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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Anyone writing Play the Slav? (Read 103397 times)
luskifuski
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #165 - 02/26/09 at 17:48:05
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and btw, the computer doesn't like your exchange sacrifice in the g3-mainline... gives it as +0.8 when you give it some minutes. To me, that still seems like a critical test although after two horrible positions from the "quiet" e3-line, I've decided to give up the slav altogether Tongue
  
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James Vigus
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #164 - 02/22/09 at 17:08:50
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It looks as though I was right that this is the most dangerous line for Black in the Sokolov Slav, but even so I may have underestimated the danger. 17 f4 looks a good move to me, and so obvious really - but it took Jakovenko himself a couple of tries to hit on this. Agree with Antillian that 17...Nf6 is a meek reply, and I'd prefer 17...f6 - in general I'm still not overly worried about the fluctuating theoretical status of these positions at elite level, as such slowly unfolding games give both sides so much room for error...

One addition to my coverage - I probably underestimated 15 Nd3 Bxd3 for Black, since Sokolov has recently tried it again, against R.Vazquez Igarza (Leon rapid, 2008):
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Nb6 8.
Ne5 a5 9. g3 e6 10. Bg2 Bb4 11. O-O h6 12. e3 O-O 13. Qe2 Bh7 14. Rd1 Nfd7 15.
Nd3 Bxd3 16. Qxd3 e5 17. Qc2 exd4 18. exd4 Nf6 19. Bf4 Re8 20. Qb3 Nfd5 21. Bd2
Nf6 22. Bf4 Qd7 23. Be5 Nfd5 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Bxd5 cxd5 26. Rac1 Rac8 27. Qf3
Rc6 28. Kg2 Rec8 29. Rxc6 Rxc6 30. h4 Rc2 31. b3 b5 32. Qd3 Rc3 33. Qxb5 Qxb5
34. axb5 Rxb3 35. b6 Be7 36. Ra1 Rb5 37. b7 Rxb7 38. Rxa5 Rd7 39. h5 1-0

Until his dodgy 31st move, Black had an edge typical of Sokolov. 16...e5 is a bit more direct than the 16...Qe7 I gave; 17 d5 seems harmless - 17...cxd5 18 Nxd5 Nxd5 19 Bxd5 Qe7 and ...Nf6, and where are White's targets?

  
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Antillian
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #163 - 12/27/08 at 12:49:05
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ddt wrote on 12/26/08 at 21:44:19:

I am wondering what Dr. Vigus thinks about these developments? For instance, what is his opinion on Yakovenko's 17.f4 in the main line of Sokolov Slav (as played against Sakaev)? It isn't mentioned in the book, but seems to be quite unpleasant for Black...


In Yakovenko-Sakaev, I do wonder if 17...f6 to prepare 18...e5 isn't a better try than the meek 17...Nf6 played.
  

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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #162 - 12/27/08 at 00:09:02
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I think this is a great e-book. I went through quite a few lines with the comp and it seems like the level of analysis is very high.
Unfortunately, Slav is a bit too theoretical for my taste, but to anyone who wants to learn this and play it I can give the highest recommendation.
  
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Antillian
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #161 - 12/26/08 at 23:29:13
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ddt wrote on 12/26/08 at 21:44:19:
Recently "Sokolov Slav" became very popular on the highest levels. Sounds like good news, right? Smiley Unfortunately, it does not seem to fare very well - just look at Wang Yue struggling against Grischuk in Elista, or on 2 out of 2 that Yakovenko scored against it in Russian superleague.

I am wondering what Dr. Vigus thinks about these developments? For instance, what is his opinion on Yakovenko's 17.f4 in the main line of Sokolov Slav (as played against Sakaev)? It isn't mentioned in the book, but seems to be quite unpleasant for Black...


But Yakovenko was only rated almost 100 ELO above each of those two opponents.  Roll Eyes
  

"Breakthrough results come about by a series of good decisions, diligently executed and accumulated one on top of another." Jim Collins --- Good to Great
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ddt
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #160 - 12/26/08 at 21:44:19
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Recently "Sokolov Slav" became very popular on the highest levels. Sounds like good news, right? Smiley Unfortunately, it does not seem to fare very well - just look at Wang Yue struggling against Grischuk in Elista, or on 2 out of 2 that Yakovenko scored against it in Russian superleague.

I am wondering what Dr. Vigus thinks about these developments? For instance, what is his opinion on Yakovenko's 17.f4 in the main line of Sokolov Slav (as played against Sakaev)? It isn't mentioned in the book, but seems to be quite unpleasant for Black...
  
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Antillian
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #159 - 07/09/08 at 13:13:53
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Eclectico wrote on 07/09/08 at 12:18:52:
the electronic and paper versions are the same.   


Are there really? I own the e-book, not the hard copy. I am curious, does the hard copy always give the beginning moves of all games referred to complete with annotation? For instance in the introduction, there are dozens of games, where the author starts at move 10, for example. However, in the e-version, even though Chessbase might jump straight to move 10,the full game is still there, often with annotations prior to that point. In these cases, does the hard copy version give the full game also?
  

"Breakthrough results come about by a series of good decisions, diligently executed and accumulated one on top of another." Jim Collins --- Good to Great
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #158 - 07/09/08 at 12:18:52
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the electronic and paper versions are the same.   after waiting 2 months for the hard copy i had on pre-order from amazon, i gave in and picked up the e-book.   i'm glad i own the hard copy. hard copy is easier to "bookmark" and helps me to force myself to read through the entire book in an organized fashion rather than jumping around a bunch of lines like an e-schitzo on chess-crack.
  
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CheckMate
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #157 - 07/08/08 at 17:19:05
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I see many has bought the ebook version. Anyone bought the paper book? Is there a paper book at all? Does the ebook and paper book have the same content or are there missing parts in the ebook?


  
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #156 - 07/06/08 at 04:42:10
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HgMan wrote on 07/06/08 at 01:01:09:
Quote:
to finally answer the question, yes someone did write Play the Slav!


To finally answer "the" question, or to finally answer A question?


To finally answer the question.
  
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HgMan
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #155 - 07/06/08 at 01:01:09
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Quote:
to finally answer the question, yes someone did write Play the Slav!


To finally answer "the" question, or to finally answer A question?
  

"Luck favours the prepared mind."  --Louis Pasteur
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #154 - 07/06/08 at 00:22:01
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to finally answer the question, yes someone did write Play the Slav!
  
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gfire
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #153 - 06/30/08 at 13:38:54
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I bought  the ebook version of "Play the Slav"  by Dr. Vigus from everymanchess.com a few weeks ago. I didn't have any
experience with the Slav previously, but I have found the book
very helpful.

Good points: 

The "Introduction" is fabulous. Vigus starts out explaining some of the main moves and has nice advice for the aspiring Slav player (or anyone learning a new opening - ie. make the opening your own by doing your own investigations..,.etc)., then has sections using games to detail some of the common positional challenges of the Slav (using various games). 
For someone new to the Slav I found this section very, very helpful.

I like his sense of humor which comes out every now and then (ie. 
see the chapter on the The Errot variation -- what IS that??). 

One thing I wish were different: they included the index of variations at the end of each chapter. That's fine but it would have been nice to have a few pages at the end of the book that did the same, just for reference purposes. I have to remember the varation "name" before I know which chapter to go to since the chapter headings don't have the moves in them either.

I would also prefer a few more complete games.

This is my first e-book book and overall I like it. It's nice to be able to play through the lines in Fritz. It takes a little getting used to
but I think the advangages (especially for a chess book with variations and games..etc) are tremendous.

cheers,
gfire


  
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #152 - 06/23/08 at 16:16:58
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Alias wrote on 06/23/08 at 11:28:56:

The Bologan book referred this time to the best games book, not the a6-slav book.

Thanks, Alias. My apologies for complicating the conversation!
  
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Re: Anyone writing Play the Slav?
Reply #151 - 06/23/08 at 12:18:17
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Aha, thanks.  I couldn't tell from the thread (still can't).  I have both Bologan books and would recommend them both, incidentally.
  
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