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Rating: 
Summary: Coul have been fleshed out a bit more
Review: This is not a bad book; it's just not a very good one. There is a need for a monograph on the Sveshnikov. The books by Krasenkov (The Sveshnikov Sicilian) and by Neverov and Marusenko (New Ideas in the Sveshnikov Sicilian), though very good, were published in 1996.Some of the games in McDonald's book have been taken from Neverov and Marusenko. This is legitimate since the games are of theoretical importance. Other games seem to have been taken from Chess Informant. Again legitimate. The notes McDonald provides are instructive. Quite a few of the games annotated were played subsequent to 1996 and therefore won't be found in the earlier books. All fine so far. But why only one chapter for the 9.Nd5 line? It merits more than 21 pages.The coverage is a bit too sparse. Perhaps the publisher put a limit on the number of pages. In summary, an OK book, and one to add to your shelf if you're a Sveshnikov player. Pity it doesn't have more coverage.
Rating:
Summary: Coul have been fleshed out a bit more
Review: This is not a bad book; it's just not a very good one. There is a need for a monograph on the Sveshnikov. The books by Krasenkov (The Sveshnikov Sicilian) and by Neverov and Marusenko (New Ideas in the Sveshnikov Sicilian), though very good, were published in 1996. Some of the games in McDonald's book have been taken from Neverov and Marusenko. This is legitimate since the games are of theoretical importance. Other games seem to have been taken from Chess Informant. Again legitimate. The notes McDonald provides are instructive. Quite a few of the games annotated were played subsequent to 1996 and therefore won't be found in the earlier books. All fine so far. But why only one chapter for the 9.Nd5 line? It merits more than 21 pages.The coverage is a bit too sparse. Perhaps the publisher put a limit on the number of pages. In summary, an OK book, and one to add to your shelf if you're a Sveshnikov player. Pity it doesn't have more coverage.
Rating: 
Summary: Intense effort
Review: What I like about Neil McDonald is that when he writes a chess book, he WRITES a chess book. I was inspired to throw in my two cents based on the three-star review which faulted the book for having sparse coverage of certain lines. I don't agree with that review, as 21 pages in this book is still a lot of coverage. McDOnald packs the book with text and variations, so one feels one can follow what is going on, even in this most "dynamic" (e.g. confusing) of variations. He is constantly striving to point out strategic "signposts" to help the reader follow the action. I find this very helpful for my general understanding of chess, as even in hair-raising lines like the Sveshnikov, the tactics somehow are based on the strategic elements. McDonald does a great job keeping this in mind and in never forgetting that he has an audience that might need help comprehending what is going on. The font is fairly small, meaning that each page is loaded with material. I think this is in fact the best book on the Sveshnikov that I have seen, and I have the ones by Krasnekow, Aagaard, and Sveshnikov.
Rating:
Summary: Intense effort
Review: What I like about Neil McDonald is that when he writes a chess book, he WRITES a chess book. I was inspired to throw in my two cents based on the three-star review which faulted the book for having sparse coverage of certain lines. I don't agree with that review, as 21 pages in this book is still a lot of coverage. McDOnald packs the book with text and variations, so one feels one can follow what is going on, even in this most "dynamic" (e.g. confusing) of variations. He is constantly striving to point out strategic "signposts" to help the reader follow the action. I find this very helpful for my general understanding of chess, as even in hair-raising lines like the Sveshnikov, the tactics somehow are based on the strategic elements. McDonald does a great job keeping this in mind and in never forgetting that he has an audience that might need help comprehending what is going on. The font is fairly small, meaning that each page is loaded with material. I think this is in fact the best book on the Sveshnikov that I have seen, and I have the ones by Krasnekow, Aagaard, and Sveshnikov.
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