Hi Buddho,

you should not be fooled by the 530 pages and 57 chapters of "Bologan's Black Weapons" ! 

I think this is really an outstanding book.
Bologan often gives two lines!!
And as a benefit he tells you why some other lines are not recommended.   

Bologan works hard to avoid early forced draws or
early stupid equality.
There are otherwise very good rep books
which lack this fighting spirit sometimes.

If someone is starting out with 1.e4 e5,
Bologan recommends in the introduction, page 13
a  "Very Fast Lane" (numeration = priority!):

1) vs Italian:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bologan recommends the 2Ns 3...Nf6
(but a rep after 3...Bc5 is covered too!)


Bologan gives of course a complete 2Ns repertoire.
After the calm 4.d3 Bologan recommends returning to the classical Italian with 4...Bc5.

(this move-order avoids besides the Evans quite a few rare, dubious and (for both) dangerous gambits in the classical Italian with 3...Bc5)

(After the 2Ns with 4.d3 Bologan's second choice is 4...Be7 reaching some asymmetry!)

(and 4...d5 is also covered as a "trap":
a principled but ultimately bad move,
Bologan tells you in some detail what is going on in this line.)

2) vs Scotch:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 and now the classical 4...Bc5 is the first choice.

(Bologan gives of course a repertoire with 4...Nf6 too,
but he thinks the Mieses is too crazy for starters. )

After Goering's 4.c3 Bologan recommends for first study 4...Nf6 transposing to the Ponziani - two with one stroke!
(4...d5 is also covered against the Goering and 3...d5 against the Ponziani.)

4. Bc4 Nf6 transposes to the 2Ns.
(Of course 4...Bc5 is also covered for those guys who don't like the 2Ns)

3) vs Scotch 4Ns
he recommends
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 to be consistent with the classical Scotch.
(Of course 5...Bb4 is the second line covered.)

4) vs the King's gambit
1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 exf4 is a time-saver aiming for the Modern Defence.

(Second choice but not at all recommended for starters
is to go for the principled check on h4 as a leitmotiv:
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 Bc4 Qh4+;
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4;
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 d6 6.Nxg4 Be7!?
etc.)   

5) What is missing?
Glek's 4N:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g3 - now the first rec is 4...Bc5

(and the alternative 4...d5 is also covered)

vs Vienna:

a) 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.d3 Na5
b) 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Be7
c) 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bc5 4.Bg2 d6
 

(In a) Zuke's strike 3...Nxe4 is another choice which Bologan covers.)

(2...Nc6 allows some sharp stuff:
3.f4 exf4;
3.g3 Bc5 4.Bg2 d6 5.Ne2 h5!?,
covered but not for first study )

vs Bishop's Opening:

choice for starters is to transpose to the Vienna
vs Urusov: 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nf3 Nc6 -> 2Ns


vs Center Game:
Liquidate with 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 preparing d7-d5 
(the more complex 5...Bb4 is also covered)

(1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.exd5 cxd5 6.Bb3 a5 is Bologan's complex second choice vs the Bishop's Opening)

vs Danish Gambit:
a) 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 d5 is "Bologan's Very Fast Lane"
b) 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 Qe7 is his second choice.
Because vs the Goering the "Very Fast Lane" is not 4...d5,
I would prefer 3...Qe7 even for a first study of the Danish Gambit.

This posting is much too long,
but I think you should not dismiss Bologan's book lightly.

But you really should read the sample pages at "New in Chess".
carefully. Not everybody likes the lay-out, but I think it is very well thought out after working with the book!

Btw:
I like the companion
"Bologan vs the Ruy Lopez"
(Breyer and Marshall plus all the sidelines)
even better. 

Three others depending on the depth of analysis you are looking for:

1. Yuriy Krykun's new book/Chessable course
He recommends Bc5 lines in the Scotch and in the Italian Game, and the Rubinstein in the Spanish 4 Knights.

2. New Simon Wiliams Chessable course
This is crazy stuff for blitz or to roll out as a surprise, e.g., Qh5 in the Scotch and the Ulvestad variation.

3.  The latest (2019) Larry Kaufman repertoire book from New in Chess.
It has a complete e4 e5 repertoire for black and seems really solid.

By the way, the Sverre Johnsen book has some really fun alternative lines.

buddho wrote on 01/04/21 at 19:46:12:


Bologans Black Weapons

My friends, this is the topic about the Spanish repertoire. Any ideas about the main line Rubistein 18.Ne3 move? Is 18...f6 19.Nf5 Re7 playable? Could mr Kosten say something about this?

On Marin's book covering non Spanish lines , I still find it incredible that his anti Kings Gambit is 2 ... Bc5. If everyone played that , I'd play the KG every time ! Shame he didn't cover 3..g5 or 3..d6 Fischer or 3.. h6 Schlecter or even 3..d5, which I believe are the most critical lines v 3 nf3.

19...Qxc5 is interesting because white cannot play the typical 20.Re3 threatening Ba3, but after 20.Ba3 Qxc3 21.Qb1!? i don't trust black's position because my Queen lacks breathing space. Maybe 18..f6 19.Nf5 Rf7 is playable. At least i haven't refuted it yet! It seems strange though that Marin didn't noticed the idea of 18.Ne3. I see in Smyslov-Korchnoi in his book a similar manouvre by white....

Ametanoitos - hope your study brings you a big reward. Just a question- Mark Dvoretsky had a chapter in one of his books on this line ( It's the book where they look at the kings indian attack, stonewall dutch etc.). I have never understood why Black would want to play like this- i don't know if your idea is also covered there. Can anyone help ?