Opening Repertoire: The Killer Dutch Rebooted - Simon Williams (K-6193)

Starting a chess game with 1 e4 e5 is so common that the resulting complex of opening systems traditionally commands its own sobriquet, “The Open Games” (1 e4 met by other replies are “Semi-Open Games” and everything else comes under “Closed Games”). The central structure with pawns on e4 and e5 often leads to play based around highly classical themes which are the bedrock of successful chess understanding.

The Sicilian is far and away the most popular chess opening, and many players prefer to side-step the Open Sicilian with one of the Anti-Sicilian systems at White's disposal. This book equips Black to fight against all these lines. The Anti-Sicilian systems include: positionally motivated lines such as the 2 c3 Sicilian and the 3 Bb5 systems; slow but tricky attacking lines including the Closed Sicilian and the King's Indian Attack; aggressive but loosening ideas like the Grand Prix Attack and a variety of gambits. In the most critical variations, Rogozenko provides a choice between a solid and an aggressive option. He caters for those who meet 2 Nf3 with the three main moves, 2...d6, 2...e6 and 2...Nc6.

In Volume 1 Kornev's choice of arms against 1.d4 d5 2.c4 is one of the most popular openings in modern chess practice - the Slav Defence. Besides, he considers in detail how to meet opening set-ups where after 1.d4 d5 White refrains from an early c2-c4: 2.Bg5, as well as 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 and 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3. Another topic is the ever growing in popularity The London System (2.Bf4 and 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4).