Aagaard, J. Experts on the Anti-Sicilian, Quality Chess, 2011, 440 p NIEUW, vaste boekenprijs

The Sicilian Defense, 1.e4 c5, is one of the popular chess openings. In this book several chess grandmasters present state-of-the-art analysis of lines where White meets the Sicilian by avoiding the Open variations. The editors, 2007 British Champion GM Jacob Aagaard and three-time Scottish Champion GM John Shaw, have recruited a line-up of strong chess grandmasters to share their expert opinions both on how to play the Sicilian Defense and how to play against it.

Jacob Aagaard is a chess grandmaster and ex-British Champion.

John Shaw is a chess grandmaster and three-time Scottish Champion.

Experts vs. the Sicilian was invented in a brainstorming session-turned-argument in 2004. Together with Learn from the Legends by Mihail Marin, it was the first release from Quality Chess. We liked the format and so did the public, so it was natural to return to it at some point. That it would take seven years is a surprise, but the right idea did not exist before then.

Experts on the Anti-Sicilian includes articles from many writers, all of them grandmasters (with the exception of Andrew Greet who prefers to just write like one...) and all of them experienced in their field. The focus is a bit different from the first Experts book where White went out with all guns blazing in the main lines, hoping for an advantage against some of the best openings of our day.

The anti-Sicilian lines do not have as strong a theoretical reputation as the Open lines (which are characterized by 2.Pf3, 3.d4 4.Pxd4 and 5.Pc3 in reply to almost anything) but anti-Sicilians are played in roughly a third of all games that start 1.e4 c5. Success in this area of opening theory is important for everyone playing the Sicilian, with White or with Black.

This book, like the previous Experts volume, was written by the authors as they wanted to write it. Most of them have followed the traditional ABC format, while others have decided to put their own flavour on things. Beyond this, some chapters are repertoires offering (mainly) Black suitable

advice against a certain line; while others have a more holistic approach, investigating (sometimes deeply) lines in every direction.

Contents:

1 Boris Avrukh – 3...e6 versus the Grand Prix Attack 7

2 Jacob Aagaard – A Classical Repertoire against 2.c3 21

3 Tiger Hillarp Persson – Beating 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 with 3...d6 70

4 Tiger Hillarp Persson – Beating 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5† with 3...Nd7! 102

5 Andrew Greet – Moscow Variation with 5.c4 120

6 Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 152

7 Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3 – ...g6-lines 194

8 Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3 Nc6 213

9 Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3 – Rare Lines 226

10 Christian Bauer – King’s Indian Attack 246

11 Christian Bauer – 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.e5 d4 276

12 Milos Pavlovic – A 10-minute repertoire against the Closed Sicilian 309

13 Matthieu Cornette – Tiviakov Grand Prix 317

14 Matthieu Cornette – 3...Nd4 – Early Deviations 329

15 Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 g6 340

16 Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 – Minor Lines 355

17 Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 – 5...Nf6 6.0–0 364

18 Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 – 5...Qc7 377

19 Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.¤ge2 – 5...Nf6 6.0–0 a6 7.a4 379

20 Matthieu Cornette – 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 – 5...Nf6 6.0–0 a6 7.d3 389

21 Colin McNab – Beating 2.a3 with 2...g6 402

22 Colin McNab – Beating 2.f4 with 2...d5 406

23 Colin McNab – Beating 5.f3 with 5...e5 417

24 John Shaw – 2.d3 – A Black Repertoire 425

25 Peter Heine Nielsen – Beating 2.b3 with 2...g6 432