I've been checking over some of the critical Austrian attack lines in this book. I've looked at these lines a fair bit over the years myself.

The suggestions against  5. e5 are interesting. I've played this defence quite a lot, and after 5. ...Ne4, everyone has played 6. Qf3 against me. I've tried different moves here, but I like the f5 idea, leading to a game with an unusual structure and no theory.

I've looked at the ideas after 6. Bd3 too, and Black seems to get interesting play.

The problem though, is 5. Bd3. I think Emms has pretty much got this defence nailed in Beating unusual chess defences.

With 6. ...Bg4 I think White is just better.

6. ...Nbd7 is I think a little more promising, but there are better defences to grovel for equality with.

Lakdawala suggests 6. ...exd4. Sorry, I don't like it  .

White's f5/Qe1/Bh6 mechanical attacking plan is well known from a number of openings, and the advice "check how computers defend this position" doesn't help to convince me 

Michael Ayton wrote on 08/07/12 at 00:19:16:

I'm not sure how much of the book I should give up, he says he analyzed f5 with Levon Altounian at his IM/GM norm tournament, but two games are:

Stearns - Altounian, San Francisco 2001
Brynell - Persson, Linkoping 2001

Quote:

What are the first few moves in your line before 4.Nf3? I think this might be Pribyl chapter not Wade. He gives h5 and h6 as possible 8th moves, with games for each (h6 being more complicated, fluid, and less committal)

Agamaliev - Malaniuk, Swidnica 1997
Berczes - Tischbierek, German League, 2007

[quote author=585B5157360 link=1315346070/31#31 date=1344275841]The Pribyl could well be a shocker for opponents, I quite agree. But having taken a look at it recently I was tempted to agree with an earlier comment by MNb (in another thread) to the effect that the critical line(s) left Black's position looking perhaps a bit prospectless. I'm thinking here of 3 Nc3 c6 4 f4 Qa5 5 e5 Ne4 6 Qf3 d5 (6 ...Nc3 I find boring -- is that just me?) [/quote]
The book prefers f5 as avoids some lines (which are shown), black plays a c5 break. I wonder in practice if many people will play Qf3?

[quote]The doubts I had about the Wade led me to explore the Pirc option discussed above, which I believe to be OK for Black. (Sorry, Glenn, I should have said that before.) As I mention in reply #19, White has various tenth-move options (after 4 Nf3 Bg4 5 h3 Bh5 6 Qe2 e6 7 g4 Bg6 8 h4 h5 9 g5 Nfd7) that have scored well. Can you, without giving away too much of course, tell us if you think Lakdawala makes a good case for Black?[/quote]
I'm not really sure, I just thought looked an interesting mix. In the intro he writes:

"I realize some readers may be ideologically suspicious of such a plan, but bear with me. Some advantages of the Wade variation:

1. It is strategically combative and we create an imbalance from the start.
2. We immediately evict our opponents from their theoretical comfort zones. Can you think of another opening where Black gets White thinking on move three?
3. We retain a super-fluid pawn structure which bends to our will...
4. Stats have Black scoring 47%, slightly above average."

Games are:

Nielsen - Svidler, Copenhagen 2010
Pinter - Cristiansen, Reggio Emilia 1987
Topalov - Adams, Dortmund 1996
Filippov - Czerwonski, Voronezh, 1998
Wonnell - Lakdawala, San Diego, 2011
Ledger - Hodgson, Southend 1998
Tisdall - Gulko, San Francisco 1995

I purchased the ebook, I like it a lot. I have been playing a mix of Philidor and "Explosive chess repertoire" type lines for a while, but the Czech Pribyl will be a nice addition for me. I hope not to many people pick it up lol, as it will surprise unprepared players I think, esp. the Austrian lines.

The Wade lines are a bit weird, some going into Carpathian warrior type territory, which I'm not sure about. Wade is an issue for d6 repertoire.

A couple of mostly positive reviews:

Checkpoint, chesscafe:

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen157.pdf

Marsh Towers:

http://marshtowers.blogspot.ca/2011/12/chess-reviews-191.html

I like the ebook format, although index doesn't always link to the first game of the chapter. This book isn't a theoretical tomb for more advanced players, but it will provide a good overview of ideas for someone like me (around 1800).

For example, in one game there is a comment to the effect that you will learn when to push d5 (or e5) through experience in the positions. I like this approach - i.e. its not a memorizing long lines type of book, more about the ideas, which is right for this sort of opening.

Thanks Glenn. Not good for Black, I agree -- but maybe Black can avoid this by using the move order 7 ...b6 8 Be2 Nbd7, as favoured by Marin ...?

Where should discussion of this line go? Part of me thinks it belongs in an Accelerated Classical Pirc thread; the other part is happy with it here, since preparedness to play against the A. C. with ...c6 already in can logically be part of a 1 ...d6 repertoire.

Thanks Glenn. I somehow knew the Be3 lines would be the test, but obviously I had a late-night blind spot in not even noticing the (in)famous variation that this is! I guess the line is best explored in another thread, but just quickly, does Kaufman show a serious White edge in the line 7 …Nbd7 8 Be2 Qc7 9 0-0 (9 Nd2 b6; 9 a5 Rb8 10 0-0 b5) b6 10 Qd2 (10 Re1 Bb7 11 Qd2 Rad8) Bb7?

Thanks Glenn but what is White's sixth (or fourth?) move in this line? -- in my line the White KN is already on f3.