PINSKI - The Benko Gambit

They did it! Dejan Antic and Branimir Maksimovic have created a complete chess opening repertoire for Black players in only two books. 

First they wrote the acclaimed The Modern French (against 1.e4). Now The Modern Bogo provides Black players with a comprehensive answer to 1.d4. The two books complement each other perfectly.

The point is that the authors recommend to answer 1.d4 with the direct 1...e6, for the follow-up  2.c4 Bb4+. In this way they avoid complex theoretical Nimzo-Indian lines and enable both amateur and professional players to find their own way in little-explored variations. 

The Modern Bogo covers all the possibilities for White after 1.d4 e6... except for 2.e4, after which you should play the French!

Antic and Maksimovic have done a massive amount of research, and found many new strategic concepts and attacking plans. All of them are explained clearly and thoroughly. 

You will find that this opening not only gives you good chances to equalize as Black, but also many opportunities to play for a win. 

Retour sur une ouverture qui, du point de vue des blancs, présente trois avantages considérables : 1°/ réduire la quantité de théorie à apprendre, 2°/ empoisonner les noirs et 3°/ donner naissance à des positions amusantes. Quoique, en y réfléchissant, le troisième point est aussi la faiblesse majeure de l'ouverture, les noirs ayant aussi quelques chances de s'amuser Comme je dis toujours, on ne peut pas tout avoir. En tous cas, voici un excellent moyen de s'initier au plus atypique des débuts semi-fermés.

Playing for a win with ...b6 by Semko Semkov. The author proposes a full repertoire against 1.d4 and 1.c4, which is theoretically sound and leads to sharp, strategically unbalanced positions. It is based on the so-called English Defence 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 or 1.c4 b6. A great deal of the book is devoted to White's tries to deviate from theoretical dispute and transfer the game into the Queen's Indian with g3.   236 pages

Do you play 1.d4, but feel discouraged by the seemingly limitless number of finely honed defensive systems available to Black? If you’re put off by the idea of having to learn massive amounts of theory just to reach a playable middlegame, then The Richter-Veresov Attack: Qd3 Variation might be just what you’re looking for.

Right away, you’ll be taking your opponents out of their preparation and into your comfort zone. While the Richter-Veresov has developed its own “book” over the years, Eric Fleischman shows you how to bypass a lot of that body of theory, too, with an early deployment of the queen to d3, an idea sometimes known as the Amazon Attack.

Covering a wide range of setups that Black could adopt in response (including French, Caro-Kann, Indian, Benoni, and Dutch formations), the author uses games by international players and examples from his own play to show how experience and a sense of the position count for more than memorized lines in The Richter-Veresov Attack: Qd3 Variation. 

283 pages

NIET MEER BESCHIKBAAR

Although the London System was first played almost 200 years ago, it lay dormant until the beginning of the 21st century. Then chessplayers rediscovered it, realizing that the London could be played against most responses by Black, obtaining a good game with little preparation.

Nowadays the London has evolved into an opening taken up by both club players and world champions. Magnus Carlsen has played it regularly and the new word champion Ding Liren used it to convincingly defeat Ian Nepomniachtchi in game six of their 2023 title match.

Literature on the London has focused primarily on play from White’s side. However, this new book by grandmasters Vassilios Kotronias and Mikhail Ivanov changes all that. Thea authors present four (!) separate ways to combat the London: (1)  King’s Indian Setups; (2) the London Benoni; (3) the London Nimzo- and Queen’s Indian; and (4) the London Orthodox System.

The London Files presents Black many good and flexible options for neutralizing White, while also giving us Londoners many new problems to contend with ... Without a doubt, this book will give Black players highly effective means to deal with the London System for a long time to come and may even have players completely rethinking their approach with the white pieces. – From the Foreword by Ian Harris

Defang the London System and fear it no more!  272 pages

ALTERMAN - The Alterman Gambit Guide Black Gambits 1

On suppose donc qu'il y aura un “Black Gambits 2” En attendant, ce “1” nous présente le toujours populaire gambit Benkö (je sais, je l'ai déjà dit), son cousin germain le Blumenfeld et le ' gambit Vaganian ', i.e. 4e5 dans l'Anglaise symétrique avec d4, plus quelques autres bricoles. Il vous permettra donc de vous constituer un très raisonnable répertoire anti-d4 - en attendant un sans doute plus acrobatique anti-e4.

Ouvrage du même auteur également disponible :

ALTERMAN - The Alterman Gambit Guide White gambits