looks like Dembo wrote another good book.  i might have to get it.   always looking for something against the annoying English opening.

Bibs- nothing like your most recent post happened at school but occasionally I do get letters at work addressed to Brett !

On the shouty name - I guess when I signed up I hadn't realised that the CAPS were on !

Back on the book- have noticed that in the Barry section that Dembo has omitted 6 h3 as played in a classic Capablanca v Yates 1924 !

Bibs wrote on 10/03/08 at 14:23:55:



anti e.e. cummings.

Markovich- I'd suggest have a look at what she says at pages 178-183 and you'll see what I mean. The Kramnik nf3/c4 move order causes concerns based on 3 nc3 d5 in relation to either

a) 4 qa4 bd7 5 qb3 dc 6 qc4

b) 4 cd nd5  5 qa4 bd7 6 qh4

and she explains at p183 'that there is no simple or ideal solution for the Grunfeld player against 1nf3 and 2 c4' and concludes that she would suggest looking seriously at the english opening and devoting time and study to its various branches.

In my opinion it's all a bit unsatisfactory given that at p5 of her introduction she states that her aim is to provide the reader with a complete, well researched and sound repertoire against all these anti KID and Grunfeld systems.

I would reiterate that I would still recommend the book as overall the content and explanations are of a high standard.

I like this book but I think it's fair to say that she adopts quite a few of Eric Prie's recommendations on this site. I think that one of the book's weaknesses is that for those of you who like to play a Grunfeld she doesn't offer you a solution to 1nf3 and 2 c4 move order and seems to imply that you find an alternative defence .

I noticed Dembo doesn't follow her own recommendations against the English.

Tops

It might be mentioned that Dembo's preferred anti-London treatment is nothing new (and not just because of Korchnoi playing it with reversed colors in the '80s); e.g. I recall Joel Benjamin playing like that (in a rather model game) against Kamsky about 17 years ago.

http://www.everymanchess.com/display.php?id=470

OK, so against the Tromp Yelena does, indeed, make a persuasive case for the critical 2...c5. She broadly follows Gallagher against the Barry and Tromp (5 e3 0-0 6 Be2 c5 against the former, along with much stuff against the recently-developed Tarzan Attack; 4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d6 6 e4 c5 against the latter), but prefers ...c5 lines against the London. There's coverage too of White's lesser options (Colle, BDG, etc), some discussion of the English Grunfeld and finally an anti-English repertoire for King's Indian players.

See too http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2008/08/chess-reviews-57.html