Boy, was this one worth the wait! Well I need to spend time studying it, but just from first reading I'm
so far.
The first two chapters, Castling into the Argentine/150 attacks could be worth the price of entry alone. I'm glad the name Argentine attack is catching on!
Spurred on by the Jobava Game (PiB&W Game 60), I had tried this myself. Superb results in Blitz, but poor OOB, so I went back to early c6ing.
I stopped castling into it when I ran into 7.f3/8. Bh6/9. h4. It seemed an accurate move order, and I didn't find solutions in PiB&W. I analysed my game, and whlist not without resources, I found the formation with Nb1 and Kc1 very difficult to get at for Black, whilst White just gets on with it. I concluded Black needed to give up the Bc8 for Nh3 if possible, and try (with Qxa2), a Nbd7-b6-a4, but did not convince myself. Now James Vigus has an interesting and logical idea against it which I need a good look at.
Just eyeballing some of the ideas in Chapter 1, I have seem some gems, like meeting h5 with a g5 sac, or running the King down the escape tunnel via f7 and e8, enough to get me giving it another go I think.
Two more of the chapters were things I was planning to follow up myself, and now it's been done for me
One of these is 9. ...Kf8 in the 5. ...c5 Austrian. In PiB&W, James called it bizarre and gave it a ?!, but put an engine on it and you'll see Black isn't actually busted. So an interesting new option here, and definitely in the dangerous category (but for who
)
The other is the delayed Spike, i.e waiting with Be3 before playing g4 to give Black the chance to castle into it. An interesting idea for White, and covered by two Richard Palliser chapters, the second covering when black doesn't castle. There might be enough for a White repetoire vs Pirc in these two.
The other White line given is a Classical with Bf4, written by Colin McNab. Boo hiss, what a traitor helping the White side out
. I think though he is an ideal author for this, and I myself tend to use a classical Nf3 system when I meet my own defence.
Then we've got 6. ...e6 vs the Classical (I've done well with Bg4 and c6 lines so I'm not sure I need this, but good for hippo fans), a line vs the fiancetto, and a line vs 3. f3. The latter system might be a bit annoying for some Pirc players to meet, as the lines often move into structures more akin other openings (Anand use this against me [Ed: You shameless name dropper!]). 3. f3 c5 hasn't been covered much before, so thanks for that one.
All Pirc so far. I think the Modern got a short deal with only 3 chapters, but then Modern players can transpose into the Pirc. I would really like to have seem something Modern vs. White playing 3. c4, but the book is all 1. e4 focussed. We've got a line vs Bg5, one vs Bc4, and for White, 1. e4 g6 2. h4
So thanks Richard, Colin and James, I've got plenty to keep me happy here