Scarecow, lol.

Basically, the coverage splits between 9...d5 and 9...Nge7, the latter being Vallejo's choice vs. Kramnik (and Efimenko).  In the 9...Nge7 line, 11.Rh3 is given a ?! with 11.Bg5 being a better try.  Then 11...d5 12.ed5 Nd4!? (an old suggestion of Euwe that Vallejo has rehabilitated) leads to Vallejo-Efimenko, Khanty Mansyisk 2005 where black had reasonable compensation for the pawn.  Going back to 11.Rh3?!, after 11...d5 12.Rg3 Bg4 13.f3 de4 Palliser gives 14.fg4?! as being rather greedy.  Better was 14.Ne4 Rd8 15.Bd3 f5 when black has the initiative.  Also questioned is (after 14.fg4?! Rd8 15.Bd2 f5!) the move 16.Re3? whereas 16.Qc1! would have allowed Kramnik some chances to defend and hang on in an ending.

9...d5!? is a sharp gambit where the main line 10.Nd5 Qe4+ 11.Be3 Nd4 12.Nc7+ Ke7 13.Rc1! may promise white good chances for an edge. After 13...Bg4! 14.Qd3 Qd3 15. Bd3 Rd8 16.h3! Bh5 17.f4! both the solid 17...ef4 and the complicated 17...Kd6!? are given as black's best tries.   

"Whether this complex variation, begun by 17...Kd6, will fully stand up to plenty of testing and analysis is not clear, but it currently looks like a good weapon for those who enjoy complicated endgames.  If needs be, of course, Black can always fall back on, or even prefer, the very solid 17...exf4."

The  Gaw-Paw doesn't seem to equalise fully, as admitted in this book, but nonetheless remains a very dangerous surprise weapon.
So far, I've had some nice success with the lines recommended vs. the Dragon and Najdorf on the internet, but of course, that is only blitz chess...

I'm also intersted in the book!

What comes as a surprise to me is that the authors recommend only "offbeat" variations, no established theory after move 8!
So the concept seems to be similar to SOS.
My main question to anyone who has seen the book is:
are the many variations against the Paulsen/Kan well founded and dangerous or are they just surprise weapons?

IM Cox isn't a GM? 

My initial response to "silent but violent" was identical. LOL.

Gaw-Paw is actually spelled Ga (with circle on top) -Pa (with circle on top), but I don't know how to Swedishize my text!

GM Cox, thanks for the correction, I knew Palliser was an IM, I just get the titles mixed up in my brain sometimes! The chapter on the Lowenthal is indeed mainline-ish, with the featured game being the game from Monaco where Vallejo crushed Kramnik in the Qd1 line/piece sac variation.  They said there are fixes in some of the main lines that were struggling, but I'm no expert and can't say for sure if that's true.  I have to admit, after browsing that chapter for about half an hour last night, I was fairly interested in trying it out for myself!

For some reason the chapters that intrigue me the most right now are the Lowenthal, the Kan line with Qc7/Bd6, and the O'Kelly.  I guess I just really like openings that have a6 thrown in early!

Here are the contents, colorful chapter titles and all.  Btw, I thought the Dangerous Weapons: Nimzo-Indian book was thick, this one is 304 pages!  I don't recall Everyman's paperbacks being this fat.  Props.  Also a shout out to GM's Emms and Palliser.  Lots of work on these two books and many interesting ideas.  I appreciate it very much.  Thanks!

1     A Swedish Specialty: The Gaw-Paw (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Qb6!?)

2     Taking a Break from Refuting the Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Be2 0-0 8.Qd2!?)

3     Vallejo's Viable Lowenthal (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6!? 6.Nd6 Bd6 7.Qd6 Qf6)

4     Danger in the Taimanov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f4!?)

5     Silent but Violent (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Be2 Nf6 8.a3!?)

6     The Koblencs-Goletiani Kan (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Bd6!?)

7     Take my Pawns! (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 Bb4 7.0-0!?)

8     Taking the Sting out of the Open Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 d5!?)

9     Karklins against the Najdorf (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Qf3!?)

10   Baklan and Epishin's Sozin Antidote (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bc4 e5!?)

11   The Prins Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.f3!?)

12   The O'Kelly Variation: Not Just a One-Trick Pony (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6!?)

13   A Cure for Indecision? (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 a6 5.f4!?)

14   Surprising the Sveshnikov (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Nde2!?)

(Palliser 1,3,6,8,9,10,11,14 Emms 2,4,5,7,12,13)

Cheers,
SC

My girlfriend got this book yesterday, but she lives an hour away and I won't see her until Thursday.  I'll let you know about it then if no one else does first.   

-SC