GM Repertoire: Leningrad Dutch

Det er bare å glede seg når den rumenske stormesteren Mihail Marin kommer med nye åpningsbøker. Som knapt noen kombinerer han en sjarmerende leseverdighet med proff vinkling og seriøse analyser menneskelig presentert.

Marin presenterer her Leningrad-Hollandsk, med hovedvarianter etter: 1 d4 f5 2 g3 Sf6 3 Lg2 g6 4 Sf3 Lg7 5 0-0 0-0 6 c4 d6 7 Sc3, og nå valget hans 7...De8, i stedet for de andre godt kjente alternativene 7...c6 eller 7...Sc6. Boka dekker også hvits alternative valgmuligheter litt tidligere, som b3 eller Sh3 osv. Boka dekker de ulike variantene som inkluderer at hvit spiller g3 og Lg2, mens andre oppstillinger fra hvits side dekkes i hans neste bok "Dutch Sidelines".

Når vi setter at boka passer best for spillere i nivåkategori fra rating 1300 og oppover, er det mest fordi selve åpningen er såpass krevende å spille at vi ikke anbefaler den for spillere under dette nivået.

Samtidig kommer han med en andre Hollandsk-bok "Dutch Sidelines" som dekker hvits avvikende muligheter allerede fra trekk 2, som Sc3, Lg5, e4, Dd3, h3 osv.

Begge bøkene utgis straks som både paperback og innbundne bøker.

Forlagets egen omtale:

The Dutch is renowned as a fighting weapon against 1.d4, as 1...f5 immediately sets up an unbalanced struggle. Then Black’s kingside fianchetto, which defines the Leningrad Dutch, allows pawn-storming play in similar style to the King’s Indian Defence. Mihail Marin is the ideal author to explain both the strategic ideas and the latest theory.

Leningrad Dutch covers lines where White also fianchettoes the king’s bishop – these lines are the critical test of the Leningrad. The companion volume, Dutch Sidelines, completes Black’s Dutch repertoire.

Mihail Marin is a grandmaster from Romania. His previous books for Quality Chess have established him as one of the world’s finest chess authors.

Praise for the author’s previous work:

“Beautifully written and inspirational” GM Luke McShane

“A typically lucid and thorough exposition from perhaps the most insightful and reliable chess author writing today.” GM Jonathan Rowson, New in Chess

Fra forfatterens forord:

The magic of the Leningrad Dutch has accompanied my chess career for several decades.

For a relatively short time, about one or two years, this was my main opening against 1.d4 during my teenage years, sometime around 1980. At that age I was not mature enough to understand its strategic subtleties and I soon switched to more natural systems. But I kept following the theoretical developments in the Leningrad Variation, in the 80s and early 90s, and also chose a few “personal heroes”. Malaniuk’s rigorousness in standard positions was highly instructive, while Beliavsky’s fighting spirit added colour to this strategic opening. But my absolute champion was Mikhail Gurevich, whose games gave an impression of fluency, with harmonious connections between the wings and a perfect balance between dynamic and static elements. ...

The following episode helped me to understand my inner feelings about this opening. During an important knockout tournament, I needed a draw with Black against a difficult opponent to qualify for the final. Without hesitation, I chose the Leningrad Dutch and achieved my aim. My friend WIM Angela Dragomirescu asked me why I decided to play such a risky opening. “I always play the Leningrad when I need to win,” I replied and after a brief hesitation added, “or if I need to make a draw.” We both instantly understood the paradox involved in my answer, and started to laugh. Indeed, no one ever needed to lose!

But then I understood what all this was about. In order to be successful with the Dutch, one needs full focus and determination. The first move is very committal and Black needs to play accurately in order to prove it is useful for the global plan.