"The pleasant alternation between thoroughly explained ideas and spectacular variations makes the content accessible to a wide audience (I suppose 1600 rated players as well as grandmasters will acquire new information when going through the book)… Alterman pays a lot of attention to the practical value of his suggested opening lines. I'm sure the readers will feel inspired after a thorough examination of this book!"
- IM Robert Ris, ChessVibes (full review) "I find Alterman's series very entertaining, stimulating and creative. It is not too deep, the essentials are presented and there are regular verbal explanations."
- IM Frank Zeller, SCHACH "This book gives you a feel for how to play these openings; how to play them well and what is important. It is not a manual in the sense that everything is covered. I truly enjoyed reading this volume, even more so than the others in this series. There is a tremendous amount of chess understanding to be gleaned from this and its companions. Themes such as positional compensation, initiative, active piece play, dynamic counterplay and more will become familiar parts of your chess vocabulary and you will inevitably become a stronger player in the process. This is a great way to conclude this series."
- Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe "Alterman's book is truly original, not only in the choice of opening suggestions, but especially for the teaching approach proposed. It is indeed a very weighty volume in terms of content, but the reading and study flow fast and agile. Every system is introduced according to the tried and tested schema of illustrative games, with concepts and ideas clearly and effectively explained […] in an enlightening and easy conversational style. A particularly attractive and useful addition is the summary of a few simple, clear and easy-to-remember points to learn from each game commentary … who could ask for more?!?"
Martin Eden, SoloScacchi