Libro en inglés

"Dejé el ajedrez en 2012, sin tocar un tablero durante años. Entonces decidí medir mi fuerza en partidas blitz en internet. Empecé de cero. El tablero flotaba ante mis ojos y mis piernas temblaban. Menos de dos meses después crucé la marca de rating de Gran Maestro. Mis oponentes, entre ellos muchos de renombre, jugaban al ajedrez mejor que yo. Pero, sorprendentemente, yo sabía más. En un pequeño islote de teoría de ajedrez al cual los atraía, yo estaba mejor equipado. ¡Mucho mejor! Alrededor de un 30% de las partidas terminaban en victoria sobre la jugada 20. Un cuarto de las partidas terminaba, simplemente, en mate. En todas las partidas comencé con las jugadas 1.b3 y 1...b6".

El maestro internacional Ilya Odessky es el mayor experto mundial en los sistemas de apertura basados en 1.b3 y 1...b6. A pesar de su aspecto aparentemente tranquilo, pueden volverse extremadamente agudos. Ahora Odessky presenta sus logros y descubrimientos de años recientes. Sus celadas le ayudarán a destrozar a su oponente en la fase de apertura con ambos colores.

“I left chess in 2012. I did not touch it for several years. Then I decided to test my strength in Internet blitz. I started from scratch. The board floated before my eyes, and my knee twitched. Less than two months later, I crossed the grandmaster rating mark. My opponents, among them lots of players with a big name, played chess better than me. Surprisingly though, I knew more. On a small island of chess theory, onto which I lured them, I was better equipped. Much better! About 30% of the games ended in wins around the 20th move. A quarter of the games simply ended in mate. In all games, I opened with the moves 1.b3 and 1…b6.”

International Master Ilya Odessky is the world’s leading expert on the 1.b3 and 1…b6 chess opening systems. Despite their apparent calm, these openings can get extremely sharp. Now Odessky presents his findings and achievements of recent years. His baffling traps will help you crush your opponents in the opening, with both White and Black.

Odessky admits that some of his lines may objectively be somewhat dubious. But in blitz and rapid games they will lead to spectacular play and many surprising wins. Ilya Odessky will entertain, amuse and surprise you in this highly unusual chess opening book full of ultra-romantic chess.

Ilya Odessky is an International Master from Russia, a well-known chess coach and a prolific author.

Praise for Ilya Odessky’s Play 1.b3: The Nimzo-Larsen Attack, a Friend for Life (2008):

"Odessky is not just a creative writer but also an excellent chess instructor who combines crystal-clear prose with elegant objectivity." -- Arne Moll, ChessVibes

"As entertaining and original an opening book as we have seen in years." -- British Chess Magazine

"A book that is worth more than just the variations outlined in it." -- Bill McGeary, ChessVille