An Opening Repertoire for the Attacking Player - Eduard Gufeld

Aimed at attacking players or those because of their tournament position need to play more sharply, Gufeld’s Opening Repertoire for the Attacking Player offers up sharp systems that are relatively unexplored compared to the mainline and theoretical systems. Each chapter contains a brief overview of typical lines, sometimes there’s an illustrative game or two for a few extra annotations.

Repertoire as White

White’s opening moves are based around 1. e4.

Against the Sicilian, Gufeld offers the Grand Prix Attack. This made a regular appearance on the UK tournament circuit, but less seen elsewhere. The chapter weighs in at 11 pages, but 4 of those pages annotate the same Bangiev - Lau game twice, in the critical 2… d5 line. Once in the overview and again as an illustrative game.

Against 1… e5 Gufeld presents the Vienna Game, quoting Spielman that it’s a more accurate or improved way of playing the King’s Gambit, by side-stepping critical Black replies (e.g the Falkbeer Counter-gambit). It has better coverage of lines than the previous chapter. One of the lines looks suspiciously like the … Bc5 line of the King’s Gambit Declined. But still, just two illustrative games.

In the French Defence, advocating the Advance variation, Gufeld’s main-line sees White’s king on f1, Black pressure on the d4-pawn, and one illustrative game leading to a draw. At least his Advance Caro-Kann has 5. g4 which gives it some teeth.

The Pirc (and Modern Defence) gets the Austrian Attack treatment and pushing through the centre in the face of Black’s flank activities. But only one model game between them. Unsurprisingly, Gufeld advocates the Four Pawns Attack against the Alekhine Defence, again, with just a single model game despite a thicket of different variations.

Repertoire as Black

As Black against 1. e4 Gufeld defends the Sicilian Defence.

Chapter 12 is dealing with move 2 deviations in the Sicilian Defence: The Wing Gambit, the Steintz Variation, The Morra Gambit, a pawn-sacrifice against the f4-Sicilian (Grand Prix Attack), the c3 / Alapin variation, and against a King’s Indian Attack he opts for a Reversed King’s Fianchetto King’s Indian setup. Gufeld refused to be parted with his beloved King’s Indian Defence.

The player has to handle both sides of the Sicilian Grand Prix Attack. As Black, Gufeld recommends 2… d5 (“a sharp variation with a pawn sacrifice”) and urges the player to make a deeper study of this line. He expends just over a single page on this variation. That adds up to 5 pages covering the variation from both sides.

Chapter 13 covers third move deviations in the Sicilian: Deferred c3 / Alapin systems, delayed Chekhover variations (4. Qxd4), and the Moscow variation (3. Bb5+).

Chapter 14 introduces the Sicilian Dragon as Black’s main system, another perennial Gufeld favourite (it’s that Black fianchettoed bishop on g7, the fire-breathing head of the Dragon). Gufeld notes the system doesn’t have a reputation of being 100% reliable. Chapter 13 covers the Classical system (White castling kingside and playing f4), and the Rauzer/Yugoslav attack (f2-f3 along with white castling queenside). The Yugoslav opening coverage is densely packed with variations, covering a lot of White responses, and finishes off with the game Short - Topalov from 1995 Linares.

Against 1. d4 Gufeld essays the Dutch Defence. Chapter 15 cover the early deviations, including the Staunton Gambit.

Chapter 16 covers Black’s main opening system, the Leningrad Dutch. It’s a Dutch system with a Gufeld bishop on g7, naturally. Gufeld notes that it’s essentially a hybrid of the Dutch and King’s Indian Defences.

Against the English Opening, Gufeld stands behind the Dutch Leningrad setups, which start to resemble King’s Indian Defence systems fairly quickly. He also navigates the Lisitsyn Gambit (1. Nf3 f5 2. e4).

If White dares the Bird Opening (1. f4) Gufeld goes in for From’s Gambit, a radical attempt to counter White’s opening plan. And Chapter 20 covers White’s alternative flank openings, including the Nimzowitsch-Larsen opening.

Title

An Opening Repertoire for the Attacking Player

ISBN

1857441966

Author(s)

Gufeld, Eduard

Publisher

Cadogan Chess

Year

1996