Customer Reviews

The Complete Semi-Slav (Batsford Chess Library)

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Peter Wells is my favorite openings author. I can think of no one else who combines thoroughness, explanatory text, complete games, and relevant variations so well. Even in the densest theoretical parts of the complexities of the semi-slav, Wells retains the subject matter as a comprehendbale discussion or lecture. Never, is this merely a dry text or data dump. His ebooks are always long, too; he never skimps or hurries to finish a work; you will find the same thoroughness at page 300 as page 15. He emphasizes recurrent themes, but this is no beginner text. This is one of my favorite books, and it should be sought after and obtained by any 1. d4 player or black semi-slav player, because, despite the fact that is nine years old, it is an ageless and wonderful book.

This is another great openings work by Wells. I have used this in conjunction with the Semi-Slav book by Sadler. This book is more of an eopic treatise, and Sadler's has more of the conversational tone. Not to say that this book is dry though. This book combines the "tree" type variations analysis with complete games, providing, in my opinion, the best type of opening work. This is a must-have for Semi-Slav fans. I had little clue before getting this book exactly how wild and agrressive the semi-slav is. I love it!

This book purports to present a complete analysis of the Semi-Slav, but in fact it leaves

a lot to be desired. MANY Semi-Slav variations are missing. The Abrahams-Noteboom Variation isn't

there; the Bogoljubow Variation isn't there; The Chigorin Variation isn't there; The Romih

variation isn't there; The Rubinstein Variation isn't there. So how come this is the Complete Semi-Slav?

These would-be authors -- and editors -- should be ashamed to rook readers like that!