A
few years back, I.M. Geogi Orlov wrote a magazine-style
book (published by Inside
Chess) about his favorite
opening, The Black Knight's Tango (also known
as the Mexican Defense). At first I laughed at
Black's moves (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6), but then I
started playing the Black side myself with excellent
results! Eventually all the magazine/books sold
out. Then along came Batsford, and suddenly Georgi's
magazine became a real book. Unfortunately, the
story doesn't end here. At about the same time
as the appearance of this new book, an illegal
copy of Orlov's earlier magazine appeared. Called
the Mexican
Defense, it has an ugly
bright yellow cover, tiny print, and is put out
by some fake company called Yucatan Press.
If you see a copy of this
unethical and illegal fake, DON'T buy it! If you
find information about Yucatan Press, please e-mail
me or Mr. Orlov (ChessStar@foxinternet.net).
For those of you who wish to know
why a fake book is a big deal, please consider
the fact that chess writers make very little money
from a chess book, and often have to put in a
surprising amount of hours to create the thing.
When someone steals your work and places the money
(as small as the sum might be) into their own
pockets, the whole thing takes on the feel of
a mugging.
As for Orlov's new version with
Batsford, it's far better and much more detailed
than the original magazine-bound study. Lots of
new ideas have entered the theoretical picture
since Orlov first began writing about this opening,
and all of them are looked at here. I was particularly
happy to see 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 e6 4.a3 d5
5.Nc3 a6!? explored in detail, and I was pleased
to see that Georgi attributed this move (5...a6)
to me. I've had many ideas plucked from my mind
and claimed by others, and it's a sign of Orlov's
class that he doesn't hesitate to give credit
where credit is due.
If you are looking for an offbeat
new opening, this book may be the answer to your
dreams. If you want to see how to play the White
side, you should probably pick up a copy for self-defense.
Either way, it's a fine addition to the ever-expanding
library of theoretical works, and it is well worth
owning.
Click to see Bauer's
review of
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TANGO.
YOU
CAN FIND THIS BOOK AT
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