{"id":3551,"date":"2023-12-06T12:47:30","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T12:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/?p=3551"},"modified":"2023-12-13T11:19:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T11:19:50","slug":"book-review-playing-the-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/book-review-playing-the-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Playing the English"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Book<\/strong> Review: <\/strong>Playing the English<\/strong> by Nikolaos Ntirlis<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery great master will find it useful to have his own theory on the openings, which only he himself knows, a theory which is closely linked with plans for the middle game.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 <\/em>Former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At his peak, Mikhail Botvinnik was a noted opening researcher who made many contributions to opening theory, and the above quote summarises his views on openings, with an implicit emphasis on understanding the openings. Of course, he was writing in the distant past, and while opening research is clearly still essential, chess information is disseminated rapidly in these days of virtually instant access to the latest games. In addition, the availability of super-strong chess engines has radically changed the way openings are studied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, information doesn\u2019t equate to understanding. In his book, Re-Engineering the Chess Classics<\/a><\/em>, GM Matthew Sadler writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/em>In 2023, any player – amateur or professional – can learn the truth about 95% of chess positions within a few seconds by pointing their engine at it with a single click… If an engine points out a missed win of material, then you sit up and take notice. If the engine offers a line that it evaluates as +0.3 and rates your choice as +0.2, you are quite likely to shrug your shoulders and move on.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadler is in a sense agreeing with Botvinnik that opening study must also be about understanding and not just the memorisation of variations, and this means looking at the resulting middlegame, and sometimes endgame, positions. Hence, good opening books should combine the essential variations of an opening with its typical plans and strategies. Playing the English<\/strong><\/em> by opening specialist and Correspondence IM Nikolaos Ntirlis is a recent example of a book that does this well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The English Opening is a popular opening at all levels of chess and has been the subject of many books over the years as the basis of a repertoire for White. However, it is a somewhat amorphous opening, and transpositions are sometimes tricky to manage. The author has made a good job of dealing with this issue, and potential transpositions out of the repertoire have motivated his recommended move orders in many cases. As an example, repertoire books often differ depending on what move they recommend for White after 1.c4 e5<\/strong>, which aims at a Reversed Sicilian. The two options are 2.Nc3<\/strong> and 2.g3<\/strong>, and there are pros and cons for each option. This book mostly recommends the first move against Black\u2019s options. However, this option allows Black to transpose to the Reversed Rossolimo Variation (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4<\/strong>), where the author recommends 3.Nd5<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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