We are continuing our free-fourth-book offer – if you buy three books or more and live in the normal European Union zone (as defined by UPS – for example, they exclude some islands and remote areas) we will send you an extra book free.
Please note that if you buy a Special Offer and are in the EU zone, we will add one free book. For example, if a European buys the Special Offer on our award-winning Grandmaster Preparation series, then we would send the 6 hardcovers, plus one free extra book.
The previous default option on the free book was Reggio Emilia. For April and May we will switch the default option to GRANDMASTER BATTLE MANUAL. But if you already have that book, or would prefer a different free book, then send us an email to salesgroup@qualitychess.co.uk with your order, asking to have it replaced with one of the following titles:
ATTACKING THE SPANISH
CARLSEN’S ASSAULT ON THE THRONE
CHAMPIONS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
CUTTING EDGE 1: THE OPEN SICILIAN
CUTTING EDGE 2: SICILIAN NAJDORF 6.Be3
GRANDMASTER VERSUS AMATEUR
POSITIONAL CHESS SACRIFICES
REGGIO EMILIA 2007/2008
THE ALTERMAN GAMBIT GUIDE – WHITE GAMBITS
THE ALTERMAN GAMBIT GUIDE – BLACK GAMBITS VOLUME 1
THE ALTERMAN GAMBIT GUIDE – BLACK GAMBITS VOLUME 2
SAN LUIS 2005
TACTIMANIA
Not sure where else to post this, but…
What would Berg recommend in the 2th Volume of French (GM 15), where after 7. Dg4 0-0 8. Ad3 Cbc6 9. Ag5 Da5 10. Ce2 Cg6 11. 0-0 Da4 12. f4 c4 13. Axg6 fxg6 14. f5 ¿ This move is not covered in the book, and looks to be the best move for White in the position.
Should Black deviate before this ¿
@Leon Trotsky
I just had a quick look at this and 14.f5!! looks like an amazing idea. When Emanuel’s book was published in 2013, the obvious 14.Ra2 had been played in almost all the games. I think we can forgive him for overlooking White’s idea of placing a pawn on the most heavily defended square in Black’s position – but a positive engine assessment and 10-0 scoreline in White’s favour (mostly in correspondence games) would seem to indicate that Black should stay well away from this position.
I have no idea what Emanuel’s suggestion would be. Every opening book contains lines which will have to be reassessed as theory moves on, and this is a striking example. So, if you play the 7…0-0 line I suggest that you investigate alternative pathways for Black.
As far as I know, this is the refutation of 8…Nbc6. 8…f5 is necessary.
I did look at 11…c4 immediately forcing White to takes on g6, even if White can play 13. a4. There are some games in the databank on ChessBase, some games where unfortunately Black later commits horrible errors but to me after 13. a4 looks like a relatively normal position for Black.
Another issue is what Berg would recommend on his 13…b5 main line in GM 15 against Negi’s 14. h4 Tf5 15. Cg5. But that is a different topic as well 😀
Hi Jacob, Just a quick question. Is Negi stop writting chess books? Thanks.
@Leon Trotsky
Maybe black should not play 7.-0-0 at all.
If I played the Winawer the poisoned pawn would be my choice.
It is one of the most exciting variations that exists. Why avoid it?
@Bebbe
7…0-0 is perfectly viable. And probably underrated if people have a poor opinion of it 😀
Poisoned Prawn is fine. But it is very tactical and looney, and many moves are not intuitive over the board. 7…0-0 is very strategic yet fighting. I remember 15 years ago people told me that 7…0-0 is basically a forced loss. But I have better score with it than PP 😀
To me, if you use the comparison of war terms, the Poisoned Prawn is like blitzkrieg and human wave assaults. 7…0-0 is old fashioned trench warfare where strong nerves are required.
@Leon Trotsky
Yes you are right, it is a matter of style and taste. I think your comparison is valid.
I like to attack the king so that is why I prefer the poisoned pawn to the trench warfare.
By the way what is your opinion of tigers modern? I play the KID (besides Leningrad dutch and classical Sicilian) and am thinking of adding tigers modern. Then my intention is to use 1-.g6 as a universal system while avoiding Trompowsky, London, Torre and Veresov.
Besides there will be possibilities to transpose to the Leningrad dutch by playing f5 later if white dont play e4.
Are there any plans for QC to write a book on the chebanenko slav 4.-a6? I think Bologan wrote a book on that about ten years ago, so a lot of new games since then.
The French PP is as healthy as ever, as has been confirmed recently again in Miedema’s book on the Winawer (Thinkers Chess Publishing). I used to play 7…0-0, but now I strongly prefer the PP.
@Ray
I couldn’t agree more
7…0-0 8. Ad3 Cbc6 is like First World War, where Black sits in the trenches as France and Germany battle each other. High amount of patience and fortitude with intuition of when to make breakthrough is how the game is.
Is not for everyone of course, one has to be stodgy player because the manoeuvring can be slow and subtle.
I have no big problems with Poisoned Prawn as an opening in terms of theoretically, it is doing very well. It is just that you have to know exactly what you do and memorise a lot of moves to play it properly. I would probably not play it without preparation before the round. Spending time on clock trying to remember correct irrational computer move scares me sometimes. It is basically the Botwinnik Semi-Slaw of 1. e4.
I never needed to remember that much and don’t know of any irrational computer move in that line. Just use some imagination and play some attacking chess will do. In most of the lines white has a much harder time trying to survive blacks assault.
@Thomas
That’s my experience as well – it’s very easy to go wrong with white.
@tourist
No
As example, Miedema’s excellent book p. 266 theoretically good for Black, but very crazy lunacy as you see from diagram.
But is true, if Black forgets the theory, White must also forget the theory, then who knows 😀
@Leon Trotsky
I won’t deny that a certain amount of theoretical knowledge is necessary (as with all main line openings), but for the Winawer PP I would argue that’s it’s rather the other way around: if white forgets the theory, he might save himself if black also forgets the theory – but black has good chances even if he doesn’t remember the exact moves. Many ideas are rather standard imo.
PS: in the 7…0-0 variation on the other hand, black must play very accurately because white has a strong attack against the black king. In the PP black is attacking, at the price of a mere pawn. But it’s a matter of taste of course 🙂 .
Make sure to get a copy of Cutting Edge 1: Open Sicilian by Milos Pavlovic. I just used an idea from it to beat a GM in the Reykjavik Open this week: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/reykjavik-open-2019/3/1/17
🙂
@Sigurbjorn Bjornsson
Are you the guy who played against Alexandra Botez recently? Just watched her analyse your game with the help of Anna Rudolf. Hilarious stuff
Yes, I played her in the first round. Where did she analyse the game?
Haha, I found it, this is hillariously funny 🙂
I also found it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ROQdVRy2-g
It is annoying that 7. Dg4 0-0 8. Ad3 Cbc6 9. Ag5 De8 and 9…Dc7 give more than +1,00 with Stockfish..
Very interested in the offer, especially as my BIG birthday is on Star Wars’ Day.
As I am in England do I still qualify as living in the ‘NORMAL European Union zone’? Assuming that my order is with you before May 23rd 🙂
Hi guys
How close are we to an excerpt of the Taimanov book?
Cheers
Dr S
@Trefor
England should indeed still qualify for the Special Offer. Though you get a yellow card for obliquely referring to the B word.
@The Doctor
The Taimanov excerpt will be next week.
good news
what is your feeling about this book ?
OT: Looks like QC is going all-in at chessable.
I see the following confirmed books:
– Mayhem in the Morra by IM Marc Esserman
– e3 Poison by GM Axel Smith
– Positional Decision Making in Chess by GM Boris Gelfand
– Dynamic Decision Making in Chess by GM Boris Gelfand
– Chess Tactics from Scratch by FM Martin Weteschnik
– Mating the Castled King by GM Danny Gormally
– Boost Your Chess 1 by GM Artur Yusupov
– Small Steps to Giant Improvement video course by GM Sam Shankland
– Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation additional exercises and bonuses video course by GM Jacob Aagaard
Especially “Mayhem” interests me there. Will it get an update, or is it “just” 1:1 content of the printed book?
@RYV
A huge effort has gone into this Taimanov book, and we are in the final stretch of checking everything. Lots of theory (no surprise in a popular Sicilian line) and plenty of novelties and fun chess. Anyway, I’m obviously biased, so we will finish it and let readers make up their own minds.
@Tobias
No update on the Morra content on Chessable. There is some chat about Chessable doing some additional videos with Marc Esserman, but that’s just speculation for now.
Why no opening books on Chessable? Opening books are ideal for Chessable as it is all about memorising rather than the choices you have made for the format where it is understanding positional themes -we hear time and time again even from the top GMs ‘I looked at this but forgot my theory..” so is it coincidence that QC are avoiding opening books apart from the Morra book which at 7 years old is one of the more out of date offerings and e3 poson which is more of a general set up rather than a strict repertoire. Negi’s Sicilian repertoire for instance is so thick a forest that it would be a great help to have…
…. it on Chessable and its much more up to date.
Could any of the QC team shed some light?
Thanks
@JB
Our approach to Chessable is changing. At first we, and I think the Chessable people, thought that their format was mainly suitable for exercise/puzzle/tactics books. But we are seeing that a much wider range of books are being enjoyed in that format. So more opening books on Chessable – totally possible.
@John Shaw
Thanks John
If I had a wish list for openings from QC on Chessable it would be either your or the Negi tomes against the Sicilian where you REALLY need to know your theory and one misstep means immediately lost and I think Gawain’s Dragon series would sell well from the black perspective.
Although Avrukh and many other 1.d4 openings are important thheoretically you have a greater chance of finding the best move or a good enough move if you are out of book using calculation and general positional principles so I’d be less likely to buy them again in a different chessable format though maybe Kotronias’ Kings Indian and the Schandorff Semi Slav would be more appropriate for some if you are considering d4 books on Chessable. I’m sure the other contributors may chip in with their wish list too….
The funny thing is that (if I recall correctly) at the start Chessable was strictly a site for building and learning opening repertoires! It just so happened that QC got on board right in the midst of an expansion into all areas of the game, and after several QC books (like the Yusupov series and the Rios book) had been requested a lot.
So QC now publishing opening books on Chessable brings it all full circle.
Any possible chance of an update to the elusive Najdorf book??
If customer orders the Taimanow book through this webshop here, what would be price to get a quicker shipping instead of the regular Royal Airmail ¿
Taiminov book
Move order:
1 e4 c5 2 nf3 e6. Or
1 e4 c5 2 nf3 nf6. Recommended
Will the taiminov be more on the
Scheveningen d6 style or Paulsen Style?
Looking forward to book.
@E
These question have been answered.
The prologue gives 2…e6 and JA has mentioned in an earlier post it’ll be pure Taimanov not Scheveningen lines.
Time is running John…
The other day I was trying to get some material on the QGD with Bf4, but there are not so many books available on that topic. Maybe this is an interesting idea for a book: a repertoire based on d4, c4, Nf3 around a QGD-Bf4-kernel and answers to QID, Ragozin, Slav and Bogo. Leaving g6-Indians aside.
Yeah, it would be interesting. Very little literature on d4 Nf6 c4 e6 Nf3 from White’s perspective. Most of the repertoire books allow Nimzo with Nc3 for practical purposes which is understandable, but would be nice to see something on 3.Nf3
As you will see from my latest blog post, all is just about under control. Excerpt is at http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/SicilianTaimanov-excerpt.pdf
Dreev’s book is outstanding.
Thanks
@JB
The GM Rep. books would result in too many variations. The current system is not powerful enough to allow the user to control that many variations easily.
@till
Didn’t appreciate this- not sure if I quite believe you but maybe someone else could confirm. Have Dvorestsky’s Endgame Manual on Chessable which has a ridiculous number of trainable variations and see chunky opening books like Hyper Accelerated Dragon by Panjwani and Modernized Caro kann on Chessable. The Morra comes in at 360 pages whereas some of the slimmer GM reps eg Semi Slav are only 260 pages long. Negi’s French/Caro/Philidor was a doorstop though….
I have custom chessable books with 1000s of variations. I manage them fine. Most variations are paused at one time (my choice, not a site limitation) and split them into chapters with a few hundred at most in each.
Hi, I ordered a 3-book pack and a free book, I wrote an email with my request but I didn’t receive any response. Please, can you give me some answer? My name is Jorge Fdez. and my order receipt is 6691.
Thanks and sorry for posting here…
@allegreison
Claire was out of the office for a few days but I’ve checked with her. Your order has been processed and the books are on their way.