Regarding
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4?! Nxe4! without 4.Nc3 Dhopade has a half page, essentially
- 4.0-0?! d5 5.Qe2 dxc4 6.Qxe4 Nc6! 7.Nxe5 Qd4! 8.Re1 Qxe4 9.Rxe4 Nxe5 10.Rxe5+ Be6. -/+
- 4.d3 Nc5 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Bb3 Bd6 7.d4 Nxb3 8.axb3 0-0 9.0-0 d4! =/+
Chapter 6 about the French Exchange (3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3 Nf6 6.d4 d5) is interesting but maybe too long (15 pages) in a book on the Petroff?
There has been some debate on 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.Qe2+, but Dophade also spends 3 full pages on 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 Bg4 10.Nbd2 Nbd7 11.c3 c6 12.Qc2 Qc7 .
I‘m not the man to decide about cutting edge theory, but imo there have recently been some developments in the line
3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nc3, maybe Dhopade‘s choice 6...Nxc3 7.bxc3 Nxe5 8. dxe5 Bc5 (only 2 pages) isn‘t as safe as it was in 2019, White‘s attacking ideas are quite deep?!
Anyway, the real meat of Dhopade‘s book are Chapter 8-12 with coverage of the Marshall System 6...Bd6 in the Old main line and the Modern main line with 5.Nc3.
Therefore all serious Petroff players will need this book! If the book suits as stand-alone source or is just a necessary additional source, depends on the individual playing strengh, working methods, repertoire choices and the way you play the Petroff!?
So far I‘ve put four Chapters into my private files but haven’t found any analytical mistakes or typos.
tracke