The English Attack by Tapani Sammalvuo

The English Attack description

The Sicilian from Najdorf is one of the key battlefields of modern chess. This opening line occurs in a high proportion of higher level games, and is popular with players of all levels. World champions Fischer and Kasparov are Najdorf's most famous supporters. Both became their main defense and obtained a large proportion of victories, although they rarely lost.

Author    Tapani Sammalvuo
Editorial    Gambit
Language    English
ISBN    1-901983-57-9
Number of pages    272
Type    Openings

Features The English Attack

The English attack (Be3 and f3) became popular as a direct attack method against the Najdorf in the 1980s, after its successful use by Nunn, Short, and Chandler. Since then, it has established itself as Najdorf's most critical line, with Anand and even Kasparov himself using it for devastating effect at the highest level.

This book is the first to be devoted to most openings, and its extensive coverage will allow players of all skill levels to play confidently on both sides of the English Attack. Sammalvuo also looks at the modern order of 6 f3, and the English Attack against a variety of other Sicilian lines.

Tapani Sammalvuo is a young international teacher from Finland, who has extensive experience on both sides of the English Attack. He was champion of Finland in 1998 and has represented Finland in several Olympics and in other team competitions. This is his first book.

Various opinions of "The English Attack by Tapani Sammalvuo" :

"The English Attack is without a doubt one of the best theoretical opening works I've seen. There is no stone left untouched and at 272 dense pages, it exhausts the current state of play after 6.Be3 in Najdorf. Recommendations are given for White and Black, and there's also a discussion of typical ideas and themes. The book is well written as an extra bonus and, when combined with Gambit's impeccable production quality, it should add up to the perfect product. 10 out of 10 from me. " - Andrew Martin, Seagaard's Reviews

"The English Attack by Gambit is simply one of the best opening books I have ever seen. Tapani Sammalvuo, a 30-year-old FIDE International Master with extensive experience playing the English Attack in both colors, has put his heart and soul into his soul in this book ... highly recommended. " - John Anderson, Correspondence Chess

"This book is just fantastic in every way I can think of ..." - Phil Adams, 3Cs website

"The most surprising thing about this book is the depth of the analysis and the thoroughness of the research." - Alan Sutton, En Passant

"English Attack is one of the best opening books I've ever seen ..." - Harald Fietz, by email