|
Chessville
logo by
ChessPrints
Advertise
with
Chessville!!
Advertise to
thousands
of
chess
fans
for
as little
as $25.
Single insert:
$35
x4 insert:
@ $25 each.
From the
Chessville
Chess Store
From the
Chessville
Chess Store
|
Reviews
The Complete Sveshnikov Sicilian
Reviewed by
Bill Whited
10/27/02
The Complete Sveshnikov Sicilian, by Yuri Yakovich (Gambit,
2002). 256 pp.
 The
Sveshnikov Sicilian is one of those openings where you either come home with
your shield or get carried home on it. It shares this trait in common with a
lot of other Sicilians, but it is a topical opening where the theory is
constantly evolving, and it is ideal for those players who like a sharp
contest and enjoy fighting for the initiative right out of the opening.
Gambit’s latest contribution to the fray, by Yuri Yakovich, will be a
welcome addition to the collection of any serious Sveshnikov player and will
also be useful to players of the White pieces who are tired of losing to it.
The Sveshnikov is not an opening for the faint of heart. Although its
origins go back to the 19th century, the player who is given most of the
credit for popularizing the variation is the redoubtable Evgeny Sveshnikov.
The Sveshnikov Variation refers to 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 e5. This move order can also refer to the Lasker, the Pelikan, or
Pilnik, but as Yakovich points out, the tendency in recent years has been to
consider the whole complex as the Sveshnikov Variation. The Sveshnikov
proper is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5. 6.Ndb5 d6.
While White can vary at move 6, and Yakovich covers these in detail, the
typical move is Ndb5.
Yakovich’s approach researches the opening in depth, and while he annotates
with a great deal of detail, he does not spend a lot of time on the ideas
behind the opening, at least not in terms of explanations other than symbol
annotations. This makes the book useful for stronger players who already
know the opening, but makes it less valuable for novice to intermediate
players who might be interested in learning the strategic ideas behind the
opening. It is comprehensive though. All of the current variations are
covered in detail, including older lines like Bird’s variation and unusual
moves for White. This is important in a book that is attempting to cover a
complete variation, because sometimes the bad moves may be harder to answer
than the good ones if you have never seen them! A good example of this in
Chapter 3: The Premature 8.Bxf6?! where he explains what is wrong with
8.Bxf6 and how Black can obtain an advantage against it. He also covers the
Bird Variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6
7.Bg5 a6 8. Na3 Be6. This line, while not in vogue at the moment, still
appears from time to time.
The remainder of the book is split into two sections, with five chapters
dealing with 9.Nd5, and six chapters dealing with 9. Bxf6. The coverage is
thorough and any devotee of the defense should be able to play either side
with a great deal of confidence. The book contains a comprehensive index of
variations, making it simple to look up a given line, something that is very
useful if you are playing the White pieces and just want to prepare a
variation without wading through a myriad of lines that you have no
intention of playing or learning.
I don’t know if Gambit is planning to offer a series of “Complete” opening
books or not. This book is very thorough and well written, but it’s clearly
aimed at stronger players who already have a firm grasp of the theory behind
this system. For players who are looking for an introduction to this opening
or a detailed strategic explanation of its ideas, they might be advised to
look elsewhere.
|
search tips
The
Chessville
Chess Store
|
Chess-Stack
Learn all
chess tactics simultaneously!
Click here
to learn more! |
Reference
Center
The Chessville
Weekly
The Best Free
Chess
Newsletter
On the Planet!
Subscribe
Today -
It's Free!!
The
Chessville
Weekly
Archives
Discussion
Forum
Chess Links
Chess Rules
Visit the
Chessville
Chess Store
|
