The Sicilian has long been Black'sfavorite answer to 1.e4 but its popularity has started to wane. This is partlydue to the large body of theory associated with it and also the presence ofsharp lines leading to forced draws making it an impractical choice forstronger players competing against lower-rated counterparts. Two recent offersfrom Thinkers Publishing take a look at other ways to answer 1.e4 that don'tsuffer from these problems.Perennial 2600+ rated GrandmasterChristian Bauer is the author of a number of highly praised opening books and TheModernized Alekhine Defense will only further enhance his reputation. This weighty tome isnow the guide to all things Alekhine Defense related as he goes well beyondproviding a narrow opening repertoire, offering multiple choices against someof White's more popular choices.One example where he providespioneering analysis is in his advocacy for 5.

g6 in the Four Pawns Attack after1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nc3. His 2021 draw as Black againstVeselin Topalov in this line is evidence that he practices what he preaches. Ifyou play the Alekhine you must have this book.

The Alekhine may never have enjoyed the popularity of theSicilian but even Bobby Fischer played if from time to time including twice inthe 1972 World Championship match. The subject of the next book has no suchstalwart backing, but is becoming increasingly popular for the aforementionedreasons: the amount of theory needed to play it is quite manageable and Whitehas no way to force a draw. IM John Donaldson, US Chess, 09.2021.