The Veresov move by move

En aktuell bok om den ganske skarpe Veresov-åpningen som normalt oppstår etter 1 d4 d5 2 Sc3 Sf6 3 Lg5. Boka dekker også ulike avvik, men ikke de mulige overgangene til Caro-Kann med 2...c6 eller Fransk med 2...e6, som mer naturlig er egne bøker.

Åpningen er en interessant mulighet for den som kan spille litt utradisjonelle stillinger og som vil overraske et motstander helt fra start.

Forfatteren påpeker at navnet Veresov egentlig er en tvilsom "påvirkning" fra sovjetisk sjakk. Både Savielly Tartakower og Kurt Richter spilte åpningen ganske betydelig før den yngre Veresov.

Wikipedia skriver i artikkelen Richter-Veresov Attack dette om hvem som har spilt åpningen:

The opening dates back as far as the game Marshall–Wolf, Monte Carlo 1902. However, it was Savielly Tartakower who played it regularly in the 1920s and even to the end of his life, and featuring it in his victory over Donner at Staunton Centenary 1951. Tartakower's interpretation and treatment of the opening generally led to a closed, manoeuvring game.

Kurt Richter was the next player to develop new ideas in the opening, during the 1930s. He mostly found it useful to facilitate his risk-taking style, and he produced some dazzling victories which contributed to a whole chapter of his book of best games. Some theoreticians refer to the opening as the Richter Attack.

It was Gavriil Veresov, however, who greatly strengthened both the theory and practice of the opening from World War II to his heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. He is credited with demonstrating that the opening contained more subtlety and depth than was previously considered, often culminating in a central advance or direct assault on the enemy king. As a tool for rapid piece development, it resembled a king pawn opening, and requiring fewer pawn moves than standard queen pawn fare.

The opening has never been very popular at the top level, though various prominent players have employed it on occasion. In 1959, for example, David Bronstein played the Richter Attack against Veresov himself.

Moving into the last third of the 20th century, grandmasters of the calibre of Spassky, Tal, Smyslov, Larsen, and Bronstein all experimented with the Veresov Opening as an occasional surprise weapon. Even Karpov employed it with success against Romanishin in a Soviet Team Championship. Other, more frequent practitioners have included Hector Rossetto, Lev Alburt, Victor Ciocaltea, Nikola Padevsky, and Tony Miles.

In more contemporary play, the system has remained popular. Grandmaster Jonny Hector has become an adherent of the Veresov and some interest has also been shown by leading GM Alexander Morozevich.

Forlagets omtale:

The Veresov Opening is characterized by the moves 1 d4, 2 Nc3 and 3 Bg5. It’s a perfect weapon for those who wish to steer the game into relatively unchartered territory and to set their opponents problems from the outset.

The Veresov is a flexible opening and White may choose lines that are either positional or tactical in nature.

International Master Jimmy Liew has played the Veresov successfully for many years, and in this book he invites you to join him in a study of his favourite opening. He explains the main positional and tactical ideas for both sides, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about playing the Veresov.

• Essential guidance and training with the Veresov
• Written by a renowned Veresov expert
• Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of opening knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to study any chess opening and at the same time improve your general chess skills and knowledge.

Jimmy Liew is an International Master and a two-time Malaysian Champion. He has represented Malaysia in eight Chess Olympiads.