Holbox, 

It sounds like what you are looking for is to play lines that would help your overall chess development in a well rounded manner.  The truth is very few repertoire books are geared towards this since they tend either feature off beat lines or gear their lines either towards mainly a positional or attacking bent, rather than a combination.

While I don't have most of the books you are interested in, other than Dyanmic English, it does appear to me that none of these books would be appropriate for your needs. You probably want a book that contains mainlines rather than sidelines and a mix of different pawn structures and a mix of both positional and tactical lines. If that is the case then either Pallisers's" Play d4" or John Cox's "Starting out 1 d4" would properly better suit your needs.

Great review!! Maybe that book is for me. This is exactly how I win my games. Take a look at my latest "masterpiece": 

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e5 Ne4 4. d4 Nxc3 5. bxc3 Bf5 6. Ba3 Nd7 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8.
Qxd3 e6 9. Bxf8 Kxf8 10. Nf3 Nb6 11. O-O Nc4 12. Nd2 Nxd2 13. Qxd2 h6 14. f4 g6
15. Qf2 h5 16. Rad1 c6 17. Rd3 b5 18. Rh3 Ke7 19. Qh4+ Kd7 20. Qxd8+ Rhxd8 21.
Rd3 Rab8 22. a3 Rb6 23. Rb1 Rdb8 24. Kf2 Ra6 25. Rb3 Ra4 26. Ke3 Rb6 27. Rd1
Rba6 28. Ra1 Rc4 29. g3 Raa4 30. Kd3 a6 31. Rab1 c5 32. dxc5 Kc6 33. Ra1 Kxc5
34. Rb4 d4 35. Rxa4 Rxa4 36. cxd4+ Rxd4+ 37. Kc3 a5 38. Ra2 Rc4+ 39. Kd3 Rd4+
40. Kc3 Rd1 41. Rb2 Rh1 42. a4 b4+ 43. Kb3 Rxh2 44. c3 Rxb2+ 45. Kxb2 Kc4 46.
cxb4 Kxb4 47. Kc2 Kxa4 48. Kc3 Kb5 0-1

As I've said, I already have the book. Don't know if I can play these slow games all the time. It doesn't boost the ego winning like this.

IMJohnCox wrote on 12/12/06 at 17:21:39:


I have to say that Palliser's Play 1 d4 is unreservedly the best repertoire book i have ever owned. ( I have orderered your book, John, but I have not received it yet, so I cannot comment on it)

It is quite solid, but in several places, it is spcied up with some aggresive lines such as Bf4 against the Benoni and some lines of the Fruman QGA and some of lines in the Slave that resemble the Colle with the kingside attack motifs. 

Antillian - That review is a masterpiece.

Perhaps you can find one equally good for John Cox's d4 book or if you have found an equally good one on any other let us know!Perhaps a new thread should be set up for the best /worst/most entertaining review!!

I would never recommend the Berlin  to the average player as it's ideas are very sophisticated  and plans are not that obvious but it should avoid a loss by not knowing theory ! Given the defence to 1e4 , I am shocked by Kaufman daring to allow the Marshall Gambit and the Anti-Moscow variations of the Semi-Slav. I would have thought the Nimzo/Queens Indian would have been more consistent !


Andrew

Speaking of the Kaufman book, I found this hilarious review on amazon.com. It is probably harsh, but funny nonetheless  Here are some excerpts:

"...It is all early endgames and quiet variations. Hey, I like to play endgames, but this repertoire goes way overboard in that direction. You might call it the Stillwater Repertoire. It is for people who despise tactics, hate sharp positions, and cannot stand attacking the opponent's king. It is the Quaker Repertoire. It is the Pacifist's Last Stand. It is the Repertoire for Nodding Off In Math Class.

...Well, they will never face a sharp position against any sucker who plays the Pacifist Repertoire.

With White, Kaufman suggests 1. e4. Against 1. ... e5 Kaufmann recommends the ultra-quiet Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. It could be called the Endgame Variation. Against 1. ... c5 you can play the silent Rossolimo and Moscow variations with Bb5, except after the move-order 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6, when Kaufman varies with the Super-Ultra-Quiet 3. b3. Yes, your main weapons as White will be sustained efforts to bore your opponents to sleep. You can probably guess what will happen against the French: that's right, the Tarrasch, the Quietest One. Ditto for the Pirc (h3 variations), the Caro-Kann (the Advance variation), and Alekhine's Defense (early Be2 and O-O). You could play these lines for a year without attempting one kingside attack.

As you may have guessed, with the Black pieces Kaufmann recommends the quietest first moves for Black: 1. e4 e5, and 1. d4 d5. Your main weapon against 1. e4 will be--you guessed it--the Berlin variation of the Ruy Lopez. Yes, the favorite of Kramnik, a GM noted for continuously drawing, especially with black. Catch Kramnik's new book, "My 60,000 Memorable Draws," where half the games are Berlins. I tried the Berlin Ruy for quite awhile online. It is excruciatingly uncomfortable. Your king can barely move. Your bishops can barely move. Your rooks cannot get out. Oh, and your bishop pair might be worth something by move 144, but probably not, as one of your holy men gets traded long before then. Against the King's Gambit, the Scotch, the Vienna, etc., Kaufmann found lines that rush the queens off the board (perhaps he dislikes queens) and steer directly into Quietville Junction. Keep the rules of chess handy if you take up this repertoire, because periodically you will forget how the queen moves and what she looks like.

Against 1. d4 Kaufman recommends the quietest possible variation of the Semi-Slav, with ... Bd6 against almost everything, which GM Arthur Bisguier has used for decades as a drawing weapon. Most of the Meran variations reviewed by Kaufmann lead to rapid exchanges and early endgames. Kaufmann gives reassurances that you will grind out victories against lower-rated opponents. Not that you will enjoy fighting for the full six hours against an opponent rated 300 points below you, struggling to prove that your bishop is slightly better than his knight, when you know that he would have folded by move 28 had you played a normal opening. If you play this repertoire, you may motivate the tournament organizers to make a special endurance prize, just for you, for being the very last to finish his game in every single round of the tournament...."

Now, I don't have the book and this is only one review. Most other review are fairly good. But this one cracked me up nonetheless 

My opinion about these type of books is that they can be useful for ideas, but ultimately I would never trust them for creating a repertoire - for this some independent work is required. That said, I take the previous point on board.

Quote:


Ok. However is easier to get any worked repertoire and repeat it like/as a monkey than to start inventing one of your taste. I mean why not to take advantage of previous work done. I'm just starting to play chess, I'm far away from a true understanding of the game, and I want to taste some different ways of playing before to decide what to play.   

I have found my way with black, Pirc/KID, after toying with some defences. I hope to feel the same with white, that's all.

I've said this before, your study so much opening material your poor old brain hasn't had time to recover and you seem to be switching from one line to another before you given yourself time to absorb the new lines.

I think that you'd be far better spending your time going through your games to see where you made your mistakes and in what positions  you played well. Although it's easier said than done, once you know the latter,it should be a lot easier to find lines that suit your game whether they are main line or slightly off beat.

Final observation- I hope that when you've been studying, that you have been looking for the ideas/plans behind the openings rather than just learning the moves. Otherwise, I think that you have been wasting your time !

All the best

Andrew