The Veresov (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5) has long lived on the fringes of respectability and popularity, and Nigel Davies does his level best to improve its standing on both fronts.   Many players will be pleasantly surprised at the variety and depth of the resulting positions, and perhaps the Veresov will someday join the Trompovsky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) as a regular choice in tournament play even at the grandmaster level.

As Davies notes, the Veresov has been played by many creative players and was first essayed in grandmaster play by Saviely Tartakower. Other free spirits, including Bronstein, Tal, Spassky, Larsen, and Richter have dabbled with it over the years. More recently, dynamic players like GMs Johnny Hector and Alexander Morozovich have been giving the line a try.

The appeal for original players is understandable – there are many lines where standard theory has only scratched the surface. This, of course, also makes it a useful choice for players who enjoy getting out of book at an early stage. At the same time, white's early development is reasonable, so there is little chance that the set-up can be worth anything other than rough equality for the first player.

One of the advantages of the Veresov is the disdainful way it's generally treated in black books dealing with defenses to 1.d4. For example, Aagaard and Lund's MEETING 1.d4, comment, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 “We could hardly imagine a better day than when an opponent finally decides to play like this. The move is utterly stupid and does not fit with 1.d4. The c-pawn should be in front of the knight, not behind it.” However, their cursory look at the main line with 2…d5 3.Bg5 Nbd7 is hardly breathtaking in its depth, and they pass over several interesting white tries, such as 4.Nf3 h6 5.Bh4 e6 6.e4 g5 7.Bg3 Nxe4 8.Nxe4 dxe4 9.Nd2 (analyzing only a well known crush by Nunn from a simul after 9.Ne5) 9…Bg7 10.h4!. Earlier white tries like 4.Qd2, 4.Qd3, and 4.e3 are ignored or summarily dismissed, and only the sharp (but perhaps over-optimistic) 4.f3 gets any real attention. This sort of coverage is the exception, rather than the rule.

By contrast, Davies takes a fresh look at all the “main lines” and finds that “it's not just the 3…Nbd7 lines that I've found myself disagreeing with the experts; it seems to me that just about every variation of the Veresov has been misanalyzed and/or misassessed. This presents a wonderful opportunity for practical players to surprise and outfox their opponents.” Davies' approach is to re-examine these old lines and offer his assessment on what White's most promising plans are in each of the main variations. There is a lot of Davies' own analysis here, and this adds a lot of value that you won't find in other cursory discussions and examinations of this opening.

This is exemplified by the chapter on 3…c6, which is a flexible black method. While the typical response has been 4…Bxf6, followed by white playing e3, Bd3, Qf3, Nge2, 0-0-0 followed by g2-g4. This traditional method, however, leaves Davies “completely unconvinced by this plan as Black can play …f6-f5 and position his pieces so that White cannot lever open the game with either e3-e4 or g2-g4.” Davies suggests instead that white should be playing for c2-c4 with a kingside fianchetto. He also looks favorably on Veresov's original plan of playing 4.e3 and establishing a good Stonewall through f2-f4 with the bishop outside the pawns. 

One of the nice touches in later chapters is Davies' willingness to discuss transpositions from the positions after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 to other openings. For example, there is coverage of French transpositions after 2…d5 3.Bg5 e6. Here Davies suggests avoiding 4.e4 for a bit to avoid critical lines like the McCutcheon Variation (4.e4 Bb4) in favor of 4.Nf3 and delaying e2-e4 for a bit. This is an eminently practical choice that should be expected from an “off the beaten theory track” book. Davies also provides antidotes against lines like 2…c5, 2…d6, and 2…g6, which again would normally fall outside the realm of the Veresov proper.

Nigel Davies has a solid reputation as an author, trainer, and player who goes his own way in the opening. His writing style adds the occasional touch of dry humor, and his analysis is fresh and illuminating. While the book isn't crammed full of dense variations, there is plenty of analysis combined with descriptions of ideas and plans for both sides.

In conclusion, the Veresov is an overlooked opening that has its share of pitfalls and poison. Nigel Davies has done a good job of re-examining the theory of this and related systems. For adventurous players or those wishing to get out of established theory at an early stage, this could prove a useful book for study and inspiration.