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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Best Italian Repertoire Book? (Read 23073 times)
cathexis
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #24 - 05/23/22 at 13:38:35
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TN didn't specify the line in the post I quoted, but a quick re-read of the whole thread shows he suggested this:

Quote:
By the way, I haven't found any heavy analysis on the modern 3...Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4! yet, but I think it's as good a try for an edge as entering the Spanish main lines.


A quick run through SF shows both the Tn and the Kravtsiv lines as posted by Jonathan analyze as equal and are quite similar. I wouldn't speak for TN, but this is likely it. Also, thanks to Scarlac & Jonathan for replying! The OP was looking for best books in the Italian and I think the link makes a fitting way to keep the thread current.
  
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Jonathan Tait
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #23 - 05/23/22 at 11:11:09
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Scarblac wrote on 05/23/22 at 10:29:10:

The Quality Chess book The Italian Renaissance II by Kravstiv qualifies, I believe? http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/1/361/the_italian_renaissance_-_ii_the_ma... .

Haven't read it myself, no idea about its quality, but from the contents I do believe it has the a4 approach.


If by a4 you mean 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 c3 Nf6 5 d3 0-0 6 0-0 d5 7 exd5 Nxd5 8 a4 then, yes, Kravtsiv has 50+ pages on this.
  

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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #22 - 05/23/22 at 10:29:10
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cathexis wrote on 05/22/22 at 22:50:14:
Quote:
So I will say the best Italian repertoire book is yet to be written - namely, the one concentrating on the fashionable a4 approach.


So wrote TN almost 5 years ago. Did such a book as per above ever come out? And is that line still fashionable? 

TIA,

Cathexis


The Quality Chess book The Italian Renaissance II by Kravstiv qualifies, I believe? http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/1/361/the_italian_renaissance_-_ii_the_ma... .

Haven't read it myself, no idea about its quality, but from the contents I do believe it has the a4 approach.
  
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cathexis
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #21 - 05/22/22 at 22:50:14
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Quote:
So I will say the best Italian repertoire book is yet to be written - namely, the one concentrating on the fashionable a4 approach.


So wrote TN almost 5 years ago. Did such a book as per above ever come out? And is that line still fashionable? 

TIA,

Cathexis
  
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BobbyDigital80
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #20 - 08/23/17 at 04:04:00
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I think TN has convinced me. I'll probably give up the Ruy Lopez for the Italian (with the 4.0-0 move order) and maybe play the Scotch Gambit too. I like the idea of the Italian being somewhat of a system opening, where you aren't required to learn tons of lines that that are very different from each other. The Italian seems more like you're just playing a game of chess.
  
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #19 - 08/23/17 at 03:35:00
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Books wont help you much these days, if they ever did, check the latest games.
  
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TN
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #18 - 08/22/17 at 22:00:02
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Italian is the easiest to start with - after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 you could play Bb3/0-0/Nbd2/h3/Re1/Nf1-g3/d4(Bc2) almost as a system opening - a bit like a Ruy Lopez but where you don't have to consider what to do against 3...f5, the Berlin, the Open Spanish, etc. Keep in mind that you can reach the Scotch Gambit positions with 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 or 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 - so it would not be difficult to incorporate the more direct approach later. 

To be successful with the d3 Spanish lines, it's quite important to have experience with and understanding of the classical Re1 lines, as similar positions often arise when White later plays d3-d4 (having avoided immediate ...Bg4 counterplay). 

Btw, to not give the wrong impression, Muller/Souleidis do have a chapter on 'other approaches' in their book where they include the a4 approach, but in my view one would need quite a bit more knowledge to play it successfully today.
  

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BobbyDigital80
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #17 - 08/22/17 at 21:32:45
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Thanks TN. I'm trying to decide whether to play the Italian, Scotch Gambit, or stick to the Ruy Lopez and pick up McDonald's Move by Move book. Choices, choices...  Tongue
  
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TN
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #16 - 08/22/17 at 19:48:53
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Yes, it's still useful, and it also gives you some extra options against the 4...Nf6 5.d3 0-0 move order. I don't think Avrukh's 'Repertoire against the Modern Italian' database was mentioned, but I think it's a good starting point from Black's POV, though the fashionability of the Italian means that any book quickly falls out of date!

So I will say the best Italian repertoire book is yet to be written - namely, the one concentrating on the fashionable a4 approach. The article on the Italian Game in the 50 Moves Magazine is already out of date, but may serve as a useful starting point for White in this line. Sokolov also nicely annotated an Italian game from the Olympiad in the first 'American Chess Magazine'. 

  

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BobbyDigital80
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #15 - 08/22/17 at 07:11:31
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Is the majority of the Winning with the Slow Italian book still useful for people who prefer to use Saric's move order with 4.0-0? Or does that move order require knowledge of a bunch of lines not found in the book?
  
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #14 - 11/13/16 at 01:29:36
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Fllg wrote on 06/06/16 at 19:29:13:
Black is fine after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 0-0 6.0-0 d5, one reason being the line 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.b4 Be7! 9.b5 Na5 10.Bxd5 Qxd5 11.c4 Qd7 12.Bd2 e4 13.Bxa5 exf3 14.Qxf3 a6! with good compensation for Black. Of course White has other possibilities here which may be more challenging.


Regarding 6. 0-0 Emms agrees on p. 66 that "it's early days" and "it will be interesting too see how this relatively fresh line progresses." But the line he actually recommends is 6. b4 which I play and am very happy with. 
  
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #13 - 06/09/16 at 13:33:40
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Well, TN? 
Which line?
  
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Bibs
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #12 - 06/07/16 at 13:21:01
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Wow. Quite the claim there re: Ng5 and a small edge. Assuming the software is powered up. Specifics...?
  
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TN
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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #11 - 06/07/16 at 06:57:39
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Probably Saric's Italian video series for Chess24, since he's the only one I know of who recommends the optimal move order 3...Bc5 4.0-0! Nf6 5.d3, to be able to meet 5...0-0 with 6.Nbd2/6.Re1 (making ...d5 a lot less effective). That's not an option you have in 4.c3 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0, as 6.Bg5 is well met by 6...h6 7.Bh4 Be7! 8.Nbd2 d6 with equality. 

However, Saric recommends meeting 3...Nf6 with 4.d3 to stay consistent with his 3...Bc5 White repertoire, whereas you can find a small edge with 4.Ng5 if you work on the lines enough with the computer. 

By the way, I haven't found any heavy analysis on the modern 3...Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4! yet, but I think it's as good a try for an edge as entering the Spanish main lines.
  

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Re: Best Italian Repertoire Book?
Reply #10 - 06/06/16 at 20:12:58
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Many thanks Fllg, this is very useful. I see Black's idea! Meanwhile it seems I should look at Saric's video as well as Emms' book ...

In the delayed-c3 line, maybe 6 Nbd2!? inhibits 6 ...d5 as well? At any rate I think 7 ed Nd5 8 Ne4 Be7 9 Re1 (Giri-Bacrot) has been given as a slight(?) edge to White.
  
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