These books are part of a new series from Quality Chess examining the cutting edge of opening theory. The idea is to identify the most important theoretical battlegrounds of the moment and then analyse as deeply as possible in search of improvements.

Thus the reader will be ahead of the current state-of-the-art, rather than lagging behind trying to memorize old games.

The Cutting Edge1 - The Open Sicilian 1, the variations covered are:

• Sveshnikov 13.Nxb5 piece sac: 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bd3 Be6 12.c3 Bg7 13.Nxb5 axb5 14.Bxb5
• Sveshnikov 18.h4 pawn sac: 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 0–0 12.Nc2 Bg5 13.a4 bxa4 14.Rxa4 a5 15.Bc4 Rb8 16.b3 Kh8 17.Nce3 g6 18.h4!?
• Sveshnikov: 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4
• Rauzer, doubled f-pawn variation: 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0–0–0 Bd7 9.f4 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6
• Chinese Dragon: 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Rb8
• Dragon, 12...Re8 system: 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.Kb1 Re8
• Dragon, Topalov variation: 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5
• Taimanov, English Attack main line: 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.f3 Bb4 9.0–0–0
• Taimanov, English Attack with 8... Be7: 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0–0–0 Be7 9.f3
• Taimanov with 5...a6: 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3
• Kan: 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.0-0 Bc5
• Kan: 5.Bd3 Bc5

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The Cutting Edge 2 - The Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be3, the variations covered are:

• Topalov: 6...e6 7.f3 b5 8.Qd2 b4 9.Na4 Nbd7
• Topalov: 6...e6 7.f3 b5 8.g4 h6 9.Qd2 b4 10.Nce2 e5
• Perenyi Attack: 6...e6 7.g4 e5 8.Nf5
• Perenyi Attack: 6...e6 7.g4 h6 8.Bg2
• Perenyi Attack: 6...e6 7.g4 h5 8.g5 Ng4 9.Bc1 Qb6 10.h3 Ne5 11.Nb3
• Main line: 6...e6 7.f3 b5 8.g4 h6 9.£d2 Nbd7 10.0–0–0 Bb7 11.h4 b4 12.Na4 Qa5 13.b3 Nc5 14.a3
• Main line: 6...e6 7.f3 Nbd7 8.£d2 b5 9.g4 Nb6 10.a4
• Scheveningen: 5...Nc6 6.Be3 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0–0–0 0–0 9.f3 d5 10.Be2!?
• 6...e5: Positional line: 7.Nf3
• 6...e5: Vallejo Pons variation: 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 0–0 10.0–0–0 Nbd7 11.g4 b5 12.g5 b4 13.Ne2 Ne8 14.f4 a5 15.f5
• 6...e5: line with 10...a5: 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 Be6 9.Qd2 0–0 10.0–0–0 a5
• 6...e5: Topalov variation: 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Nbd7 9.Qd2 h5
• 6...e5: f2-f4 lines

The Najdorf with 6.Bg5 will be covered at a later stage in The Cutting Edge: Sicilian Najdorf 6.Bg5.

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Milos Pavlovic is a highly experienced Serbian grandmaster and former Yugoslav Champion, whose analysis is regularly featured in New in Chess and Chess Informant.