Ah yes, I forgot about Delchev.

Thanks

Delchev's The Modern Reti comes to mind...

Hi folks,

Does anyone know of any more recent resources for White for this system? I already have Kosten's Dangerous Weapons.

MartinC wrote on 08/15/08 at 09:08:25:

I have since covered it very thoroughly in DW - Flank, of course (in the 'Slaying the Slav' chapter), and Jonathan Rowson had a further look at it in his very last Flank update for ChessPublishing.com!
3...Bg4 is covered in both the book and on the site.

I believe that there are also quite a few older games which Kosten annotated while he was still doing this section. Older of course but no doubt still useful.

It's certainly rather more likely to produce a quick win than standard Reti play

I play it in blitz at a low level and do well enough with it; it's great fun and seems usually to unsettle Slav players.  I tried it out because as a 1c4 player I was suffering against the Slav with other tries and I adopted this with a cavalier attitude to the opening, thinking that I could either suffer with passivity in other lines or hurl my g-pawn forward recklessly and see what happens.  I play the Dutch with similar abandon and although I often lose I do find that the wins (when they come) are far more entertaining than I have any right to expect them to be, given my lack of theoretical knowledge after the opening 4 or 5 moves.  

Thanks for that. I see from an old thread Tony Kosten was sounding out the possibility of including this system rather than the Reti vs 1....c6 for the repertoire in The Dynamic English 2. I think the main problem was it broke away from the 2g3 format of his original repertoire. Although, I believe he actually plays 2e4 quite a lot himself as a former e4 player anyway.  

On a practical level I tend to feel this would have good chances at the club level by taking black away from familiar territory. I know as black playing 1..c6 I dont mind facing a Reti in the slightest. Moreover, there is far less less theory attached to this system than the Reti. 

In some ways its quite pleasant to have this system kept to obscure back waters of theory or chess literature as black players are far less likely to have a ready made response as with the Reti. 

I guess Its time to sign up and register as was suggested for the game updates. This is a fantastic site and the fact you can actually have theoretical updates and posts from the leading authorities is quite amazing. 

 

Neither am I but it did get a lot of attention in some of the earlier updates to the flank openings section. (a few years ago now iirc.). I've not seen them myself but they're very likely to be the best source of information on the line.
(not many alternatives after all!)

Hello Antillian,

Neil MacDonald mentions the system in his book Starting Out: The English,  and cites one of Gurevich's games using the queenside castling/pawn storm I referred to. I have not got the book here in front of me but here are a few game references. I rely on free data bases but those of you with a decent one should be able to un-earth loads of games using this system. 

Event KB Czech Open
Date: 2000.07.21
EventDate: 2000.07.21
Round 1
Result: 1-0
White:  Mikhail Gurevich
Black:  Joerg Wegerle

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 d5 4. Qc2 e6 5. b3 Be7 6. Bb2 O-O
7. Rg1 Nbd7 8. g4 Ne4 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. Bxc3 Re8 11. Bd3 g6
12. h4 Bf6 13. h5 Bxc3 14. dxc3 Qf6 15. Rg3 Nc5 16. hxg6 hxg6
17. g5 Qg7 18. O-O-O e5 19. e4 dxe4 20. Bxe4 a5 21. Nd2 Be6
22. Rh1 Red8 23. Rh6 f5 24. gxf6 Qxh6 25. Rxg6+ Qxg6 26. Bxg6
Bf7 27. Nf3 e4 28. Bxe4 Rd6 29. Ng5 Rxf6 30. Qd2 Nxe4 31. Nxe4
Re6 32. Qg5+ Bg6 33. Nc5 Rd6 34. Nxb7 Re6 35. Nd8 Rd6 36. Nxc6
Re8 37. Ne5 Kg7 38. c5 Rde6 39. f4 1-0


Event Clichy FRA"
Date  2001.06.30
EventDate 2001.06.25
Round 6"
Result 1/2-1/2
White:  Mikhail Gurevich
Black:  Stuart Conquest

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. Qc2 g6 6. b3 Bg7
7. Bb2 O-O 8. d4 Bf5 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nbd7 11. O-O b5
12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Rfc1 Qb8 14. a4 b4 15. Ne2 Ne4 16. Rc2 Qb7
17. Rac1 Rac8 18. Nf4 e6 19. Qd1 Rfe8 20. Nd3 Bf8 21. Nfe5 f6
22. Nxd7 Qxd7 23. Nc5 Nxc5 24. dxc5 Rc6 25. Bxf6 e5 26. Bh4
Rec8 27. e4 d4 28. Bg5 Qe6 29. Qd3 Rxc5 30. Rxc5 Rxc5 31. Rxc5
Bxc5 32. Bd2 Be7 33. f3 Qc6 34. Kf1 Kf7 35. Ke2 Ke6 36. f4
exf4 37. Bxf4 Kf7 38. Bd2 Qe6 39. Kd1 a5 40. Kc2 Qc6+ 41. Kb1
Bf6 42. Bf4 Ke6 43. h3 Bg7 44. Qf3 Bf6 45. Bd2 Qc5 46. Qd3 Bg5
47. Qa6+ Kf7 48. Qb7+ Kf6 49. Qa6+ Kf7 50. Bxg5 Qxg5 51. Qc4+
Ke7 52. Qc7+ Ke6 53. Qc8+ Ke7 54. Qb7+ Ke6 55. Qb6+ Ke7
56. Qxd4 Qxg2 57. Qe3 Ke6 58. Qb6+ Ke7 59. Qc5+ Ke6 60. Qd5+
Ke7 61. Qe5+ Kf7 62. Qd5+ Ke7 63. h4 Qf1+ 64. Kc2 Qe2+ 65. Kc1
Qe1+ 1/2-1/2



Event:  Frankfurt Ordix op
Date: 2000.06.16
Round:  1
Result: 1-0
White: Mikhail Gurevich
Black: Michael Tischendor

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Qc2 g6 5.b3 Bg7 6.Bb2 O-O 7.Be2
Bf5 8.d3 Nbd7 9.Nd4 dxc4 10.bxc4 Re8 11.Nxf5 Qa5+ 12.Nd2 Qxf5
13.e4 Qe6 14.d4 c5 15.d5 Qd6 16.O-O e5 17.Bc3 h5 18.Rab1 b6
19.Qd3 Nh7 20.Rbe1 Re7 21.Qc2 Rf8 22.Bd3 Bh6 23.Nf3 Rd8 24.g3
Bg7 25.Nh4 Ndf8 26.Qb2 Ne6 27.dxe6 Qxd3 28.exf7+ Rxf7 29.Qb3
Re8 30.Bb2 Qd6 31.Rd1 Qe6 32.Bc1 Ref8 33.Qd3 Qf6 34.Qe3 Re8
35.Rd5 Bf8 36.Kg2 Be7 37.Nf3 Bd6 38.Bb2 Bc7 39.Ne1 Nf8 40.Nd3
Nh7 41.Qe2 Ng5 42.f4 Ne6 43.Nxe5 Bxe5 44.Bxe5 Qe7 45.Qd3 g5
46.f5 Nc7 47.Bxc7 Qxc7 48.f6 1-0

Event:  Cap dAgde Chess Festival
Date:  2002.10.27
EventDate: 2002.10.27
Round:  3
Result:  0-1
White:  Mikhail Gurevich
Black:  Evgeny Bareev

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. b3 Nbd7 6. Bb2 Bd6
7. Nc3 O-O 8. Be2 a6 9. d4 b5 10. O-O Re8 11. Rfd1 Qe7 12. e4
dxe4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 bxc4 15. bxc4 Rb8 16. Rab1 Nf6
17. Qe3 c5 18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Qh6 Rxb1 21. Rxb1
Rd8 22. Rb3 Kh8 23. Nd2 Rg8 24. Ne4 Bd4 25. Qd2 e5 26. Ng3 f5
27. Bf3 Be6 28. Bd5 f4 29. Ne4 Bxd5 30. cxd5 f5 31. Qc2 Qg7
32. Ng3 fxg3 33. Rxg3 Qd7 34. Rxg8+ Kxg8 35. Qc4 Kg7 36. g3 a5
37. Kg2 a4 38. f3 Qb7 39. d6 Qd7 40. Qd5 Kf6 41. f4 h5 42. Kh3
a3 43. Kg2 Bb2 44. Kh3 exf4 45. gxf4 Qg7 46. Qf3 Qg4+ 47. Qxg4
hxg4+ 48. Kh4 Kg6 49. h3 Bf6+ 50. Kg3 gxh3 51. Kxh3 Kf7
52. Kg3 Ke6 0-1

Event: 6th Corsica Masters
Date:  2002.11.02
EventDate:  2002.11.01
Round: 2.2
Result: 1-0
White: Mikhail Gurevich
Black: Alexey Dreev

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Qc2 g6 5. b3 Bg7 6. Bb2 O-O
7. Be2 Na6 8. d3 Bf5 9. O-O Rc8 10. a3 dxc4 11. bxc4 Nc5
12. Rd1 b5 13. e4 Bg4 14. Nbd2 Na4 15. Be5 Qa5 16. Nb3 Qa6
17. c5 Rfd8 18. h3 Bxf3 19. Bxf3 Ne8 20. Bxg7 Nxg7 21. d4 e6
22. Rd3 Qb7 23. Rad1 Qc7 24. g3 Rb8 25. Qd2 e5 26. d5 cxd5
27. Rxd5 Rxd5 28. exd5 Nxc5 29. d6 Qb6 30. Nxc5 Qxc5 31. Rc1
Qb6 32. d7 Rd8 33. Rc6 Qb8 34. Bg4 h5 35. Rc8 Qb6 36. Qg5 f6
37. Qe3 Qa5 38. Qb3+ Kh7 39. Qb4 Qb6 40. Qe7 1-0


Event: Cap dAgde Chess Festival
Date: 2002.10.24
EventDate: 2002.10.24
Round: 1
Result: 1-0
White:  Mikhail Gurevich
Black: Alexey Dreev

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Qc2 Nbd7 5. Nc3 e6 6. b3 b6
7. cxd5 exd5 8. d4 Bb7 9. Be2 Bd6 10. O-O O-O 11. Bb2 Re8
12. Rad1 Qe7 13. Rfe1 Rac8 14. Qf5 Qe6 15. Bd3 Nf8 16. Ng5
Qxf5 17. Bxf5 Rcd8 18. Rc1 Ne6 19. Nf3 g6 20. Bd3 Nd7 21. Ne2
Bf8 22. Rc2 a6 23. Rec1 c5 24. Nf4 Nxf4 25. exf4 f6 26. f5 g5
27. h3 Rc8 28. Bf1 Bd6 29. g3 Kf7 30. Bg2 Bf8 31. Nh2 b5
32. Ng4 c4 33. bxc4 bxc4 34. Bc3 Bd6 35. Bd2 Bc6 36. Ne3 Rxe3
37. Bxe3 Nb6 38. Rb1 Na4 39. Bd2 Bb8 40. Re1 Ba7 41. Re6 Bb7
42. Bb4 Rc7 43. Rce2 1-0

Event: 6th Corsica Masters
Date: 2002.11.02
Event Date: 2002.11.01
Round:  2.3
Result: 1/2-1/2"]
White: Mikhail Gurevich
Black: Alexey Dreev

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Qc2 e6 5. b3 Nbd7 6. Nc3 Bd6
7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O Re8 9. d4 dxc4 10. bxc4 e5 11. Rd1 exd4
12. exd4 Nf8 13. h3 Ng6 14. Bf1 Qc7 15. Bg5 Nh5 16. Re1 Bd7
17. c5 Bf8 18. Bc4 Nhf4 19. Bxf4 Qxf4 20. Ne2 Qf6 21. Qb3 Be6
22. Bxe6 Rxe6 23. Ng3 Rae8 24. Rxe6 Rxe6 25. Qxb7 Bxc5
26. Qa8+ Bf8 27. Qxa7 c5 28. a4 Nf4 29. a5 Nxh3+ 30. Kf1 Ra6
31. Qb7 Nf4 32. Ne4 Qh6 33. Ng3 cxd4 34. Nxd4 Qf6 35. Qe4 Ne6
36. Nge2 Bc5 37. Ra4 g6 38. Nf3 Qb2 39. g3 Qb5 40. Kg2 Rxa5
41. Rxa5 Qxa5 42. Nf4 Nxf4+ 43. Qxf4 Qa8 44. Qe5 Bf8 45. Qe2
Qd5 46. Kg1 Bd6 47. Nd2 Kg7 48. Nc4 Bc7 49. Ne3 Qe6 50. Qf3 h5
51. Kg2 Bb6 52. Nd5 Bd4 53. Nf4 Qf5 54. Nd5 Qxf3+ 55. Kxf3 g5
56. g4 h4 57. Kg2 f6 58. Ne7 Kf7 59. Nf5 Be5 60. Ne3 Ke6
61. Kh3 Bd4 62. Nf5 Bxf2 63. Ng7+ Ke5 64. Nf5 Bc5 65. Ng7 Bf8
66. Nf5 Ke4 67. Kg2 Kf4 68. Kh3 Bc5 69. Nh6 Kf3 70. Nf5 Kf4
71. Nh6 f5 72. Nxf5 Bf8 73. Nd4 Ke4 74. Nf5 Bc5 75. Nh6
1/2-1/2

Event:  Corsica Masters Bastia 1/8
Date: 2005.11.03
EventDate: 2005.??.??"
White: Mikhail Gurevich
Black: Zviad Izoria

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Qc2 a6 5. h3 Nbd7 6. d4 e6
7. b3 Bd6 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Be2 Qe7 10. Nc3 e5 11. cxd5 cxd5
12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Rd1 Be6 14. O-O Rac8 15. Qb1 Nc6 16. Rd2 Bb4
17. Rdd1 Rfd8 18. Rc1 h6 19. Rfd1 Ba3 20. Nd4 Nxd4 21. Rxd4
Bc5 22. Rdd1 d4 23. Na4 Ba7 24. Bxd4 Rxc1 25. Qxc1 Bxd4
26. Rxd4 1-0

What do people think of the English Anti-Slav system developed by Gurevich? 

The early opening moves of the system are 1c4/N-f3, 2N-f3/c4, 3 e3, 4 Q-c2 or N-c3 followed up by 5b3. Unlike the Reti the white bishop is not fianchettoed but placed on e2 or d3 depending on the black response. The white dark square bishop is fianchettoed. White reserves the choice of a later d4 or d3. 

Against unprepared opposition the system allows white to castle queenside and play a straightforward king-side pawn storm. A more restained approach is possible with better defence by black. 

I am interested in this system for two distinct reasons. Firstly, I play 1c4 and I am considering this as an alternative to a Reti after 1..c6. Secondly, I play the Slav myself and meet 1c4 with 1...c6! 

Do any of you have experience of playing this system either side of the board? What is the best defensive approach for black here?