13 Aug 05
I don't know who wrote it, don't remember, but a while back I read this old book by an unfarmiliar author's name called; "Annoying Caro-Kann". The book is basicly about a disgruntled local club white e4 player who is tired of geting his attacks stoned by solid Caro-Kann defenses, that he even wrote a book showing all of his notorious white loses against the opening. The player in question probably wrote the book to help him improve at chess, but it's actually quite good.
14 Aug 05
Originally posted by !~TONY~!I have both "Playe the French" 2nd and 3rd editions and consider best the 2nd. edition.
Watson's "Play the French" 3rd Edition preferably! Awesome book, and it even offers more than one solution to each white variation.
Watson's repertoire line against the Tarrasch with 3...Be7 made me want to burn the book... Not to mention castling in the main line of the Winawer... However, those lines are perfectly playable. It is just that I was hoping for Watson to improve upon the repertoire offered in the 2nd edition. 🙁 I was disappointed...
I would recommend the books by Psakhis in the French (THough, he sometimes likes to show off and you have to be careful not to let him overwhelm you...) Pedersen's books in the French are fantastic...
Anyway, study the games by Uhlmann, Botvinnik, Nimzo and Petrosian... All good models of the French (Kortschnoi is also fantastic but less thematic.)
Caro Kann books? I don't dare recommending any but I would study Karpov's games with this opening...
29 Nov 05
"Play The French" (3rd Edition), I'm afraid doesn't cover the Poisoned Pawn variations of the French Winawer which cheesed me off quite a bit - I understand the 2nd Edition does it.
Alopinto, what's up with the White suggestions against 3... Be7 in the Tarrasch Defence ?