Grandmaster Repertoire 1A

...according to the Forward by Avrukh wherein he makes the point that at the very top levels there has been a trend from l. e4 to l. d4. Even Anand switched to d4 for his recent convincing victory over Kramnik in the World's Championship. I didn't really need any convincing since I made that switch years ago and have never regretted it.This book is volume 1 based upon a repertoire consisting of l d4 d5, 2 c4 and an early g3 and Bg2 in most lines. This volume devotes the first approximate 240 pages, and 12 chapters, to the Catalan. The next 9 chapters and 100 pages cover the Slav and the remaining 100 pages and 8 chapters cover the other 1 d4 d5 openings, i.e., the Chigorin, the Tarrasch, ...Bf5, Albin Counter Gambit, Queens Gambit Accepted, etc. Please note that in this volume only the Catalan uses the g3, Bg2 kingside fianchetto system. Avrukh promises that Volume 2 will use the kingside fianchetto almost exclusively. You can do not need buy the 2nd volume if you use some other system, such as the Trompowsky (and don't want to change), against 1d4 Nf6. However, I am so impressed with Volume 1 that I will certainly buy Volume 2.This book is one in a series by Quality Chess that emphasizes playing the main lines. It has no complete games. The first page of each chapter contains a variation tree indicating what is contained in the chapter. The end of the book also has an index of variations which obviously makes finding things easier. Each chapter contains all the variations shown on the preceding tree. It is here that one realizes what a monumental work this is. Avrukh includes so many comments, additional analysis, "busts" to previous theory and novelties that you would think that this would have been years in the making. Many of the variations are only partially from games since when Avrukh introduces a novelty, naturally what follows is his analysis rather than the moves from an actual game. This is a large, dense book but with a great deal of prose contained within the analysis and even though each variation probably averages about 15 moves and occasionally as long as 25 there is a lot of chess education that can be found in Avrukh's comments. Clearly this is a serious repertoire meant to be used against the world's best. It is certainly no "Starting Out with the...." type of book. I suppose in reality it is geared toward stronger players, though I think that just playing through the variation tree moves to get a basic feel for the repertoire and then starting to dip into the main body of the book should put anyone on the road to improving.Avrukh is well known as a leading analyst and theoretician. He is also one of the strongest players in the world. He is currently in the top 100 and has been in the top 50 and is rated about 2650. He says that this repertoire is 90% his own and he will be incorporating the other 10%. I think it is very likely that Avrukh is the strongest player ever to author a full repertoire volume.Finally, I should mention that the book itself is the typical high quality product of Quality Chess. The binding is solid, the paper is high quality with very little bleed and the print and diagrams are clear and attractive.

I switched to 1. d4 not too long ago because I was fascinated by playing the White side of the Mar Del Plata King's Indian, Modern Benoni and various Queen's Gambit Accepted and Declined variations.While rounding up my White repertoire, I found some issues: I do not know how to play the White side of the Nimzo-Indian properly and was also unwilling to learn how to play against the Queen's Indian (some friends said that I should play the Fianchetto variation. I told them that the positions seem boring). In the Nimzo-Indian, I have always had trouble trying to develop properly and find ways to open up the board so that my Bishop pair will be active. I first started playing the Qc2 lines and wound up being outplayed by many of my opponents. I would give back a Bishop for a Knight in order to ensure that my structure isn't under attack but then my opponent would have a lead in space despite being down a pawn and still win. I tried the Rubinstein with that expectation that my structure isn't all quite that important, and the results were better... My sense of danger isn't the best fitted for White side of the 4. Qc2 Nimzo, and with the Rubinstein, I felt that even though my structure looks terrible it sure doesn't mean that I have a bad position. I compensate it for piece activity. I will definitely keep playing the Rubinstein as an alternative to the Catalan.I play the Black side of the Nimzo as well and tend to transpose into a Benoni or QGD depending on my mood against 3. Nf3... but I didn't have a variations for the Catalan. Played the Catalan as Black, and didn't even know the theory or ideas. I tried to play a Tartakower set up and I was smashed to bits. I was strangled so hard.That's when I bought this book knowing that I will be facing a lot of lines in the Catalan because of this book (as well as some home analysis!). At the time I also thought that the e3 Slav is lame and that not playing a4 in the QGA might be a mistake for White. After much realization that I do play the Queenside Fianchetto of the Anti-Meran, I gave the e3 Slav a whirl and now it is my full time choice against the Slav. Also, the e3 QGA goes with Avrukh's idea as White in the Catalan that allowing Black to expand pawns in the Queenside may provide Black with counterplay but can also turn Black's Queenside pawns into objects of attack if White plays courageously. I even turned that into my choice as White as well.I chose the open Catalan and the Main Line as my weapons for Black against the Catalan and it worked out very well! I scored some very nice dynamic wins against my chess mentor due to the fact I understood these positions better than he did says a lot about this book for me. The positions at all did not even occur to me as stale even though that's what other perceive it! There were pawn sacrifices that abound for both sides, lots of exchange sacrifices for the sake of space, weak squares all over the board!!! My gosh, this opening is very much violent.And playing the black side boosted my confidence to play the White side of the Catalan. Prepared some basic stuff; main lines, open Catalans, the Semi-Slav structures.... some others. Didn't prepare the Catalan very throughly, but expected what I felt like I should expect. So I beat up on a lot of players that try to keep a foothold on the center and keep me from playing e4 by keeping their pawn on d5, which I retorted with overloading their blind spot: e5. I also had some very entertaining and dangerous games in the main lines as well. I have always wanted to learn how to play chess better in general, and this opening provided a way for me to learn how to play bird's eye view positional chess with the idea that all tactical operations should ideally affect the rest of the board. It also helped with my understanding of playing the Black side of the Ruy and Scotch, open file play and Knight coordinations.Also, losing against better players with the Catalan makes postmortem analysis very interesting to study as well, because the Catalan is just so darn interesting!

Avrukh's two-volume repertoire series will surely be remembered as some of the best chess opening literature in history. The amount of in-depth original analysis is staggering. But at 400+ pages of dense analysis for the first volume alone, this work is probably more ambitious most chess players are prepared to handle, myself included (and I'm USCF 1950).Just a helpful hint if that sounds like you: I'd recommend starting with a more digestible repertoire based around the Catalan and kingside fianchetto variations first. For example, the "Wojo's Weapons" series is high quality and highly accessible. I think it's important to first develop a complete repertoire, then supplement it with chapters from Avrukh's magnum opus as needed. Over time you might supplement the entire repertoire. The point is that I can imagine someone trying to tackle this monster and never quite feeling truly prepared sitting at the board because you're still learning the main lines. Just my two cents.-Edit (4/24/13): I can't imagine a better synopsis than something I just found tucked away on page 100: "I definitely prefer the main line, where I have done a lot of work. It seems that I have managed to find some interesting ideas, which I would like to share with you." Happy hunting!

First of all, let me say that in the last two months I have won two tournaments, achieved a FIDE Master title and din't lose a single game, out of 16 played. And, most of that success I can contribute to the lessons I learned from this book. The most interesting thing is that I didn't reach any of the openings described in this book! My opponents usually opted for 1...Nf6, and on the rare occasions the played 1...d5, the game reached standard Slav or semi-Slav defence. I mostly worked on the Catalan sections, and didn't feel ready to play 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3, the system recommended in this book.But, by simply studying excellent analysis and explanations from Avrukh, I was able to bring my understanding of the game on the higher level! On many occasions, I was suprised to find that you can successfully play on win in the positions I would previously dismiss as completely level or boring. Therefeore, this is opening book, but by studying what is written here one will not only improve his opening play or learn new variations, but will also improve his chess understanding in general.But, one caveat: I really think you need to be above 2000-2100 level to benefit from this book. If the reader is below 2000, I think he will find it a little bit too difficult.

I am an above average chess player, and am making my contribution to the site by reviewing a number of chess books. My reviews are intended to be a bit harsher than average, since Amazon has so many 5 star books its hard to use the rating system to help the selection process. Thus, my reviews are aimed at lowering this average for all but the very best books.This book presents an absolutely top notch opening repertoire. I have looked through a significant portion of the book quite carefully, and found basically no errors or holes, which is quite unusual for me. The great (and terrible) thing about it is that the author aims to present systems that strive for the largest possible advantage, without compromising for things like "easy to understand" or "easy to remember". The reason I only give 4 stars instead of 5, is that the audience for this is very small. The book looks for objective advantages, so an attacking player following this repertoire will often find themselves with a small endgame advantage, while the positional player will often find themselves down a pawn and attacking like crazy. The book makes no attempt to tailor the repertoire towards a particular style of play. Thus, to get the most out of this book you must be comfortable with a "universal" style of play. The minimum rating I would suggest might like the book is 2000 (or a very dedicated 1900 on the rise). For <2200 range players expect to run into a number of situations where the author says something like "with obvious advantage" or "and clearly white has more than enough for the pawn" and have no clue why the author is making that claim. Even a 2200-2300 who just wants to grab a few systems out of it (say, Albin's counter gambit and Queens Gambit accepted) must be willing to spend quite a bit of time on it, which for the Albin's counter gambit at least may not be worth the effort for those who have limited chess study time (which covers most 2200-2300 players in the US at least).So basically, the book is great, and given enough time, a strong player will get a lot out of this book. If you are over 2350, play/study weekly and want to play 1. d4 YOU MUST GET THIS BOOK. Something in it is sure to interest you. But for most others, it is not really a must have.Here is a list of systems presented for those interesting in buying the book just to grab a few systems out of it and not necessarily use the whole book (which is probably most people since the target audience will usually already have an opening repertoire and is just looking to strengthen a few areas):Catalan 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3Slav 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 (against semi-slav the e3 / b3 system while delaying development of queenside knight)Queens Gambit Misc: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 (2..Bf5, 2...c5)TarraschAlbin Countergambit 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. a3Chigorin 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3Queens Gambit Accepted 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 (main line system continues 3...Nf6 4. Bxc4 e6 5. Nf3 c5 6. oo a6 7 Bb3)

Avrukh's 1d4 is another great book from the Quality chess stable.I already have their superb San Luis 2005 and Reggio Emilia 2007/2008 tournament books.Avrukh's recommended repertoire is based on g3 systems such as the Catalan, which brought him much success. I think that the Catalan is a difficult opening to play well but the author's explanations helps the reader to do just that and to raise their game at the same time. He has evidently put a great deal of effort into producing a fine book with lots of his own ideas.I particularly like his confident assessments of positions on every page,which is very refreshing.Aren't g3 systems boring and drawish? It depends on how you play them! I looked on my database at the first 128 games of GM Wojtkiewicz, who played g3 systems all his life. I found that he scored 77 wins against 17 losses.I don't think that the losers were bored or the results drawish. When Andrew Martin,a strong IM and a dangerous tactical player,smashed me with the Catalan,bored doesn't describe my emotions at the time! Wojtkiewicz, by the way, usually reached a Catalan via 1Nf3 Nf6 2c4 e6 3g3. Therefore, Avrukh's book also suits those players who prefer the English but enter it via 1Nf3.

for black i play 1. d4 d5 if it's not 2.c4, i get a little stumped. i like the exchange variation and the albin counter gambit but deviations do not always go the way one plans. this book has given me such a tremendous wealth of information that i have improved my d4d5 and whatever else comes. oh how much i hate the the positional london system! Boris Avrukh, beating d4 sidelines is an excellent resource dealing with trompowsky, blackmar diemar gambit, 2, bg5; london system, torre attack,colle, colle zukertort( with c4 and without c4), barry attack, and other 3rd moves like e3 or g3.i am a 1600 player and the level of material is a bit more advanced that this. there are some positions which i don't understand and need more time to analyse but definitely solid.Avrukh deals with lines worth considering, real threats and not your typical weak moves. i managed to look some of the games of on chessbase database and most of the players are definitely advanced or experts in their field.i would recommend this book to those that are definitely over 1600 because though i managed to glean gems, i don't always understand why certain moves are done. excellent nonetheless.

Probably too comprehensive for a beginner, but excellent for a serious player who wants to invest some time in the improvementof his opening skills and in absorbing in-depth knowledge and ideas in reliable openings. The ideas behind the moves are logically expressed in vivid language with a nice personal touch. Careful, reliable work which demands a lot of digesting.The same applies to volume 2.

Un volume très épais du fait d'un travail important, le tout pour un prix avantageux. Avrukh ne nous livre pas de parties complètes, s'arrêtant au bord du milieu de jeu. Il est en effet plus important de comprendre en nous laissant la possibilité d'analyser par nous mêmes plutôt que de se noyer dans les détails. Bien que basé sur le jeu d'un grand maître, les schémas sont faciles à comprendre. La Catalane en particulier (plus de 150 pages) est d'un niveau d'analyse bien supérieur au livre de Nigel Davies que je trouve plus light. Enfin, la nouvelle idée dans la Tarrash redonne du peps à cette variante qui m'ennuyait auparavant. Vivement le Tome 2 !

Très bon profuit

Grandmaster Boris Avrukh's first book is, for my money, a classic. It isn't, perhaps, a work for beginners. It certainly is a work that serious club players (and maybe those above) will benefit from studying. This isn't just because of the 'fireworks' of some of the theoretical novelties, or the depth of analysispresented. 'Fireworks' after all sometimes blow up in your face and there is always more analysis - far more than any mortal will ever recall. What I really like about this book is that, after working with it for a while, you begin to build a real understanding of the kind of positions you are aiming for and the possibilities they present. Even the layout (often the cause of confusion and complaint in the average chess book)is well thought through. I don't often hand out full marks but in this case if I could give it 6 out of 5 if I could.

Der Verlag Quality Chess hat mit diesem Buch seinem Namen alle Ehre gemacht.Welcher Schachspieler hat sich bereits nicht über diese "nervigen" Nebenvarianten geärgert, in denen der Anziehende nach 1.d4 kein c4 folgen lässt? Da will man in einem Online-Blitz einen vollblutigen Königs- oder Nimzo-Inder spielen und muss sich dann mit dem Colle- oder dem Londoner System herumschlagen.Diese Systeme sind natürlich alle spielbar und haben den Vorteil, die Theorie enorm einzuschränken, doch sind sie nicht umsonst Nebenvarianten: Schwarz hat mehrere Möglichkeiten, gutes Spiel zu haben, da Weiβ im Zentrum weniger Druck ausübt als in den Hauptvarianten.Groβmeister Boris Avrukh schlägt in seinem Buch ein dreifaches(!) Schwarzrepertoire gegen jedes weiβe System vor, dass dem Nachziehenden gesunde und aktive Stellungen verspricht; das Ziel ist nicht steriler Ausgleich, sondern Gegenspiel:1.) Ein Repertoire für den 1...d5-Spieler2.) Eins für den Nimzo-/Damen-Indisch-Spieler (1.d4 Sf6 2.Sf3 e6)3.) Eins für den Königs-/Grünfeld-Indisch-Spieler (1.d4 Sf6 2.Sf3 g6)wobei in den ersten beiden Fällen Übergänge möglich sind.Auβerdem werden das Trompowsky-System (1.d4 Sf6 2.Lg5), einige seltene Varianten (z.B. 1.d4 d5 2.e3 oder 1.d4 Lg5) und das berühmt-berüchtigte Blackmar-Diemer-Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4) behandelt.Auch wenn der Autor naturgemäß die schwarze Seite vertritt, so scheinen seine Vorschläge doch sehr objektiv und begründet zu sein; selbst mit Computerunterstützung (Fritz) habe ich bis jetzt keinen Fehler entdeckt.Als erfahrener Vereinsspieler (Elo 2200) kann ich dieses Buch nur wärmstens empfehlen.

This is an absolutely great opening book - prime source of information.However, if you only want to learn a few practical lines it may be too detailed.