Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack [Paperback]

Jacob Aagaard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

The Panov-Botvinnik Attack is a strong, classical attacking system for White against the Caro-Kann: White develops quickly and attacks the centre, putting immediate pressure on the black position.

By stressing the key themes, the author prepares players not just to put their pieces on the right squares in the opening, but to know the typical plans in each of the structures that can arise.

Cadogan's new Easy Guide series represents a new approach to chess openings books: just enough detail and just enough explanation to enable readers to play an opening with confidence, without months of memorising theory - the easy way to master a chess opening.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Panov-Botvinnik Attack is a strong, classical attacking system for White against the Caro-Kann. White develops quickly and attacks the centre, putting immediate pressure on the Black position. This book is the first to give detailed, systematic coverage to this important opening. By stressing the key themes, the author prepares players not just to put their pieces on the right squares in the opening, but to know the typical plans in each of the structures that can arise. Cadogan's new Easy Guide series represents a new approach to chess openings books: just enough detail and just enough explanation to enable readers to play an opening with confidence, without months of memorising theory - the easy way to master a chess opening. Jacob Aagaard is a young international master from Denmark who is now chasing the grandmaster title. Although this is his first book chess, away from the chessboard he is a novelist, and this comes cross clearly in the quality of his writing. This is his first book for Cadogan Chess.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Everyman Chess; 1st edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857445635
• ISBN-13: 978-1857445633
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,369,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will help you beat (well, draw with) GMs!, October 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack (Paperback)

Let me tell you a story. I'd been looking for a long time for ways to liven up my play against the Caro-Kann. I was dissatisfied with the Classical Variation (3Nc3), but at the same time was afraid to take on the IQP inherent in the Panov-Botvinnik. Then this book was published and it gave me the confidence to have a go. The result, in about my third of fourth outing with the Panov-Botvinnik, was a draw with Grandmaster Tukmakov (2585) at Lausanne, Switzerland. This was in May 1999 when my FIDE rating was 2096 - almost 500 points lower than his. Much - most? - of the credit belongs to Aagaard's book. He doesn't try to get you to memorise long lines of moves - rather, he teaches ideas. It would be going too far to call it a comprehensive manual on the IQP, but I'm sure it would improve most people's abilities at handling IQP middlegames, as well as possible resulting endgames. My game against Tukmakov will probably not prove atypical. The GM didn't follow one of the main lines discussed by Aagaard, but from what I'd learned I was able to come up with perfectly reasonable moves. Unknown to me - but I'm sure appreciated by my opponent - we transposed to a line from the Karpov-Kamsky FIDE world championship match, which is in the book. The result was a messy sac by me which Tukmakov was unable to refute over the board, and he eventually acquiesced to a perpetual. I was, to put it mildly, well-chuffed (although I've since become a little more realistic about my achievment on finding numerous flaws in the game at home). Anyway, this has been a very personalised review, but I wanted to get across what this book has done for my game - and could do for others'.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars original, brilliant piece of work, March 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack (Paperback)

Aagaard has managed to fill a huge gap in opening literature in a very convincing manner. For all those who want to take up the Panov, this is THE book. What I like most is the highly original style of analysing and writing, and the critical approach towards existing conventions. Aagaard starts each chapter with a number of model games and standard manoeuvres, yet also gives instructive examples where both players went wrong. The highlight of the book is for me the analyses of the endgame in the ...Nc6 line. Having struggled in numerous Caro-Kann games with the question of how to create a lively position on the board, this book definitely has increased my appetite again to take on this opening.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent coverage of the Panov. Caro-Kann players look out!, December 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack (Paperback)

Knowledge of the Panov-Botvinnik Attack is vital whenever playing openings like Caro-Kann, Nimzo-Indian or the Tarrasch defence. In his book, it seems that Jacob Aagaard has not only collected the most important games and variations in this line. He has also put down great effort explaining what is really going on in the critical positions. The book reaches its peak in the chapter on the well-known endgame that arises in the Nc6-variation. I have never before seen such detailed information about where to put the pieces in this endgame! What also strikes me, reading through this book, is the personal style of the author. No dry, stereotypical comments of the traditional kind is to be found here, believe me. As an example, he is right away making clear what he thinks of the different sidelines, e.g. the g6-variation is not to be recommended for black, and so on. Finally, the fact that this line gives rise to some really appealing positions for the attacking player, makes me want to recommend the book even more.