<b>



The Sicilian has long been Black’s
favorite answer to 1.e4 but its popularity has started to wane. This is partly
due to the large body of theory associated with it and also the presence of
sharp lines leading to forced draws making it an impractical choice for
stronger players competing against lower-rated counterparts. </b><p><br /></p><p>Two recent offers
from Thinkers Publishing take a look at other ways to answer 1.e4 that don’t
suffer from these problems.





Perennial 2600+ rated Grandmaster
Christian Bauer is the author of a number of highly praised opening books and The
Modernized Alekhine Defense will only further enhance his reputation. This weighty tome is
now the guide to all things Alekhine Defense related as he goes well beyond
providing a narrow opening repertoire, offering multiple choices against some
of White’s more popular choices.





One example where he provides
pioneering analysis is in his advocacy for 5…g6 in the Four Pawns Attack after
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nc3. His 2021 draw as Black against
Veselin Topalov in this line is evidence that he practices what he preaches. If
you play the Alekhine you must have this book. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Alekhine may never have enjoyed the popularity of the
Sicilian but even <b>Bobby Fischer</b> played if from time to time including <b>twice in
the 1972 World</b> <b>Championship match.</b> The subject of the next book has no such
stalwart backing, but is becoming increasingly popular for the aforementioned
reasons: the amount of theory needed to play it is quite manageable and White
has no way to force a draw. </p><p><br /></p><p>IM John Donaldson, US Chess, 09.2021.</p><p></p>