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Review: Countering the Queen's Gambit by Michael Prusikin

ChessOpeningStrategy
This is a review by FM James Vigus of Michael Prusikin's Countering the Queen's Gambit

Countering the Queen's Gambit

by Michael Prusikin

New in Chess 2022, 223 pages, paperback

Sample material available in pdf on the publisher's website.

Introduction

This is a complete repertoire for Black based on the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD). This means a setup with ...d5 and ...e6 against almost any opening other than 1 e4. Such a complete solution to opening preparation in one volume is very attractive.

Having enjoyed reviewing GM Prusikin's recent book Attacking Strategies for Club Players, I expected to like this one, too. I wasn't disappointed. It is based on Prusikin's own repertoire. His great experience both as a practical player and as a trainer are apparent in the clear explanations of plans and critical positions.

The repertoire is solid and reliable. It focuses on long-term dependability rather than either heavy theory or a trappy approach. Nevertheless, this is not a narrowly 'positional' repertoire. There is a healthy spirit of counterattack throughout. Indeed, the thematic section, which is highly instructive, opens with 'Attacking ideas for Black on the kingside' in the Carlsbad structure. (This structure arises after, say, 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 cxd5 exd5 and is key to Prusikin's repertoire.) In some lines, such as 1 d4 d5 2 Bg5 f6!?, Prusikin also gives sharp systems for Black.

Format

The thematic part contains illustrative games. The theoretical part consists of trees of variations (B412 etc). This is a pleasantly concise approach, even if it makes some pages look crowded. The chapter of exercises is an excellent touch. The book is well indexed. However, the absence of a bibliography or any other indication either of sources used or recommended further reading seems a pity to me.

Contents

007 Foreword
009 Part I Typical pawn structures and general ideas
010 Chapter 1) The Carlsbad structure
045 Chapter 2) Tartakower structures
071 Part II Queen’s Gambit Theory
072 Chapter 3) Carlsbad theory
081 Chapter 4) The Harrwitz Attack: 4.Bf4 c5!
085 Chapter 5) The 4.Nf3 variation: 4...a6!?
095 Chapter 6) The Tartakower Variation
110 Chapter 7) The Catalan
127 Part III Completing your repertoire
128 Chapter 8) Queen’s pawn games
159 Chapter 9) Other first moves
187 Part IV Final test
188 Chapter 10) Exercises
194 Chapter 11) Solutions to exercises
209 Index of variations
217 Index of names
223 Explanation of symbols

What is recommended?

The majority of the book focuses on 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6. Now:

- Black's position in the Exchange Variation (4 cxd5 which is met by 4...exd5) currently appears rock-solid.

- Against 4 Bg5, Prusikin recommends the Tartakower Variation, 4...Be7 5 e3 h6 6 Bh4 0-0 7 Nf3 b6. This leads to strategically rich positions. It seems to me both practical (it's fine to play against an opponent of any level, however well prepared they may be) and useful for amateur players to learn: play tends to be logical and thematic.

  • 4 Nf3 is countered with the trendy 4...a6!? This clever waiting move avoids 4...Be7 5 Bf4 0-0 6 e3, which is popular at the top level. After 4...a6, if White continues developing with 5 Bg5, Black can grab the pawn on c4, which is sharp but good.

- Rather unusually, Prusikin opts for the Closed variation against the Catalan, i.e. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 g3 Be7 5 Bg2 0-0 6 0-0 c6. As a Catalan player, I always looked forward to this, feeling that White tends to gain a pleasant space advantage. However, Prusikin makes a totally convincing case for it.

I tried playing off Narayanan's recommendation in his recent Lifetime Repertoires: Catalan Chessable course against Prusikin's repertoire. Prusikin holds up very well here.

https://lichess.org/study/VbRMgk7E

Nevertheless, whereas the Carlsbad structure can be quite fun, I think it's hard as Black to feel inspired by these Closed Catalan positions. Readers might like to consider Nikos Ntirlis's suggestion for a solid and straightforward anti-Catalan repertoire with 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 g3 dxc4 5 Bg2 Nbd7!? Click below for the full thread: https://twitter.com/NikolaosNtirlis/status/1576268771190505472

- I also tried playing Ntirlis off against Prusikin. In another opening theory thread on Twitter, this impressive theoretician recommends a line for White in the Reti. Click below for the full thread:

https://twitter.com/NikolaosNtirlis/status/1584608476256669698

Prusikin recommends exactly this line for Black (p. 165). He has anticipated the 'novelty' 14 Re4 and gives a line starting with 14...Nc5 leading to an unclear position. Once again, Prusikin seems to have everything covered.

The competition

QGD repertoires don't seem particularly trendy at the moment. However, readers might also consider:
- GM Alex Colovic's Lifetime Repertoires: Queen's Gambit Declined (Chessable course, 2021), which appears to take a similar approach to Prusikin's repertoire, including the coverage of non-1 d4 sidelines.
- IM Christof Sielecki's Keep it Simple for Black (Chessable course, 2021), including a QGD repertoire; also due to be published in book form imminently.
- GM Max Warmerdam's Lifetime Repertoires: Queen's Gambit Janowski (Chessable course, 2021), based entirely on the ...a6 line which Prusikin uses only against 4 Nf3.
- IM Tibor Karolyi's The Exchange Queen's Gambit for Black (Chess Evolution, 2018)
- GM Matthew Sadler's Queen's Gambit Declined (2000) for its superb explanations, even though it is out of date.

I've only read the last of these so I can't attempt comparisons.

Conclusion

Although it's possible that some readers may wish for a different solution against the Catalan - though this is purely a matter of taste - this book offers a really practical, reliable long-term repertoire against 1 d4, and indeed against anything other than 1 e4. Prusikin's analysis stood up perfectly to my spot-tests. I plan to use this repertoire myself.