Romanian grandmaster Mihail Marin is one of the best chess authors on the planet, and a big reason is that he has the heart of a teacher. There are opening books - even excellent opening books - that are great at providing information (even offering novelties by the truckload), but don't help the reader to understand the broader context. Marin does a better job than any author I've seen at explaining what each side is trying to do in a particular variation, the sub-variation, and at the end of the line; in helping the reader to understand move order issues and the evolution of a variation - and indeed, of Marin's own thinking. One interesting feature of his opening books, that I've almost never seen anywhere else, and then only in passing, is that he will sometimes spend a few pages on a line he won't recommend because it will help illumine something later on.
The particular book I'm (briefly) reviewing is Marin's 2009 work The English Opening, Volume 1, published by Quality Chess in the same series as the Boris Avrukh book on 1.d4. Over the course of 477 pages, Marin offers a full White repertoire with 1.c4 against 1...e5. Like Tony Kosten's old The Dynamic English, Marin opts for 2.g3, but it's almost always followed by a quick 3.Nc3. Rather than discuss the ins and outs of his recommendations, however, I'd like to present an excerpt that demonstrates the clarity of his presentation. It was taken pretty much at random - there's nothing special about the variation in question from my point of view. It's simply that anywhere you turn in the book, you'll find helpful explanations, and this is where I turned. So:
(1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Bc5 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.e3)
B2) 5...d6
This normal developing move is of crucial importance if Black chooses the move order that is characteristic of Chapter 19. [DM: Without worrying about what's in chapter 19, note the very helpful cross-indexing and the implicit mention of move order issues.]
6.Nge2
White creates the positional threat of d2-d4. Black can choose between opening a retreat for the bishop with B21) 6...a6 and ignoring the threat with B22) 6...0-0.
B21) 6...a6
7.0-0 0-0
7...Bg4 is premature because there is no pawn tension in the centre yet, and after 8.h3 the exchange on e2 simply gifts White the bishop pair. The bishop cannot retreat to e6 because of d4 followed by d5, winning a piece. After other retreats the extra move h2-h3 is useful for White, as will be seen at a later stage of the main line.
8.d4 Ba7
White has occupiece the centre with pawns, but has to be careful to avoid losing stability after an exchange on d4 followed by ...Bc8-g4.
9.h3
This generally useful move, preventing the aforementioned threat, prepares a later kingside expansion based on g3-g4.
9...exd4
Black releases the tension, hoping to obtain counterplay by building up piece pressure. 9...Bf5 10.d5 more or less transposes to B22.
10.exd4 Re8
Preparing ...Bc8-f5 followed by occupying the e4-square.
The immediate 10...Bf5 can be strongly met by 11.g4 Bg6 12.f4 h6 13.f5 Bh7, as in the classic game Koltanowski-Colle, Belgium 1925. Both black bishops are out of play and White should have simply continued his development with 14.Bf4 +/-.
10...h6 can also be met by 11.g4 followed by Bc1-e3 and Ne2-g3, or Bf4-g3 followed by f4-f5.
11.g4!?
White increases his space advantage and prevents Black's natural development.
11...h5
The logical reaction, aiming to make the f5-square available for his bishop by provoking the further advance of the g4-pawn.
The restrained 11...Bd7 would allow White to consolidate his domination with 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4+=. In order to get rid of the pin, Black would have to weaken his position with ...g7-g5, leaving his king much more exposed than White's, mainly because of the isolation of the dark-squared bishop on the other wing.
11...h6?! would be simply bad because of 12.g5 hxg5 13.Bxg5+/- when Black cannot escape the pin without allowing his structure to be spoiled.
12.Bg5!
The start of a spectacular but entirely logical sacrificial attack.
12...hxg4 13.Nd5 gxh3 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Bf3
In view of the threat of Kg1-h2 followed by Rf1-g1, Black faces a difficult defensive task. The engines are quite sceptical about White's attacking chances and consider that Black is much better due to his extra pawns.
The course of the following e-mail game (in which, supposedly, the part played by engines was significant) illustrates the machines' weakness in this type of position.
15...Kg7 16.Kh2 Rh8 17.Rg1+ Kf8 18.Qd3 Rh4 19.Rg3
Only now did Black (and/or his engine) understand the danger, and retreat his rook.
19...Rh8 20.Rag1 Ne7 21.Nxf6
White has a devastating attack, N. Oliver - M. Lane, e-mail 2000. (pp. 77-78 in Marin's book)
There is of course far more detail in this book than the average club player needs, and especially if you're under 1800 you should be far more concerned with tactics and endgames than with the delicate nuances of the English. But for anyone over 2000 (or ambitious players a little below that) who wants to play the English or just to receive an education in positional chess from Marin, it's an excellent book worth your money.