Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.analysis Path: info!dregis From: dregis@exeter.ac.uk (D.Regis) Subject: Re: My System (was Re: Book Suggestions) Message-ID: Organization: University of Exeter, UK. References: <32DFE283.2A41@sloc.net> <5cbagq$9fn@news00.btx.dtag.de> Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 10:01:53 GMT In article <5cbagq$9fn@news00.btx.dtag.de> Her.Huber@t-online.de (Herbert Huber) writes: >On Tue, 21 Jan 1997 14:02:47 GMT, dregis@exeter.ac.uk (D.Regis) wrote: > >>But, as I said in another thread, I suggest reading it with a pinch or >>three of salt. I wonder if other readers would salt the same passages >>as myself? Off the top of my head, I'd mention: >>.... >> b. the whole idea of prophylaxis as a positive strategy I don't think >> has ever been universally accepted >>... >>Anyhow, that's my tuppence-worth. Any more? > >Thanks for adding tuppence to my vocabulary. pleasure ;-) >I don't argue too much with your other opinions of Nimzowitsch's >ideas, but I disagree with your point b). >2) In a lesson by A.Yusupov last year he directed our attention to the >prophylactic thinking. Especially in modern chess it is very common. >By the way, that shows how farsighted Nimzowitsch was. For instance >preventing the development of the black Bishop c8 in the Modern Benoni >by means of an early h2-h3. That's prophylaxis. Perhaps I was a bit cryptic - I wasn't suggesting prophylaxis isn't useful, necessary or important. But reading Nimzo you almost get the idea that you can win a game by prophylaxis alone! Perhaps that because N isn't very clear about how it fits into his system, but that's maybe because it isn't really a system. >I draw your attention to Mark Dvoretsky, Artur Yusupov: "Positional >Play", London: Batsford 1996, Part 2, chapter 4 "Prophylactic >thinking". Thanks for the reference, which I will pursue. Can I return the favour by referring you to Hooper and Whyld's Chess Companion, where they are sharply critical of Nimzo's views on prophylaxis. -- May your pieces harmonise with your Pawn structure and your sacrifices be sound in all variations D _ / "()/~ Dave Regis &8^D* Exeter Chess Coaching Page etc.: || \_/| = DrDave on BICS http://www.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/chess.html ~\ / "...what else exists in the world but chess?" _|||__SHEU ~/sheu.html -- NABOKOV "Contribute!" -- Doug Attig From info!dregis Wed Jan 29 13:41:21 GMT 1997 Article: 16115 of rec.games.chess.misc