The Vienna set-up aims for very aggressive play, which often includes sacrifices. But White prefers to be on the safe side, without burning all the bridges and to try to justify his actions from the point of view of positional play as well. At first, he deploys his minor pieces to active positions, then he advances the thematic move f4, castles (usually on the kingside) and begins an attack only after all this. Despite the fact that the move 2.Nc3 has been played for more than a hundred years, there has not been defined a clear-cut scheme for playing this set-up. IM Sergei Soloviov and Grandmaster Roman Ovetchkin had to make decisions how to play with White practically from the first several moves. Should he thrust immediately f4, or begin at first with d3? Should he advance his pawn to f5, or prefer a quick piece development? For example, after 2...Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5, should White play at first d3, fortifying his e4-pawn? Soloviov and Ovetchkin have come to the conclusion that the move 4.f4!? is more precise. By choosing the Vienna Game, White follows his own line of playing. This does not happen after the move 2.Nf3 when Black can choose then between the numerous variations of the Ruy Lopez (or the rather solid Steinitz Defence Deferred, or the super-solid Berlin Wall, or the shar

The Modern Vienna Game: 1.E4 E5 2.Nc3

Chess Stars

Alexey Dreev analyses many different ways for White to fight for the opening advantage in two modern schemes, in the Slav Defence and in the Queen's Gambit Declined. His choice in the Slav Defence is the exchange variation, which is becoming more and more popular among the average level chess players, as well as at top level. It looked like Black could equalise, but lately White often managed to create problems for Black. By playing 3.cxd5, after the moves 1 d4 d5 2.c4 c6, White tries to obtain an advantage, but also avoids the main lines of the Slav Defence, which may arise following 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4. He also avoids some other very solid systems for Black like the Meran Variation or the Moscow Variation. The fight in the exchange variation is mostly in a positional key, without much risk, with the idea to obtain a minimal edge. The other part of the book covers a variation of the Queen's Gambit with the move 5.Bf4. This modern line is a serious rival to the classical Queen's Gambit with the move 5.Bg5, in which White must consider at least the Makogonov - Bondarevsky system, which is quite reliable for Black. Dreev also deals in details with the very fashionable variation 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4, in which, if Black does not try to develop his bishop to the f5-square, White obtains an advantageous version of the Carlsbad variation.

Bf4 in the Queen's Gambit and the Exchange Slav

Education & Teaching

Alexey Dreev

Schools & Teaching

In Volume 1 Kornev's choice of arms against 1.d4 d5 2.c4 is one of the most popular openings in modern chess practice - the Slav Defence. Besides, he considers in detail how to meet opening set-ups where after 1.d4 d5 White refrains from an early c2-c4: 2.Bg5, as well as 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 and 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3. Another topic is the ever growing in popularity The London System (2.Bf4 and 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4).

A Practical Black Repertoire with d5, c6. Volume 1: The Slav

Alexei Kornev

This book presents a Black repertoire against the opening hit of the year - the London System, which arises after 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4.The author also covers various move orders with 2.Nf3 or 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5. Kiril Georgiev analyses several different set-ups for Black so the book would be of help to White players, too.

Fighting the London System: A Black Repertoire

Kiril Georgiev

A Practical Black Repertoire with d5, c6 Volume 2 deals in depth with the Caro-Kann Defence 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 and various deviations for White as 1.e4 c6 2.d3; 2.Nc3; 2.c4. This part also analyses rare systems where White leaves the main roads, but Black remains true to the spirit of his conception for the centre, for instance, 1.c4 c6, 2.Nf3 d5... Kornev does not confine himself to dry variations, he also aptly explains the ideas behind them. Thus his book should serve a wide range of players - from club amateurs, up to grandmasters. The Slav-Caro-Kann connection allows Black to sidestep many opening variations. For example, after 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 he simply goes 2...c6, avoiding the main line of the Veresov System which arise after 2...Nf6 3.Bg5. In the London System after 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3, Black could directly exchange on d4 - 3...cxd4 4.exd4, obtaining a harmless sideline of the Caro-Kann - 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bf4.

Practical Black Repertoire with d5, c6. Volume 2 The Caro-Kann and Other Defences

A Black repertoire based on the Queens Gambit Declined. All the opening variations for Black have been chosen according to the latest fashion in the games of the top-class grandmasters. For example, after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5, Kornev analyses a line which has been played often in the last several years by Vladimir Kramnik - 4..Nxd5, with which Black avoids several rather passive schemes, arising after the move 4...exd5. Following 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3, he has chosen as an opening weapon for Black the move 6...Nbd7, which is used not only by the acting World Champion Magnus Carlsen, but also by almost all the participants in the Candidates tournament - 2018. Finally, in response to one of the main weapons for White against the Queen's Gambit Declined - 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3, Kornev analysed a variation, which has been lately preferred by Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik - 7...Nbd7, after which Black does not need to know so much theory as in the Tartakower-Makogonov-Bondarevsky system (7...b6). In addition, this line is not such a brutal attempt to play for a draw with Black as the Lasker Defence - (7...Ne4).

Play 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6!

With the efforts of Magnus Carlsen, the ancient attack 2.Bg5 has earned lately big popularity. The world champion posed problems in the Trompowsky to such opening experts as Vladimir Kramnik and Sergey Karjakin. He even employed the bishop sortie in the world title match against Karjakin. The early attack on the black knight does not allow the Nimzo, the Gruenfeld or the King's Indian, which all require from White deep theoretical knowledge in well trodden lines. The Trompowsky brings on the board fresh, creative and complex positions. The author bases his recommendations on his own tournament practice, with stern tests at a grandmaster level. The book is aimed at a wide range of players.

Play the Trompowsky Attack

Dmitry Kryakvin

This book aims to arm White players adequately against Black's most dangerous answer to 1.c4 - 1...e5. It is written from White's standpoint, but it should also serve Black players since the authors often discuss several alternatives to the main lines. The focus is on the modern variations 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 and 4.d3. In the last five years they have brought 56% and 58% respectively. Grandmaster Kiril Georgiev has been the strongest Bulgarian player for many years. He was a Junior World Champion and a bronze medalist in Europe. He has played in 15 Olympiads and also coached Bulgarian national team. His peak rating was in the world's top ten. Kiril wrote the books The Sharpest Sicilian, Squeezing the Gambits and Fighting the London System. Semko Semkov played for Bulgaria in one Olympiad. He is a chess journalist and theoretician. His most famous books are The Most Flexible Sicilian and Understanding the QGA.

The Modern English Volume 1. 1.c4 e5

Kiril Georgiev and Semko Semkov

The Queen's Indian Defence has the reputation of a very reliable system for Black. Although his chances of obtaining sharp double-edged positions are restricted, good knowledge of piece set-ups and different plans should offer Black chances of seizing the initiative even in calm variations. The opening monographs on the QID, as a rule, focus on the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6. What is Black supposed to do if the opponent wishes to avoid the QID and begins the game with the moves 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4, or 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3?. How should Black deploy his pieces and what should he aim for in the middlegame? The book of the grandmaster from Saint Petersburg and chess-coach Evgeniy Solozhenkin answers these questions!

Play the Queen's Indian Defence

Evgeny Solozhenkin

In the Alekhine Defence, contrary to the classical methods of playing in the opening, Black does not fight for the centre with his pawns, but begins to exert immediate pressure against White's centre. Black's knight on f6 attacks the pawn on e4, and if it advances, then Black's d-pawn joins into the attack against it. The Alekhine Defence is particularly applicable in encounters against players who are inferior in class, as well as in games with a short time-control. This opening is not used so often in practice, so your opponent might lose plenty of time to recollect the opening theory. That might prove to be a very negative factor for him in the forthcoming fight.

Play the Alekhine Defence

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