Starting Out 1.d4

Author: John Cox
Everyman Chess, 2006 (www.everymanchess.com)
239 pages
$22.95

Reviewed by John Donaldson

IM John Cox proposes an ambitious repertoire for the d-pawn practitioner that sidesteps shortcuts and trick variations in favor of well-established main lines. This is not your typical dumbed down opening repertoire book but correspondingly makes big demands on the reader. This will become clearer when you look at Cox's suggestions.

King's Indian (Classical with 9.b4 and 10.Re1)
Grunfeld (Exchange Variation with 8.Rb1)
Nimzo-Indian (4.Qc2)
Modern Benoni (Nf3, Bd3 and h3)
Benko Gambit (Accepted with 7.g3 and 8.Bg2)
Queen's Gambit Declined (Exchange Variation)
Queen's Gambit Accepted (7.Bb3)
Semi-Slav (5.Bg5)
Slav (6.Ne5)
Dutch (main lines with g3)

Yes, this is a repertoire of many strong GMs! There is no junk here and plenty of study in store. Of course several of these openings (9.b4 in the KID and 8.Rb1 in the Grunfeld to name two) could have a whole book on them, so Cox has had to cut some corners. The material he gives is more than sufficient for those under Master but probably a bit too much for those below 2000 despite the lucid explanatory prose, helpful hints and well selected model games. Those rated 2200-2400 will find this a very helpful introduction that they can supplement with other works.

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