GRIVAS - Beating the Fianchetto Defences

Dans la série On liquide et on s'en va, la collection Starting out nous présente les Systèmes Benoni (concept breveté SGDG)... Bon, je l'admets, voici une entrée en matière un brin cavalière : mais c'est tout de même bien l'impression que l'on

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

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. 

The Benoni is a chess opening that offers Black excellent chances to play for a win. One of the main reasons for this is that it creates unbalanced positions from the very beginning, which favors the player with a better understanding of the nuances of the position. The Benoni involves Black placing their pawns on d6 and c5, and then fianchettoing their dark-squared bishop on g7. This setup creates a solid pawn structure and puts pressure on White’s center, making it difficult for them to launch a direct attack, while simultaneously threatening the c3 knight and the b2 pawn.

The Benoni is a chess opening that originated in the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that it gained widespread popularity. The Benoni was initially viewed as somewhat dubious, as it allowed White to gain a strong pawn center with moves like d5 and e4. However, in the 20th century, players such as Mikhail Tal and Robert Fischer began to experiment with the Benoni and achieve success with it. They demonstrated that the opening could create dynamic and unbalanced positions that favored Black’s attacking chances. Over the years, the Benoni has gone through many variations and refinements as players on both sides have sought to find the best way to play against it. Despite this, the opening remains a popular and viable option for Black, offering excellent chances to play for a win in the right hands.

As a player, Ivanišević has had many successful games with the Benoni, including wins against many top-ranked players. He is known for his aggressive and dynamic style of play, which is well-suited to the Benoni’s unbalanced and tactical positions. He has been playing Benoni for more than ten years in both classical and rapid chess formats.

The book ”Benoni“ is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to master this exciting and challenging opening. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, this book is sure to help you improve your game and achieve better results. The book covers all the key variations of the Benoni and provides readers with a deep understanding of the opening’s strategic and tactical ideas. Ivanišević’s extensive experience and expertise with the opening are evident in the book, which is full of practical tips, annotated games, and detailed analysis. 295 pages

Everyone knows that the Petroff is one of Black's most solid options to King's Pawn openings, which has endured for centuries. Most people DON'T know that the Damiano Variation - a subset of Petroff - is equally sound and not a beginner's trap into which we fell. The lines of the Damiano may be tailored from the same cloth as Petroff, yet they are quite different. One "Damiano-is-bad" critic wrote on my page: "...selling the Petroff Damiano line as a sure-fire draw for Black seems to me to be overselling it." Actually, incorrect. You CAN hold a draw with the Damiano if you are willing to put in some work of learning the critical lines and the defensive ideas. When I began to look deeper into the line, I came to the shocking realization that there is zero reason to believe in the "refuted" verdict since the engines are on the Damiano's side, not White's! 235 pages

Je sais pas pourquoi, mais cette ouverture ne m'a jamais inspiré confiance : ça doit être le nom Dans le prologue, l'auteur (grand spécialiste des ouvertures aventureuses, on le sait) nous confie qu'après une étude approfondie, il est convaincu a) que le gambit de Budapest est correct et peut être joué à tous niveaux et b) qu'il est assez difficile à maîtriser. Considérant le score global des noirs dans les 75 parties du livre, on peut penser qu'il a raison sur le point b).