Surely, the best move order for Black is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 and 3.Nc3 Bb4. A very simple and common move order trick, but hard to cover for a repertoire book on one opening. Consistency can really be a straight-jacket sometimes.

I am always amused when I read that 3...Be7 is the consensus best move. It's interesting that the vast majority of players, from Alapin through Aronian, play 3...Nf6 more often than 3...Be7. 

As Mednis patiently explained once, 3...Be7 isn't better than 3...Nf6, it's different. It may stop some White variations, but it allows others. 3...Be7 was one of Karpov's favorite variations, but it is not actually better than 3...Nf6.

Pantu - hah! Exactly the kind of question books on the QGD always avoid. I'm afraid mine isn't any exception either. I just vaguely feel that luft 'must' be more important than whatever weakness ...h6 creates, and am fortified by the fact 'everyone' seems to agree. But it's hard to give concrete lines to prove it, for sure.

Well, that's why most strong players would only play ...d5 after 3 Nf3, no? Nc3 exchange is no fun at all for Black.

The book looks great from the excerpt. The lines may not be my cup of tea, but it's just a good chess education, by the looks of it.

@Daniel: Yes, it looks like of those "dangerous if you haven't seen it" lines.  Thanks for the warning!

@IMJohnCox: If black is going for the ...e5 lines anyway (transposing to the so-called Capablanca System with an extra ...h6) is there a particular reason that can't just play 6...Ne4 avoiding all this ...h6, Bxf6 stuff?  I wondered this question once and checked all the books I could find and no one had a clear answer to this (except transposing to the Capablanca System which they thought was good for white).

I generally understood that the whole point of the Lasker with ...h6 was to be able to play 13...b6 (which has a concrete issue with a hanging h7.)  I tried to find another line to exploit the omission as I was looking at the Anti-Tartakower but didn't find anything concrete.

And another thing - all sources I have for the Tartakower without ...h6 (including Sadler, I think) give 6...b6 7 cxd5! Nxd5 8 Bxe7 Qxe7 9 Nxd5 exd5 10 Rc1 Be6 11 Qa4 c5 12 Qa3 Rc8 13 Bb5 a6 following an old Petrosian game.  Put the pawn on h6 and the same people tell you 13...Qb7! (Timman-Geller) is at least fine for black.  13...a6 is another famous game entirely... 

Here I think white has to adjust his move order with 6...b6 7 Rc1!? Bb7 8 cxd5.

P.S. I've also long been of the opinion that the ...Nh5 line in the exchange has been underrated and is black's most practical option.

IMJohnCox wrote on 06/23/11 at 20:28:40:

I can open the file and Daniel gives 19.R8e7 Ne6 20.Rxf7. I haven't checked this.
The chapter on the Lasker looks very good, IM Cox. As I have decided to take up the Tartakower I will have to buy your book.

I can't open that attachment, Daniel, so forgive me if I'm missing your point, but as long as Black doesn't fall for 18...Be6? 19 Rxe6 etc., and instead plays 18...Bd7, why does 18 Re8 achieve anything in particular?

I was going to go for the Alatortsev, particularly in an over-ambitious period when I was aiming to give more than one repertoire choice against each White system, especially following Vaganian's example. In the end though I just decided I liked the systems I did give better; the ...Nh5 one in particular I think is much easier to play than conventional Exchange positions.

pdf sample is now up on the everyman site. 

http://www.everymanchess.com/chess/books/Declining_the_Queen%27s_Gambit