Experts on the Anti-Sicilian by Jacob Aagaard & John Shaw (editors)

The Sicilian Defense, 1.e4 c5, is one of the popular chess openings. In this book several chess grandmasters present state-of-the-art analysis of lines where White meets the Sicilian by avoiding the Open variations. The editors, 2007 British Champion GM Jacob Aagaard and three-time Scottish Champion GM John Shaw, have recruited a line-up of strong chess grandmasters to share their expert opinions both on how to play the Sicilian Defense and how to play against it.

Jacob Aagaard is a chess grandmaster and ex-British Champion.

John Shaw is a chess grandmaster and three-time Scottish Champion.

ISBN 978-1-906552-80-0 - 440 pages - Published 8 April 2011

Reviews

"This extremely useful book brings in a host of well-known chess writers to find the best ways to deal with all the very annoying anti-Sicilian lines that players of all ratings use to avoid main line Sicilians. Great research, hard work, and computer help not only leads to great analysis, but also to a number of important theoretical novelties... Let's jump to the point: I don't know how any Sicilian player worth his salt (from 1500 to grandmaster) can do without this book!"

IM Jeremy Silman

"The book is full of such inspired and well-explained lines and ideas, though not all of the chapters are equally entertaining and fresh. For instance, Jacob Aagaard's chapter on the Alapin Variation (1.e4 c5 2.c3) looks very solid and well-researched, and Aagaard clearly strives to give correct lines rather than funny ones. Likewise, Christian Bauer's chapters on various 2.Nf3, 3.c3 systems make a reliable impression...

If you want to have fun with the Anti-Sicilians, The Rossolimo Variation and Experts on the Anti-Sicilian provide excellent study material. My own preference is for the latter - it seems more objective, more diverse and more up to date."

Arne Moll, Chess Vibes (full review)

"There's a lot of very interesting ideas and analysis to be found in this book... I like the style of the book. There is a very good balance between prose and analysis and it should appeal to a variety of different types of player... Sicilian players will definitely find this volume of great interest. For me, it's the pick of the bunch of this month's opening round up."

Sean Marsh (full review)

"Experts on the Anti-Sicilian is a book that is going to sell a lot of copies and deservedly so... One of the highlights of the book is Jacob Aagaard's 60 page answer to 2.c3 Sicilian... There are many opening novelties in this book... Highly Recommended"

IM John Donaldson

"Like all books from Quality Chess, this is a pleasure to handle and use: the production values are excellent: pleasing design, good paper, ample diagrams. The only minus point I can think of in this respect is that the book will weigh rather heavy in your suitcase!

Another first-class product from Quality Chess. Serious players who play or face the Sicilian will find a great deal of useful information here, well organised and well explained. *****"

Phil Adams