| Two from Gambit by IM John Donaldson It is not often these days that an author tries to cover two (actually three) different openings in one book, but that is exactly what Georgian GM Lasha Janjgava has set out to do in his latest work for Gambit Publications entitled King's Indian and Grunfeld: Fianchetto Lines (Gambit - www.gambitbooks.com, 2003, 320 pages, paperback, figurine algebraic, $22.95). As the title implies this book covers the g3 lines against the Kings Indian and Grunfeld. Along the way it also looks at kindred English lines under A39 in the Chess Informant code. First let me say that Janjgava deserves credit for undertaking this massive project. The last time the Kings Indian and Grunfeld fianchetto lines were covered it was in two separate books by GMs McNab and Mikhalchisin. Here Janjgava takes on both complexes in very comprehensive fashion, with a decided emphasis on concrete lines over explanatory prose. This book is not a data-dump. Though much of Janjgava�s work is to sort through existing theory and present what is most important, there is also original analysis. For example in the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 Nb6 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.e3 Re8 10.Re1 e5 11.d5 Na5 12.e4 c6 Janjgava proposes the new move 13.b3 and gives close to two pages of analysis on it! This book is primarily written from White�s point of view. For example in the line given above many Black players often forgo castling in favor of an early ...Nc6 and ...Nb6 to sidestep d4-d5 lines by forcing an early e2-e3. Readers will find little on the gambit line 6...Nb6 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Nc3 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 when Black has both 9...Bxd4 and 9...Qxd4. Janjgava feels this line is fine for Black, hence his emphasis on variations with e3, but Grunfeld players might like to know more about this move order trick which cuts down on White�s options. As I mentioned earlier this book also covers one line in the English. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c5 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nc6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.0-0 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 we arrive at a position that just as often arises from the English as the Kings Indian, and was covered by FM Carsten Hansen in his Gambit book The Symmetrical English. Interestingly, the two authors often disagree on what is important in this line. Janjgava does not cover 10.Bd2 which sidesteps several aggressive Black possibilities and usually transposes into the main lines after 10�a6 11.Qd3 (10.Qd3 a6 11.Bd2). While preparing for my game with John Watson at this year�s US Championship I discovered how closely the lines 10.Qd3 Be6 11.Bxb7 Rb8 12.Bg2 Qa5 and 8...d6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bxc6 Rb8 11.Bg2 Qa5 are. In the latter after 12.Qd3 Black has nothing better than 12...Be6 transposing, a trick that is mentioned by neither Hansen nor Janjgava, but has been used a few times by GM Ribli. One interesting sideline I didn�t find covered was 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e3 Re8 9.a4 which has been used many times by GM Vaganian with good success. The old lines with e3 and b3 are mentioned, but 9.a4 is more logical. Of course in a project of this scope it is impossible to cover everything and in general Janjgava does a very good job of handling the main lines. This affordable book ($23 for over 300 pages) is must reading for those over 2000 who answer the King�s Indian and Grunfeld with g3. The Cambridge Springs (Gambit -www.gambitbooks.com, 2002, 192 pages, paperback, figurine algebraic, $18.95) by Krzystof Panczyk and Jacek Ilczuk may not be the first book ever written on this opening (I believe Eric Schiller has this honor), but it is clearly the most comprehensive. The authors do give 30 pages to attempts by White to avoid the Cambridge Springs (primarily the Exchange variation), but the bulk of the book is about the position arising after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 c6 6.e3 Qa5. This is a truly American opening. Named after the Western Pennsylvanian resort where it was tested three times in 1904, the opening was first played by Emanuel Lasker against Hodges in New York in 1892. Isaac Kashdan played the Cambridge Springs in the 1930s with great success, showing a particular fondness for the two Bishops he could obtain in the line 7.Nd2 dxc4. Yasser Seirawan has featured the Cambridge Springs in his repertoire for many years. As the authors point one of the great virtues of this opening is both its solidity and counter-attacking potential. Many strong players opt to avoid it all together by taking earlier on d5. The Cambridge Springs can be reached by several different move-orders including a straight QGD (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6), via the Slav (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6) and even by a feint toward the Nimzo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5). If you play the Nimzo the latter move-order may be especially appealing as the Exchange variation loses its bite when White plays an early Nf3. IM Panczyk and correspondence master Ilczuk cover the Cambridge Springs exhaustively. My one lament is that the more active systems with ...Bb4, often played by Yusupov and Ivanchuk, are considered inferior to 7.Nd2 dxc4 and 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qd2 N7b6 which the authors consider satisfactory for Black. The Cambridge Springs is that rare opening that can be played by players of a wide range of playing strength, from club enthusiast to Grandmaster. Recommended. John Donaldson Mechanics' Institute Chess Director 57 Post Street San Francisco, CA 94104 (415) 421-2258 |