It has been 12 years since the publishing of the Sniper with Everyman Chess, and several years since my first Chessbase Fritztrainer DVD with Chessbase - and it is time for developments and enhancements in The Black Sniper.
If you are looking for a practical way to confuse your opponent, to maximise your winning chances with Black, and have some nice pattern recognition plans - without being overly reliant on remembering reams of opening theory; or if you are looking for a surprise weapon with Black, then this is the opening system for you. In a recent British Chess Championship, I played the Black Sniper in every round where I played Black, and even though my Master opponents had hours to prepare for each game, I still attained an IM Norm, which means a rating performance of over 2450, which is a testament to the incredible practical value of The Black Sniper.
The Black Sniper is a framework of opening moves that aims for the Black structure of ...g6 ...Bg7...c5 against any 3 moves that White plays. In the Black Sniper framework, Black will aim to play a 'Pure Black Sniper' which is the moves 1...g6 2...Bg7 3…c5 in that order. Black could reach these 3 moves by playing the moves in a different order such as 1...c5 2...g6 3...Bg7. The aim of the framework is to have a number of familiar patterns of play and tactical ideas that will be similar or the same against all of White's repertoire choices, such as 1.e4 1.d4 1.c4 1.Nf3 1.b3 1.f4 1.g3 and other less popular lines that White may choose. To aid the ' Black Sniper' student, I have created a revolutionary way for classifying the Sniper opening positions – and here it is:
1. All positions at move 4 by White are classified and given a Premier League or Champions League football team name.
2. My love of football as an ex-player and football Coach, and biased Arsenal supporter, has led me to classify the positions as all the Premier League football teams and some well-known Champions League teams, totalling 26 Key Variations at move 4, and note only the good variations by White have been given a name. I have tried as closely as possible to give the team name where their playing style is like the style of the opening / middlegame plan that White is aiming for, in their 'opening into middlegame', based upon White's first 4 moves.
3. Approximately 80% of the classified football teams at move 4 arise after Black has played the 'Pure Sniper’. There are a few move orders by White which if played will give White a position better than a small advantage. These three moves are called Anti-Snipers. For example, if White plays 1.b3 g6 2. Bb2 Bg7 and White will play Bxg7 with a decisive advantage. In Anti-Sniper positions, this forces Black to respond differently than playing what is called a Pure Sniper.