What usually happens is that we buy the latest book on an opening we already play, or we buy a book an opening we intend to take up.
But I have a friend, whose identity I do not have permission to reveal, so, the purposes of this post, I will disguise it by calling him Vic Ramsey, who buys books on openings he neither plays nor intends to play.
Instead he buys books on openings he thinks future opponents will play, the idea being to preparer for what he might face over the board.
I thought of this while flicking through the January issue of Chess magazine.
On page 21 is a full-page advert featuring five "GREAT NEW TITLES FROM EVERYMAN CHESS."
Three of them are on specific variations within mainstream openings: the French, the Queen's Gambit and the King's Indian/Grünfeld complex.
The first, by international master Andrew Martin, recommends the Rubinstein Defence to the French, ie 3...dxe4 against both 3.Nc3 and 3.Nd2.
In one fell swoop, so the thinking goes, Black sets the agenda and, hopefully, takes whites out of their comfort zone.
The second book, by Nicolás Yap (Fide: 2266), advocates accepting the Queen's Gambit, concentrating on meeting 3.e4, after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4, with the offbeat 3...b5!?, and meeting 3.e3 with 3...e5!?
The third book, by international master Richard Palliser and grandmaster Simon Williams, recommends 3.h4!? after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6, thus providing a weapon against both the King's Indian and Grünfeld Defences.
What all three books have in common is that the suggested systems kick in at an early stage in the opening, making them fairly likely to appear on the board.
None of these books is a complete repertoire, since some opponents will sidestep the recommendations, eg by playing 3.e5 against the French, by playing 2.Nf3 after 1.d4 d5, or by meeting 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 with ...e6, probably intending either a Nimzo-Indian or a Queen's Gambit Declined.
Nevertheless I expect all three books will find buyers, leading to an increase in the covered variations, at least at club level.
The Exchange French is an antidote against the Rubinstein variation. Also the line with 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 e5 can transpose to Exchange French positions where White plays an early c4.
ReplyDeleteThe Simon Williams hack with 3. h4 is rather more difficult to meet if you play 1. .. Nf6 and 2. .. g6. It wouldn't suit everyone's style though. It isn't going to appeal to exponents of duller versions of the London system for instance.
RdC
There's also an early h4 hack against the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon. I guess such play is always possible if Black fianchettoes on the kingside.
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