Meran & Anti-Meran Variations, The

The Meran & Anti-Meran Variations: An Insider’s View by Alexey Dreev is an outstanding work by a noted expert on this system.
The Meran Variation (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5) was first brought to the attention of the chess world when Akiva Rubinstein used it with success against Gruenfeld at Meran 1924. Since then it has had many champions at the highest level from Botvinnik to Anand. Alexey Dreev, a former Candidate for the World Championship, is one of the leading players of the past two decades to have used it as their main weapon against 1.d4. The present work reflects his extensive knowledge and research into this complex which includes not only a guide to the Meran from Black’s perspective, but also attempts to avoid it – principally lines commencing with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2.

The material breaks down as follows:

The Meran Variation
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5:
* 8.Bb3; 8.Be2 …11
* 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.a3 …22

The Classical System 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.0-0 a6 10.e4 c5 11.d5 Qc7:
* 12.Qe2 c4 13.Bc2 Bd6 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.Ng5 …31
* 12.Qe2 c4 13.Bc2 Bd6 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.Nd4 …36
* 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 c4 14.Ng5 …42
* 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 c4 14.Nd4 …52

The Dreev-Filipenko Variation:
* 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 Bd6 14.Ng5 Nf8 15.f4 0-0-0 16.Qe1 …63
* 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 Bd6 14.Ng5 Nf8 15.f4 0-0-0 16.Qe2 …74

The Modern System 
8.Bd3 Bb7 9.e4 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd7:
* 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.Nxc5 Bxc5 …83
* 12.0-0 cxd4 13.Nxd4 …96
* 12.0-0 cxd4 13.Re1 g6 …107
* 12.0-0 cxd4 13.Re1 Be7 …123

The Anti-Meran Variation 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2:
The System 6…b6:
* 7.a3, 7.Rb1, 7.e4, 7.Bd2, 7.cxd5 …133
* 7.Be2 …148
* 7.Bd3 …154

The System 6…Bd6:
* 7.a3, 7.e4, 7.Bd2 …158
* 7.b3 0-0 8.Bd3; 8.Bb2 …165
* 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 a6 …170
* 7.Be2 0-0 8.b3 …184
* 7.g4 h6 …193

Rare Lines: * 6.a3, 6.Bd2, 6.cxd5, 6.Be2, 6.a3 …202

As one can see from the index, Dreev has written this book from Black’s perspective. In many cases he does not confine himself to just one line for the second player, offering alternatives. One example is after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.e4 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd7 11.e5 Nd5 12.0-0 cxd4 13.Re1 where both 13…g6 and 13…Be7 are analyzed. This is most welcome as the former, while completely theoretically viable, has been extensively analyzed, sometimes past move thirty. While the elite of the chess might readily accept drawing by force against their peers when playing Black, amateur players might not be wished to be placed in this situation.

Dreev is very good at presenting new moves deep into main lines that allow Black to maintain chances to play for a win. Here is a good example:
In one of the biggest challenges to the Meran after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.e4 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd7 11.e5 Nd5 12.0-0 cxd4 13.Re1 g6 14.Bg5 Qa5 15.Nd2 Ba6 (Dreev also gives significant attention to 15…Rc8!? planning to meet 16.Nc4 Rxc4 17.Bxc4 Bg7 with Black soon to have two pawns for the sacrificed Exchange) 16.Nc4 Bxc4 17.Bxc4. The complicated main line now runs 17…Bg7 18.Qxd4 Qxa4 19.Bxd5 exd5 20.Qxd5 with a very dangerous initiative for the sacrificed piece.

Dreev has successfully played this line with White(!) on more than one occasion. He believes he has found a solution to Black’s problems in 17…h6!? a move that has yet to be played by humans (Rybka used it once in a computer tournament in 2010), but which Dreev analyses extensively. It’s not often one finds a 2700 player giving out trade secrets like this!

The author never shies away from offering his own judgments and opinions that are based on decades of experience with the Meran. For example he explains that he prefers 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 to 8…a6. While the two can easily transpose (8…Bb7 9.0-0 a6 10.e4 c5 11.d5 Qc7 and 8…a6 9.e4 c5 10.d5 Bb7 11.0-0 Qc7) Dreev prefers 8…Bb7 to 8…a6 because of the line 8…a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 which he believes to be more promising for White and leading to positions with atypical pawn structures for the Meran.

Indeed the lines Dreev has selected for Black in this book are typically ones in which the second player’s pawn structure is excellent and he does not suffer from any misplaced pieces.

Alexey Dreev has followed up on his well-received books My One Hundred Best Games and The Moscow & Anti-Moscow Variations, with another great success that all practitioners of the Meran will want to have. While this book is based in part on an electronic work Dreev did for Chess Base a decade ago, it has been extensively updated and reworked.

This book is highly recommended to all players over 2200 who wish to learn more about the Meran. This includes Grandmasters and International Masters. The Meran is sufficiently complicated to not be appropriate for most club players but may be accessible to ambitious players between 2000 and 2200 who will benefit greatly from Dreev’s explanation of the various plans and strategies for both sides.