I don't often post on forums but picked up this book yesterday and have to say it is an absolutely staggering achievement. The layout, the detail, the explanations (135 pages of thematics before you even get to game 1 says it all) and it completely sets the standard that all opening books must aspire to.

With regards to the above posters comment on the 8.d4 Anti-Berlin line I havent looked at this in any detail but it should be said that it has been played by the likes of Anand so it shouldnt be that surprising if there is no guaranteed easy equaliser that early in the game! It's also not clear that 8...Nxe4 is the answer. (in fact one of the lines given by the above poster is even illegal) After 8...Nxe4 there are some sharp lines where if he's not careful Black goes an exchange up but with a probably doomed knight on h1. In fact I'd be quite happy playing the position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. Nxe5 d5 8.d4 Bd6 (Vallejo Pons's move) 9. exd5 cxd5 10. O-O Re8 11. Bf4 Ng4 12. Re1 Qf6 13. Bg3 and now maybe Bf5 and it's just a game.

Once again, an outstanding book.

I received my copy yesterday and i'm very pleased with the book. Gongratulations mr Cox and mr Aagard! But, i think that i have some observations to make:

1) It seems that some pages are missing at the end of the book!
2) I'd like to see more new analysis and suggestions at the critical lines of the theory and  more "easy to follow" comments. For example mr Cox says in many places "like the Kramnik game" or "like the Shirov game" for instanse. I' like to see "like the Game ThisGM-ThatGM in page xxx". 

3)At a very critical position in the Anti-Berlin at page 280 mr Cox analyses 8.d4 for White and believes that White has a slight advantage, So, this means that Black cannot fully equalise in the d3 anti-Berlin. I'd like to see the author to try hard to discover something "more playable" for Black here and offer us a good suggestion. After some minutes of analysis i found out that in this position Black is not obliged to play 8...Bb6 or 8...Bd6 (the only moves given) but has a nice tactical resourse 8...Nxe4!! with the idea 9.dxc5 Qe8 (9...Re8 may be more promising 10.Qd4 Qf6 11.f3 f6!) and has at least equalised! I would like to see many more of this kind of work and i am dissapointed i didn't....

But i have to admit that the work and effort put in this book (the endgames section is fantastic!) is colossal!

Thanx for this info!

I have processed an order for Schackbutiken and sent it to our warehouse together with all other orders. It might be in transit. I will investigate it.

I have not yet found those sentences that does not make sense, so hopefully the book will make sense to most readers. We are very proud of it.

Well, I hope it's both. There are 135 pages about typical endings and structures, and 180 or so giving the theory, admittedly on the basis of illustrative games rather than variation trees.

yes this book excites me more than any other opening book has like micawber said.

Yesterday I bought this book in a shop. If you take a look to the content: 

  https://shop.schachdepot.de//catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2037&osCsid=a6...

you see that Cox had written a book mainly about the endgame- and middlegame structures of this system. So you buy not a repertoirebook. It`s a nice book but not a "normal" openingbook.

IMJohnCox wrote on 09/26/08 at 15:21:31:


I look forward to sharing opinion as soon as my copy swims across the pond.  Amazon (US) still gives October 30 as their target shipping date....