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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella (Read 383583 times)
najdorfslayer
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #236 - 12/17/14 at 22:25:59
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I pre-ordered my with Chess Direct ages ago. So I would hope to get it before Christmas as they get the books quite quick I believe.

  
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TonyRo
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #235 - 12/17/14 at 19:29:29
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Yeah I wouldn't go with Amazon right away - I know with a lot of chess retailers Amazon gets their copies last or on a delay because of how cheaply they sell their books. A place like Chess & Bridge would likely be the first place to have it - especially because Everyman shares some employees with them.
  
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #234 - 12/17/14 at 19:03:52
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TonyRo wrote on 12/17/14 at 12:27:25:
I just saw on Facebook today that TKS has arrived in the Everyman UK warehouse and ships out to European retailers today! So now it's up to you Europeans to figure out who'll get a copy the fastest and who can get a copy to you the fastest!

Grin



Amazon UK still arent listing it as available from them or even taking pre-orders for it yet.

There is one seller in their marketplace apparently with a copy or two available but not promising delivery before Christmas.

I'm probably going to try and get it from Chess and Bridge..i think they will be my best chance...maybe i should queue up overnight to try and get the first copy... Cheesy
  

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TonyRo
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #233 - 12/17/14 at 12:27:25
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I just saw on Facebook today that TKS has arrived in the Everyman UK warehouse and ships out to European retailers today! So now it's up to you Europeans to figure out who'll get a copy the fastest and who can get a copy to you the fastest!

Grin
  
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DenVerdsligeRejsende
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #232 - 12/17/14 at 10:15:14
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Christmas is in one week. Do you think that chess vendors get it this week? I still see none that list it as in stock as of today morning, the 17th.
  
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TonyRo
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #231 - 12/15/14 at 19:19:39
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Around once a month I Google something like The Killer Sicilian Rotella to ensure that interested parties out there get their questions about the content and publication date answered, and I stumbled upon this post by Simon Williams:

http://www.gingergm.com/blog/2011-10-05-killer-brand-catching-on

It's hard to tell if he was genuinely incensed or not (I get the impression he has a great sense of humor!), but I got a good chuckle out of it. I hesitate to point out the irony that he's now writing The Killer Dutch for Everyman, which I assume is at least partly a rehash of his e-book of the same name that came with his DVD, and that Aaron Summerscale has written two books that both predate GingerGM entirely that use the moniker "Killer". Anyway, I look forward to his book, and to whether or not he can solve some of the problems listed in the forum in the 7...Ne4 8.Nxe4 line - I have always had a soft spot for the Classical Dutch, and way back when loved his original Gambit work on it.
  
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TonyRo
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #230 - 12/14/14 at 20:39:05
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Yay! The last I heard is that it's supposed to arrive in their warehouse either tomorrow or Tuesday, I can't remember. So depending on where you order from and how fast they get it, you should be able to get your copy before Christmas. I doubt I'll get my copies before the holiday though...

Cheesy  Sad
  
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RoleyPoley
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #229 - 12/14/14 at 16:27:34
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najdorfslayer wrote on 12/14/14 at 14:45:23:
I was informed by Dan at Everyman that it would be out before Christmas!


Yeay! Smiley
  

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Victor Bologan.
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #228 - 12/14/14 at 14:45:23
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I was informed by Dan at Everyman that it would be out before Christmas!
  
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RoleyPoley
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #227 - 12/14/14 at 09:27:27
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Amazon uk still have this listed as unavailable while Chess and Bridge now have it down for a January release ... Cry...

...shame as I was so looking forward to getting this before christmas and having a quick read through before the league matches restart in the new year...

I wonder how important timing is for the sales of chess related products (i.e before Christmas)...
  

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TonyRo
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #226 - 12/06/14 at 20:39:11
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Hi Stefan,

I had a feeling it was printed somewhere in Europe but I wasn't sure where - thanks for digging it up!

Yes, 7...f5 is probably the objectively best move if you want a complicated struggle, but this 7...a6!? sideline is also interesting. If you refuse to play 9...Nd4 because it leads to more simplification than the others (a fair criticism for sure) then I agree that I'd prefer 9...Nge7 for the reasons you stated. In all these positions with a likely exchange of dark-squared bishops it's far more sensible to keep it on a circuit that allows an easy relocation to d4 or f4. Here like you said there's g6-f4, or g6-f8-e6-f4, or if you decide to move the c6-knight, there's Ne7-c6-d4 as well.

I can't remember where I mention it and if it's in the excerpt (and I'm too lazy to check), but a lot of times in these early Be2 systems I like to play ...Nd4xe2 before White increases his control over the d4 square with Nc2 (not relevant here) or Be3. Frequently you reach similar positions to those with other moves, except that you've exchanged a pair of minor pieces and grabbed a bishop for little cost. For instance, after 9...Nge7 10.Nb3!? (I don't know if this is best, it's just an example - 10.Nf3 is logical too) 10...Bxc1 11.Rxc1 O-O 12.O-O, Black has some small problems, even though they are most likely solvable. White can meet 12...Ng6 with 13.g3, when perhaps that knight would rather be somewhere else, and 12...Be6 with the simple 13.Qd2, starting to target that weak d6-pawn. All the engines prefer White a smidge, but Black's position seems very playable. All that said I would like Black's position more if that Nc6 was traded off for any of White's minors.

Wink

9.Be3!? is interesting indeed, though I'd prefer Black after the obvious 9...Bxe3 10.fxe3 Nf6 (I prefer the knight here now that d4 and f4 are no longer options - c5 seems a likely home) 11.O-O O-O 12.Nd2 and now perhaps 12...Be6 is the easiest. I am reluctant to allow Rxf6 ideas after 12...Qb6.

Perhaps all of our analysis will make it into the second edition! I hesitate to use more space for a third option in an uncommon line in a book that's already nearly 500 pages though.

Shocked
  
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Stefan Buecker
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #225 - 12/06/14 at 12:54:16
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Stefan Buecker wrote on 12/04/14 at 10:22:04:
Nowadays books are often printed in China. Calculating in weeks, not days, would be reasonable in that case.


TonyRo wrote on 12/04/14 at 14:31:22:
[...] if you head over to Amazon UK you can "Look Inside" and see basically the full intro, and a reasonable chunk of the beginning of Chapter 1 as well.


The Amazon.uk says it is printed in Cornwall. My apologies to China.

Your preference for 7...f5 is logical, as it is in harmony with important main lines. I was interested in 7...a6 8.N5c3 Bg5, because it seemed to me that you had done some original analysis here, and I just tried to understand why you chose (9.Nd2) Nd4 over Nf6 or Nge7.

I am tempted to play the system, and if your book is useful, it would be even better. Sometimes I am digging into a sideline, just to get an idea how reliable a work is, also in minor details. There are authors who neglect sidelines, you know. - In this case, it is difficult to prove which of the three moves is best. Many options for both sides. My sympathy for 9...Nge7 was motivated by the possible maneuvre Ng6-f8-e6-d4, combined with an exchange of white-coloured bishops. But the consequences are not clear. White can also reply 9.Be3!?, by the way.
  
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TonyRo
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #224 - 12/04/14 at 14:31:22
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The Everyman newsletter said that the book will arrive @ their UK distributor the 16th, and in the US "in the New Year."

@Stefan - The excerpt has been up for a month, and if you head over to Amazon UK you can "Look Inside" and see basically the full intro, and a reasonable chunk of the beginning of Chapter 1 as well.

You're definitely right - all of the usual suspects there indeed seem fine at a quick glance - I decided to show the one that was the least explored and most thematic with the rest of the 7.Be2 repertoire. It's also the cleanest equalizer in the smallest amount of space - I had the idea to cover 7...a6 right at the end of the project, mostly for fun. There are a lot of small discussions about weird ideas I found in the book that have no real relevance other than being an interesting or under-explored idea/alternative. I make it clear that against 7.Be2, 7...f5!? is my preference and in a way the most principled. White forfeits the right to play the time-gaining and more active 8.exf5 Bxf5 9.Bd3! as in Chapter 3 without losing a tempo. 
« Last Edit: 12/04/14 at 15:50:12 by TonyRo »  
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Stefan Buecker
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #223 - 12/04/14 at 10:22:04
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Nowadays books are often printed in China. Calculating in weeks, not days, would be reasonable in that case.

At least we have the pdf "extract". On page 156, TonyRo discusses 7.Be2!? a6 8.N5c3 Bg5 9.Nd2, studying 9...Nd4!? in some detail. There are 5 games for this in the Convecta 2014 Encyclopedia, including Sorokin - Minasian, 1992 (quoted in the book). White scores 4 out of 5, but TonyRo shows that the line is playable. "This is also in line with the general rule that the player with less space should exchange pieces to ease the friction between his cramped pieces," source: The Killer Sicilian, 2014 or 2015.

But 9...Nd4 lacks ambition. Alternatives are worth a look. It seems better, from a practical point of view, to keep pieces on the board.

(a) 9... Nf6, as in Anand - Ponomariov, draw, Linares 2002, scored a mere 3 / 8 for White.

(b) My favourite would be 9...Nge7 though, in spite of the score (3 / 5). Play remains complicated, and Black achieves full equality imo.
  
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Re: The Killer Sicilian by Tony Rotella
Reply #222 - 12/04/14 at 09:28:04
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Chess & Bridge/Chessdirect are both 'December' still so that seems relatively reasonable.
(Imagine they'd be the first to get it being the UK specialists.).
  
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