How about 1. e4...?

About French there is also a interestning line in Tarrasch called Korchnoi Gambit (or sometimes Universal System"). It is covered in "Starting out 1 e4" and there is also a recent chessbase "video/games" by Collins about it. White sacrifices a pawn for a lead in development and longterm positional compensation. It is played regulary by Michael Adams. It has also been played by Kasparov. However it involves some risk.

Here's the officical page for the (upcoming?) Andrew Greet book:
http://www.everymanchess.com/chess/books/Beating_Unusual_Chess_Defences%3A_1_e4%...

But it won't cover the French or the Caro-Kann.

For the French there are enough books to choose from geared towards White players, like OFWATA 6+7 for 3.Nc3, Tzermiadianos' How to Beat the French Defence for 3.Nd2, and Sveshnikov's 2-volume monograph for 3.e5. There's also Kasimdzhanov's three DVDs on the French 3.Nc3 if you like that medium. There's much less choice against the Caro-Kann; the OFWATA repertoire is outdated in places but surely still useful for sidelines, and every other recent book I'm aware of is geared toward Black players.

I think your best bet is to subscribe to the "French" and "1.e4..." sections of ChessPublishing (and throw in one more since 3 and 2 sections are the same price!). It will cost you a bit more than one book but you get much more content, and updates for a year.

Perhaps a bit of topic but I have a question about "Chess advantage in Black and White" (I have not read it).

In 2012 a book called "The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White" is going to be realesed. Is it a 2nd edition?

kylemeister wrote on 07/20/11 at 14:57:15:

That's the common view indeed. But the theory of the Sicilian is so large (larger than the entire Open Games) that it makes sense to put it in its own category. Pachman in fact did this in his series Moderne Schachtheorie from the 80's:
Volume 1 Open Games
Volume 2 Semi-Open Games
Volume 3 Sicilian.

I would have recommended Volume 2 if Fairchess hadn't specifically asked for a repertoire book.

fairchess wrote on 07/20/11 at 09:17:17:


I don't know of any repertoire books for 1. e4 that don't cover e5 and c5. Your choices are either a repertoire book for everything, or else a bunch of books about each individual opening.

That said, I second the recommendation of "Starting Out: 1. e4" by McDonald. He's a good writer, and I like his choices of lines for the most part, even though there are one or two that I don't use.

Larry Kaufman's Chess Advantage in Black and White will give you a solid repertoire with 1.e4 (he also gives you a Black repertoire). It's based on less-popular and not very sharp, but reputable lines like the Exchange variation of the Spanish and 2. Nf3 and 3. Bb5 against the Sicilian, Tarrasch against the French, and Short Advance variation against the Caro Kann.

MNb wrote on 07/15/11 at 16:34:36:


That's not quite a revelation, as I'm sure that black has better options than 4. ... e6.
I would prefer Rogocenko's recommendation 4. ... Qc7 when I like black's position very much.