SECRETS OF OPENING SURPRISES Vol.9
Authors: Stellwagen, Mikhalchishin, Rogozenco, Glear, Glek, Tiviakov, Burmakin, Reinderman, Kogan, Lysyj, Bosch
Editor: Jeroen Bosch
NIC (2008)
143 pages
$21.95

Reviewed by Jeremy Silman

Man, I wish this series existed when I was playing! Every SOS offers the reader over a dozen articles (by well known theoreticians) that explore little known or downright new ideas which are not only sound, but might well blow the opponent’s mind!

What makes this material so good is that each line is easy to learn, fun to play, and will appeal to players from 1200 to grandmaster.

Volume 9 brings us face to face with the following material:

CHAPTER 1: The SOS Files, which looks at the state of past recommendations and ideas, or just gives us a quick glance at something new and interesting. On tap:

The Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6!?, which seems quite promising for Black).

The Gurgenidze Variation of the Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 b5!?). I played this for several years with excellent results and was happy to see this given a new lease on life in SOS 7. Here (in SOS 9) they take another look at 4.exd5 b4.

The “near Tromp” line 1.d4 d5 2.Bg5 f6!?

The Four Knights with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Be2 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.0-0 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Bd6 8.d4 0-0 9.Rb1 h6! 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.Bf3, which John van der Wiel (in SOS 7) felt might give White a small plus. However, a new reply to this shows that Black is fine after all.

The French Wing Gambit (1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4 d4, which was discussed at length in SOS 1). Here an important novelty is revealed for Black after 5.bxc5 Bxc5 6.Ba3 Qa5 7.Bxc5 Qxc5 8.c3 Nc6 9.cxd4 Nxd4 10.Qa4+ Bd7 11.Qxd4 Qc1+ 12.Ke2 Bb5+ 13.d3, and now … well, you’ll have to buy the book.

The Bogo-Indian, Vitolinsh Variation (another old favorite of mine) was looked at in SOS 7, when 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 c5 5.Bxb4 cxb4 6.g4!? was analyzed in some detail. This updates that earlier material and offers a new and surprising move for White on move 14.

CHAPTER 2: Two Knights (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3!?

CHAPTER 3: Bayonet Attack vs. the KID (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.g4!?)

CHAPTER 4: French Tarrasch (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 b6)

CHAPTER 5: Sveshnikov Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Na3!?)

CHAPTER 6: Grunfeld (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.Nxe4!?)

CHAPTER 7: Scandinavian Motif in the Alapin (1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Nf6)

CHAPTER 8: The Dutch Indian (1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Bb4+)

There are 17 chapters in all.

Of course, every reader will have things that do and don’t interest them. My favorites are the aforementioned Gurgenidze Caro, the Bayonet vs. the KID, the Grunfeld with 4.Bg5, and the Bogo Gambit vs. the Dutch (1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g4!?). Clearly, there’s always something in these books for everyone.

A must buy for people that love new and original opening ideas!

Click to buy (or get more information about): SOS 9

Other SOS books:

SOS 2

SOS 3

SOS 4

SOS 5

SOS 6

SOS 7

SOS 8