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Secrets of
Opening Surprises
Volume 12
Jeroen
Bosch, Editor
Reviewed by
Rick Kennedy
- New In Chess, 2010
- ISBN: 978-90-5691-298-7
- softcover, 142 pages
- figurine algebraic notation
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The newest volume of this great series edited by Jeroen Bosch is out, and it
easily holds its own with its predecessors. It should go right up
there on your bookshelf next to the earlier 11 volumes – after you read and
digest and put it to use, of course. (What, you don’t have all
– any?? – of the books in the SOS series? Don’t you
wonder why your opponents keep surprising you in the openings? Oh,
well, your loss… literally.)
As it says on the cover:
An SOS deviates very early from the
regular lines in a mainstream opening, usually even before move six!
That is why it is so easy to actually bring the variation on the board.
You will baffle your opponent without having studied large quantities of
stuffy theory.
The construction of the book is as before.
“The SOS Files” chapter starts things off with recent games that have used
lines recommended in earlier SOS volumes, culminating in the prize winning
game – there’s one each issue, currently worth $350 to the lucky player –
this time van Kampen – Plukkel, Wijk an Zee, 2010, using Shirov’s line
against the Philidor Defense, 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.Nf3 e5 5.g4!?
There then follow sixteen chapters by GMs
and IMs on different lines to “shock your opponent”.
As a club player, I’m not really in a
position to evaluate the analysis of my “betters,” but I sure can appreciate
the creativity that they have brought to their task.
I can point out a few favorites: if you’re
a club player with White, dealing with “the Lion” defense, you’ll enjoy
Chapter 8; if you like old time chess play, you’ll appreciate Chapter 13; if
you’ve ever been called a “patzer” you’ll like Chapter 10; if you want to
see an International Master go through an entire chapter without
saying “Blackmar Diemer Gambit” you’ll find yourself holding your breath
through Chapter 15; and if you’re looking for some honesty as to where some
opening innovations really come from, you’ll chuckle at Chapters 2
and 14.
I thought I’d list each chapter, along
with a sentence or two to give you the gist of the excitement it contains.
Chapter 2: Trompowsky: the Cinema
Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 Nc6
by GM Dimitri Reinderman
I love to go to the cinema…so my mind
started wandering, calculating strange variations from the starting
position… when I came home, I started checking whether my fantasy could
survive the hard reality of Rybka. And to my surprise, it did!
Chapter 3: Alekhine: Hector’s Way
Let’s play 7.Qf3!?
by IM Jeroen Bosch
Here you can surprise your opponent with
Jonny Hector’s favorite weapon. 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e5 d4. Theoretical
works on the Alekhine often argue that this leads to an equal ending, but
this SOS will prove them wrong!
Chapter 4: The French á la Hector
Winawer: 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Be7 6.g4!?
by GM Alexander Finkel
[C]onsidering the effort required to
master this SOS line as White (little effort is required), the character
of the emerging position, and the possible benefit of its future
employment you will find studying this favourite of Hector’s (in my
sincere opinion) a very good time investment.
Chapter 5: Anti-Grünfeld with 5.h4
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4
by GM Sebastian Siebrecht
According to the database this line was
first played in 1952 by Jozsef Szily. In 1979 it was none other than super
GM Bent Larsen who adopted it in Buenos Aires. At the start of the 1980s
Grandmaster Ribli played it, as well as some of the top Czechoslovakian
players…
Chapter 6: English: Shirov’s Pet Line
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nd5 Be7
by GM Nikita Vitiugov
Many times I have heard the following
opinion expressed by strong grandmasters: if you have White and don’t feel
in your best form, play the English Opening and you are guaranteed a
quiet, comfortable game. Is this really so?
Chapter 7: Bayonet Attack in the
Grünfield
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.g4!?
by GM Adrian Mikhalchishin and IM Jeroen Bosch
Whatever the reason, the present subject
clearly falls into the SOS category: an early deviation, a little theory,
a lot of fun, and, in this case a quite eccentric starting move.
Chapter 8: Taking the Lion by its
Throat
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.g4 h6 5.f3
by IM Willy Hendriks
So every 1.e4 player will meet the Lion
now and then, maybe more often at club level…
Chapter 9: The Centre Game: A Romantic
Weapon
Lashing out against c2 with …Nb4
by IM Jeroen Bosch
…Jesus de la Villa proposes an
interesting philosophy for his suggested repertoire: ‘Against main lines,
play main lines; against secondary lines, play secondary lines; against
unsound lines, play the refutation.’
Chapter 10: Check Like a Patzer in the
Scandinavian
Let’s play 3…Qe5+ (or 3…Qe6+)
by GM Dimitri Reinderman
Now if you really like the obscure of
the obscure, the secret surprise of SOS, the move that even Basman, Bücker
and Welling never tried, go to the second game of this article.
Chapter 11: King’s Indian: A Dutch-KID?
The knight jump 6…Ne4
by GM Dorian Rogozenco
Having failed to find a quick refutation
of the knight jump, I started to get a bit nervous. Actually the whole
situation of thinking too long at such an early stage was somewhat
annoying.
Chapter 12: Pirc for Endgame Lovers
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.e5!?
by GM Alexander Finkel
By the way, it is remarkable that this
line has been played by such attackers as David Bronstein, Dragoljub
Velimirovic and Jonny Hector.
Chapter 13: The Bird’s Defence
According to Bird
Bird with 5.Bc4 h5 and 5.0-0 h5
By GM Glenn Flear
What can Black be doing? After the
initial shock, your opponent will perhaps understand that with the centre
fairly closed and him having spent a tempo on moving an already developed
piece, Black can start to jump up his potential on the kingside.
Chapter 14: The Mouse Sleep Slav Gambit
The ‘crazy’ 5…e5!?
by GM Arthur Kogan
To be honest I was planning to try the
fairly popular (and solid) line starting with 5…e6, but being a bit sleepy
I had a mouse slip… or as I usually call it: a mouse sleep! ☺
Chapter 15: Dutch: Preparing the
Staunton Gambit
1.d4 f5 2.f3!?
by IM Jeroen Bosch
However that may be, the consequence is
that lots of people go berserk when faced with the Dutch. Thus,
lines like 2.g4, 2.h3, 2.e4 are not really frowned upon, while such moves
as 2.Bg5 (developing a bishop into space attacking nothing) are completely
respectable.
Chapter 16: Sicilian: the Intrepid 5…e5
Is 6.Bb5+ Bd7 really that bad?
by GM Igor Glek
An audacious move: Black immediately
plays e7-e5 without any preparation!
Chapter 17: Moscow Variation: A German
Speciality
The immediate 7.e4!?
by GM Sipke Ernst
Don’t let the bad placement of the white
king put you off!
There you go: a veritable candy store of
an opening book. Indulge!
From the publisher's website:
Please have a quick look at the SOS's in this issue
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