All booze aside, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.a3, I would argue that allowing white back into the normal Petrosian lines (or even worse, if white might be able to use the move order to get something improved!) might be too unambitious for black. First surely 3...d5 brings black into a QGD type of position where it should be a bit easier than usual to equalize. Alternatively 3...c5 aiming for a Modern Benoni with where white has committed to a3 early seems rather attractive too and was my choice the one time I face 3.a3 in a tournament game. In that game my opponent went for the Modern Benoni and chose a Bd3+Nge2 set-up, which is one of the variations where a3 might be not such a huge concession, although e.g. that funny Ng4 variation might work even better with an extra tempo).

I dare say Black is more than equal after 4. e4.

I'm really looking forward to this book. I've been having some trouble lately in my KID, and was thinking of switching back to the Nimzo/QID complex - something I gave up becuase I just couldn't handle the Catalan. This just seems like a poor reason to give it up, though I did lose three games in a row to it.  The KID's been pretty good, but I wonder if it really suits my style.

In anycase, was looking over my copy of Aagaard's Queen's Indian Easy way and I realized in certain few spots the repertoire is not very inspiring (you know, looking like a slightly improved Tartakower Queen's gambit) and I'm hoping Greet's book will illustrate ways for Black to go for the full point!

@ IM Greet,

I was wondering if you were proposing a system against 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.a3? This move has caught me off-guard before and while 3...Bb7 often transposes into the Petrosian system, I'm not sure that 3...Ba6 is that good against it. Are you going to propose a move in your book against 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.a3?

Regards.

Would be interesting to know what is recommended against 3...b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2!
Sargisian and Topalov won excellent games with this move at the dresden olympiad

Looking forward to this book. QID deserved more coverage considering it is so common at high levels and is a sound opening. This book will fill the gap. I am even more happy to see Andrew Greet writing this rather than someone who wirites new books every month (guess who are they !). I read Andrew's treatment of Spanish and can't wait.

Andrew,
Can you let us know when we can expect this is US (end of Jan) ?

MilenPetrov wrote on 12/17/08 at 21:00:32:


There are some individual cases where I have mentioned a particular move as being an interesting alternative to the main recommendation, but other than that the answer is no. To provide secondary recommendations in all major variations would have meant compromising my coverage of the main repertoire which I prefer not to do.