by John Cox, 271pp. (2007 Everyman Chess)

No opening in recent times has captured the imagination of the chess public more than the Sicilian Sveshnikov. Initially popularized in the 1970s, the Sveshnikov has exploded onto the chess scene at the highest levels and is now regarded by many experts as one of Black’s most promising answers to 1 e4. One of its major attractions is that more often than not the opening leads to incredibly sharp and complex play. In such situations both sides must play with extreme accuracy just to stay on the board as a single slip may lead to disaster! This uncompromising and modern approach with the black pieces has found favour with many of today’s leading Grandmasters, including Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Leko, while Garry Kasparov also began playing it towards the end of his career.

This book is a further addition to Everyman’s best-selling Starting Out series, which has been acclaimed for its original approach to tackling chess openings. John Cox revisits the fundamentals of the Sveshnikov, elaborating on the crucial early moves and ideas for both sides in a way that is often neglected in other texts. The reader is helped throughout with a plethora of notes, tips and warnings highlighting the the vital characteristics of the Sicilian Sveshnikov and of opening play in general. Starting Out: Sicilian Sveshnikov is a perfect guide for improving players and those new to this opening.