Markovich wrote on 09/29/09 at 15:48:42:

That's a concession many of the worlds top grandmasters, including world champions, happily make. The "right" way to play c4 is not neccesarily as a "system". Many of us would rather use it as a variation, either to avoid certain lines, or because we just enjoy playing 1.c4 e4 (which I do, with the four knights). The anti-benoni, another rich enjoyable line, is also a really useful way to play against the symetrical for a d4 player, as it provides another option against a benoni or benko player - an option that will annoy many of them.

Why not send the review along with the book !? By the way, it is already sold out in Paris.

rdecredico wrote on 09/29/09 at 23:03:56:


Then perhaps I am not human, because I never feel like that. Instead I prefer to find out my own secret move orders to surprise and confuse my opponents.
The point is, and on this I agree with Antillian, that when using an opening book, repertoire or not, one should not only use ones brains to ask questions (why 2.g3 iso 2.Nc3 - or the other way round) but to find some answers as well. A simple tool like Chessbase' opening report often helps.
All the repertoire books I have seen from the last 10 years or so are consistent.

Antillian wrote on 09/29/09 at 19:26:33:



I think it is part of human nature to feel we are missing out on something.    In chess, this fear is manifests by one always thinking there is some secret move order, or sequence that is known, but being kept from one for some reason.   Some people actually labor under the assumption that there is a single truth somewhere to be found.

Certainly, there is business to be culled from keeping this philosophy alive.

I would think White should be rather happy in the case of 3...d4, where he could end up with a Benoni with two extra tempi.

In which case white has to deal with both 3...dxc4 and 3...d4 as possibilities, and is forced to play a Reti instead of the desired Catalan. 

Alias wrote on 09/29/09 at 16:26:32:

With 1.c4 2.g3, is there a way to transpose to the Catalan without allowing Black to equalize easily? e.g.

1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.d4 dxc4 4.Nf3/Bg2 c5, which if I recall, equalizes for Black, according to Davies in "Play the Catalan" (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3?!).

It's just a choice like any other choice anyway. Given that it's a repertoire book using the English Opening exclusively, the option to play the QGD Exchange is pretty irrelevant. There are also move order issues when you consider that Black can play ...e5 on move two and force you into something else if you had not played. For instance, you have to map out your responses to 1...c6 and 1...Nf6 such that they agree transpositionally with your responses to 1...e5, since in both of these choices, Black can play 2...e5. So if you want to play the pawn offer lines like 1...c6 2. g3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bg2 dxc4, then you have to meet 1...c6 with 2. Nf3 or 2. g3, similarly with 1...Nf6. 

Also, not committing the knight to c3 is useful in other lines as well, for instance against 1...e6 or 1...c6 when Black takes on c4. White has Na3 options. 

It's just a personal choice, It's strange to me that people are getting so worked up over this 2. g3 vs. 2. Nc3 thing.