In this book, International Master David Cummings presents the reader with a complete English repertoire. The English is, by its nature, highly transpositional. Black can opt for a King’s Indian-type set-up, a Queen’s Gambit Declined-type set-up or aim for a reversed Sicilian position. David identifies promising methods to meet all Black’s main options and efficient methods to deal with awkward sidelines. The English often leads to situations where there are opportunities to employ tricky move orders. David explains how to navigate through these successfully and avoid any unfortunate pitfalls. This book tells you everything you need to know about playing the English.
The Sicilian Najdorf is widely recognized as one of the most ambitious responses to 1.e4. It offers a rare combination of aggressive counter-attacking chances and positional integrity. For decades, this opening has been the gold standard for players seeking to play for a win as Black, serving as the cornerstone of repertoires for legends like Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov.
In this volume of the Opening Repertoire series, FIDE Master John Doknjas and National Master Joshua Doknjas present a complete, combat-ready guide to the Sicilian Najdorf—balancing theoretical soundness with practical playability.
Key Features:
About the Authors
John Doknjas is a FIDE Master and Joshua Doknjas is a National Master. Both are Canadian masters who have successfully employed the Najdorf at the international level. This book is the result of years of analysis and practical experience, delivering a repertoire that is aggressive, sound, and enjoyable to play.
Master the Sicilian Najdorf today—and stop fearing 1.e4.
The Sicilian Taimanov arises after the opening moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6, and is an ideal weapon for Black in the modern era. It is theoretically sound, and strikes a perfect balance between solidity and dynamic counterattacking potential, which makes it a popular choice among club players and top grandmasters alike. GM Antonios Pavlidis is the ideal guide to this opening. A keen theoretician, he has been using the Taimanov as the backbone of his repertoire for many years. As a lifelong 1.e4 player, he is also adept at seeing the position from White’s perspective, making his insight all the more valuable to the reader. In this book, Pavlidis shares top-class analysis as well as the expert knowledge he has gained from his many years of experience with the Taimanov.
More opening outrage and mayhem! The author of the 2017 groundbreaking study The Elshad System once again defies the principles of opening play – this time from White’s side of the board with 1.c3, 2.Qa4, and a quick advance of the kingside pawns. In The Elshad System for White, FM Igor Nemtsev surveys Black’s most common responses to this creative opening, including the King’s Indian, Dutch, and big-center setups. Conventional approaches are hazardous for Black: unexpected tactics abound, and White is not afraid to sacrifice material for a sudden attack. Not even grandmasters tread safely in the Elshad minefield. Break free from the shackles of memorized variations and stereotyped book lines. Challenge your opponent on the first move with The Elshad System for White!
One of the most popular – and intriguing – variations of the Sicilian Defense is the so-called Chelyabinsk Variation. In the West, it is known as the Sveshnikov Variation, while older opening monographs may refer to it as the Lasker-Pelikan Variation. It is called the Chelyabinsk Variation in Russia. It is the variation that arises after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5. Once dismissed by theoreticians as “anti-positional,” it is now common at all levels. In this monumental work, grandmaster Gennadi Timoshchenko, one of the creative founders of the entire line, puts the entire variation into both a personal and historical perspective and then examines the theory and practice of this line in great detail. Extraordinary analytical depth, cross-checked by strong engines, is complemented by historical and biographical perspectives to make this a truly unique opening manual. Regardless of what name you give it, Sicilian Defense: The Chelyabinsk Variation will provide you with a powerful weapon against 1.e4.
Here we are, together on this page, both interested in the French Defence with 3.Nc3 Bb4. Before telling you what you can learn from this opening, let me tell you a little story about my journey in the French. I started playing the French after reading John Watson’s Play the French, which improved my play a lot. I learned that the French is a positional yet concrete opening, and many of my young opponents couldn’t grasp its subtleties. Moreover, many opponents were far less prepared against 1...e6 than against 1...c5 or 1...e5. Unfortunately those days would end. During the 2008 Dutch Youth Championships (U20), I understood that everyone would throw 7.Qg4 in the Winawer at me. In that respect, my opening preparation was simple: I’d study the Winawer for Black very intensively and the problem would be solved. In reality, I faced many difficulties. Novelties I’d find in the evenings were promptly refuted by the engine the next morning; I was constantly thinking about the French, but I couldn’t quite make it work. There was this strange, inexplicable feeling in my stomach, some might call “butterflies”. I had fallen in love with a chess line! Despite my two losses in the crucial games, I still believed I had a great repertoire with countless novelties to show for it.
The 20th Anniversary Edition & International Bestseller! In 1998, the authors set out to demonstrate the viability of the Accelerated Dragon as a weapon for Black, not fearing the Maroczy Bind or any other set-up White can come up with. In the intervening year, the opening has been part of the opening repertoires of world top players such as Carlsen, Ivanchuk, and numerous other top grandmasters. Even though the original material is now older, it is still very instructive and will enhance anyone's general understanding of chess and, specifically, of the Accelerated Dragon. This book contains all the original material of the first edition with some additional main games as well a couple of entirely new segments.
Volume 2B completes the series by providing cutting-edge antidotes to tricky defences such as the Dutch, various Benoni set-ups, Benko and Budapest Gambits, and anything else not covered in volumes 1A, 1B & 2A. With innumerable updates and improvements to the author’s previous work, this book is essential reading for any ambitious 1.d4 player.
This book is about the practical approach to the game of chess. It shaped me as a player and now I would like to share my philosophy with you. My objective is to combat several generally accepted misconceptions, such as a) only studying opening theory will make you a better player, b) one should always follow the first or second line shown by Komodo or Stockfish, and finally, c) that “in theory” is equivalent to “over the board”. The last fallacy is especially dangerous because it implies that players will keep on making the best moves over the board, and therefore sidelines should never be played as the opponent will always find a way to retain and convert the advantage. That is in theory. In practice, however, many players will feel like fish out of water once they end up in a position that is objectively better for them but one that they have never analyzed. Overall, based on my experience as a chess professional, I strongly believe that the above-mentioned fallacies do not hold true empirically, The book is divided into four parts. Part I covers sidelines in the mainstream openings where I take a major opening and analyze one or several sidelines. This is the most theoretical part of the book, where I share a significant amount of original thoughts and analyses that constitute my opening repertoire. Part II discusses the concept that I refer to as systems. It still involves theory, but less so in comparison to Part I. What I am trying to convey in this part is the “schematic thinking” – where you think in terms of plans and typical ideas. Part III takes one step further in abstraction – it analyzes notable modern games where one player showed ambition early on in the game and it worked out well for him. Part IV covers the so-called “early surprises” where early on in the game a player implemented a move that shocked his opponent.
This is the second half of Kiril Georgiev and Semko Semkov’s White repertoire with the English Opening, and it covers everything except 1...e5 (which is handled in Volume 1). In other words, this is your answer to the Symmetrical English and to Black’s attempts to steer the game into Indian and Slav structures.
The backbone is 1.c4 c5 — the Symmetrical complex — where the authors give clear recommendations against the ...g6, ...e6, ...b6 and Maróczy Bind set-ups. From there the book systematically shuts down Black’s independent tries: anti-Grünfeld and anti-Nimzo lines, anti-Slav and Chebanenko set-ups, an anti-Meran, and an anti-Queen’s-Gambit approach, plus a closing chapter on the odds and ends.
As with all Chess Stars repertoire books, each chapter is built in three layers — a "Main Ideas" overview for the strategic picture, a detailed "Step by Step" theoretical section, and annotated complete games — so you can study as deeply or as lightly as you need.
Together with Volume 1 it forms a complete, coherent 1.c4 repertoire. Aimed at club players and above who want a low-maintenance but principled way to play the English.
Tired of being recommended to study chess tactics but the tactics in the books do not look anything like what could arise in the openings you play? So am I! Well, here is the answer: opening specific tactical exercises split up by variation from actual games. In this book, you will face hundreds of tactical positions, not only combinations but positions with tactical elements for you to solve and familiarize yourself with. This will help you be extra tactically alert when you are playing your games in this opening. This book covers all the variations of the exciting Budapest (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4) and Fajarowicz Gambits (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4). With well more than 200 positions and annotated solutions you are bound to improve your tactical eye in typical positions of these openings and learn a ton about the openings when you study the solutions.
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