1.d4 The Queen's Gambit: Volume 1B

Continuing from Volume 1A (The Catalan), this book completes Boris Avrukh's reworking of his Grandmaster Repertoire series on 1.d4, covering all of Black's remaining answers to the Queen's Gambit across 24 chapters.

The biggest departure from Avrukh's earlier work is in the Queen's Gambit Accepted: he has replaced 3.e3 with the more ambitious 3.e4, applying immediate central pressure rather than the quieter development of his previous recommendation. This requires more theoretical preparation but, as Avrukh argues, pays off in positions White can genuinely enjoy playing.

The Slav Defence takes up the largest section. The core recommendation — 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 — remains, but the coverage has expanded from 95 pages in the original to 203 pages here, reflecting how heavily the theory has developed. The main change is after 4...Bg4, where Avrukh now prefers 5.h3 over his previous 5.Nc3.

The final section covers Black's smaller lines: the Chigorin (now split across two chapters due to new developments), the Albin Counter Gambit, the Tarrasch, and various rare defences including 2...Bf5, 2...Nf6 and 2...c5.

As with Volume 1A, this is an advanced book designed for serious study rather than quick preparation. The two volumes together give White a complete, deeply researched repertoire for 1.d4 against everything Black can play.