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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri (Read 11256 times)
an ordinary chessplayer
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #15 - 08/23/20 at 21:51:15
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The French Tarrasch with 3...c5 and ...Qxd5 is game 13. And don't forget the similar Caro-Kann with 4...Nd7, game 16.

The Carlsbad pawn structure also features prominently. Beyond that the only frequent pattern is the number of middlegames with symmetrically arranged pawns and one or at most two open files. This despite Arkell's statement on page 36, "It's not my normal style to look for an advantage with symmetrical pawns ...." I guess it's GM privilege to make misleading statements about one's own play.

Of course, being an endgame book, it has a motley collection of backward, isolated, or doubled pawns. In the endgame, these frequently happen against a backdrop of otherwise symmetrical pawns, to the extent possible.
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #14 - 08/23/20 at 20:50:27
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winawer77 wrote on 08/23/20 at 11:05:54:
I also believe that the quality control is much less than a printed book as many courses are beta tested by Chessable’s own readership. Despite clearly putting out the best content they can, I’d nevertheless imagine it pales in comparison to the rigour with which Quality Chess put their products through the paces, for example.


Not sure what the brief for a beta tester is but several times I have noticed important sub variations have been missed...so whether they overlay and check content against a database index or simply accept the authors content and only check that  I'm not sure.
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #13 - 08/23/20 at 19:54:05
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an ordinary chessplayer wrote on 08/23/20 at 11:07:02:
Also check out Arkell (2020) Arkell's Endings, wherein he describes how he plays these pawn structures with the kingside majority and the e-pawn on e3/e6. For example game 10, Kulaots - Arkell, Gelsenkirchen 1995 is a Fort Knox.
[...]

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't noticed this book. Material like that must be equally relevant for both Rubinstein and Fort Knox players, and you also get the same general structure in the French Tarrasch with 3...c5 and ...Qxd5, some c3 Sicilian lines, etc.

Could you mention any other typical structures that feature prominently in the book?
  

Improvement begins at the edge of your comfort zone. -Jonathan Rowson
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #12 - 08/23/20 at 11:07:02
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Also check out Arkell (2020) Arkell's Endings, wherein he describes how he plays these pawn structures with the kingside majority and the e-pawn on e3/e6. For example game 10, Kulaots - Arkell, Gelsenkirchen 1995 is a Fort Knox.

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Objectively white is a little better here, but I've had plenty of experience of this type of position in which play typically revolves around the fight for the initiative on the queenside. If white can comfortably advance his majority it could become quite threatening, but in the interim black will try to break up those same pawns and create targets.
  
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winawer77
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #11 - 08/23/20 at 11:05:54
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Scarblac wrote on 08/20/20 at 15:47:36:
Does anybody have an idea how a Chessable repertoire like this compared to a typical opening book? Is it about the same amount of content?


I suspect the number of lines is much less than a physical book. Chessable tends to cater towards giving the reader the essential information and not overload with unnecessary information. I also believe that the quality control is much less than a printed book as many courses are beta tested by Chessable’s own readership. Despite clearly putting out the best content they can, I’d nevertheless imagine it pales in comparison to the rigour with which Quality Chess put their products through the paces, for example.

As an example, I have the Langrock Rubinstein French book both in physical form and on Chessable. On Chessable it’s one of the larger courses, checking in at 600-700 variations. Yet despite this many variations and sub-variations are omitted, presumably for the ease of learning and to make it manageable. But still, it remains the case.

I actually requested one of the interesting lines omitted be added to the course, being clearly marked as an alternative line, since it was forcing and interesting, and I wanted to learn it. They refused, not wanting to confuse readers with multiple variations.
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #10 - 08/23/20 at 10:51:17
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Syzygy wrote on 08/20/20 at 21:47:06:
What does Giri propose that Black do after 10. Qd3 (!) in the Poisoned Pawn Winawer?


Giri takes 10.Qd3 very seriously and recommends 10...Qxe5+ And expanding with ...f6/...e5 soon after. He devotes around 15 trainable lines from this point. He also gives two alternative lines with 10...dxc3 but clearly indicates that he believes 10...Qxe5+ is the correct way forward.
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #9 - 08/21/20 at 06:30:52
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Scarblac wrote on 08/20/20 at 15:47:36:
Does anybody have an idea how a Chessable repertoire like this compared to a typical opening book? Is it about the same amount of content?


My impression that it is quite equal in the number of lines covered compared to the Quality Chess ' Playing' series. Like the two classical repertoires from Ntirlis and more recently the one on playing the Petroff. I don't know any of the Grandmaster Repertoire Series.

But two recent books I own from Chess Stars, 'Squeezing 1.e4 e5', and 'Squeezing the Sicilian' from Khalifman cover more lines and are more in-depth than a Chessable Repertoire.

I only own the Lifetime Repertoires from Shankland but I'm still very impressed with all the explanations. Especially the video's on the model games are a goldmine.
  

Chesspub; where people devote their whole life to find novelties on move 26 just to blunder on move 27
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #8 - 08/20/20 at 21:47:06
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What does Giri propose that Black do after 10. Qd3 (!) in the Poisoned Pawn Winawer?
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #7 - 08/20/20 at 17:34:41
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Ta!
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #6 - 08/20/20 at 17:29:31
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Michael Ayton wrote on 08/20/20 at 15:35:20:
Does he discuss anything other than the PP agaisnt 7 Qg4?

No. But he covers both 12...Bd7 and 12...d4.
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #5 - 08/20/20 at 17:28:27
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Scarblac wrote on 08/20/20 at 15:47:36:
Does anybody have an idea how a Chessable repertoire like this compared to a typical opening book? Is it about the same amount of content?


Less content in terms of variations but usually more text for the chosen variations. For me these repertoires make learning easier than books but they are less useful as references. A plus is that several (not all) of the authors are quite willing to add lines/explanations during testing and also after publication when necessary. If the
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #4 - 08/20/20 at 15:47:36
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Does anybody have an idea how a Chessable repertoire like this compared to a typical opening book? Is it about the same amount of content?
  
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Michael Ayton
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #3 - 08/20/20 at 15:35:20
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Does he discuss anything other than the PP agaisnt 7 Qg4?
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #2 - 08/20/20 at 14:05:30
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Not sure whether I would call myself an expert but my executive summary is: I like it.

I haven't gone through all variations but I did check 3.e5,3.Nd2, 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.~ and the PP mainlines.
My general impression is that the lines have been selected with care. The result is that the number of
lines is small for a lifetime repertoire but in my opinion sufficient at least for experienced players.

- White's best lines are checked quite deeply
- If Black has comfortably equalized then lines are kept short
- more ambitious but potentially not entirely correct options are suggested in the comments
- the general philosophy is to follow established mainlines unless there are simpler solutions (quite a few of those)

I have started using it and am so far quite happy with the resulting positions.
  
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Re: Lifetime Repertoires: French Defense by Anish Giri
Reply #1 - 08/20/20 at 05:26:38
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The Short and Sweet version has now been released as well.....you can get this for free and have a look at the contents if you wish.
  
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