The Modern Chess product, Play the Pseudo-Catalan by GM Mihail Marin, also recommends 1.d4 2Nf3 and 3.g3, similar to Keep It Simple 1.d4. In the preview presented here

https://www.modern-chess.com/course/play-the-pseudo-catalan/95221/

Marin specifically comments on the OP's proposed 1.d4 + 2.g3: After 1.d4 Nf6, Marin says, "Tartakower's 2. g3 is meant to be super restrictive by preventing Black from neutralizing the Catalan bishop by playing the Queen's Indian. This move order has a significant drawback, though. Black could play 2… c5!" He goes on to answer 3.d5 with 3...b5, which he calls " the most disturbing continuation" (presumably for White). Marin follows the game Kakulidis,E (2083) -Bergsson,S (2090) Helsingor Kronborg Master-2 2022, giving 4. a4 b4 5. c4 g6 6. b3 Bg7 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Bg2 a5 9. Nh3 Ra7 10. O-O. Now he deviates with 10...e6⇄, which Stockfish evaluates as equal. Marin also gives a few bits of analyses on divergences from the above line. It's a free preview, so it would seem to be worth a look.

If you wish to play 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. ed5 ed5, I can recommend The Modernized French Defense, Volume 2: Against the Tarrasch by David Miedema.

https://forwardchess.com/product/the-modernized-french-defense,-volume2:-against...

He gives several lines for black.

At the moment, I'm attracted to 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. ed5 ed5 5. Ngf3 Nf6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. Bd7 Qd7!? 8. O-O cd4 and 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nf6, inviting the universal system with 5. e5!? Nfd7 6. c3 Nc6 7. Bd3. Black has many ways to proceed in the universal system and I might diverge from Miedema at this point.

This is something of a hybrid system as the first is clearly a 3...c5 line, while the universal system is usually reached after 3...Nf6.

That endgame is looking drawish to me, but the expression goes, "long analysis, wrong analysis". My first thought was 10.g3 and I'm pleased that Stockfish agrees with me. 10.Be3 looks very cooperative, since every piece trade helps black, and 10.Be3 allows several of them. Later in your line I also prefer 16.Nxd4, this time contrary to the engine. Finally, I have no idea why 17.Rc1 was played. just develop with Bd3, Kd2, and see where to place the rooks after. f4-f5 is the thematic break and with rooks on it might be more worrying. White (still) has more space and should be looking to operate on both sides.

an ordinary chessplayer wrote on 03/09/26 at 00:03:10:

Words I remember from My 60 Memorable Games: liquidate to a superior ending. That, or something like it, showed up a few times in his 60 Memorable games.

These middle-games are very double-edged, though especially risky for black in practice. However, maybe the bigger problem is how to get there. For example after 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qe2 Be7 9. O-O-O O-O, white has 10. Nc6!? bc6


and now 11h4 or 11Bc5.

Or after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cd4 5. Nd4 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O 9. O-O-O Qc7, 10. Rhg1!? accelerates white's play.

Refinements like these may be one reason black considers alternatives, including an early ...Bd7. For example 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qe2 Bd7

Nernstian59 wrote on 03/16/26 at 23:51:05:

Thanks. I have Cheparinov's data base on the Classical Sicilian and think it is very good. So I expect his French data base is good also.

Nernstian59 wrote on 03/16/26 at 23:45:52:

I would think so.

A couple more old book bits are that the line (which I see in the sample of the Modern Chess product) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2 Be7 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. Nf3 Re8 10. 0-0 Nf8 11. h3 Be6 12. Ne5 N6d7 13. Bxe7 was given as slightly better for White in NCO (1999, same year as the Yermo book) and as unclear in ECO (2004).

Nernstian59 wrote on 03/20/26 at 02:08:51:

Apparently this was temporarily disabled because it was buggy but it's on the list to reinstate.

Dear Nimzo_3d users,

I have added some more features to the full screen layout.

There is now an optional engine analysis window
with an optional toolbar.
The full screen window layout is now saved and restored.

The opening training feature can now be used in full screen mode,
in the same limited way as in 3d graphics mode.

There were a couple of minor bugs in the switch to and from
full screen mode which I have fixed.

There is also an < Adjourn game > feature so that
you can save and restore games with their clock times.
This is accessed from < Main menu > < Games >

Previous links for the program now point to the
new version 4.2

I have also made some updates of various versions for exiting users,
which can be downloaded from the following links -

English language version 64-bit - Size 21 Mb
https://www.mediafire.com/file/gxjdg57g0u12ocr/Update_Nimzo_3d_chess_v4_2_x64.7z...

Multi-lingual version 64-bit - Size 42 Mb
https://www.mediafire.com/file/xi1zmzaxpva2ls0/Update_Nimzo_3d_chess_v4_2_ml_x64...

English language version 32-bit - Size 21 Mb
https://www.mediafire.com/file/65npfkzq0xfw287/Update_Nimzo_3d_chess_v4_2_x32.7z...

Multi-lingual version 32-bit - Size 41 Mb
https://www.mediafire.com/file/u6zyjdgibplb4ew/Update_Nimzo_3d_chess_v4_2_ml_x32...

Here is a link to a screenshot of the new full screen layout - 

https://imgbox.com/y1FIuPdS


Yours sincerely, Roy Sawyer

I have the second edition a.k.a. "Win With The English!" now 

Have a nice day.

D. 9
Goryachkina,Aleksandra - Harika,Dronavalli
FIDE Grand Swiss (Women) Douglas (11), 05.11.2023



In the Russian edition, Shereshevsky begins his analysis with the position after 37.b4. However, 37.b4? - as well as the preceding moves 35 and 36 by both sides - constitute errors that alter the result of the game (see the attached PGN file). I shall later return to the position with the pawn still on b3.

37...Kg7? 

Shereshevsky correctly observes that Black’s counterplay should be associated with the advance ...f7-f5. This plan was already appropriate at this moment and remained so over the next two moves.

38.b5?

This natural-looking continuation is not discussed by Shereshevsky, yet it proves to be a decisive inaccuracy. White should instead have played 38.Rb7!, which effectively neutralizes the thematic break f7-f5.

D. 9-1



38...Kf6

A structurally related position - though with White’s pawns on f3 and g2 - arose in the game Tabatabaei-Paravyan. In that case, with the pawn still on b3, Black’s position was lost even with the move.

In the present position, however, White’s structure with pawns on f2 and g3 is less favorable, since the pawn on e4 lacks protection. If it were Black to move after 38...Kf6, the immediate 39...Ke6 would secure a draw.

39.b5 Ke6 40.b6 f5 41.exf5+! gxf5

41...Kxf5 42.Rb8 Kf6 (42...Ke4 43.b7 Rb1 44.f4+–) 43.Kf3! (43.b7? Kg7!=) 43...Rb4 44.Ke3 Rb3+ 45.Ke4 Rb1 46.f3 Rb5 47.Kd3 Kg7 48.Kc4 Rb1 49.Kc5+–. 

42.Rb8

Or 42.Rh7 e4 43.Kf1! Ke5 44.b7 Kd4 45.Ke1 e3 46.fxe3+ Kxe3 47.Kd1 Kf3 48.Kc1 Rb4 49.Rg7 Ke4 50.Kc2+–. 

42...Kd5 43.b7 Ke4 44.Rh8 Rxb7 45.Rxh5! Rf7 46.Rg5 Kd5 47.h5 Ke6 48.Kh3 Rf6 49.Kh4 Kf7 50.f3! Kf8 51.g4 fxg4 52.fxg4! Re6 53.Rf5+! Kg7 54.g5+–.

Back to 38.b5? 

38...Rb4?! 

This move does not address Black’s strategic problem. The correct continuation was 38...f5=, immediately activating counterplay.

39.Kf3

D. 10



Harika continued with 39...Rb3+?, which leads to a lost position. At this stage, 39...f5! was already obligatory.

42.gxf4 exf4 43.b7 Kh7! 44.Ke2 Rb2+! 45.Kd3

D. 10-1



In the Russian edition, Shereshevsky proceeds with 45...Rb3+? 46.Ke4? f3!=. However, 45...Rb3+? is an evident mistake, since after 46.Kc4 or 46.Kc2 White obtains a technically winning position.

The correct defense is 45...f3! 46.Ke3 Rb3+! 47.Ke4 Kg7! 48.Kf4 Kh7!=.

The inaccuracies 45...Rb3+? and 46.Ke4? are corrected in the English edition. In correspondence, Mr. Boel, the editor of the book, clarified: “Here we have done the same as with Spassky–Torre. The fragment in our book starts with the move 39…Rb3+?. We also found your correction on move 45: 45…f3 instead of the losing 45…Rb3+.”

Back to 39..Rb3+?

40.Ke2! Rb2+ 41.Ke3 Rb3+ 42.Kd2 Rb2+ 43.Kc3 Rxf2 44.b6

“The most natural move. In the opinion of the engine, 44.Re8! wins relatively easily” (Shereshevsky). 

44...Rf1 45.Kc4 Rb1 46.Kd5 Rb3 47.Kxe5

Shereshevsky recommends 47.Rb7 Rxg3 48.Rc7 Rb3 49.b7 g5 50.Kc6 gxh4 51.Rc8. 

47...Rxg3 48.Rc8?

This throws away the win. White wins with 48.Kd6 (Shereshevsky) or 48.Kd5. 

48...Rb3! 49.Rc6 g5 50.hxg5 h4 51.Kd5 h3 52.Rh6 h2 53.Kc6 Rc3+ 54.Kb7 Rc2 55.e5 Rb2 56.Ka7 Ra2+ 57.Kb8 Rc2 58.b7 Rb2 59.Kc7 Rc2+! 60.Kb6 Rb2+! 61.Kc6 Rc2+! 62.Kd5 Rb2 63.Rxh2 Rxb7 1/2.

I have updated some of the Forum modules (which I hadn't done in 7 years!), these are all only minor revisions so everything should work fine, but if something stops working or behaves oddly, please let me know here, thanks! 

Replying to myself because of this video suggested by youtube:
Folders Are Broken, So I Built Heaper by Jan Lunge 2026.02.17 https://youtu.be/Nd_v_3CcVno

It's about organizing other types of data rather than chess files, but in the process of trying to sell his new product he manages to summarize all the issues around data organization. The comments also add a lot of context to those issues. I gave some thought to doing something similar with my non-chess files about 15 years ago, put some effort into designing a metadata and sync system, but in the end decided it was too complicated to be workable. Still, thinking about the complicated ways can give us some appreciation of the simple ways.

Some of you may enjoy this. Thanks to our resident Chesspub endgame theorist for agreeing to the interview.

https://new.uschess.org/news/inside-story-emperor-endgame

I found tervelserafimov.com but in fact it does not mention this new book (you might want to change that). It does feature "Emotional Intelligence in Chess" which is for me a far more interesting title.

I don't like your website. It needs more links. In the Gallery there are photos of book covers, these should all link to a page describing the book and/or link to a shop where it can be purchased, for example privatechess.com .

I mostly play it as black. I think if white wants a win and is a strong player, going for the advanced with Be2 is the most challenging (short's variation).

I had to do a search to find this in the forum.

I noticed a new data base on the Blumenfeld available at modern-chess.com.

I have made some Windows 32-bit versions 
of the Stockfish 18 chess engine
for users who are still hanging on to their old computer

The download links are contained in the file
Stockfish_18_links.txt 

Nernstian59 wrote on 01/28/26 at 03:03:25:

I don't like to write in my chess books, but in such a case I would. At the top of the page write the first and last game move appearing on that page, e.g. 10...Rg8 and then thirteen pages later 11.Bb5+. In the intervening pages write the black 10th move alternatives in the left/right margin next to where the analysis starts, and probably number them sequentially as well. Then you can hold the binding in one hand and flip the pages with the other thumb until you see the move you are looking for. If there's a bunch of bold game moves on the same page, it's probably easy enough to find the variations, so I wouldn't write this stuff on every page, only where necessary to break up the wall of text.

If a book is really on topic for my repertoire, I create an index pgn. But that's more for when I am in the database and the book is not at hand. For reading the book, having to refer to a pgn is about as inconvenient as referring to the index in the back.

I remember the old ..Nbd7 theory from the 1973 Barden/Botterill/Keene book. White keeps the tension and after ...Rf8-e8 d4-d5 black "takes it back" with ...Re8-f8 at a cost of two tempi.

After ...b7-b6, ...Bc8-b7 d4-d5, when black "takes it back" with ...Bb7-c8 it costs the same two tempi. Whether ...b7-b6 helps or hurts black remains to be seen, but it seems safer than ...c7-c6, which was a typical waiting move in the 1950s.

Playing both ...Rf8-e8 and ...Bc8-b7 while allowing d4-d5 costs potentially four tempi.

FreeRepublic wrote on 01/20/26 at 14:04:39:

So yes, it makes sense not to play 11...Bb7 there.

BobbyDigital80 wrote on 08/24/18 at 00:16:47:

I understand your argument. I too thought the answer to ...Bb7 was d3.

There is a new Ebook at ForwardChess:
The Original Arkhangelsk by Tibor Karoly, Dec 16, 2025

He includes a sample game which starts:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d3 Bd6!?


Frankly, the bishop looks ugly to me on d6. However in subsequent play black plays ...0-0 ...h6 ...Re8 and ...Bf8. Black gets the same positioning of pieces as in the Zaitsev.

I don't know how much the author relies on ...Bd6 as one of his sample games has black playing ...Bc5 instead.

The author explains his book better than I can. However, I'll mention my thoughts as they are the only ones I have. After ...Bb7 and d3, the bishop "bites on granite." ok. On the other hand, d3 never struck me as being as good as d4. Yet the chess world has come to accept d3 in the Ruy Lopez and Italian game.

Perhaps ...Bd6-f8 adds to the discussion. The bishop initially supports the e-pawn then proceeds as in the Zaitsev and Breyer variations. On d6, the bishop is less vulnerable to d4 than would be the case if it were on c5.

Time and practice will tell. For the moment, anyone who liked the original Archangel should be interested in this Ebook.

Have ordered the new edition, has lots, claim 60%, new material using recent games. The original is one of my favorite chess books.

Oh yes, you really don't want the knight on d7 there.

The fun stuff is - via the Bogo move order - 4 Bd2 a5 5 a3 Bxd2+ 6 QxB o-o 7 Nc3 d6!? (?!) 8 e4 e5 9 o-o-o Qe7 (Qe8!?)

Then probably 10 h3 to stop Bg4 ideas either white takes on e5 (Nxe5) or black on d4. White gets a slow pawn storm, black can jump about a bit with his knights and dream of KID bishops on g7! Alas

It all looked more or less survivable.

10 h3 Nc6 11 de Nxe5 12 Qe3 Rd8 13 Nd2!? c6 14 g4 etc, but loads of similar options.

Frankly speaking, I was highly surprised with a reference to Smieszek-Bogdanov in GM Ward's Nov 2025 Dragon update https://www.chesspublishing.com/content/3/nov25.htm as 16...Qxc3? is a well known opening mistake from the game Karpov-Gik, 1968 (as White has 17.Ne2!). Both 16...Nf6 and 16...Rc8 are OK for Black instead. I'm 100% sure that GM Ward knows all this well.

I've just received the final 2025 update and put all the games from the last year online in the Gold Plus section at https://www.chesspublishing.com/p/15/quickgamesdownload.htm, that is up till the end of 2025. Please let me know if there is a problem.