Artikelnummer
LOKOTBTFW
Beating the French Winawer
The h4 Ram
288 Seiten, kartoniert, Russell Enterprises, 1. Auflage 2025
Whip the Winawer with The Ram!
The French Defense is one of the most popular responses by Black to 1.e4. And the Winawer is the most popular variation of the French. In this book, the authors advocate an early advance of the h-pawn - The Ram - and plans related to it. This move was first used in the game Pilnik-Stahlberg, Mar del Plata 1946. Argentine grandmaster Hermann Pilnik would go on to win many games with the Ram.
The major tabiya of this line arises after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7. While 7.Qg4 - leading to a direct attack against the black king - has been played many times in this position, it leads to well-known forced lines.
But this book is devoted to 7.h2-h4, a more positional method of attacking. More strategic considerations become pivotal - getting the ”feel“ for the position, becoming familiar with general plans, the best squares for the pieces, etc.
Mastering the typical motifs and ideas will in fact give you the opportunity to continue positionally or to pursue an attack directed against the black king. The authors heartily recommend The Ram for all chessplayers who strive for an energetic struggle, rich in possibilities in their quest to get an advantage as White in the French Winawer.
About the Authors
Greek Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias, has won the championship of Greece ten times and has represented his country many times in team competitions. He is one of the most respected opening analysts in the world today.
Russian-Serbian Grandmaster Mikhail Ivanov has been successful in many European tournaments, including the 2002 Neckar Open. He is a respected chess coach and trainer. He has co-authored several books with GM Kotronias for Russell Enterprises.
Russian international master Andrei Obodchuk is an eleven-time Russian champion, eight-time world champion, participant of six World Chess Olympiads, and one of the most experienced and titled participants of the 4th FIDE World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.
The French Defense is one of the most popular responses by Black to 1.e4. And the Winawer is the most popular variation of the French. In this book, the authors advocate an early advance of the h-pawn - The Ram - and plans related to it. This move was first used in the game Pilnik-Stahlberg, Mar del Plata 1946. Argentine grandmaster Hermann Pilnik would go on to win many games with the Ram.
The major tabiya of this line arises after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7. While 7.Qg4 - leading to a direct attack against the black king - has been played many times in this position, it leads to well-known forced lines.
But this book is devoted to 7.h2-h4, a more positional method of attacking. More strategic considerations become pivotal - getting the ”feel“ for the position, becoming familiar with general plans, the best squares for the pieces, etc.
Mastering the typical motifs and ideas will in fact give you the opportunity to continue positionally or to pursue an attack directed against the black king. The authors heartily recommend The Ram for all chessplayers who strive for an energetic struggle, rich in possibilities in their quest to get an advantage as White in the French Winawer.
About the Authors
Greek Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias, has won the championship of Greece ten times and has represented his country many times in team competitions. He is one of the most respected opening analysts in the world today.
Russian-Serbian Grandmaster Mikhail Ivanov has been successful in many European tournaments, including the 2002 Neckar Open. He is a respected chess coach and trainer. He has co-authored several books with GM Kotronias for Russell Enterprises.
Russian international master Andrei Obodchuk is an eleven-time Russian champion, eight-time world champion, participant of six World Chess Olympiads, and one of the most experienced and titled participants of the 4th FIDE World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.
| EAN | 9781963885040 |
|---|---|
| Gewicht | 380 g |
| Hersteller | Russell Enterprises |
| Breite | 15 cm |
| Höhe | 22,7 cm |
| Medium | Buch |
| Erscheinungsjahr | 2025 |
| Autor | Vassilios KotroniasAndrey ObodchukMikhail Ivanov |
| Auflage | 1 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-963885-04-0 |
| Seiten | 288 |
| Einband | kartoniert |
| Name | Russell Enterprises |
|---|---|
| Adresse | 234 Depot Road Milford, CT 06460 USA |
| Internet | www.Russell-Enterprises.com |
| hwr@russell-enterprises.com |
Verantwortlicher Importeur:
| Name | Schachversand Niggemann |
|---|---|
| Adresse | Schadowstraße 5 48163 Münster Deutschland |
| info@schachversand.de | |
| Internet | www.schachversand.de |
004 Introduction
Chapter 1
006 The Origin of the Idea h2-h4-h5
015 Games
Chapter 2
028 Black Takes the d4-Pawn
049 Games
Chapter 3
058 Main Line 8...h6 9.Rb1!?
094 Games
Chapter 4
115 The Dubious 6...Ne7 / 7...Nbc6 Configuration
130 Games
Chapter 5
140 The "Ugly" 6...Nc6 7.Qg4 g6
155 Games
Chapter 6
174 The Positional ...Qa5-a4 Plan
199 Games
Chapter 7
214 6...Qc7 7.h4 without 7...Ne7
227 Games
Chapter 8
243 The Armenian System: 5...Ba5
264 Games
Chapter 9
276 Systems without ...c5
280 Games
283 Index of Variations
287 Player Index
Chapter 1
006 The Origin of the Idea h2-h4-h5
015 Games
Chapter 2
028 Black Takes the d4-Pawn
049 Games
Chapter 3
058 Main Line 8...h6 9.Rb1!?
094 Games
Chapter 4
115 The Dubious 6...Ne7 / 7...Nbc6 Configuration
130 Games
Chapter 5
140 The "Ugly" 6...Nc6 7.Qg4 g6
155 Games
Chapter 6
174 The Positional ...Qa5-a4 Plan
199 Games
Chapter 7
214 6...Qc7 7.h4 without 7...Ne7
227 Games
Chapter 8
243 The Armenian System: 5...Ba5
264 Games
Chapter 9
276 Systems without ...c5
280 Games
283 Index of Variations
287 Player Index
Opening books rarely come any better this.
There is plenty to admire in this rigorous and robust monograph which presents white with a repertoire against the Winawer Variation of the French Defence (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4) based, for the most part anyway, around the pawn advance h2-h4. The main line arises following 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.h4! Qc7 8.h5, and now black usually plays either 8…cxd4 (chapter 2) or 8…h6 (chapter 3). As for 6…Qc7 (instead of 6…Ne7 above), that meets with the same response (7.h4!), whereas the alternative queen development of 6…Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 gives white two promising options, namely 8.Qg4 and (yes, you guessed it) 8.h4. If 6…Nc6 (here we are on chapter 5), then the three authors recommend 7.Qg4 only, so they are not entirely in thrall to the ‘h4 ram’, as they call it.
With the advance of the h-pawn to h5, black’s kingside becomes cramped; and, should the pawn reach h6, black’s pawn structure may be ruined and the dark squares (g5, f6, h6) fatally exposed. White’s king’s rook is ideally placed to support the pawn, and may come into the wider fray via h3, or even h4. What struck me as well was how, in many of these lines, white was well able to play over the whole board, making good use of the b-file on the queenside in particular.
One later chapter (chapter 8) covers the so-called Armenian System, characterised by the move 5…Ba5, which the authors meet with 6.b4 and 6.Qg4, with the advance of the b-pawn for preference. I’d rather this system was named after Botvinnik, since he pioneered it in the 1954 World Championship match against Smyslov, but that’s a minor quibble.
While the authors’ treatment of 5…Ba5 is as detailed and rigorous as 5..Bxc3, I found their survey of black’s fourth move alternatives to 4…c5 to be rather rudimentary, in stark contrast with the bulk of the book. Here, in the final chapter (it is chapter 9), they devote a mere four pages and one game to 4…Qd7 and 4…b6 (both moves being met by 5.h4!) and while 4…Nc6 is briefly mentioned, 4…Ne7 is omitted entirely. Fair enough, you might say, since the knight move will almost certainly transpose to the main line after 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.h4, and so on. But black doesn’t necessarily have to play 6…c5 in this sequence, he has the move 6…b6 (commonly called the Ivkov-Matulovic line) and I was curious to see whether the authors would go with 7.Qg4 (the crowd’s favourite) or their pet peccadillo (7.h4) in response. Now, it seems I will never know.
Overall Beating the French Winawer is a valuable work, an impressive theoretical contribution to the French Defence focusing on a key line that has been essayed by elite players like Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave in recent tournament games. Within what is just short of 300 pages, you’ll find deep analysis allied with robust evaluations of critical lines and myriad original suggestions (regarding strategic approach as well as specific moves) throughout. The juicy theoretical meat of the book is accompanied by a side salad of 97 illustrative games. Opening books rarely come any better this.
Paul Kane
https://thecaissakid.wordpress.com/2026/06/15/beating-the-french-winawer/
There is plenty to admire in this rigorous and robust monograph which presents white with a repertoire against the Winawer Variation of the French Defence (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4) based, for the most part anyway, around the pawn advance h2-h4. The main line arises following 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.h4! Qc7 8.h5, and now black usually plays either 8…cxd4 (chapter 2) or 8…h6 (chapter 3). As for 6…Qc7 (instead of 6…Ne7 above), that meets with the same response (7.h4!), whereas the alternative queen development of 6…Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 gives white two promising options, namely 8.Qg4 and (yes, you guessed it) 8.h4. If 6…Nc6 (here we are on chapter 5), then the three authors recommend 7.Qg4 only, so they are not entirely in thrall to the ‘h4 ram’, as they call it.
With the advance of the h-pawn to h5, black’s kingside becomes cramped; and, should the pawn reach h6, black’s pawn structure may be ruined and the dark squares (g5, f6, h6) fatally exposed. White’s king’s rook is ideally placed to support the pawn, and may come into the wider fray via h3, or even h4. What struck me as well was how, in many of these lines, white was well able to play over the whole board, making good use of the b-file on the queenside in particular.
One later chapter (chapter 8) covers the so-called Armenian System, characterised by the move 5…Ba5, which the authors meet with 6.b4 and 6.Qg4, with the advance of the b-pawn for preference. I’d rather this system was named after Botvinnik, since he pioneered it in the 1954 World Championship match against Smyslov, but that’s a minor quibble.
While the authors’ treatment of 5…Ba5 is as detailed and rigorous as 5..Bxc3, I found their survey of black’s fourth move alternatives to 4…c5 to be rather rudimentary, in stark contrast with the bulk of the book. Here, in the final chapter (it is chapter 9), they devote a mere four pages and one game to 4…Qd7 and 4…b6 (both moves being met by 5.h4!) and while 4…Nc6 is briefly mentioned, 4…Ne7 is omitted entirely. Fair enough, you might say, since the knight move will almost certainly transpose to the main line after 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.h4, and so on. But black doesn’t necessarily have to play 6…c5 in this sequence, he has the move 6…b6 (commonly called the Ivkov-Matulovic line) and I was curious to see whether the authors would go with 7.Qg4 (the crowd’s favourite) or their pet peccadillo (7.h4) in response. Now, it seems I will never know.
Overall Beating the French Winawer is a valuable work, an impressive theoretical contribution to the French Defence focusing on a key line that has been essayed by elite players like Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave in recent tournament games. Within what is just short of 300 pages, you’ll find deep analysis allied with robust evaluations of critical lines and myriad original suggestions (regarding strategic approach as well as specific moves) throughout. The juicy theoretical meat of the book is accompanied by a side salad of 97 illustrative games. Opening books rarely come any better this.
Paul Kane
https://thecaissakid.wordpress.com/2026/06/15/beating-the-french-winawer/
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