Understanding Before Moving 3 - Part 3: Sicilian Structures - Dragon - Sveshnikov - Four Knights

You are holding before you the much-awaitedfinal volume of my trilogy about Open Sicilians. The first volume dealt withthe Najdorf and Scheveningen variations, while the second concerned itself withthe Taimanov, Kan, and Richter-Rauzer variations. In the pages that follow, Iround off the collection with the Dragon, Accelerated Dragon, Sveshnikov,Kalashnikov, and Four Knights variations. Each of them is the subject ofextensive literature already. So while it is unavoidable that I go into sometheoretical details, my intention here (as with the previous volumes) is not todrown you in opening analysis, but rather to focus on general considerationsand plans, giving an idea of the interplay between structure and strategy ineach of the variations. There is overlap between the strategic elements of theDragon and its Accelerated cousin in this regard, and between the Sveshnikovand Kalashnikov. But they each get their own chapter nevertheless, becausetalking about general considerations does not mean it’s clever to eschewgranularity entirely. There are individual traits associated with each of the 5systems.

Author Biography

International Master Herman Grooten has over 35 years’ experience as a professional chess trainer, with many pupils becoming world’s leading players, such as GM Loek Van Wely, GM Benjamin Bok, GM Robin Swinkels etc. He wrote several books, all of hem received a world wide great acclaim. This is his fitth book in this series, third volume of the 16 volumes that will be published over the next 6 years.