parisestmagique wrote on 11/27/09 at 16:58:26:


Sorry but after 22. f6:



how is 22. ... Re5 possible?

Just to continue the guessing game about how Marin will go in Volume 2 - if he does indeed avoid the Hedgehog then how will he deal with the 'danger' of the Rubinstein, which, as I see it, is Black's best option after 1 c4 c5 2 g3 (also I've been trying to guess what the "inspiring" gambit, or gambits, which Aagard mentioned a few posts back might be.) Perhaps to disallow the Hedgehog and the Rubinstein the idea is to go 1 c4 c5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 d5 4 Nf3. And if 4 ...g6/Nc6 5 d4 or 4 ... d4 5 b4. Any thoughts? I'm really just looking for more speculation on what Marin might do ... 
Antillian wrote on 11/22/09 at 00:24:27:

Recently, I was made aware of a game that started with 1. c4 e5 2. g3 f5 3. d4 d6. This seems not to be discussed in Marin's Volume One (on p. 453 only three other continuations for Black at move 3 are considered). 

Perhaps 4. dxe5 dxe5 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Nc3 is a reasonable continuation, as f5 is not really fitting into the typical black setup after Qxd8+ Kxd8. On the other hand, exchanging queens here maybe is not to everybody's taste. What do you think?

IMJohnCox wrote on 11/18/09 at 22:54:29:


In the Foreword to Volume 1, Marin states "After  more than one year of deep analysis with Valentin Stoica, I managed to make a step I had never dared to try before, by building a viable repertoire based on 1.c4 followed by 2. g3 irrespective of Black's answer"

Also, if you check a database, you will notice that Marin has responded to 1.c4 c5 with 2. g3 every single time this year. 

So I think I have got my answer, thus no hedgehog. 

BPaulsen wrote on 11/19/09 at 08:58:47:


I have been toying with this idea myself.

After 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4, in addition to the option of a QGD, Black has the option of 1. c4 e6 2. Bb4,  1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 c5  (Tarrasch) and 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 c6 (Triangle).

Further White must play 2. Nc3 against 1... Nf6 so as not be move ordered which would gives White the option of a  Mikenas attack after 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4, but then there is also 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 Bb4  which is not covered by Marin and which you have to research on your own. 

Of course, once you are prepared to do the extra work, White has a reasonable shot at an edge in all these lines. Of these possibilities, the only one I don't particularly like for White is the later: 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 Bb4.

Some good resources to supplement Marin for this repertoire would be Schandorff's Playing the Queen's Gambit (QGD, Tarrasch and Triangle), Dangerous Weapsons:Flank Openings by Kosten, Palliser & Vigus (the  Mikenas Attack and the Gurevich Slav) and possibly Watson's Mastering the Chess Openings Vol. 3 to fill in the other blanks like 1. c4 e6 2. Bb4 and 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 Bb4.

Of course there may be some other independent possibilities for Black I may have missed.

Jacob Aagaard wrote on 11/19/09 at 13:12:59:


Sounds like a Reti-Catalan for the first one (I can't imagine there being many other gambits after 1. c4 e6 assuming black's following up with 2...d5).

I'm definitely in for this book if there's quality Hedgehog coverage from a white POV.

Marin has two up-to-date original gambits ready against 1...e6 and 1...c6. I am quite inspired by them and hope that people will like them. I am not a great fan of 1.c4 e5 positions myself (either colour), but would like to play those suggested lines...

parisestmagique wrote on 11/19/09 at 08:45:56:


1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 will transpose to an exchange QGD, the good kind.

1. c4 c6 is a little more tricky - you could opt for a Gurevich anti-Slav, a Steiner Caro-Kann, or go into a normal Slav.