PLAY THE GRUNFELD
Author: Yelena Dembo
Everyman Chess (2007)
192 pages
$23.95

Reviewed by Jeremy Silman

The Grunfeld Defense was a favorite of Fischer and Kasparov, with Svidler being its current advocate. Since this opening is a dynamic attempt by Black to steal the initiative by counterattacking white's pawn center, it's no surprise that many aggressive players find the Grunfeld extremely attractive. And, since the lines tend to be sharp and the theory dense, new books on this opening appear fairly often to update its quickly evolving theory. The latest of these is Yelena Dembo's PLAY THE GRUNFELD, a repertoire book from black's perspective that she claims should prove useful to players in the intermediate range right up to grandmaster.

I loved her bibliography since instead of just listing her references, she tells you what's good about each one. This allows the reader to make an intelligent decision about what other books to buy if they wish to build up a library on this opening. Not surprisingly, she was particularly high on Rowson's UNDERSTANDING THE GRUNFELD (a magnificent book that strives to live up to its title by teaching the reader the ins and outs of this complex system), KING'S INDIAN & GRUNFELD FIANCHETTO LINES by Janigava (THE book on g3 vs. these openings), CHALLENGING THE GRUNFELD by Dearing (a must own if you play either side of the 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 system), and AN EXPERT'S GUIDE to the 7.Bc4 GRUENFELD by Sakaev (one of the best opening books ever written). All comments about these books are mine, though they aren't too far from Ms. Dembo's.

Theory in many Grunfeld lines can easily march on until the 30th move or even further, and this would clearly scare many players. PLAY THE GRUNFELD tries to keep things manageable by rarely going past moves 10-17 in her main lines (notes are the exception). This will no doubt make a lot of players happy since it gives the impression that you don't need a computer-like memory to learn this opening. On the other hand, titled players (whom she included in her targeted audience) will be more than a little dissatisfied -- a much deeper examination of all lines is necessary at that level.

Dembo's love of the Grunfeld shines through, and I consider that important if you're pushing a repertoire. It's also clear that she has put a lot of time into analyzing her recommended variations, and the original analysis she often presents will be a welcomed sight to anyone that uses this book. I should also add that Dembo is rather fearless in her assessments. She doesn't hesitate to challenge the words and views of world-class players, and this tough, confident stance will surely make the reader feel secure.

Dembo's courageous defense of the Grunfeld is both a positive and, in one sense, a negative; and it is something that comes with the territory of all "PLAY THE …" books. You have to pitch the opening and convince your readers that it lives up to all the hype you've heaped on it. Thus, this book would have you believe that Black equalizes easily in the more trying variations, and often takes the initiative at the slightest blink by White (every line ends with equality or even a black advantage). But can this be true? If so, why doesn't every top player employ the Grunfeld to the exclusion of everything else? What's not to like about an opening that grants Black all the fun, and at worst leads to equality and an easy game? Naturally, we're missing something here -- it's clear that everything can't be quite that simple.

Personally, I feel that PLAY THE GRUNFELD is best used with Rowson's UNDERSTANDING THE GRUNFELD (if you're learning this opening), while the other books listed will prove extremely useful if you want to make a deeper study of any of the lines they cover.

Dembo's PLAY THE GRUNFELD is a great way for players 1800 and above to take the first leap into this opening. It's up to date and offers lots of original analysis. Thus, even Grunfeld veterans would be well advised to pick this book up.

Click to buy (or get more information about) PLAY THE GRUNFELD

Other books on the Grunfeld that are well worth adding to your library:

UNDERSTANDING THE GRUNFELD by Rowson ($27.95)

STARTING OUT: THE GRUNFELD by Aagard ($16.95)

THE GRUNFELD DEFENCE by Davies ($19.95)

EXPERT'S GUIDE TO THE 7.Bc4 GRUENFELD by Sakaev ($29.95)

CHALLENGING THE GRUNFELD by Dearing ($24.95)