NEW IN CHESS YEARBOOK 75
Publisher: New In Chess (2005)
251 pages (paperback)
$26.95

Reviewed by John Donaldson

The latest edition of the NEW IN CHESS YEARBOOK series, number 75, follows the usual format that has been developed over the last twenty odd years. The bulk of the book consists of opening surveys with prose introductions putting the current state of theory in context, recent key games extensively commented and supplementary games – some annotated and some unannotated.

 33 NIC Surveys

 Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation 3...Bd7, by Boersma

 Sicilian Defense: English Attack 6.Be3, by L’Ami/Smeets

 Sicilian Defense: Sozin Variation 6.Bc4, by Van der Weide

 Sicilian Defense: Rauzer Variation 9...h6, by Avrukh

 Sicilian Defense: Rossolimo Variation 3...g6, by Greenfeld

 Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation 5...a6, by Langeweg

 Sicilian Defense: Paulsen Variation 6...Qb6, by Fogarasi

 Pirc Defense: Shirov Gambit 5.g4, by Olthof

 Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack 6.e5, by Afek

 Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack 6.Bd3, by Tzermiadianos

 King’s Fianchetto: Anti-Maroczy 4...d6, by Marin

 French Defense: Rubinstein Variation 4...Nd7, by Fogarasi

 Ruy Lopez: Anti-Marshall 8.d4, by Karolyi

 Ruy Lopez: Breyer Variation 9...Nb8, by Olthof

 Ruy Lopez: Open Variation 9.Be3, by Van der Tak

 Scotch Opening: Mieses Variation 8...Nb6, by Van der Wiel

 Scotch Opening: Classical Variation 4...Bc5, by Panczyk/Ilczuk

 Two Knights Defense: 5...Nd5, by De Zeeuw

 King’s Gambit: Bishop's Gambit 3...Nc6, by Narings

 Various Openings: English Defense 3.e4, by Stohl

 Various Openings: Chigorin Defense 3...e5, by Karolyi

 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Blackburne Variation 5.Bf4, by Karolyi

 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation 8.Qc2, by Morgado

 Slav Defense: Chameleon Variation 4...a6, by Lukacs/Hazai

 Slav Defense: Krause Variation 6.Ne5, by Lukacs/Hazai

 Slav Defense: Meran Variation 8....Bb7, by Nikitin

 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation 4...c5, by Anka

 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation 4...d5, by Van der Stricht

 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Queen-Nimzo Hybrid 6.Nd2, by Scherbakov

 Bogo-Indian Defense: 4.Bd2 Qe7, by Hansen

 Grünfeld Indian Defense: Exchange Variation 7.Nf3, by Van der Tak

 King’s Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation 3.g3, by Dautov

 English Opening: Double Fianchetto Variation, by Marin

The New in Chess Forum contains plenty of interesting contributions but what I feel stands out most in this volume are Sosonko’s corner and the book reviews by regular Glenn Flear and special guest Sergey Tiviakov.

Sosonko focuses on the extensive contributions of Kasparov to modern opening theory. These contributions are not confined to novelties the former World Champion employed time and time again against the best in the world, but also his revolutionizing the process of preparation. Sosonko feels that a particular key is Garry’s ability to work effectively with the computer, a skill not shared equally by all the world’s top players. Kasparov started working with a computer early on and feels that only Anand has matched his talent of harnessing the computer’s strengths without becoming a slave to it.

Regular NIC YB reviewer GM Glenn Flear has done his usual excellent job and has strong praise for Konstantin Sakaev and Semko Semkov’s profound LATEST TRENDS IN THE SEMI-SLAV: ANTI-MERAN, an opening that Flear has played throughout his career. Guest reviewer Sergei Tiviakov is sure to rattle some chains with his frank look at PLAY THE SICILIAN DRAGON by Edward Dearing. A former Candidate, with a FIDE rating rapidly approaching 2700, Tiviakov is the highest rated player in the world who regularly employs the Dragon and his games and comments are closely examined. He does not have kind words for Dearing’s book, though it seems that much of his criticism is directed more at lines that were omitted rather than analytical errors. Particularly interesting to me was Tiviakov’s assertion that Dearing should have not left out coverage of 9...Nd7 and 9...a5 which he calls “also very important and not without venom.” Theory has never been particularly keen on either move and Tiviakov’s results with 9...Nd7 haven’t been pretty (for example his game with Shirov from Dos Hermanas 2003) so it would be very interesting to see what he has in mind. Perhaps some of his upcoming tournaments will yield answers.

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