The Grand Prix Attack: Fighting the Sicilian with an Early F4 Paperback – August 7, 2013

Albert, Dzindzichashvili, Perelshteyn in their book "Chess Openings for White, Explained" insist that 2 Nc3 is necessary for White while Sveshnikov disagrees. This book sets out to recommend 2f4 dor white and all the analysis seems well thought out. Given my playing strength of A class, this book is a good book which covers the opening and its attacking plans very well indeed.

Well I have been playing chess in past 30 years. I have over 500 chess books this one is written in very easily understood style. The author Evgeny Sveshnikov is an excellent chess book writer. If you get a chance I recommend look at his other book The complete C3 Sicilian, that book is even 10 times better than this book it has almost 600 pages. I am reading these 2 books in past months and I enjoy both of them equally . I never buy any chess books that just gives 15 first moves of an opening from a game then just says white is better or it is an equal game. I want to see the entire game. These books both are given entire games with excellent annotations. In this book, you will see photos of players as well. I didn't know what John Van der Wiel looks like , now I know. Trust me , if you like opening Grand Prix Attack as I do, you will not disappointed by purchasing this book.

Subtle differences from the 2. Nc3 Grand Prix, it inspects many tangents and also defensive structures against it.

Author Evgeny Sveshnikov has a knack for promoting new ideas in chess openings. Heard of the Sveshnikov Sicilian? He's the GM who turned it into a weapon for black. Gelfand used it quite successfully in the championship match against Anand just last year. On the white side of the Sicilian, he led the way in making the Alapin variation (2. c3) a respected system. Chess fans will note that Mickey Adams recently used the Alapin to clinch his victory at the Dortmund 2013 tournament. And now Sveshnikov is blazing a new trail, this time down the path of the Grand Prix Attack (2.f4).As Sveshnikov explains, he adopted the Grand Prix (GP) because he wanted to engage his 1...c5 opponents on unfamiliar (to them) territory. Of course, the Open variations (2. Nf3 and 3. d4) hold the greatest promise, but you have to study a lot of theory that the black player probably knows. And now the Alapin has become pretty well known, too. Of the 100 or so times the author has played the GP, though, black has played the strongest response (2...d5) only 4 times. Most opponents respond with less promising approaches, and are out of book on move 7 or so. This is worth a closer look!The author begins with a short historical overview, analyzing games from 1774 (Atwood v. Philidor), 1834 (McDonnell v. De La Bourdonnais), 1882 (Steinitz v. Paulsen), 1961 (Botvinnik v. Furman), 1964 (Larsen v. Brinck-Claussen), and 1990 (Short v. Kasparov). He then presents the material in chapters based on black's various responses to 2. f4:* The fianchetto ..Bg7: this is the system Sveshnikov encounters most frequently when plays the white side of the GP.* 2...e6 followed by central counterplay: this is what Sveshnikov plays from the black side because it provides the greatest dynamic possibilities, even though he does not consider it quite as sound as 2...d5.* The immediate counterblow 2...d5: Sveshnikov regards this as fully equalizing, although black has to be willing to play a gambit after 3. exd5 Nf6 4. c4 e6!? 5. dxe6 Bxe6. White has an extra pawn, but black has better development and a hole to exploit on d4.To his analysis I would add the observation that both 2...e6 and 2...d5 are very effective ripostes, scoring approximately 52% for black in master-level play (according to the database at chesstempo.com).The author also provides a chapter on 2. Nc3 followed by 3. f4, which is a good way to avoid the equalizing 2...d5. Sveshnikov does not recommend it because it gives up control over white's d4 square after the most typical response, 2...Nc6. He nevertheless understands that white has to give something in order to get something, and this way of playing the GP is quite popular. So he helps the reader understand the lay of the land, and presents a kingside fianchetto (3...g6 and 4...Bg7) as a reasonable approach for black.Sveshnikov presents his ideas via 69 very well-analyzed GM games, 47 of which he contested himself. The author provides plenty of variations, but he also explains the important features of the games with great clarity and insight. For example, he describes the value of 11...Ng6 (following 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 Nc6 6. d3 e6 7. O-O Nge7 8. Qe1 O-O 9. f5 gxf5!? 10. Qg3 fxe4 11. dxe4, Macieja v. Karjakin, 2004) as follows:"Here the knight is very well-placed: it covers the approaches to its king, without interfering with the action of its other pieces, the Bg7 and Qd8."After 1. e5 c5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 Nf6 4. Bb5+ Nbd7 5. c4 a6 6. Ba4 b5 7. cxb5 Nxd5! 8. Nc3 N7b6 9. Nf3 Nxc3 10. dxc3 Qxd1+ 11. Bxd1 axb5 (Sveshnikov v. Van Wely, 2003), the author explains:"The sharp complications have ended very quickly, and already after 11 moves, we have a quiet endgame on the board. White's chances should be somewhat better: he has three pawns against two on the queenside and the black pawns on this side of the board are somewhat vulnerable."Sveshnikov analyzes the games all the way to the last move, which helps you understand the typical middlegame and endgame themes that arise from the GP. Along the way, he provides dozens of theoretical novelties for both white and black, in the form of improvements to the moves chosen by the combatants.If you just want a simple repertoire, this is not the book for you, as Sveshnikov presents ideas for both sides in loving detail. But if you are an intermediate club player and up who wants to investigate an interesting anti-Sicilian--or you play the Sicilian as black and you want to be prepared against the GP--this book is well worth your study.The publisher provided a review copy of this book to me in exchange for my honest review. My ratings of the publisher's books have ranged from 3 stars to 5 stars.

The Grand Prix Attack: Fighting the Sicilian with an early f4Evgeny Sveshnikov, New In Chess, Alkmaar, The Netherlands, 2013, paperback, 251 pages, $29.95 Book Review by John D. WarthThough not currently popular at top levels, the Grand Prix Attack is nothing new: author and opening practitioner Evgeny Sveshnikov acknowledges this from the beginning. The inception of this opening system for White, which answers the Sicilian with a pawn thrust to f4, dates back to the earliest days of recorded chess. The Italian Gioacchino Greco had played the Grand Prix from both sides of the board in games dating from 1620. The name of the opening came much later, derived from an early automobile race that ran concurrently with a tournament that showcased its fighting lines.The French champion Andre' Philidor, defended against the Grand Prix when George Atwood tried it at London in 1794. Together, two of their games introduce Sveshnikov's opening survey, and both feature the lively play that is the hallmark of the Grand Prix.Other notable players have experimented with an early f4 against the Sicilian, and often with mixed results. In 1834, the Scotsman Alexander McDonnell played f4 on his second move against the French champion, Louis De la Bourdonnais in their London match, winning twice with the line.For their age, these early games have a modern feel, with White immediately seeking to wrest control of the board by limiting Black's options. Modern players can avoid reams of opening analysis of the open Sicilian system. Open Sicilians involve heavily-scrutinized lines that require thorough study. Those variations include the popular Najdorf, Scheveningen, and Dragon variations, and many others that fill countless volumes. By avoiding the familiar lines of the open Sicilian, the Grand Prix Attack can sting an unwary opponent with the element of surprise. But the Grand Prix can be tricky: so its practitioners must balance its strengths against its risks.The author weighs-in with some basic Grand Prix theory: "Playing 1. e4 c5, Black clearly does not rush with the development of his pieces, so it is quite safe for White to play 2. f4, so as to seize space on the kingside and later to try to develop the initiative there. The move 1. . . . c5 has a defensive character. After 2. f4, White in most cases refrains from opening the center with d2-d4, because he considers that the black king is likely to go kingside, and he hopes to attack him there. And certainly , Black only in very rare cases puts his king on the queenside-- preparing queenside castling takes time and, the main thing, the king will not feel terribly comfortable there, because the pawn on c5 allows White to open the b-file rapidly. . . . "Sveshnikov says that after White plays f4 on his second move, Black is limited to just five good replies: 2 . . . Nc6, . . . g6, . . . e6,. . . Nf6, or . . . d5. The last is Black's strongest move. The pawn thrust attacks White's e4 pawn with one of his own, and immediately challenges and unbalances the board by grabbing at the queenside.The Grand Prix offers limitless possibilities for spatial and creative freedom. White can command vast space on the kingside, post pieces on strong squares, and make use of power along the openf-file. With Black favoring the better safety of kingside castling, White can launch direct attacks on that wing.But since White often castles kingside himself, his king is often exposed. The g1-a7 diagonal is open to line-piece checks and incursions. So playing the Grand Prix involves risk. Great risk can lead to great rewards, but only when pieces are placed with the finesse of savvy hands. From his own results, Grandmaster Sveshnikov prefers an early f4 to an early c3 when playing White against the Sicilian. The move c3 defines another line that he has played frequently and successfully. That continuation was the subject of his previous book: The Complete c3 Sicilian. "As far as the White is concerned, I meet the Sicilian mainly with two set-ups--2. c3 and 2. f4. This choice is based on practical considerations. The objectively strongest move 2. Nf3 requires from White enormous knowledge and constant analytical work, whereas in my favorite set-ups, some knowledge is required, of course, but much less, and a great role is played by experience, understanding of typical plans, ideas, etc. I always wanted to have in my repertoire several schemes, so as to make my opponent's preparation more difficult."Sveshnikov, who has trained Anatoly Karpov, is a respected opening expert. Even so, he makes no great claims for others' success with the Grand Prix Attack. Big on ideas, the author's guidebook succeeds as a thorough overview, covering the opening's history, theory, and major sub-variations. Along the way, Schveshikov peppers his discussion on these games with pithy anecdotes and self-effacing humor. Thorough, up-to-date, and unmistakably clear in its presentation, the author shares his passion, devotion, and command of his subject on every page. Since many of the games are the author's own, readers will get first-hand accounts of how he assesses and evaluates risk and determines his course. As Sveshnikov shows, treasures await those who dare to explore with him in choppy opening waters.With their various blunders and brilliancies, the game examples are well-selected from various levels, and always instructive and entertaining. Sveshnikov is an even-handed annotator--unabashedly self-critical, and pointing out inaccuracies and mistakes in his own games with relish. The author does this objectively, and without apology or excuses. He presents his own games, and those of others, with utter honesty--adding weight and sincerity to the discussion.Reading this book, I was left with the impression that Sveshnikov doesn't rely much on computers for his ideas and commentary. He seems to play from the heart, and annotate from his own head. He is an intuitive player who implicitly knows where the lines will form, and when the time to attack is ripe. Sveshnikov has mastered the pivotal elements of force, space, and time.Attentive readers will learn how and when to conduct attacks by playing through these expertly-analyzed games. Those who play boldly can hone these Grand Prix lines to suit their style, or use this guide to create new lines of their own. In experienced hands, the Grand Prix is most direct way to hit the Sicilian head-on.Sveshnikov's book is now the theoretical standard for the Grand Prix and should remain the definitive guide to its practice for years to come.

I hate to be critical of any book but this book just doesnt cut it as a serious attempt to help you find a decent opening weapon. 2. f4 scores very poorly because of d5 and the fact is that 2. Nc3 is much preferred at club and master level for good reason. This book has very little on 2 Nc3 and the rest of the book left me deflated and depressed about playing this line! I really dont know why I bought this book or considered 2 f4 at allIf this book was about lines for Black I would feel like I wasnt going to equalise so imagine how ridiculous that feels about a line with White. Whether thats the fault of the line or the book Im not entirely sure. Either way, Im outta here!

L'auteur ne préfère pas trop donner son opinion quant aux lignes critiques : Après 1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5!, il ne faut pas trop espérer avoir son avis sur la meilleure façon de procéder ... Il passe en revue plusieurs parties, mais ne se prononce pas quant aux choix effectués par les conducteurs des blancs ... Lui-même change d'une partie à l'autre ... C'est tout dire !