Customer Reviews

Closed Sicilian

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Closed Sicilian variation (1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 g3) is presented with alternate move orders. Part One covers the main line ( 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3 g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 d3 d6 6 f4 e6 7 Nf3 Nge7 8 0-0 0-0). 9th move alternatives are presented in three chapters. Part Two gives sixth move alternatives for white. Part Three involves early deviations - when black plays ...e7-e6 and ...d7-d5. One chapter covers 1 e4 c5 2 g3 for white. Each book chapter ends with a verbal summary and move order summary, along with associated games. 100+ Grandmaster games are used to illustrate the chapter ideas. The games' opening moves are thoughtfully annotated, although lower-rated players (like myself, 1950 USCF) will really have to dig to find "thematic" ideas on their own. This book is a Chess Press Opening Guide book, part of their opening series. So, if you own one of their other books, you will know the format. The author, Daniel King, is an English Grandmaster.

Any 1.e4 player needs to know something about that irritatingly common reply 1...c5. Why not learn the Sicilians with a variation they may not have wanted to play? GM King presents the Closed Sicilian in a clear, straight-forward manner that allows one to quickly feel confident about employing the opening's ideas. I'm only rated 2012 so I can't comment on whether or not Grandmaster King's analysis is sound at the world champion or grandmaster level (and neither, I think, can most of those who attack an opening they don't care for), but at the level that thousands of us play, this is a book that will be invaluable. Having played Open Sicilians against booked-up players, I like knowing we don't have to play their favorite variation. Bring it on!

Everyone who plays 1. e4 but does not enjoy the white side of the open Sicilians searches out alternatives to play such as the Grand Prix Attack, the c3, or the Closed Sicilian. Each system has its own strengths, and drawbacks, and the problem with playing the Closed Sicilian is that while white has a fairly clear plan, black's plan in the main lines is also fairly straightforward. This book is quite helpful, because it goes beyond "what is the main idea" into "how will one actually play a game against best play". The problem with coverage of the Closed Sicilian in most works is that the author tends to give a line or two against each of the major black systems, but little analysis is done of multiple white alternative lines. King's book excels in going further than the usual Closed Sicilian book, by offering detailed chapters on move 6 alternatives for white other than the "main line". I like that, in addition to playing the "main line for white" set forth, King also shows how to play less favored lines which nonetheless offer white the chance to maintain initiative with somewhat quieter play. The text is based on playing through games in the variations, but unlike some books, King does not just throw a game at us as if to say "so there", but rather provides detailed thematic commentary. I am a lesser player of low 1700s USCF, and I found the commentary entirely useful. I am not sure it would be as useful for, say a 1300, but I still recommend this book to any player who wants a system against the Sicilian but has never been able to get the bang from the Closed Sicilian that, say, Spassky did <g>.

This is a well written book on the Closed Sicilian. The only problen is that this opening "causes black relatively few problems" (Nunn's Chess Openings) and if black knows his theory he can equalize easily in most lines. This is the reason this opening has not been played very much at high levels recently. That said, this an excellent book for black (and white, too, i guess) to learn the theory of the Closed Sicilian. The most straight forward and overtly dangerous line in the Closed Sicilian is easy drawn if one memorizes a single game: Spassky-Hjartarson, European Club Cup 1991. This game is the third game in the book and covers the best way to play against the 10.e5? pseudo pawn sacrifice. The Closed Siclian is not the most critical line against the sicliian by any means, but it doesn't require memorizing a ton of theory, so it may be helpful for someone with very little time. If you want build the best repetoire possible, learn the Open Siclian, c3 Sicilian, or at least the Bb5 Sicilian. A book that my help you learn the Open Siclian is John Nunn and Joe Gallager's Beating the Sicilian 3. It gives good variations of the Open Sicilian for white. Amazon does not have it, but I have seen it at other sites. But this book if you just want something to play against the Siclian or if you want to be able to play against the Closed Sicilian as black.

In addition to an in depth coverage of newer ideas in the Closed Sicilian (it omits some games with old plans and produces newer plans in those lines), this book has an interesting version of the Closed Sicilian with c3 instead of Nc3 that is in my opinion worth the book. It also has some advice between the lines that are highly instructive. I made a career out of playing the Closed Sicilian in the ICC and gained about 200pts while winning a losing and learning how important prophylaxis was in wing attacks. For anyone who wants to develop thier chess. IT also gives you a good system to play vs. the English, though this is not explicitly done for the reader.

Who is writing these other reviews? This book was put together in a weekend. He has no passion for this variation, and really only selected some games, looked up the variations in some other books, and added some comments. There is no research above and beyond, too bad king, I thought you were better than the eric schillers.