Structure of the book
I wish I could describe an opening just in words, but that’s not how modern chess works. Every single idea needs to be backed with concrete variations. Conversely, it’s also impossible just to study 30-40 moves of theory without having a clue about what you are doing. Hence, I have aimed to find a good balance of verbal explanations without ignoring the hardcore variations you have to know. In case you’ll find the analyses a bit too long, don’t be discouraged! They have been included mainly to illustrate the thematic ideas and show in which direction the game develops once the theoretical paths have been left. That’s why I have actually decided to cover 39 games in their entirity, rather than cutting off my analysis with an evaluation. I believe that model games help you to understand better an opening, and certainly also the ensuing middle- and endgames.
Compared with most other publications on this opening I have made frequent use of correspondence and engine games. A lot of new resources have been discovered with the aid of powerful machines, and even though in the majority of cases it didn’t change the overall assessment, it certainly does give a new impulse. I guess that perfectly fits with the title The Modernized Sveshnikov!
