PLAY THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT
Author: Chris Ward
175 pages
$22.95
Everyman Chess (2006)
www.everymanchess.com

Reviewed by John Donaldson

PLAY THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT is a one volume guide for White and covers pretty much everything after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 except 2...e6 3.Nc3 a6  -- which is not such a bad line. In trying to cover such a large amount of material in a relatively small space Ward is forced to make choices and usually emphasizes more popular topical lines -- for example Shabalov's 7.g4 in the Semi-Slav gets 6 pages but the coverage of the recommended line against the Tarrasch stops right at the tabiya (9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8 12.Rc1 Bf8 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Na4). On the other hand the old/new 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.e3 a6 gets a couple of pages.
 
In order to keep things from getting out of hand Ward sometimes ducks the sharpest lines but his alternatives, though not as popular, have some venom. For example after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 g6 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Be2 0-0 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Nbd7 11.Rd1 e5 Ward proposes 12.Bb3, with the follow-up 12...exd4 13.exd4 Nb6 14.Bg5 Qd6 15.Bf4 Qd8 16.Be5 over the more complicated 12.d5.
 
PLAY THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT is appropriate for players 1800-2400 who want to play the White side.
 
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