It was our intention to publish Python Strategy together with Grandmaster Repertoire 1A – The Catalan on the 29th of April. Unfortunately we did not manage to finish it in time and we have had to leave it for the next publication date, which is the 27th of May. It is an advantage for the smaller chess retailers when we publish 2-3 books together, there are some possible savings on postage and admin and just time saved, which means that we do not want to publish a new book every two weeks.
On the other hand it does not make sense to hold back on a brand new opening book like GM1A on behalf of a book in the classics series.
To the publication plans for the near future looks like this:
| Boris Avrukh | GM Repertoire – 1.d4 The Catalan | 29 April |
| Tigran Petrosian | Python Strategy | 27 May |
| Boris Gelfand | Positional Decision Making in Chess | 27 May |
| Mihail Marin | Learn from the Legends – 10th Anniversary edition | 27 May |
| Yuri Razuvaev | Key Concepts of Gambit Play | 27 May |
| Lars Schandorff | Grandmaster Repertoire 20 – Semi-Slav | June |
| Tibor Karolyi | Mikhail Tal’s best games 2 – World Champion | June |
| John Shaw | Playing 1.e4 – Caro-Kann, 1…e5 & Minor Lines | June/July |
Are you planning to publish “Positional Decision Making in Chess” in the ForwardChess App?
@Manuel
Yes, we are.
Congratulations to Andre
🙂
@John Shaw Will “Playing 1.e4 – Sicilian & French” also be coming out around June/July or will there be a significant gap between release dates?
They might not be on the same date, but we hope they will be relatively close together in publication.
I was wondering if there are any discounts for buying 100 of Avrukh’s new Catalan book? I need this many copies to distribute to educate my colleagues in the ways of the force.
Hope Gelfand, Petrosjan and Schandorff books will come out in same time so that I can order them in the same time :).
@k.r.
The Schandorff book will be a few weeks later down the line.
Even though the book was pushed how long before we get a pdf sample of Python Strategy and Positional Decision Making in Chess for that matter? That is what I’m really waiting for is the sample so I can know if I should get the Python book.
Which gambits are studied in the Razuvaev book?
I have just discovered a line that I think equalizes for Black in the Najdorf against 8. h3:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. h3
Be7 9. Qf3 O-O 10. O-O-O b5 11. g4 b4 12. Nd5 Nxd5 13. exd5 Bd7
I’m working on a repertoire with 1.d4/2.Nf3 (or the other way around). Suppose I want to switch to the Catalan against 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 with e.g. 3.g3 4.Bg2 5.c4 (or 3.c4 4.g3), will there be a lot of stuff I need to know that’s not in the upcoming Avrukh (which uses 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3)?
I guess black can go for the Queen’s Indian, and without c4 lines with a quick …c5 by black will be different too…
How does ‘Key Concepts of Gambit Play’ differ from the Gambit books by Alterman?
@Remco G
I think 3…c5 is the test of 3.g3. Also interesting is 3…b5 which I have played with success. If 3…b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.c4 at least white has avoided the topical …Ba6 lines.
Will Schandorff’s book provide a repertoire after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 like Vigorito’s, or will it start at move 5?
I am with the 3…b5! 4.Bg2 d5 and Black is good. This is a problem you need to address to play like this.
Excellent review of Kotronias from Sadler in latest NIC. “I have learnt so much about the Mar del Plata in a short period of time from studying these books”.
Is the anti-Sicilian book still in the mid term future?
“Experts on the anti-sicilian” is a good book.I especially like the Alapin section.But unfortunately there isn’t any section about grandprix for najdorf players.Most of the other books also don’t cover this.I hope this will be improved in the upcoming version of the book.
Have you looked at GM Rep 6 ‘The Sicilian Defence’ this has excellent Grand Prix (as well as other Anti-Sicilian) coverage!
Do you think there might be any chance of Lars covering the Cambridge Springs in his upcoming Semi-Slav book?
Thanks! 🙂
I’m looking forward to the book.
@The Doctor
No
@Paul
Yes, he is almost done with it. It will be 3-4 months down the road.
I know that.I wanted to buy that book some time ego but couldn’t ,it was sold out.And now it may be a little outdated perhaps.
during 2015 do you have some project about queen’s gambit declined from black side?
thanks
That would be lovely!!
Cambridge Springs would be good IMHO. Tartakower and Lasker have been done recently by Cox
@The Doctor
Unfortunately one of Cox’ main lines lost by force as far as I recall. He is a great author and we all get it wrong at times, yours truly included, so not meant as a general criticism (though be careful in that one case!).
We do have plans in that direction and I hope we will have something out towards the end of the year; though I am skeptical about it including the Cambridge Springs.
Which one, please don’t tell me it was a line on the Exchange (it’s the only chapters I use)
ok good news
The Python excerpt looks really nice….
Looking forward to catalan bk.
Will the book cover this variation?
@Ed: no, it won’t, that 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 line is just something I was wondering about, the book will undoubtedly cover 2.c4.
What does Avrukh recommend against the Slow Slav line with 6. Be2 h6 7. Bd3?
I saw a picture of Sicilian 2 of Negi.
When do you expect to release this book?
(begin or end summer or)
Most likely a wierd question but anyway…
In my chessbase database which is updated until 2012, there is an opening for Black which scores 57% by people rated min 2400…. and there is not any real focus on this opening as well.
Any comments on why we dont see “The Alekhine Defense” more often in real life chess or books?
Is it really such a bad opening that is just scoring quite well due to Lucky punches or simply no buyers to such a book?
Is Positional Decision Making in Chess still on for 27th May ?
@Franck Steenbekkers
And the Negi’s volume on the Ruy Lopez?
And the Negi’s volume on the Ruy Lopez?
@gramsci
After Sicilian 2, I would expect. Maybe even after Sicilian 3, unless 2 is thick. Then he’s still got to cover the Alekhine, Pirc, Modern, Petrov, and maybe oddball stuff. I personally don’t care if the Ruy book is last, as long as it’s good.
My big question on the Ruy book would be, what will he recommend after 8. 0-0? Does he play it straight, or dodge the Marshall?
@The Lurker
I meant 8… 0-0. Duh.
Make that 7… 0-0. Sheesh. I really need to get away from this computer…
I think it Will be 8 A4!
Negi wrote an art About iT in chess.com magazine
Maybe it is time for a new update of the publishing schedule? I’m wondering myself when the next books of Kotronias on the KID are planned… Any chance of a new volume this year? Very much looking forward to his recommendations against the Saemisch. This series is simply brilliant! By the way, his books on the Mar del Plata received a positive review by Sadler in the latest issue of NIC Magazine 🙂
John Cox and Graham Burgess both wrote good books on the Alekhine but I would certainly like to see an updated, authoritative volume on this defence. Alexander Baburin would be the ideal author, if he was interested.
@S. Hansen
Both Nigel Davies and John Cox made the point about the Alekhine scoring well in their books from about 10 years ago, though neither gave any explanation of why hardly anybody plays it.
My guess is that, if he plays the theoretically best variations, black has to be prepared for more different kinds of position than in other openings. If white plays the Modern variation, black usually goes for a Caro-Kann-like structure; the exchange variation often leads to Petroff-like positions; the Four Pawns Attack is more like a King’s Gambit; Minor Variations are sometimes French-like; and after 2.Nc3 you need to be ready for a Four Knights, which is not so rare at GM level these days.
At my level (about 2000), the Alekhine is fun, but hard work over the board. Even if white plays non-theoretical moves he has a space advantage and lots of tricks. Still, I have been unable to give it up for 30 years. There is something addictive about it.
A teammate of mine plays the Alekhine all the time and the impression Mysef and other guys in our team is that Black has to play very accurately just to maintain an equal position. However I’m no authority on this opening. My view is when you have such fun openings like the Sicilian, Ruy Lopez and French why play the Alekhine?
Several friends of mine play the Alekhine. Their arguments:
a) very solid & theoretically sound enough (+= if white knows his stuff)
b) 9 out of 10 games lead to just 3 variations (exchange, modern, 4P)
c) rare enough that amateurs have little experience playing against it
The book I would like to study is a book with diagrams, where you as the student have to list all the relevant details of the position, for white and black, and then suggest a move. The diagrams should be from (grand)master games, but I think also a diagram 20 moves down the theory road of say the King’s Indian could probably be suitable. In the answer section you will find a list of details, the best move, and the move that was actually played, plus info about the game from which the diagram was taken.
Maybe a book like this exists. Maybe not…
@Douwe nick_o_sykes@me.com
Sounds ole Danny King’s ‘How Good is your Chess’ articles in chess magazine.
@Douwe
Ever considered QC books?
@S. Hansen
At club level the Alekhine is very good because the typical player tends to overextend. At GM level is different because the white player has many ways to have a simple but comfortable plus. At GM level in correspondence chess Black is simply lost.
@Garryk
Are you aware of which lines at GM level in correspondence chess gives white the advantage so that black in lost already in the opening phase?
This is an opening which I have just started testning (level 2100) – with exceptional good results in blitz of apx 80% score