Hi.
Reading the book more I can say that it definitely is a real repertoire book. Breadth of the lines covered is good. Sidelines are taken with seriosity though at the same time not covered to immense proportions; so thumbs up for that.
When it comes to line choices in the Pirc section (have not checked the other stuff as much yet). For me at least, I was seriously off in my predictions of what lines were going to be in the book. In general the author goes for sort of principled setups with
4...Bg7 against almost everything (actually, probably just everything). This is usually good in 95% of cases, although as white players these days probably are mostly aware it does give options for a quick Qd2+Bh6 in all of the
4.Be3,
4.Bf4 and
4.Bg5 lines (have yet to see anyone playing 4.Bd2 Bg7 5.Qc1. Maybe some day though
).
The remedy chosen against
4.Be3 and
4.Bf4 followed by
5.Qd2+6.Bh6 is, as detailed earlier, a line leading (with white cooperation) to a sort of late middlegame without queens where black has not, momentarily at least, equalised. One can certainly argue there are practical grounds for not having such a line in a repertoire and I seriosuly thought it would be avoided.
Against
4.Bg5 going
4...Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 is certainly a possibility as well, although for whatever reason the author avoided it (does it not seem at least a mildly practical recommendation?). Instead we see
5...h6 and now three lines:
6.Bf4 a66.Bh4 g56.Bh4 0-0There is a reason given for not going 6.Bf4 g5 so one can understand something else is chosen there. The other lines, perhaps especially 6...g5, have their followers. Both are not obviously equalising though and at least to me, in different ways, they do seem to be a bit positionally loosening. That is basically why I thought something else would be chosen as repertoire recommendation.
The classical system:
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0Sees a sort of combative all to play for line chosen, in the form of
6...e6. My view on this is that 6...e6 is a fairly positional line without the same basic charateristics as many of the other lines in the repertoire. Here you actively try not to engage white and you only slowly bring your pieces into play. Most of the rest of the repertoire for black seems to be more about getting out with your pieces well and not backing from concrete play if needed. So yea. This line stands out a bit for me.
The Fianchetto variation:
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.g3Is covered as well of course and the following line is seen:
4...Bg7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.Nge2 e5 7.h3 c6 8.a4 a5 9.0-0 Na6This seems to be a fairly positional way of playing and some sort of strategic battle seems likely. In my view, even if this variation is quite interesting, there are simpler lines against 4.g3.
Saving the best for last. I can say that in the Austrian attack castling is the choice.
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0
Now in the main line of
6.Bd3 the reply chosen is
6...Nc6 (aiming for e5) and after
7.0-0 e5 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 the principled looking
9...Nd4 is given over the alternative
9...Ne7. This Nc6+Nd4 I actually thought was coming because black seems to have good chances of equalising if he knows his stuff and if white plays sub-optimally black often has reasonable activity and can start to play for advantage.
In the somewhat strangely sidelineised
6.Be3 line
6...b6 with
7.Qd2 Bb7 is given. Reasonable indeed.
And finally
6.Be2 does get met by the main reply
6...c5So yea. These are my thoughts on the Pirc section of the book. In general pleased with most things except a lot of the actual lines chosen (but this is also very much a matter of taste). I thought I'd mention one small hole I noticed (bring out the pen JEH.
) and then not really go in to much more specifics on the chosen lines.
I'm thinking that if white goes:
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2Sort of rare but reasonable looking move. Kornev on p.243 mentions we should go to chapter 23 (p.305) - The chapter on the classical variation for those without the book.
There he mentions that
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 0-0 6.Be3 e6 7.0-0 transposes into his coverage of
6.0-0 e6.
Basically the sequence:
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e6 7.Qd2! Looks to me a bit problematic. Black has the possibility to go for a hippo setup... sort of. With the queen on d2 he will never get in h6 though, making his hippo look a bit crippled. Now even crippled hippos should be potentially dangerous, but do you really want to play this if you can never get in h6? Looks to me like both Bh6 and Bg5 are valuable extra options for white.
Have a nice day.
Edit: Lots of personal opinion in the above post of course. Sorry if its a bit overwhelming.