CHALLENGING THE GRUNFELD
Author: Edward Dearing
205 pages
$24.95
Quality Chessbooks (2005)

Reviewed by Jeremy Silman

The Grunfeld Defense is one of those annoying openings that torment all 1.d4 players. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 Black immediately begins active operations in the center and, more importantly, forces White to memorize a labyrinth of variations if he hopes to have any real chance at walking away with an advantage.  

Personally, I leapt from one anti-Grunfeld line to another during my career, never finding true satisfaction. I remember favoring 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4, then blanching at the ever expanding theory and switching to 4.Bf4, then moving on to such lines as 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3, 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bf4, 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5, and finally back to 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 (which is clearly White’s most combative try).

Now the young Scottish IM Edward Dearing (author of the excellent PLAY THE SICILIAN DRAGON) has come to the rescue of those of us with a Grunfeld allergy by mapping out a complete White repertoire vs. this popular black system. His recommendation: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 (at times White will play 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4, which amounts to the same thing) 4…Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1.

This popular position appears in the repertoire of most of the world’s best players and, unlike some of the alternative lines mentioned above, gives White real chances of an opening advantage even against a very well prepared opponent.

Dearing turns away from the “tree of variations” format (which he used in his Dragon book, and which I favor) for the popular annotated game approach (in the case of CHALLENGING THE GRUNFELD, he presents all pertinent lines in fifty deeply annotated grandmaster games). Many opening books have been written in this manner, but what makes this one stand out is:

* The depth of the notes in each game.

* The massive amount of opening analysis he packs into each and every game.

* The frequent use of his own original analysis and personal assessments.

* The huge amount of research that must have gone into this project.

* His constant explanations about the ideas and plans for both sides.

* The frequent diagrams, which allowed me to follow much of the analysis in my head (sans board – common for lazy old men like myself).

* His theoretical conclusion to each game, which honestly lets the reader know what lines present Black with the most pain.

* An eight-page index of variations that really helps the reader grasp the many directions the 8.Rb1 system can take him in.

This is Dearing’s second book, and he has hit a second home run. Unlike many lazier authors, Dearing works hard to find all the latest material, he presents it in an instructive manner and uses lots of text to explain the goings on, and he doesn’t fall back on a line that might be proven ineffective a few months down the line – the 8.Rb1 system forces Black to show both strength and preparation if he wishes to survive.

Now a word of warning. This system is enormously theoretical, and requires a good memory and advanced chess skills. Almost every Black response creates a “city” of variations. For example, the first line Dearing explores is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12.0-0 when Black has tried 12…a5!?, 12…b6, 12…Nd7, 12…Bg4, 12…Qe6, 12…Bd7, 12…Na6. Most of these moves (which cover 132 pages!) get their own chapter and can be met by multiple ideas by White.

Once you work your way through all of that, next up is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 Nc6 10.d5 Bxc3+ 11.Bd2 Bxd2+ 12.Qxd2 which, mercifully, only covers ten pages. Then we’re tossed back into the wilderness when we come face to face with the amazing complexities of 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 Nc6 10.d5 Ne5 (twenty pages).

The rest of the book offers lines that are a bit less insane: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 b6 (twenty-two pages), 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 Qa5 (eight pages), and finally a look at Black alternatives after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3.

Dearing takes us on a rewarding but rough ride through positions that demand both tactical and positional skills of at least master class, which is why I can’t recommend CHALLENGING THE GRUNFELD to players under 2200. Having said that, everyone who enters the Grunfeld as either color from 2200 right up to grandmaster will be delighted to own this wonderful book.

Click to buy CHALLENGING THE GRUNFELD.

Click to buy PLAY THE SICILIAN DRAGON.