French Defence Advance Variation: Basic course

Book excerpt: The well-known grandmaster and theoretician Evgeny Sveshnikov has used the Closed Variation (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5) more than 150 times in tournament play, with a score of more than 70 percent. Many theoretically important games have been excluded by the author from official chess databases, and here they are exclusively published for the first time. Volume 1 of this two volume set includes an historical overview of the Closed Variation; plans for White and Black on the basis of thoroughly annotated games, a lesson on the blockade, and 70 test positions.