Two new excerpts are now available on books we expect to publish on September 29th.
Coffeehouse Repertoire 1.e4 Volume 2 by Gawain Jones is the second half that completes the English GM’s 1.e4 repertoire. Reactions to the first book were wildly favourable, and Volume 2 is equally impressive. The excerpt is here.
The Berlin Defence by Michael Roiz is a complete repertoire for Black after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, using what is, at the elite level, the most trusted move – 3…Nf6. GM Michael Roiz was a second in a World Championship match, so he knows how to analyse and explain an opening. The excerpt is here.
I hope you enjoy reading about both books.
This books will on Forwardchess a week earlier ?
Yes, that’s the plan.
Can you give any more info about Ntrilis’s next book?
@The Doctor
It will be a repertoire book on the English, with branches into other openings, when suitable.
@Jacob Aagaard
Sounds great!
@Jacob Aagaard
Looking forward to Ntrilis book. English sometimes transposing to d4- openings is a great practical approach.
Thinking about the English Opening from the other side of the board for a moment: Because 1.c4 takes the Queen’s Gambit Accepted off the table, and as someone who isn’t totally sold on 1.c4 e5 for Black (as covered in books so far), I’m hoping that in addition to the far-off-in-the-future QGA book there’s a far-off-in-the-future book covering, say, 1…c6 in response to 1.c4 (along with updated Slav coverage in general), or perhaps a book making a convincing case for 1.c4 c5 for Black.
@Benjamin Fitch
There is still a chance for the QGA: 1.c4, e6 2.Nf3, d5 3. d4, dxc4
@Bebbe
That’s a good point, because 3.cxd5 instead is certainly nothing for Black to be unhappy about in that move order. Thanks.
@Jacob Aagaard
Brilliant, looking forward to it especially if it transposes to 1 d4 2 c4 lines rather than blindly sticking to the English just for the sake of it!
@Benjamin Fitch
Check out Mikhailevsky’s book. It deals with all of these variations.
@Jacob Aagaard
It’s a great book (I love the anti-Grünfeld coverage, for instance); however, I feel that since it came out, 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 isn’t holding up terribly well for Black (and that’s the only option in the book for the Black side of the English).
@Benjamin Fitch
Tari just beat Nepomniachtchi with it. But that it the extend of my knowledge, so you may be right 🙂
Having bought these two books at the London chess centre earlier this week it looks like your October offerings are now pushed back to November (including the Fischer book no longer corresponding with the 50th anniversary of Fischer beating Petrosian).
Dear Quality Chess,
I usually play 3…a6 in the Ruy Lopez, but the Berlin has always been interesting to me, but my knowledge is surely quite superficial.
Of course the Berlin is not the most active Defense, but Levon Aronian once said in an interview that the plays the Marshall for a draw and the Berlin for a win.
Hmm, was he trolling the reporter?
One example for this that in the Carlsen-Anand wch match one of the players went for an early Bd7 giving Black teh chance to gor for b6,Kc8-d8 idea etc. and i remember taht the commentators said that this is a fighting approach.
On chess24 there is a video series from GM Fressinet where he gave a repertoire based on how LeelaZero influenced the Berlin endgame.
What I am asking for is:
a) Does GM Roiz give a hint, when there is a more fighting option available for Black? I believe that giving such insides in general increases the value of books very much and improves customer loyality.
b) Does this book have a different approach than that video series?
@new Ntirlis book
I am no more up to date. Can you give a bit more info. If it read above comments, than it seems to be a white repertoire, right?
I hope it is not the usual 1 c4 with 2 g3 setups, which I don’ like at all.
I am hoping for a 1 c4 with 2 Nf3 approach, which fits much better to my usual 1 d4 / 2 c4 / 3 Nf3 repertoire.
I enjoyed both his book “Playing 1…e5” a lot and I rate it very highly on my best purchases of chess books.
@Jacob Aagaard
fore white or black looking forward
I just wanted to say that I really like the Abridged Variation Indexes that you are now including in your excerpts. They are tremendously helpful especially for books like the Coffeehouse Repertoire.
Please get Gawain signed up for more as I’ve been impressed by his coffeehouse books. With so much played at faster limits and online I think there’s a market for a set of slightly dodgy moves but early on eg before move 10 or so much like the SOS column in New in Chess. Magnus seems to do that already with all his move 6 Najdorfs etc Though I guess you published a whole book dedicated to this with the Elephant Gambit ?
My suggested title would be ‘Expresso Coffeehouse”
As a wee addendum of errata on Coffeehouse 2 you mention the Fishbein book in the text but not the bibliography and the 11. f4 option around page 49 should really be in the index too.?
To jacob when the new book will be on the market
To jacob when the new book will be on the market from Nikos
Hi QC team,
In Coffehouse 2, I don’t find the following variation : 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.O-O Bc5 10.f3 Ng5 11.Be3 O-O 12.f4 f6 !? (Zelcic-Travadon, Mitropa Cup 2021) wich seems to put serious problems for White … Gawain please help !!
@Mox Fulder
Never seen Gawain comment here but your friendly neighborhood editor Andrew played a game in this exact line in August so I’m sure he can help you out ?
I agree the game you quote was a demolition and I think that’s because black chose to sac and get the initiative unlike in the book when white gets all the fun. Andrew was obviously well prepared and was doing fine if you follow his game ( my engine said it was only his error b4 letting his opponent get his rooks active rather than Rh1 leads to an edge). Alternatively you can try the crazy 15 b4 line instead of Andrew’s Qf3 where it’s you forcing the pace instead of your opponent.
Alternatively if you don’t like any of this the f4 instead of Be3 move order discussed around p49 avoids all these.shenanigans. Hope that helps ?
Forgot to say explicitly this actually is in the book p55 if you don’t think Andrew and Gawain talked about this….also an article by Erwin L’Ami in New in Chess yearbook 134
“Andrew was obviously well prepared..”
In fact, 12…f6 was a complete shock when Fodor played it against me. I found all the ensuing moves over the board, and he offered me a draw when the endgame arose. (He explained after the game that he had analysed up to there and knew the endgame was 0.00.) I mistook the draw offer as a sign of weakness and this was probably a contributing factor in replying with that dreadful b4 move, after which it was horrible.
In any case, it’s in the book as JB said. We went to a lot of trouble to fit in that update soon before the book was printed.
@Andrew Greet
Thanks for the clarification Andrew…. My database says your game with Fodor was August 19th 2021 ie very recent just before the book was published so you really have it bang up to date but thought you knew about the L’Ami article/Sasikiran correspondence game from editing the Coffeehouse book and presumed you had prepared an improvement over this game for the Fodor game as your 15 Qf3 is a viable try and you played very accurately from move 12…f6 till 27. b4? so kudos to you despite the final result.
Perhaps it could do with a mention of it in the main text and index just like the 11. f4 alternative is missing?
The L’Ami article is worth checking out as it mentions the winning line after 15. b4 Bxb4?! which isn’t in the Coffeehouse book and the 23. f5!? queen sac line mentioned as Jacob’s novelty is also well covered in the article too.
@JB @Andrew Greet
Thanks for all !
QC team is always on top !
@Mox Fulder
You are welcome …say hello to Scully for me