Opening Repertoire: Strategic Play with 1 e4

Many players approach the opening with a desire to learn sharp lines and out-prepare their opponents. This is an exhausting task, which gets more difficult by the day. However, there is a different strategy which is more practical and designed for longevity. This is to develop an advanced understanding of typical positions. Such a policy is the best approach against different move orders and new ideas.

Milos Pavlovic’s 1 e4 repertoire is based on lines where an understanding of plans and strategic ideas is more important than rote memorisation. The focus is on important positional considerations such as:

• How to make the pieces work most effectively with a given pawn structure
• How to spot weak points and exploit them
• How to limit the opponent’s counterplay

Opening Repertoire: Strategic Play with 1 e4 guides the reader through a complete repertoire for White. Pavlovic examines the key aspects of each line and provides the reader with well-researched and fresh analysis. Every annotated game is a lesson on typical middlegame plans, based on the instructive question-and-answer method.

The major variations are:

• 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 Bb5+
• 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 c3
• 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 b3
• 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 g3
• 1 e4 c6 2 Nf3 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 Ne5
• 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5
• 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nf3 (delaying/omitting d4)
• 1 e4 Nf6 2 Nc3

GM Milos Pavlovic has written several opening books where he shares the approach that led him to a world ranking just outside the top 100 at the end of 2003.

Reviews

Sean Marsh (CHESS magazine)
“There is no doubt about it; the lines suggested in this book will definitely delay the main struggle of the game until later on the middlegame, should be immune to strong innovations by Black, and give the second player a lack of something on which to bite.”