Opening for White Anand Vol 8

OPENING FOR WHITE ACCORDING TO ANAND: 1.e4, VOLUME 8
Author: Alexander Khalifman
320 pages
$29.95
Chess Stars Publishing (2006, http://chessbooksfromeurope.com)

Reviewed by John Donaldson

The eighth volume of GM Alexander Khalifman's monumental series OPENING FOR WHITE ACCORDING TO ANAND: 1.e4 is the first to deal with the Sicilian. Volume 8 mainly considers the Nimzowitsch Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6), the O'Kelly Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6), various counter-attack lines which Black can play after 2 e6 (e.g. the Pin variation), and the Paulsen-Kan System which occupies the main part of the book. Recommended lines include 3.Nc3 against the Nimzowitsch System, 3.c3 against the O'Kelly and 5.Bd3 against the Kan-Paulsen System. Also examined are sidelines like 2...b6 and 2...g6 (without ...cxd4).

As usual for this series former World FIDE Champion Alexander Khalifman offers high quality analysis and explanation with theoretical conclusions at the end of each chapter. As would be expected the Paulsen-Kan system (2 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6), which occupies a prominent place in the repertoire of many Grandmasters, gets the lengthiest treatment, some 130 or so pages. The coverage is extensive enough that many practitioners of the Paulsen/Kan might well consider this book for its coverage of 5.Bd3 from the Black side!

I was particularly interested in how Khalifman and his team would deal with the O'Kelly system -- 2 a6, a rare but not completely unknown guest at top-level competitions. The author recommends 3.c3, which he believes in the majority of cases leads to not so typical Sicilian positions, but with the move a7-a6 often turning out to be just a loss of time.

This has indeed been a widely-held view for a long time but a chapter on the O'Kelly by GM Jonathan Emms in DANGEROUS WEAPONS: THE SICILIAN raised the question of whether the flexibility of 2 a6 might allow Black some resources not previously considered. Specifically, after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4 Nf6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nc6 9. Nc3 Qd8 10.Be3 (intending 10...Be7 11.Ne5 followed by Bf3 with the advantage) 10...Bd6! -- Black exploits his information advantage engendered by 2...a6 instead of using the move to develop his Bishop to e7 earlier.

Khalifman reaches almost the same position (but via 6.Be3 and with the Bishop on d3 instead of e2 -- that is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4 e6 6.Be3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nf6 8.Nc3 Qd8 9.Bd3 Nc6 10.a3 Bd6 11.0-0 0-0 ) and writes "This is less reliable than Black's main line". After 11.a3 0-0 12.Qe2 only the lame 12...Re8 is given when both 12...Nd5 and the more ambitious 12...Ne7 meeting 13.Bg5 with 13...Ng6 14.Bd3 Be7 with the idea of ...Bd7-c6 to follow are clearly better tries. However, the advantage of having the Bishop on d3 instead of e2 is clearly a plus for the first player. One line I looked at is 12...Ne7 13.Bg5 Ng6 14.Ne4 Be7 15.Nxf6+ Bxf6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Rfc1 Bd7 19.Ne5 Rad8 20.Rc7 and Black has not been has not been able to realize his idea.

Against the specific move order 6.Be3 Emms recommends 6...cxd4 7.cxd4 e6 8.Nc3 Qd6 9.Bd3 Nc6 10.0-0 Be7 11.a3 0-0 where he notes that a typical IQP position has been reached in which the move ...a6 is useful. He considers only 12.Qe2 b5 13.Rad1 Bb7 which Khalifman considers fine for Black. More testing says "El Khalif" is 12.Rc1 and he is right as the consistent follow up to 12...b5 is the "rude" 13.Ne4! Nxe4 14.Bxe4 Bb7 15.Ne5 and Black is under terrific pressure. The development scheme ...Rd8, ...Bd7-e8 is sounder but Black still doesn't equalize. If 12...Bd7 as used by Sosonko and Ionescu then Khalifman suggests the novelty 13.Ng5 with the idea 13...h6 14.Nce4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Qc7 16.Nc5 with a nice outpost. Is should be noted that the position after 12.Rc1 can reached in some 2.c3 variations but there Black has the possibility of ...Nb4 (instead of ...a6) and an option not available once a3 has been played.

The eighth volume of OPENING FOR WHITE ACCORDING TO ANAND: 1.e4 maintains the usual high standards for the series. If you open 1.e4 and are hardworking and ambitious, this is the series for you.

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