7 WAYS TO SMASH THE SICILIAN

Authors: Lapshun & Conticello

Everyman Chess (2009)

190 pages

$22.95

 

Reviewed by John Donaldson

 

IM Yury Lapshun and Nick Conticello, a veteran master and longtime director of the Marshall Chess Club, teamed up last year on PLAY 1.b4!. They are back again with a more conventional subject in 7 WAYS TO SMASH THE SICILIAN.

 

This systematic primer on sacrifices in the Sicilian breaks down as follows:

 

1. The Knight Sacrifice on d5

2. The Knight Sacrifice on e6

3. The Bishop Sacrifice on e6

4. The Knight Sacrifice on f5

5. The Knight Sacrifice on b5

6. The Bishop Sacrifice on b5

7. Miscellaneous Sacrifices

 

The author’s state their case with 109 deeply annotated games from Lasker-Pirc, Moscow 1935 to Nispeanu-Ruck, Croatian Championship 2006. Not all the sacrifices are successful. Among the highlights in this book is the game Becerra-Novikov, US Championship 2004, where Novikov refutes an early Nxb5 in excellent style.

7 WAYS TO SMASH THE SICILIAN can be recommended to a wide audience of players from 1800 on up.

Click to buy (or get more information about) 7 WAYS TO SMASH THE SICILIAN

Also check out Lapshun & Conticello’s other book: PLAY 1.b4!