Owen fans asked me to publish my opinion about this brand new book. The book arrived Friday so that i had the time on weekend for a first check...

1. The nice cover is informing:

# Written by a 1...b6 expert

# ALL of White´s possibilities are covered

GM Bauer had got 224 pages to teach the 1...b6 repertoire! Yes...224 pages!

Chapter 1 : Owen Defence

1. e4  b6
2. d4  e6
3.Nf3 Bb7
4.Bd3 c5
5. c3 Nf6

Owen-fans know that now White has the choice between 4 moves (6.e5,6.Qe2,6.Nbd2,6.Bg5)

The MOST unpleasant & MOST important move for Black
6.e5... I could not find in GM Bauers book! Serious Owen Defence fans are stopping dreaming with such an information. Yes, this book is GM Bauers first book...no, he had not given his very best...no, EVERYMAN is not telling the truth in saying that ALL important lines  are covered.

So, you need to write an own little book with 6.e5 Nd5 and 7.O-O Be7 (Maiwald-Miles), 7.dc! Bc5 (Kaidanov-Kengis & Lautier-Miles). To be prepared dont forget to take a short look at 7.Ng5? Be7...

# 6.Qe2 Be7
GM Bauer only gives to us 7.o-o Nc6
What about 7.a3 or 7.e5 Mr.Bauer ?!
Much more important: what about the EPISHIN-System:
7.o-o d5 8.e5 Nfd7 or 8.ed Bd5. Earlier in his book you have the chance to find exactly this interesting position (Sermek-Minasian). Instead of giving to us information about all the important lines (9.Be3,9.Ne1,9.a3,9.Nbd2) GM Bauer is only dealing with the rare 9.Nbd2 line. 9.a3 is worth a short chat...no word to 9.a3 Nc6...no word to 9.Be3...no word to 9.Ne1.

# 6.Nbd2 Be7
GM Bauer is telling us that we will find this in games 13-14. SORRY,...but I cannot find:

6.Nbd2 Be7 7.o-o d5 8.e5 Nfd7 9.Re1 Nc6 10.Nf1 g5
11.h3...or 11.Be3

# 6.Bg5 h6
About this we learn that 6.Bg5!? h6 7.Bf6 Qf6 is a sort of Trompowsky. Mr Bauer, why not giving us examples to 8.o-o Nc6! or 8.Nbd2 cd ??????

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1. e4 b6
2.d4 e6
3.Nc3 Bb7
4.Nf3 Bb4
5.Bd3 Nf6

Owen-fans know that here we have Whites answers
6.Nd2 d5 MESTROVIC-System
6.Qe2 d5
6.Bg5 h6
6.e5 Ne4

# 6.Nd2 d5 MESTROVIC-System
I am very sorry, but I couldnt find it in Bauers book.
So, write in your book, that you have to take a look at 7.e5 Ne4 8.Qg4...

# 6.Qe2 d5
After 7.e5 Ne4 GM Bauer is telling you: 8.Bd2 Nd2 is just equal. In the case that you love playing chess my recommandation would be 8...Bc3 because Black has now more ways to play for more than a draw.
OK,...it is not necessary to inform the readers that the move 7.Bg5 is not first choice because of 7...de 8.Be4 Be4 9.Bf6 Qd5!

# 6.Bg5 h6
After 7.Bf6 Bc3 8.bc Qf6 9.o-o d6 10.Nd2 e5 11.f4...GM Bauer is talking about 11...ed and 11...Qe7. No word about the interesting 11...ef (Spassky-Miles,1983).

# 6.e5 Ne4
After 7.o-o Nc3 8.bc Bc3 9.Rb1 Bd5 the arising position is worth to offer few more lines. Why not showing 10.Ng5 Bd4 11.c4 Bb7 12.Bf4 or 11.Nh7...

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1.e4 b6
2.d4 e6
3.Nf3 Bb7
4.Bd3 c5

Owen-fans have to be aware of
5.o-o ...
5.d5 ...
5.Nc3 ...

# 5.o-o...
This very important system you will not find in Bauers book, but in tournaments you will face it. Sometimes it will meet lines of the 5.Nc3...area (Westerinen-Larsen), in other cases you can find yourself in Margulis-Miles or Komliakov-Limp. Be aware of it!

# 5.d5...
Dont look for this  dangerous weapon in GM Bauers book! You wont find it! Can you imagine that Black can be lost after 5...ed 6.ed Bd5 7.Nc3 Bb7? In May the b6-expert IM Burnett lost in 24 moves against a 2127 ELO player (Minneapolis HB Global op 2005).

# 5.Nc3...
After 5...cd 6.Nd4 Nc6 is GM Bauer ignoring 7.Nf3...(Karayani-Miles). 7.Nc6 Bc6 now GM Bauer is offering only 8.o-o...But White has an interesting concept in 8.Qe2 Bc5 9.Bd2 Ne7 10.o-o-o...
GM Bauer gives us after 8.o-o Ne7. What about 8...Bc5 9.Qe2 or Qg4 which I prefer!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1.e4 b6
2.d4 b6
3.Bd3 Bb7
4.Nc3 Nf6

5.Nge2 c5  EUWE-System

Sorry,...but you cannot find this in GM Bauers repertoire book.

You should be prepared for
6.o-o...6.e5...6.Bg5...6.d5...6.f3...
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1.e4 b6
2.d4 Bb7
3.Bd3 e6
4.Ne2 c5
5.c3 Nf6
6.Nd2...   SOLTIS-System

Sorry, but you cannot find this in GM Bauers repertoire book.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 2 :   ENGLISH DEFENCE

1.d4 e6
2.c4 b6
3.e4 Bb7
4.Bd3 f5
5.ef Bg2
6.Qh5 g6
7.fg Bg7
8.gh Kf8
9.Ne2 Nf6
10.Qh4 Bh1

#11.Bg5 Bf3

GM Bauer is demonstrating the game Yermolinsky-Miles,1999, with a DRAW after 22 moves. You will not learn about the fascinating 21.Nf3!!! move, but that it was not Mr. Yermolinsky who was playing but his  wife!!!

Thats entertaining!

OK,...so keep an eye on 21.Nf3!!! which is a fascinating KILLER-move!

#11...Qe7
GM Bauer will show you
12.Nf4 Qf7
13.Ng6 Ke8
14.Ne5 Qf8
15.Nc3 d6
16.Bg6....
I have the feeling that GM Bauer really dont know about the game BROWNE-MILES, Reno 1999.
16.o-o-o! de
17.de Ke7(Browne: 17...Nbd7!? 18.Bg6 Ke7 19.Rd7! Kd7 20.ef) (Miles: 19.ef Bf6 20.Rh1 Qg7!)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1.d4 e6
2.c4 b6
3.e4 Bb7
4.Nc3 Bb4
5.f3 f5
6.ef....

Here it would be a great service when GM Bauer would offer the very interesting (and strong):

6....ef
7.Nh3 Nc6
8.Bg5 Nf6
9.Qe2 Kf2
10.o-o-o Bc3
11.bc h6
12.Bh4 g5N
13.Bf2 Qf8! which came up in Ostriker-Juegel,2000.
The game is showing a very interesting attempt to simply win a tempo over the stem game Piket-Timman,1999.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3 : Two-Pawn-Attack

1.c4 b6
2.Nc3 Bb7
3.e4 e6
4.g3 f5
5.Bg2 Nf6
6.d3 fe
7.Nge2 Nc6
8.de Ne5

GM Bauer will offer you now 9.b3...with fine play for black

He has no idea about  9.o-o...

9.o-o! Nc4
10.Qa4 Ne5
11.Nd4 Kf7
12.f4 Nc6
13.Nb3 a6
14.Qc4 and White is better because of space-advantage, blacks bad king position and blacks bad officer coordination.

Other black moves f.e. 11.Bc6 are bad too. White can sac a further pawn to get open d & e files for rooks with great pressure.
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OK,...i think it is not necessary to go further in his book - time reasons.

Let us go back to the very beginning:

# Written by a 1...b6 expert
# ALL of Whites possibilities are covered

I am really not happy to say that EVERYMAN CHESS cannot keep what they promise.

It is a  shame for GM Bauer that he gives interested chess-amateurs the feeling to be best prepared with his repertoire-book. True is that many of the most dangerous systems GM Bauer is not dealing with. Why?
For sure no space reasons ...224 pages! Most of the missing material is very demanding (time) to prepare and maybe GM Bauer has not enough experience in this lines. But I see no excuse that really important systems are not worth a single word.

This book I cannot recommend for amateurs who are hoping for an easy to learn black-repertoire. This book is only for 1...b6 fans who are interested to get FURTHER material...no BASIC material.

Hope my weak english worked!

SutterCane

Thank you, Suttercane, for this marvellously informative review! Of course I'm disappointed to learn that the book is so omissive, but it's good to know the truth. I've not had time yet to look at your review in depth but already it has taught me about a number of lines I wasn't properly familiar with myself.

One question for you. What does Bauer think is Black's best defence to 1 e4 b6 2 d4 Bb7 3 Bd3 e6 4 Qe2? And which do you consider Black's best defences(s), and which the bad ones? Can Black equalise OK?

Bauer's omissiveness caused by the "weakness" of the subject material?? A moment's reflection should be enough to make clear that this is a preposterous suggestion!

Thanks for a good review!

I understand very well. Like I say: preposterous. Even if you forget for a moment the logic of chess, elementary psychology should tell you that if this had been Bauer's belief and motivation he'd have been unlikely to conclude from his examination of 1 e4 b6 2 d4 Bb7, as the other thread on this subject reveals that he did, that Black equalises more slowly than in other openings and that some lines, e.g. 4 Qe2, could pose a real problem for the Owen's -- he'd have been far more likely to brush that honesty too under the carpet and declare the opening a little-regarded, exciting and unproblematic counter to 1 e4.

But we can't forget the logic of chess. To put it kindlily, anyone would think, from your posts on this subject, that we're talking about the opening moves 1 e4 h6?! 2 d4 h5?. I'm perfectly prepared to believe that sooner or later someone, whether it be Bauer or someone else, might show clearly how White can gain a stable advantage against the Owen's, but until such a time comes most people will take the view that a great deal less dogmatism is called for. This is an defence with which distinguished titled players regularly defeat distinguished titled players. It is preposterous, then, to imply that it is "dreg" that can be destroyed without being able to show why. Since you famously evaded this challenge haughtily asserting that the opening is so transparently bad that working out why wasn’t  worth your trouble (in other words fatuously compared it with 1 e4 h6?! 2 d4 h5?), how can you expect what you say about it to be taken seriously?

I wish I knew what you’re trying to say, LH. Of course one can argue, if one wants to, about relative strength. The simple fact is that, every six weeks or so, a chessplayer of around 2300 or above (and sometimes well above) loses to the Owen’s Defence. Not vast NUMBERS of losses as the sample itself is not big, but REGULAR losses. Why does this happen if the opening itself is “almost like ‘Black to play and lose’” as you’ve alleged? Mainly because the losers of these games gain winning positions then screw up? Come off it!

The winners of these games, who include players of the calibre of Ivanov, Torre, Nevednichy, Kurajica, Spassky, can hardly have considered the Owen’s a “dreg” opening. GM Flear, on this site, does not. We’ve repeatedly asked you why we should believe you and not them, and you’ve repeatedly failed to provide an answer. What is it that prevents you from acknowledging that if you can’t or won’t at least try to bolster your claims with some actual evidence in the form of actual chess moves, you’re just a clashing cymbal?

Hello All.

Its Finally here. I have with me a coy of Play 1...b6!

i must say the games so far have been instuctive. I was hoping for a few more games from Blatny and Filipovic as they seem to play the owens in good style.

The book itself is rather big for a first book writer, This was a pleasent surprise.

The thoery level is jsut about right but i wouldnt say the book it self is complete. I share Suttercanes assesment alot of things were left uncovered.

But overall to the amateur or expert who is looking for a system for the weekend or maybe for a while in their carreer as a player i would say this is a great place to start. Along with the book perhaps using the resources provided to us here. Im sure i will be asking questions in the near future about some of the games and some of the variations.

Oh and a note to you amateurs and experts Bauer himself states that the owens is not a god like opening. But it is rather a flexible way to begin a game. The possibilites of both sides are many. Black may often have to defend for a long time before the counter play may begin.

The other 3 sections 1 deals with d4 and systems with out c4 and the other deals with c4 and Nf3. Both transposing into a dutch or english defense.

I think that with this and also with Adrew Martins book coming out it may be a new trend to try the strange, or at least take a look at the so called "unorthodox" tries.

Maybe we will come into a new age of a slightly more sane Bassman approach.

Here is to opening with b6 against almost every thing.

What si Bauer`s evaluation of this line:
1.d4 b6 2.Bg5 Bb7 3.e4 Be4 4.d5