Beating the Anti-Sicilians: Grandmaster Repertoire 6A Paperback – February 7, 2016

Excellent

Perfect for a Gran Master

Great way to explore new ideas in anti-sicilian lines. Excellent author.

Every Quality Chess book is a quality book, and Kotronias's "Beating the Anti-Sicilians" is no exception: well thought out, deeply analysed, with considerable positional commentary. The repertoire is essentially an update and detailed extension of Rogozenko's "Anti-Sicilians, a guide for Black" from 2003. [NOTE TO EDITORS: Rogozenko's work is not listed in the bibliography. When you do a reprint can you please correct this omission.] I will summarise Rogozenko's repertoire below - which I have mainly followed over the last 15 years - and then identify the changes Kotronias has made. Forgive me if I approach this from the perspective of a ...d6 player, but ...Nc6/...e6 players are amply served as well.Rogozenko's repertoire:GPA: 3...g6 and later ...e6. Kotronias covers 5 Bc4 e6 6 f5!? and 5 Bb5 Nd4. Curiously he overlooks 5 Bc4 e6 6 0-0 which I have found more common in my games.Closed: meet 6 f4 e6 and 6 Be3 e5. I can verify that playing two different systems actually works2 c3 Sicilian: 2...Nf6 with ...e6 systems. These systems are very sound as long as Black doesn't expose himself to a king side attack.2 b3 is met with ...e5; the treatment of 2 g3 and 2 d3 is a bit more precise than Rogozenko; and as well as the Wing gambit, the deferred Wing Gambit is covered, which Rogozenko overlooked.Differences- The big difference is 3 Bb5, which is met with the "Universal" ...d6/...Nc6 (or ...Nc6/...d6). Kotronias admits that the Moscow with 3...Bd7 is completely sound for Black but thinks there are more winning chances in the "Universal" system. I suspect he is right - most of Blacks tries in 3...Bd7 seem to be to obtain equality.- He covers the Tiviakov Rossolimo, which didn't exist when Rogozenko wrote. Here he favours systems with Palliser's ...a6, rather than the more popular ...e6. I have played ...a6 myself and think it leads to sound positions, and avoides a trap in the ...e6 systems.- Against 2 f4 he recommends 2...g6 to transpose to a normal GPA. I have gone through his analysis of 3 d4 with the engines running and they don't seem quite has optimistic as he is. There may be a problem with the repertoire here.- Against the Morra Gambit he recommends systems with ...g6.(I normally "pass" with ...Nf6)- Against the 4 Qxd4 he covers ...Nc6 under the universal system (Rogozenko gave 4...a6)I have used Rogozenko's book as my guide for 15 years, with only minor extensions. I am a fan of the repertoire; its served me well.I do have one criticism of Kotronias's book, the analysis doesn't always appear 100% accurate/comprehensive. I have given a couple of examples above, and there are others. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that Kotronias's update and extension of Rogozenko's repertoire will provide me with ample material to work with for another 15 years. Consequently I have no difficulty giving it a 5 star rating.