Quality Chess newsletter – two new books and a Glasgow Kiss

 

Dear Quality Chess Reader,

Welcome to the late October (okay, maybe more November) Quality Chess Newsletter.

We have new books on the way. On November 9th we will publish Positional Play by GM Jacob Aagaard and Grandmaster Repertoire 11: Beating 1.d4 Sidelines by GM Boris Avrukh. Both titles clearly tell the story of the contents.

Positional Play is the second volume of Jacob’s Grandmaster Preparation series. As with all the best instructive chess books, the reader cannot be a passive ‘consumer’ – it is essential to get involved and solve the exercises. If you put in the effort, you will be rewarded.

Grandmaster Repertoire 11: Beating 1.d4 Sidelines is a black repertoire after 1.d4 against White’s sidelines (this generally means most moves except 2.c4). GM Boris Avrukh covers almost every non-standard opening line at White’s disposal after both 1.d4 d5 and 1.d4 Nf6. Where applicable, Avrukh covers each white system after both 2…e6 and 2…g6, making this book suitable for fans of many openings, including the Nimzo-Indian, King’s Indian and Grünfeld defences.

We are also distributing to chess shops in Europe books that were published by Mongoose Press. Three new examples are: The Russian Endgame Handbook by Ilya Rabinovich, Thinking With Chess: Teaching Children Ages 5-14 by Alexey W. Root, and Amateur to IM: Proven Ideas and Training Methods by Jonathan Hawkins. I have not seen these books yet, so I will not say more, other than that English IM Hawkins is an impressive player with 2 GM norms and a 2500+ rating. If the publisher had waited a month or two, I suspect the title would be ‘Amateur to GM’.

Our chess file this month (pgn and pdf) concentrates on three openings – the Grünfeld, King’s Indian and the Slav. In the first two, we cover a couple of rare lines not mentioned in Lars Schandorff’s recent book Playing 1.d4 – The Indian Defences. In the Slav, Nikos Ntirlis reveals the story of a black gambit he developed after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3. We have dubbed the line The Glasgow Kiss because Nikos’s early analysis was done in our fine city.

Regards,
John Shaw
Chief Editor
Quality Chess

151 thoughts on “Quality Chess newsletter – two new books and a Glasgow Kiss”

  1. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I have just ordered GM11 one hour ago. I am hoping the Glasgow-Manchester delivery route is quick 🙂

  2. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    # Latest Checkpoint review: Playing 1.d4: The Indian Defences by Lars Schandorff

    When I received this books I was astonished by the number of pages in comparison with Schandorff’s “Playing 1.d4 – The Queen’s Gambit, 2nd edition”. I always thought that there’s much more theory on 1.d4 Nf6!!

    Besides that I was very skeptical about chosen line against Dutch. What a hell should I play French when I do not want it! And when Black tricks me with move order I must load my shotgun named “Avrukh” 🙂

    Disappointed? Definitely yes 🙁

    And how are you Mr. Shaw commenting Hansen’s review? Cut the salary of your workers by 50% for November 🙂

  3. Schandorff does give a recommendation against 1…e6 2…f5 on pg 229. Only 2 pgs though, but it’s probably enough. I think a sideline within the g3 setup as he recommends is the best way to go, to learn the mainlines wouldn’t be practical, as you’re going to face this move order like 1 in a 100 games, maybe less.

  4. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I just looked at the newsletter and the gambit after 4. e3 Bf5 in the Slav. I also wondered about that issue for years, but avoided it because I started playing the Grünfeld more often 🙂

    I used to play 3…dxc4, but now I think I will try 3…Nf6 4. e3 Bf5.

  5. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    Anyone? I have Marin’s “Learn from legends” in German, Hardcover? Can I expect hardcover in English in near future?

    Thanks for reply 🙂

  6. My experiences with’ Playing 1.d4: The Indian Defences by Lars Schandorff’ are the following:
    I tried too add the Nimzo indian, Grunfeld and the Benko gambit to my reportoire. My method is that I quickly study several lines to get some idea and then I play a lot of blitz and rapid games, which I analyse and compare with the booklines. I had never ever played these variations (I only had some experience with the Nimzo and Benko at the black side).

    Nimzo indian
    I studied this line together with some other Nimzo books and I became a little bit disappointed about the theoretical coverage of this opening. A lot of moves, ideas and variations are not mentioned. I even wonder if Schandorff used Sokolov’s book as a reference. In practice my results with this opening were decent but I don’t like the course of the game. It is in my opinion a solid line but not a very ambitious line, for example the mainline with 5…d5 and 6…Be7 (it seems most strong players opt for this line) is not very exciting. In my opinion this varation doesn’t belong in this book and I will probably quit this variation. More ambitious options would have been Nimzo with 4.Bg5, 4.f3 or Queens Indian with 4.a3.

    Grunfeld defence
    In the beginning it was no fun playing this opening with white. It seemed that black had the initiative in the opening and I had to neutrolize it by playing accurate moves, and of course after every inaccurate move I got punished. After a while (and after some careful study) I got some more feeling for the positions and now I have to say that it seems that I like the positions more and more.

    Benko gambit
    I really like this varation against the Benko, it is in my opinion in the spirit of the book. From the beginning of the opening you are fighting for the initiative instead of defending a lousy pawn! I played some exciting games against the 5…e6 variation. This variation I will definitely add to my reportoire.

  7. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    @Jacob Aagaard

    Jacob, after reading only few dozen pages from Attacking Manual 1 I immediately felt the difference between your book and the bulk of others authors. Even after several days of thinking I still can’t grasp where is the magic!

    If you could sequel it with MANUAL OF STRATEGIC & POSITIONAL PLAY that would encircle the almost all main grounds of chess!

    To encourage you, we the ardent readers and supporters of Quality Chess, could form a special “foundation” for mentioned manual (hopefully in 3 books).

    Well, if you wish I can be the first who will pay 100 Euros for such outstanding project!

    What a idea 🙂

  8. @LE BRUIT QUI COURT
    I personally like the Indians better than the QG. I did not really understand Carsten’s criticism of the 1…e6 coverage. Of course White can enter the French, but this is not Lars’ main reputation. Odd, but ok, I often disagree with Carsten on 80-90% of his opinions, which is why it is so interesting to read his reviews. I would like to think it is because I have a deeper look (no other day job!), but of course I would say that :-).

    I like 2.Bg5 against the Dutch. The Dutch I do not want to face is the Leningrad, so 1…e6 does not disturb me at all.

  9. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @John Johnson

    Did you order from QC? I ordered from the QC shop, which is located in Glasgow, and they ship directly to customers. It should not be long I think for most places, and I think they ship on Monday.

  10. I’m very happy I found a rare (in the U.S. at least) hardback copy of Grandmaster Preparation Calculation. I’m only a class “A” weakie (for now) but have gained many rating points thanks to working hard with it. I’ve got 20 or so of the really difficult problems to last me until the Postional book hopefully arrives from Florida. Thanks Jacob.

  11. A question to Jacob and Nikos Re: GM6

    English Attack line

    Line missing

    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. g4 h6 11. O-O-O

    And here the main move is 11…Ne5

    Then you have to be prepared for

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. g4 h6 10. O-O-O b4 11. Na4 Ne5 12. Qxb4 Bd7 13. Bf4

    When the one game I found in my database answers 13.Bf4 with 13…g5

    Fier, Alexandre Santos (2586) vs. Berbatov, Kiprian (2454)

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. g4 h6 10. O-O-O b4 11. Na4 Ne5 12. Qxb4 Bd7 13. Bf4 g5 14. Bd2 Be7 15. h4 gxh4 16. Qb3 Rb8 17. Ba5 Rxb3 18. Bxd8 Rb4 19. Bxe7 Kxe7 20. Nc3 a5 21. a3 Rxd4 22. Rxd4 Nxf3 23. Rd1 Nxg4 24. Be2 Nge5 25. Bxf3 Nxf3 26. Rh3 Ng5 27. Rxh4 Bc6 28. b3 Bb7 29. Kb2 Rc8 30. Rd3 Rh8 31. b4 axb4 32. axb4 h5 33. Kb3 Ba8 34. b5 e5 35. Kb4 Ne6 36. Nd5+ Bxd5 37. Rxd5 Nf4 38. Rd1 Ng6 39. Rh2 h4 40. c4 h3 41. b6 Nf4 42. Kb5 Ne6 43. Rd3 Rc8 44. Rd5 Rh8 45. b7 Kd7 46. Kb6 Nc5 47. Ka7 Kc7 48. Rxc5+ dxc5 49. Rxh3 1-0

    Not carzy about black’s position in this game.

    Is there anything wrong with the line 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. g4 h6 9. Qd2 b4 10. Na4 Nbd7 11. O-O-O Qa5 12. b3 Ne5

    playing 11…Qa5 first, I like this and there is also 11…d5

    Hammer, Jon Ludvig (2380) vs. Airapetian, Tatevik (2268)

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. f3 b5 8. g4 h6 9. Qd2 b4 10. Na4 Nbd7 11. O-O-O Qa5 12. b3 Ne5 13. Kb1 Bd7 14. Nb2 Nxf3 15. Nxf3 Nxe4 16. Qe1 Nc3+ 17. Kc1 Qxa2 18. Nc4 d5 19. Nce5 Qb1+ 20. Kd2 Ne4+ 21. Kd3 Bb5+ 22. Nc4 dxc4+ 23. bxc4 Bxc4+ 24. Kxe4 Qxc2+ 25. Kf4 Bb3 26. Bg2 Qxg2 27. Rd2 g5+ 0-1

    Any thoughts on Move 11 for black?

    🙂

  12. Any opinions from all blog readers on the above lines appreciated!
    Trying to put back together a Najdorf Rep, after some experimenting with the Taimanov and the Kan, Just can’t seem to get the sharp positions in those other two sicilians that I am used to after playing the Najdorf…

    Cheers!!!

    🙂

  13. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Michael

    Unfortunately the only answer I would have is that I play 6. Be3 e5 :). If you are having problems in 6…e6, perhaps try Ftacnik’s suggestion in GM6, which also includes 6…e5 with the variation 8…h5. I used to play 6…e6 but switched to 6…e5 years ago because when I played 1. e4 and played against the Najdorf I played 6. Be3 for a few years. I was comfortable against 6…Ng4 and 6…e6, but never won a game against 6…e5, with the most I had drawing against a 2250 in a very strange endgame where I had two rooks and a knight against all four of his minor pieces. Positions still seem sharp, but not as much as 6…e6. However it seems as if I do not get attacked at least so easily or as quickly as in 6…e6.

  14. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    # upcomomg books in January 2013:

    Can you please give us more information about:

    1) Romanovsky: Soviet Middlegame Techniqe

    – is it a strategy or tactics book?
    – will be included some excercises?
    – what is the benefit from this book?
    – on the scale 1-10 how would you grade it’s usefulness?

    2) Victor Mikhalevski: Grandmaster Repertoire 13 The Open Spanish

    – from which move does the opening start for Black player? from 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 or 3… a6 4.Ba4?
    – do you plan to pair the book with upcoming Marin’s GM Rep for Black 1.e4 e5 Open Games, or shall it Mikhalevski write?

    Thx for reply!

  15. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    That is one way to deal with the problem, I have tried the move 6…e5 followed by …h5 a couple of times, I would need to study the positions in much more detail, so far I have not done well in Najdorf positions with the d5 hole and d6 weakness, I feel like the DSB gets activated with …e6 which is one of the most important things for me in openings that I play openings that dont have bad pieces, I feel like the 6…e5 structure keeps the DSB passive for a long time, being a Grunfeld player this is a major piece that I am used to using. This may be one of those opening that I have to put the most work into, a lot of the openings I have in my rep, I started to have succes with them right away, even the Grunfeld…I did have some intial problems with the QGD ehchange because I was not timing the e4 break correctly. As with the Najdorf I find myself not dealing with the hole on d5 correctly, and not timming the d5 break right when appropiate.

    But I have to learn, I am Sicilian player, I have looked at most of the other sicialins and find to many problems with them to use as my main rep, and 1…e5 is out because the positions to me at least are boring and all I do is play the black side of the Guico piano.

    I want to counter attack!!!

    I looked at 6…Ng4 and played some blitz games with it, and loved the positions but no up to date coverage in any books, and no one is recommending it, so we have to play in blitz and rapid, not sure how it would fare in regular time controls. Still think it is a decent line.

    6…e6 is the pawn structure I like and like I said it is easier to time the d5 break, the DSB get activated fast after this, but that is only if you can beat white in the pawn rush race, honestly I am not exactly comfortable when my king ends up on f7 with lots of open space around it and not break through on the queenside for black.

    That’s why I like the early …b4 changing the flavor of the Egnlish Attack, but still in some lines like the one above, I think white is a little better and definiltly has an easier position to play, which I don’t mind as ling as I know what I am doing. But add the move 6.Be3 e6 7.g4 and you have to know that theory as well, although this line does not scare me at all.

    Seems the easiest amount would be the e5 folloed by h5 line, It is recommended in GM6 and now in the new edition of The Shapest Sicilain 2012. And Richard P. at the chesspub open sicilian page seems to have a fondess for this line as well.

    I think it come down to I will have to put the most opening study into the Najdorf, Thank God for Lars’ 2 books on 1.d4, Boris’ books on the Grunfeld and now his side line books, I have found a rep against the English and the Reti in the Yusupov books and offbeat stuff I will find resources her and there, but finally my rep is becoming complete.

    At least for now until GM6 2nd edition comes out, I guess I will try and find a way to make 6…e5 folled by …h5 work.

    I remeber when I used to play 1.e4 and I also did better against …e6 than …e5 when I played the English as white, I remeber one game where I play an opp. who I think played this e5 then h5, I had no idea what happen to me, only that he shut me down so fast that I had no play, and then began to break open my queen side and there was nothing I could do, he had stopped all my couterplay, It was one of the more frustating games I have played.

    So how do you feel about your DSB in these 6…e5 lines, I feel it gets trapped, ofcourse with more indelth study I am sure that this is only temporary and with the right play I can overcome this.

    It is the main reason I have avoided 6…e5 until now, and like I said, weakenes on the d5 square vs. King side assault with pawns seems eaiser against 6…e6 which I also have some problem with.

    So really this is one of my best weapons in my opening rep, for example against 6.Bg5 I am happy to play against this line, and most others do not pose to many problems. The players that I have beat on occasion that were much higher rated against me, have been when I was playing the black side of the Najdorf.

    So my only regular problem I have had id against the English, So I swithed to the Taimanov for a while, well guess what there was the English again and I had the same problem, on top of many other lines I did not like, although I will keep it as a back up. The Kan was even worse for me becasue of the bind, I can’t stand the Bind, If I am going to lose I don’t like getting stragled to death slowly by the bind, would much rahter go down fighting. So the Najdorf is back as my main weapon, I just need to find the best way for my personal style to play against it. If I do play 6…e5 I would definitly pick the lines with h5. Guess I will have to try it out. I tried to fix the problem by changing openings and it did not work and seeing that this is one line in an opening I truly love. My mission is to find a line that works. Maybe 6…Ng4 in blitz and 6…e5 in regular time controls, or even working harder with 6…e6. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Will have to keep experimenting…Like I said with most of my openings succes came pretty fast, 6…e5 is not working as fast, maybe I need more study time and practial play to see better results.

    Also I have become intersted in …Qc7 against 6.f4 as well as 6.f4 e6 and 6.f4 e5.
    Ah the Najdorf, enough there for a lifetime!
    🙂

    Thanks for the 6…e5 and …h5 line suggestion, have tried it before without success, but maybe it is time for another look…

    Cheers!

    🙂

  16. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Michael

    If you like 6…e6 but feel uncomfortable with the …Kxf7 lines and general risk with safety of the king, then probably 6…e5 is more practical. I find that my king is generally safer, and 6…e6 is basically a line where one must attack quickly and sacrifice king safety for momentum. 6…e5 you can still attack despite the dark squared bishop behind the d6 pawn. The Maróczy Bind of the Kan is probably one of the least worrisome lines for me when I played the Kan, since I think the theoretically challenging lines must be 5. Nc3 and 5. Bd3. In the Najdorf White can try a similar setup with 6. Be2 and the 6…e6 if you want Scheveningen structures or 6…e5. Both lead to positional games reminiscent of the Maróczy Bind, so there is not a method of avoiding positional lines even in the Open Sicilians. I think in the Taimanov White can also play 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. c4.

    I ordered GM11 last week and I think QC ship tomorrow. So hopefully I receive GM11 on Tuesday or Wednesday..

  17. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    I will investigate 6…e5 against the English, and as you say it is kind of a toss up, e6…=no d5 weak hole, but 6…e5 keeps the kings a little safer. I very much like Dynamic counterplay, as in the Grunfeld, but I don’t encounter many positions where there is a king safety issue. So maybe I can try 6…e5 and work out the kinks in my play, I definitly like the idea of a little more king safety, of course GM6 2nd edition might make me want to stick with …e6 set-up. Not sure will have to experimant with both. In the Kan, I think I have problems with the bind becasue my first Sicilain was the Acc. Dragon which I played as a beginner, until the players got stronger and the Bind just kills the counterplay, I am sure people will say black is ok in the Bind against the Acc. Dragon, but to me the position looks dead, and it is black that has to play slow and accurate. But the bind against the Kan is a whole different story, Black seems to be just fine, so maybe it is a psychological hang up for me, that I might be able to get past with more experience. I will probably always be interested in the Kan and Taimanov as back-up or just to change things up sometimes, who knows.

    I am not looking to aviod all positional lines, just really good ones with white’s pawn on c4, but maybe I have to take another look at this to. In the Kan, not so much the Taimanov.

    Sure white can play 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. c4. in the Taimanov, but it really isnt as good as the Maroczy bind

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Nxc6 (other moves allow you to play d5) bxc6 8. Bd3 e5 and black is fine I think, a good cental pawn chain.

    The right way to get to the Bind against the Taimanov
    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 Nf6 7. N1c3 a6 8. Na3 Also looks a little easier to play than maybe the Kan, with white’s knight on a3, you can whip up a fast hedghog and then …Re8 and …d5 usually come faster than in some Kan lines. and white will have to waste time repositioning the knight on a3. Giving you time to break with …d5 and …b5

    In the Taimanov the English Attack works well for white, the one line I was interested in for black is

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. O-O-O Bb4 9. f3 O-O 10. g4 b5 11. g5 Ne8
    But there really isnt much coverage of this line, except a short explanation in the Safest Sicilain, the Brazilian with …Nh5 and lines with …h5 I had problems with both.

    I played two games with 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. O-O-O Bb4 9. f3 O-O 10. g4 b5 11. g5 Ne8
    Both games I got good poistions and won the first and lost the second due to a blunder, not the openings fault.

    But I wonder about the move 12.Nxc6 in this position, is black still holding up in this line? I do not know.

    Yes!!! I too am very much looking forward to both GM11 and GM Prep Postional Play.
    🙂

  18. Wow! Shocking that almost half prefer sidleines!!! doesn’t really make sense to me as Quality Chess puts out main line books!!!

    🙂

  19. @Jacob Is the “Playing the French” book by yourself and Ntirlis a repertoire for black on the French? If so, will it cover different lines to those presented in Berg’s GM rep books on French? Thanks.

  20. The delivery information in my account for my order of the two books published last week also shows my order for the King’s Gambit to have shipped (3rd book ordered at same time so as to get free postage).

    I’m guessing this is just a limitation of your IT systems? Or am I soon to be in possession of a pre-release copy which I can list on ebay for $2000?

    Please let it be the second scenario 🙂

  21. @Paul

    We shall fix the info in the system shortly. I think the IT system is fine – it’s our people pressing the wrong buttons that you have to watch.

    Sorry, but no, the King’s Gambit was not in your package sent out yesterday – with any luck when you open it you will see hardcovers of PP and GM11.

  22. @Michael
    I think 2013 will be our best ever year in terms of production. And this is after the Yusupov series and the Avrukh GM Repertoires :-). I am very excited about our publishing schedule!

  23. The Poll is Cryptic!

    Where do you draw the line between main lines and side lines? People just as much assume that any Open Sicilian is a main line, and any Anti-Sicilian is a side line, so the line from “Dangerous Weapons: The Sicilian” titled “Taking the Sting out of the Sicilian”, namely, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d5 (I have actually played this twice as Black) is a “Main Line”?

    Where do you draw the line with 1.e4 e5? Are you now in a main line now that you played 1…e5? If so, how about the Portuguese Opening (2.Bb5)? If not, then where is the line drawn? Is the Petroff not a main line because it doesn’t involve 2…Nc6? Is the Scotch not a main line because it’s not the Ruy Lopez? Is the Open Ruy not a main line because it’s not the Closed Ruy? Is the Zaitsev not a main line because it isn’t specifically the “most common” 9…Na5 (Chigorin), and the Zaitsev isn’t the very last ECO code of the Ruy Lopez lines?

    Also, going back to the Sicilian, there are “main lines” within what many call side lines. For example, the “Main Line” of the Rossolimo (what you guys I’m sure call a “Side Line”) is 3…g6. So now you have Main Lines of Side Lines and Side Lines of Main Lines (i.e. Open Ruy).

    Therefore, I’m going to say that there really is no such thing as Main Lines and Side Lines. You have what is the “More Popular” and “More Accepted” lines, but all lines can easily be called “Main Lines”. Kasparov once said, “All Openings are Sound – All Normal Openings that is”. The Colle Zukertort, Exchange Caro-Kann, Modern Defense, Closed Sicilian, and Latvian Gambit might not all be the “Most Popular Openings Ever”, but it’s hard to call them “Side Lines” given their level of popularity and use in GM Play (Yes, even the Zukertort, see Yusupov!). They are all pretty Normal, even the Latvian, which is extremely popular in Correspondence Chess!

  24. Following is my repertoire as white.

    King’s Gambit (Bishop Gambit) against 1. e4 e5
    Morra Gambit against Sicilian (Used to play c3 sicilian but switched to Morra after Esserman’s jewel.)
    Panov Botvinnik against Caro-kann
    KIA against French
    Be3-sac-mate against Pirc/Modern

    Can anyone suggest some gambit lines against French/Caro-kann that gives white initiative at loss of a pawn or two? My rating is in paltry 1800 so I don’t have to worry about computer like defense.

  25. Shurlock Ventriloquist

    Post Editing options here would be nice, as I meant 1.e4 in that first missive but cannot correct the error/typo ….

  26. Shurlock Ventriloquist :
    Post Editing options here would be nice, as I meant 1.e4 in that first missive but cannot correct the error/typo ….

    It looks like 1.e4 to me. I like being the only one who can edit comments – it gives me a feeling of power.

    Re the original chess question from Gambiteer: how to lose a pawn against the French and the Caro? I think there is a danger the gambit lines you want to switch to will be weaker than your KIA and Panov.

    The Panov is open gambit-style without being a pawn down, and against the French you could play in Panov-style with the Exchange Variation and 4.c4 – check out the games of Miezis.

  27. Gilchrist is a Legend

    Today I received my GM11 hardcover copy. I went immediately to Chapter 23, since the Torre against 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 has caused me immense problems ever since I started serious tournament chess. Probably this is the most useful opening book for me, given the heavy amounts of players who play sidelines.

    I noticed that the paper of GM11 feels slightly different–is it? It feels slightly like a mix of the old and new paper–smoother and thinner than the old paper, but slightly thicker than the new paper.

  28. Gilchrist is a Legend

    I also like how there is a large amount of detail and that this book, whilst a book on sidelines, is quite massive and covers a wide range of theory. I suppose that is a good strategy on trying to win against sidelines–deep study, or “theory” if it is called that. For example, on p. 429, the London System line reaches move 26. I wonder how sideline players feel about that 😀

  29. gambiteer :@John Shaw Thanks Shurlock and John. I think it’s Morra effect. After reading Esserman, I want to throw away my pawns and pieces.

    Nah, you don’t want to throw away pawns and pieces. My opponent tried doing that last night and paid the price dearly. If you really want to call the Queen’s Gambit a “Gambit”, I guess you can say I played a gambit, but it doesn’t take a Gambit to cause trouble, just to get into trouble.

    I’ve got White against a 2000 player: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg7 Nbd7 5.e3 Be7 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 O-O 8.Qc2 a6 9.h3 c5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.O-O-O b6 12.g4 Bb7 13.Kb1 cxd4 14.Nxd4 g6 15.f4 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Nc6 Bxc6 18.Qxc6 Bxh4 19.Rxd7 Rc8 20.Qd6 Bf2 (Trying to be cute, 21.Rxd8 loses to 21…Rfxd8) 21.Bc4 Qxd7 (Offering a draw assuming I was going to play 22.Qxg6+ and 23.Qxh6+ and toggle) 22.Qxd7 Rxc4 23.Qd2 (So White only had a 1 point material advantage, Q for R and B, but ya know what? That’s just enough for me!) Bh4 24.Rc1 Rxc1+ 25.Qxc1 Be7 26.Qc6 Bc5 27.Qxe4 Rd8 28.Kc2 Kf8 29.Qe5 Re8 30.Qh8+ Ke7 31.Qxh6 Bxe3 32.Qh4+ Kd7 33.Qf6 Re7 34.h4 Ke8 35.h5 gxh5 36.gxh5 Re6 37.Qh8+ Ke7 38.h6 Bxf4 39.h4 Re2+ 40.Kd3 Re3+ 41.Kd4 Rh3 42.Qg7 Bc1 43.Qe5+ Kd8 44.h8=Q+ 1-0

    So think twice before you wish away your material!

  30. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @The Lurker

    I am not sure. The book is based on sidelines after 1. d4 d5 or 1. d4 Nf6. The Modern does not include either, unless Black eventually transposes with …Nf6.

  31. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    Thanks. I assumed that it wouldn’t deal with any Modern-ish stuff, but thought I’d ask. I was kinda disappointed that the Lakdawala book only has one chapter on the d4 specials (he even dismisses the Colle against the Modern in a note!). But I haven’t gotten that deep into it yet. Maybe one chapter is all the Modern needs against them?

  32. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @John Johnson

    I guess my copy was shipped this week, probably Monday, directly from Glasgow. I am only about 400 km or so away from Glasgow. Florida must be at least 8000 km away, so… 😀

  33. @John Shaw
    I would refer to Alterman Gambit Guide – it does exactly what the reader is looking for. John; any reason you are not pushing our own product when it is ideal for the request?

  34. Jacob Aagaard :
    @John Shaw
    I would refer to Alterman Gambit Guide – it does exactly what the reader is looking for. John; any reason you are not pushing our own product when it is ideal for the request?

    Somehow I have developed a phobia about gambits – it’s a mystery.

  35. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    LE BRUIT QUI COURT :
    # upcomomg books in January 2013:
    Can you please give us more information about:
    1) Romanovsky: Soviet Middlegame Techniqe
    – is it a strategy or tactics book?
    – will be included some excercises?
    – what is the benefit from this book?
    – on the scale 1-10 how would you grade it’s usefulness?
    2) Victor Mikhalevski: Grandmaster Repertoire 13 The Open Spanish
    – from which move does the opening start for Black player? from 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 or 3… a6 4.Ba4?
    – do you plan to pair the book with upcoming Marin’s GM Rep for Black 1.e4 e5 Open Games, or shall it Mikhalevski write?
    Thx for reply!

    No answer?

  36. Michael Agermose Jensen

    Gambiteer :
    Following is my repertoire as white.
    King’s Gambit (Bishop Gambit) against 1. e4 e5
    Morra Gambit against Sicilian (Used to play c3 sicilian but switched to Morra after Esserman’s jewel.)
    Panov Botvinnik against Caro-kann
    KIA against French
    Be3-sac-mate against Pirc/Modern
    Can anyone suggest some gambit lines against French/Caro-kann that gives white initiative at loss of a pawn or two? My rating is in paltry 1800 so I don’t have to worry about computer like defense.

    Don’t play the french wing gambit. It leads to blocked positions a la reversed Volga.
    Try Alapin’s 3.Be3 if you are feeling lucky.
    It’s easier against the Caro. You can play the Blackmar-Diemer with 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3 or 4Bc4. But I would recommend the Van der Wiel/Shirov variation with3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4

  37. LE BRUIT QUI COURT

    Jacob, from all books on the market about chess strategy, and even among those published by Quality, only one is of an absolute top-notch quality!

    It’s the “My System” by Aron Nimzowitsch, which I want to have also in hardcover edition.

    By losing my time with many book of mentioed genre I have soberly come to the conclusion that only Jussupow training books are close to Nimzowitsch’s classic.

    But I hope that you will work hard on your, I hope, future project about Strategy/Positional Play Manual.

    Just like with Attacking Manuals you have worked slowly but steadily. Because of that you wrote a monument for attacking play.

    Bear in mind my observation for future releases. Perhaps I, an unknown chess amateur, can get out from you the best what we can get from you!

    Good luck 🙂

  38. @John Johnson
    Then it will take a bit longer. We posted out all the books Monday; will take longer to the US. Ordering directly from the chess specialists in the US makes a lot of sense, though we of course accept any order :-).

  39. @LE BRUIT QUI COURT
    Romanovsky is a combination of two classics. I would recommend that you wait for the official information.

    Mikhailevsky starts with 4.Ba4. We hope there will be a 3rd edition of Marin’s book at some point (essentially written from scratch), but I cannot give a date.

  40. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @John Johnson

    Unfortunately this is the advantage of living in Europe–more chess books more quickly. Although for some reason in Britain people play many sidelines. I think in the USA sidelines are played extremely often as well. However so many chess book publishing houses (including QC are in Britain, so obviously we would receive most chess books quicker than all other countries (although continental Europe might receive them with equivalent brevity as well).

  41. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    If you get our books from the main chess specialists in the US, you can at times get them 1-2 days before Europe, because we send the books to them with FedEx, which is next day delivery, while UPS uses 2-3 days in Europe. There really is only a delay if you decide to give the money to Quality Chess directly, which is of course greatly appreciated :-).

  42. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Jacob Aagaard

    But it seems as if London Chess Centre and ChessDirect receive books very quickly. Usually within the same week I see them listed. Most European chess stores, such as DeBesteZet , also receive the books very quickly as well. I never compared the times with Chess4Less and ChessCafe too much though. One time I was in Paris and Variantes had the books quite comparatively quickly.

    I also hear about Scandinavian chess players getting their books quickly. Perhaps Dansk Skalsalg and Svenska Schackbutiken receive them more quickly?

  43. Mikhailevsky starts with 4.Ba4. We hope there will be a 3rd edition of Marin’s book at some point (essentially written from scratch), but I cannot give a date.

    I remember some guys (Kortschnoi?) playing the Open Ruy Lopez with the move-order 3…Nf6. Might be interesting.

  44. @king kong

    3…Nf6, heading for the Open, is a clever idea, especially against Exchange Lopez players – it caught me out once many years ago. Of course you never get something for nothing – after 4.d3 there will be no Open, just a very serious line of the Berlin.

  45. Well no worries any road. Just got done looking at the Veresov. The paper does seem a bit different but not in a bad way. The usual interesting ideas from Avrukh it seems. Any Nessie sightings or fewmets?

  46. So if I pre-ordered GM11 from Chess4Less than I should get the book pretty soon yes?
    And Positional Play I pre-ordered from QC…So many great books, and more to come!!!
    🙂

  47. Gilchrist is a Legend :@Jacob Aagaard
    But it seems as if London Chess Centre and ChessDirect receive books very quickly. Usually within the same week I see them listed. Most European chess stores, such as DeBesteZet , also receive the books very quickly as well. I never compared the times with Chess4Less and ChessCafe too much though. One time I was in Paris and Variantes had the books quite comparatively quickly.
    I also hear about Scandinavian chess players getting their books quickly. Perhaps Dansk Skalsalg and Svenska Schackbutiken receive them more quickly?

    Who cares????

    When it gets there, it gets there! If I order a chess book that isn’t published yet, and 2 full weeks after publication, I still haven’t gotten it, I might ask whether my order got lost. But if a book is published Friday, and I order standard shipping from a US Shop, who the heck gives two hoots whether ChessCafe gets it Monday, sends it Tuesday, and I get it the following Monday, or if ChessCafe gets it Tuesday, sends it Wednesday, and I get it the following Tuesday?

    All I know is, if I order a book with standard shipping, I expect it maybe a week to two weeks after publication. If it comes 11 days after publication vs 12 days, could care less! If it hasn’t shown up in 4 weeks, or if I paid for overnight shipping, it arrives at ChessCafe on Tuesday, and I don’t have it Friday, then I also have questions!

    But otherwise, instead of worrying about which countries receive which books on which days, and spending your entire life worrying about the Postal Olympics, simply enjoy the great publication when it gets to your house, and if delays are way beyond reasonable, then start worrying and asking about a potential delivery issue!

    Sheesh!

  48. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Patrick

    Who cares is the people who buy books. Using postal estimates one can determine when it will arrive. Especially those books as GM11 so that people can learn how to play against sidelines. And it is quite tiring that there always seem to be a negative remark to most of my posts..

    Sheesh. (To be honest I have never heard anyone say that before)

  49. Gilchrist is a Legend

    Interesting also is the very final variation in Chapter 24 that begins on page 492. The line is a transposition to the Grünfeld with the 5…d6 move order without c4 lines, but being a Grünfeld player I could also use this line since it covers 9…cxd4 instead of 9…Qb6 in GM8. This also scares me more from playing the Fianchetto Grünfeld as White, in addition to the problems I continue to encounter in the main line with 5…Nxd5 and 9…Re8 10. Re1 a5. 😀

  50. @Patrick
    The point is that basically all the main shops get the books within 2 days of each other. If your local shop does not have it a week after the release, you should maybe tell them that you would like them to stock our books at publication.

  51. Positional Chess is a fantastic book!!!
    Jacob, you can really see that these books are a labor of love, and the material is outstanding. I personally had never heard of a hook weakness, and didn’t pay much attention to potential waekness vs. just obvious weaknesses. I love the lay out of the book and that you give so much detail in your examples that are understandable that really make the lesson sink in, whether you got the problem right or wrong. I have been waiting years for this book, I have been thinking about this planning process since you first gave me advice on how to come up with a plan in chess. And the book is even better than I expected. With the exception of the Yusupov series and Chess Tactics from Scratch, and I mention these books only becasue there are aimed at my level of performance and right now I need to study them to get to a higher level of play while also collecting your GM Prep series. And of course the opening is my favorite part of the game to study so far, so have some favorite books from QC in that department as well. But all that aside out of a 100 or so chess books that I own, This is my favorite #1 chess book in my library!!! It will be the backbone of my chess education and it will motivate me to reach higher levels and move on to the rest of your GM Prep books. Congrats on a true masterpiece!!!

    Keep them coming!!!

    🙂

  52. Gilchrist is a Legend :@Patrick
    Who cares is the people who buy books. Using postal estimates one can determine when it will arrive. Especially those books as GM11 so that people can learn how to play against sidelines. And it is quite tiring that there always seem to be a negative remark to most of my posts..
    Sheesh. (To be honest I have never heard anyone say that before)

    Of course people that buy books want to receive them, but to post questions to the editors about ordering from one company with one type of shipping will get you the book at 12:24pm on Wednesday whereas ordering from this company will get you the book at 9:14am on Thursday, that’s where I say “WHO CARES?” What matters is, the book is being published in say, Mid-January. Let’s say it goes out January 15th. Whether it gets delivered to my house on January 22nd or January 24th really truly doesn’t matter. I know I’m getting it in mid-to-late January! If the end of January comes, and it’s not delivered, there is clearly a problem, and I raise the issue, but trying to figure out that one shop will beat another shop at getting the book to my door by 14 hours and 23 minutes, and trying to do that granular analysis on here, and questioning why one is microscopically quicker than the other, is just nuts. The difference between a book getting to you in Mid January vs Mid March should be, and is, a big deal, but Wednesday vs Thursday of a given week? That gets a “Come on, Man!”

    You comment about people negatively commenting about your posts. You often ask questions that are so granular that they are in some ways beyond what is appropriate, and could be wasting their time. Let the guys write. Let the guys edit. Let the guys print. Asking a question about which variation of the French will be covered against 3.Nc3, the Winawer, the Rubinstein, the Classical, or the MacCutcheon, is one thing. Perfectly legitimate question! Asking whether some sideline 19th move will be covered in the 11.h4 Nc6 line of the French MacCutcheon, to that I say, wait for the book and you will see! It’s not Jacob’s or John’s job to virtually write the whole book for us here on the message board. If they did, why buy it? It’s written for you here!

  53. @gilchrist
    What I do not understand is that you are quite a strong player 2250-2300. You seem to know an awful lot of theory, considering the variation depth of your questions.

    Then why do you need all these books? Why not get a good database program with 5 million games and do the work yourself. Work out your own repertoire?

  54. @Patrick
    Indeed. On the other hand, you yourself can also be quite ‘detailed’ in your posts as you no doubt will agree, so I’m not sure you’re in the best position to judge :-).

    On a different note: Nikos, I like your analysis on the ‘Glassgow Kiss’ a lot! I normally play 3 3…dxc4 after 3.Nc3 in order to avoid being tricked into the Semi-Slav, but this gambit line looks fun to give a try (even though I have the feeling that in the end it wll not hold up to close scrutiny by the ‘ big guns’).

  55. @Joeri
    In my opinion a good (reportoire) book saves you a lot of work – that’s at least why I buy them instead of figuring everything out myself. On the other hand, I have yet to encounter the first reportoire book which I follow 100%. I prefer to follow my own taste and ‘shop’ from different books. To me that’s part of the fun of building your own reportoire! That’s why I don’t understand criticism like ‘ this or that variation does not fit in Schandorff’s book’ – it is impossible to select a reportoire that is to everyone’s taste. Take e.g. the Nimzo-Indian: Kaufmann makes a case for 4.Qc2, while Schandorff goes for 4.e3. One could argue that one of them must be ‘wrong’, since both reportoire books have the same philosophy (critical main lines in which white goes for a space advantage). However, I think both lines are equally valid and in the end it’s mostly a matter of taste and /or fashion, rather than mathematics. If a variation is not to your taste, there’s a very simple solution: just play something else :-).

  56. @Ray
    I think you may be mistaking. I have responded a few times to his deep lines, but I don’t start going into whacko levels of lines and variations, like what would be line B24312 in a book, like he does. Many of my posts are “verbose”, but it’s simply a lot of text with possibly long paragraphs, not analysis of lines 20 moves into the opening.

    Think of my posts like a 50 page introduction rather than a normal 5 page introduction (Like Aagaard’s Stonewall book from around the Turn of the Century), and Gilchrist’s posts as being similar to those books where White’s 13th move is on the top of page 43, and Black’s 13th move is in the middle of page 46, and the 3 1/2 pages in between is all reams of analysis, not textual, but more like A, A1, A11, A12, A121, A122, A1221, A1222, A1223, A123, A1231, A1232, A12321, A12322, A12323, A12324, A2, A21, A22, A221, A222, A23, A231, A232, A2321, A2322, A2323, A23231, A23232, A3, A31, A311, A312, A32, A321, A322, A323, A3231, A3232, B, B1, … (Like John Nunn’s 2 Classical King’s Indian books from the mid-90s)

  57. Objections to other people’s comments should be reduced to 140 characters; especially if the complaint is that they are boring!

  58. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Patrick

    Analysing or inquiring about long lines, especially in such high calibre books that are ealso useful for players who are even much stronger than I am (2250-2300) with deviations around move 19 or 20 is not uncommon. Regarding negative comments, I am definitely not the only commenter who discusses such deep theory. 2100s even discuss deviations and novelties at move 25 since they are also relevant at such levels. However, no one seems to criticise them, but only me. So either it is rubbish to discuss and enquire about such heavy theory or it is rubbish to criticise only me and not them.

    When I was 2100 I played 7…Qb6 against the 6. Bg5 Najdorf. At that time, theory essentially did not end until move 21 or 22, especially in the 10. f5 line with 15. Ne4 and the doubled f-pawns. So everyone who plays this line can replay this sequence out to move 18 or 19, and only then start analysis. Obviously there are numerous positions such as these, found especially in openings such as the Botvinnik Semi-Slav. A 7…Qb6 player will definitely never consider analysing positions starting at move 19 or 20, or even in my case after a game, at move 27 or 28 because my 2400 IM opponent knew all of his theory, and I was lost approximately around move 33. I would not care if the book organisation of the line was titled Variation B32312241), it is necessary if opponents, especially titled players, follow these realms of theory.

    Criticism does not stop me from analysing or enquiring–indeed I buy their books, and just like how I bought (and received in post) GM11, I see there that I think the last page of the London System chapter for 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6, the analyses was extended past move 25. I always say in spite of criticism, “Creo lo que creo, no importa lo que digan los demás”…

  59. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Joeri

    Why does a 2300 have to stop using books? Grandmaster Repertoire I would read if I were 2600, and I think 2600s already do read them. Using a database and computer is not my preference. I will not rely on technology as books give me much information, regardless of my level. Only three years ago I only studied chess opening books for openings, and never on a computer, but on a physical chessboard with pieces. The only reason I study by using ChessBase and reading books with the computer chessboard is because my arms tire from moving pieces and studying for prolonged hours. My coach was 2400 and never relied only on a database. He always read chess books, using a chessboard, and I did too. There is no reason for a 2300 or even 2600 to never read chess opening books.

  60. @Gilchrist is a Legend

    Gilchrist, I’ve seen comments by others questioning a line at move 25. The difference is, the ones I see are mainly questions about books that recently came out, not books that haven’t been written yet. That’s why updates are given out in PDFs, because of questions or gaps found by readers.

    I’m sure you can tell the difference between questioning why some 24th move was left out of the analysis of the Grunfeld in Playing 1.d4, which was published a month ago, and questioning whether some 24th move sideline will be covered in the Open Spanish. The latter is where I say, it’s the Open Spanish, topic known, he’ll write what he wants to write, and after it’s published, if something appears to be glaringly missing, then ask “Why wasn’t 24…a6 mentioned on page 347 of such-and-such a book?”

    I’m fully aware that masters, and even experts like myself, analyze reams and reams of theory, line B3414235, but I question what is wrong with B3414235 after I see it and find that something is glaringly missing. I don’t go preaching “Are you going to cover line B3414235 in the book coming up in 2 months?” That’s the difference!

  61. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Patrick

    If a player (of any strength, 2100 or 2700) analyses these lines and is interested in certain books, then their needs are probably centred towards whichever lines they play. If the lines are extremely deep and/or theoretical, such as the 6. Bg5 Najdof, Botvinnik Semi-Slav, King’s Indian Classical Mar Del Plata, Grünfeld 7. Bc4 with 10…Bg4/11…Na5, French Winawer 7…Qc7, Caro-Kann Advance with 4. Nc3/5. g4, Spanish Marshall Gambit, etc., these lines obviously extend to move 25, sometimes 35 to 40, and even further. If someone is interested in these lines in a book, I do not truly see a problem in asking about the line. What if asking and seeing a response that the line(s) is/are covered in the book, which means the prospective purchaser transpires to buy the book upon a response? Over several years since I started increasing my purchasing of chess opening books, because certain lines (even deep lines, or simply move 15 onwards) about to which I asked were responsed, I transpired to change from wondering about the book to immediately buying or pre-ordering it. For example if I wanted to know what line in 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 h5 Najdorf was included, 14…Qc7 or 14…0-0 or if either were included would be satisfied (just a random example), then if this was affirmed I might decide immediately to buy the book. I would think answering about certain lines might attract more customers, at least this is what happens with me..

  62. Well I would like to say Congrats to Boris, Jacob, John and Andrew and the rest of the QC staff for GM11, another home run!!!

    I love the book, it’s got all the lines I was missing in my studies against 1.d4 without c4, And If I want to play something besides the Grunfeld as a back up, I have the sidle line that would go along with the Nimzo and QGD all in one book.

    I especially like …g6 against Nf3 and e3…As in the book Bd3 cannot be recommended trying to reach a Colle set-up because white will lose time when the e5 break comes after Qe8. I love this because the Colle is the most boring opening and one I see very often.

    I am now happy to learn these sidleines and play against these openings, Boris gives some great lines, and alot is thematic, like the c5 push in many of the …g6 lines making a Grunfeld player like me have to smile!

    Great Jobs again!!!

    Cheers
    🙂

  63. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Michael

    I am not sure what your rating is, but unfortunately even if you are 2300 or 2400 there are still many who play these lines, such as Colle, Torre, London, etc. Or maybe I shall say fortunately since now you have GM11? 😀

  64. @Gilchrist is a Legend

    I would have to agree with fortunately since now we have GM11!

    I used to dread these lines…But now after spending a couple hours I already feel more comfortable facing these lines and much more confident. Your right these lines are seen at all levels a lot. that’s why this book is such a blessing. I used to go to a local chess club and all anybody played as white was the Colle, I stoped going, but now after looking at the lines in the book I want to use what I have learned, I was not responding correctly, and just plain bored. I was not playing for the …e5 break but instead playing …c5 and …d6…and I was not happy with the positions I got. But looking at these lines I am much happier with the resulting position ans actual it is white that doesnt look so great to me at least, of course I am not a master so what do I know. Other books did not cover these sidelines as well as Boris has. Of cpourse!!!

    Bottom line…Great book…I am now not as reluctant to play the black pieces, the lines Boris chose do not look boring at all to me, and this really was my main complaint, was not that the sidelines are so bad, just so boring compared to the rich mainlines, but now I see that these sidles for black at least can be just as exciting to play against…Once you know what your doing!!!

    It would be great if Boris did one more on the English and Reti offering like in this book more than one option to meet the English depending again on what your main defence to 1.d4 is. I have been playing 1…e6 against the English and it works well unless we transpose to the QGD then I do not know the theory as well as I should. Man the English is a tricky one!

    Anyway Congrats to QC and lucky us for getting such high quality books with such indepth coverage, even on so called sidelines!

    🙂

  65. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Jacob Aagaard

    That does not surprise me, there seems to be a misconception that once a player reaches around 2300 or 2400 that they should only use databases and computers, but as I said before I used a typewriter until around year 2000 and still dry my clothes manually, so not everyone follows such a “rule”. I do not think any information in a physical book will ever be surpassed by just a database and chess computer.

  66. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Michael

    Perhaps this book, given the size, is the solution in terms of the general strategy of playing against sidelines. If one studies them as thoroughly and deeply as the main lines, perhaps those sidelines players thinking that they can play without learning theory will be forced to learn more theory to play their sidelines plausibly. Then since the sidelines are inferior to main lines, they might get frustrated in the theoretical sideline positions. Just a thought..

    Also go to p. 429 and see how the last line of analyses in the London System chapter extends to move 26. I wonder if any London player studies that far in the opening? 😀

  67. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Jacob Aagaard

    Years ago I used to have acquaintances who did not read books, but they usually played things like 1. e4 c5 2. Qe2 or 1. e4 e6 2. d3 🙂

    I use almost every line in Avrukh’s GM8/GM9 Grünfeld series, except the Fianchetto Variation recommendation. I much prefer …d5 without …c6 (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5), especially with the results from the past year in the line continuing 6. Nf3 Nb6 7. Nc3 0-0 8. 0-0 Nc6 9. e3 Re8 10. Re1 a5. I simply think this line is more fun, but that is just my opinion. I used to play this line as White, but I cannot seem to win any games with it, and I play this line with Black.

    I never understood using only databases. It would probably require hours or days (or even weeks) for me to discern which are topical lines without a book telling me. Looking at high numbers of recent games without knowing where novelties are, which are main lines, etc. is too stressful and confusing for me, especally since I am extremely bad with technology. At least a book tells me which lines are topical and central. And I am probably the opposite: I almost only read books without any database or computer study.

  68. With all these people arguing between books and databases, if you don’t use both, you’ll fail. It’s that simple.

    Those that only use databases won’t have the latest novelties.

    Those that only use books will pigeon-hole themselves down the narrow path of trying to just outright mimic the author’s style by trying to follow ever line he or she recommends, which can eventually be busted as well! For example, in the 2nd edition of Andrew Soltis’s book on 1.d4 (1994), he recommended a weird gambit in the King’s Indian Four Pawns Attack, namely 9.e5 in response to 8…exd5 instead of the normal 9.cxd5 transposing to the Benoni or 9.exd5.

    I will always use both! The databases help me with my pet lines that books don’t want to cover, and books for lines where I don’t have a better solution of my own. Then I’ll try to follow their route until I find a line that satisfies me.

    For example, everybody and their grandmother (i.e. Lars Schandorff, Chris Ward, and others from the past) like to recommend the Exchange Variation against the Queen’s Gambit Declined. While I have played that many times, and even read the book from the 90s “Middlegame Strategy With the Carlsbad Pawn Structure”, my bread and butter is the Rubinstein Variation (7.Qc2 instead of 7.Rc1) against the Orthodox, and I’d rather face a Tartakower or Lasker than play the Exchange. For this I consult databases after the books cover a game or two of this.

    Against the King’s Indian, I’ll play the Gligoric all day (7.Be3 in the Classical). The Russian against the Grunfeld has always done me well. The Benoni or Benko I can play almost any line and beat it.

    So to pigeon-hole yourself to a repertoire book is crazy. Databases should be used, even by those below 2400!

    However, I’ll follow any author’s advice on what to do against the Slav, Semi-Slav, Triangle, Nimzo-Indian or Dutch. I’m at the mercy of a GM to help me out, so that’s where the books come into play. But to switch to the Exchange QGD, or Saemisch King’s Indian, or 5.f3 against the Benko, just because an author puts that as his repertoire lines in his published book, when what you have already works, is just crazy! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

  69. Can you give us some new details about the upcoming french book?

    Which setup will you use against the advance variation? Nc6, Qb6 and then Bd7 or Nc6, Qb6 and then Nh6 or maybe even Nc6, Qb6 and then c4?

    What about the 3. Nd2 tarrasch Variation?

  70. @Gilchrist is a Legend

    Gilchrist, if you read one of my prior posts, I said that there is nothing wrong with asking generic questions like Waldorf did above. What line will be covered against the Tarrasch? Which line will be recommended against the Advance? I ask them myself. Contrary to questions like “Will some side line on that occurs on move 23 of the Closed Tarrasch line with 11…Qc7 be covered and has the author found an alternative to allowing White the forced Perpetual on move 46?”, which are the type of questions you ask.

    If I was to be the one editing the book, and answered 100 questions similar to what Waldorf asked, I’d have the book out on time.

    If I was to be the one editing the book, and answered 100 questions similar to what you typically ask, and similar to the whacko example I gave above, and the book was scheduled to be out by March, and I actually answered all 100 questions, you’d be lucky if the book was out by June.

  71. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @Patrick

    That sounds odd, but if I were writing a book, I would think if I answered more questions about my book, more customers would be interested. Their wondering aof to buy the book or not might change if their favourite or topical line(s) are covered in a certain book. The only “quacko” question I would think would be a novelty on move 58 in a non-critical line or sideline. Critical lines deserve questions and answers as far as they extend; it could be even move 35, especially in Najdorf, Botvinnik, etc.

  72. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    Your questions are not as bad as asking “What are all the theoretical novelties in your new book on the Molotov Defense?”, but… At some point, people who are trying to make a buck eventually have to say “Buy the book and find out!”

  73. What happened to “box set” idea of GM preparation books, and also Yusupov ones? Have held off buying Yusopov books because wanted to buy complete set. Maybe I misunderstood what was intended.

  74. @John Simmons
    Yes, it is definitely the intention. We are proofreading the last book at the moment. We have been very busy with other things, but we should get around to making the three box sets now.

  75. Well to leap back to the book itself I really like the ideas about how to approach the Colle system. I see it sometimes and have even dabbled a bit but I don’t think I will anymore, and I haven’t been through the whole section. So what is the next Avrukh project?

  76. @Jacob,and QC gang and QC bloggers

    In the Indian Defese book I would like your opinion of the following line of the Dutch

    1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bh4 g5 4. e4 Nf6 this is the move I have seen every time this line has come up for me. and in my database the most popular.

    Then comes 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bh4 g5 4. e4 Nf6 5. e5 e6 6. exf6 Qxf6 7. Qh5 Qf7 again more popular then …Kd8
    or is it 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bh4 g5 4. e4 Nf6 5. e5 e6 6. Bg3 f4 don’t have the book with me right this moment

    I played the first against a much lower rated opp. and he won eventually because I played badly, but was not crazy about my position in the first place.

    I think the book gives 8.Be2 as a slight positional plus?

    or like in my game exchange queens which I did not like…

    Which do people think is better to play for a win? 8.Be2 or 8.Qxf7+

    Then I found 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bh4 g5 4. e4 Nf6 5. e5 e6 6. Bg3 f4 7. Bd3 in my database, is this as good?

    White won all games or drew with no black wins in my database.

    Thanks for any help with this line…

    🙂

  77. Edit:

    I guess my question is about the line

    1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bh4 g5 4. e4 Nf6 5. e5 e6 6. exf6 Qxf6 7. Bg3 f4 8. Qh5

    8…Qf7 what is the best continuation for white I think 8…Kd8 is covered in the book but not 8…Qf7

    thanks!!!

    🙂

  78. Grünfeld Player

    “Beating 1.d4 Sidelines” by Boris Avrukh is indeed a very useful book for all Black players, with many interesting suggestions. It even contains a number of ideas for Black that may acctually be used by White, too.
    However, Avrukh’s by now well-known approach of quoting games played with the lines he suggests and then, at some point, proposing an improvement (almost only) for Black, sometimes overlooking (ignoring?) games where White played better, still appears a bit strange now and then. For example, on page 353 (line B223) he quotes the game Buril (2057) – Bednarik (1864) 2007 where he criticizes White’s 12.Kh1?! and instead recommends 12.b3 (“with equal chances”). He then continues with this game and concludes that, after 14…Nd6, “Black is in full control”. But 12.b3 has actually been played, in the considerably higher rated games Campos (2335) – Solana Suarez (2275) 1989 and Jimenez Martin (2106) – Cubas Pons (2211) 2006. One wonders why Avrukh doesn’t continue with one of those games (both won by Black, by the way) rather than with Buril – Bednarik …

    One further remark: I am missing (or overlooking?) the sideline 1.d4 Nf6 2.e3, with White trying to play a Stonewall with colours reversed. Of course, Black could play 2…d5 here, transposing to the line 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.f4 of Chapter 1, but I suppose King’s Indian players would rather prefer a line such as 1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 g6 3.Bd3 Bg7 4.f4 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.0-0 c5 7.c3 Nc6 8.Nbd2 e5, which scores a remarkable 70% (or thereabouts) for Black.

  79. John Johnson :Well to leap back to the book itself I really like the ideas about how to approach the Colle system. I see it sometimes and have even dabbled a bit but I don’t think I will anymore, and I haven’t been through the whole section. So what is the next Avrukh project?

    My attitude towards the Colle has changed after reading this book, as a …g6 player I don’t like white at all, so am happy now to see Bd3 as I have seen many times before!!!
    🙂

  80. I did not follow the blog at all in the last weeks, so plz excuse me if my question above was answered recently.
    If so, can someone plz tell it to me?

    But i am really interested in the variations Nikos will choose.

    Of course, as Patrick pointed out, I don`t need the move in subvariation A531 on move 21 🙂

  81. It would be great if Boris did one more on the English and Reti offering like in this book more than one option to meet the English depending again on what your main defence to 1.d4 is. I have been playing 1…e6 against the English and it works well unless we transpose to the QGD then I do not know the theory as well as I should. Man the English is a tricky one!
    Anyway Congrats to QC and lucky us for getting such high quality books with such indepth coverage, even on so called sidelines!

    That would close the circle

  82. I know that it’s a question out of place, but I’m really interested in knowing if:

    Jacob Aagaard have included a procedure to analyse Master games or own games in any of his books ?

  83. @Alberto
    Out of place in English does not mean “in the wrong place”, but inappropriate. And this is certainly not an inappropriate question!

    The answer is more or less a no. The explanation would be very short anyway. Analysis should be done by curiosity; asking questions. You have to be active. If you are using some basic principles (three questions as a start) you will have a much better chance of understanding what is going on for sure. But the most important thing is to ask questions and try to find the answers. If you work with an engine, make sure you are the active and not the passive partner. Otherwise it is all about trying to understand things you don’t. Why is white not better here? Why does this not work? Was the ending really not winning? At times computers will answer such questions faster than we can form them; leaving the question – why did one of the best players in the world not see this. Or: why did I not see this/understand this?

  84. @Waldorf: I like positional lines in the French. So, in general no Nh6 in the French Advance if White can take on h6 with unclear consiquences. My favourite is the Euwe with …Bd7, but i cannot really tell you what the line (or lines) will be put in the final print edition of the book yet!

    3.Nd2 c5! and take at d5 with the Queen. Unfortunately, as i have stated hunders of times already, i would really like to have an …exd5 line also but i cannot recommend it now. I am sure that in “Playing 1.e4” you’ll find the correct solutions for White.

  85. Michael :
    Wish my brain worked!
    So 9.Qxf7 or 9.Be2?
    What would you recomend for best play for white.
    Thanks again!!!

    No answer to this interesting question?

  86. Gilchrist is a Legend

    @gramsci

    Somewhat, since then Mr Avrukh will have written repertoire books for 1. d4, against 1. d4 with the Grünfeld, against 1. d4 sidelines, then if there is the book for all lines not 1. d4 nor 1. e4. However, he is yet to write a book against 1. e4 :D. That would construct the ultimate Avrukh opening repertoire. I still think GM Repertoire (or even Grandmaster Guide) based on the Spanish Breyer by Avrukh would complete an entire repertoire written by Avrukh, as well as a book on the Breyer, an opening on which there is not too much literature.

  87. Gilchrist is a Legend

    But Playing 1. e4 is a repertoire book for White? Have plans changed with regards to including 4…Be7 then since I now 4…exd5 is not considered? I do not see anything wrong with the 4…Be7 line, it seems quite solid.

  88. @Gilchrist is a Legend
    What Nikos has said a few times, the reasons he does not like these variations have been passed on to John for the Playing 1.e4 book. If you disagree with our opinions, then you can of course play these lines. We will not dislike you in any way :-).

  89. Jacob

    One of my favourite books is the old everyman book you wrote on the stonewall. Any plans to write on the modern stonewall (or leningrad). The stonewall would be a good companion with the upcoming books on the French because you can use 1…e6 move order to avoid various anti-dutch lines. I realise that a good book on the stonewall was published a few years ago by Sverre Johnsen, Ivar Bern & Simen Agdestein but I suspect a lot remains to be discovered.

  90. @Grant
    Hi Grant,

    You really felt that book was good? I felt it was very well produced, but whenever we got to the positions I remembered as being uncomfortable in 2000, when I wrote the original book in 9 days, they (meaning Sverre Johnsen) referred to my book. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I thought there were some good parts in my book, especially the introduction, but the level of the theory was not sensational and I have only played the opening twice in my life. I wrote it from the point of – this is what the publisher asks for in return for publishing EXCELLING AT CHESS, which of course is the best selling book I have ever written :-).

    I have no plans in this direction, but I am not against the idea in itself. I just have a number of other projects to go through first. And they might take several years :-).

  91. I like how Jacob is honest and not just a business man who cons people by saying everything by him is the best ever.

    I have been asked, back when I played the Stonewall Dutch regularly in 2010 and 2011, what the best resources are on the Stonewall, and what I’ve always told them is very much in line with what Jacob just said. I’ve always told them to get both Jacob’s book on the Stonewall and Sverre Johnsen’s book. I’ve told them to start with Aagaard’s book, and specifically to read the 50-page introduction. At that point, switch over to Johnsen’s book, which is in an excellent format. It’s the only book I’ve seen other than the Dangerous Weapons Series (which doesn’t even compare is isn’t nearly as good as Johnsen’s book) that puts the games first, then has you delve into the theory, rather than the other way around, as of when that came out in 2009. Some books may have taken that route since then.

    Anyway, I would tell them to put some serious study into Johnsen’s Book, and then to use the games in Aagaard’s book that come after the introduction as additional supplemental material, additional games to study, but focus mainly on the actual game moves, and not 100% on the annotations. The one area that I think Johnsen really shined on was move orders. Don’t play c6 until c4 is played. Various tricks with the Nh3 lines and the “Waiting Game” that often occurs, similar to the Queen’s Gambit where Black tries to wait to take on c4 until White’s moved his Bishop to e2 or d3 to gain the tempo, etc.

    As for Jacob’s other books, I can tell you having read a good number of them, though not all by any stretch, that he is the opposite of most typical chess authors. Most other authors I’ve seen tend to put out a smash hit for their first 2 or 3 books, and then they either get tired of doing it, or they become “money hungry” and try to spit out books every 2 weeks (Kinda like Eric Schiller) just to make a quick buck, and they end up horrible.

    Jacob is just the opposite. His worst books came when he first hit the scene, and have only gotten better since, and now I can’t think of a book that he has written in the last 10 years that I wouldn’t recommend. In all seriousness, I think his worst book was “Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack”, which I could be wrong, but I think that was the first book he ever wrote on chess. It was very haphazard, and hard to follow. He tried to mix a White and Black repertoire in one book, and there was no real indication as to what was intended for White vs Black. Also, there were many ideas left out, like in the lines where Black plays 5…e6 instead of 5…Nc6, clearly the “Nimzo-Indian” lines were written for Black, but what about 6.c5? It’s not like that line is so strange that it shouldn’t be covered. It’s actually fairly common.

    You compare that book to his Excelling at Chess series, Grandmaster Repertoire 10, and Grandmaster Preparation Series (thus far), and you’ll see how far Jacob has come in 13 to 14 years time!

    Keep up the good work Jacob!

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