Alexey Dreev offers a new look at the old system 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 Bb5 Nge7 which is one of the most challenging ways to combat the Spanish. At the beginning of the 21st century this system was given a new impulse and its popularity increased considerably.

The Cozio Defence

Alexey Dreev

Chess Stars LTD.

The Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann Defence (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5) attracted for the first time the attention of the chess theoreticians during the World Championship match between Mikhail Tal and Mikhail Botvinnik back in the year 1961. White seems to lose a tempo for the move 3.e5, but closes the centre in this way, providing himself with a considerable space advantage and impeding the harmonious development of Black's kingside.

Attacking the Caro-Kann

<p>Alexey Dreev analyses many different ways for White to fight for the opening advantage in two modern schemes, in the Slav Defence and in the Queen's Gambit Declined. His choice in the Slav Defence is the exchange variation, which is becoming more and more popular among the average level chess players, as well as at top level. It looked like Black could equalise, but lately White often managed to create problems for Black. By playing 3.cxd5, after the moves 1 d4 d5 2.c4 c6, White tries to obtain an advantage, but also avoids the main lines of the Slav Defence, which may arise following 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4. He also avoids some other very solid systems for Black like the Meran Variation or the Moscow Variation. The fight in the exchange variation is mostly in a positional key, without much risk, with the idea to obtain a minimal edge. The other part of the book covers a variation of the Queen's Gambit with the move 5.Bf4. This modern line is a serious rival to the classical Queen's Gambit with the move 5.Bg5, in which White must consider at least the Makogonov - Bondarevsky system, which is quite reliable for Black. Dreev also deals in details with the very fashionable variation 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4, in which, if Black does not try to develop his bishop to the f5-square, White obtains an advantageous version of the Carlsbad variation.</p>

Bf4 in the Queen's Gambit and the Exchange Slav

Education & Teaching

Schools & Teaching

Chess Stars

Dreev is a leading expert on opening theory. The Moscow Variation and the Anti-Moscow Gambit are his "trademark" systems.

 Alexey Dreev: "The positions arising in the Moscow variation and the Anti-Moscow variation are in principle so different that I have decided to arrange the material in the two parts of the book in different fashion too.

 The part of the book, which deals with the analysis of the plans and possibilities in the much calmer Moscow variation can be compared to a thorough guide of the series "street by street".

 The positions in the Anti-Moscow variation are much more dynamic and complicated and the task to analyze absolutely all the situations is presently impossible. Still, I have tried to deal with practically all really important variations.

 The most fashionable positions have been extensively analyzed and I have given some recommendations, which have not been tested in practice yet (..)

 The Moscow variation and the Anti-Moscow variation are an integral part of the opening armour of practically all the best chess players in the world (Some of them even play it for both sides...).

 Among the super-experts who play it with Black, it would be sufficient to name Viswanathan Anand, Vassily Ivanchuk, Boris Gelfand, Levon Aronian, Peter Leko, Peter Svidler, Sergey Karjakin and they all have contributed considerably to the development of its theory.

 The players who have set the standard of fashion in its development for White are Vladimir Kramnik, Magnus Carlsen, Veselin Topalov, Ruslan Ponomariov,Alexander Khalifman, Alexander Grischuk, Teimour Radjabov, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, (..) etc.

 Garry Kasparov has contributed immensely to the theory of both systems.

Moscow & Anti-Moscow Variations

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Alexey Dreev. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Alexey Dreev

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Alexey Dreev. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Cozio Defence

Attacking the Caro-Kann

Bf4 in the Queen's Gambit and the Exchange Slav

Moscow & Anti-Moscow Variations