When the first volume of Israeli GM Boris Avrukh’s outstanding opening repertoire series appeared late last year, a large part of the book was devoted to the Catalan. The great theoretician had strong ideas about where White’s best chances could be found in several critical variations including the line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Nf3 c5 6.0-0 Nc6 where 7.Qa4 had his stamp of approval. Avrukh’s book was intended to offer a repertoire for a lifetime, but even Caissa’s hardest workers are mortal. The need to reflect quick changes in opening theory is one reason why the NEW IN CHESS YEARBOOK series has been published for over 25 years.
Avrukh deals with the issue first hand in the latest NEW IN CHESS YEARBOOK 92 where he explains that after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Nf3 c5 6.0-0 Nc6 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Rc8 10. Nc3 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qh4 0-0! that at the 2008 Dresden Olympiad he (against Peter Heine Nielsen) and Alexander Grischuk (versus Polish GM Wojtaszek) ran straight into preparation from Anand’s World Championship training camp. After analyzing all the relevant material, Avrukh’s conclusion is rather sobering, “It would not be such a bad idea to look for a White advantage in other directions than 7.Qa4.”
Other variations covered in Yearbook #92 include:
Surveys
Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation 6.Bg5 - SI 6.1 - Sherbakov Sicilian Defence Najdorf Variation 7...Qb6 - SI 8.7-9+14 - Olthof Sicilian Defence Velimirovic Attack 8...Bd7 - SI 26.6 - Obodchuk Sicilian Defence Four Knights Variation 6.Nc6 - SI 34.8 - Van der Tak Sicilian Defence Taimanov Variation 5...Qc7 - SI 40.2 - Fogarasi Sicilian Defence Grand Prix Attack 5.Bc4 - SI 49.5 - Grivas French Defence Winawer Variation 6...Qa5 - FR 11.1 - Cabrera Alekhine’s Defence Exchange Variation 5.ed6 - AL 7.3 - Finkel Petroff Defence Marshall Variation 6...Bd6 - RG 4.12 - Sapundjiev Petroff Defence Jaenisch Variation 8.Nc3 - RG 6.1 - Lukacs/Hazai Ruy Lopez Jaenisch Variation 3...f5 RL - 6.10 - Ninov/Gavazov Ruy Lopez Open Variation 9.Nbd2 RL - 27.14 - Mikhalevski Italian Game Max Lange Gambit 5.d4 - IG 2.1 - Gutman Italian Game Evans Gambit 5...Bd6 - IG 5.3 - Volokitin Various Openings Fajarowicz Gambit 3...Ne4 - VO 17.6 - Gutman Queen’s Gambit Declined Blackburne Variation 8.Bf4 - QO 1.2+4.3 - Kaufman Slav Defence Chameleon Variation 6.g3 - SL 3.1 - Greenfeld Slav Defence Alapin Variation 6...Na6 - SL 4.7 - Vilela Slav Defence Anti-Moscow Variation 6.Bh4 - SL 6.6 - Motylev Slav Defence Moscow Variation 6.Bf6 - SL 6.9 - A. Kuzmin Nimzo-Indian Defence Classical Variation 4...d5 - NI 23.4 - Panczyk/Ilczuk Grünfeld Indian Defence Exchange Variation 7.Nf3 - GI 4.14 - Van der Tak Grünfeld Indian Defence Exchange Variation 7.Bc4 - GI 5.8 - Gupta King's Indian Defence Classical Main Line 9.b4 Ne8 - KI 5.5 - Ikonnikov King’s Indian Defence Sämisch Variation 5...c6 - KI 53.3-6 - Grivas Benoni Defence Benko/Volga Gambit 4.Qc2 - BI 18.5 - Moskalenko Queen’s Pawn Openings 3.Nbd2 Line - QP 6.8 - A. Kuzmin Queen’s Pawn Openings Trompowsky Opening 2...e6 - QP 7.7 - De Dovitiis Queen’s Pawn Openings Trompowsky Opening 2...c5 - QP 7.16 - Palliser Dutch Defence Leningrad Variation 7...Nc6 - HD 6.5 - Cabrera English Opening Reversed Dragon 4...d5 - EO 3.4 - Vitiugov Réti Opening Capablanca Variation 2...Lg4 - RE 22.16 – Langeweg.
A Readers Forum, Sosonko’s Corner and Book Reviews by English GM Glenn Flear round out another solid performance by New in Chess.
