Taking a rest from the World championship, I've watched this DVD now. I've been happy playing d6 universal for a number of years now, and this DVD has given me a number of new ideas / variations.
A nice complement to Nigels Pirc DVD, both of which I rate  

After 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3, there is an important choice for Black. Nigel's choice is 2. ...g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Bg4 (he covers deviations for White in this line too). Now I did a quick rep check in Megabase and see that in over 1000 games Black is scoring an avergage 45% and there are some GMs playing it, so games available for study. Not sure if it will divert me from the KID, but enough evidence to warrant further investigation if I feel like expanding my options.



parisestmagique wrote on 09/18/07 at 07:58:10:


I these positions with Qd2, Black can, and must, use the development advantage (which is increased when White plays with b3 and/or g3) to fight tactically for the initiative against White's space advantage. This can involve early thematic sacrifices of a pawn (d5), an exchange (a5/a4/Rxa4), even a piece  (Nxe4). Examples are covered on the DVD. The infamous game, already mentioned, is Heubner-Kasparov. This to me is modern chess, and I've had great games against stronger opponents after getting say the thematic d5 sacs in. 

Qd1 is a bit more stable, but again it's piece activity that governs Black's game. 

Not always an easy ride, and if Black just plays routinely, then yes, Whites game can be easier, but it's game on if Black knows what he's doing and has IMO just as good chances as any mainline defence.

HgMan wrote on 09/22/07 at 14:20:54:


I take it this was a correpondence game. Hmm, my way of avoiding this sort of issue is that I tend not to be able to remember this amount of book theory  . However this is the sort of defence where there is enough play for both sides that I find my own way.

Meanwhile on 3 Nc3, quite a few strong players have played 3 ...Nd7. The transpositional possibilities are obvious; but also, in several lines Black perhaps doesn't have to play ...Nf6 early or at all.

[quote author=Michael Ayton link=1189214793/0#13 date=1189725003][quote]I wouldn't get too carried away with 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5.  In spite of Yrjola & Tella's enthusiasm, life needn't be so simple for Black... [/quote]

So which lines do you consider most critical, HgMan? I seem to remember there was some endorsement a while ago on this site for 3 Nc3, but not much concrete discussion ...[/quote]

I'd have to pull out my copy of the book and see.  I remember thinking that there were a lot of good alternatives for both sides not mentioned in the book (and ran into an ugly error in their analysis in one correspondence game.  Always check and double-check the book...).  I don't think there was any concrete variation that sours the whole position, but a number of good chances for White exist in the main lines.

Let me get back to you...

Does this DVD cover the same kind of ground discussed in the three Foxy DVDs by Andrew Martin and Jim Plaskett? I assume the Pirc is endorsed rather than the Czech System but what else is different?

John

After 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5

(A).  3.Nc3 exd4 (3..Nf6 is an Old Indian) 4.Qxd4 Nc6 is a line of the English which, afaik, is thought to be slightly better for White because of his central control.  The Queen will go back to either d2 or to d1, and White will follow up with e4.  

(B).  3.Nf3 e4 4.Ng5 is a critical line.  4.Nfd2 and 4.Ng1 are also playable.  My impression, fwiw, is that these positions are what Black is looking for when he plays 1..d6, and, whatever their theoretical worth, it's not worth taking on Black on his home turf like this.

(C).  3.d5 is recommended by IM Palliser in Play 1.d4!  A critical line continues 3..f5 4.e4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Nge2 Bf5 7.Ng3 Bg6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.h4 Qd7 11.f3.  Now, 11..exf3!? 12.Qxf3 h5 13.Bd3 gives White good compensation as he gets control of the key squares e4 and f5.  Mikhalevski-Milos, Cappelle la Grande 2000, instead continued 11..f5 12.h5 Bf7 13.fxe4 fxe4 14.Ngxe4 with an edge for White.


 

Hmm, I wish Nigel would stop making DVDs of my repetoire 

I've been playing universal d6 since the Soltis book. This book is full of holes, but in finding and filling them myself, I felt I'd finally got a repetoire of my own, and was pushing my own theory.

I eventually switched from the Czech back to the mainline Pirc, and from 2. ...Bg4 to the KID, but I kept the glue of going via d6 and delaying Nf6 to make some d4 players squirm. 

Yes, don't overrate the system, but it's fully viable. 

"Explosive Repetoire" - Yes, good book, but might get the prize for most inappropriate title.

The real gem is 1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 3. de de 4. Qxd8. It was quite an aha moment in chess when I understood that Black, after having moved the King and having to make some more pawn moves to fall even more behind in development is not just equal, but maybe even a touch better  . In practive, I've won all games in this line except for two draws when I got lazy. All opponents were lower rated (Plus I love watching them ponder d6 and go into a long think after e5 - yep not seen it before), but it's still a much higher performance than I get from anything else.

My order for the DVD is in! Might be worth getting 2. ...Bg4 back as an alternate weapon.

" My apologies for my misleading post. "

No problem. 

I have to say, I just have too many move order issues I guess with this kind of repertoire. I ought to know, I've played d6 after d4 for a long time. The advantage of it is either psychological or merely based on circumstance - most of my opponents who play 1.d4 are not King pawn players. If we go into a Pirc, they're clueless. 

This isn't a reliable way to play because they're are people who know what to do. In addition 2.Nf3 just throws a spanner in the works. It's very difficult after that unless you go in for a KID. So ultimately, 1...d6 is perhaps a good mover order for a tricky KID player looking to spice things up (in case his opponent plays 2.c4 automatically) or someone who's afraid of the Samisch and the Four Pawns KID.