but not covered after 1.d4 Nf6. Obviously after 2.e3 (not mentioned) Black can go 2…d5, but this also raises issues of transpositions. So, for the Nf6+e6 Indian Defences and for the Nf6+g6 Indian Defenses the Stonewall is not covered in GM 11.

    In defense of the author, the Stonewall is very silly against these defences and it only has some value against 1.d4 d5. I can say this with confidence because i used to play the Stonewall a lot in my first years of playing chess and i was really getting some silly (i really want here to use a stronger word here) positions where White was much worse (not just worse) after the opening moves.

    As a quick solution could be this:

    1. d4 Nf6 2. e3 e6 3. Bd3 c5 4. c3 b6 5. f4 and now why not 5…Ba6!? I like this for Black.

    And

    1. d4 Nf6 2. e3 g6 3. Bd3 Bg7 4. f4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. Nbd2 e5

    This is just like a known line of the English Opening with Reversed colours against the Stonewall Dutch and looks like a simple and effective solution.

    The above lines are not an attempt of a refutation, but i think that can serve Michael as a quick fix for his next blitz games before they’ll get a more serious mention at the next newsletter.

  6. Gilchrist is a Legend

    Even if it is August for some reason, hopefully the two French books are published in July…

  7. @Nikos Ntirlis
    Thanks Nikos…I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t some how missing it, it’s a big book! I will take your fix for my Blitz and look forward to your next news letter!

    Thanks for all your help!

  8. @Nikos Ntirlis
    I was playing the …d5 move, but then the white knight came to e5 the Queen to f3 and g4 was played with like a Kings Indian reversed attack. Getting my knights to c6 and d7 to play f6 and trade the e5 knight, but with the Queen on f3 the d5 pawn is hanging, also fell for Nxg6 when g4 was not played with a bad king position after it is opened up nicely and the Queen and light squared bishop are working well together and my pieces are all cramped on the Queenside doing nothing. Not a very good defense I was playing thanks for the advice. Some painful losses to bad opening play.

  9. Jacob Aagaard

    @Michael
    The traditional knowledge in the stonewall is that …g5 (here g2-g4) is not advisable until e3/e6 has been played. It is all a battle for the e5-square.

  10. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    ### Grandmaster Guide ### A book suggestion πŸ™‚

    Dear Jacob,

    I’m using Schandorff’s “Playing 1.d4 – The Queen’s Gambit, 2nd edition” and “Playing 1.d4 – The Indian Defences” with great success.

    Just look at my latest success!

    Me – candidate master [E44] (90 min + 30 sec)

    1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Nge2 b6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Nxc3 Bb7 8.Bd3! d5 9.cxd5 exd5

    And now comes my deviation instead of 10.b4! cause I forgot the theory πŸ™‚

    10.0–0!? Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.Qd3 Nb8 13.Bd2 Re8

    I decided to get mobile pawn centre and positions alike in Botvinnik games. My oppeonet thought half an hour and went astray. I got a pawn which was hard to exploit. But I own my tejnique to Jussupow and Dvoretsky πŸ™‚

    14.f3! a6 15.e4 c6 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.exd5 cxd5 19.Nxd5 Qd6 20.Nc3 Nc6 21.Rad1 b5 22.d5 Ne5 23.Qd4 f5 24.Rfe1 Rad8 25.Re2 Nc4 26.Rde1 Rxe2 27.Rxe2 Qb6 28.Qxb6 Nxb6 29.b3 Rd7 30.Rd2 Rc7 31.Rd3 Nd7 32.d6 Rc6 33.Nd5 Rc1+ 34.Kf2 Kf7 35.Re3 Nf6 36.Re7+ Kg6 37.d7 Rc2+ 38.Ke1 Nxd5

    1–0

    Right now I’m preparing for tomorrow’s fight when I’m Black! I’ll be hit with 1.c4 and I’ll use your GM Tarrasch!

    But you could launch a “GM Guide: White deviations for Black” where you shall cover all White replies except 1.d4 and 1.e4, so they are:

    1. Nf3,
    1. g3,
    1. Nc3,
    1. c4,
    1. b3 et altera.

    I hope that many chess fans of your company share my opinion πŸ™‚

  11. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I always buy any books that Avrukh writes.. I wonder what next he will write, but I will end up buying it as well. He has written a repertoire for White, a repertoire for Black against 1. d4/2. c4, and a repertoire for 1. d4 without 2. c4. 1. e4 e5 with a Breyer repertoire would be excellent.

  12. Gilchrist is a Legend

    That opening is not as popular as the Najdorf or Taimanov, probably due to the Rauzer Variation, so it would be interesting if that were his project. I have seen that he has played it in some of his games. Nevertheless there are many Najdorf books despite the insanity of 6. Bg5…

  13. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    I know it is definitely not as popular as the Najdorf…the Taimanov and even the Kan at the higher levels. There is a new book in the Taimanov, nothing new for many years on the Kan and Classical. Although the young Russian Star Dubov uses the Classical with success and is a player to keep as eye on. There was a game of his on Chesspub against Svidler in the RR and he did just fine. Who knows what Avruhk’s next project will be!
    πŸ™‚

  14. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I hope it is the Slav GM Repertoire, as that would be nice. Either that or the Nimzo-Indian, since there do not seem to be many books on either of those two openings.

  15. Gilchrist is a Legend

    Navara-Avrukh 2012
    Iordacheshu-Avrukh 2011
    Polgar, J-Avrukh 2009
    Caspi-Avrukh 2008
    Tseitlin-Avrukh 2008

    are all Breyers played by Avrukh…

  16. We really need a GM rep for black against the English and other flank and offbeat openings…Seeing the English constantly and still have not mastered a good defense.
    Hopefully there is enough demand for this book, I don’t see why not seeing as most people play off beat stuff and a lot use the English simple as a system instead of studying concrete lines.

    #5 is alive!!!
    πŸ™‚

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