Can the average club or tournament chess player find happiness with a more or less mainstream repertoire that eschews tricks and offbeat lines? This book makes a pretty good case that he can, and it is worth a look for players wanting a little bit more from their games with the white pieces.

The author, a talented young international master, suggests, in his introduction, that lines with 1.d4 and 2.c4 can create credible chances for an advantage for the first player without requiring huge amounts of theoretical preparation. In fact, Palliser indicates that the emphasis in the notes will be on highlighting key plans and structures so that the reader can quickly understand the requirements of the positions. This point of emphasis shows up throughout the book.

In developing the repertoire, Palliser wisely steers for lines that are sound but not on the cutting edge of theory. This is helpful, because it makes it unlikely that theoretical novelties will totally bust the repertoire – one tends to sleep better the night before a tournament when not concerned about the latest game by one of the “super-Ks” at some far-away tournament venue.

This method serves another useful purpose – the lines on which black players will have spent the lion's share of their analytical time and effort are not often found here. This is practically useful and also a bit of a downer for the black player. I know from my own experience how deflating it can be to spend all your preparation time before a tournament on cutting edge theory only to be confronted by perfectly playable alternatives that have escaped your attention.

For example, after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 the author avoids many sharp Semi-Slav lines after 4.Nc3 e6 as well as the old main lines with 4…dxc4. In the lines with 4…e6, 5.Nbd2 was a favorite of Miles' which sets black different problems compared to more common lines with Nc3. Interestingly, this variation was covered in New in Chess Yearbook 70 (2004), where the noted theoretician Bogdan Lalic, after handling the black side, commented that he didn't know how black should play in order to get full equality in this line.

In general, the author has chosen solid lines that give white reasonably clear plans. For example, in the Queen's Gambit Accepted, after 2…dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 he recommends 6.Qe2, where white generally pursues a plan based on exchanging on c5 and then pushing the e-pawn. This is a flexible line that also allows for play against black's queenside pawns if black pushes them prematurely. Interestingly, while there are lots of unbalanced lines in this chapter, I have generally found few average tournament players who actually specialize in these lines for black.

More important are lines where black declines the Queen's Gambit with 2…e6. Here, Palliser decides to avoid the typical repertoire choice of exchange lines with cxd5 in favor of classical development with 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bg5. Even here, however, his clever move order avoids some critical lines that arise after the more common 4.Nc3, such as transpositions to the Semi-Slav with 4…c6, as well as the Vienna and Ragozin.

After 4.Bg5, black can choose to enter classical lines after 4…Be7 5.Nc3. This is the tried and true method of developing white's pieces and continuing to put pressure on black's center, particularly the strongpoint on d5. White's play is classical and direct, and it makes sense for the average player to be familiar with the ideas for both sides. As can be expected from a line that has been at the forefront of grandmaster player for decades, there are a lot of methods for play from both sides, but the lines are not super sharp, and the author does a nice job of explaining the key plans and what each side is seeking to accomplish. At 63 pages, this is one of the longer in the book, but it is a key part of any white system with 1.d4 and 2.c4.

While the Queen's Gambit lines are a mainstay of any 1.d4 repertoire, more than half of the book is devoted to other lines, in particular the Indian Defenses with 1…Nf6. The author continues his policy of advocating solid lines that are not at the forefront of theory. I particularly like his decision to avoid the Nimzo-Indian and adopt the Queen's Indian line with 4.e3 (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.e3). First, the choice of 3.Nf3 is dictated by his other repertoire choices, because after, say 3.Nc3 d5 white would not be able to easily enter the lines advocated in the Queen's Gambit Declined chapter. Even so, the lines with 4.e3 are very systematic and give both players options to play a variety of types of positions. This variation has been a favorite of players with very diverse styles, and it is not at all easy for an unprepared black player to handle.

This solid but not-without-sting repertoire is also displayed by the method for combating the Grunfeld after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5. As in other lines, white quickly develops his pieces and puts pressure on black's center, in particular the pawn on d5. While white's threat to win a pawn with Bxf6 and capturing on d5 cannot be dismissed, white's play is often focused on stabilizing the pawn structure and attacking on the queenside. Often these positions resemble a pawn structure from a Queen's Gambit Declined exchange variation, and this may not be the sort of structure Grunfeld players are wishing to play.

There are other good choices as well, such as 2.Nc3, which stresses quick development, against the Dutch with 1…f5. At the same time, the Palliser accounts for move order tricks, such as 1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5, and provides an alternate repertoire for that special case.  Those not wishing to get too far into their opponent's favorite theory may also find things to like about the author's coverage of the Benko Gambit after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3. Here, white doesn't try to win and hold the gambited pawn, relying instead on quick development and creating some weaknesses in the black camp.

Of course, no repertoire can be totally devoid of difficult lines, and both the King's Indian and Benoni will require a fair amount of work in this repertoire. The author relies on the Petrosian variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.d5) against the King's Indian, and while a totally reasonable choice, it doesn't strike me as all that consistent with the methods of other parts of the repertoire. It seems that there are other quick development methods that might better suit the white player interested in this repertoire. However, even here the lines are thoroughly covered, and the author presents some interesting less-known ideas that appear promising for the first player. 

The same holds true in the Benoni, where the author proposes using lines with an early Bf4. Interestingly, John Watson, who wrote an excellent repertoire book for the black side of the Benoni, considers these variations to be under-rated – exactly the sort of weapon a white repertoire player should find useful. Here again, the theory is well developed and white's ideas quite potent.

The book finishes with coverage of black's lesser known tries – everything from the semi-respectable/reasonably good to the bad and ugly. Throughout, the author holds true to lines that allow white normal development while eschewing more difficult theoretical discussions. 

There is a lot to like about this book, including a clear layout, good printing, diagrams, paper and binding, and an extensive bibliography. Palliser has done more than taken a cursory look at these other resources – he often notes which lines have been recommended for black by opening authorities, which helps inform the white player of lines that he is more likely to face when meeting well-prepared opponents.

Palliser also practices what he preaches. There are several examples in the book of his playing the systems he espouses. Indeed, three of the book's 41 illustrative games find the author handling the white pieces. Most of the white players in the illustrative games are well-known players, including the likes of Dautov, Gelfand, Hodgson, Karpov, Korchnoi, Kramnik, Miles, Sadler, Seirwan, Speelman, Timman and Topalov. The black players are no slouch either, including Rogers, Chernin, Nikolic, Kasparov, Ljubojevic, Karpov, Korchnoi, Hodgson, Van Wely, Larsen, Lautier and Smejkal.

In conclusion, PLAY 1.d4! is a solid effort – a repertoire book that recognizes the study limitations for the average player but still provides solid lines that give white a reasonable chance for an advantage or at least positions he or she is comfortable playing. The author provides much useful advice about move orders, common ideas and plans for both sides.  He does a nice job of providing enough information without overwhelming. There are also many new ideas that will reward the reader who is willing to do further analysis and study. In short, this is a useful repertoire book that should benefit a wide variety of players.