xzibit wrote on 12/16/10 at 21:15:04:


13.Ne2 (instead of 13.f4 in xzibit's game) ooo 14.Nf4! Kb8 Kobalia-Akopian,Sochi 2006 (Paddy in Chesspublishing forum)

I've more or less made the 6...Qa5 (The Black Queen Blues) my mainline when playing the Winawer.

Here is my latest effort:

http://zibbit64.blogspot.com/2010/12/good-win-in-black-queen-blues-on-icc.html

My opponent played the Qb1 line. So far I think I need to work the most on early Qg4 lines, I've had trouble against early Qg4/h4 lines. In the blocked type positions I somehow usually do ok.

Does Moskalenko cover 7...0-0 Winawer?

Yes if you want to learn several new interesting ideas.
No if you expect a complete repertoire.

I must agree with many poeple that this books is very nice. Very pleasant to read. And he also has a chapter on the wonderful MacCutcheon variation (something John Watson refuses to wright about as it seems). Its hard to say Moskalenkos book is "better" than Watsons. Watson works very hard with his books from a theoretical point of view and presents interesting ideas. But I really like Moskalenkos book which at least has a better balance between explaining ideas AND variations.

And I take the oppourtunity to tell John Watson to wright something about the MacCutcheon variation. It must be included in "Play the French 4" if such book ever will be written.

Yes MartinC, reading the comments for the french book here and having read the budapest book, it seems to me that they should be similar.. BUT, there is a great BUT here.. it's one thing to write 250 pages for the Budapest Gambit and another thing to write 250 pages for the French..   

In the Budapest Gambit book I feel he exhausts the opening, he has many illustrative games for each variation, e.g he has 2-3 games for the 19th century ..Qa3 line, almost 15 games for the ...f6 modern treatment from which half are e3 lines and half g3 lines.. He covers all black thematic plans in the main line - slechter knight, Bg4!? ideas etc.

He has 15-20 games for the unambitious Nbd2 line where white doesn't even try to hold on his extra pawn..

He covers the jet variation, 4.Bf4 g5!? with more than 10 games, not to mention the e3+Nh3 lines..  He has a Farajowich chapter of course as well..

I don't see any way that he can do the same in 250 pages for the French, it's just impossible! So if you're looking for a difference between the 2 books, there you are

Reading all these comments, I will definitely buy the book in my next chess order, especially since I have the budapest gambit book which I liked a lot.. Seems like moskalenko is turning himself to a great author

ghenghisclown wrote on 09/03/08 at 05:55:04:


In general I would agree, especially when judging books that recommend dodgy lines, or ones where the whole soundness and therefore serious "playability" of an opening rests on one main line.

The situation is different here. This book will not stand or fall on the outcome of one critical line. For one thing, the French is "not like that" - that's part of its attraction. It requires understanding and rewards fidelity.

In an earlier post I guessed at the type of book The Flexible French would turn out to be:

'Perhaps the book will reflect Moskalenko's own practice; he seems to play the French as if he believes that "OK, the French is a bit inferior, but I like it, and if I can play a variety of different systems within the French, I will not offer a stationary target and I'll be OK most of the time."' 

It seems to me that that's exactly what Moskalenko has aimed at and I think he has succeeded pretty well. The author provides French players with a lot of resources in terms of specific alternative lines against all White's major systems, plus the huge added value of lots of tips and insights from a strong and active GM (born 1960) who has played the French for the whole of his career. It's a very readable, interesting and useful book and I risk a prophecy that it will still be so in ten years' time.