Playing 1.e4 Caro-Kann

Den første av to store bøker som gir et proft og praktisk åpningsrepertoar for hvit med 1.e4. Denne første boka velger 3 e5 Lf5 4 h4 mot Caro-Kann og Skotsk mot 1...e5, dessuten spill mot Philidor, Lettisk gambit, Elefantgambit, Skandinavisk, Aljechins forsvar, Pirc, Moderne, Nimzowitsch's forsvar, Owens forsvar og St. George. ...

En innholdsrik, oversiktelig og fin bok på 628 sider. Passer fint for hele ratingspennet fra omlag 1200 til 2300.

Fra forfatterens forord:

The purpose of Playing 1.e4 is simple – to supply a top-class repertoire for White. This first volume covers the Caro-Kann, 1...e5 and minor lines. The second volume will complete the repertoire by meeting the Sicilian and French.

In selecting lines for a 1.e4 repertoire, there are many possible approaches. One can choose the sharpest lines, cover them in full academic detail, and supply a complete repertoire spanning a multitude of volumes. Or one can create a slim, single-volume repertoire by ducking the theoretical challenge and giving “club players’ favourites” such as the Closed Sicilian. My two-volume series is at neither extreme. It delivers a repertoire which I am confident will be effective even at GM level, but it demands a workload from the reader that is manageable, albeit challenging in places.

If there are two equally strong alternatives, then I have chosen the line which requires less theoretical knowledge. But if there is one line that I believe is clearly best, then that is the line I have given, even if it requires intensive study before it can be played with confidence. The 6.Nxf7 sac against the Alekhine in Chapter 17 is just one example of the theoretical depths such a principled approach can lead to.

In terms of the style of play of the repertoire, I have been guided by White’s first move. If you prefer 1.e4 to 1.d4, then I suspect you are more likely to have dark intentions against the black king. Accordingly, I have selected lines that are active and space-gaining, as these are the lines that are most likely to lead to attacking chances. Naturally, Black has a say in the course the game takes, so there will be some lines where we have to postpone our mating dreams, and instead nurse a slightly better structure.

The two main defences met in this volume are the Caro-Kann and 1...e5. Against the CaroKann I have chosen the Advance Variation, meeting 3...Bf5 with 4.h4 – an aggressive and ambitious line. Following 1...e5 we reply 2.Nf3, when Black’s main option is of course 2...Nc6. We meet this with 3.d4 – the Scotch, which I did not select for nationalistic reasons. It was one of Kasparov’s old favourites, so it’s no surprise that it’s a forcing and challenging system. Thus it can lead to deep theory, but nothing like as much as the Spanish. Other defences we will face in this volume are the Petroff, Scandinavian, Philidor, Alekhine’s, Pirc, Modern, as well as other variations too minor to be worthy of a name.

As with my book on the King’s Gambit, my name is on the cover, but creating the book was a team effort. I had the final say on words and analysis, but I was aided by GM Jacob Aagaard, IM Andrew Greet, Nikos Ntirlis, and also GM Parimarjan Negi offered invaluable help on the Scotch.