Good luck with your book, it looks interesting.

This surprises me a bit:

BPaulsen wrote on 12/22/11 at 18:26:36:

I am struggling to learn the Semi-Slav Botvinnik, Moscow and Cambridge Springs right now using Schandorff's book. So much memorization due to all the tactics / complexity, I'm not sure how much I will remember OTB.

If 1Nf3 doesn't effectively avoid this theory, what are some of its advantages in your opinion versus learning 1d4, 2c4?

Is your method like Kramnik, basically an Anti-Gruenfeld / certain Indian's approach?

Gilchrist is a legend wrote on 12/23/11 at 02:21:55:


That position is covered in the book. Tentatively speaking, Chapter 1, in fact.

Quote:


2.c4

But seriously, there will be attempts to find something plausible worth playing for white in any critical try.

I'm trying very hard to make this repertoire critical, but I do not believe any white opening repertoire can produce an advantage without fail everywhere (regardless of 1.e4,  1.d4, 1.Nf3, 1.c4) - in the cases where an advantage doesn't seem viable, I will seek alternatives where the resulting middle game gives white methods to improve his position in order to strive for the full point.

That's the nature of things.

Which line? Is it the 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 d5? This line is very annoying for Black.

It is not difficult to improve on the main recommendation of the Safest Grunfeld, but i hope that you'll not chose Topalov's idea he played against Kamsky. Black is fine there.

As for the Slav i'd go for the main line, but with e3 instead of Ne5, even thougth after Ne5 Black has difficulties equalising at present.

Alias got two of the recommendations right.

As for the Slav, it's going to be as main line as it gets, since the Semi-Slav is going straight down 5. Bg5. The Slav is a great opening, and, for example, I briefly mention the variations that put me off from recommending the fashionable 4. Qc2 with e3/Rd1 before Nc3 idea, and the Avrukh approach to the Slow Slav.

As for differences from the Khalifman series, just for an idea: part one of the book covers dark-squared defenses (Grunfeld, KID, Old Indian, Pirc/Modern, 1...d6) and there's very significant differences in choices (even the Old Indian chapter is appreciably different, with attention paid to the recent "The New Old Indian" recommendation), with explanations of why when possible.

I'm doing my best to ensure recent material on openings I cover is mentioned, for example "The Safest Grunfeld" recommendation is covered, and improved upon for white.

Good luck with the book. If it comes anywhere near the quality of your posts here, then it must be excellent.

I will certainly have a close look at this one! It is very obvious from posts here that BPaulsen knows this subject well. It will be interesting to see where he deviates from the Khalifman/Kramnik books. From reading the numerous posts here on 1.Nf3 systems we can have a few guesses.

I'm thinking:

• QGD with Bf4
• KID with Be3
• Anti Grünfeld with Qb3 (I think)
• Main line hedgehogs