Chess Explained Meran Semi Slav

CHESS EXPLAINED: THE MERAN SEMI-SLAV
Author: Reinaldo Vera
Gambit (2007)
111 pages
$23.95

Reviewed by John Donaldson

The fifth book in Gambit's Chess Explained series maintains the high standards of its predecessors. THE MERAN SEMI-SLAV by Cuban GM Reynaldo Vera covers the position reached after several move orders - 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e3; 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 or 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3. It examines two replies by Black: 5...Nbd7 and 5...a6. It doesn't cover the Marshall Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4) or the Anti-Meran lines arising from 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5.

Vera is a great expert on the Meran who played it for many years before it reached its present level of popularity, and it shows in his ability to understand what is most significant and what can be left out -- an essential skill considering a 400 page book could be written on just the Meran itself. Vera weights his 25 heavily annotated games ( as per the Chess Explained series template) as follows:

Chapter 1 Classical Meran with 8...a6 - 4 games
Chapter 2 Modern Meran with 8...Bb7 - 5 games
Chapter 3 The Reynold Attack (10.d5) - 4 games
Chapter 4 Capablanca's 8.Be2 and 8.Bb3 - 3 games
Chapter 5 The Shirov-Shabalov Attack: 7.g4!? - 3 games
Chapter 6 Positional Anti-Meran Systems - 3 games
Chapter 7 The 5...a6!? Line - 3 games

The lines arising from 5...a6!? are very topical; the only other analysis I am aware of in book form is an essay by GM Mikhail Gurevich in the New In Chess SOS series a few years ago. THE MERAN SEMI-SLAV is up-to-date. The 25 model games range from 2002 to 2007. Vera gives a good explanation of what both sides are trying to do, where current theory stands and where it is heading. Older lines that are in the doghouse like 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.d5 c4 11.fxe6 cxd3 and 10...e5 are not to be found so the THE MERAN SEMI-SLAV is not completely one stop shopping, but for a wide range of players from 1800 to Grandmaster it will be most helpful. A final chapter discussing various move-orders rounds out the book.

Highly Recommended

Click to buy (or get more information about):

CHESS EXPLAINED: THE MERAN SEMI SLAV

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STARTING OUT: SLAV & SEMI-SLAV by Flear ($23.95)

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MERAN SYSTEM by Pedersen ($21.95)

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