Louis Lima Et Al. - ChessBase Cafe (2009-2015)

Louis Lima is an active tournament player in Long Island, NY.
He holds Purchases from our shop help

a Masters Degree in Training & Development from Teachers College, keep ChessCafe.com freely
Columbia University. He has been involved in the field of intercultural accessible:
training for fifteen years and currently serves as training director for
Prudential Relocation's Intercultural Group.
His published articles include "Faux Pas and Adventures of a Latino in

the American Workplace," "Communication Etiquette 101" and
"Utilizing a Competency-Based Model to Enhance Intercultural
Training Effectiveness." Louis speaks fluent English, Spanish, and
Mandarin Chinese. He enjoys making chess instructional videos, and
currently teaches chess to young children at Tzu-Chi Foundation's
ChessBase Chinese School in Oyster Bay, NY.
Cafe Openings for 1.e4 Players Fritz 12

Louis Lima I have been a hopeless chess media junkie for some years now, amassing a
number of videos, DVDs, and Fritz Trainers that I am too embarrassed to
count. However, I am glad to make good use of my learning experiences with
these products.
I often refer Fritz Trainers to my friends as the next generation of chess media
instruction. The advantages over traditional chess videos and DVDs include
the ability to clearly see the presenter and the board, the ability to pause the
video in order to examine the game notation, and the option of adding a
computer engine to evaluate the lines while the presenter is speaking. When a
presenter makes the most of this new medium it can truly feel like having a
live GM coach by your side. Thus, the overall quality and effectiveness of a
The Philidor Defense
Fritz Trainer is often impacted by how the presenter maximizes the by Alexei Shirov
opportunities this relatively new platform provides. All the authors featured in
this column have a long history of appearing in videos and DVDs, but some
have adapted better than others to the Fritz Trainer platform.
Play through and download
the games from
The f4 Sicilian (DVD) by GM Nigel Davies, Running Time: 4 hrs.
ChessCafe.com in the
DGT Game Viewer.
This opening is commonly referred to as the Grand
Prix Attack and it is an attempt by White to launch a
quick kingside attack, with the mighty f-pawn
usually leading the charge into Blacks camp. The
position is reached via 1.e4 c5 2.f4, though players
who want to avoid 1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5 lines tend to
prefer the move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3, and only then ABC of Chess Openings
play 3.f4. The early f-pawn push not only helps by Andrew Martin
open up lines against Blacks king, but also gains
space for a quick piece transfer into the attacking
zone via maneuvers such as rooks lifts along the f-
file and the transfer of the queen via e1. A cute little
miniature illustrating the kind of massacre White can inflict can be seen in the
following game (which is not on the DVD): Lorenz, Sascha (2306) -
Kiesekamp, Marcos (2223) Berlin 2000, 1.e4 c5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.Bb5
Bg7 5.00 e6 6.Bxc6 bxc6 7.Nc3 d5 8.d3 Rb8 9.Qe1 Nh6 10.f5 gxf5?? 11.
Qg3 10.
Davies begins with a sample game outlining several key features of Whites
attack when it succeeds, and then moves on to demonstrate a couple of games
advocating the ever-interesting Tals Gambit after 1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5
Nf6!?. Davies also shows us a game where he tried to sidestep the gambit
with 3.Nc3. These are Davies own games and he does this to build up a case
for reaching the f4 Sicilian via the move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 followed by 3.
f4.
Readers should know that this is not a repertoire DVD, where Davies suggests
specific lines and then presents sample supporting games. Instead, we have a
series of games that sketches the historical trajectory of the f4 Sicilian; a bit of
case builder that presents a survey of various ideas. For example, after 1.e4 c5
2.f4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Nd4 we reach one of the main positions
in this line.
Here Davies explains that White has many responses such as 6.Nxd4, 6.Bc4,
6.Bd3, 6.Ba4, 6.a4, and he presents a sample game for each of these lines. He
then moves on to recommend 6.0-0 and shows several illustrative games in
this line. Although Black did not win any of these games, he occasionally
offers ways for Black to combat these positions.
By now the case has been made that 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 is the way to go and
Davies proceeds to show us a sample game that outlines the reasons why
Najdorf players need to leave their pet variation pronto after 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6
3.f4. He then concentrates the rest of the DVD on 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 lines,
commenting on several games and concluding with a recent idea for White (1.
e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5!? trying to trade on c6, and only then to follow with 4.
f4) and another one for Black (1.c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 f5.)
Overall, I found the video stimulating, and I particularly appreciated the wide
array of ideas for both sides, though the DVD tends to concentrate on the
white side of the picture. The DVD does have some shortcomings, which
perhaps makes the product have less appeal to players rated 1500 and below.
For one, Davies occasionally speeds through certain sequences of moves with
no explanation and appearing slightly bored. He sometimes ends a variation
with a comment such as I assess this as good for White, without any
explanation as to why this is so. If he is going to explain obvious things such
as why Whites bishop cannot go to b5 after 1.e4 c5 2.f4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 as he
does on the DVD, then he should also justify his subjective evaluations in
complex positions. Some very brief and succinct comments regarding his final
assessments in these instances would probably be highly appreciated by lower-
rated players.
For those rated less than 2000, I would suggest PowerPlay3: Pawnstorm by
GM King as an excellent companion volume. King goes into practical detail
about positions featuring the f-pawn advance, and I have improved my game
through his insights. The f4 Sicilian by Davies runs for four hours, and it is
surprising that he does not take the time to describe the disadvantages of
pushing the f4-pawn. While the f4-push does gain space and can open lines of
attack, it does not develop a piece and it weakens Whites kingside along the
second rank and g1-h6 diagonal. In addition, when the f-pawn gets stuck on
f4, the bishop on c1 often makes a poor impression. Perhaps this is the reason
the f4 Sicilian is a perennial favorite with club players but only a surprise
practical choice of GMs.
Order The f4 Sicilian

by Nigel Davies
The ABC of the Vienna (DVD) by IM Andrew Martin, Running time: 3 hrs.
and 43 min.
As a 1.e4 player who has never played the Vienna, I

wondered whether Martins ABC of the Vienna
would make me want to try it out in tournament
play. The DVD certainly sparked my interest, and I
can only hope my regular opponents at the local
chess club are not reading this column.
The Vienna is characterized by the moves 1.e4 e5

and 2.Nc3. If you have never played this opening
before it might attract you for the same reasons as it
did me: To avoid die-hard players of the Petroff
Defense (yes, they exist) and to try enter the Kings
Gambit without running into a booked-up Albin Countergambiteer after 1.e4
e5 2.f4 d5.
This is a repertoire DVD where Martin recommends specific lines, and uses
various illustrative games to demonstrate typical play:
a) 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 White plays 3.Bc4, followed by a speedy d3 and

f4, except when Black plays 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6. In these
instances, White abandons the f4 idea and opts for 4.d3 and 5.Nge2.
There are a total of eight lectures in the 2Nc6 line.
b) 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 we see 3.g3 where White fianchettoes the bishop
and adds extra control to d5, a square of special importance in Vienna
strategy. There are nine lectures covering this line.
c) One lecture on 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 where he recommends 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.

f4
d) One lecture on 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 where Martin again advocates 3.Bc4

and looks at Blacks attempt to contest the a2-g8 diagonal with 3Be6.
e) One lecture exploring 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 where the recommended

continuation is 3.f4
f) One lecture on 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 featuring a game played by

Alexander Alekhine during a simul tour in 1924.
I have mixed impressions about this DVD. Martin is terrific when it comes to
utilizing the Fritz Trainer platform. He often smiles and makes eye-contact
with the camera, and speaks in a clear, eloquent, and entertaining manner. He
also plays through the moves at a moderate pace, while making good use of
the ability to use arrows and colors to highlight his ideas. The video starts
with a valuable nine-minute lecture summarizing the basic ideas in open
games. For White he discusses the f7-weakness, control of d5, and the attempt
to outstrip Black of his queenside play. For Black he discusses the f2-square,
the liberation of Blacks position with d5, and keeping up the pace with White
regarding queenside development. I walked away from this mini-lecture with
a greater understanding of basic ideas in the Vienna as well as other openings.
In fact, Martin did such a great job in his open game summary, that when he
moved on to his first inspirational game Sheldrick (2161) Rout (1949)
Australian Open, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 0-0 5.f4 exf4 6.
Bxf4 c6, I thought Black is doing fine and getting on with the d5-break Martin
had just mentioned. Except, this is how Martin assesses this position:
And now here is the first sign that Black wants to get d5 in. He plays
c6, but already I believe Blacks position is critical, this only after six
moves
This left me slightly puzzled, and after the following move 7.Qf3 the obvious
d5-break I just learned from Martin is screaming to be played. This move is
completely overlooked in his commentary. 7d5 is very much possible here
since Whites king has not castled yet. If 8.exd5, Black has a nice number of
choices such as 8...Re8, 8...Bg4 or 8...Qb6; and if White plays 8.Bb3, Black
has already achieved one of his opening objectives.
I often felt Martin underestimated Blacks chances in many positions, and

over-dramatized moves where logical alternatives were available. A perfect
example of this is illustrated in a sample variation he presents in the game
Larsen-Portisch from the Candidates Match in 1968. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6
3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Na5 5.Nge2 Nxc4 6.dxc4 Be7 7.00 d6 8.b3 00 9.Ng3 c6 10.
Bb2 Qa5? 11.Qe1! Qc7, he offers the variation 11...Be6 12.Nd5 Qd8 13.Nxe7
+ Qxe7
Martin comments
And the problem in this position is of course the pawn on d6. So

White can start putting pressure on it immediately, for instance, with a
move like 14.Ba3 and Blacks position here is prospect-less. I mean,
Black can play the move 14c5, but then how on earth is Black going
to shake the grip on d5?
I agree Blacks pawn on d6 is weak, but even the average 1900-rated player
Martin often refers to on this DVD would think twice before leaving himself
with a gaping hole on d5. Why not simply sidestep the pin with 14.Qc7 and
keep the d5-break possibility alive?
It is this superficial treatment by Martin that I found slightly irritating at

times. I subscribe to his philosophy of incorporating some offbeat openings
into ones repertoire, in order to occasionally catch unprepared opponents.
However, it would be helpful to enter Martins recommended lines with more
realistic assessments. Martin does a great job at making succinct and lively
comments that any rated-level player can understand, but the actual moves
dont always back his commentary.
It is perfectly appropriate to show illustrative games that contain mistakes, but

these ought to be pointed out by the presenter, and this is not always the case
with Martin. One example of this is the last game in the DVD, which shows a
sparkling game by Alekhine. The game is a nice illustration of Whites
attacking chances in the Vienna, and serves as a final inspirational game in
the DVD: Alekhine-Downman USA Simul Tour 1924 - 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.
Bc4 d6 4.f4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.00 Nf6 7.d3 00 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nd4 10.
Qd1 Bc5 11.Kh1 exf4 12.Bxf4 Qd7 13.Bg5 Ne8 14.Nd5 Nc6 15.Qh5 Kh8 16.
Rf6 Bd4
During the game Downman allowed Alekhine to offer a second rook after 17.
Raf1 Bxf6 18.Rxf6, and Black cant recapture on f6 without Alekhine
announcing mate in five or six moves. However, from an attackers
perspective, the critical line to consider is typically the one that gives up the
most material. Thus, after 17.Raf1, it seems to me that the critical line is not
17Bxf6 but 17gxf6, losing a whole rook for the g-pawn. Martin
overlooks this move in his excitement to show Whites attack. Surely 17
gxf6 is an ugly move, but I couldnt come up with a way for White to wrap
things up as Alekhine did during the actual game continuation. 17gxf6
clears the g7-square for the knight to defend the kingside, and Blacks pieces
are not that far away from the king as it visually appears.
However, I still recommend this DVD to anyone looking to sit back and enjoy
a series of lectures on the Vienna, or to the club level player who wants to
start building a repertoire in this opening.
Order The ABC of the Vienna

by Andrew Martin
The Sicilian with 3.Bb5 (DVD) by GM Alexei Shirov, Running time: 7 hours.
In The Sicilian with 3.Bb5, Shirov shares his

experiences playing both sides of the 3.Bb5 system
of the Sicilian Defense, also known as the
Rossolimo Variation. It is a popular choice at all
levels, mainly to avoid theory-laden lines such as
those encountered in the Sveshnikov Variation.
This is a truly outstanding production. We are

treated to over seven hours of learning from one of
the most creative and original players of all time.
Those who follow chess history know that the
player sitting across Garry Kasparov at the Classical
World Chess Championship in the year 2000 should had been Shirov, and not
Kramnik, whom Shirov defeated in the 1998 Candidates Match by a score of
5-3.
Currently eighteenth in the world rankings, Shirov provides us with chess of

the highest level. It cant get much higher than when introducing his game
against Carlsen, he states that at the time of the game, the Norwegian prodigy
had a relatively modest, I would put, rating of 2720. His other opponents
include the likes of Kasparov, Kramnik, Kamsky, Morozevich, Leko,
Rublevsky, Van Wely and many others. The DVD contains three lectures for
each of the main moves after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. These are 3g6, 3
Nf6, and 3...e6. There is also one lecture for 3d6. The move 3e5 is not
covered, but Shirov feels it is not as strong and suggests the plan 1.e4 c5 2.
Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5 4.0-0 Ng7 5.Bc4, threatening Ng5, and if 5h6, then c3,
followed by d4, with the idea of taking control of the center, and giving White
a slight advantage. In addition, the DVD contains three bonus lectures from
previous Fritz Trainers: Shirov-Pedrojevic and Shirov-Leko from My Best
Games in the Sicilian, and Akopian-Shirov from My Best Games with Black.
These add-on lectures reinforced the general concepts presented in the new
material.
The line with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ is not covered in this DVD. Shirov
comments that it is almost absolutely clear Black can achieve equality in an
easy way by playing 3Bd7 4.Bxd7 Qxd7 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6. He shows his
disdain for players of the white pieces opting to play this non-fighting
move. For black players encountering 3.Bb5+ he recommends 3Bd7 and to
search for Boris Gelfands games in this line.
Shirov paints a realistic view of the game. Chess is a very complicated

proposition, so dont expect an answer from him as to which move is best: 3
g6, 3...Nf6, 3e6, or 3d6. He will readily admit that when it comes to
Whites best approach against these moves he has more questions than
answers. For Shirov, 3.Bb5 is the beginning of a very complicated opening
and he half-jokingly points out that he has been finding himself playing 3.d4
to avoid the Rossolimo.
In spite of the above complexities you can rest assured that Shirov will try to
get to the truth for both sides of the Rossolimo. He will weave in and out of
endless variations; always taking the time to verbally explain his moves and
positional assessments. Shirov can be entirely forgiven for not making any
eye contact with the camera, misplacing the color commentary, or
occasionally landing in the wrong variation. This is because he is constantly
analyzing, assessing, and re-assessing moves as he explains them. Most
presenters prepare their material in advance to make a case. Shirov comes in
prepared as well, but is not interested in advocating any lines. He simply
wants to get to the truth. One can often sense he is thinking about a past
variation as he speaks about the present one, and surely one sees him going
back to it until he is completely satisfied with an answer (even if the answer
was that the position remained unclear). Often times he would go silent as he
analyzes a position, and apologizes for taking a break as he wanted to be one
hundred percent honest and truthful to the viewer. At the start of the lecture
featuring Shirov-Van Wely from Bundesliga 2003 after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.
Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Qc7 5.0-0 e6 he comments
It is always very risky to say that on move five someone is already

wrong, and of course there are no certain refutations. However, I prefer
Nd4. I think in this game I could show well the drawbacks of e6.
Unsurprisingly, he returns later to say that he was probably too strict in his
assessment of 5e6, because after 6.Re1 d6 still offers playing chances.
What next? Shirov begins to discern what can happen after 6d6!
Given Shirovs depth of analysis, most lectures were thirty to forty minutes
long. The lecture presenting the game Bologan-Shirov from the third round of
the 2008 Poikovsky event is fifty-six minutes long. The game between Shirov-
Zhang from the Rapid Corsica Masters is forty-four minutes long. In this
game twenty minutes had passed and Shirov was still exploring alternative
variations before 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 Qc7. It was
mesmerizing to watch him think and display his analytical skills.
Most viewers will need to go over these lectures several times, slowly, in
order to take everything in. Still, I think even lower-rated players can learn a
great deal from Shirovs verbal comments and advice. A simple, but good
illustration of this was in his game against Van Wely. After reaching the end
of one of the variations, we arrive at the following position:
Here Shirov assesses this position as probably good for White, and goes on to
briefly explain that this is because White can play Bg5 and trade the bishop
on e7, leaving Black with a bad bishop on c8. Even if I was unable to keep up
with him in the variation leading to this position, I learned that I can
sometimes improve my position by trading my opponents active pieces,
which would accentuate the bad ones left on the board. Shirov often dropped
such pearls of wisdom in his positional assessments.
I recommend this DVD to anyone interested in the 3.Bb5 Sicilian. Shirovs

analyses are often complex, but he does not try to convince us that chess is
easy. I would much rather leave a chess lecture feeling confused than
incredulous.
Order The Sicilian with 3.Bb5

by Alexei Shirov
2009 All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
will be posted below daily.
[ChessCafe Home Page] [Book Review] [Columnists]

[Endgame Study] [The Skittles Room] [Archives]
[Links] [Online Bookstore] [About ChessCafe.com] [Contact Us]
2009 BrainGamz, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

"ChessCafe.com" is a registered trademark of BrainGamz, Inc.
To Explain or Not to Explain Purchases from our shop help
keep ChessCafe.com freely
accessible:
I wonder how much thought goes into deciding on the amount of verbal
commentary and variations to present in a Fritz Trainer DVD on the opening.
If the presenter puts the pedal to the metal and zooms past moves without any
explanation, while jumping in and out of endless variations, then lower-rated
players will often be at a loss and soon lose interest in their purchase. If the
lecturer talks too much in basic positions, then advanced players might get
bored and deem the material too superficial. It is difficult to serve two
masters, and I suspect the commentary-length factor boils down to a matter of
style and the subject matter. It is through this factor that I assess this month's
ChessBase Fritz Trainers.
Cafe Scandinavian the Easy Way (2nd edition) by Andrew Martin Running time:
4 hours
Fritz 12
Louis Lima The Scandinavian is somewhat of a controversial
defense. We learn as beginners not to neglect
development, and not to bring our queen out too
early in the opening. However, this is exactly what
Black does in the Scandinavian and many of us have
fallen flat on our faces pushing our advantage with
White, only to end up with misplaced pieces and
subject to Black's counterattack. This is perhaps why
the Scandinavian is so appealing at club-level.
The Scandinavian the Easy Way explores the

variation after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6!?. It
ChessBase Magazine #132
is commonly known as the Pytel variation named after IM Krzysztof Pytel.
Edited by Rainer Knaak
However, you'll see all sorts of names out there for this variation, including
the Bronstein, Modern, Gubnitsky-Pytel, Pytel-Wade, and even a "Schiller-
Pytel" mention. Maybe it should be called the Pytel-Tiviakov variation, after
Play through and download GM Sergei Tiviakov who has been testing this line at the grandmaster level.
the games from
Martin does a superb job at explaining the ideas behind this line, discussing
DGT Game Viewer.
both the advantages and disadvantages of 3Qd6, as well typical piece
placement and main strategic concepts after 1.e4 d5 2.exd4 Qxd4 3.Nc3 Qd6
5.Nf3 a6. One of the main ideas is for Black to prepare the liberating move ...
c5, illustrated by Martin after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3
a6 6.Bc4 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7 8.00 e6 9.Re1 Nbd7
ABC of Chess Openings

by Andrew Martin
The first game featured in Martin's DVD is a sparkling win from GM

Stripunsky against GM Goldin at the 2004 U.S. Championship. I'm fortunate
to enjoy a monthly study group facilitated by Stripunsky and asked his
thoughts on the Pytel. He commented that in some ways Black is trying to
reach a Sicilian pawn structure. In the Sicilian we play 1c5 and aim for the
d5 pawn break. In the Scandinavian we immediately achieve d5 at the cost of
some tempi, and then aim for c5. Martin often reinforced this and other ideas
throughout his sample games in this DVD. For instance, one of the
disadvantages of 3Qd6 is that the queen often gets harassed from d6, and
sometimes trapped altogether. Martin devotes a short lecture on ways to avoid
this and shows a few examples of what can happen if Black is not careful.
This DVD covers the following lines:
1.e4 d5 2.exd4 Qxd4 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6. Several lectures
look at White's possible responses, including 6.g3, 6.Bc4, 6.Bd3, 6.
Ne5, 6.Bg5, and 6.h3.
1.e4 d5 2.exd4 Qxd4 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6. Here the lectures cover 5.
Bc4 followed by 6.Nge2, 5.Be2, 5.Bd3 a6, and 5.Bg5
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.g3
Martin also provides us with several brief lectures discussing various

sidelines. These bits are helpful starting points to investigate further and they
include
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5. Here Martin explores 3.Nf3 and 3.d4 responses
1.e4 d5 2.Nc3
Unusual second moves including 2.e5 and 2.d4 (Blackmar-Diemer
Gambit)
Martin often recommends the plan with ...b5 and ...Bb7 against many White
set-ups. However, the line 1.e4 d5 2.exd4 Qxd4 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6
6.g3 b5 has been refuted in recent play. This seems to have prompted an
updated edition of Scandinavian the Easy Way, which is labeled as "2nd
Edition with updates and advice in all critical lines" Somewhat naively; I was
expecting re-recorded sessions with updated material, and when I opened the
first lecture it seemed funny to me Martin was wearing the same shirt as in the
"original" DVD. It took me a minute to realize the second edition is the exact
same DVD, but with seven additional lectures labeled under "Scandinavian
Update" and placed at the very end of the video clip page. This strikes me as
rather lazy from Chessbase. Anyone picking up this DVD for the first time is
likely to look at it in a linear fashion. Imagine making your way through an
opening book, only to find out at the end that the lines are now considered
dubious by the author.
Fortunately this only happens for the line with 6.g3 b5, as the rest are not
really updates of critical lines, but alternative suggestions from the first
edition. I would recommend buyers to first look at the introductory two
lectures, and then move on to the updated content at the end of DVD before
returning to the main content. The seven lectures in the Scandinavian update
cover
1.e4 d5 2.exd4 Qxd4 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6 6.g3 Bg4 (Lectures
1-2)
1.e4 d5 2.exd4 Qxd4 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 (Lectures 3-5)
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nd4 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bf5 (Lecture 6)
1.e4 d5 2.Nc3 (Lecture 7).
Aside from the Scandinavian updates, the games are not referenced in the
database file. Instead, you are only able to see the moves as variations or sub-
variations without any reference to the player's names or tournament event.
This can be a minor inconvenience to the serious tournament player. Martin
does tell you where the game comes from during the lecture, but the
variations should be properly referenced in the annotations.
Overall, The Scandinavian the Easy Way is a terrific starting point for players
wanting to employ the Scandinavian with 3Qd6. Martin's generous verbal
assessments and commentary throughout this DVD makes this opening
accessible to any club-level player.
Order Scandinavian the Easy Way (2nd ed.)

by Andrew Martin
The Arkhangelsk by Adrian Mikhalchihin Running time: Five hours.
I approached the Arkhangelsk's review with great

excitement, as one of my top five Chessbase
Trainers is The Secret Weapons of the Champions
with GM Adrian Mikhalchihin. Just as in this
previous work, Mikhalchishin infuses his
Arkhangelsk lectures with interesting historical
references and anecdotes, increasing our chess
culture and overall enjoyment of the game. You will
not only immerse in "one of the youngest kids of the
Ruy Lopez" as Mikhalchihin affectionately dubs
this variation, but you will also learn about the
history of the Ruy Lopez, the players, and key
encounters that shaped Archangelsk opening theory.
The Arkhangelsk is a sharp attempt by Black to get an active middlegame

position in the Ruy Lopez. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0
b5 6.Bb3 Bb7, Black has been able to post his light-squared bishop on a
strong diagonal, and will often bring his dark-squared bishop to c5, exercising
strong pressure on White's center and generating attacking prospects on the
kingside. This quick piece deployment comes at the expense of delayed
castling, and White can try to exploit this. One illustration of this is the game
Acs, Peter (2542) Beliavsky, Alexander (2640) from the Hungary
championship in 2000, which included in this DVD: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.00 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.c3 Nxe4 8.d4 Na5 9.Bc2 exd4 10.Re1
d5 11.b4 Nc6 12.Nxd4 Be7 13.f3 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Nf6 15.Bg5 Qd6 16.Nd2
Qb6 17.Nb3 Qxd4+ 18.Nxd4 Kf8 19.Nf8 Bd8 20.a4!
Mikhalchishin points out that "White has very good compensation because all
Black pieces are badly situated. King has not castled, and rooks are not in the
game. So, for this reason, White's compensation is sufficient for the pawn."
Black's kingside can also be vulnerable when the bishop goes to b7. It is
natural then, that the main line involves pinning the knight on f6 after 1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.00 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.Re1 Bc5 8. 9.d4 Bb6
10.Bg5.
The Arkhangelsk includes a database file with forty-eight games; many of

them heavily annotated with variations. This can serve as an excellent
resource for further study. The lecture content includes:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 In two
lectures Mikalchihin looks at 7.Ng5, 7.Qe2 and 7.d4 sidelines
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.Re1 Bc5
8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 considered the main line. We have four lectures here
covering 10.Bg5, 10.Nh4, 10.Qd3, 10.a4 and 10.Be3.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.c3 We
learn from Mikhalchihin that this line usually leads to very sharp play
where Black needs to be very careful, and devotes ten lectures to this
line.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.d3
White take a positional approach but Black still needs to be careful. Six
lectures are devoted to this line.
The DVD concludes with a twenty-two minute lecture titled "Kasparov

Arkhangelsk" where Mikhalchishin analyses the Tukmakov-Dorfman game
mentioned in Kasparov's book Revolution in the 70s.
This DVD is for the advanced club-level player and beyond. Being a very
strong grandmaster, Mikhalchishin speaks to us at that level. He often "fast-
forwards" through several moves, either silently or calling out the moves,
without any explanation until he reaches a position he feels worthy of
comment. I felt visually overwhelmed most of the time, even after stopping
the lectures and returning to the starting position, or clicking back to an earlier
point in the DVD. This is not necessarily a criticism; after all, not all
Chessbase trainers can be made for a specific level-audience. On the other
hand, I feel this DVD is essential for those wanting to employ the
Archangelsk. Thus, I would suggest that those rated lower than expert-level
approach this DVD in the following manner:
Look at the title of the lecture before opening it. The title will contain
the variation that will be presented.
Go to the attached database, and study the games first. An excellent
way to do this is to use the training tab to play "solitaire chess," where
the game notation is covered and you guess the next move. If the
moves differ, try to understand why. If your move was wrong, the right
response will usually make sense and give you insight into the way you
think and assess a position.
View the lecture. The moves will make more sense now and you will
derive greater enjoyment and satisfaction from the learning experience.
I would recommend the Archangelsk for anyone wanting a deep immersion

into this variation, with the caveat that U2000-rated players might need to do
some preparation before sitting back to enjoy Mikhalchishin's lectures.
Order Arkhangelsk
by Adrian Mikhalchishin
The Queens Gambit Declined Exchange Variation by Nigel Davies Running

Time: 4 hours
This is one of the most accessible Fritz Trainers for

the average club-player by Davies. Advanced-level
players who would like to verify their overall
understanding in the QGD Exchange can just sit
back, relax, and enjoy these lectures while
reinforcing their existing knowledge and learn some
new things. Davies does a conscientious job of
explaining the strategic concepts and ideas in this
opening for the average player. He takes every
opportunity to drive the main concepts home, and
even the lecture titles are named after the main
illustrative themes:
Ten lectures under "Minority attack" labeled under the titles:
Introduction
The weak pawn on c6
The weak pawn on d5
Black meets b4-b5 with c6-c5
White suppresses c5
Drawbacks of b7-b5
Danger to the white king
The black rook on the third rank
The black knight on c4
Black plays f5-f4
Four lectures under "White castles long" are titled:
Introduction
The attack wins
Black counterattacks
Black castles queenside
Nine lectures under "White plays e4" titled:
Introduction
White plays 11.Rae1
The Karlsbad variation
The Karlsbad antidote
White plays f4
Hybrid planning
Application 1 (Caro-Kann, Exchanged Variation)
Aplication 2 (Grnfeld Defense)
Other applications
I wanted to provide some illustration of the amount of explanation Davies

gives in key positions. In the second lecture introducing the minority attack
Davies provides us with an old game between Steinitz,William - Lee,Francis
Joseph. After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 00 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.
cxd5 exd5 8.Qb3 c6 9.Bd3 Re8 10.Nge2 Nd7 11.Qc2 Nf8 12.00 g6 13.b4
Here Davies comments:
"And this is a very instructive moment, because we got this b4 plan

coming in, in order to try and undermine this pawn on c6. When white
plays b5 it presents black with a bit of dilemma as to what to do. If he
takes himself on b5 with the c pawn, then he would leave the pawn on
d5 rather weak. If he doesn't take white is going to take on c6 himself,
and then if black were to take back on c6 with a piece he would still
have a weak d pawn. Or if he were to take back with the pawn on b7
then he would have a backward pawn on c6 on an open file. So, it's not
an easy plan to meet at all, and this is why it is such an effective strategy
for White."
After 13a6 14.a4 Be7 15.b5, Martin pauses again to discuss this position in
great detail. Another typical example is the second game of the DVD
featuring Byrne-Eliskases from the Helsinki Olympiad in 1952 he starts by
commenting:
"Now, I mentioned earlier, the weakness on c6 that Black often

contracts when he faces the minority attack In case some of you were
thinking that perhaps this is not such a great deal, Black can just defend
it, then this game should serve as a warning. It's an example of Black
being tortured just because of this weakness and ground down in a long
endgame."
After the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 c6 7.
Qc2, he stops and comments:
"This move Qc2 is a means of stopping Black from playing the Bishop
out to f5"
If you are still wondering why it matters to prevent f5, and what that has to do
with minority attack, then don't worry because Davies will explain it:
"For example if White were to play 7.Nf3 here, then Black could play
this move [7Bf5] and then white can't play his bishop out to d3
without the light square bishops coming off"
If you still don't get it, no worries, Davies continues:
"and we are going to go into this a little bit later, but this exchange of
bishops makes the minority attack more difficult to engineer because
without these two bishops when white plays b4 this square often
becomes weak and you can actually see a black knight jumping on this
square and getting all sorts of irritation. So for this reason White really
wants to keep the light squares on, and Black in turn often looks to
exchange them. So this is why white's queen goes to c2, he is trying to
ensure that white doesn't play f5. We could also play the bishop out to
d3 in this position that would be another way to do this."
I found Davies's approach incredibly helpful for the average club player like
myself. This is one of my favorite Davies productions so far.
Order The Queens Gambit Declined Exchange Variation

by Nigel Davies
The Budapest Gambit by Andrew Martin Running time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Saving the best for last, The Budapest Gambit is an

utterly delightful production by Martin and the
ChessBase team. Being a 1.e4 player, I was
surprised to find myself going back to see the
entertaining lectures in this DVD. Before delving
into specific variations, Martin begins with five
lectures outlying specific themes in the Budapest
Gambit, which is characterized by the moves 1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 e5!?.
The "Theme One" lecture focuses on white's

acquisition of the two bishops and how to play
against this as black, the doubling of White's pawns on c3 and c4, active piece
play and rapid development. To illustrate these themes Martin uses the
inspiring game Rubinstein-Vidmar, which I imagine every Budapest
Gambiteer knows by heart. Played in 1918 Martin tells us that Vidmar was at
a loss as to what to play against Rubinstein, who had acquired an
"impregnable" reputation with 1.d4. Talking with friends, someone
recommended the Budapest Gambit as a way to surprise Rubinstein. Little did
Vidmar know he would win in such style.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4
Life would be easy for Black if White allowed him to take the e-pawn back.
Therefore, White's initial strategy is concerned with the best approach to
defend the e-pawn. There is the obvious 4.Nf3, and Martin notes 4.e4 as a
dangerous center-grabbing move by White. There is also 4.Bf4 played during
the game, and several other sidelines covered on this DVD.
4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Qe7 7.Qd5 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3
Martin makes quick comments on almost every move, and pauses

occasionally to explain the main themes in key positions in greater depth.
Between 6Qe7 and 8.bxc3 he comments:
"... You will note that Black is not blocking any pieces in this procedure
and is ready to take on e5, so White has to do something drastic if he
wants to keep this pawn on e5 and make Black's life uncomfortable,
which Rubinstein does with a move which even at that was thought to
be very dangerous for Black, the strange-looking Qd5. Now, it's obvious
that move is going to be controversial. Yes, White does protect the pawn
on e5 and yes he does make life difficult for Black to regain that pawn.
Of course the downside of this move is firstly and fore mostly that
White allows Blacks to double his pawns. OK, White does have an extra
pawn in this position, but how valuable is that extra pawn? These pawns
are doubled and crippled, and it is playing against these pawns that
characterize play in this particular variation from the Black point of
view. How valuable is White's extra pawn in this position? OK White
has two bishops. That has to be respected. If the game opens up they
might show their strength. So Black creates these double pawns and
plays against these pawns as the game progresses. Another plus point in
Black's position is the position of the white queen"
Martin continues with his above explanation, and this is a very typical. The
viewer will get generous verbal commentary to help understand the ideas
behind the Budapest.
8..Qa3 9.Rc1 f6 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.Qd2 d6 12.Nd4 00 13.e3
Black to move, what would you play here?
13Nxd4!
What a bolt from the sky! I would have never thought of straightening White's
pawn formation here.
14.cxd4 Ne4
Martin comments:
"In the Budapest you have to be specific. You have to look for ideas
which force White's hand this moves attacks the queen and drives her
off this crucial diagonal (e1-a5) so when the White moves, Black checks
on a5 and we see the whole point of White's idea"
15.Qc2 Qa5+ 16.Ke2
"Tell me which move to make and I'll

tell if you have the heart of a Budapest Gambiteer"
16Rxf4! 17.exf4 Bf5
"It's a question of dynamics. It's not what Black is sacrificing here in this
position. It's what remains on the board and active play" (Martin).
18.Qb2 Re8 19.Kf3 Nd2+ 20.Kg3 Ne4+ 21.Kh4 Re6 22.Be2 Rh6+ 23.Bh5
Rxh5+ 24.Kxh5 Bg6+ 01
A good example of the educational value of this DVD can be found in his
"Theme Two" lecture, where he discusses the dangers of White's center. The
lecture features a game between Spassky and Illescas at the 1990 Linares
tournament starting with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5.
This placement of the bishop would make obvious sense to an IM such as
Martin, and some presenters might just speed past this without any reference.
Martin, however, realizes that a lower-rated player might be wondering why
the bishop is on c5 if White is going retort with 5.e3. Martin comments
"It is worthwhile dwelling a little bit on the position of the bishop on c5.
Because you begin to wonder the position of the bishop on c5 when you
see the move e3, what is bishop doing there. White is putting a brick
wall in front of that bishop. Well, in fact, in this type of position the
bishop, on the face of it, attacks f2. But in fact what it's doing is
prophylactic restraining of the white pawns. Black is aware that these
pawns (f2 and e3) constitute a danger to him in the middlegame. If those
pawns start to roll forward Black can be brushed aside so it is worth
bearing in mind that the position of the White bishop is not just
aggressive but prophylactic."
Martin seems to always be thinking about how the moves might be perceived
by amateur players, and this is what makes this DVD of high value. I also like
the balanced approach Martin took in this video, showing the pros and cons of
entering Budapest Gambit lines. The Spassky-Illescas game from the "Theme
Two" lecture was a win by White showing what can happen when White's
center gains strength.
Such is the dynamic nature of the Budapest Gambit that viewers new to this
opening will find the games riveting. However, Martin should also get credit
for choosing such entertaining examples. His "Theme Three" lecture features
an "absolute classic, which inspired a whole generation of players to take up
the Budapest." This is the game Oll-Romero Holmes from the Groningen
European Union even in 1984, which features Black's peculiar queenside rook
lift and transfer to the kingside after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5
5.e3 Nc6 6.Nc3 Ngxe5 7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.Be2 00 9.00 Re8 10.b3 a5 11.Bb2
Ra6 12.Ne4 [12.Qd5 Qe7] 12...Ba7 13.Qd5 Rae6 [13...Rh6!].
The "Theme Four" lecture continues on the subject of restraining White's

large center by means of active development, and features a game between
Bacrot-Shirov played in 2000. As in all lectures, Martin takes his time to
discuss the issues in the center. Other presenters might just delve into several
variations and possibilities. We get minimal variations from Martin. His
mission here is to ensure you leave with a firm understanding of all strategic
concepts in the Budapest, and not with rote memorization of moves.
The last theme lecture focuses on Black's fight against the two bishops and
Martin uses the game Brown-Speelman from the Taxco Interzonal in 1985.
This couldn't be a Budapest Gambit DVD without a mention of the common
trap 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Qe7 7.a3
Ngxe5 8.axb4 Nd3 mate, which Speelman obviously doesn't fall for, but
which I could totally see happening to me. Martin often likes to include non-
grandmaster games in his DVDs, which I think is a clever idea as long as the
games are instructive.
The second section contains the following lectures:
Introduction
4.e4 (Two lectures)
4.Qd4/5.Qd5/4.e6
4.Nc3
4.e3 Nxe5 5.Nh3
4.Nf3 (Seven lectures)
4.Bf4 (Eight lectures)
Martin is at his best on this DVD. He is cheerful and lively, and enjoys
making prolonged eye-contact with the viewer when verbalizing his analysis.
He speaks slowly and clearly, often pausing and always showing enthusiasm.
One can see he is really enjoying himself and is excited about the games he is
presenting. Anyone going through The Budapest Gambit by Martin should be
able to play through a grandmaster game in this opening, and understand why
many of the moves were played.
I highly recommend this DVD, and like me, you might find yourself returning
to the lectures out of pure enjoyment.
Order The Budapest Gambit

by Andrew Martin

In the spirit of the holiday season, we are pleased to offer readers of Purchases from our shop help
ChessBase Cafe the opportunity to purchase the Big Knight Chess Set at keep ChessCafe.com freely
a discount of $10.00 from suggested retail price. Just add the item to accessible:
your shopping cart and enter the coupon code "lima10" (without the
quotes) to purchase this fine set at the amazingly low price of $11.95.
This offer expires December 31, 2009.
Playing the Board and the Man

Chess for Scoundrels, by Nigel Davies Running Time: Four hours
ChessBase My first introduction to chess psychology came in

the form of an eight-year old kicking me under the
Cafe table and making funny faces whenever it was my
turn to move. Fortunately for me, he was so busy ChessBase Magazine #133
with his guerrilla tactics that he soon blundered and Edited by Rainer Knaak
Louis Lima lost the game. Ever since I've seen my run of
intimidators and warriors disguised as pacifist. How
colorless would a tournament be without the kid who
confidently slams the pieces and looks bored while
we think; the cold-staring blitzer, or the player who
throws his arms up in the air in losing positions
making you believe he already gave up? Davies
invites us to join this devilish bunch of scoundrels, and while he doesn't
exactly advocate under-the-table Tae Kwon Do, he will expose you to an
arsenal of psychological ploys any tournament player worth its salt should be
aware of.
His first stop is Torture, which he describes as slowly improving one's Fritz 12
position and playing on our opponent's nerves. The poster boy for this
technique is non-surprisingly Tigran Petrosian, who was known for his
python-like technique, slowly suffocating his opponents. To illustrate the
torture technique, Davies shows us a ninety-six move marathon in which
the games from
Petrosian tired his opponent through a long and tedious maneuvering game,
finally inducing him to blunder at the critical moment. I personally enjoyed
DGT Game Viewer.
the game, though my step-dad fall asleep half-way through it. Davies was
trying to make a point in showing a long game, but this is one rare instance in
which I wished Davies could have gone through the moves a bit faster. The
game was, after all, long and tedious.
Another dimension to Petrosian's psychological repertoire is presented by

Davies through a story he once heard from Fedorowicz. The American Magice of Chess Tactics
grandmaster had found it unusual that Petrosian, whom he had never met by Claus Dieter Meyer
before, was unusually friendly and warm towards him. Throughout the & Karsten Mueller
tournament he realized that he was paired to play Petrosian in the last round,
and concluded that Petrosian was probably being friendly in case he needed to
secure an easy draw.
The second stop is Intimidation. This comes in several forms, such as

exhibiting a confident demeanor, playing a sharp opening line or gambit, or
making a visually impressive move. One of the two sample games was
Karpov-Korchnoi from the 1978 World Chess Championship match in which
Karpov uncorked the shocking knight sacrifice 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.
Ba4 Nf6 5.00 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.
Ng5!?
Ever since, players have gone home to analyze this position and found
grabbing the knight quite playable. I found over a hundred games in this line
in my database, all the way up to last year. Korchnoi balked at accepting the
intimidating sacrifice and managed to draw the game.
Another psychological ploy is Rope, where Davies advocates not playing

forcing moves against weaker players. He reasons that weaker players are
more likely to make mistakes if put in a position to make decisions. He tell us
about an old interview by Spassky where the former champion half-jokingly
stated that one shouldn't punish the first mistake of one's opponent, because
one will often get an even worse mistake later on. Davies uses some
compelling examples, including a game between Lieb-Andersson in which the
GM went along with the opponent's piece simplification strategy, and won
thanks to his opponent's inaccuracies. This was a terrific lecture and I only
wished Davies would have included some psychological ploys to use against
stronger players as well. Probably it is difficult to find such ploys without
chess knowledge backing it up.
There are occasions where we feel compelled to win a game. Perhaps it is to

secure a prize in the tournament, achieve a norm, or as is often my case, when
we are tired of losing too many games in a row. In these instances, Davies
suggests keeping maximum tension and complexity in the position and not
coming all guns blazing into the tournament hall. He uses a couple of
examples, one taken from Krogius's classic book Chess Psychology, where
the author lost to a lower rated player, and the final game of the 1997
Kasparov-Karpov match, in which Kasparov needed to win in order to keep
the title.
Another interesting and common technique is titled Pavlovian Responses. Just

as the salivating dogs in Pavlov's classic conditioning experiments, chess
players make inferior automated responses if bent on playing their pet lines
(no pun intended). He uses various examples here, starting with a twenty-one
move miniature between GM Smirin and Neff. After 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d6 3.d4
cxd4 4.cxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6, Davies puts out his best scoundrel face, and with
an entertaining grin on his face proceeds to tell us:
"Well, I am playing a Scheveningen so I will play 5..e6 because I play

the Scheveningen. Except that this is not a Scheveningen at all because
the moves have been completely different. 5.a6 getting my
"Najdorf" not really a Najdorf at all. I am going to play my
"Dragon" with 5g6, but it is not a Dragon at all."
This was quite an entertaining and valuable lecture, and something I feel
happens quite too often when we memorize opening moves without
understanding the ideas behind them.
Given the infinite possibilities of the game, it is surprising how many

beginning moves are looked down upon by chess players. For instance, many
who face the Grob with 1.g4 or 1...g5 feel their honor is on the line and try to
go about setting their opponent straight no matter what. This sometimes leads
to the insulted party losing all objectivity and playing for a win in inferior
positions, falling head on into the scoundrel's trap. The most famous example
of this is illustrated by Davies's compatriot Miles, who beat Karpov with 1
a6 at the European Team Championships in 1980. Miles commented that by
the time he played 2b5 the spectator's laughter was becoming embarrassing.
Deception is a fundamental weapon in competitive chess. Players often try to
send mixed signals to their opponents, such as shaking their heads after
making a move in the hopes that their opponents think they have blundered,
or playing a move with a confident look while in fact they are unsure about it.
Davies also includes specific chess strategies over the board, such as making
moves on the queenside while really intending to attack on the kingside, draw
offers, and others. Davies uses a great example from a game between De
Firmian and Chernin.
"Oh my, what have I done??"
In time pressure De Firmian played 39.Bg2 while looking stunned and

shocked right after making the move. Chernin fell for the ploy and
immediately played 39Qe1+ 40.Kh2 Qxf2 only to be faced with 41.Rxa6+
bxa6 42.Qxd5+ Kb8 43.Qd6+ Ka7 44.Qb6#.
I would highly recommend this DVD for tournament players. Chess for
Scoundrels is not a superficial treatment of a fascinating subject. Instead,
Davies takes over four hours to discuss these psychological ruses. You will
get suggestions for how to exploit time trouble, how to use and refuse draw
offers, playing dead, engaging in active defense, defending difficult positions
and never giving up. If you ever thought chess was confined to the sixty-four
white and black squares, Davies will disabuse you of such nave notions.
Order Chess for Scoundrels

by Nigel Davies
Power Play 11: Defence by Daniel King Running Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
Most chess players are eager to devour a book on

tactics, familiarize themselves with typical mating
patterns, practice positions featuring the Greek
sacrifice, or learn how to pry open files against the
opponent's king. Attack is exciting! There is no
shortage of materials out there to emulate Morphy or
Tal, and they come with exciting titles such as
Rocking the Ramparts, Fire on Board, Storming the
Barricades, The Art of Attack, etc. Defense, on the
other hand, gets close to zero attention, which is
rather unfortunate because players often have to
defend their positions over the board. Defense is a
vital skill for the improving player.
One of the first books in the area of defense was Soltis's The Art of Defense in
Chess. This inspiring book increased our knowledge and awareness of the
subject, but not necessarily our ability. From a training and development
perspective, the current best work on the subject is Practical Chess Defence
by Jacob Aagaard, aimed exclusively at building one's defensive muscle.
Through three levels and two hundred positions, Aagaard takes the reader on
an emotional ride that will delight, frustrate, and torture readers as they
balance on the brink of disaster trying to escape overwhelming attacking
positions. Aagaard clearly believes that one should develop defensive skills in
the same way we approach tactical training.
This brings me to PowerPlay 11: Defence by GM Daniel King. Unlike

Aagaard who puts us in the eye of the storm, King takes us back before the
clouds begin to gather, and focuses on ways to avoid falling into defensive
positions. He gets us started with ten puzzles, leaving the solutions at the end
of the DVD. The idea is to first go over the main content before looking at the
solutions, so that we can reassess our answers with the newly-gained
knowledge. This is an excellent way to get viewers involved, treating the
subject as a skill-development need.
The following is a sample from the test positions. White has just played g4
and Black must figure out how to deal with this aggressive advance.
The first subject in PowerPlay 11 is premature castling, one of the main

culprits for landing in defensive positions.
After White's 17.Bd3, Black made the correct decision to avoid kingside
castling and try to exchange one of White's powerful attacking pieces with
17Bd6. However, after 18.Re3 he castled with 180-0-0, allowing White
to attack on that side of the board with 19.a4 and soon went into a lost
endgame. The game ended in another forty-three moves, but King stops after
19Bxe5 20.dxe5 Qd5 21.Qf1 Qd4 22.axb5 a5 23.Rxa5 Rd5 24.Qe2 Rhd8
25.Ra3 Kb8 26.h3.
King's style of presenting is suitable for club-players of all levels. He is well-

known for his engaging style and clarity of communication, one of the main
reasons the Power Play series is so effective. For instance, in the diagrammed
position above he takes the time to slowly explain various positional factors,
such as White's initiative due to the position of the bishops. The bishop on e5
has a beautiful diagonal looking at Black's camp from both directions, and
after 17.Bd3 both bishops are looking towards the kingside. He also mentions
the advantages of White's isolated d-pawn, which allows more space for
moves such as 17.Bd3, the rook lift Re3, etc. For Black, he mentions the solid
chain of pawns on the kingside, and the effective position of the light-square
bishop along the h1-a8 diagonal. He often stops to dissect positions in this
way, and no matter what the subject of King's DVDs, we leave enlightened
with a greater understanding of positional chess.
At the end of the first lecture King invites us to work out Black's best way of
handling the position after 18.Re3, and he discusses the solution on the
second lecture where he recommends a strategy of simplification, exchanging
bishops with 18Bxd6. This is a good lecture and continues the theme of
avoiding getting into difficult defensive positions. I do feel that perhaps King
missed a nice opportunity to orient players on finding the best defensive
moves in dire situations. For instance, he suggest that 180-0 might actually
be playable, offering the sharp double-bishop sacrifice after 19.Bxh7+ Kxh7
20.Qh5+ Kg8 21.Bxg7 f6 22.Qh8+ Kg7 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.Qh7+ Ke8 25.Rxe6
Qxe6 26.Qxb7. This is a line where a false step can get Black mated, so it
could have been good material to advise on how to remain calm and find only-
moves in such critical defensive positions.
It is clear King does not want to get too much into the subject of defensive
methods, but on how to avoid them altogether. This makes the title slightly
misleading, and King admits this himself at the start of DVD. On the other
hand, prevention in defense has tremendous practical value, and King gives
ample treatment to this topic. In addition, some of the test positions in the test
did require Black to find the best move to stay on the board.
The second topic is devoted to the subject delayed castling, which King
covers in four lectures. He starts this lecture with his overall philosophy for
this DVD: "In order to be a good defender, I think is important to be able to
recognize the danger before it occurs." The lectures feature the game Topalov-
Ponomariov from the M-Tel Masters in 2005: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3
Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 00 where Topalov came up with a more
aggressive placement of the light-squared bishop after 8.Rc1 c6 9.e4 d5 10.e5
Ne4 11.Bd3!? The moral of these lectures is to help players be alert to
counterattacking possibilities, and not to underestimate the opponent's attack.
The third topic is the advanced of the f-pawn; a topic that King gives
comprehensive treatment through eleven lectures, as well as other works in
the series such as Power Play 2: Attacking the King, and Power Play 3: Pawn
Storm. King often illustrates typical moves that should cause us to flick our
alert buttons on immediately, such as the one in the game here after 1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bd2 Qe7 7.a3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 e5 9.
d5 Nb8 10.e4 00 11.Be2 Nh5, with ideas of f5 and Nf4. As in most lectures,
King leaves you with some homework to do. For instance, in the game above
after 11Nh5 King analyzes 12...Bh3 13.Nh4 Nf6 14.Qd3 15.b4 a5 16.bxa5
Na6 17.Qe3 Nac5 18.Bb4 Kh8 19.Bf1 Bxf1 20.Kxf1 g6 21.Kg2 Rg8 22.Rhf1
Raf8
King closes this lecture with the following comment:
"Both sides have bought their kings to relatively safe positions, both
sides have developed more or less this one is still in the corner [Ra1],
and black is building up for some kind of kingside attack. So here is my
question for you: What would you do as White in this position. It's white
to play. My advice is: Think very carefully about what black is trying to
achieve, and then on that basis, choose a move"
On the next lecture you get the solution, often accompanied with more
questions, making this DVD an excellent source of practice. King often
recommends that we set up the positions on a board to help our ideas "flow
from our fingertips and through our brains"
The fourth topic dealt with the f4-g4 duo advance in four lectures, and dealing
mostly with Queen's Gambit positions, such as the game played between
Spassky-Petrosian from the 1959 USSR Championship. King ends the first
lecture asking how would we deal with white's aggression after 1.c4 Nf6 2.
Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c6 7.Qc2 g6 8.e3 Bf5 9.Bd3
Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Nbd7 11.h4.
King devoted one lecture to the final topics of passive play, the weakness of
the back-rank, and stalemate; as well as a couple of lectures dealing with the
process of elimination. The sample games were interesting, and the solutions
to the questions posed by King exciting, as in Ennio-Nunn from the Geneva
Open in 1987.
Black to play and win
Nunn ended matters with 28Qe4! and White couldn't avoid losing a piece.
King shows us a few more position featuring the back-rank mate. The
example Rovner-Kamyshev (Moscow 1947) reminded me a little bit of one of
the most famous back-rank examples of all time, where the unknown Edwin
Ziegler Adams sacrificed the queen several times against Carlos Torre in New
Orleans 1920. Although Edward Winter proved this game a sham, the position
itself is still one of the most beautiful examples of this mating motif. King
shows us several more examples to make the point that as defensive experts
we need to be aware of this type mate, which occurs too often in chess.
The test positions covered all the content topics in more or less the same
order. I thought it would be interesting to benchmark the difficulty of the
questions, and invited my 1300-rated student to take the test along with me
(I'm currently rated in the 1900s). I was able to find the correct solution to six
out of ten puzzles, while my student got two correct. I would imagine a 2100-
rated player would have gotten most of the questions right.
King is probably the best presenter in the Fritz Trainer circuit, and Power
Play 11 does not disappoint. I highly recommend this series to anyone, and
hope they continue adding content to the Power Play series.
Order Power Play 11: Defense

by Daniel King
1...e6: A Solid Repertoire against 1.d4 and 1.e4 by Nigel Davies Running
Time: Five hours
In the Arkhangelsk DVD, Mikhalchishin asks the

rhetorical question "why is the main line the main
line?" His answer is that the line is not only the
most played, but it is also the line where both
players can best demonstrate the main plans and
ideas behind a particular opening. This path is often
heavily analyzed and one needs to be up-to-date in
this analysis.
Enter here the average club player with full-time
jobs and family responsibilities. We don't want to
get slaughtered in the opening against a booked-up
opponent, so we tend to look for shortcuts - easy-to-play openings that rely on
general ideas rather than specific move orders. These moves might not be
considered the very best ones, but they take prepared opponents off known-
theoretical lines, and we avoid having to study reams of theory. For instance,
most French players are familiar with the c5 plan, say after, 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.
Nd2 Bd7 4.Bd3 and Black now gets the standard 4...c5 lever aimed mainly at
leaving White with a weakness on d4. In 1e6: A Solid Repertoire, Davies
suggests a different route with 4..Nc6 and shows viewers how to play these
types of positions.
In 1e6: A Solid Repertoire, Davies has worked out an economical defense

against 1.e4 and 1.d4. Of course, there is a plethora of other moves at this
early stage of the game, so Davies concludes this DVD with a few
suggestions against players of the Catalan, Colle, London, and Torre systems.
The contents are divided as follows:
Introduction
French 3.Nd2 Be7 lines (Six lectures)
French 3.Nc3 Be7 (Four lectures)
French 3.e5 c5 (Four lectures)
French 3.exd5
French 2nd move Alternatives
Franco-Indian 2.c4 (Five lectures)
Catalan
Anti-Torre
Anti-London
Anti-Colle
I left this video wondering how economical 1..e6 really is. First one has to
contend with playing the French Defense, which might not be to everyone's
taste. Davies tries to shortcut French theory with ...Bd7 in answer to 3.Nc3
and 3.Nd2, but then there is the advanced French, the exchange French,
second-move alternatives, and various openings that Davies has no choice but
to give minimal treatment to. Davies does state that 1e6 is geared
specifically to meet 1.e4 and 1.d4. We also get into Franco-Indian lines after 1.
e4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ which can often transpose to the Bogo-Indian Defense.
Nevertheless, my concern is really more a matter of personal taste. If you like

playing the French, Davies does a good job here of balancing both the
explanations and variations. 1e6 generates some intriguing possibilities that
had never occurred to me. For instance, in Franco-Indian lines Black has not
bought his knight out to f6, as typically occurs in the Nimzo-Indian Defense.
This gives Black a couple of extra options, such as playing ...f7-f5 before ...
Nf6, and preventing the sharp Bg5 variation in the Nimzo-Indian after 1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5. Similarly, as Davies points out 1e6 also
avoids certain sharp choices by white in the Trompowsky, such as 1.d4 Nf6 2.
Bg5 e6 3.e4 h6 4.Bxf6 Qxf6 and now white can play the dangerous Qd2/ f4
plan. My own experience facing 1.d4 e6 is that it is the move order used by
those who like to play the Dutch after 1.e4 e6 2.c4 f5, but want to avoid the
Staunton Gambit.
The "anti" lectures are useful bits to get us in the right direction to explore
further. Against the Torre Attack, Davies uses the game Hort-Browne played
in 1979 in the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 h6 4.Bh4 g5 5.Ng3 Ne4 where
Browne took the full point. Davies does not think much of the other common
move arising after 4.Bxf6 Qxf6, and just mentions that Black gets a solid
position from 5.c3 d6 6.e4 Nd7. 7.Nbd2 g6. Coincidentally, I had the good
fortune to be paired against IM Danny Kopec recently, in a game that featured
the Torre. After the game, he mentioned that the 4g5 line after 4.Bh5 seems
to be effective.
The Colle and London lectures were extremely brief, the latter lasting a mere
two and a half-minutes and featuring an amateur-level game. Still, the ideas
were simple and easy to understand.
Order 1...e6: A Solid Repertoire against 1.d4 and 1.e4

by Nigel Davies
The King's Indian by Viktor Bologan Running Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
The King's Indian Defense is a rich and complex

opening, boasting forty ECO codes, which is as
many as the Ruy Lopez. It is an opening that has
been played by great champions such as Kasparov
and Fischer, as well as by Shirov, Gelfand, and
Bologan, who relies primarily on his own games to
explain his suggested repertoire for black. Amateur
tournament players tend to play what is fashionable,
so nowadays we seem to encounter the Slav more
often than the King's Indian Defense, but the latter is
still a common opening and Bologan appeals to the
dynamism and flexibility this hypermodern opening
offers. He explains that Black can play on queenside in Volga Gambit style,
on the kingside with an f5 plan when White crosses over Black's territory with
d4-d5, or possibly play in the center.
He also makes a good case for taking up the King's Indian if we want to play
for a win. Bologan's perspective is that if one is familiar with middlegame
strategic ideas in the King's Indian Defense, we can often find ourselves
easily outplaying our opponents, even if they are higher rated. He also points
out that sometimes it is psychologically difficult for White to handle Black's
play-to-win approach in the King's Indian, and that there are no lines that give
White an immediate advantage, making this a strong and solid weapon.
Bologan promises a full repertoire for Black and he delivers. The DVD
contains the following lectures:
Introduction
White plays Bg5 or Bf4
White plays h3
White plays 5.Ne2 or 5.Bd3
The Samisch Variation with 6.Be3
The Samisch Variation with 6.Bg5
The Four Pawns Attack
The Averbakh Variation
The Exchange Variation
The Exchange Variation
The Gligoric System
The Classical Variation with 9.Bg5, 9.Bd2, 9.a4 and 9.b4
The Classical Variation with 9.Ne1
The Classical Variation with 9.Nd2
The Classical Variation with 8.Be3
The Fianchetto Variation with d3
The Fianchetto Variation with b3
The Fianchetto Variation, other 7th moves and 8.e4
The Fianchetto Variation with 8.h3
The Fianchetto Variation with 8.d5
The Fianchetto Variation with 8.b3
The Fianchetto Variation without c4
Bologan has a very organized style of presenting, which I find highly

effective for dealing with complex openings. He starts each video by
presenting the general ideas, concepts, and piece placements in each line, and
then transitioning into the actual moves. A typical example would be the first
lecture in the Smisch Variation after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.
f3. Bologan explains:
"Now White is playing a very solid move. It is clear that White wants to
prepare this set up of Be3 and Qd2 or, or Bg5 and Qd2. So this is very
solid set up because White has a very strong pawn center, and for Black
it is not so easy to attack it. I will recommend the system which starts
with a6 and Nbd7. First we make sure we castle of course (5...0-0). Now
we are waiting for the sixth move for White Here we have two
possibilities, mainly 6.Be3 and 6.Bg5, and on 6.Be3 we play here 6...
a6 ... The idea behind this move is to prepare Nbd7 and c5, this is the
main plan for Black 6a6 is just a useful move, especially in the
lines where Black is playing c5, White is playing d5 and Black is
sacrificing a pawn with b5"
This is a typical introduction from Bologan. He is a bit more economical with

words at the start, just offering us some general concepts, and then describing
what will be his recommended repertoire and why. Once he is going through
the moves, he explains things further. He also closes each lecture with a
formal conclusion, summarizing key learning points. One typical conclusion
is offered at the end of the lecture on the Averbakh variation:
"So let's make conclusions on this line, on Averbakhwe play Na6.

The ideas behind this move are the same as in the Four Pawns attack ...
c5. Sometimes If they put the bishop on g6 and pawn on f4, in that case
we then play c6 and Nc7, and h6 with the idea of attacking the bishop
and we are not afraid of this h4-h5 attack, because meanwhile we play
e6 and open the center, and we normally put our queen on c7, and at the
same time we have our play on the queenside with a6, b5 with good
counterplay"
One method I found highly effective in Bologan's lectures was his tendency to
often stop and emphasize a move that was typical in the given variation. For
example, in the lecture on the h3 variation after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.
e4 d6 5.h3 Nbd7 6.Nf3 e5 7.d5 Nc5 8.Qc2 he tells us not to rush to castle and
first play a5. He reminds you that a5 is a very typical move in the King's
Indian when the knight is on c5, and that we always have to be careful not to
allow White to play b4 and disturb the placement of the knight. These terrific
verbal stops are interspersed throughout the lectures, making the content
easier to retain. Viewers will undoubtedly appreciate this aspect of Bologan's
lectures, given the large number of white systems and variations Black needs
to prepare against in order to successfully play the King's Indian.
Bologan opted for non main-lines if the moves were solid and easier to play.
For instance, in the Four Pawns attack he suggests a plan with 0-0 and 6
Na6, instead of immediate play in the center with 0-0, c5, and e6. This seems
to be a safer and more positional treatment of the variation, which Bologan
deems as one of the sharpest responses from White and where players are
looking to refute the King's Indian altogether these days.
"Arrows and colors galore"
As a viewer I felt in very good hands with Bologan. He is tremendously

organized and consistent in his approach. He also makes terrific use of the
color commentary functions, leaving these visual cues in the accompanying
games to make them easier to analyze.
Order The King's Indian

by Viktor Bologan


Edging out the Spring Chickens Purchases from our shop help
accessible:
How to Beat Younger Players by Nigel Davies Running time: 3 hrs.
"A spring chicken may be a little naive or unseasoned at times, but it

often makes up in physical agility." Michael Pollick
Older chaps are well-aware of the challenges

younger players present on the tournament circuit.
They usually have higher energy levels, the ability
to calculate effectively for longer periods of time,
ChessBase and are able to perform well under sustained tension
and stress. They also have better memory and their
Cafe familiarity with technology allows them to exploit
the benefits of chess software and databases. As
ChessBase Magazine 133
Davies points out, players these days study many
Louis Lima variations that catapult them straight into the
middlegame without difficulty.
Following the devilishly entertaining Chess for Scoundrels, Davies presents

us with another fun and instructive subject. How to Beat Younger Players is a
three hour guide to help older players steer the game towards positions where
intuition and experience takes on particular importance.
The first of fourteen lectures serves as an introduction where Davies outlines

the methods discussed on the rest of the DVD. Some of these methods include
Reshaping your existing opening repertoire

Drifting the game towards typical positions rather than theory-laden Fritz 12
lines.
Learning low-maintenance openings
Play through and download Choosing quieter, less tactical lines.
the games from Adopting strategies to reduce tension in the position
ChessCafe.com in the Welcoming simplifications, even if they lead to equal or slightly
DGT Game Viewer. advantageous positions
Boning up on endgame knowledge
Being happy with aiming for tiny advantages
Repeating the moves to gain and advantage on the clock, reach time
controls, or simply to clear one's head.
Keeping fit, following a healthy diet, and reducing stress levels in one's
life.
1.e4 Repertoire
In 1995 Kasparov surprised Anand (and the chess world) by employing the by Sam Collins
ultra sharp Classical Dragon for the first time in world championship play.
Davies uses this game in the second lecture to show the disadvantages of
playing sharp openings, where a tiny slip often trounces the un-booked
opponent. Playing the macho dragon requires constant knowledge-updating,
and a desire to play a game of relentless tension.
Not exactly the type of position Davies suggests.
The second game in this lecture features the Accelerated Dragon, which
Davies suggests older players switch to or adopt against the Sicilian Defense.
This system generally travels along positional lines where specific plans and
ideas are generally more important than move orders. According to Davies,
the worst that White can do against the Accelerated Dragon is to play the
Maroczy Bind, and he provides the following sample game:
Nielsen,Tommy (2225) - Donaldson,John W (2430)

Owens Corning Wrexham (9), 22.10.1997
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 00 8.
Be2 d6 9.00 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13.Rac1 Nd7 14.Bf2
In Maroczy-Bind positions the exchange of dark-squared bishops typically

favors Black. This is somewhat counter-intuitive and Davies points out an
instructive moment here. It would seem natural for White to want to play 14.
Bxg7. However, after 14Kxg7 15.Qd5+ Black has the retort 15e5. After
the queen retreat, Black can re-route his knight to d4 via c5-e6. The backward
pawn on d6 cannot be exploited and neither the dark-squares around Black's
king. Davies reasons that White retreated to 14.Bf2 based on the theoretical
knowledge of avoiding this bishop exchange rather than understanding of the
position, because after 14a4 15.Rfd1 Nc5 16.Nd5 Re8 White decided to
return the bishop to d4 with 17.Bd4 allowing 17Bxd4+ 18.Qxd4 e5 The
game ends with an instructive good knight versus bad bishop endgame, which
is the dream endgame one gets in the Maroczy Bind when things go Black's
way.
According to Davies 1.e4 is the most difficult move to meet for the older
player because it channels the game into open games featuring theoretical
struggles, complications and on-going tension. He offers several
recommendations in his third video lecture for how to meet 1.e4 such as
adopting the Scandinavian and Caro-Kann, and certain lines of the French
Defense such as the Fort Knox variation after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.
Bd7 with the idea of playing Bc6 and solving the problem of the French
bishop. One of his sample games in this line was the game Xie Jun (2562) -
Seirawan,Y (2618) from the 2002 Queens v Kings event in which Xie Jun
pushed a little hard and ultimately collapsed in a one-move blunder.
White has just played 24.Bxf6.
What would you play here?
The game went 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7 5.Nf3 Bc6 6.Bd3
Nd7 7.00 Be7 8.b3 Ngf6 9.Ng3 00 10.Bb2 b6 11.c4 Bb7 12.Qe2 c5 13.
Rad1 Re8 14.dxc5 bxc5 15.Ne5 g6 16.Be4 Qc8 17.Bxb7 Qxb7 18.Rfe1 Nf8
19.Ng4 Nxg4 20.Qxg4 Rad8 21.Nh5 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Rd8 23.Nf6+ Bxf6 24.
Bxf6 Qe4 0-1 Davies's comments here are very instructive. He points out that
his recommended opening repertoire steers the games into positions where
patience and subtlety are required, and where experience and understanding is
more important that specific variations. He also advises adopting openings
that feature similar pawn positions, which helps make decisions based on
general knowledge. For instance, all his recommended openings feature the
same pawn structure of four pawns on the kingside, and standard operations
along the d- and c-files.
In the fourth lecture, Davies suggest an opening repertoire for players of the
French Defense that features 1e6 against 1.d4. 1.d4 e6 leads to less
theoretical lines such as 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4, which Paul Keres played on
occasion, as well as Franco-Indian and Bogo-Indian lines usually leading to
exchanges. If you are interested in this approach, Davies has another
ChessBase trainer titled 1e6: A Solid Repertoire, which I reviewed in
December 2009. The games in this lecture were highly instructive in the way
Black went about reducing the tension in the position, and he offered several
suggestions for players looking to recalibrate their opening repertoire. For
Kings Indian Defense or Modern Benoni Players, he recommends the Czech
Benoni after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5, where general knowledge of blocked
position theory is much more important than knowledge of any exact moves.
(There is also a nice ChessBase trainer out there by Martin on the Czech
Benoni). Other opening recommendations here include old lines of the
Queens Gambit, such as the Lasker variation. There are just so many good
generic ideas here by Davies, and he does show several ways to tone down
one's opening repertoire, even in several major openings.
On lecture number five we get suggestions as White that includes adopting

system-openings, such as the London, Colle, Colle-Zukertort, Torre, or
Trompowsky. The game SmyslovXu was a wonderful example of the former
champion employing a no-frills approach after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.e3. The
game also begins to illustrate the concept of generating a quiet middlegame
with a view to the endgame. Recommendations for readjusting one's white
opening repertoire included going for same-side castling instead of the
Yugoslav Attack in the Classical Dragon Sicilian, and switching to Closed
Sicilian or the King's Indian Attack from open lines of the Sicilian Defense.
He also recommends the Sicilian Kan as a very solid alternative for Black,
and in Davies' excellent 1.e4 for the Creative Attacker there is an interesting
approach with 1.e4 c5 2.Na3.
Lecture six involves some of Davies own games, which serve to drive the
point of playing positions featuring several of the strategies presented. The
seventh lecture discusses the advantages of being satisfied with tiny
advantages, which are more likely to lead to rational positions where older
players tend not to make mistakes and use their experience to the maximum.
Often times these positions look quite benign and lull the opponent into a fall
sense of security as in the sample game Petrosian-Veingold from the 1993
Keres Memorial.
White wins in five more moves.
The game went 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.e3 Bb7 5.Bd3 d5 6.00 dxc4 7.
Bxc4 Be7 8.Qe2 00 9.Nc3 Ne4 10.Nxe4 Bxe4 11.b3 c5 12.Rd1 Qc7 13.
dxc5 Bxc5 14.Bb2 Qe7 15.Nd2 Bg6 16.a3 a5 17.Bb5 Nd7 18.Nc4 Rad8 19.
b4 axb4 20.axb4 Bxb4 21.Ra7 Qc5 22.Raxd7 Ra8 23.Ne5 10. Davies does
a terrific job of discussing this game, weaving in previously outlined
strategies, and providing some entertaining comments.
There were also some enlightening pointers by Davies to transition into the
next lecture and they centered on endgame preparation. According to Davies,
players who employ the "taking a little nibble rather than a big bite" approach
need to be prepared to play endgames. If one can switch to a style of play
where one is good at endgames, then we will be confident at playing simple
positions and not mind simplifications. According to Davies, the greatest
trump in the older player's arsenal is to have knowledge and confidence in the
endgame. That means the older players is OK with more restrained positions
and can play in a more relaxed style, rather than going after their opponent
and exposing themselves in the process. To illustrate this concept of
restrained play and endgame specialization, Davies uses the game Donaldson-
Taimanov from the 1997 Owens Corning event where Black adopted a Bogo-
Indian set up and drifted the game to a successful endgame.
How to Beat Younger Players runs for three hours, which is slightly shorter
than the average ChessBase trainer nowadays. However, each lecture is
packed with many useful suggestions. His ninth lecture advises older players
to find positions that were popular before most opponents started playing
chess. For instance, he suggests going back to the chess literature of the 70s or
80s and explore old lines of the King's Indian Defense, old Indians, and some
Benonis, where the style is less forcing and based more on clean, classical
play. Younger players might have forgotten or nor not be quite as up-to-date
on these older lines. He presents us with some of his games in the King's
Indian Attack, where he shows a clear connection between choosing an
opening where one's experience counts. Needless to say, Davies also has a
ChessBase trainer on the King's Indian Attack.
There are times when we know an opponent wants to beat us, and Davies
discusses how we might turn this to our advantage by trying to make them
overreach in simple positions. He calls this the frustration factor, and in the
tenth lecture he offers a terrific example from the famous game Lasker-Euwe
from Nottingham 1936. Lasker applied the concept of simplification;
frustrating Euwe where he overreached and blundered.
What would you play in this position?

In the above position Lasker played the tactical shot 24.b4! winning material.
The game ended 24... Bxb4 25.Nc2 Bd2 26.Bxd2 Nb2+ 27.Ke2 Kd5 28.Bc1
Nc4 29.Kd3 Nb6 30.Ne3+ Ke6 31.Nc4 Nc8 32.Na5 Nd6 33.Bf4 10
The last lectures are devoted to Lasker and Smyslov who played until late in
life, as well as Korchnoi and Karpov who continue playing actively today.
The games include Lasker-Alexander (Nottingham 1936), Korchnoi-Tiviako
(9th Open Banyoles 2006), Smyslov-Oll (Rostov 1993), and Kamsky-Karpov
(Amber Rapid 1996). Davies extracts several educational moments in these
lectures, in particular the games of Smyslov and seventy-eight year old
Korchnoi whom Davies calls "the greatest biological miracle the chess world
has ever seen."
I highly recommend this excellent DVD by Davies, who is very articulate and
engaging here. It was painful to discover all the methods the veterans have
inflicted on me at the local chess club, but it gave me many ideas for how to
handle the younger lads. Now we just need a "How to Beat the Veterans"
guide for the balance to be restored!
Order How to Beat younger Players

by Nigel Davies
The ABC of the King's Indian (2nd Edition) by Andrew Martin Running
time: 5 hrs.
Last month I had an opportunity to review

Bologan's King's Indian Defense DVD in which he
provides a specific repertoire, based mostly on his
own playing experience. The ABC of the King's
Indian Defense by Martin, on the other hand, is a
"friendly tour" of the K.I.D. His goal is to entertain
you, inspire you, and give you some ideas and
occasional recommendations. His aim is to make
you a K.I.D fan and set you on your way to learn
more and hopefully try it out in your play.
Therefore, what you get is a bunch of lectures
loosely organized under broad categories. The
reader can compare Bologan's DVD outline with the one below to get a
further idea of the content.
Chapter One
01: Introduction
02: Ljukamnov Martin
03: Solution
04: Martin Buckley
Chapter Two: Classical Games
05: Introduction and Donner Gligoric
06: Kortschnoj Fischer
07: Ftacnik Cvitan
08: Summerscale Hebden
09: Vitiugov Khismatullin
Chapter Three: Four Pawns Attack
10: Introduction and Daces Mrdja
Chapter Four: Samisch Variation
11: Introduction and Karpov Kasparov
12: Platonov Shamkovitch
13: Some thoughts on 6c5
14: Analysis against 6.Bg5
Chapter Five: Fianchetto
15: Introduction and Matonen Vooremaa
16: Burmakin Morozevich
Chapter Six: Systems with an early Bg5
17: Introduction and Schandorff Nataf
18: Averbakh 6Na6 analysis
19: Chernin Cebalo
Chapter Seven: Other white systems
20: Introduction and Behrmann - Tartar
21: Williams Gallagher
Chapter Eight
22: Closing remarks
King's Indian Updates
23: Morozevich Jones [Makogonov's system]
24: Wang Yue Cheparinov [6Nbd7 in the classical variation]
25: Johansen King [Averbach system]
26: Hulak Fedorov [The Panov in the Fianchetto variation]
27: Van Wely Radjabov [Bayonet attack]
28: Grand Zuniga Komljenovic [Four Pawn attack]
29: Williams Hebden [Mar del Plata Variation]
30: Summerscale Jones [Classical Variation]
Martin gets us started with one of his own games: Ljukmanov Martin from
the 1994 World Correspondence Semi-Finals. We pick up the action after 21.
Bh6, and by the way, if you can solve these diagrams, the K.I.D. May be the
opening for you.
Black to Move What would you play?
Martin sacrifices his knight with 21Nc4!, which White is forced to accept.
22.bxc4 Rb8+ 23.Ka1 Bh8 24.Nfd1 Rab7 25.Re1 Ne5 Bringing all pieces
into the attack. 26.Bf4 Nxc4 27.Qe2 Qa3 28.Qxc4 Qxc1+ 29.Bxc1 Rb1# 0-1
Games like the one above abound in this DVD, and Martin surely knows how
to entertain. One of the most amusing lines in the K.I.D. occurs in the
classical variation when both opponents go about their own plans, largely
ignoring each other. White expands on the queenside while Black builds his
kingside attack. One of the most compelling examples of this in the DVD is
the game Ftacnik Cvitan from Bundesliga 1997 which went 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 00 6.Be2 e5 7.00 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2 Ne8 10.
b4 f5 11.c5 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 14.a4 Ng6 15.Ba3 Rf7 16.b5 dxc5 17.
Bxc5 h5 18.a5 g4 19.b6 g3 20.Kh1 21.d6 Qh4 22.Bg1 Bh3 23.bxc7
Cvitan finished off in spectacular style with mating sequence 23Bxg2+! 24.
Kxg2 Qh3+! 25.Kxh3 Ng5+ 26.Kg2 Nh4+ 27.Kh1 g2# 01
The Classical Variation is typically where one sees these pretty kingside
attacks by Black. Another terrific example in the DVD was the game
Summerscale Hebden from the Great Britain Championship in 2000.
Here Hebden won a pawn with 19Nfxd5! since 20.exd5 gives entry to
black's knight after 20Nf5 21.h3 Ng3+ 22.Kh2 Bxh3.
Martin has a talent for explaining concepts and ideas for the average player,
and his videos are replete with generous verbal commentary. In my review of
Bologan's DVD, I quoted his explanation of the starting position of the
Samish variation. Compare that with Martin's explanation of the Samish after
1. d4 Nf6 c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 and you clearly see the contrasting
lecture styles.
"Right, so this is the Samish Variation, one of the most difficult

variations to meet in the King's Indian. The pawn on f3 often gives
White's center a rock-like quality and behind that center, White hopes to
drum a kingside attack with ideas of perhaps Be3, Qd2 and then g4 and
h4. There are different ways for Black to play this position but
Shamkovich plays 5Nc6 which is quite rare. Black normally castles
before he takes any sort of action against White's center.
"Now, the possible drawback of the Samisch set-up is the d4 square.

This is the soft spot in White's central pawn formation, so you often find
Black bombarding this point in the Samish line. For instance after 50-
0 6.Be3 Black can choose between playing 6e5 or 6c5. Each of
these moves is connected with attacking d4 and forcing a slight
concession - so if White plays, say, d5 (after 6c5) the long diagonal is
open. Or in the case of 6e5 Black can sometimes get work with
preparing the move f5. The blockage on the center makes it easier for
white to engineer pawn levers on the flank.
"So 5Nc6 what do we make of this? Well, it's almost as is

Shamkovich is provoking the White center forward. It's almost as he
wants White to play d5 because he understand that if White pushes early
before developing his pieces behind this center there could be some
weak squares to occupy or take advantage of. For instance after 7.Be3
Black is already in good shape to attack the center with c6. Meanwhile,
if White is really tempted and got for 7.f4 then Black simply drops back
and is ready to chip in the center with c6."
According to Martin, the K.I.D. player needs to be flexible, enjoy taking risks,
have a good sense of timing, and enjoy experimenting with different types of
positions. Martin also tells us that the K.I.D. player needs to "love chess and
not results" and that it is an "artistic opening." My personal impression of
what Martin means by an artistic opening is that to be a K.I.D. player one
really needs to build very strong tactical acumen. There is no point in playing
highly imbalanced games if Black lacks the tactical reserves necessary to find
the winning combinational shots.
Bologan's K.I.D. is a more useful DVD if one is looking to seriously adopt the
K.I.D. There are so many dangerous systems White can adopt against the K.I.
D., as well various systems against Black's responses to White's, so Black
really needs to know his stuff and learn reams of theory. On the other hand,
Martin's aim is to inspire and provide an overall introduction to the opening,
which he delivers on both counts.
Order ABC of the King's Indian

by Andrew Martin
Power of Planning by Adrian Mikhalchishin Running time: 3 hrs 19 min.
Mikhalchishin continues to enlighten us with highly

interesting DVD topics, which include Decision
Making in Chess, Power of Exchange, and one my
all-time favorites the highly instructive Secrets of
World Champions. The Power of Planning is a
series of twelve lectures discussing the element of
pawn majorities and planning. Mikhalchishin is a
strong grandmaster, author of several chess books,
and renowned chess trainer, so we can expect
outstanding examples illustrating his ideas.
Mikhalchishin begins this DVD discussing topics

such the double-edge nature of pawn majorities, its various objectives, and
when a pawn majority is meaningful or not. The first example is from the
game Kasparov-Vukic from the European Championship in 1980.
After 21cxd4
Mikhalchishin points out here that Black's 4:3 pawn majority is difficult to
advance on the queenside, but on the other hand the pawn being used to stop
Black's majority is weak. White is better and he attributes this to the more
mobile nature of White's 3:2 majority on the queenside. Mikhalkishin shows
us how Kasparov exploited his pawn majority, culminating in the following
position:
White to Move What would you play?
Kasparov forced resignation with 37.Rd1! The game could have ended 37
Rxd1 38.Kxd1 Kd6 39.g5 Ke7 40.gxh6 Kf8 41.c5 Kg8 42.b4 Kh7 43.b5 axb5
and either the a- or c-pawn will promote.
There are a couple of other instructive examples, one a king, rook and pawn
endgame showing how White exploited his 3:2 vs 4:3 majority on the
kingside, as well as a game featuring good vs. bad pawn majorities. All
examples in each lecture are arranged by level of difficulty, making the
content accessible to intermediate-level players and beyond.
In the second lecture, Mikhalkishin shows us several king, rook and pawn
endgames featuring respective pawn majorities for each side, covering topics
such as the sacrificed rook vs. passed pawn and standard methods for stopping
pawn majorities. He also discusses taking into account additional factors
besides the agile majority, as in his sample game Golod-Kosashvili:
Black to Move
Mikhalkishin comments that at first glance the position looks quite sound, but
really the pawn structure on the queenside prevents white from preventing a
passed pawn with 28a5! and therefore Black's 4:3 majority on the kingside
is more dangerous in this case. The rest of the game is equally instructive
thanks to his interesting comments, and this special quality is consistent
throughout all the chosen examples.
Occasionally, Mikhalkishin fast-speeds at a bullet pace through certain move

sequences. It's almost comical to watch this when it happens, but he does such
a wonderful job at choosing his material and interconnecting the lectures. For
instance, his third lecture explores good and bad majorities in more detail,
picking a similar example from the Golod-Kosashvili, but tiny details give a
totally different assessment of the position:
White to Move
This position is from the game Sveshnikov-Sokolov, Moscow Open 1997.

White played 21.f3! cementing e4 and providing White's king a speedy route
to the center of the board. The move a5 here by Black wouldn't hold White's
majority successfully on account of the knights being on the board. This game
was another great example of how to exploit pawn majorities. The game
ended 21...Nd7 22.Kf2 f5 23.Ke3 Ke7 24.b4 e5 25.a4 Kd6 26.Kd3 Nf6 27.c5
+ Ke6? 28.b5! Kd7? 29.Kc4 Kc7 30.a5! a6 31.b6 Kb7 32.g3 h5? 33.h4!+-
Nd7 34.f4 exf4 35.gxf4 Nf8 36.Ne2 Ng6 37.Nd4 Nxh4 38.Ne6 Kc8 39.Nxg7
Ng6 40.Nxh5 Kd7 41.Kd3 Kc8 42.Ke3 Ne7 43.Ng7 Nd5+ 44.Kf3 Ne7 45.
Ne6 Nd5 46.Nd4 10
The third, fourth, and fifth lectures covered several topics related to pawn
majorities including how pawn minorities can fight majorities, destroying our
opponent's majority right in the middlegame, and which factors play a role in
deciding when to transition into the endgame positions. He also presents
examples illustrating the importance of tactical know-how in order to exploit
positional factors.
In lectures sixth through twelve Mikhalkishin immerses in a long range of

topics related to planning. We learn what planning is, the advantages of
finding the best move through proper planning versus brute calculation,
elements to assess in a position, and static vs dynamic elements. "It's all about
weaknesses" Mikhalkishin tell us, so through various examples he discusses
topics like basing our plan on our opponent's weaknesses, the weak King,
creating a second weakness, exploiting our opponent's bad pieces, how to spot
and fix weaknesses, and many other practical subjects. Below are a couple of
examples of such instructional moments in these lectures:
White to Move Where is Black's weak spot in this position?
This is from the game Vallejo Pons Martines Lozano from 1998 Spain
Championship. Vallejo put his finger on Black's weakness with 25.Kh1 Qd8
26.Rg1! (Kudos if you found the g-file to be the Black's weakness) 26Re8
27.Bf3 Qb8 28.Qg2 b5 29.axb5 axb5 30.Ne4 Qd8 31.Nxd6 Re7 32.Nf5 10
Black to Move
The above diagram is from the game Smyslov Andersson, Biel 1976 in
which Mikhalkishin highlights among other things, the different approaches
to dealing with the attack of the d-pawn. Andersson went for passive defense
with 30Rc6? and Mikhalkishin discusses dynamic defense with the
variation 30...Rb8 31.Bxd6!? Bxd6 32.Rxd6 Rxb3 33.Rxa6 Rc3! (33...Rxc4?
34.Ra7) trapping the knight.
There were several interesting comments by Mikhalkishin here; maybe they

will make their way into "memorable chess quotes." On tactics: "Tactics is the
accelerator of the plans." On creating a second weakness: "If you don't have
stuff to make a shirt you can't make a shirt." On weaknesses: "A weakness is
not a weakness at all if it cannot be exploited"
I enthusiastically recommend this DVD and kudos to Mikhalkishin and the

ChessBase team for developing an entertaining and high-quality training
product. Power of Planning is jam-packed with wonderfully instructive
examples rich in ideas, and will increase your awareness of planning and
decision making in chess.
Order Power of Planning

The Caro-Kann by Viktor Bologan Running time: 4 hrs. 40 min.
Bologan's goal in The Caro-Kann is to provide you

with a repertoire, specific move orders, and
knowledge. In his words, you simply need to watch
this four hour DVD to have an idea on how to play
all mainlines and sidelines. I agree that Bologan's
explanations, while brief, are usually quite to the
point. Still, beginner and intermediate-level players
might benefit from a broader discussion, as
Bologan's forte is to walk you through the specific
recommended lines and not delve into long
discourses that are helpful to average players.
Bologan follows the same effective approach from his King's Indian Defense
DVD, which I reviewed in December of last year. He is highly organized and
consistent in his delivery. He first starts with a brief explanation of the
particular system and recommended line, highlights a game, and ends with a
short summary. Many of the illustrative games on this DVD are his own, so
the content is based on his own knowledge and analysis. The recommended
repertoire is what he has played or would play in the future, perhaps with
some normal modifications. I wanted to see how he's been doing with the
Caro-Kann since the creation of this DVD, but was only able to find one
game, Okkes-Bologan from the 2008 Euro Club Cup in which he played 3
c5 against the Advanced Variation.
As most players know, the Caro-Kann has a reputation for being solid, but
somewhat passive and leading to drawn games. According to Bologan,
however, there are many opportunities for Black to capture the initiative, and
the positions are often complex and nuanced. There are also many dynamic
suggestions in his recommended repertoire. For instance, in the King's Indian
Attack set-up against the Caro-Kann, he recommends the pawn sacrifice after
1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Bd6 5.Qe2 Nf6, and if White goes for the
pawn he gets fantastic compensation after 6.exd5 cxd5 7.Nxe5 00 8.d4 Nc6
9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Nb3 Re8 11.Be3 Ng4 12.g3 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Qg5. From a
practical perspective though, it is unlikely your opponent will open up the
center with his king still stuck in the center, or play 5.Qe2. Most K.I.A.
players would continue with the common line 5.g3.
Bologan explains several plans and ideas in his variations, but the viewer
obviously has to do his homework and not expect his recommended repertoire
to play the game for them. An excellent example of this is his recommended
line after 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Bd6 5.d4 exd4 6.exd5 cxd5 7.
Nxd4 Nc6 8.N2b3 Nf6 9.Be2 00 10.00 h6
"Learning to play IQP positions"
Bologan very briefly discusses how to play isolated queen-pawn positions, but
this is a big subject in of itself. Learning how to handle IQP positions requires
familiarization, playing experience, and further research all beyond the
scope of the subject and objective of this DVD. I would highly recommend
Daniel King's Power Play 6, which provides great training material to develop
a practical understanding of IQP positions for both sides. The overall
PowerPlay series is worth every penny and some of the very best ChessBase
has to offer to average chess learners.
One would think there are no long move sequences needing to be memorized
in the Caro-Kann, but there are some. One of them occurs after 1.e4 c6 2.Nc3
d5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 Nf6 6.d4 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Qxd4 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.
Be3 Qd5 10.Rd1 000 11.Ng5 Ne5 12.Qxd5 Nxd5 and here Black needs to
know the sequence 13.Bxa7 h6 14.Bf5+ e6 15.Nxf7 exf5 16.Nxh8 Bb4+ 17.
c3 Bd6 18.f4 Nxf4 19.Bb6 Nfd3+ 20.Ke2 Rxh8 21.Rxd3 Nxd3 22.Kxd3 g6.
This is one of the few lines Black needs to remember in this variation
otherwise nasty things can happen.
The content is broken into the following twenty lectures:
01 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5
02 1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4
03 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3
04 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3
05 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4
06 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.exd5
Advanced Variation: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5
07 4th move sidelines)
08 4.c3
09 4.Be3/4.Nd2
10 4.h4 h5 5.c4 e6
11 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 f6
12 4.Nf3 e6 sidelines
13 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7
Classical System: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3/d2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5
14 5.Nc5
15 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3/N1e2/Bc4
16 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6
11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.0-0-0 Ngf6 14.Qe2 (or 13.Qe2)
17 13.0-0-0 Ngf6 14.Ne4 0-0-0 15.g3 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Bd6 17.Qe2
18 17. c4 c5 18.Bc3 cxd4
19 17. c4 c5 18.d4/18.Kb1/18.Qe2
20 17.Kb1
This is a good DVD if you are looking for a complete repertoire on the Caro-
Kann. However, I would suggest buyers compliment this purchase with some
broader materials that offer more explanations about ways to handle typical
positions and pawn structures; otherwise they might not be able to get out of
the theoretical jungle.
Order The Caro-Kann

by Victor Bologan

The World of the Repertoire Purchases from our shop help
accessible:
"Opening theory is a strange, speckled animal" - Bent Larsen
Last year I was strongly chastised by a chess expert for employing the Colle-
Zukertort system against him. His argument was that I was hampering my
long-term chess development by employing system-based openings that let
Black equalize easily. He strongly encouraged me to get down to business and
learn "grown-up" openings that fight for the advantage with White.
Nonetheless, I was able to draw my game against him, not to mention my
excellent results with the Zuk, or that I had a full-time job with family
ChessBase responsibilities limiting my study time. In his opinion, I was heading for
doom if I didn't start playing 1.e4 and the Sicilian Defense against it -
Cafe specifically the Sveshnikov or Scheveningen systems. As most players know
a few months into learning the game, there is no shortage of advice out there
ChessBase Magazine 133
on what openings to employ.
Louis Lima
This month's column features four ChessBase opening trainers that cater to a
wide variety of audiences - from pragmatists to theory junkies. If you wish to
never read another opening book for the rest of your life, then A Busy
Person's Opening System by GM Nigel Davies might be your holy grail.
Davies does venture some specific opening suggestions for further study
down the line if desired. However, by "down-the-line" he means as in
retirement or after the children move out of the house. These opening
suggestions are a natural extension to Davies's suggested repertoire - it is a bit
like purchasing a laptop with the hope of upgrading its memory and hard
drive later on.
If you believe in Fischer's "best by test" comment regarding 1.e4, then IM Fritz 12
Sam Collin's 1.e4 Repertoire: Grandmaster Lines Explained for Club Players
might be what you are looking for. His recommendations are slightly less
theoretical but regularly played at top level. My wife, who was passing by as I
Play through and download was viewing one of the lectures, came to a screeching halt curious to know
the games from who the "extremely handsome man" in the video was.
DGT Game Viewer.
If you relish the adrenaline rush when playing the black side of the Classical
Dragon, but keep getting slain upon losing your way in the jungle of theory,
then IM Andrew Martin's The ABC of the Sicilian Dragon could be the
perfect antidote. His recommendation of the line known as the "Dragondorf"
is surely bound to attract a legion of fans craving to adopt an opening with the
coolest name on the planet.
The Gruenfeld Defence
If you enjoy active piece play and counterattacking potential, GM Lubomir by Lubomir Ftacnik
Ftacnik is ready to introduce you to the Grnfeld Defense through a seven and
a half hour marathon in fifty-four video lectures. This being only a superficial
introduction to the accompanying 3,500 plus games you are advised to study
if you wish to excel at this hypermodern opening.
A Busy Person's Opening System, Nigel Davies, Running time: four hours
With A Busy Person's Opening System, Davies adds

to his growing list of engaging DVD presentations.
These productions generally shy away from sharp
theoretical struggles. Jacob Aagard refers to this, in
his "holiday style" production on the Queens Indian
Defense, as "chess for gangsters, for swindlers, for
people who basically don't want to learn a lot of
theory but want to understand where the pieces
belong." This is exactly what Davies offers. His aim
is to help you reach a type of position, regardless of
piece color, that you can play and understand
without having to study any opening theory. His
audience is people who are too busy to study, but still want to play a decent
game of chess without being massacred in the opening stages. For this reason
he suggests adopting highly non-theoretical openings. Why learn to drive a
Formula One car, he tells us, if we can only drive on the streets.
Davies's suggested playing structure has us placing our pawns on e4, d3, and
c3 (or e5, d6, and c6 as black). Thus, we are basically playing an Old Indian
Defense as black or an Old Indian Reverse as white. For instance, the first
illustrative game features Joerg Hickl (2500) vs. Ivan Sokolov (2580),
Dortmund 1989. After 1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Be2 Nf6 5.d3 we reach
the desired pawn structure.
Old Indian or Philidor-type of

pawn structure with white
Upon 5 Be7 6.00 d5 7.Nbd2 00 8.Re1 e5, Davies points out that White
has reached an Old Indian with colors reversed and two extra tempi, one by
virtue of being White, and the other by Black having played e6 and e5. Hickl
played 9a3 here, employing one of the common plans of queenside
expansion, preparing b4. The game is beautifully presented by Davies,
making sense of White's maneuvers while introducing standard plans and
ideas in these types of positions.
One of the many examples of Black constructing this position is featured in

the game YUCO-Kasparov from a 1998 Internet blitz game, where we see the
former world champion playing 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bh5 5.c4
Nd7 6.Nc3 e5. All the games are from IM-level and above, and you'll find
familiar names such as Pachman, Larsen, Lbujovevic, and more, including
several games by German GM Joerg Hickl, who has frequently played this
system.
The lectures are organized in a very practical manner; first instructive games
highlight the main strategical ideas, followed by Black's handling of this
system - mainly through Philidor-type positions (e.g., 1.d4 d6 2.e4 c6 3.Nc3
Qc7 4.Nf3 e5). Davies then moves on to explore how to reach these positions
with White, culminating with some opening expansions on the Ruy Lopez,
King's Indian Defense, and others. There are a total of twenty-three lectures:
01: Introduction
02: Strategy 1 - Central exchange
03: Strategy 2 - Little centre
04: Strategy 3 - Queenside pawn advance
05: Strategy 4 - Lever with f2-f4 or f7-f5
06: Strategy 5 - Attack with g2-g4 or g7-g5
07: Strategy 6 - Space gaining with e4-e5 or e5-e4
08: Strategy 7 - Space gaining with f2-f4 & e4-e5 & e5-e4
09: Philidor Nc3; Nf3
10: Philidor Nc3; f4
11: Philidor Nf3; Bg4; h3
12: Philidor Nf3; Bg4; Nc3
13: Philidor Nf3; Bg4; Bd3
14: Old Indian d4; c4; e4
15: Flank Openings
16: White vs e5
17: White vs e4 Black plays a5
18: White vs e4 Ponziani queen exchange
19: White vs French
20: White vs Sicilian
21: White vs Alekhine or Pirc
22: White vs Caro Kann
23: Retirement option
The sample games feature plenty of maneuvering, as well as some wild games
such as the Kosten-Luciani 1993 encounter: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 d6 4.d4
Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.00 00 7.Re1 c6 8.a4 b6 9.Bg5 a6 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Be2
h6 12.Bf4 Ng6 13.Be3 Ng4 14.Bc1 Bf6 15.Nd4
Black to Move - What would you play?
Kosten played the speculative 15Nxf2 and went on to win after 16.Kxf2
Bxd4+ 17.Qxd4 Qh4+ 18.Kf1 [18.g3 Qxh2+ 19.Ke3 Qxg3+] 18...f5 19.Bf3
Ne5 20.Qf2 Qxh2 21.Ke2 fxe4 22.Nxe4 Bg4 23.Be3 [23.Ra3 Rae8] 23...Qh5
24.Nd2 Rae8 25.Ra3 d5 26.Kd1 Bxf3+ 27.gxf3 Nxf3 28.Qe2 [28.Nxf3 Rxf3
29.Qe2 d4] 28...Qh3 [28...d4 29.Rf1 dxe3 30.Nxf3] 29.Rf1 Nxd2 30.Rxf8+
Rxf8 31.Kxd2 [31.Bxd2] 31...Qh4 32.Rb3 [32.Qxa6 Qb4+ 33.Kd1 Qxb2; 32.
c3 c5] 32...d4 33.Qc4+ Kh8 34.Bxd4 [34.Qxd4 Rd8] 34...Rf2+ 35.Kc3 Qg3+
36.Kb4 Qd6+ 37.Kc3 Rf3+ 38.Kd2 Rxb3 39.cxb3 c5 01
It is pointless to in these positions to study individual theoretical moves. To

succeed one must have an understanding of how to play these positions, and
Davies lectures are aimed at presenting plans and ideas. This is a fine effort
by Davies and highly recommended to anyone looking to expand their
opening stock.
Order A Busy Person's Opening System

by Nigel Davies
1. e4 Repertoire: Grandmaster Lines Explained for Club Players, by IM Sam

Collin, Running time: eight hours
Back in the days of chess VHS videos, an opening

video would be about an hour or two in length.
Today, for almost the same price, one often gets
much more. 1.e4 Repertoire by Collins is a massive
undertaking that attempts to provide a complete
repertoire for White, spanning no less than eight
hours and fifty-four video segments. Collins
rationale for his repertoire is based on his
recommendation to play highly theoretical openings
with black, and less theoretical (but still
mainstream) as white. For instance, Collins
recommends the Giuco Piano over the Ruy Lopez
and the Alapin Sicilian instead of the Open Sicilian. His recommendation is to
play something you enjoy, were you understand the resulting positions, and
score well.
1.e4 Repertoire has many strengths, one of which is undoubtedly Collin's

sincere and thoughtful demeanor. This is Collin's first Chessbase DVD and I
was very pleased with his effort. He is highly articulate and speaks slowly and
clearly. He also has a very calm and thoughtful delivery approach, and one
never feels that he is trying to sell you a line. Overall, his style makes the
contents of the DVD very accessible.
The first twenty lectures are devoted to Collin's pet line against the Sicilian
Defense, the Alapin Sicilian. This is a subject he has written extensively in the
past, including in books such as Understanding the Chess Openings and
Chess Explained: The c3 Sicilian.
Against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf6 Nc6, he recommends the Italian game with 3.Bc4 and
here we get ten lectures split between Black's classical 3Bc5 response and
the Three Knight's Defense with 3Nf6. You'll often see Collins gravitating
towards less theoretical lines. Thus, instead of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.
Ng5, where there is a lot to know, he opts instead for 4.d3, which often
reaches similar pawn structures as in the 3Bc5 recommendations.
There are two lectures in the Petroff Defense in which he recommends 1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2. This leads to an asymmetrical pawn
structure, and is a line that has received a lot of attention recently. There is
even an opening survey by Alexei Kuzmin in Chessbase Magazine #132
containing seven annotated games in this line.
There is an eleven-minute lecture on the Philidor Defense, which seemed

sufficient, though it did leave out some minor f5 lines like 1.e4 e5 2.d4 d6 3.
d5 f5. On the French, we get six lectures advocating a line of the Tarrasch
Defense where White sacrifices the d-pawn, say, in the line 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.
Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.00 cxd4 9.cxd4 Nxd4
10.Nxd4 Qxd4 11.Nf3 Qb6, with a brief discussion on how to handle the
position when Black avoids the normal routes.
Six lectures cover the Caro-Kann Defense, and his proposed method is the
Panov-Botvinnik Attack after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 which leads to
isolated-pawn positions similar to Alapin Sicilian lines with 3d5. We also
get three lectures on the Alekhine Defense, where Collins suggests 1.e4 Nf6 2.
e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3. There is one short lecture on the Scandinavian, where
he suggests avoiding the usual placement of the knight on c3, and to play Nf3
instead. His model game is Morozevich-Rogers, Bundesliga 1999, which
went 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Be2 Nc6 5.d4 000 6.Be3 Nf6 7.c4
Qh5 8.Nbd2 e5 9.d5 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Bxg4+ Nxg4 12.Bxd4 Bb4 13.
h3 Bxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Qg5+ 15.Kc3 Ne5 16.Qe2 Nxc4 17.Qxc4 Rxd5 18.Rad1
Rhd8 19.Be3 Qe5+ 20.Kc2 b5 21.Rxd5 Rxd5 22.Qg4+ f5 23.Qf4 Qe6 24.
Kb1 g5 25.Qxg5 Qe4+ 26.Ka1 10
The final two lectures cover the Pirc/Modern Defense placing the dark-
squared bishop on e3 and engaging in classical development as in 1.e4 g6 2.
d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 a6 5.Qd2 Nd7 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bd3 Bb7, or angle for an
Austrian Attack after lines such as 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.h3
Nbd7 6.f4 b5 7.a3 Nb6.
Index format
The video lecture index is nicely designed. Instead of having to look for the
game in the appended database, a link to the game featured in the lecture is
included as part of the index. You can click on this link and study the game
prior to viewing the lecture, and then reinforce your learning of that particular
lecture by reviewing the game again afterwards. Personally, I've found the
training tab to be very useful when going through these games, in order to
compare my own moves with the moves played during the game. The
ChessBase trainer format is a fun tool for anyone willing to sit down and do
the hard work.
Overall, an outstanding work by Collins, who makes these lines accessible

and easily understood for players at all levels.
Order 1.e4 Repertoire: Grandmaster Lines

Explained for Club Players
by Sam Collins
The ABC of the Sicilian Dragon, by Andrew Martin, Running time: four hours
While the Sicilian Dragon often leads to thrilling

games featuring opposite-flank attacks, the players -
in particularly Black - needs to be fully prepared for
the theoretical struggle ahead of him. As Martin
points out, it is easy to be wiped off the board
without making an original move, and overall the
play requires an excellent memory to keep up with
the latest theoretical updates.
The alternative approach is one suggested by GM

Simon Williams and presented in Martin's DVD.
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3
g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3, instead of following up with ...Nc6 and castling short,
Black plays the Najdorf-like move 7a6. Black delays castling for as long as
it takes in order to generate queenside counterplay. In certain positions, Black
plays ...h6 before castling to slow White on the kingside. One sample game of
the "Dragondorf" on this DVD is Leake-Ward, which went 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.
d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 a6 8.Bc4 Nbd7 9.Qd2 b5 10.
Bb3 Bb7 11.000 h6 12.Kb1 Rc8 13.h4 h5 14.Rhe1 Qc7 15.Bg5 Nb6 16.
Qe2 00 17.g4 hxg4 18.fxg4 Nc4 19.Rd3 Qc5 20.Red1 Rfe8 21.h5 Qxg5 22.
hxg6 fxg6 23.Rf3 e6 24.Rdf1 Nd2+ 25.Ka1 Nxb3+ 26.axb3 b4 27.Qh2
bxc3 28.Rh1 cxb2+ 29.Kxb2 0-1
Incidentally, Christopher Ward is often featured on this DVD, and he is

someone who has written extensively on the Classical Dragon. One of my all-
time favorite slug-fests of his, and a good illustration of what Black tries to
avoid in the Dragondorf is the game Brink-Claussen vs. Ward, which went 1.
e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0
0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 Ne5 11.Bb3 Qa5 12.000 Rfc8 13.Kb1 b5 14.Ncxb5
Qd8 15.Bh6 Bh8 16.Nc3 Rab8 17.g4 a5 18.a4 Rb4 19.h5 Rcc4!? 20.hxg6
hxg6 21.Be3 Bg7 22.Nf5! gxf5 23.gxf5 Nxf3 24.Qg2 Nxe4 25.Nxe4 Bxf5 26.
Bh6 White starts to circle around Black's king. 26...Qf8 27.Rxd6! Rxc2?
[27...exd6 28.Nf6+ Kh8 29.Bxg7# doesn't work, but Black needs to return to
c8 to defend the back-rank)] 28.Qxg7+? [28.Bxc2!] 28...Qxg7 29.Rd8+ Kh7
30.Bxg7+ Rh2! 31.Rxh2+ Nxh2 32.Bc3 Rxb3 33.Ka2 Rb7 34.Rh8+ Kg6 35.
Rg8+ Kh7 36.Rh8+
The content is organized through thirty lectures, focusing not only on the
sharper lines, but also looking at lines where White castles kingside or
featuring a kingside fianchetto.
01: Introduction
02: Intro Yugoslav Attack, Evans - Zuckerman, New York 1967
03: Dragondorf intro
04: Karkajin - Romero, Pamplona 2003
05: Leake - Ward, London 2005
06: Lohr, Germany 1996
07: Variation 9.Bh6, Kristjansson, Hastings 2006
08: Variation 9.Bh6, Volkmann - Pilaj, Gmunden 2005
09: Variation 9.0-0-0, Hartikainen - Volodin, Tallinn 2008
10: Variation 9.0-0-0, Shirov - Williams, West Bromwich 2004
11: Variation 9.0-0-0, Satyapragyan - Fedorov, Parsvnath 2006
12: Variation 9.g4, Erenburg - Sakaev, Khanty Mansyisk 2005
13: Variation 9.g4, Al Sayed - Cheparinov, Andorra 2004
14: Variation 9.g4, Kobalia - Chuprov
15: Variation 9.g4, Ishkhamov - Ehlvest, Berkeley 2005
16: Dragondorf conclusion, Littlewood - Botvinnik, Hastings 1961/62
17: Classical intro
18: Classical, Mkrtchian - Kosintseva, Fuegen 2006
19: Classical, Castro - Postny, Evora 2007
20: Classical, Kramnik - Navara, Prague 2008
21: Classical, Krivec - Kosintseva, Calvia 2004
22: Classical, Jessel - Mestel, Sunningdale 2007
23: Levenfish intro
24: Levenfish, Ljubojevic - Miles, Skara 1980
25: Levenfish, Gonzales de la Torre - Argandera Riviera, Elgoibar 2005
26: Fianchetto line, Babula - Civin, Czechia 2003
27: Sixth move alternatives for white: Makka - Kosintseva, Goa 2002
28: 6.Bc4, McShane - Hansen, Copenhagen 1999
29: 6.Bc4, Zelcic - Kovacevic, Zadar 2007
30. 6.Bc4, Sadvakasov - Kortschnoj, Astana 2003
31. Outro
Some of Martin's advice, while verbally convincing, fails for tactical reasons.
Thus, it is important to take a critical view of the recommended lines. For
instance, in the first game Karkajin-Romero, after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 a6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.Bc4 Qc7 10.Bb3 h6
11.000, Romero played 11...Nb6. Martin instead recommends 11b5 12.
Rhe1 Bb7 13.Kb1 Nb6 as a better way of handling Black's position. This has
been played before, but the only problem is that instead of 12.Rhe1, White
has 12.Nd5, with the idea of 12Nxd5 13.Nxb5! and if 13axb5, 14.Qxd5
simultaneously attacks f7 and the hanging rook on a8. After 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.
Nxb5 Qb8 14.Qxd5 0-0 15.Nd4 or 15.Nc3, White is a pawn up and Black still
needs to organize his queenside play.
There is plenty of material here to get thoroughly acquainted with the

Dragondforf, and Martin never fails to entertain and educate. The theory on
the Dragondorf will most likely expand very quickly, but at present there
seems to be plenty of room for originality and experimentation.
ABC of the Sicilian Dragon

by Andrew Martin
The Grnfeld Defence, by Lubomir Ftacnik, Running time: seven hours
Prior to reviewing Ftacknik's Grnfeld DVD, my

knowledge of this opening was limited to the 1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc4 6.
bxc3 line as played in the 1990 World
Championship Match between Kasparov and
Karpov. Thus, imagine my surprise to see thirty
ECO codes for this opening! The Grnfeld is not for
the theory-weary. Ftacknik points out that one of the
challenges for Black is that White decides which
variation to play in the Grnfeld, so Black needs to
be prepared for a wide variety of ideas and lines. On
the positive side, the Grnfeld Defense offers very
active positions with counterattacking potential. Ftacnik also recommends the
Grnfeld to players who enjoy active piece play. If you enjoy piece play and
don't mind incurring structural weaknesses, then this might be the ideal
opening for you.
The DVD is a massive undertaking by Ftacnik, who devotes no less than fifty
video lectures discussing main Neo-Grnfeld and Grnfeld lines, plus a
couple of lectures on typical endgames and common structures that arise from
this opening. There are also 3,854 appended games, including games from
2009. You'll find many annotated games, but also some junk as well. For
instance, there isn't any educational value in a blitz game between Radjabov
and Svidler, which only contains the first four moves, or in short GM draws.
On the other hand, one can't be too stereotypical and decide that shorts games
are worthless. For example, the game Yegiazarian (2455) - Aronian (2455),
Ciocaltea Memorial 1988 is heavily annotated with specific variations, even
though the game was drawn on move eleven.
Given that there are fifty-four video lectures, it would have been really helpful
to show the specific line on the index, as is done on most ChessBase opening
DVDs. For instance, instead of "20: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5" you only see
"Grnfeld 20: D80." D80 is the ECO code, which is great to know for further
research, but an inconvenience if you are searching for a specific video
lecture. The list below is meant as a rough guide to get an idea of the DVD
contents according to the ECO code structure. The number in parenthesis
following the ECO code represents the number of video lectures dedicated to
that line.
Intro
Structures
Endgames
Neo Grnfeld Lines
D70 (1): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5
D71 (1): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 d5
D72 (2): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 de5 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nb6
7.Ne2
D73 (1): 5.Nf3
D74 (1): 5.Nf3 0-0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.0-0
D75 (1): 5.Nf3 0-0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 c5 8.dxc5
D76 (7): 5.Nf3 0-0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 Nb6
D77 (2): 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0
D78 (2): 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 c6
D79 (1): 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 c6 7.cxd5 cxd5
Grnfeld
D80 (2): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5
D81 (1): 4.Qb3
D82 (2): 4.Bf4
D83 (1): 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 0-0
D84 (1): 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Nxd5 Qxd5 8.Bxc7
D85 (5): 4.cxd5 Nxd5
D86 (1): 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4
D87 (3): 7 0-0 8.Ne2 c5
D88 (1): 7 0-0 8.Ne2 c5 Nc6
D89 (1): 7.Bc4 c5 8.New Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Bg4 11.f3 Na5
D90 (1): 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3
D91 (3): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5
D92 (1): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bf4
D93 (1): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3
D94 (1): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3
D95-96 (1): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.Qb3 and 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3
D97 (2): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4
D98 (1): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc7 4.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 Bg4
D99 (1): 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qcx4 0-0 7.e4 Bg4 8.Be3
Outro
The introductory lectures are devoted to understanding typical structures and

endgames in the Grnfeld, but they left me sort of befuddled. The video on
structures begins with a blitz game between Kramnik and Ivanchuk from the
Moscow Tal Memorial Blitz. Here Ftacnik probably scrolled through the
moves faster than the players at the blitz tourney - so fast that at times I
couldn't even see the moves! I think this completely defeats the purpose of the
video lecture format, and I would much rather pick a book on the Grnfeld
and learn at my own pace instead of being subjected to visual abuse. Speeding
through games in such a manner quickly tired my eyes, and took some of the
enjoyment out of the experience. This was really disappointing because I was
expecting to be mesmerized by Ftacnik who did a wonderful job on his
Scheveningen DVD.
The main content is better paced and interesting. Ftacnik does not make any
specific recommendations, as his goal is to deepen your overall understanding
of the Grnfeld, so do not expect to be spoon-fed specific variations. Overall,
Ftacnik's analysis is balanced, but heavy-handed.
Order The Gruenfeld Defence

by Lubomir Ftacnik


The Magicians Purchases from our shop help
accessible:
"Chess is an amazing, deep and difficult game, but at the end, in the
highest sense, is logical, even if it seems paradoxical at first for the
human mind." Karsten Mller
Magic of Chess Tactics, by Claus Dieter Meyer and Karsten Mller, Running
time: three hours, thirty minutes
Prepare to be dazzled and challenged in this superb

transformation of Mller and Meyer's book The
ChessBase Magic of Chess Tactics to Fritz Trainer format.
Mller presents thirty-eight video lectures that
Cafe highlight the creativity of some of the greatest
magicians of the chessboard: Fischer, Shirov, Two Knight's Defence
Topalov, Bronstein, Tal, Nezhtmetdinov, and many by Lawrence Trent
Louis Lima others. Combine this with Mller's entertaining and
dynamic style and you come away with a high-
quality production.
One of best ways to improve your tactical ability is

to roll-up one's sleeves and get down to business solving puzzles. You can sit
back and enjoy these fabulous lectures, but I suspect Mller will soon make
you feel guilty. He often stops during the presentation to ask what would you
do in a given position. His question is followed by a pause, and just when you
think he's about to reveal the solution, he will say "go ahead, take your time."
You simply marvel at the creativity of the magicians or take the opportunity
to improve your tactical skills. Some video lectures can provide a full day's
tactical workout, as in the second video lecture presenting the game Shirov- ChessBase Magazine 134
Lautier, Munich 1993. In this nineteen-minute lecture, Mller stops no less Edited by Rainer Knaak
than eleven times to challenge the viewer. Here are the first three:
the games from
DGT Game Viewer.
Deep Fritz 12
White to Move Find the mate yourself
White to Move Find the refutation to Rd3

White to Move How to strengthen White's attack?
The puzzles range in difficulty, but they are geared towards intermediate to
advanced players and beyond. Given the amount of training material
provided, it is advisable to set-up the positions over-the-board, so you are not
glued to the computer screen. Magic of Chess Tactics contains three and a
half hours of video divided into the following lectures:
01: Intro
02: Fischer, R Donner, J
03: Shirov, A Lautier, J
04: Topalov, V Shirov, A
05: Cross pin
06: Bronstein, D NN
07: Bronstein, D Korchnoi, V
08: Tal, M Bronstein, D
09: Samsonov Nezhmetdinov, R
10: Nezhmetdinov, R Tal, M
11: Polugaevsky, L Nezhmetdinov, R
12: Stein, L Birbrager, I
13: Stein, L Portisch, L
14: Stein, L Anikaev, Y
15: Spielmann, R Gruenfeld, E
16: Spielmann, R Thomas, G
17: Tal, M Koblentz, A
18: Tal, M Klaman, K
19: Tal, M Smyslov, V
20: Tal, M Benko, P
21: Tal, M Nievergelt, E
22: Kunnemann, N.N.
23: Analysis of Kunnemann N.N.
24: Queen and Knight: Anand, V Radjabov, T
25: Attacking combination 01: Mller, K Zagrebelny, S
26: Attacking combination 02: Caruana, F Berg, E
27: Attacking combination 03: Rotlewi, G Rubinstein, A
28: Attacking combination 04: Bagirov, V Gufeld
29: Attacking combination 05: Maroczy, G Romi, M
30: Attacking combination 06: Alekhine, A van Mindeno, A
31: Attacking combination 07: Nimzowitsch, A Vidmar, M
32: Attacking combination 08: Kasparov, G Karpov, A
33: Attacking combination 09: Panczyk, K Matlak, M
34: Attacking combination 10: Martorelli, A Antunes, A
35: Endgame magic 01: Szypulski, A Silbermann, F
36: Endgame magic 02: Short, N Cheparinov, I
37: Endgame magic 03: Geisler, F Heissler, J
38: Endgame magic 04: Analysis of Kunnemann N.N.
There is also a supplementary Chessbase file of 384 tactical positions from

which the video examples were taken. If you choose the training tab to hide
the answers, you can take a shot at solving the puzzles yourself.
While he discusses the solution of a puzzle, Mller dispenses valuable advice,
such as, Don't exchange your attacking potential; opposite-colored bishops
favor the attacker, etc. There are some fantastic lectures here that you will
return to time and time again. Two of my favorites were the mad dash of pins
and cross-pins in the game Fahnnenschmidt Gutman, Germany Bundesliga
1987, and the epic duel Nezhmetdinov Tal, 1961 USSR Championship. In
the latter Mller paints a picturesque portrait of Nezhmetdinov with funny
remarks such as "OK, this move is better, but of course Nezhmetdinov had to
play the Nezhmetdinov move."
Overall, this is a superb production from Mller, Meyer, and the ChessBase
team. Along with King's PowerPlay series and Mikhalchishin's The Secret
Weapons of the Champions, Magic of Chess Tactics is among my favorite
Fritz Trainers of all time.
Order Magic of Chess Tactics

by Claus Dieter Meyer and Karsten Mller
Trompowsky the Easy Way (2nd ed.), by Andrew Martin, Running time: four
hours
On his DVD on the Queen's Indian Defense, Jacob

Aagard takes a humorous jab at the Trompowsky,
when, after 1.d4 Nf6, he comments, "We are not
thinking about things like the London, the
Trompowsky or all the other people who do not
want to play real chess, but want to fight for an
advantage with 2.c4." Martin, on the other hand,
feels that the Trompowsky provides us playable
positions with plenty of room for creativity. As
Martin points out in Trompowsky the Easy Way, 1.
d5 Nf6 3.Bg5 became widely popular in the '70s,
providing white players with an automatic attacking
game without having to learn reams of theory.
Martin's introductory games provide us with a bit of history on the

Trompowsky, as well as a couple of questions to challenge our tactical know-
how the first illustrative game is Vaganian-Boterill 1974. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.
Bg5 g6 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 Bg7 5.Ne2 b6 6.Nf4 d5 7.h4 h5 8.c4 dxc4 9.Bxc4
Bb7 10.Nc3 Bh6, we reach the following position:
White to Move What would you play here?
Vaganian found the tactical shot 11.Bxf7+! Kxf7 12.Qb3+ Ke8 13.Nxg6 Qd7
14.Nxh8 Qg7 15.Qe6+ Kf8 16.Nd5 Nd7 17.Ne7 Re8 18.Nhg6+ 1-0
The second inspirational game is also another 1974 Vaganian encounter, this
time against Jansa, at Kragujevac, and featuring the pawn sacrifice 1.d4 Nf6 2.
Bg5 c5 3.d5 Qb6 4.Nc3 Qxb2. Martin puts both games into historical
perspective and discusses how Black handles the opening these days, trying to
play ...e5 (e.g., 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4 e5) before White does so himself. In the
game, Black got steamrolled after 5.Bd2 Qb6 6.e4 d6 7.f4 g6 8.e5 Nfd7 9.
Nf3 Bg7 10.Rb1 Qd8 11.e6 fxe6 12.Ng5 Nf8 13.Bb5+ Bd7 14.dxe6 Bxb5 15.
Nxb5 Qc8 16.00 a6 17.Bc3 axb5 18.Bxg7 Rg8 19.Bxf8 Rxf8 20.Nxh7 Rg8
21.f5 gxf5 22.Qh5+ Kd8 23.Qf7 Re8 24.Rxf5 Qc6 25.Re1 Rxa2 26.Nf6
Rxc2 27.Qxe8+ Qxe8 28.Nxe8 Kxe8 29.h4 Rc4 30.h5 Nc6 31.Ref1 Kd8 32.
R5f4 Nd4 33.Kh2 Nxe6 34.Rxc4 bxc4 35.h6 Ng5 36.Kg3 b5 37.Kg4 c3 38.
Kxg5 1-0
As with most of Martin's opening DVDs, his inspirational games are followed
by a series of lectures focusing on specific themes. This allows a better
understanding of the underlying ideas behind specific variations. Martin first
discusses the imbalance arising after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 g6 3.Bxf6 exf6, in which
White gives up the bishop-pair in exchange for ruining Black's pawn
structure.
The second theme discusses the imbalance arising after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.
e4 h6 4.Bxf6 Qxf6, in which White gives up the bishop-pair in exchange for a
strong center. Martin also relates that the old move 5.Nf3 is viewed as less
flexible, since it blocks the f-pawn, and explains that 5.c3, 5.Nc3, and 5.Qd2
are seen more often nowadays.
Because of the early departure of the bishop from the queenside, the b2-pawn
can be a weakness, and White can sacrifice it to gain time fro an attack.
Martin looks at this theme in two lectures exploring 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.
Bh4 c5 4.f3 g5 5.fxe4 gxh4 6.e3 Qb6 7.Nc3 Qxb2 and 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 3.
Bxf6 gxf6 4.d5 Qb6 5.Nd2 Qxb2.
The appeal of the Trompowsky lies not only in the attacking chances it offers,
but also in room for originality it provides. This is the last of the themes in
Martin's video, and we are treated to he nice encounter Bellon-Kouatly,
OHRA Open 1987.
The material is divided as follows:
01: Preintro
02: Intro and Game 1
03: Game 2
04: Bishop vs pawn structure
05: The big centre
06-07: White sacrifices for attack
08: Originality
09-11: 2d5
12-16: 2e6
17-20: 2c5
21-27: 2Ne4
28-29: Loose ends
30: Outro
31-36: Updates
37: Outro
It is often amusing to see what presenters have to say when making videos for
both sides of an opening. On the DVD, Queen's Pawn Openings, Martin
comments that Trompowsky players are looking for an interesting position
without having to think too much, but in fact only expose their own laziness.
He advocates the system with g6 and d5, and comments that if White wants to
get anything out of the position he has to play an early c4. The line he
recommends goes 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 (or 2g6) 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 g6.
Surprisingly, Martin does not have much to say about this line on the
Trompowsky DVD. He only mentions that against 2g6 White should opt
for the same strategy of playing 3.Bxf6 in order to ruin Black's pawn
structure. Thus, the Trompowsky the Easy Way doesn't even say how to
handle the author's own recommendation against the Trompowsky.
To be fair, Martin does give the Trompowsky its proper place in the opening
hierarchy. He mentions that he is unconvinced White has any advantage
whatsoever in the 2e6 lines, and suggests 3.e3 over the more common 3.e4.
This looks deceptively modest, but one idea is to potentially support an f4-
push and create a favorable stonewall-like game. In the updates section, he
also suggests 3.Nd2 as a surprise weapon.
Overall this DVD is a good introduction to this opening and the contents are
neatly organized. Martin's target audience is the average improving player.
Order Trompowsky the Easy Way

by Andrew Martin
The Power of Exchange, by Adrian Mikhalchishin, Running time: three hours
Mikhalchishin has a way of making the classical

masters and their techniques accessible to chess
lovers via his excellent ChessBase trainers. His
other titles include Winning Structures, The Secrets
Weapons of the Champions, and Power of Planning.
The Power of Exchange places great emphasis on
various aspects of piece exchanges, an important
aspect of technical mastery that is prevalent in the
games of the famous Polish grandmaster Akiva
Rubinstein.
Five video lectures are devoted to Rubinstein and

the exchange, with six lectures covering various other topics related to
exchanges in general. In his first video lecture Mikhalchishin discusses topics
such as when to exchange pawns and when to exchange pieces, transitioning
to winning or superior endgames, the decisive role of the king in king in pawn
endgames, creating a second weakens, and other subjects.
Mikhalchishin's examples are highly illustrative of the topics he presents, and

they are packed with terrific advice. One example is his lecture featuring the
game Rubinstein-Tarrasch. His important rule here is "Don't look at the piece
you want to exchange, but the pieces that remain on the board after exchange
look at the pieces remaining after the exchange and examine their activity."
Rubinstein-Tarrasch White to Move
What would you play?
Here, the average player would likely consider where to develop White's
bishop on c1 and connect the rooks, except that the bishop has no adequate
square. Rubinstein recognizes that Black's knight is a strong piece and plays
21.Nd1 with the idea of playing 22.Ne3 to exchange the knight on c4. Along
the way, Mikhalchishin discusses the characteristics of strong players, such as
being able to choose multifunctional moves or the ability to find the simplest
solution to a problem.
One of the enjoyable and educational aspects of Mikhalchishin's lectures is

how he will illustrate a specific rule in one lecture, just to show that things are
not so simple in the next. In the illustrative game Zaichik-Mikhalchishin he
gives the following position:
Mikhalchishin points out how he failed to assess the position, believing that
he was better on account of his bishop on g7 pressuring White's queenside
pawns along the open diagonal. However, after 23c5? 24.Nd6 Bd4 25.f3
Rb6 26.Nc4 Re6 he humorously points out that nobody cares about his
"strong" bishop on d4, the real weakness being the pawn on c5. His lower-
rated opponent capitalized on it after 27.Rde1 Rfe8 28.Rxe6 Rxe6 29.Kd3
Bg7 30.Rc1 h5 31.Rc2 Re1 32.Na5 a6 33.Nb7 Re6 34.Kc4 f5 35.Nxc5 Rd6.
The lesson is that chess is not so simple and that one cannot judge a position
solely on a single factor.
My only reservation is that Mikhalchishin does not quiz the viewer or provide
any practice material. Simply viewing the DVD increases our knowledge, but
not necessarily our ability. Of course, the viewer can print out diagrams of
key positions and make self-test exercises. I did this with Mikhalchishin's
Secret Weapons of World Champion and it was very helpful to my chess
improvement.
Overall, this is another excellent DVD by Mikhalchishin. I hope he continues

to share his expertise through these instructive video lectures.
Order Power of Exchange

The ABC of the Ruy Lopez (2nd ed.), by Andrew Martin, Running time: four
hours, fifty-four minutes
Martin's goal in the ABC of the Ruy Lopez is to

provide the viewer with a working knowledge of this
opening. He presents celebrated examples, offers
repertoire suggestions, and comments on typical
ideas to prepare us to employ the Lopez in our chess
practice. Of the nearly five hour running time, ninety
minutes is devoted to new material.
The contents, organized in Martin's typical manner,

discussing main themes, and then moving on to the
specific variations, are divided as follows:
01: Intro
02: Sustained Pressure
03: Simplicity
04: Solidity
05: The Lopez Grip
06: Black tries to smash the Ruy Lopez
07: Intro to Theory and Berlin
08: Berlin 1
09: Berlin 2
10: Schliemann
11: Bird
12: Cozio
13: Smyslov's
14: Classical
15: Berlin Classical
16: Chase Variation
17: Steinitz Deferred
18: Main Life 1 Steinitz 5.d3
19: Main Line 2
20: Main Line 3
21: Outro
22: Ruy Lopez Update 1/Berlin Defence; Zude-Strache
23: Ruy Lopez Update 2/Berlin Defence; Shirov-Levin
24: Ruy Lopez Update 3/Berlin Defence; Stellwagen-Carlsen
25: Ruy Lopez Update 4/Schliemann Defense; Carlsen-Radjabov
26: Ruy Lopez Update 5/Gajewsi Variation; Le Gallo-Kosten
27: Ruy Lopez Update 6/Steinitz Variation; Tiviakov-Eljanov
28: Ruy Lopez Update Outro
The video lectures begin with the concept of sustained pressure through a
wonderful example of the Ruy Lopez grip in the old game Dyke-Santasiere
1931. According to Martin, no other opening, after 1.e4 e5, gives White the
chance to get a clear edge from the start of the game. Martin tells us that after
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 2.Bb5 White's goals are to put pressure on the e-pawn,
attempt to dominate the center, and attack Black on the kingside. One of
several examples of this is the miniature Kulaots (2530) Khudyakov
(2365) in the Berlin Classical variation after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
4.00 Bc5 5.c3 00 6.d4 Bb6 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 d6 9.Qd3 Bd7 10.Nbd2 a6 11.
Bc4 g5 12.Nxg5 hxg5 13.Bxg5 Kg7 14.f4 exd4 15.e5 dxe5 16.Qg3 Rg8 17.
fxe5 Kf8 18.exf6 Ke8 19.Rae1+ Be6 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.f7+ 1-0
One of the key differences between a DVD lecture and book is the amount of
verbal commentary provided. Many opening books have a tendency to focus
on variations, while the reverse can be true with DVD lectures. Thus, average
players can glean the main ideas and capture the spirit of an opening in a short
period of time with DVD training. For instance, here are some small excerpts
from Martin's generous verbal commentary of the game Anand-Milov, Sao
Paolo 2004:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.00 d6
"Here Anand's opponent Milov plays d6. We have already seen an example of
this type of Steinitz-like passive approach. Really, it cannot be recommended
to Black, even for very tough defenders, because when Black plays this way,
it seems to me, Black is ceding the initiative to White, and secondly he is
relying on White to make a mistake. This is really poor strategy. What I like
about this game is how Anand develops his pieces: simply, forcibly, and
accurately ..."
5.d4 Bd7 6.Nc3 Be7
"Now a very good move for Anand, one that probably wouldn't occur to a lot
of players, simply taking the knight on c6. The idea of this is that when Black
recaptures with the bishop, as it happened during the game, White simply
plays Re1, and finally Black is forced to think about the pawn on e5. Now
what is he going to do? If he decides to just leave it there and play Nd7, White
wins a piece (to d5). So, Black has to cede center, which is what Milov does
"
7.Bxc6 Bxc6 8.Re1 exd4 9.Nxd4 Bd7
"After seeing what happened in our first illustrative game where White
damaged Black's pawn structure, and getting an advantage that's not easy to
be shaken off, Milov decides to retreat the bishop. Now comes a nicety which
a lot of players wouldn't observe, a typical Ruy Lopez move h3, preventing
Bg4 Simple enough to understand but maybe not natural to a lot of players
"
10.h3 00 11.Qf3 Re8
"And after this simple move [Qf3] Black has got problems. White threatens to
centralize his pieces by playing his bishop out to Bf4 and swing his rook over
to d1. At that stage, fully developed, White is probably threatening to move
his e-pawn down the board with the queen on f3 White has options of Nf5
or Nd5 on the menu so you see White has all this options and Black has to
sit and weather the storm. Well, don't take my word for it; let's just see
how Anand demolished Milov in this game "
The contest ended quickly after 12.Bf4 c6 13.Rad1 Qb6 14.Nb3 a5 15.Bxd6
Bxd6 16.Rxd6 a4 17.Nd2 Qxb2 18.e5 Qxc2 19.Re2 Bf5 20.exf6 Rxe2 21.
Nxe2 Bg6 22.a3 Re8 23.Qe3 1-0
I enjoyed this video. The ABC series is aimed at introducing the flavor of the
opening, rather than dishing out the latest theoretical trends. At the start of the
DVD, Martin says that regardless of whether we play the Ruy Lopez or not,
our chess will improve dramatically by learning about this opening. This is a
somewhat extravagant statement in my opinion, but we will see in a year or so
if my chess results prove him right!
Order ABC of the Ruy Lopez

by Andrew Martin
2010 ChessCafe.com All Rights Reserved.


Not All Fritz Trainers Were Created Equal Purchases from our shop help
accessible:
It is a major task to step into the shoes of Louis Lima, but I am going to give
it my best shot. I love chess and have been involved in it since the 1960s, that
is even before Chess Informant and ECO. There were no computers and no
databases. In those days, the greatest books were My System and Logical
Chess Move By Move. There were other books, but nothing like what is
available today. Now, new books are published every week and we have
access to amazing software that will help us solve any positional puzzle we
might have.
ChessBase One of the greatest modern innovations was the "Fritz Trainer." I own forty-
eight of them, all of which are on my net book. A net book is a tiny laptop
Cafe with a twelve hour battery. I use Chess Base 10 (a product that every chess
player should have) and an external DVD player to install the trainers to my Sicilian Najdorf 6.Bg5
net book, so that I can take them with me wherever I go. by Alexei Shirov
Lance Martin
My reason for explaining this is that I believe DVDs have become an integral
part of anyone's chess training. There are trainers for those who are brand new
to chess, such as the much praised Power Play series, while intermediate and
advanced players can delve into the mind of the likes of Alexi Shirov. I have a
library of about 700 books, but I spend a quarter of my time with the trainers.
I can watch Shirov over and over and always learn something new.
However, not all Fritz Trainers were created equal. There are some superior
works and there are some forgettable ones. I will review both ends of the
spectrum and everything in the middle. So, let's begin.
The Scheveningen Sicilian, by Lubomir Ftacnik, Running time: seven hours ChessBase Magazine 135
Rating Chart The Scheveningen Variation of the Sicilian Defense
was so named by Max Euwe after a town in the
Poor Hague in which he played this variation in a 1923
Useful international tournament. The star of this trainer is
Good Lubomir Ftacnik. A man who considers the
Excellent Scheveningen as "the central world" of the Sicilian.
Ftacnik started playing rated games in 1975 and by

1976 he was European Junior Champion. He
Play through and download received the title of international grandmaster in
the games from 1980. He is a native of Slovakia and eventually his
ChessCafe.com in the chess took him to the United States. He is currently
DGT Game Viewer. rated 2546 and his highest rating is 2580. He has played the Scheveningen Deep Fritz 12
since 1977. Thus, here is a man who has the credentials to do a Fritz Trainer
on the Scheveningen. Ftacnik is definitely someone from whom most of us
can learn. But more than that, his style is excellent for the task of teaching.
The trainer is divided into twenty-four lectures. He begins with a great

introduction on the Scheveningen and all of its variants, where he defines the
importance of the thirty-six squares in the Scheveningen. This is followed by
five lectures on the English Attack. We then have five lectures on what is
referred to as the "Main Scheveningen," which is really the 6.Be2 mainline.
This is followed by lectures on The Keres Attack, which is 7.g4. These are
followed by three lectures on the Yugoslav Attack, 6.Bc4. I have to admit that
I have always referred to this attack in the Scheveningen as the Sozin
Variation. I would love to hear from anyone who can tell me the origin of the
term Yugoslav Attack for this opening. The remainder of the lectures study
the various other lines.
The English Attack [ECO B80] is defined by the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4
cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6.Be3 a6 7.f3 b5 8.g4 h6 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.0-0-0
Bb7
[FEN "r2qkb1r/1b1n1pp1/p2ppn1p/1p6/
3NP1P1/2N1BP2/PPPQ3P/2KR1B1R w kq - 0 11"]
Ftacnik covers the entire evolution of the variation as it went from 11.Bd3 to
11.h4 to 12.Na4 Qa5, and then goes through the alternative methods to meet
White's attack. Ftacnik does an incredible job of annotating all of the games
on this DVD. All the key moves of every variation are carefully explained and
a database of about 8,000 games is included.
As for the mainline Scheveningen, the question is White's reaction to 11.Kh1

Re8.
[FEN "r1b1r1k1/1pq1bppp/p1nppn2/8/P2NPP2/
2N1B3/1PP1B1PP/R2Q1R1K w - - 0 12"]
The first lecture covers 12.a5. If Black takes with the knight, his position is
weakened and it can eventually lead to black's demise. Next, we are given
instruction in 12.Bd3 Nxd4, which can lead to disaster for Black after 13.
Bxd4 e5 14.Bg1 exf4 15.Rxf4 d5 16.Qf3 Be6. In response to 12.Bf3, Ftacnik
finally comes around to 12...Rb8, but to find out exactly how this move
evolved into a winning attack for Black you will have to purchase the trainer.
All these lines are exceptionally annotated by Ftacnik. The same is true for
the dreaded Keres Attack, with Black again finding a way to score the point. I
must say that it would take a chess player of considerable knowledge to fully
appreciate this work. Thus, this DVD is meant for the player who already has
a good understanding of the Scheveningen. However, even a beginner can
marvel at Ftacnik's clear lectures and game annotations. Dare I say they are
more interesting than Kasparov's Fritz Trainers.
This DVD was a delight. Ftacnik does a yeoman's job of pointing out the
similarities and differences of the lines within the Scheveningen, and the
lectures on sidelines were very enlightening One of the games that stands out
was Ftacnik's own game against Tal. His annotations for this game may not
teach you much about the mainline Scheveningen, but it will help your chess
immensely. We really get to see how Ftacnik's mind works as he is playing.
My assessment of this DVD:
Order The Scheveningen Sicilian

by Lubomir Ftacnik
My Best Games in the Grnfeld Defence, Alexei Shirov, Running time: five
hours, fifty-five minutes
In 1998, Alexei Shirov played Vladimir Kramnik in

an elimination match for the right to play Garry
Kasparov for the World Chess Champioship in
2000. Alexei won that match, but it was Kramnik
that played Kasparov and won the championship.
What does this have to do with this DVD? Well,
Shirov had decided to play only the Grnfeld as
black against Kramnik, and we are given Shirov's
first hand annotations of five of these games. This is
an opportunity not to be passed up.
We have close to six hours of Shirov playing the

world's top players in the Grnfeld. There is an introduction, followed by
fifteen segments. Shirov acknowledges everyone's debt to Kasparov in the
Grnfeld and a look at the board after the first six moves (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.
Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3) exemplifies the complexity of the
opening.
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/ppp1pp1p/6p1/8/3PP3/2P5/
P4PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 6"]
It is awe inspiring when Shirov walks through the first eleven moves of a
game and notes that he knew these moves when he was nine or ten years old.
One merely has to look at the annotations to see the theoretical changes that
occurred in the ensuing decade.
Shirov tells us that in his entire chess career he is proud of two moves. The
first was Bh3 in a game against Topalov. The second was surprising the queen
on f4 against Gelfand. Both games are included on this DVD. The Topalov
game contains one of the best moves in chess history. The game took place in
Linares 1998. This is the famous position that Shirov considers his legacy to
chess.
[FEN "8/5k2/5pp1/3p1b2/p6P/2B5/
6P1/7K b - - 0 47"]
According to Shirov, not even the computer engines could find the winning
move 47...Bh3. The game ended with Topalov's resignation, as there was no
way that White could prevent Black from queening a pawn. It is moves like
this that let us understand why people devote their lives to this endeavor. We
may not see chess the same way that Shirov does, but the fact that all chess
players have certain moves or positions that they will remember for the rest of
their lives makes this game worthy of our time and effort. So is this DVD.
Order My Best Games in the Grnfeld Defence

by Alexei Shirov
Power Play 12: The Hedgehog, Daniel King, Running time: five hours
The Hedgehog may have been played in the 1920s

by Capablanca, but it is considered part of the
Revolution in the 70s, according to Garry Kasparov
in his underrated book. It was played by Ulf
Anderson against Bobby Fischer, and Anderson
made it his life's work to perfect its structure. One
manner of studying an opening system and its
development is by studying the work of its
opponents. Wolfgang Uhlman became a "maniacal
foe" of the Hedgehog and led to the continuity of its
development by trying to uncover the imperfections
that would allow opponents to beat it. There is a
question as to whether The Hedgehog is a "system" or whether to consider it
as The Symmetrical English [A30].
Daniel King's Power Play 12 is a Fritz Trainer devoted to this opening. King
does consider it "a system." He begins with multiple examples of the
Hedgehog, so as to better explain exactly what it is and how one gets into the
required position. The Hedgehog setup is achieved by placing four black
pawns on the sixth rank and "with their spines" they control the fifth rank.
The Hedgehog is divided into two main subsystems. The Fianchetto is marked
by the moves 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b6 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.0-0 e6 5.c4 c5 6.d4 cxd4 7.
Qxd4 d6 8.Nc3 a6 9.Rd1 Qc7 10.b3
[FEN "rn2kb1r/1bq2ppp/pp1ppn2/8/2PQ4/
1PN2NP1/P3PPBP/R1BR2K1 b kq - 0 10"]
The Classical Hedgehog is reached via the following move order 1.Nf3 c5 2.
c4 b6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bb7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.f3 d6 7.e4 Nbd7 8.Be3 e6 9.Be2
Be7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Rc1 a6
[FEN "r2q1rk1/1b1nbppp/pp1ppn2/8/2PNP3/
2N1BP2/PP2B1PP/2RQ1RK1 w - - 0 12"]
King's videos are divided into thirty-three segments. However, this may be
misleading because any single game can be divided into multiple clips with
test positions. For instance, the Vulkic-Suba game is inexplicably divided into
five clips that are separated by training questions. Perhaps Mr. King forgot
that the viewer can make use of the pause button. This division of the material
leaves one confused if he wants to research a particular game, as he has to
remember which clip contained the comments he wanted to hear again. One
of King's own games is likewise separated into four clips. I sure would like to
know the rationale for this.
King does an admirable job in the theory section of the Fianchetto Variation,
explaining the different move orders and why they are either better or worse.
He spends a great deal of time on the game Hort-Tal 1966, and he makes
wonderful use of this game as a paradigm for the inclusion of much of the
Hedgehog theory. He uses the distinction between 8.Nxd4 and 8.Qxd4 as the
main basis upon which to break up the theory sections into two parts. He
spends a total of about forty minutes going into the various possible moves in
the Hedgehog. This section is probably the most detailed and best part of this
Fritz Trainer. However, there is no equivalent theory section for the so-called
Classical System. I really cannot fathom the his reasoning for this. In fact,
hardly any time is spent on the Classical System.
Mr. King provides us with fourteen clips to the solutions to his tests, and I
must admit he does a more than admirable job in doing this. All of the
solutions are completely explained and he sometimes goes into these positions
in great detail. Sadly though, sometimes he does not. King could have done
much better in combining the separate parts of games into one whole as is
normally done. If the test positions and separate clips were combined into the
main part of the DVD, the entire presentation would have been more
harmonious.
This thirty-three clip hodgepodge of the Hedgehog could have been a superb
learning tool. There is a lot of information here and King is a great teacher.
He spends a great deal of time on the possible resources that White has at his
disposal and the ways Black can meet them. Yet, the Power Play series has
sunk several notches over the past few endeavors. Here King just spent too
much time on things that were unworthy. I was really disappointed in the
manner in which he presented this material. King should go back to his first
half-dozen Power Play DVDs and watch them to see how good they were.
Then pick another opening and do the same kind of justice to it as he did with
things such as pawn structures and rook lifts. That would make this reviewer
very happy.
Order Power Play 12: The Hedgehog

by Daniel King
My Best Games, by Yasser Seirawan, Running time: five hours
Yasser Seirawan was swept up in the Fischer boom. Born in 1960, he did not
start playing chess until 1972. Yet, it took him just under eight years to make
his final grandmaster norm. This is definitely a chess player worthy of a Fritz
Trainer and from whom we can learn a lot. However, the title of the DVD is a
misnomer, as Seirawan clearly states in the introductory lecture that the
games included are those that were important to him in his ascendency from
expert to grandmaster. They are not what I would classify as his "best games."
He makes it clear that this is only the first installment of a series of DVDs of
his best games.
Thus, we have to take this DVD for what it is: a chess autobiography from
one of the highest rated American chess players in history. It begins with his
first win over a GM when he was sixteen years old. If we are interested in the
games of a junior chess player, then the DVD is worth watching.
Seirawan-Bisguier, 12 min 40 seconds

Weinstein-Seirawan, 8 minutes 18 seconds
Timman-Seirawan, 16 minutes 30 seconds
Seirawan-Grefe, 12 minutes 19 seconds
Darby-Seirawan, 15 minutes 15 seconds
Seirawan-Larson, 12 minutes 32 seconds
Seirawan-Miles, 10 minutes 48 seconds
Zaltsman-Seirawan, 12 minutes 44 seconds
Marjanovic-Seirawan, 10 minutes 28 seconds
Jhunjhnuwala-Seirawan, 7 minutes 10 seconds
Seirawan-Barbero, 5 minutes 17 seconds
Gligoric-Seirawan, 8 minutes 22 seconds
Van der-Wiel-Seirawan, 6 minutes 11 seconds
Seirawan-Korchnoi, 12 minutes 27 seconds
Seirawan-Timman, 11 minutes 50 seconds
Kovacevic-Seirawan, 10 minutes 38 seconds
Seirawan-Tal, 17 minutes 29 seconds
Seirawan-Rivas, 7 minutes 49 seconds
Seirawan-Korchnoi, 25 minutes 11 seconds
Seirawan-Hort, 18 minutes 56 seconds
Timman-Seirawan, 27 minutes 25 seconds
Karpov-Seirawan, 30 Minutes 25 seconds
Seirawan spends a great deal of time on anecdotes and lyrical digressions.

One such was the fact that Tal had webbed fingers on his right hand.
According to Seirawan, "He should be a poster boy for the challenged or
handicapped." I admit that this was interesting, but I was more concerned with
the game at hand. A five minute introduction to a seventeen minute annotation
was a bit too long for me. He blames the following blunder in the opening on
his mind wandering about Tal's disability.
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.d3?

[FEN "r1bqkb1r/ppp2ppp/2n5/3np3/8/
2NP1NP1/PP2PP1P/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 6"]
The move should have been 6.Bg2 as in the standard English. However,
Seirawan recovered to win the game. It was a wonderful win for Seirawan and
he does an expert job of annotating it.
One of the key games on the DVD is Seirawan's draw against Anatoly
Karpov. His comments leads us to believe that this was his only game with
Karpov in 1982, when, in fact, he played five games with the reigning world
champion that year. Every game on this DVD is a win for Seirawan, but here
he had to settle for a draw in a game that he should have won:
[FEN "4q3/p1r5/k3p3/2ppPp2/P1n2P2/
2P3Q1/R1P1KB2/8 b - - 0 37"]
Seirawan, playing black in a beautiful middlegame that Fritz and Shredder

consider a win for Black, played 37...Qc6, instead of 37...Qh5+. From there
the game goes downhill for Black and he had to settle for a draw. Seirawan
spends a good deal of time telling us how he saw the winning line, but
decided not to play it.
This DVD provides a fair number of games; however, it has too few
annotations and Seirawan does not delve into the rationale for many of his
moves. I would have liked to see one of his games with Reshevsky or Spassky
from the time period covered by this DVD, but they did not meet the criteria
of a win for Seirawan.
Seirawan's books show what a great chess mind he has. He was a great
opening and middlegame thinker. It is sad that he did not spend the time on
any single game to demonstrate this knowledge. Well, considering he spends
about ten minutes on the majority of the games on this DVD, we cannot
expect much more. It is only in the last two games, with Timman and Karpov,
that we are actually given lengthy annotations. I find this DVD does not do
him justice.
Order Yasser Seirawan: My Best Games

by Yasser Seirawan



All Openings are Created Equal, But They Purchases from our shop help
Don't Stay That Way accessible:
Sicilian Najdorf 6.Bg5, by Alexei Shirov, Running time: five hours
According to Garry Kasparov in his trio of Fritz

Trainers on How to Play the Najdorf, 6.Bg5 is the
"sharpest, most complicated and the most aggressive
line" in this opening. Kasparov goes on to explain
why and gives us myriad examples of games. In
fact, two of his three volumes deal with 6.Bg5. Yet
ChessBase that was done some time ago. Shirov, for his part,
released a DVD of Best Games in the Sicilian-
Cafe Najdorf; however, it contains no games with 6.Bg5.
Each of these DVDs belong in the Najdorf player's OKelly Sicilian
by Andrew Martin
Lance Martin library.
On this DVD, Shirov tells us that if he plays the Najdorf as black, it means he
wants to win the game, and he chooses the moves that give him the best
chance of doing so.
The contents are as follows:
01: Introduction
02: Shirov-Ibramihov
03: Spraggett- Vallejo Pons
04: Spraggett-Vallejo Pons
05: Shirov-Ferec
Power Play 13: The Squeeze
06: Alekseev-Karjakin
by Daniel King
Rating Chart 07: Spraggett-Cheparinov
08: Ponomariov-Ferec
09: Shirov-Anand
Poor
10: Shirov-Karjakin
Useful 11: Shirov-Ivanchuk Something on Polugaevsky
Good 12: Shirov-Ftacnik
Excellent 13: Shirov-Wang Hao - Conclusion
14: Additional Shirov-Dominguez
15: Additional Shirov-Papaioannou
Play through and download 16: Additional corrections Latest News and Corrections
the games from
ChessCafe.com in the With this DVD, I recommend that the viewer play the last clip first. A good
DGT Game Viewer. deal of it pertains to mistakes that were caught by ChessBase after the DVD Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
was completed, and it contains some new material that is pertinent to certain by Nigel Short
lines in the previous clips. Shirov admits that his manner of lecturing can be
prone to tactical errors, because in many cases he does not check lines
beforehand, rather he improvises during the lecture itself. To his credit,
Shirov uses these errors as an opportunity to discuss more recent games that
changed his opinion of certain lines.
In any event, the Najdorf with 6.Bg5 begins with the move order 1.e4 c5 2.
Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5:
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/1p2pppp/p2p1n2/6B1/3NP3/
2N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 0 6"]
This is not a DVD for those wanting to take up this opening for the first time.
However, listening to Shirov present these games is a real treat for the
seasoned Najdorf player. In the first game, against Rasul Ibrahimov, Shirov
admits that he was expecting 6e6, but instead was met by 6Nbd7. He
then remembered a move he had played two years before with good results, 7.
Bc4, and so the game went. That's the thing about Shirov. He explains why he
chose his moves, what the alternatives were, and why he did not choose them.
It is as close as possible as seeing into the mind of Shirov during a chess
game. This is what makes Shirov different from any other presenter, he is able
to bring us into his games better than any other grandmaster.
The annotation for this game runs more than forty minutes, and at the thirty-
five minute mark we are only at move twenty. When Shirov gives alternate
moves, they turn into lines that sometimes turn into full games. Thus, the first
game also includes a game between Radjabov and Ivanchuk. We can actually
see how the various lines lead to a specific middlegame, and this makes us
better Najdorf players than we are now.
For me, one of the high points of this DVD is Shirov's game against Anand,
which went 6e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Qf3 (Shirov admits that at this moment he
didn't know whether he would play Qf3 or Qe2) 8...Qf7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.Bd3.
And now Shirov launches into the following variation to show why 10.e5 is
only good for a draw at best: 10.e5 Bb7 11.Qh3 dxe5 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Qxe6+
Be7 14.Bxf6 (14.Bxx5 axb5 15.Nxb5 Qb6) 14..gxf6 15.Be2 h5 16.Nd5 Bxd5
17.Rxd5 Nb6 18.Bxh5+ Rxh5 19.Qg8+ Bf8 20.Qe6+ Qe7 (20..Be7 21.Qg8+
Bf8 22.Qe6+) 21.Qxb6 Rd8 22.Qc6+ Kf7 23.Rxd8 Qxd8 24.Rd1 Qe8 25.Rd7
+ Be7 26.Qd5+ (26.g4 Rh4 (26Rxh2 27.g5) 27.Qd5+ Kf8 28.Ra7 Qf7 29.
Qa8+ Kg7 30.Qb7 Kh6 31.Qxe7 Qxe7 32.Rxe7 exf4) 26Kf8 27.Ra7 exf4.
This is the kind of analysis we have come to expect from Shirov and he
delivers.
The game continued 10...Bb7 11.Rhe1 Qb6 12.Nb3 Rc8 13.Qh3, when
Shirov explains why this was a mistake and what the refutation is, which he
calls "punishment." He further explains why he resigned on move thirty-five.
How many other players put their major losses onto their DVDs?
This is not a clip that you watch just once. It is one that you watch over and
over. Then comes the next clip where Shirov plays Karjakin, which will
probably teach you even more about the Najdorf than the Anand game. By
now you should be getting the idea. Each game was hand picked by Shirov to
be in some way better than the previous one. Your sure to find your own
favorites.
Shirov also lets us know where his home preparation ends and his over-the-
board playing begins. For instance, in his game against Leinier Dominguez in
Sofia in 2009, Shirov's preparation ended after the following sequence: 1.e4
c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Nbd7
9.0-0-0 Qc7 10.g4 h6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.h4 Qb6
[FEN "r1b1k2r/1p1n1pp1/pq1ppb1p/8/
3NPPPP/2N2Q2/PPP5/2KR1B1R w kq - 0 13"]
The game ended in a draw because of time trouble for Shirov.
Careful study of this DVD will certainly improve your understanding of this
opening. I don't think there are many better teachers of this line. I give this
DVD my highest recommendation.
Order Sicilian Najdorf 6.Bg5

by Alexei Shirov
French Defence Strategy, by Nigel Davies, Running time: four hours
French Defense Strategy is not an introduction to

the French Defense. It is an explanation of the
strategies in the various French systems based on
potential piece position and structures. This is a
topic that is sadly overlooked in many opening
DVDs. If you are looking for an introduction to the
French Defense, Ari Ziegler's monstrous DVD is
more relevant to that audience.
No defensive system is perfect. There is almost

always an advantage for White that is at first
academic, but then becomes practical as the game
progresses. Every line of every opening will lead to certain pawn and piece
structures. It is our job as a player to recognize these structures and to learn
how best to deal with them. Thus, we need a DVD like this and I hope further
strategy orientated DVDs are forthcoming for other openings.
01: Introduction
02: Blacks Queens Bishop: Tarrasch-Teichmann
03: Blacks Queens Bishop: Timman-Seirawan
04: Blacks Queens Bishop: Hindle-Botterill
05: Black Queens Bishop: Krogius-Karner
06: Whites Pawn Wedge: Tarrasch-Von Gottschall
07: Super Quartz Grip: Konstantinopolsky-Lilienthal
08: Destroying Whites Pawn Wedge: Reshevsky-Vaganian
09: Whites pawn wedge attacking h7: Alekhine-Asgeirsson
10: Whites pawn wedge attacking h6: Hartson-Portisch
11: Blacks isolated d-pawn weakness: Karpov-Uhlmann
12. Blacks isolated d-pawn strength: Tatai-Korchnoi
13.Blacks backward e-pawn weakness: Karpov-Hort
14. Blacks backward e-pawn strength: Govedatrica-Uhlmann
15. Blacks hanging pawns weakness: Nimzowitsch-Salwe
16. Blacks hanging pawns strength: Spassky-Petrosian
17. Blacks broad pawn center: Trent-Davies
18. Countering Blacks broad pawn center: Spassky-Korchnoi
19. Whites doubled pawn weakness: Smyslov-Botvinik
20. Whites doubled pawn counterplay: Planinec-Timman
21. Whites tripled Pawns: Spassky-Korchnoi
22. Little center white pressure: Smyslov-Stahlberg
23. Little center counterplay: Balashov-Suba
24. Exchange center: Guervich-Short
25. Flexible center: Romanishin-Bareev
26. Summary and suggested repertoire
To get the most from this DVD requires a certain level of proficiency from
the viewer. Davies does not hold your hand through the clips. This is a back to
the basics DVD, but it won't provide you with easy answers to the various
strategic problems. Each clip is only about ten minutes long. In some of the
clips the structures are just pointed out and it is up to the viewer to figure out
how to deal with it. Admittedly, this is not true in every case, but Davies
expects a certain amount of expertise on the part of the viewer and in some
cases the major points are not explicitly made.
In the Karpov clip we are told that there is an isolated black d-pawn as a result
of the Tarrasch Defense.
[FEN "r1bqk2r/pp2nppp/2nb4/1B1p4/8/
1N3N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1"]
But beyond that there is no mention of how it hampered Black or whether it

led to a victory for White. It is just pointed out that we have this isolated d-
pawn. Davies scurries through the game without ever mentioning it again. I
really would have expected more.
The next clip is all of seven minutes long and shows a quick victory by
Korchnoi as black, even though he had an isolated queen's pawn. Other than
telling us that there are natural strengths that belong to the possessor of the
isolated d-pawn, there is no mention as to how it may have helped lead to
victory. It seems to me that the presenter of any DVD of this sort should
search for relevant games in ChessBase to find the structures and strategies
that resulted in the most victories for one side.
The DVD begins with four clips about Black's light-squared bishop. The
games illustrate why this pieces is weak in the French, but it is up to you to
use the games and the information to deal with the fact that the bishop is a
possible source of trouble in the French. You have to figure out what to do
with it based on the information Davies provides. Whether you should
exchange the bishop is based on the position you are in. Here is a position in
the Winawer where exchanging the bad bishop was the beginning of a victory
for Black:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Qd7 5.Bd2 b6 6.Nf3 Bf8 7.Be2 Ba6 8.O-O
Ne7 9.Bxa6
[FEN "rn1qkbnr/p1p2ppp/Bp6/3pp3/1P1PP3/
5N2/P1PB1PPP/RN1QK2R b KQkq - 0 6"]
From there we go on to the five clips dealing varying pawn structures and
wedges that may be advantageous to either Black or White. The white pawn
wedge that occurs very early in this Tarrasch gives White a distinct
advantage: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/pp1n1ppp/2n1p3/2ppP3/3P4/
2PB4/PP1N1PPP/R1BQK1NR w KQkq - 0 7"]
The Classical Variation features a classic confrontation in the center with

White having a half-open e-file and Black with a half-open d-file: 1.e4 46 2.
d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Nf3 Nd7
[FEN"rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/5n2/3p4/4P3/2N2N2/
PPPP1PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3"]
Now it is up to White to either cramp Black or to start a ferocious attack on

the black king. At the same time Black will try to extend control over his half
open d-file. These are the goals that each side will try to meet. Unfortunately,
for the rest of the game, it is almost as if this position is forgotten as the
moves are analyzed.
Davies's summary includes a short repertoire based on the bulk of the DVD,
but this just provides you with suggestions to play logical positional chess
instead of memorizing theory. For example, to play on the c-file, advance
your queenside pawns, attack White's weakened d-pawn against white's
kingside pawn storm.
For what he is attempting to do Davies does a fair job. However, most of the
information contained herein is already well known to the seasoned player of
the French, so this would be most useful to intermediate players.
Order French Defense Strategy

by Nigel Davies
The Queen's Gambit Accepted, by Valeri Lilov, Running time: four hours,
twenty-three minutes
I had never heard of Valeri Lilov before watching

this DVD. According to the product packaging, "FM
Valeri Lilov also known as Tiger Lilov is ... one of
the most famous and quality online chess coaches
that you will see on virtually all major chess
websites on the internet." When I searched through
his games in MegaBase 2010, I discovered his rating
to be around 2400. However, I became a bit
skeptical when I saw that he has played very few
rated games in the Queen's Gambit Accepted. Still,
after watching this DVD, I have to say that he has a
warm and friendly teaching style that will appeal to
the target audience of this DVD. It is best suited for those who are first
learning this opening or rated lower than 1800. His commentary is adequate
but simplistic, which is fine for this audience.
01: Intro
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4
02: Variations; 3.Nc3 and 3.Qa4 Alterman-Raetsky
03: Variation 3.e3 Short-Bareev
04: Variation 3.e3 Nc6 4.d5 Volkov-Ibramibov
05: Variation 3.e4 Nc6 4.Nf3 Yakovich-Kharlov
06: Variation 3.e4 Nf6 Plan with Nc6 Petursson-Anand
07: Variation 3.e4 Nf6 Plan with Nb6 Volkov-Mihhalchison
08: Variation 3.e4 c5 Gelfand-Anand
09: Variation 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 Bb4 Van Wely-Azmaiparashvili
10: Variation 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Nc6 Karpov-Anand
11: Variation 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Bb4 Vyzmanavin-Rublevsky
12: Variation 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Kasparov-Petrosian
13: Variation 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4 Ljubojevic-Anand
14: Variation 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Kasparov-Timman
15: Variation 4.e3 Bf4 Antunes-Miles
16: Variation 4e3 e6 Classical Line Ulibin-Raetsky
17: Variation 4.e3 e6 classical line with a6 Botvinnik-Petrosian
18: Variation 4.e3 e6 classical line with a6 II Jussupow-Anand
19: Variation 4.e3 e6 classical line with a6 III Petrosian-Smyslov
20: Model Game I Lukov-Dlugy
21: Model game II Leitao-Ponomariov
22: Outro
As you can see, this seems like a complete presentation of the Queen's Gambit
Accepted. When I began viewing the Alterman-Raetsky clip, where the
acceptable but less played 3.Nc3 was met by 3...a6, and found that Lilov spent
about twenty minutes on the first ten moves, my interest was piqued. In fact,
because of the opening and the quality of his annotation I include it here.
Alterman, Boris (2600) Raetsky, Alexander (2465)

Rostov on Don op 1993
Queen's Gambit Accepted [D20]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nc3
3.Qa4+ Nd7 4.e4 c6 5.Qxc4 e5 6.Nf3 exd4 7.Qxd4 (7.Nxd4 Ne5 8.Qc3 Nf6)
7.Ngf6 8.Bc4 Bc5 9.Qd3 Qe7.
3a6
3.e5 4.e3 (4.dxe5 Qxd1+ 5.Kxd1 Be6) 4exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Bxc4 Be7 7.
Nf3 0-0 8.h3 Nbd7 9.0-0 Nb6 10.Bb3 c6 11.Re1; 3c5 4.d5 e6 5.e4 exd5
Nf6 7.Bxc4 Bd6 8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0 a6 10.a4.
4.e4
4.a4 e5 5.e3 (5.d5 Nf6 6.e3 (6.e4 Bb4) 6Bb4 7.Bxc4 c6 8.dxc6 Qxd1 9.
Kxd1 Nxc6) 5exd4 6.exd4 Nc6 7.Nf3 Na5.
4b5 5.a4 b4
5..c6 6.axb5 cxb5 7.Nxb5.
6.Na2 e5 7.Nf3
7.d5 Nf6.
7exd4 8.Bxc4 c5 9.Qb3 Qe7 10.0-0
10.Bg5 Nf6 11.0-0 h6 12.Bd5 hxg5 13.Bxa8 g4 14.Nd2 Be6 15.Qg3 Qd8 16.
e5 (16.Rfc1 Bd6 17.e5 Nh5 18.Qd3 Bxe5) 16..Nh5 17.Qd3 Qh4 18.Nc1 Nf4
19.Qg3 Qg5 20.Re1 Nh3+ 21.gxh3.
10...Be6 11.Bd5 Nf6 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 g5 14.Bg3 Bg7 15.Qc2 O-O 16.
Nxb4
16.Bxa8 b3 17.Qd1 bxa2 18.b3 Qa7 19.Bd5 Nxd5 20.exd5 Bxd5 21.Rxa2
Nc6.
16...Bxd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Nd7 19.Qf5 Ra7 20.Rfe1 Qf6 21.Qd3
Rb7
[FEN "5rk1/1r1n1pb1/p4q1p/2pP2p1/P2p4/
3Q1NB1/1P3PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 22"]
Here Lilov comments that it is time to evaluate the position, and, because this
is a DVD on the opening, he would not spend time on the rest of the game. He
then explained that White was slightly weaker and why. This is a very good
touch and more instructors should follow his lead. Other annotators would
have taken us through the entire game, even though it would have had nothing
to do with the opening. The fact that the game ended in a sixty-three move
draw is not mentioned by Lilov, as it was not pertinent to his lecture. (I looked
it up with ChessBase.)
Unfortunately, this first clip was the high point of the DVD. I expected the
rest of the DVD to contain the same energy, but it does not. His second clip,
on the game Short-Bareev, is technically on the 3.e3 variation, but it begins
with the move-order 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4 dxc4 6.
Bxc4 Nf6. Now, different move-orders can lead to the same position, but the
target audience at which this DVD is aimed may just find this confusing.
One thing that irked me was that Lilov does not explain his logic in the order
of the material. Another thing was that when Lilov expresses a capturing
move, such as "dxc4," he does not say "d takes c4," rather he says "d ex to
c4." Four hours of listening to this was bothersome to me. Moreover, he does
not use any recent games, the latest being from 2001. Even his model game
with Max Dlugy is from 1989. If you are looking for new ideas in this
opening, you will not find it on this DVD.
Nevertheless, Lilov is very thorough in the games that he did choose for this
DVD. The DVD will help the beginner who is new to chess and is looking for
an opening to play. For this audience, many of his annotations border on
excellent.
Order The Queen's Gambit Accepted

by Valeri Lilov


You Kan have Two Knights with a 1.d4 Purchases from our shop help
Repertoire accessible:
Two Knights Defence, by Lawrence Trent, Running time: four hours, forty-
five minutes
The subject of this DVD is The Two Knights

Defense with 4.Ng5. The opening begins with 1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6, which was analyzed by
Polerio as early as 1580. Reportedly, David
Bronstein recommended that this opening be called
ChessBase the Chigorin Counter Attack, and Tarrasch even
called 4.Ng5 a beginners move (ein stumper zug).
Cafe However, according to Jan Pinski in The Two
Knights Defence, it was revitalized in the 1990s by OKelly Sicilian
by Andrew Martin
Lance Martin players such as Morozevich and Short.
There are a total of twenty-six lectures on this DVD:
Introduction
Asrian-Minasian
Anand-Beliavsky
Huerta-Ballinas
Bahram-Hector
Kan-Konstsntinopolsky
Vallejo-Pons-Naiditsch
Weitsch-Jedynak
Dublin-Kuzman
Power Play 13: The Squeeze
Jeric-Rodmanr
by Daniel King
Rudnick-Pichlern
Rating Chart
Trent-Parpinel
Kursonov-De La Paz Perdomo
Poor Demian-Oprisor
Useful Zhang Zhong-Gungully
Good Short-Sokolovl
Excellent Nakamura-Friedel
Conquest-Howell
Socko-Bacrot
Ciocaltea-Nezhmetdinovn
L-Ami-Stellwagen
the games from
Kriventsov-Becerra
Sutovsky-Beliavsky
DGT Game Viewer. Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Yakovich-Tomashevsky
by Nigel Short
Naititsch-Halikias
Outro
As for Lawrence Trent, I had my doubts about him when I discovered that he
only played three rated games in the 4.Ng5 line.
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/4p1N1/
2B1P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R"]
Nevertheless, he is young, articulate, and knowledgeable. He sets out to show

you that this is an interesting opening that offers chances for a White victory.
He links the opening to the middlegame to which it leads, but leaves it for the
viewer to explore any endgame themes. He does not waste his lecture time on
unnecessary moves in terms of the opening, though one can quibble about his
choice of illustrative games.
The number of games Trent has played in this line does not reflect the
research and erudition that went into this DVD. To start things out, Trent
begins with the Traxler Gambit 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+. In the U.S. and U.K. this
is known as the Wilkes-Barre variation.
[FEN "r1bqk2r/pppp1Bpp/2n2n2/
2b1p1N1/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R"]
Trent uses the game Asrian-Minasian for two reasons: Asrian made the game
look so easy and there have hardly been any games in the Traxler since this
game. While this line has only been played 300 times in all of historically
rated games, it has been played by the likes of Anand and Shabalov. In fact,
Trent's next game in the Traxler is Anand-Beliavsky. It is one of the few
games where Trent found it necessary to include the entire game in his
lecture.
One thing that I noticed is Trent uses the same transposition of moves that
Pinski does in his book. Both show the game went 6d6 7.d3 Qe8, when the
real move-order was 6Qe8 7.d3 d6. Further similarities between the two
works can be found in the commentary to the moves 11Qxg2 and 15..Ng4,
as well as in the game Bahram-Hector.
In that game, which illustrates the Ulvestad variation 5b5 6.dxc6, Pinski
states "After this move White is actually fighting to stay alive. The
paradoxical 6.Bf1 is the main move here..." While, according to Trent, "White
can play the move 6.Bf1 which I am going to recommend to you." After the
move 7.Nc3, Pinski says, "The alternative is 7.Qe2?1 h6!? (also possible is
7Qd5)..." While, according to Trent, "If white plays 7.Qe2, Black has a
very logical move Qd5." On 8.Nge4, Trent has "Nf3 might be a better
move followed by Qd6 and Bd6 9.Qe2 Black castles white castles Re8 is very
dangerous for white." While Pinski writes "Also possible is 8.Nf3 Bd6 9.Qe2
0-0 10.0-0 .. After something like 10Re8 white has a difficult game in front
of him." Trent continues, "11.Qxc4 e4 12.Ne1 Bxh2+ this might be winning
13.Kxh2 Ng4+ 14.Kg3 h5!." And here is Pinski's annotation of the position:
"11.Qxc4? e4 12.Ne1 Bxh2+ 13.Kxh2 Ng4+ 14.Kg3 h5!."
Of course some of this analysis can also be found in ECO, but it would seem
that Trent used Pinski's book as a point of reference.
The next game chosen for Trent's lectures was between Ilia Kan and
Alexander Konstantinopolsy and it was also annotated by Pinski: 1.e4 e5 2.
Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5 6.Bxb5?! Qxd5 7.Bxc6+ Qxc6 8.0-0
[FEN "r1b1kb1r/p1p2ppp/2q2n2/4p1N1/
8/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1"]
Happily, Trent's analysis is far more thorough than Pinski's, even though there
were some similarities, which can be expected when two strong players
annotate the same game. Other games follow the same course, with occasional
similarities between the two works, but also with enough differences to set
them apart.
Trent, for his part, is an excellent teacher who knows how to structure a DVD
to provide the lectures in an order that is both understandable and useful for
learning this opening. He goes through every major variant and does an
excellent job in annotating the sample games from each line. This DVD
succeeds in meeting every line with a game that best shows the positives and
negatives of the moves that are associated with it.
All in all, Trent met the goal that he set at the beginning of the DVD. He
showed that the 4.Ng5 variation is playable and leads to enjoyable game. He
presents the advantages for White and shows how Black can equalize in this
line. Plus, he does so in an interesting and vibrant manner. I recommend this
DVD to anyone who is looking for an aggressive variation and is willing to
take some chances to gain the point. If you are tired of your current repertoire,
then this is a sure-fire alternative that will make your opponents think twice
when playing against it.
Order Two Knights Defence

by Lawrence Trent
Build a 1.d4 Repertoire, by Nigel Davies, Running time: five hours
Nigel Davies is an excellent teacher with a full

repertoire of training DVDs aimed at average
strength players. This DVD is aimed at the player
who is ready to take the next step in their chess
education by creating a 1.d4 repertoire from the
building blocks of the Colle, London, and Torre
systems as their opening choices.
This contents are as follows:
Introduction
Build on the Colle
Build on the London
Build on the London (sic)
Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange
Slav
Slav
Queen's Gambit Accepted
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 dxc4
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.c4 dxc4
Tarrasch
Anti-chigorin
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 C5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 b5
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 b5
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 g6
1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5
King's Indian Defense Petrosian 7a5 8.h4
King's Indian Defense Petrosian 7.Nbd7
Grnfeld Defence
Grnfeld Defence
Catalan Taster
Dutch
1.d4 d6
1.d4 g6
1.d4 and 2.c4
Davies's early lectures focus on the Colle- Zukertort: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3
e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3 Be7 6.Bb2 Nbd7; the London: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 d5
4.e3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Be7; and the the Torre Attack: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.
Bg5 c5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Nbd2 d5 6.c3 Nbd7. Note that this last lecture is
mislabeled in the contents.
Davies expresses his favor for the London system as the best of the three. He
believes that the London is better prepared to deal with alternative Black
move orders than the other two systems. The early part of his lectures
demonstrate how the systems can lead to a quick victory. He then spends the
remainder of the lectures on how to counter Black's best play.
He recommends that you chose one of these systems and play it for six
months to a year before moving on to the next step, which presumably is 1.d4
2.Nf3 3.c4. The first recommendation along this line is the Queen's Gambit
Declined Exchange Variation. Davies also has a Fritz Trainer dedicated to this
one opening variation. He makes sure to tell us that he doctored the move
order of the games, as he does in all the recommended opening systems, so
we will increase our pattern recognition. He knows this line very well and
provides some excellent instruction for the player just starting out in this
opening. Planning and strategy are more important than the memorization of
move order. To put it another way, logic is more important than theory.
Davies finds the most economical way of playing and presents what amounts
to a chronology of openings that increase in their degree of difficulty as the
DVD progresses. He emphasizes from the very beginning that if you have to
spend less time on your opening preparation, then you can spend more time
on your endgame, which will mean a greater number of wins. Simplicity and
economy are the keys with which he unlocks each opening system.
Davies even addresses the world of the Benoni, Blumenfeld, and Benko
Gambits. This is stage three of your advance into the world of queen's pawn
openings. Even in such positions as the Modern Benoni, Davies believes in
trying to keep the game quiet by not entering into unnecessary complications.
Just keep playing logical chess and exchanging pieces and White will keep a
better game.
The lines recommended by Davies are by no means inferior. Indeed, his

recommendation for the King's Indian is the Classical Petrosian, which I have
been playing for quite some time. He simply takes the viewer level by level to
a more advanced manner of play. And he does this very well. The games
chosen, the annotations, and explanations are as good as you can get.
Moreover, he presents several lines in each defense so you can choose the one
with which you feel most comfortable. The fact that Davies makes the
Grnfeld playable for the less advanced player is quite a coup.
He also shows how it is possible to play a good game in the Catalan with the
line 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.c4 0-0 6.Qc2 dxc4 7.Nbd2 Bd7
8.0-0 Bc6 9.e4 b5 10.Re1 Bb7 11.b3 Nc6
[FEN "r2q1rk1/pbp1bppp/2n1pn2/1p6/2pPP3/
1P3NP1/P1QN1PBP/R1B1R1K1 w - - 0 12"]
He explains how this line has many ideas that the London, Torre, or Colle
player can readily understand. Davies closes out the DVD with examples of
how to play the Dutch, the Modern, and even the Budapest Gambit in a
manner that the viewer can almost immediately put to use. While I sometimes
dislike opening trainers that present complete games, Davies shows the
exception in this case. He states, "when you are not spending so much time on
opening theory, you can concentrate on the endgame." He suggests that this
will not only help you win games, but also give you a better overall
knowledge of chess in general.
If you are looking for cutting-edge opening theory, you will have to look
elsewhere. Davies does include some recent games in his repertoire, but the
focus is on ideas and plans that can be used for years to come without
worrying about some line superseding it. This DVD, in order to have a place
in your chess career, needs to be viewed many times over. I recommend that
you view the entire DVD at least three times before you choose your opening.
Probably best, would be in the order in which the openings are presented.
Then listen to each lecture with the aid of a chessboard in front of you, look
up similar games in a database, and play through them with your chess set.
The more you do this the better your "pattern recognition" will become. Once
you are ready, you can buy a specialty book for further research. I recommend
this DVD for anyone struggling to learn opening theory.
Order Build a 1.d4 Repertoire

by Nigel Davies
The Sicilian Kan Variation, by Valeri Lilov, Running Time: four hours,
twenty-nine minutes
The Kan variation begins with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.

Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6. It was originally
introduced by Anderssen commencing in the late
1850s. In the beginning of the twentieth century
Tarakower began playing it. Then in the 1950s one
of the pioneers of the Soviet school, Ilya Kan began
studying and playing this opening.
There are twenty-one lectures included on this DVD:
Introduction
A Model Game
The Bb4 idea
The best formation
How to fight an early Nf3 and e5
Plan with b5 and Qb6
Plan with b5 and Qb6: main line with Bxe3
Plan with b5 and Qb6
Plan with Bd3 d7-d5 idea
Plan with Bd3: Drago-Najorf setup
The Hedgehog
Maroczy Bind : Plan with Bc5
Maroczy Bind : Plan with Bb4
Maroczy Bind: Plan with Bb4 II
Maroczy Bind: sacrifice of e4
Maroczy Bind: Plan with Bd3-h3
Maroczy Bind: The Hedgehog Enhanced
Maroczy Bind: The sacrifice on e4 for black
General Plan Number 1:
General Plan Number 2
Outro
Lilov, as I mentioned in another review, is an excellent teacher. He is

personable and gets his points across in a clear, concise, and understandable
manner. However, this DVD is less impressive than his previous work. For
one, let's consider his choice of a model game for the Maroczy Bind. He
chose a forty-year old Spassky-Fischer game that, although falling into his
definition, follows the Taimanov move order: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.
Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bd3 d5 8.exd5 exd5 9.0-0 Bd6 10.Nxc6
bxc6 11.Bd4 0-0 12.Qf3 Be6 13.Rfe1 c5 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6
[FEN "r4rk1/5p1p/p2bbp2/2pp4/8/2NB4/
PPP2PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 16"]
This is unlike any of the remaining games on the DVD. As a matter of fact, by
move ten it is the only game in the database that followed this move order. It
was just a poor choice to be used as a model game for the Sicilian Kan.
Further, he continued to use older games that were out of the database by the
eighth move. So, don't expect to face these moves anytime soon. I am not
against the use of older games to illustrate a point, but the theory of this
opening is changing at a very rapid rate. Moreover, Lilov chose not to include
any games where White scored the point. This is not the way to teach us the
traps we can fall into and the moves with which White can challenge our
opening structure. Also, in most cases he chose to include entire games, which
takes up time going over endgame struggles that had little to do with the
opening.
To illustrate how ...Bb4 is a real threat to White in the Open Sicilian, Lilov
demonstrates the game Saeed-El Taher, which went 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4
cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 Bb4 7.Nde2 Nf6 8.a3 Be7
[FEN "rnb1k2r/1pqpbppp/p3pn2/8/4P3/
P1N1B3/1PP1NPPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 9"]
Although White's knight on d4 was forced to retreat to e2, I am not sure it was
worth the tempo. Lilov summed it up by saying that all of White's eventual
problems can be traced to 5Bb4. However, I would trace White's problems
to the fact that his rating was 300 points lower than his opponent.
Lilov devotes a couple of lectures to the Hedgehog; however, he only

mentions in passing that the Hedgehog is one of Black's most valuable
weapons against the Maroczy Bind. Further on, he develops another lecture
on the "enhanced Hedgehog," but it bears no relation to the accepted
definition of the "enhanced hedgehog" with a double fianchetto, as defined in
the book Play the Sicilian Kan by Johan Hellsten.
Lilov spends no less than seven lectures on the Maroczy Bind as a weapon
against the Sicilian Kan without ever really making clear the problems this
position can cause. I wish he had spent more time teaching us exactly what
White can do once he has engaged in this position. Nowhere does Lilov
explain the position in which the beginning chess player and the intermediate
potential player of the Sicilian Kan would be very interested. Instead he
replies by explaining the plan against it.
I admit that his lecture on the Hedgehog against the Maroczy Bind between
Vallejo Pons and Epishin is extremely interesting and it utilizes Epishin's love
for the move c4 and is one of the few games that I think are worthwhile in this
lecture series. Yet, just when you think Lilov is on the verge of teaching good
theory, he falls back to easy wins by black that teach you very little. When
Lilov presents an old game that leaves theory at move six, I wonder what he is
doing and why he is doing it.
However, in his model game in "General Plan 1," Lilov does give some
advice. He says that when meeting something new you should ask yourself
two questions.
What is the (opponents) plan?

Secondly, what is the drawback for him?
After watching the DVD several times, I am still not sure of the audience at
which it is aimed.
Order The Sicilian Kan Variation

by Valeri Lilov

A Short Exchange and an OKelly Purchases from our shop help
accessible:
O'Kelly Sicilian, by Andrew Martin, Running Time: Four Hours
Count Alberic O'Kelly de Galway was not the first

player to play the opening that bears his name. That
distinction belongs to Dr. Savielly Tartakower who
played 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 against both Rti and
Spielmann. This opening is so flexible that
subsequent moves can transpose into many other
Sicilian variants, such as the Alapin, Kan, Paulsen,
ChessBase Taimanov, or even a Najdorf. Indeed, many of the
games on this DVD do not carry the B28 Chess
Cafe Informant code for the O'Kelly Sicilian. Quite a few
other codes are attached to Martin's sample games,
Sicilian Kan Variation
simply because of the incredibly elastic nature of
by Valeri Lilov
Lance Martin this opening.
There are a total of thirty-three lectures on this DVD:
01: Introduction
02: Inspiring Game: Paulsen-O'Kelly de Galway
03: c3 Game One: Tomasian-Romanov
04: c3 Game Two: Ventosa-Barlov
05: c3 Game Three: Stets-Romanov
06: c3 Game Four: Van den Heever-De Villiers
07: c3 Game Five: Vogt-Hort
08: c3 Game Six: Georgiev-Kurejica
09: c3 Conclusion: Savic-Blesic Power Play 13: The Squeeze
10: c4 Game One: Voicu-Gaponenko by Daniel King
Rating Chart 11: c4 Game Two: Hagara-Baklin
12: c4 Game Three: Obodchuk-Kabanov
Poor 13: c4 Game Four: Velimirovic-Martinovic
14: c4 Game Five: Horvath-Csom
Useful
15: c4 Game Six: Zolotukin-Kopylov
Good 16: c4 Summary
Excellent 17: d4 Game One: Pacis-Dimakiling
18: d4 Game Two: Adam-Ikonnikov
19: d4 Game Three: Maechel-Ikonnikov
Play through and download 20: d4 Game Four: Navarro-Khamrakulov
the games from 21: d4 Game Five: Thorhallson-Roozmon
ChessCafe.com in the 22: d4 Game Six and summary: Lotero-Uribe
DGT Game Viewer. 23: Nc3 Game One: Kalod-Walach Opening Encyclopaedia 2010
24: Nc3 Game Two: Kaplan-Kudischewitz by ChessBase
25: Nc3 Game Three: Nguyen-Vinh
26: Nc3 Game Four: Thavandiran-Milicevic
27: Nc3 Game Five and Summary: Prandstetter-Kalod
28: Morra: Hugot-Tartakower
29: 3.Be2: Zigura-Giffard
30: Closed Setup: Kubasky-Blaasberg
31: Wing Gambit One: Planninc-Ljubojevic
32: Wing Gambit Two: Rietveld-Epishin
33: Outro
The material is separated into lectures based on White's third move. There are
no top ten players here. Martin makes clear that this is an opening for the club
player who does not have the time to study theory. He has only chosen games
where Black scores the victory, because he wants to make sure that the viewer
knows how to win with black. I have to admit the game by Alberic de Galway
was fascinating and I enjoyed Martin's annotations.
Martin begins his lecture series with no less than seven lectures on 3.c3. The
idea behind the move is to push d2-d4, fight for the center, and try to show
that 2...a6 was simply a loss of tempo. As for Black, he is out to prove that 2...
a6 is actually beneficial. Martin does a fair job of explaining the moves
normally played by both White and Black in this variation. The move order
Martin follows in these lectures is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4
(Nf6 or e6) 6.Bd2 or Be3. If you know the theory for either side of this
opening better than your opponent, then you will likely win. Martin not only
presents the theory of the opening, but gives the rationale behind the moves. If
you listen closely, you will become a better Sicilian player.
The next series of lectures are on the 3.c4 variation of the O'Kelly Sicilian.
Martin recommends the following move order, which transposes to the
Sicilian Kan: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Qc7 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nf6
[FEN "rnb1kb1r/1pqp1ppp/p3pn2/8/2PNP3/
2N5/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 7"]
Next up is six lectures on the 3.d4 line, which is the most commonly played
according to my database, and it shows a significant advantage for Black. The
following variation is considered the mainline: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.d4 cxd4 4.
Nxd4 e5 5.Nb3 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Bd2 0-0 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.0-0 Bxc3 10.bxc3
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1p1p1ppp/p1n2n2/4p3/
4P3/1NPB4/P1PB1PPP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 0 10"]
In his summary for this line, Martin warns against Black overestimating his
chances. Being cocky can be Black's downfall. Black gets a more comfortable
game than he usually does in the open Sicilian and Martin admits that 3.d4 is
not a good move for White in the O'Kelly Sicilian. Martin considers the 3.Nc3
line as dangerous for Black. He recommends transposing into the Kan
variation, which normally arises from the following move order: 1.e4 c5 2.
Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Ne7.
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/1p1pnppp/p3p3/8/3NP3/
2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 6"]
Martin recommends that you research this line further on your own. In his
next lecture, he illustrate how the O'Kelly Sicilian can turn into a Morra
Gambit via the move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 e6.
This is followed with a 3.Be2 line for the O'Kelly. What he comes up with is
"not a Kan, not a Paulsen, not a Taimanov, it is a Hybrid of all three." This is
a very interesting lecture that presents some new ideas that need to be played
through on your chessboard.
In what was supposed to be the last game of the DVD, Martin presents the
O'Kelly with 3.g3. In this case, he recommends that you place your pawns on
c5 and e5. As the closed Sicilian was announced as the last lecture, one can
only assume that the coverage of 3.b4 was a late addition. Martin presents two
lectures for Black to meet this possibility and shows how Black can break up
White's control of the center.
This is an excellent DVD that more than meets Martin's stated goals. In
addition to teaching you how to play the O'Kelly Sicilian, he has tried to show
you how to think when playing the Open Sicilian. I recommend this DVD for
the club player who is willing to put in the time to really understand the
lectures. I also recommend it for the higher level player who is looking for
new roads to travel in the Sicilian, while still using the theory that he has
already amassed. Moreover, I have to also recommend it to players of the
French Advance Variation to which it was associated in a very positive light
in the ChessBase Opening Encyclopedia 2010.
Order OKelly Sicilian

by Andrew Martin
Nigel Short : Greatest Hits, Volume 1, by Nigel Short, Running Time: Four
Hours
Since the age of fourteen, when he won the

brilliancy prize at Hastings and became the
youngest international master in chess history, Nigel
Short has been one of England's leading chess
players. Perhaps his major contribution to chess in
general was as part of the triumvirate who initiated
the English Attack that became a major part of
Sicilian Najdorf theory. However, it is unfortunate
that we never get to hear about the evolution of the
attack on this DVD. Still, this DVD makes a great
addition to the ChessBase autobiographical series.
This DVD contains fourteen games:
01: Short-Lein
02: Short-Timman
03: Short-Kasparov
04: Short-Ponomariov
05: Short-Anand
06: Short-Ljubobojevic
07: Short-Karpov
08: Short-Mchedlishvili
09: Short-Cheparinov
10: Kramnik-Short
11: Topalov-Short
12: Mamedaryov-Short
13: Short-Smyslov
14: Short-Akopian
The DVD begins with a game against Anatoly Lein, which is the
chronological beginning of Short's long career as a chess player. This game
won Short the brilliancy prize at the tournament in which he was to become
an international master. This first game is indicative of the rest of the DVD. It
is an extremely good game and well annotated. Short's annotations range from
the extremely interesting to the outstanding.
One of the high points of the DVD is the game against Jan Timman in 1991,
which starts out as an everyday Alekhine and ends up as one of the most
memorable games in chess history. If features a brilliant king march, and to
hear Short annotate the final moves of the game really makes you understand
why you love this game so much.
Included on the DVD is a Scheveningen against Kasparov from 1986 when

Short had entered the FIDE top ten. It is a good game and the annotations are
well thought out. Short admits that he is not as familiar as he would like with
current theory in the line, but annotates based on the theory at the time the
game was played. I, for one, would like to have seen his current thinking on
many of the openings and middlegames, considering he is still a top player.
This game was one of the very few victories he has over Kasparov.
Next, we have another high point of the DVD. A game that was part of a
secret match against Ruslan Ponomariov, when Ponomariov was FIDE world
champion and preparing for a upcoming match with Kasparov that never
came about. It was an Evan's Gambit, which is rarely seen at the highest
levels of chess, but it was and is a part of Short's 1.e4 repertoire. Short's
annotations are enlightening with regards to his thoughts during the game.
The next game on the DVD is against Anand in 1993 after FIDE stripped
Short of his ELO rating because of his upcoming match with Kasparov. It is a
Petroff, which Short calls a "dull opening." However, his annotations make it
an interesting game. He makes a concerted effort in this game to explain the
ideas behind his moves. You can learn a great deal by listening to Short's
annotations. But you have to know the general ideas of the positions in order
to make full use of them. This is a DVD for chess players of every level.
However, the higher rated you are, the more you will learn from it.
Short's game against Cheparinov was interesting for its context if not its
content. It seems that the day before the game was played Cheparinov had
been forfeited for refusing to shakes Short's hand before their regularly
scheduled round. The forfeiture was eventually overturned during an appeal
process. Short was not going to take a loss in this game and he took his time
taking Cheparinov apart.
This DVD is a personal history of Nigel Short's rather distinguished career. If

you are a fan of Nigel Short, then it must be a part of your library. If you are a
fan of autobiographies, then it is also a must have. In fact, I have no problem
recommending this DVD to just about anyone interested in the world of chess.
Order Nigel Short : Greatest Hits, Volume 1

by Nigel Short
Spanish Exchange Variation, by Andrew Martin, Running Time: Four Hours
What makes the Spanish Exchange Variation

different from most other openings is that White
gets to determine the structure that arises and in
essence forces Black to fight on the terrain of
White's choosing. The line is positionally sound and
if all goes according to plan, then an endgame arises
that is very favorable for White. The price of all this
is White parts with his bishop-pair and consents to
an early exchange of queens. One of the earliest
proponents of the Exchange Variation of the Ruy
Lopez was Emanuel Lasker. But it was Bobby
Fischer who turned this opening into an art form.
I have to admit that I began looking at the DVD with a bias, because I had
found that Martin had only played three games in the Spanish Exchange
Variation, and the last one played was in 1992. However, he is a terrific
teacher, with a tremendous knowledge of theory, and I eventually came to the
conclusion that this is an excellent DVD.
There are thirty-one lectures on this DVD:
01: Introduction and Game One

02: The Pawn Ending
03: Game Three Vallejo Pons Sasikirian
04: 5Qd6 Game Four
05: 5Qd6 Game Five
06: 5Qd6 Game Six
07: 5Qd6 Game Seven
08: Summary 5Qd6
09: 5Bg4 Game One
10: 5Bg4 Game Two
11: 5Bg4 Game Three
12: 5Bg4 Game Four
13: 5.Bg4 Game Five and Summary
14. 5.Bd6 Game One
15: 5Bd6 Game Two and Conclusion
16: 5f6 Game One
17: 5f6 Game Two
18: 5f6 Game Three
19: 5f6 Game Four
20 5f6 Game Five
21: 5f6 6.d4 Bg4 Game One
22: 5f6 6.d4 Bg4 Game Two
23: 5f6 6.d4 Bg4 Game Three
24: 5...f6 6.d4 Bg4 Game Four
25: 5Be7 Game One
26: 5Ne7 Game One
27: 5Ne7 Game Two and Summary
28: 5Qe7
29: 5Qf6
30: 4bxc6
31: Outro
The Exchange Variation of the Spanish begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3
Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0:
[FEN "r1bqkbnr/1pp2ppp/p1p5/4p3/4P3/
5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 5"]
Martin elected to include only victories by White on the DVD. However, a

victory or two for Black might have provided examples of maneuvers that
White could learn to thwart. Martin's first real lecture is on the pawn structure
of this opening.
[FEN "4k3/1pp2ppp/p1p5/8/4P3/8/PPP2PPP/4K3"]
The lecture is geared towards the player who is not familiar with typical king
and pawn endgame play, but it is a useful introduction to the pawn structures
that we can expect from this system. The rest of the DVD is about Black's
reaction to White's play and the recommended theory for White in this
opening. I compared a great deal of the DVD with the ChessBase Opening
Encyclopedia 2010 and not all is roses for the white side. It is quite obvious
that the caliber of play and knowledge of theory will have a large part in
determining the victor in any opening system.
Martin's first series of lectures is on the 5Qd6 line. All but one of his
lectures cover 6.Na3 b5. He does an exceptional job explaining the moves and
the reasons for making them. Martin chose 5Bg4 as the subject of his next
five lectures. Aside from 5f6, this is the most popular response in the
Spanish Exchange. The next major line that Martin considers is 5f6. Martin
believes that after this move Black has protected his central pawn. He has not
committed any of his minor pieces as yet and "left to his own devices he will
attempt to cement the d4 square by going c5 Ne7 and then Nc6." According to
Martin, this plan is so strong that "black should not be permitted to effect it."
The next four lectures involve the 6...f6 7.d4 Bg4 variation of the Spanish
Exchange. The following move order is recommended by Martin: 1.e4 e5 2.
Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 f6 6.d4 Bg4 7.c3
[FEN "r2qkbnr/1pp3pp/p1p2p2/4p3/3PP1b1/
2P2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 7"]
In all his recommendations, Martin arms you with the theoretical knowledge
required to meet Black's position, and he will always tell you why a particular
move is made. In the Outro, Martin explains that the Exchange Variation is an
"excellent practical bet" and I believe that this DVD will only add to the
number of players who employ it. I recommend this DVD without
reservation.
Order Spanish Exchange Variation

by Andrew Martin


You Can Squeeze the Slav into a Winning Purchases from our shop help
Structure accessible:
Power Play 13: The Squeeze, by Daniel King, Running Time: five hours
"The Squeeze" is the latest in Daniel King's series

of Power Play DVDs. Earlier titles could each be
considered as four-star additions to any beginner's
library; however, some of the more recent titles
have left a lot to be desired regarding topics and
content structure. Beginner's are often taught that
ChessBase there are several methods of play that are available
in terms of weakening one's opponent. These are
Cafe capture, exchange, attack, and immobilize. It is this
last concept that is the central focus of this DVD. ChessBase Magazine #136
Lance Martin King says that it was the following position, in by ChessBase
which he was black during a simultaneous
exhibition by Andras Adorjan, that made him realize the importance of such
play.
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2

by Nigel Short
Rating Chart
Poor [FEN "3r4/p2rppbk/q1p1b1pp/2p1P3/

Useful PpP5/1P1P1N1P/1B2QPP1/3RR1K1"]
Good
King was placed in a position in which he could do nothing to improve his
Excellent
position. It is this situation that King refers to as "the squeeze." According to
King, to subdue the enemy without fighting is the motto of this DVD. It is the
prevention of all of your opponent's active ideas that is the instructional goal
Play through and download herein.
the games from
ChessCafe.com in the The DVD contains fifty lectures:
DGT Game Viewer. The Advance Caro-Kann
01: Introduction by Alexei Shirov
02: Test Positions
03: Petrosian-Bertok I
04: Petrosian-Bertok II
05: King-Barua I
06: King-Barua II
07: Petrosian-Georgadze I
08: Petrosian-Georgadze II
09: Petrosian-Simagin I
10: Petrosian-Simagin II
11: Bronstein-Winiwater I
12: Bronstein-Winiwater II
13: Bonstein-Winiwater III + Kavalek-Lengyel
14: Fischer-Weinstein I
15: Fischer-Weinstein II
16: Fischer-Weinstein III
17: Karpov-Unzicker I
18: Karpov-Unzicker II
19: Karpov-Unzicker III
20: Karpov-Unzincker IV
21: Botvinnik-Alekhine I
22: Botvinnik-Alekhine II
23: Botvinnik-Alekhine III
24: Botvinnik-Alekhine IV
25: Botbinnik-Alekhine V
26: Botvinnik-Alekhine VI + Anand-Karpov
27: Levitt-King I
28: Levitt-King II +Socko-Wall I
29: Socko-Wall II
30: Short-Timman
31: Short-Berg I
32: Short-Berg II
33: Short-Berg III
34: Short-Berg IV
35: Short-Berg V
36: Short-Berg VI
37: Vaganian-Mecking I
38: Vaganian-Mecking II
39: Vaganian-Mecking III
Solutions
40: Nunn-Upton
41: Petrosian-Kikolaevsky + Petrosian-Ivkov + Petrosian-Velimirovic
42 : Kramnik-Gonzalez
43: Lautier-Novik
44: Nielsen-Milliet
45: Spassky-Koch
46. Cordoba-Bandals
47: Petrosian-Karner
48: Miles-Pastor
49: Andersson-Eggleston + Andersson-Grohde + Andersson-Heimann
50: Janowski-Saburoff + Summary
The DVD is structured in the same way as his last few Power Play endeavors.
King begins by giving you test questions to which the DVD will assist you in
providing the answers. He then goes over the actual answers at the end of the
DVD.
The main section of the DVD is devoted to games that have been divided
according to their relation to the theme of immobilization. The games are
suspended at a certain point, where you are then asked to guess the next move
played. Most of the game are devoted to the white side of the picture, as black
is the side that always seems to come out on the short end.
Here is an example of the first segment of a game between Fischer-Weinstein,

with white to play: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1
b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4 Bb7 13.d5
Bc8 14.Nbd2 g6 15.b4 Nb7 16.a4 Bd7
[FEN "r2q1rk1/1n1bbp1p/p2p1np1/1p1Pp3/
PP2P3/5N1P/2BN1PP1/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 17"]
This is an entire clip. The next clip will pick up where this one leaves off.
Some games are divided into as many as five parts, and in each case King
asks you to find the next move based on the principle of "the squeeze." King
has hand-picked each example to illustrate a particular point. It is not likely
that you will reach the same exact positions in your games, rather it is the
general theme that is discussed. His annotations are good, though they do not
extend much beyond the theme of the DVD. Still, he does present many other
chess principles that will be useful to the player who is just starting out. King
also has a great screen personality and he gets his points across in a very
natural manner that is easy to comprehend.
The person for whom this DVD is aimed has an entire world that is opening
up for him, and the prospective viewer should be sure to include print media,
as well as a great deal of practical experience in their training regimen. I
recommend this DVD with very few reservations. In closing, don't take the
suggestion by King to use a real chess board too lightly when doing the
exercises. It is an important part of your education.
Order Power Play 13: The Squeeze

by Daniel King
Winning Structures, by Adrian Mikhalchishin, Running Time: five hours
This DVD is divided into two parts. The first

contains eleven lectures on the pawn structure
preferences of some of the greatest chess minds of
the twentieth century, and the second is devoted
entirely to the isolated pawn structure.
Mikhalchishin begins the first section by noting how
the great Akiva Rubinstein used double pawns to
help him control the center of the board, and he
presents a game where Alekhine used this structure
against Rubinstein.
Almost all the game examples come from the

Queen's Gambit and what Mikhalchishin calls a semi-closed structure. While
presenting these structures, Mikhalchishin does an admirable job of
annotating the games he has chosen as examples. The DVD contains a total of
nineteen lectures:
01: Rubinstein 01
02: Rubinstein 02
03: Rubinstein 03
04: Rubinstein 04
05: Rubinstein 05
06: Keres 01
07: Keres 02
08: Keres 03
09: Geller 01
10: Geller 02
11: Geller 03
12: Isolated Pawn 1
13: Isolated Pawn 2
14: Isolated Pawn 3
15: Isolated Pawn 4
16: Isolated Pawn 5
17: Isolated Pawn 6
18: Isolated Pawn 7
19: Isolated Pawn Outro
The next lecture again shows Rubinstein demonstrating his understanding of

pawn structures. He understood which squares he had to control and how to
make use of them in setting up his attack.
[FEN "3r1rk1/1p1b1p1p/p1nqp1p1/3p3n/
3N1P2/2PB1NP1/PP1QRP1P/R5K1"]
Mikhalchishin's lectures are useful in that they point out how each move
contributes to a structure that brought Rubinstein closer to a winning position.
He demonstrates how the giants of chess brought their games together to
make a harmonious whole, and explains the plans and strategies that the
players followed.
According to Mikhalchishin, Botvinnik always gave credit to Rubinstein with

regards to pawn structures. In looking at the games of Botvinnik included on
the DVD, one cannot help but note the similarities to Rubinstein's play.
Mikhalchishin does a masterful job of pointing out how Botvinnik used the
opponent's weak squares to mount an attack.
Mikhalchishin discusses how every great player had favorite structures in

which they placed their pieces. In the first Keres lecture, he shows us two
examples of the Fianchetto Grnfeld that met the needs of this great player.
The next lecture presents a game from Romanishin in which he obtained the
same central structure as Keres, but from a Rti Opening.
One of the high points of the DVD is the discussion of Efim Geller. Included
in the lecture is Geller's beautiful victory over Bobby Fischer in the Sicilian
Najdorf. Both Geller and Fischer believed that chess is timing and that in
certain positions one must act immediately or risk losing an opportunity.
Mikhalchishin underscores how our understanding of different structures

transcends almost all opening systems. One important structure that requires a
great deal of time is the isolated pawn. This structure comes from many
different openings and is one that all players must learn how to handle it. Here
is a key position with an isolated pawn:
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/pp2bppp/4pn2/8/2BP4/
2N2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1"]
There are many possibilities for the player with the isolated pawn and
Mikhalchishin shows us what they are and how to play them. He teaches us
about blockades and how to play against them. He shows us how the masters
played with the isolated pawn. He illustrates many methods of play for both
sides of the structure, and he is sure to tell us which plans can succeed and
which should be avoided, along with of the reasons for each one. This entire
section is also loaded with examples from Mikhalchishin's own games.
According to Mikhalchishin, if you avoid playing with an isolated pawn, then

you are doomed to passivity, which will be exploited by your opponent. He
spends about a half-hour on the most dangerous plan with the isolated pawn: a
direct breakthrough in the center. It has to be carefully prepared, but he shows
that it works. He makes many recommendations on how to play with this
structure. The idea is to increase the activity and mobility of your pieces.
Experience and knowledge are the prerequisites of the planning process and
the setups that are required.
Mikhalchishin advises that in order to successfully play with the isolated

pawn, you have to be able to play all sorts of structures and be able to adapt
during the game based on the moves of your opponent. According to
Mikhalchishin, the changes in structure are usually favorable to the side with
the isolated pawn and he provides a few examples of changes in structure
where both sides have to react or suffer the consequences.
There is a separate lecture in which Mikhalchishin explains which squares

you have to avoid and which squares you have to control. He also covers
which types of endgames that you can expect. In the twenty-three minutes
allotted to this lecture, he just about presents an entire course on the endgame.
There are basic rules that you have to follow or you are not going to win or
draw. In fact, this is probably the most difficult lecture on the DVD given the
amount of material you have to understand.
There is enough material contained on this DVD to last a player a lifetime.

The subject matter is important to anyone who plays chess. However, in order
to understand the material you have to be sufficiently advanced as a player.
For this type of person, this DVD is a must buy.
Order Winning Structures

The Slav and Semi-Slav Revisited, by Alexei Shirov, Running Time: eight
hours
This is Alexei Shirov's second DVD for ChessBase

on the Slav and Semi-Slav. Compared to the first
DVD, there is a self recognition on the part of
Shirov that he is one of the trendsetters in some of
the variants of this opening and he exudes
excitement about the subject matter. There are very
few players that can match his grasp of the opening
and he displays this knowledge on lectures that
sometimes last close to an hour. As someone who
plays the Slav, I found much that can be learned
from these lectures.
There are nineteen lectures on this DVD:
01: Intro
02: Buhmann-Shirov
03: Shirov-Svidler
04: Sargissian-Nejer
05: Shirov-Fridman
06: Braun-Fridman
07: Shirov-Rublevsky
08: Intro Meram
09: Lafuente-Shirov
10: Wang Yue-Kramnik
11: Akesson-Shirov
12: Ivanchuk-Aronian
13: Chuchelov-Shirov
14: Kramnik-Shirov
15: Shirov-Karjakin
16: Van Wely-Smeets
17: Topalov-Shirov
18: Carlsen-Shirov
19: Kasimdzhanov-Shirov
Whereas the title of Shirov's first DVD was: "My Best Games in the Slav and
Semi-Slav," this one could aptly be titled "The Best Games in the Slav and
Semi-Slav." Because, going by current theory, that is exactly what is
contained on this DVD. The time goes by quickly as Shirov does his usual
over-the-board calculations without the aid of computer. In the first video we
not only see the game Buhmann-Shirov, we also see Shirov's game against
Inarkiev, so that we may better understand his moves against Buhmann.
Shirov makes it clear that this will be a DVD about the Meran and Botvinnik
variations. The latter of which he thought was incorrect on his first DVD, but
he explains that he has changed his mind over the past two and a half years.
He only briefly discusses the Chebanenko system with a game against Gata
Kamsky. He recommends that you look at the games of Carlsen, Anand, and
Kramnik for more on this variation.
One of the few white games by Shirov on the DVD is his game against Peter
Svidler. Svidler chose a line that Shirov was not as familiar with as white,
since he does not like to deal with the gambit like situations that occur in this
line: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 e6 6.e3 c5
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/4pn2/2p5/P1pP4/
2N1PN2/1P3PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 7"]
This popular line transposes to the Queen's Gambit Accepted, where black has
lost a tempo. Shirov claims that he is not in his sphere with this line of the
Slav, and that he tried to remember the opening moves from his childhood
work on the line. Judging from the current annotations it seems that this game
is the current archetype for this variation of the Slav. The annotations for
these games last for as long as forty minutes and are a window into Shirov's
thought process.
Before beginning the section on the Meran and Botvinnik variations, Shirov
annotates a game between him and Sergei Rublevsky in 2007: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.g3
[FEN "rn1qkb1r/pp3ppp/2p1pn2/4Nb2/P1pP4/
2N3P1/1P2PP1P/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 7"]
Of the nearly 2,000 games in this line, 7.g3 was played in fewer than 140
games. Shirov believes that it is a viable alternative to 7.f3, and he believes
that this is an important game in this line. If we follow the game through to
the end of move twelve, then we find that it had only been played twice. Once
as the current win by Shirov and the second game a 1995 draw between
Sokolov and Bareev. Shirov spends almost forty minutes in his annotation of
this game.
The Botvinnik variation is played as follows: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.

Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/p4p2/2p1pn1p/1p2P1p1/
2pP3B/2N2N2/PP3PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq g6 0 9"]
Shirov presents the game between Loek Van Wely and Jan Smeets from 2009,
which led him to the notion that the Botvinnik was alive and well. He does an
excellent job of annotating this system, and he explains all of the options that
are available to both white and black. He is always looking to the future of
this variation and he has a great deal to say about current theoretical ideas.
In Shirov's two games in the Botvinnik variation, played in Sofia against

Topalov and Carlsen, you can tell that he is really enjoying himself as he goes
over these games that contain all of his current theory. It is as if all of his
analysis and preparation were paying off. If you play this variation, then these
two lectures are a must see. As Shirov makes clear, this system cannot be
played by common sense, you must have the theoretical knowledge.
It seems that the DVD was originally prepared in May of 2009, but it says a
great deal about Shirov that he made this last forty-five minute lecture in
order to bring us up to date on the theory. I recommend this DVD to anyone
who plays the Slav or Semi-Slav. Moreover, if you are interested in the
development of chess theory, specifically in the Slav, then both of Shirov's
DVDs should be in your library.
Order The Slav and Semi-Slav Revisited

by Alexei Shirov

A Magazine that Really Talks Chess! Purchases from our shop help
accessible:
This month I am going to take a look at ChessBase Magazine. This is
published every two months on DVD, with an accompanying printed booklet.
If you haven't purchased one lately, you should be aware that ChessBase
changed the format of the printed magazine to make it more professional,
while also providing a plastic slipcase for the DVD. Furthermore, the printed
magazine is now bound instead of being stapled, so it can be properly placed
on your book shelf. This is a testimonial to their commitment to chess
excellence in their commercial endeavors.
ChessBase The printed booklet is provided in both English and German. This issue
begins with an editorial that tries to predict the openings for the then
Cafe upcoming world championship match. Their prediction of 1.e4 from Anand
proves how hard it is to foretell future events. The contents of the printed
magazine serves as a summary of what can be found on the DVD. I find this
by ChessBase
Lance Martin very useful, as I can sit on my couch and read the magazine and get a good
idea of what to find on the DVD. However, the heart of the product is the
actual DVD.

by Nigel Short
Rating Chart
Poor
Useful
Good
Excellent
Play through and download The DVD comes bundled with the CB Reader, so no other software is
the games from necessary to access the contents. However, if you own the ChessBase
ChessCafe.com in the database program or one of the Fritz family of programs, you can use these to
DGT Game Viewer. watch the DVD. I recommend that you install the magazine on your hard The Advance Caro-Kann
drive, so that you will always have its components available to you. by Alexei Shirov
The DVD begins with a video introduction by the inimitable Karsten Mller,
who previews the major features in this issue. Mller's sense of humor and
questioning about positions in the various games really make the DVD a more
enjoyable experience. He spends about one-third of the introduction going
over some of the more important games from Wijk aan Zee and points out
which games will be in Fritz Trainer format. He also highlights some of the
more interesting openings from the thirteen opening surveys that are provided
on the DVD. He spends a particularly long time on the Najdorf game between
Naiditsch and Sjugirov from the Moscow Aeroflot tournament. He then
mentions all of the remaining columns on the DVD and provides hints for
some of the questions provided therein. Mller ends the introduction with an
unanswered question that can only be found in one of the upcoming columns.
All in all, it is a great way to begin the magazine.
Next up is a video presentation by Dorian Rogozenko of the two major super-
tournaments: Linares and Wijk aan Zee. Rogozenko explains that Wijk aan
Zee was a Category 19 tournament and that his hero of the first half of the
tournament was the then unbeaten Alexei Shirov. Rogozenko examines a few
of Shirov's games and indicates that Shirov's time trouble in several games led
to his second-third place finish. As for Linares, Rogozenko explains that it
was a six-player tournament that was made more interesting by the play of
Topalov. The bulk of the time is spent on a Najdorf between Topalov and
Grischuk.
The second video by Rogozenko describes the two strongest tournaments

from the beginning of the year: The Moscow Open and the Aeroflot Open.
The winner of the Moscow Open was Konstantin Chernyshov who won six
out of nine games. The winner of the Aeroflot Open was Le Quang Liem, a
Vietnamese player. Also mentioned is The Gibraltar Tournament won by
Michael Adams and the stunning loss by the all-star team from Baden Baden
in the German League.
There follows a link to the Wijk aan Zee results that are either in game, audio,
or video format. First up is a theoretical survey of the various openings used
in Wijk ann Zee by Mikhial Marin. He tells us that the Arkhangelsk variation
of the Ruy Lopez was tested in four games during the tournament: 1.e4 e5 2.
Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.a4 Rb8 9.d4
Bb6 10.Na3 0-0 11.axb5 12.Nxb5 Bg4
[FEN "1r1q1rk1/2p2ppp/pbnp1n2/1P2p3/
3PP1b1/NBP2N2/1P3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 12"]
We then are presented with deeply annotated games that were played from
this position. All the games from the tournament are extremely well annotated
by either Marin or Krasenkow. Each game is deeply explained and no
favoritism toward any opening is shown.
The next highlight of the front page is a link to the Karjakin-Carlsen game in
the French Defense, won and honestly annotated by Carlsen. His comments
were a real high point for me. Next up is a Petroff between Anand-Kramnik.
This is annotated in audio format by Anand and, having been spoiled by the
Fritz Trainer video format, it is somewhat difficult to acclimate to the
presentation.
For instance, this pales in comparison to the video analysis by Alexei Shirov
of his game against Dominguez in the Najdorf. This is a full twenty-five
minute presentation, and to understand the story behind this game you have to
watch the whole video. Anyway, had Shirov played 31.b4 in the following
position, instead of agreeing to a draw, he would have won Wijk aan Zee:
[FEN "6k1/4r1b1/4p1P1/qp6/8/P4Q2/
1PP5/1K1R4 w - - 0 31"]
It is apparent that Shirov felt bad about missing the move, especially when so
many players around him had seen it. Yet, he was in time trouble and that is
the nature of chess. He displays a real champion's attitude toward the game.
Shirov's next video is his game against Carlsen. He had beat Carlsen nine
months before in Sofia in the same opening. However, at Wijk aan Zee,
Carlsen found the move that saves the draw. In the following position,
Carlsen found the improvement 22...Bc3!.
[FEN "1r2r2k/4qpbp/P1b5/3p1P2/4p1Q1/
1P1B4/P1N2PPP/4RRK1 b - - 0 22"]
In Sofia, he lost after 22.Be5 23.Be2 d4 24.Bc4 Rg8 25.Qh3 Rg7 26.g3
Rbg8 27.Qh6 Qc7 28.Nb4 Ba8 29.Nd5 Qd8 30.Rxe4 1-0. In Wijk, the game
continued 23.Qh3 Qf6 24.Be2 d4 25.Bc4 Rg8 26.g3 Rbe8 27.Rd1 e3 28.fxe3
dxe3 29.Be2 Re4 30.Qg2 Re7 31.Qh3 Re4 32.Qg2 Re7 33.Qh3 -
It is games like this that make chess such an enjoyable activity for me. Chess
is my life, and my life is made a little bit better by such games. I devote this
column to those that think the way I do.
Another highlight of CBM #135 is a video analysis by Nigel Short in a game

against Kramnik using the Petroff. This video is a testimonial for thinking for
one's self. Short remembers the days before computer reliance for an opening
repertoire and he insists that a computer would not have found the same
moves that he played. In any event, after the match both participants agreed
that had Short played 30.h4!, instead of 30.Qxa4, in the following position he
would have gained the upper hand.
[FEN "3r3k/6pp/2p3b1/2B3b1/p1Q5/
P4R1P/2P2PP1/3q1NK1 w - - 0 30"]
Every chess player should have a copy of CBM in order to gain the insights of
these top players. For example, Short claims that he played like a "total
Patzer" by permitting Kramnik to escape from a lost position. This game just
hurts him to replay. He says that someone rated 2696 should "not be so
stupid" as to miss some of the moves that he did.
The games from Linares are annotated by either Marin or Ftacnik, and they do
a really great job. Of special note is the game between Topalov and Grischuk
with a novelty on move ten in the so-called Adams Attack in the Najdorf. This
game is worthwhile for many reasons. I was enlightened by Ftacnik's
annotations the game.
However, there is more to the DVD than coverage of major tournaments. The
magazine also contains thirteen opening surveys on everything from the
Poseidon Variation of the Grivas Sicilian to an interesting article on the Rti
Gambit in the French by Victor Moskalenko. Kuzmin's article on the Najdorf
has an interesting idea on a heretofore dubious move, and you can read the
full excerpt here. The surveys begin with an article on a particular opening,
followed by a number of annotated games. These opening surveys are a large
part of the draw of this magazine and they will provide you with plenty of
food for thought for your next games.
And yet we are still not done exploring the contents of this DVD! For
instance, Rainer Knaak supplies a pretty good video on an opening trap in the
Vienna. There is also an opening video on the Queen's Gambit by Adrian
Mikhalchishin and a twenty-minute video by Lilov on the Dutch Stonewall.
This is a typical Lilov video in that it is an excellent introduction for
beginners in this opening. This is followed by a video from Nigel Davies,
giving us an example of the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation.
Finally, we get to the training part of the DVD. This includes the Move By
Move column by Daniel King, where we are asked questions about the best
moves in a couple of games. You must "Enable Training" in order to use this
feature. The Tactics column by Oliver Reeh presents you with a number of
positions of varying degrees of difficulty. Endgames are covered by Karsten
Mller, and we are presented with a total of seven videos devoted to various
types of rook endings. Both his wit and charm are on admirable display as he
teaches the principles of endgame theory. He provides us with test questions
and then proceeds to explain the answers.
Here is an example of a cut off along the rank:
[FEN "6r1/8/5R2/2k5/6P1/6K1/8/8"]
Note how the rook shields its king so that it supports the advance of the
passed pawn. The first three of his seven videos are all about cut offs. These
alone are worth the price of the magazine. Now if we could only remove the
word "tenacious" from Karsten's vocabulary.
In between each issue of ChessBase Magazine, an "Extra" DVD is released.
These usually contain a large database of games and several Fritz Trainer
videos. For example, CBM #134 Extra contains a database of 20,788 games
played between December 2009 and February 2010 and three Fritz Trainer
videos: Leonid Kritz shows a classical game Botvinnik-Tal, Moscow 1961;
Andrew Martin refers to his own DVD "The Budapest Gambit"; and Valeri
Lilov presents Aronian-Nakamura, Bursa 2010. ChessBase Magazine is
probably one of the best values in chess. I recommend it to all chess players
no matter what their level of play.
Order ChessBase Magazine Subscription

by ChessBase


Private Notes Purchases from our shop help
accessible:
The Fighting Philidor, by Victor Bologan, Video running time: five hours
Franois-Andr Danican Philidor wrote his famous

book, Analyse du jeu des checs, in 1749. It is here
that he wrote that pawns are the "very spirit" of
chess, and that if your pawn structure was
unhealthy, then you were doomed to lose. Contained
therein are examples that bear the elements of the
opening which was to become associated with his
ChessBase name, even though he never played the opening
himself. In fact, the Philidor Opening bears a
Cafe structural resemblance to the opening developed by
Slovenian GM Vasja Pirc (pronounced "peer-ts"). I
Chess Endgames 5
first learned of this resemblance in Pirc Alert by Lev
by Karsten Mller
Lance Martin Alburt and Alex Chernin, but I did not fully realize the potential structural
similarities until watching Bologan's DVD.
The material is divided into three sections containing a total of twenty lectures:
01: 1.e4 d6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4

02: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.f3
03: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bd3
04: 1.e4 d6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nge2
05: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nge2
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8 Kxd8
06: 6.Nf3
07: 6.Bc4 Guide to the Tkachiev
08: 6.Bg5 Ruy Lopez
Rating Chart 09: 6.Bc4 II by Alexei Shirov
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7
Poor 10: 5.g3
Useful 11: 5.g4
12: 5.Bc4
Good
13: 5.Bc4 II
Excellent 14: 5.Bc4 III
15: 5.Bc4 IV
16: 5.Bc4 V
Play through and download 17: 5.Bc4 VI
the games from 18: 5.Bc4 VII
ChessCafe.com in the 19: 5.Bc4 VIII
DGT Game Viewer. 20: 5.Bc4 IX
As you can see the content is divided into three major categories: Pirc-like by Nigel Short
structures, endgame structures, and the mainline structure. This bears
similarities to Bologan's previous DVDs where he dealt with the sidelines first
because of his belief that it will lead you to a better understanding of the
mainline of the defense. He is convinced that this is a necessary part of
opening preparation, so that you will not get taken into a line with which you
are unfamiliar. Moves can be concrete or strategic. The concrete is the known
theory that you have memorized; strategic is the move based solely on your
knowledge of chess principles. It is far better if you are playing the concrete
moves that you have studied.
The relationship of the Philidor to the Pirc is exhibited by the fact that all of
the games in the sidelines are in Chess Informant B07 category. This
relationship was also noted by Alexei Shirov in his Fritz Trainer DVD, The
Philidor Defence. This variant in its many forms takes up four out of
Bologan's five lectures on the sidelines. This makes knowledge of the Pirc
almost a must if you intend to play the Philidor successfully.
The first example from Bologan is 1.e4 d6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4. The required
response by Black is to play in the center with 3...d5, when the main moves
are then 4.e5 d4. The annotations that follow take us well beyond the scope of
the game itself, which was Palac-Malaniuk. However, Bologan's lectures on
the sidelines are not just limited to the Pirc. His second lecture begins with 1.
e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.f3 e5
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/ppp2ppp/3p1n2/4p3/3PP3/5P2/
PPP3PP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq e6 0 4"]
He then alters Black's third move to arrive at the following:
3d5 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Qb6 8.Nc3 e6.
3c5 4.d5 g6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Bg5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5 9.cxd5.
In the first case, we get a comfortable French opening, and in the second we
get just as comfortable with the King's Indian.
In Bologan's game against L'ami in 2007, he kept a Pirc-like structure, which

serves as a good precursor to the Philidor games to come: 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8
+ Kxd8 6.Bc4 Ke8 7.Be3 Nbd7 8.Ne2 a5 9.a3 Bc5 10.Kf2 Bxe3+ 11.Kxe3
Nb6 12.Nd2 a4
[FEN "r1b1k2r/1pp2ppp/1n3n2/4p3/p1B1P3/
P3KP2/1PPNN1PP/R6R w - - 0 13"]
Bologan reminds us that we have to have "moves in our pocket." By this, he is

referring to concrete moves that we have studied. His annotation of this game
again takes us into a world of games that are yet to be played, but that are
never bad for Black. As Bologan admits, this DVD is made for the black side.
He recommends that "if you want to know about the white side, then listen to
the DVD by Shirov." Bologan has played this variant of the Pirc since 1989
and he is very fastidious in his annotations. He tells tell you whether the lines
are better for black or white, and ends each lecture by explaining what to be
careful about in the given move order and how best to play any given setup.
His discussion of 3.Bd3 continues 3e5 4.c3 d5 5.dxe4 Nxe4. He notes that
Black should not be afraid of sacrificing the pawn as he has good
compensation. In the mainline, Black's plan is to play Nc5, Nc6, Bg4, Qd7, 0-
0-0, and d4. Black is to break through as it "were a tank." His assessment is
that Bd3 should not pose any problem to the Philidor player.
His next lecture discusses 1.e4 d6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nge2. Rahter than follow up
with 3e5, his recommendation is 3g6 4.d4 Bg7 5.g3 0-0 6.Bg2 e5 7.h3 c6
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/pp3pbp/2pp1np1/4p3/3PP3/
2N3PP/PPP1NPB1/R1BQK2R w KQ - 0 8"]
Bologan comments that this position might not be seen in your whole life, but
he would like the answers ahead of time, rather than trying to solve them over-
the-board.
The next game is a real Philidor Defense between Sax and Nevednichy.
Bologan explores territory known only to him and his former trainer
Chebanenko. The line shows the importance of putting a pawn on h5 in order
to stop white's g4 plan. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nge2 c6 5.f3 h5
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/pp3pp1/2pp1n2/4p2p/3PP3//
2N2P2/PPP1N1PP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq h6 0 6"]
It is a testament to Bologan's thoroughness that the sidelines took up so much

of the DVD. Though I would have liked even more discussion of the
relationship of the Pirc to the Philidor.
The next part of the DVD is devoted to the Philidor Endgame, in which the
queen's are exchanged on move five: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5
5.Qxd8 Kxd8
[FEN "rnbk1b1r/ppp2ppp/5n2/4p3/4P3/2N5//
PPP2PPP/R1B1KBNR w KQ - 0 6"]
Bologan's recommends meeting 6.f4 by 6Nc6 7.Nf3 Bd6, as this offers

good protection of the e5-square. Even though this lecture comes under the
heading of 6.Nf3, Bologan spends most of his time investigating 6.f4 and 6.
Be3. What we have is Bologan's notes on how he would play each position at
the board. I think this is quite a bargain. What he does for 6.f4, he also does
for 6.Be3 and 6.Nf3. In his example game, one that he played against Epishin
in 1991, he shows how he was able to turn a draw into a win with black.
According to Bologan, the most important feature in this version of the
Philidor is not to lose our fight in the center, and to protect our pawns in the
endgame and initiate a counterattack.
Bologan faced 6.Bc4 against Khenkin. Here he recommends to always clear

square d5 and control f5. The plan is to play a6, b5, Bb7, and Bd6. As you can
see, every part of Bologan's game is controlled by a plan. It is our successful
use of this plan that gives us a lead against our opponent.
Bologan's game against Bocharov is interesting in that Bocharov has played

more than twenty-five games as black in the Philidor. When he plays a game,
I think we should watch it carefully. The fact that Bologan can find alternative
winning lines for Black is just a testimonial to his thought processes in the
opening, and he does a great job of explaining the reasons for his moves.
The final game of this section was interesting for me, as I discovered a
discrepancy with the book The Modern Philidor by Vladimir Barsky. I
contacted IM Sergey Soloviov, who is technical editor of Chess Stars
Publications, who in turn contacted GM Bologan, who verified the mistake in
the DVD. Quite simply, the game on the DVD that was supposed to be
Sokolov-Bologan was really Sokolovs-Bologan. This is a completely different
player than GM Andrei Sokolov, who is rated just under 2700. Be that as it
may, Bologan was able to transform the game into a beautiful advantage for
Black.
Thus, we finally arrive at the heart of this DVD: the mainline Philidor with 1.
e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7. We now get to look at the move five
possibilities for White and the correct way for Black to answer them. The
main move is Bc4, but Bologan begins with 5.g3 and 5.Be2 c6. As usual his
move order takes us out of the database, with no games having been played
using his recommendations. Again, we are given access to Bologan's private
notes and his trainer's recommendations, perhaps with a little Rybka 4 for
good measure.
Bologan's lecture in answer to Shirov's 5.g4 is extremely important, as,

according to Bologan, Black holds in this line, and he shows us how to play
against White.
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/pppn1ppp/3p1n2/4p3/3PP1P1//
2N2N2/PPP2P1P/R1BQKB1R b KQkq g3 0 5"]
Bologan recommends Black accept the sacrifice, and he deeply investigates

the lines with 9.Qd3 and 9.dxe5. He summarizes that g4 is a sharp line with
chances for both sides.
In the lectures for 5.Bc4 Be7, Bologan reveals that when he was a child he
was afraid of the move 6.Bxf7+. This move can be made at either move six or
move seven.
[FEN "r1bqk2r//pppnbppp/3p1n2/4p3/2BPP3/
2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 6"]
His annotations after 6Kxf7 are exceptional. And once again they are
straight from his personal notes and go well beyond known games.
The next lectures discuss the plans involved with 8h6 and 8b6. These
lines are complicated, but Bologan provides us with enough knowledge to
implement these plans and he offers alternatives. However, after viewing his
lecture about the b6 line I am not too optimistic for Black.
Bologan's personal mainline as Black in the Philidor is 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.

Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 c6 8.a4 a5
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1p1nbppp/2pp1n2/p3p3//
P1BPP3/2N2N2/1PP2PPP/R1BQR1K1 w - a6 0 9"]
A good part of the lecture shows the possibilities after 10.Ba2, 10.Bb3, and 10.
Bf1, and what Bologan would play against them. You can note a difference in
his attitude as he explains the lines for Black. It is as if he owes us the best
lines because they are the ones he uses over-the-board. He emphasizes what
should be the main move in each line and summarizes what should be played
in each case.
His next lectures cover 9.Ba2 and 9.b3. Bologan does not seem as sure of
himself in explaining the lines with 9.Ba2; he has no real conclusion or
overall assessment as in most of the other lines. Against 9.b3, Bologan
recommends that Black be very active and immediately try to clarify the
situation in the center. I thought you would enjoy seeing the board after move
twelve with all of Bologan's plans built into the diagram.
[FEN "r1bqnrk1/1p2bppp/1np5/p2pP3/
P2N4/1PN5/2P2PPP/R1BQRBK1"]
Bologan proceeds to show you how to implement this plan, and how it adapts
based on what occurs during the game. What is especially nice is his
explanation of his plan in the game's summary. All in all it is a job well done.
In summation, this is probably one of the best Fritz Trainers that I have ever
seen. This is high praise considering that the presenter is uncomfortable in
front of a camera and speaks with a heavy accent that is sometimes difficult to
understand. I recommend this DVD to anyone rated above, say, 1600-1800. I
have viewed this DVD several times, and will likely do so a few more times
as well. If you are a chess player buy it.
Order The Fighting Philidor

by Victor Bologan


Being Alexei Shirov Purchases from our
chess shop help keep
ChessCafe.com freely
Guide to the Tkachiev Ruy Lopez, by Alexei Shirov, running time six hours
accessible:
It was about four and a half years ago that Alexei Shirov produced his first
Ruy Lopez video for ChessBase. It was on this video that he announced that
he was going to present a version of the Spanish that he called the Tkachiev.
This was to honor a colleague of his who had been studying and playing this
opening for several years. That colleague was now French chessplayer
Vladislav Tkachiev. The move order as Shirov provided it back then was 1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
ChessBase
Cafe
Lance Martin ChessBase Magazine #137
by Rainer Knaak
[Find us on Facebook.]
[FEN "r1bqk2r/2pp1ppp/p1n2n2/1pb1p3/4P3/
1B3N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 7"]
This was to distinguish it from the 6Bb7 version of the system, known as
the Archangelsk. Well, Mr. Shirov did an excellent job in presenting this
opening back then and even featured this opening on his second DVD on the
Spanish by giving it about half the space of that DVD. He now returns to that The Advance Caro-Kann
by Alexei Shirov
line with an entire DVD on the theory and current status of this opening. It is
now Shirovs main weapon of choice as Black and he has played it no less
Rating Chart than fifty-five times since. There are twelve lectures on this DVD. For a full
list of chapters, see the detailed description in the ChessCafe.com shop.
Poor
Useful Without question this is not a DVD for the merely curious. This DVD is
Good aimed first and foremost at the player of the Ruy Lopez who is considering
Excellent playing this line as black. But over and above that, it is for the chess player
who wants to know how theory is developed and implemented during the
current computer era. Shirov makes no bones about the fact that every move
is checked with the latest version of Rybka. To hear Shirov say that his year-
and-a-half-old computer is almost too old to make proper assessments of
the games from
positions, gives you a good idea as to what has become of modern-day chess.
ChessCafe.com in the Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
When a current top ten player states that he trusts the latest developments in
DGT Game Viewer. by Nigel Short
Rybka as much or more than his own analysis, then it shows that we have
reached a point in time that I for one thought would never come.
Shirov tells us that it was in September 2009 that this opening became of
utmost importance to his chess. The first game on the DVD is between
Svidler and Shirov from the World Cup in December 2009. It contains one of
the most difficult plans that White can give this opening. Right away the first
real choice for White is on move seven where he can play a4, c3, or d3.
Shirov provides the responses by Black to each of these choices. According to
Shirov, Svidler used a very old counter to meet the Tkachiev: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3
Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.axb5 axb5 9.Nxe5
Nxe5 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 d6 12.f4 Nc6 13.Qc3 Ne7 14.Qd3
[FEN "1rbqk2r/2p1nppp/3p1n2/1p6/4PP2/
1B1Q4/1PP3PP/RNB2RK1 b k - 0 14"]
Here Svidler surprised Shirov with an old move. What is important at this
point is Shirovs comment that even in our computer era if you have time on
your clock, you can calculate almost as good as a computer. Now Shirov was
caught in a situation in which his preparation was exhausted; however, he
went on to win the game. Aside from going through the game, Shirov also
goes over some sub-lines. Here he says that the Spanish is "the counter attack
for real men."
The next lecture features a game from Wijk aan Zee between Karjakin and
Anand. Shirov first concentrates on the possibilities for Black on move eight:
Rb8, Bg4, and Bb7. The next point of analysis is move thirteen for White.
Topalov played Bc2 against Shirov in 1996 and fourteen years later the same
move was made by Karjakin against Anand at Wijk ann Zee. Against
Topalov, Shirovs response was 13d5 and for the next ten years Shirov
thought this was a good move. Now thanks to a game against Ivanchuk,
Shirov doesnt consider it a reliable move. It has been supplanted by 13Bf3
or 13exd4. Shirov spends a good deal of time moving around the line and
seeing who has the better chances and which move order is correct. We are
bearing witness to the analysis of this line as it is happening. It sure sounds
like Shirov is taking a great deal from these lectures at least in the
clarification of his thoughts.
This is followed by a lecture on a game between Karjakin and Shirov. During

this lecture Shirov does an excellent job of showing how he calculates a
position when there are few pieces on the board. He gives us an idea of the
risks that he is willing to take and those that he wouldnt. This is one of the
few times when we get a real look at how he calculates when there is limited
material on the board. It gives you an idea of the kind of accuracy required at
top-level play. A wrong move cannot be permitted. Many drawn positions can
be lost because of a minor inaccuracy at the end of a long hard game. He
refers to these endgames as computer defenses.
All in all, this is a wonderful DVD for players rated around 2000 or above
who want to see the evolution of a major chess opening. The insight you will
get into Shirovs thought processes is unsurpassed, making this DVD unique
indeed.
Order Guide to the Tkachiev Ruy Lopez

by Alexei Shirov
[Endgame Study] [The Skittles Room] [ChessCafe Archives]
[ChessCafe Links] [Online Bookstore] [About ChessCafe.com]
[Contact ChessCafe.com]

Power Playing Your Way to Tactical Mastery Purchases from our
Power Play 14: Test Your Tactics, by Daniel King, running time six hours,
accessible:
$39.95 (ChessCafe Price: $33.95)
There seems to be some consensus among chess authors and coaches

regarding the value of tactical training over other aspects of the game. In his
introduction to School of Chess Excellence 2: Tactical Play, Dvoretsky
discusses how deep positional factors or strategic nuances in a position are of
little value if the player is unable to convert these advantages through tactical
means and accurate calculation. Chess is 99% tactics and 99% of the fun too
ChessBase Reinfeld tells us in his classic 1001 Chess Sacrifices and Combinations. Even
the authors of those hefty "Chess Openings Explained" tomes warn us that
Cafe amateur players should only focus on openings for one-quarter of their study
time, and instead devote their efforts to areas such as tactical training that can
have a more dramatic impact on one's game.
Louis Lima ChessBase 11, Upgrade
by ChessBase
In PowerPlay 14: Test Your Tactics, Daniel King advocates the value of
[Find us on Facebook.] sharpening one's tactical awareness through pattern recognition and
familiarization of tactical methods as the surest way for club-level players to
Translate this page boost their play. King invites us to step into a tactical workout gym consisting
of forty-seven test positions and several pause-the-video-to-think moments,
and hopefully emerge with stronger tactical muscles. The test positions touch
on a very wide array of themes:
Mating patterns
Awareness of tactical factors such as weaknesses, king safety, LPDO
(Loose Pieces Drop Off), or the possible consequences of a queen in
the line of an opponent's rook.
Typical tactical themes arising from the French, Trompowsky, Catalan, Tutorials Openings #01
English, Sicilian Hedgehog and other openings. by ChessBase
Positional factors such as the creation of a second weakness, squeezing
our opponent, planning, squashing counter play, and improving our
position.
Rating Chart Tactical themes such as pins, forks, discoveries, intermezzos, and
double attacks.
Poor Common opening traps
Useful Plethora of advice in various areas of chess such as tactical training
habits, when to assess, and when to calculate, etc.
Good
Excellent
One of the aspects I enjoy in King's PowerPlay series is his knack for
exposing the subject in a slightly different way from how it is presented
elsewhere. In PowerPlay 10: Calculation the focus was on discerning which
Play through and download positions required calculation and when not to bother. In PowerPlay 11: Corr Database 2011
the games from Defence, King concentrated on how to avoid defending altogether by not by ChessBase
ChessCafe.com in the falling into passive positions. King infuses a healthy dose of realism in
DGT Game Viewer. PowerPlay 14 by mixing tactical and non-tactical positions in his tests.
Authors have tried doing this in the past, but have rarely succeeded. Jacob
Aagard included one or two tactical puzzles to surprise us in Basic Positional
Ideas, but King really mixes things up. Some problems require a tactical shot,
while others a quiet move to strengthen the position. Often times the potential
combination will be a dangling carrot the solver will be tempted to take, and
you'll need to assess whether going for the combination is a good idea or not.
In one simple example, King asks us to decide after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 2.e5 c5 4.
c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Be2 Nh6 whether playing 7.Bxh6 is good or bad. This is
a common theme in the French, and King presents similar positions in the
lecture containing the solution.
I found this approach of greater value compared to other tactical tests. Here
King is training us to be on alert at all times, rather than only flicking on our
tactical senses when we have a test of this nature in front of us. Very often
amateur players are unable to transfer the gained skills and experience from
tactical training, simply because we shut our tactical alertness off during
regular games. Unfortunately, the very mention that a test is tactical gives us a
clue that we don't otherwise get while a game is in progress.
Given that King provides several non-tactical puzzles, you might be

wondering how much of PowerPlay 14 is devoted to tactics, and the answer
is: Plenty! While the solution to a test position might require a quiet move,
King takes us through the rest of the game highlighting the tactical
possibilities and combinational elements that occurred, and often throws
another practice question our way for good measure. At the same time, he
might also use the lecture to introduce an important positional method. Let's
look at one of the test positions taken from the game Drizgalovic-Karpov:
Black to Play
[FEN "3r2k1/5p1p/p2q2p1/1p2p3/
1Pb5/P3PN1P/1Q3PP1/2R3K1"]
Here King comments
"If you are looking for a tactic in this position you will be disappointed.
It's simply too dry for that, you can see that there is not enough
interaction among the pieces. So, we have to think in quite a different
way. White has just played h3 which means there is now a threat to take
on e5 since he has solved the back rank problem [Tactics]. So, how to
defend this pawn? definitely a mistake to move this pawn because
that gives the knight a wonderful outpost in the middle of the board
supported by the pawn [on e3]. The knight is just as good as the bishop.
I'd say the position is about equal, but maybe Black has to be a little
careful because White can now open the a file and go for a
counterattack. Anyway, e4 is definitely a mistake. Karpov, even at his
young age - he was a teenager when he played this game - recognized
the fact that it was important to cut out the options of his opponent's
knight..."
King continues his lecture showing how Karpov applied the "squeeze," which
was the theme of one of Power Play 13: The Squeeze.
I've tried to refrain from showing the test positions, and if I do, not to point
out the answers. Doing so would deprive the potential buyer from getting the
most out of PowerPlay 14. Suffice to say the test positions are arranged in
five blocks of approximately ten questions each. The solver will quickly
notice a familiar theme among smaller groupings. Some might require
thinking whether to capture the poisoned b2-pawn in French and Sicilian
sample lines, and in the solution King brings additional examples of when it is
prudent to capture the pawn, and when it can turn out to be a greedy
proposition. In other test positions, you'll see an emerging theme of an unsafe
king, and try to find ways to exploit this advantage.
Prior to the test King uses seven short lectures to shows us a game between
Anand and Topalov. His purpose is to show us how GMs utilize their tactical
awareness and pattern recognition during a game, and at the end of each
lecture he leaves us with an exercise to solve from the game. King often
alludes to moments during the game where there were "tactics in the air," and
some were eye-opening moments for me, as in the following position:
White to move
[FEN "r2qrbk1/1b3pp1/p1np1n1p/1pp1p3/
1P2P3/PNPP1N1P/B4PP1/R1BQR1K1"]
Many amateur players would not notice Black's undefended bishop on b7, but
Topalov plays 16.Rb1 here. King explains that this can be exploited it if
Black tries to play a5 and gives the following possible variation: 16...a5 17.
bxc5 dxc5 (17...a4 18.Nbd2 dxc5 19.Rxb5 Ba6 20.Qxa4 Bxb5 21.Qxb5) 18.
Be3 Qb6 (18...Nd7 19.Nbd2). Equally interesting is Anand's response. Given
that there are two pieces and a pawn in between the rook on b1 and the
undefended bishop on b7, one would think there is no danger to the bishop.
Anand, however, plays 16...Bc8 to get himself out of the possible line of fire.
In addition to this, he has noticed the undefended bishop on a2 and plans to
play 17...Be6 pinning the knight on b2! I found these nuances quite
fascinating and really appreciated King's attention to moments like this.
King seems to come less prepared to debrief variations, and instead likes to
think things through during the live recording. It is quite interesting to observe
how a professional player thinks about a position, though at times, the added
multitasking of making eye contact with the camera and operating the
keyboard gives way to some analysis blunders or missed tactical
opportunities. For example, in the Drizgalovich-Karpov game continuation,
after 41...g5 we reach the following position:
White to Play
[FEN "8/3r2k1/5p2/1p2p1pp/
1Pb5/3qPN1P/1Q3PPK/R7"]
Here King passed by White's response of 42.Rc1 without even discussing

Black's tactical saving grace to stay in the game after: 42.Nxg5! fxg5 43.Qxe5
+ activating White's queen along the a1-h8 diagonal, and the rook via Ra6.
Overall, this is another excellent PowerPlay installment, but there were a

number of things missing that would have made this a product of even greater
value. At times, King did not synthesize the lessons to be learned at the end of
his solution lectures. Some comments about how the puzzle could have been
solved would have been appreciated. This is a coaching method that elevated
the quality of Aagard's book Practical Chess Defence. One example of a
missed teaching moment came in the game Koneru-Stefanova:
White to Move
[FEN "2kr3r/pp1nbpp1/1qp1p3/3n2p1/
3P4/2N1P3/PPQB1PPP/1K1R1B1R"]
The solution might have been spotted if we were aware of basic patterns that
give birth to tactical operations. In this case, the solution might come to us by
seeing that the queen on c2 is in the same line as the king on c8, and that
Black's queen is on the same diagonal as the rook on d8, and so it happens
White still has a dark-squared bishop. I would highly recommend
Weteschnik's Understanding Chess Tactics, which takes an in-depth look into
the mechanics of chess tactics, and you can also take a crack at solving the
approximately 350 positions in the book.
The accompanying database file for PowerPlay 14 contains the source games
from which the test positions were taken, but this could easily have been
converted into a training database, as Mller did in Magic of Chess Tactics. If
this is your first investment in tactical training material, I would suggest a
book such as John Emms' The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book, or the CT-ART
software by Convekta. Even King alludes to every serious chess player
owning a tactical "chess bible." His was Harry Golombek's Encyclopedia of
Chess. Mine was Encyclopedia of Chess Middlegame Combinations
(Informant 1980). This book has gone through several editions and is now
available as the Anthology of Chess Combinations.
PowerPlay 14 is a good way to hone your tactical skills. Whereas Magic of

Chess Tactics was a more inspiring treatment that left you ready to sacrifice
pieces like Tal or Nezhmetdinov, King's approach is more pragmatic, and
after going through the material a couple of times you are likely to emerge
with a greater sense of tactical awareness.
Order Power Play 14: Test Your Tactics

by Daniel King
Buy any three PowerPlay DVDs and automatically save 40% on a fourth!

Ammo for Smith-Morra Gambiteers! Purchases from our
The Smith-Morra Gambit, by Lawrence Trent, running time: five hours,
accessible:
twenty-five minutes, $29.95 (ChessCafe Price: $25.95)
The Smith-Morra Gambit helped me end a long losing streak against my

stepfather back in 2005. I was a 1400-rated player and chess drama centered
more at home than the chess club. We used to battle it out at the board in
various G15 to G30 time controls, and at some point that year I lost eight
games in a row to him. Our weekend game was soon approaching and, unable
to fathom another week of despair, I decided to try the Smith-Morra Gambit,
ChessBase which led to this little miniature:
Cafe 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 d6 6.Bc4 Qc7?! 7.00 e6 8.
Nb5 Qd8 9.Bf4 e5 10.Ng5 exf4?? (The big blunder, but White is still looking
good after 10...Nh6 11.Qb3.) 11.Nxf7 Qf6 12.Nc7+ Kd7 13.Nxa8 Nh6 14.e5
Louis Lima Nxe5 15.Nxe5+ Qxe5 16.Re1 Qc5 17.Qa4+ Kd8 18.Qe8# 10
ChessBase 11, Upgrade
by ChessBase
[Find us on Facebook.] Looking back at my patzer miniature I wonder about White's results in the
Morra. The percentages on my updated Mega Database 2010 are not
Translate this page compelling, but they do point to more favorable results for White as the Elo
rating of the players decrease.
Mega Database 2010

by ChessBase
Mega Database 2010 Statistics for the Smith-Morra Gambit

Rating Chart
The Smith-Morra Gambit DVD by IM Lawrence Trent is a terrific
Poor production. Trent speaks in an unhurried and clear manner, and his
Useful assessments are succinct and easy to understand. This communication style is
Good very consistent throughout the lectures and helps make the contents accessible
Excellent to intermediate-level players and beyond. His approach was also quite
efficient. When authors on opening lectures cover entire games, descending
into a labyrinth of variations that do not offer educative connections to the
opening, middlegame, and endgame themes, these can quickly become video
Enter 1.f4, Bird's Opening!
filler. Trent keeps it simple by only discussing games up to when he has
by Andrew Martin
illustrated the desired points, and then moves on to another example.
Trent does not hype lines with overly optimistic assessments. One will often
hear him summarizing a line by saying that all three results are possible or
that more practical tests are needed. This struck me as honest and balanced,
making the product valuable to players on both sides of the Smith-Morra
Gambit. Black's defenses are well organized, ranging from inferior to
superior, and the analysis seemed objective. There is a host of new ideas and
novelties, and the production abounds in piece and pawn sacrifices presented
as typical in the various defenses.
Those who want to learn the ins and outs of the declined variations might be
disappointed as 3...Nf6 and 3...d5 are not covered in this production. Trent
recommends the Fritz Trainer by Tiviakov on the Alapin Sicilian, but it still
feels like a significant omission, given that Black declines the gambit in
almost fifty-percent of the games.
I found it somewhat odd that Trent did not include any sample games of his
own, and unfortunately I was only able to find one Smith-Morra game in my
database. Trent has done a superb job at researching this opening, so this is
probably unfair criticism on my part. However, it does give confidence to try
these gambits out when authors walk the talk, and there is something special
to be said when they show positional nuances discovered from playing
experience. Even an author's loss can be instructive. On the other hand, it
could well be that this contributed positively in providing unbiased
assessments of the various lines, and Trent came up with new ideas in well-
known positions one would think everything has been said about them. This is
one terrific effort by Trent and a must for Morra gambiteers.
There is approximately 5 hours of video lecture time organized into twenty-

five lectures. Below is a breakdown of the content along with specific length
times for each lecture. This will give you an idea of how much time is
dedicated to a particular defense you might be interested in:
Table of Contents
Let's take a look some of the contents:
Smith-Morra Gambit Declined: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3
3...e5
The most common reply is 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.cxd4 and Trent spends a bit of the
lecture discussing this move. However, his recommendation in the spirit of
the opening is 5.Bc4, which he assesses as leading to unclear play and shows
a number of possible variations leading to highly double-edged positions. One
of the critical lines arose after 5Qc7 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Ng5 Nd8 8.Qb3 Ne6,
which looks nice for Black after Trent's recommended 9.f4.
3...g6
This is my favorite move whenever I decide to decline the gambit and Trent's
suggestion was completely new to me. After 4.cxd4 d5 5.Nc3 dxe4, instead of
the usual 6.Nxe4 lines, his recommendation is 6.Bc4 played twice in 2008 by
GM Sergei Zhidalgo and most recently seen this year in the encounter Zelic-
Radovic from the 24th Open Tula in Croatia. There is also an amateur-level
encounter at the 39th Women Olympiad between Orejuela Chango from
Ecuador and De LaParra Hurtado from Mexico featuring opposite-side
castling. The arising positions don't seem to offer as much complexity as the
positional struggles of 4.cxd4 d5 5.e5, but Black still needs to be careful with
his initial piece placement as the sample game in the lecture showed. Trent's
recommended lines aim for open tactical positions Smith-Morra gambiteers
are sure to enjoy.
A good example of what can happen if Black is not on the alert here is the
miniature encounter between GM David Howell and Timothy Spanton in
2004, prior to Howell attaining his GM title. What would you play as White
after 4.cxd4 d5 5.Nc3 dxe4 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Qb3 e6 8.d5 exd5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5 10.
Bxd5 Bb4+?
White to Move
[FEN "rnbqk2r/pp3p1p/6p1/3B4/1b2p3/1Q6/
PP3PPP/R1B1K1NR w KQkq - 0 11"]
11.Qxb4 Qxd5 12.Qc3! This line could pack some surprise value and my
suggestion would be to also look at the games of GM Dusko Pavasovic, who
began experimenting with this line before Zhidalgo in 2004.
3...d3 - Fianchetto and Hedgehog Variations: 4.Bxd3 Nc6 5.Nf3 g6 6.c4

Bg7; 4.Bxd3 d6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 e6
This is the second most popular way to decline the gambit after 3...Nf6 and
seen at all levels of play. There is so little initial interaction between the
pieces that after 4.Bxd3 Nc6 5.Nf3 g6 White has little choice but to try for a
positional advantage with 6.c4. Black can either fianchetto his bishop on g7 or
choose a hedgehog structure with moves such as d6, Nf6, e6, etc. Nothing
new here, but Trent focuses on piece placement and general plans for both
sides, concluding that Black has a solid position in spite of White's grip in the
center.
Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3
Trent organizes the material along thirteen defenses, first exploring what he
feels are the most inferior set-ups, and methodically moving to Black's more
resilient defenses. He also advises white players to be daring, imaginative,
and to play with the initiative, otherwise they can easily find themselves a
pawn down with no compensation.
Early ...Nf6 Defenses: 4...d6 5.Bc4 Nf6 and 5Nc6 6.Nf3 Nf6
What would a Smith-Morra Gambit product be without the famous 6.e5 dxe5
7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 trap? We see that here, of course, but there is much
more fun packed in this lecture after other sixth-move black responses. 6
Nfd7 leads to excellent winning chances for White too, and Trent spends
sometime discussing this line. You might think you will not be so lucky to
face these lines as white, but 5Nf6 feels like a natural move and there are
many examples in my database. Tactics and piece sacrifices also abound after
5Nc6 6.Nf3 Nf6, the consequence of bringing the knight on f6 too early,
and viewers will be in for a treat with some of Trent's novelties here.
...Qc7 Lines
Here again, Trent organizes the material around four lines ranging from the
less resilient to the most critical. Pawn and piece sacrifices are again
prevalent, and you'll want go back again and again to enjoy these lectures.
Here is one position, see if you can spot the ideas and tactical possibilities:
Black to Move
[FEN "r1b1k1nr/1pq1bppp/p3p3/4p3/2B1P3/
2N2N2/PP2QPPP/2RR2K b - - 0 12"]
How should White handle 12Nf6 or 12Bd7?
If 12...Nf6 13.Nb5 Qb8 14.Nc7+ Kf8 (14...Qxc7 15.Bb5+) 15.Nxa8 Qxa8 16.
Nxe5; If 12...Bd7 13.Nb5 Qb8 14.Rxd7 Kxd7 15.Qd3+ Ke8 16.Nc7+ Qxc7
17.Bb5+ (Trent's analysis) In the game Black lost in similar style after 12
Qb8 13.Bb5+ Kf8 14.Na4 Qa7 15.Nxe5 axb5 16.Nb6 Qxb6 17.Rxc8+ Rxc8
18.Nd7+ 1-0.
Overall, the placement of the queen on c7 seems to foster tactical

opportunities for White in various lines. In the recent encounter from the 3rd
Karen Asrian Memorial in Armenia between Kalashian (2441) Inants
(2281) this past October, the game went 1.d4 c5 2.e4 cxd4 3.Nf3 a6 4.c3 dxc3
5.Nxc3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.00 Nf6 8.Qe2 Nc6 9.Rd1 Qc7 10.Bf4 Ne5. Here
Kalashnian opted for 11.Bb3 instead of Trent's recommended 11.Bxe5, but
the board soon exploded in tactical fireworks anyways after Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3
e5 13.Bg5 Bg4 14.Nd5! Qd7 15.Qxf6! Bxd1 16.Rxd1 gxf6 17.Nxf6+ Kd8 18.
Nxd7+ Kxd7 19.Bf6 Be7 20.Bxh8 Rxh8 21.Bxf7 and White went on to win.
There is a similar defense seen in a later lecture with the moves 4...e6 5.Nf3
Nc6 6.Bc4 a6 7.0-0 Qc7 8.Qe2 Bd6!?. White enjoys his usual active play
along open files, and Trent points out that this line was popularized by Bent
Larsen. I've been unable to unearth any games by the great Dane on the
Morra, or find a mention elsewhere about this, so perhaps a knowledgeable
reader can share some insights.
...Bd7 Line: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Rd1 Bd7
Trent recommends 10.Bg5 and after 100-0 he advises to play energetically,

aligning the rooks on the d-file rather than playing 10Rc1 when there is no
longer a queen to harass on that file. There are pitfalls here for Black if he is
not careful. For instance, what would you play after 10.Bg5 Qb8 11.Rd2 Ne5?
What would you play here as White?

[FEN "rq2k2r/pp1bbppp/4pn2/4n1B1/2B1P3/
2N2N2/PP1RQPPP/R5K1 w kq - 0 12"]
11...Ne5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Rxd7 Kxd7 15.Rd1+ Ke8 16.Qh5
with a winning advantage. (Trent's analysis)
Classical Main Line: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 d6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Rd1
e5
This is still looking like a very solid line for White. Trent shows ways to drum
up some initiative and counterplay, foregoing the prophylactic 10.h3 for the
quicker 10.Be3, but statistical results of both lines are not so encouraging for
White. White also seems to have less fun here than in later systems, such as
the Chicago Defense (4...e6 5.0-0 b5 8.Bb3) and the cheeky Siberian
Variation (4...Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Qc7). Still, I walked away satisfied to see
complex and imbalanced positions where the best player wins.
...Nge7 Variation: 4...e6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bc4 a6 7.0-0 Nge7
Trent continues the firework display here with games such Zhakarov-Tusev: 1.
e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bc4 a6 7.00 Nge7 8.Bg5
f6 9.Be3 b5 10.Bb3 Ng6 11.Nd5!? exd5 12.exd5 Nce5 13.d6 Bb7 14.Nxe5
fxe5 15.f4 exf4 16.Re1! fxe3 17.Rxe3+ Be7 18.Qd4 Qb8 19.dxe7 Qa7 20.Bf7
+ Kxf7 21.e8Q+ Rhxe8 22.Rf1+ Kg8 23.Qxa7 Rxe3 24.Qxe3 winning the
game. There is a lot of fun in the ...Nge7 lectures. As in many Black defenses,
White must play with initiative, courage, and display high tactical acumen.
...Bc5 System: 4...e6 5.Nf3 Bc5
Popularized by a high profile encounter between GM Jan Timman and GM

Murray Chandler in 1982, this line never really caught on. The idea is to place
the bishop on an active diagonal rather than sit on e7 behind a pawn as in
previous variations. However, the absence of this bishop can often be felt
when White is able to create play on the kingside. One example of this is the
game Horvath, Imre (2355) - Cordara, Michele (2255) not included in the
DVD: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6 5.Nf3 Bc5 6.Bc4 Ne7 7.00
Ng6 8.Qe2 a6 9.Rd1 00 10.h4 Nxh4 11.Ng5 Qe7 12.Qh5 h6 13.Rd3 Nc6 14.
Rg3 Qf6 15.Nh3 d5 16.Bxh6 Ng6 17.Bg5 Qe5 18.exd5 exd5 19.Bxd5 Qxg3
20.Ne4 Qe5 21.Nf6+ 10
Fianchetto Variation: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 g6
This, along with the Taylor and Finegold defenses are considered by Trent to
be the most underrated systems Black has at his disposal. This line probably
appeals to Dragon players and Trent recommends 6.Bc4 Bg7 and now 7.e5
and White seems to be doing well in practice.
Taylor Defense: 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6
This has proven to be a very effective line against Morra gambiteers, giving
White somewhat miserable statistical results. More practical tests are needed
in the critical line 7.0-0 Nf6 and now Trent recommends 8.b4 Bg4 9.b5 Bxf3
gxf3 10.axb5. Trent prefers to recapture with the knight, but the stem game
Hardardson-De Firmian in 1999 shows the bishop recapture instead. Black is
doing fine here, but the position looks imbalanced enough to let the best
player win among amateur play. It is no surprise that this line was Nick de
Firmian's pick for his Modern Chess Openings, 15th Edition.
Finegold Defense: 4...d6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Qe2 a6
This seemed like a short lecture, given that Trent considers it to be one of the
best lines of defense for Black, but there is not a great deal of theory here.
One of the critical lines was 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 d6 5.Nf3 e6
6.Bc4 Nf6 7.00 Be7 8.Qe2 a6 9.e5 dxe5 10.Nxe5 00 11.Rd1 Nbd7 12.Bf4
Qe8!, though White seems to have the normal Morra gambit compensation for
the pawn, as Black's rooks and light-squared bishop still have to find their
way into the game.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a theoretical win for White in the Smith-
Morra Gambit, you won't find it here, or probably elsewhere. However, if you
seek spirited suggestions, practical advice, and greater understanding of this
opening, then this is the ideal product. Trent's organizational approach to the
lectures made the ideas and tactical motifs very accessible and easy to
remember, and I appreciated his honest approach to the material.
Order The Smith-Morra Gambit

by Lawrence Trent


Extreme Opposites Purchases from our
This month's column features two opening Fritz Trainers taking a different
accessible:
perspective on how to approach the opening phase of the game. For serious
tournament players and theory buffs seeking the ultimate plus advantage with
1.e4, there is Bologan's Fit for the French. Bologan shows us his repertoire
once again, and given his current rating of 2690 and forty-sixth in the world
standings, you will be expected to dive into the main lines and long streams of
theory. The contents and approach seemed more suitable to chess experts and
beyond, but anyone playing 3.Nc3 against the French can benefit from
studying the games of one of the world's best players. If you are rated below
ChessBase 2000, my suggestion would be to first look at the series Beating the French by
former World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov. His three-volume set offers
Cafe more verbal commentary and is more accessible for those beginning to play 3.
Nc3.
Louis Lima On the other end of the spectrum we have British GM Nigel Davies, who has
by ChessBase
been steering players on and off theory for decades, showing the endless
[Find us on Facebook.] possibilities of the royal game. He also gets the Oscar for catchy titles, such as
Chess for Scoundrels, Sicilicide, and now Bamboozle Your Opponent with 1.
Translate this page g3. This move can lead to all sorts of transpositions to opening lines in the
Catalan, English, Rti, and King's Indian Attack, but it also allows White to
strike an independent path if desired, either through reverse openings systems
or little explored set-ups. These alternative paths are the subject of this Fritz
trainer. I like the fact that Davies walks the talk by playing these lines in his
tournament games. If you want to switch your opponent's opening book off
(and don't mind doing that for yourself), then this might be the ideal product
for you. Davies introduces and concludes each lecture with general pointers
and ideas. Some possibilities were wildly interesting, while other suggestions
seemed to give too much to Black in order to strive for the unfamiliar. There World Champions Guide
is no way I would get into a reverse Alekhine in the line 1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 e5 3. to the Kings Indian, 2nd ed.
Nf3 e4 4.Nd4 c5 5.Nb3 c4 6.Nd4 Bc5 7.c3 Nc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.00 and be by Rustam Kasimdzhanov
subjected to 9h5, even if Bent Larsen did play it.
Rating Chart Bamboozle Your Opponent with 1.g3, by Nigel Davies, Running Time: four
hours, $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
Poor
Useful The move 1.g3 is known in some circles as Benko's
Good Opening, so named because of Pal Benko's excellent
Excellent results with this move at the 1962 Candidates
Tournament in Curaao. Among his victims with 1.
g3 in this tournament were Fischer, Tal, and Filip, as
well as draws with Petrosian, Geller and Korchnoi.
In the book Pal Benko: My Life, Games and
ABC of the Benko
Compositions, co-author John Watson writes, "As
Gambit, 2nd ed.
Benko points out; calling 1.g3 'The Benko System' by Andrew Martin
is just silly. To me, the only setup we might call a
Benko System would be one with Nf3, g3 and then
c4 against d5, in which White omits or delays d4. In
addition, the game has to be in some sense different from a simple Rti
System." 1.g3 has also been called Bilek's Opening, named for Hungarian
grandmaster Istvan Bilek, who is considered an expert in flank openings. In
Bamboozle Your Opponents with 1.g3, Davies encourages viewers to study
Bilek's games.
The contents are divided between twenty-four lectures, each one lasting an
average of ten minutes for an approximate four hours of running time:
01: Introduction
02: Reversed Classical Pirc 6.c3: Dzindzichashvili,R Ljubojevic,L
03: Reversed Classical Pirc 6.c4: Tal,M Klovans,J
04: Reversed Pirc 4g6: Stein,L: Averbakh,Y
05: Reversed Modern e5/d5/c6: Davies,N Lev,R
06: Reversed Modern e5/d5/c5 4.Nc3: Badea,B Varga,Z
07: Reversed Modern e5/d5/c5 4.c4: Bilek,I Ornstein,A
08: Reversed Alekhine: Larsen, B Donner,J
09: Reversed Alekhine: Belyavsky's 10h5: Hulak, K Beliavsky, A
10: Reversed Alekhine: Hartson,W Miles,A
11: c6/d5 Reversed Leningrad Themes: Lima,D Chaves,J
12: c6/d5 Reversed Leningrad: Larsen,B Day,L
13: c6/d5 Reversed Leningrad: Gulko,B Doroshkievich,V
14: c5/d5 Reversed Leningrad: Lima,D Molina,J
15: c5/g6 Closed Sicilian Formation: Davies,N Wiersma,E
16: c5/g6 Closed Sicilian Formation: Korchnoi,V Karpov,A
17: g6/Bg7 3.d4 King's Indian Style with e5: Davies,N Trent, L
18: g6/Bg7 3.d4 King's Indian Style with Na6: Davies,N Jones,G
19: g6/Bg7 3.d4 King's Indian Style with c5: Davies,N Marchini,M
20: g6/Bg7 3.d4 King's Indian Style with an early c5: Davies,N Cicak,
S
21: g6/Bg7 3.Nc3 c5: Larsen,B Calvo Minguez,R
22. g6/Bg7 3.Nc3 c5: Larsen,B Lehmann,H
23: g6/Bg7 3.Nc3 e5: Larsen,B Panno,O
24: g6/Bg7 3.Nc3 e5: Bronstein,D Razuvaev,Y
There is a whole cornucopia of offbeat approaches here designed to avoid

theory and force our opponents to rely on their own resources. The argument
Davies makes here is that players nowadays spend inordinate amounts of time
studying opening theory, which helps catapult them into the middlegame
without much thinking. Not only are they able to navigate through the
opening phase of the game with ease, but have often internalized the main
plans and pawn structure formations. Playing offbeat systems throws
opponents onto their own resources and forces them to think for themselves
straight out of the opening. Moreover, if the 1.g3 player is more familiar with
these structures, they might get an edge over their opponent.
The fight here is for the practical advantage, not the theoretical one, and there
are several ways Davies sets out to accomplish this:
Playing an unusual move order where Black attempts to get his desired
set-up, and then strike with an independent path
One example of this can be found in the introductory game Stein-Book from
Tallinn in 1969. After 1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 c6 3.d3 Nf6, Black seems to be angling
for a specific defense against White's King's Indian Attack. For instance, after
4.Nf3 Bg4 5.0-0 or 5.Nbd2 Black can now play 5e6 comfortably or
continue with queenside development with 5Nbd7. However, after Stein's 4.
Nd2 Black continued to angle for his desired set-up with 4Bg4, misplacing
the bishop and opening a new possibility for White via 5.h3 Bf5 6.e4 dxe4 7.
dxe4 Be6 gaining central control and valuable tempos. The rest of the game
went. 8.Ngf3 Na6 9.00 Qa5 10.Nd4 000 11.Nxe6 fxe6 12.Qe2 g6 13.Nc4
Qc7 14.Bf4 Qd7 15.Rfd1 Qe8 16.Rxd8+ Qxd8 17.Rd1 Qe8 18.Bf1 Nd7 19.
Qe3 c5 20.Qb3 Nab8 21.Na5 b6 22.Qxe6 10
Playing reversed opening systems
There is a plethora of reversed systems introduced by Davies, as you can see

from the contents. Usually the difference is that White enjoys the extra tempo,
though Davies shows a funny example where Tal reached a reversed Sicilian
position against Janis Klovans in 1975 with white: 1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 Nf6 3.d3 e5
4.Nf3 Nc6 5.00 Be7 6.c4 dxc4 7.Qa4 00 8.Qxc4 Be6 9.Qa4 Nd5 10.Nc3
Nb6 11.Qd1!?. Davies does not focus much on the extra tempo White usually
gets from these systems, but places emphasis on the ability for White to
explore less uncharted territory.
Reaching less explored systems or positions
There are several examples of this, some highlighted in specific video

lectures, and others weaved throughout the DVD. One example is the game
Larsen Calvo Minguez from Palma de Majorca 1968, in which Larsen
played 1.g3 g6 2.Bg2 Bg7 3.Nc3 and the game quickly headed for a fresh
position after 3c5 4.d3 Nc6 5.a3. Davies shows a number of Larsen games
in this system, which I felt gave me some good guidelines.
Playing standard White openings with a twist
One example of this was the line 1.g3 g6 2.Bg2 Bg7 3.e4 c5 4.f4 (The
recommended move order by Davies here is 1.g3 g6 2.Bg2 c5 3.e4 Bg7 4.f4).
The idea is to play a Closed Sicilian formation, but without the knight on c3,
which usually ends up having to relocate elsewhere in order to fight for the
center with c3 and d4. In one of the games by Davies featured on the DVD,
the knight ended up on a3 after 4Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.0-0 Nge7 7.c3 0-0 8.Na3.
The other lecture on this system was devoted to the encounter Korchnoi
Karpov from the 1978 World Championship in which Korchnoi gave an
unusual twist to the Closed Sicilian by avoiding an early Nc3 after 1.g3 c5 2.
Bg2 Nc6 3.e4 g6 4.d3 Bg7 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0 and played 8.c3
instead of 8.Nc3.
Overall, I found this production highly stimulating. Davies continues to show

us that despite being in the age of advanced software engines and relentless
opening theoretical works one can still be original and aim for positions
where the player with the better knowledge and experience is likely to emerge
with a good result.
Order Bamboozle Your Opponent with 1.g3

by Nigel Davies
Fit for the French, by Viktor Bologan, Running Time: Five hours, twenty
minutes, $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
Bologan has been sharing his wide repertoire

through Fritz trainers for quite some time and is
ready to share his knowledge and experience with
us in the French with 3.Nc3. One of his most recent
tournament successes was the 40th Sarajevo Open
in which he tied first and second place. As white, he
encountered the French in two of his games,
winning both with 3.Nc3. The first was his fourth-
round encounter against Rasidovic, which is
covered in the Winawer section: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.
Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.Qg4
Kf8 8.Qd1 Qc7 9.Nf3 b6 10.a4 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6
12.00 Rc8 13.a5 b5 14.Qe2 cxd4 15.Qxb5 Nc5 16.cxd4 Ne4 17.Ba3 f6 18.
c4 dxc4 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rfe1 f5 21.d5 Kg7 22.d6 10
The video is organized around three main areas: The Exchange, Classical, and
Winawer variations. There is also a fourteen-minute lecture exploring the less
common 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nc6 variation. Given that the Winawer leads
to the most complex and theoretical paths, Bologan spends the most time here
with ten lectures. Let's briefly take a look at these sections. The numbers refer
to the video lecture.
01: Introduction
The Exchange Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4
02: Bologan, Victor Bauer, Christian
03: Karjakin, Segey Drozdovskij,Y
04: Areshchenko, Alexander Ushenina, Anna
Here Bologan focuses on the main line 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4
Nd7, but also takes the time to explore the sidelines 4Bd7, 4Be7, 4
Nf6, and 4Qd5. He offers a wide variety of possible positions with general
ideas and plans in the various sidelines, but the viewer obviously needs to do
the hard work of researching relevant games or practicing against an opponent
or playing engine. For example, in the sideline 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.
Nxe4 Nf6 Bologan comments that White can play 5.Nxf6+ Qxf6 6.Nf3 h6 7.
Bd3 Bd6 8.0-0 Nc6 9.c3 0-0 10.Nd2!? heading for e4 where it simultaneously
attacks the queen and bishop and concludes that White is better, as in the 1974
encounter between Gufeld Alburt. Of course, better does not mean winning
and Gufeld lost this encounter. Another example of this is in the sideline 1.e4
e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Qd5, which Bologan dismisses as strange and
after 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Nxf6+ gxf6 7.Nf3 White will gain space by attacking the
queen with c4 and playing Be4, concluding that White is better. 4Qd5 is not
a common move, but tournament results are statistically even between White
and Black.
Irregular Lines: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nc6

05: Bologan,Victor Ambroz,Jan
Before moving into the main lines Bologan takes a look at a couple of less
played moves. One is the move 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Be7 where Bologan
recommends 4.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bd3 exd4 6.Nxe4 transposing to analyzed lines in
the exchange lectures. The line 3Nc6 is very un-French, but has been
played on occasion by the likes of Morozevich, Petrosian, Short, and others.
In the stem game after 4.Nf3 Nf6, instead of 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e5 Ne4 7.Be7 Qxe7
8.Bd3 Qb4 played in the 1993 encounter Cuijpers Ambroz, Bologan opted
for 5.e5 Ne4 6.Bd3 Bb4 7.Bd2 Nxd2 8.Qxd2 and White seemed slightly
better because of his lead in development and usual spatial advantage.
The Classical Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6

06: Grischuk, Alexander Volkov, Sergey
07: Bologan, Victor Rychagov, A
08: Kramnik, Vladimir Radjabov, Teimour
09: Bologan, Victor Drozdovskij, Yury
10: Svidler, Peter Bareev, Evgeny
11: Fedorov, Alexei Volkov, Sergey
12: Bologan, Victor Gurevich, Mikhail
As someone trying to incorporate 3.Nc3 into his repertoire, I was delighted to

see that Bologan prefers 4.e5 over the more common 4.Bg5. 4.e5 cuts out
some of Black options, thereby limiting what White needs to learn. The
emphasis here is on showing the various lines, sidelines, and variations,
typically concluding with the comment that White is better. The viewer is left
to his own devices to deduce why. However, if a lecturer flies through
variations without verbal explanations, then the video format is somewhat
wasted, and picking up a good book might allow one to go through the
contents at their own pace and in a more relaxed manner.
I also think it is valuable to compare and contrast how lecturers present a

given position, and let the viewers decide which style works best for them.
After the line 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3
cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 a6, Bologan recommends Kramnik's
move 11.Qf2.
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1p1n1ppp/p1n1p3/2bpP3/
3N1P2/2N1B3/PPP2QPP/2KR1B1R b - - 0 11"]
Bologan's does a very nice job of explaining the idea behind 11.Qf2 from the
game Kramnik Radjabov, Linares 2003. Let's see what he recommends for
Black's response of 11Bxd4, the move recommended by Ari Ziegler's in
The French Defense.
"I've played here 11.Kb1 and 11.Nb3, but maybe the best is to
immediately ask what his intention here is with Bc5 and all the story of
d4 and just to force him to do something after 11.Qf2. He has two
options, to take with the knight or with the bishop. Let's see first if he
takes with the bishop. 11Bxd4 12.Bxd4 and 12b5. You see that we
have that this very strong dark square bishop. Also our light square
[bishop] is not so bad, only thing is that he has some squares for his
pieces and he has a plan of advancing his pawns on the queenside and
play Ba6 and exchange his pieces, and finally he will do everything then
he will be fine. So now our point is to keep this bishop alive [13.Be3]. If
he is going 13.f6 we simply take on f6 [14.exf6] and on 14Nxf6 we
control very well all the squares [Bologan plays 15.Be2] and we are not
afraid of 15b4 because the knight can go on a4 and is very safe on a4,
and Ne4 doesn't create any serious threats. After 13.Be3 if he is playing
13Bb7 then it is important to start with 14.h4 and if 14f6 we take
on f6 [15.exf6] 15..Nxf6 16.Bc5 Rf7 and to play 17.a3 now and White is
better.
"One more move for Black can be here is 13Qa5 just to see how our
reaction here is is. But on 13Qa5 we simply move our King to 14.Kb1
b4 and now he forces to go to 15.Ne2 not to a4, 15.Na4 is preferable of
course because he controls c5 and b6 but even after 15.Ne2 White
already here he can jump to d4 or play Ng3, still this bishop on e3
controls very nice squares on e4 and c5. So, on 13Be3 we should
check 13.b4 here of course he is very fast with Ba6 because he forces
to go to 14.Na4.a5 15.h4 Ba6 and now 15.g4 is a very good move
played by my friend Alexei Fedorov from Belarus. The point is that
after 15.g4 if he takes on g1 with 15Bxf1 16.Rxf1 f6."
Bologan went deeper into this line, explaining White's advantages, and
continued to demonstrate the further course of the game. IM Ari Ziegler, who
speaks in a calm and unhurried manner (to the point that I can transcribe what
he says without having to stop the video) looks at the same position and
comments:
"As we have seen, the concept of playing h4 does not give White an
advantage. On the contrary, White is risking losing the game. So White
has been seeking other opportunities to get an attack, and Kramnik has
played 11.Qf2 twice. It's a move we have to be prepared to meet when
we play this line as Black. I recommend 11Bxd4 because as I said
earlier to take with the Bishop is a little mistake because then white can
preserve his bishop. But, that was when the queen was here [on d2].
People have tried to take with the knight instead but practice has shown
that White's attack is very dangerous and very quick here. 11Nxd4 12.
Bxd4 Qc7 13.Bd3 b5 14.Qh4 g6 15.Ne2 b4 16.Qh6 Bxd4 17.Nxd4 Nc5
18.h4 and White is having a wonderful game. We have to pay respect to
this little plan of Bd3, Qh4 followed by an attack against the black king.
"OK, so 11..Bxd4 12.Bxd4 b5 and now white could play 13.Bd3 b4 14.
Ne2 a5 we see the difference if we would have taken with the knight we
would have wasted time defending the Bishop on c5. 15.Kb1 and now
has time to exchange the dangerous bishop 15Ba6. Black of course
waits until it is absolutely necessary 16.h4 Qc7 17.h5 Rfc8 18.Be3 a4
and Black has an attack.
"So, instead, White players used to save this bishop playing little
positional chess at the same time wants to attack on the kingside. It's a
balance 13.Be3 b4 and here perhaps 14.Na4 is slightly better. [To the
alternative move in the stem game 14.Ne2] 14.Na4 is very strong
because Black really wants to go with his knight somewhere [b6 or c5],
but with the knight here [Na4] it helps to prevent the knight to d7 to
develop further, so then, White can move his queen his move
somewhere [Qa4] and it still prevent the Black knight from getting
active. The knight on a4 is also preventing the pawn on a5 [from
advancing]. So 14.Na4 is a little bit better than 14.Ne2. One more point
is that here Black would like to move his bishop to c6 to attack the
knight on a4 but here this maneuver is simply not available right now.
So there are many reasons why White should play 14.Na4 here."
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/3n1ppp/2n1p3/p2pP3/
Np3P2/4B3/PPP2QPP/2KR1B1R w - - 0 15"]
Ziegler continues to discuss 14.Na4 and suggests play for Black in the same
style, offering plenty of verbal commentary in slow reflective fashion, giving
an opportunity for viewers to immerse in the positions presented to them on
the video lecture.
Beating the French, Volume 2 has former FIDE World Champion Rustam
Kasimdzhanov recommending 11.Qf2 as well, and he covers the same
Kramnik Radjabov game:
"The move 11.Qf2 serves as sort of a question to Black. What is he

going to do with his bishop? This can be answered in several ways. First
of all Black can try to exchange as many pieces as possible and this is
done in many games. 11Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Qc7 13.Bd3 Bxd4 14.Qxd4
Qc5. But as we know this sort of ending arising after 15.Ne2 is not
without problems for Black. The difference with the endings that are
considered acceptable as Black is that Black's king is not in the center
anymore and Black's pawn is on a6 where is limiting the scope of
Black's bishop on c8 even further and subject to the blocking of the
pawn by a4-a5, and this is probably sufficient to make a completely
tenable endgame for Black seriously worse. So this doesn't look fun for
Black anymore. The other approach is 11Bxd4, a more dynamic
approach because after 12.Bxd4 b5 the pieces don't get exchange so
much and White has to be a bit careful because if he continues in a
similar way, say 13.Bd3 b4 14.Ne2 a5 then after Ba6 it could turn out
that in fact Black would have easy play. He would go Qc7, Rfc8, a4, b3
and it is not so clear what White is doing. For this reason it would be
advisable not to play 13.Bd3 but maybe to execute the plan with 13.Be3
saving the bishop and after 13b4 14.Na4 a5 and then go 15.g4 and
avoid the trade of bishops by playing Bg2 and then f5. But this is a
complex position with slightly better chances for White. In my opinion
this move 11Bxd4 is a better way for Black to proceed."
As Bologan, Kasimdzhanov moves on to explain the rest of the game and

Radjabov's choice of 11..Nxd4. I thought this comparison offered a snapshot
of the different styles and is representative of the overall productions.
Bologan offers more variations, while Kasimdzhanov offered less content and
more verbal commentary. Ziegler offered much more insight into the position;
for instance, explaining the nuances between 14.Na4 and 14.Ne2. It is often
good research to see what authors are recommending for Black in order to get
a balanced perspective.
Bologan tends to speak and move fast, so I had to give the lectures a couple of
views and will need to revisit them several times to study the accompanying
games. Overall, though, I found this section highly instructive and felt that
Bologan helped further my understanding of chess in general here. There was
an abundance of middlegame plans and concepts, and endgame strategies that
I could use to play typical positions.
The Winawer Variation: 1.e4 e6 3.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4

13: Almasi, Istvan Kristjansson, Stefan
14: Psakhis, Lev Eingorn, Verslav
15: Bologan, Victor Rasidovic, Sead
16: Luther, Thomas Szelag, Marcin
17: Bologan, Victor Psakhis, Lev
18: Bluvshtein, Mark Barsov, Alexei
19: Bologan, Victor Lputian, Smbat
20: Karjakin, Sergey Jussupow, Artur
21: Shirov, Alexei Ganguly, S
22: Smirnov, Pavel Singh, Gurpreetpal
The Winawer is the most complex variation, one sure to keep players up late
at night unlocking its secrets and striving to keep up-to-date. In the first
lecture of this section, Bologan shares an anecdote illustrating this issue:
"Now we will go to the most complex variation in the French Defense

against Nc3. This is the Bb4 move Well, this move actually I
remember the times when we came to Hamburg and we played with
Alexei Shirov some blitz gamesa 2200 player, a local guy, long time
ago. It was 1992 and I remember he was beating us exactly with this
move. So which means we actually have to be very well prepared with
White facing this move. There is a lot of positional ideas, very deep, that
at first sight you think you are better but on the long term strategically
you might be worse. Thus, White has to control the situation and one of
the most important things in this line is what pieces to exchange and
which ones to keep, and there are a lot of nuances you have to pay
attention to."
There was a bewildering amount of theory in the lectures here, often

presented at a very rapid pace and with sparse explanations for individual
moves. If you are below expert level and new to the white side of the French,
then the contents will feel a bit out of reach. If you already play 3.Nc3 against
the French and are familiar with the arising positions, then Bologan's lectures
can compliment and advance your existing knowledge. If your goal is to
become a chess master and beyond, then learning to play the main lines of the
French, and getting used to the work associated with learning them, probably
attains importance as well.
Order Fit for the French

by Viktor Bologan


The Domain of Practice Purchases from our
It is well-known that developing our tactical abilities is one of the fastest ways
accessible:
to improve at chess, and that this is generally best acquired through problem-
solving. Knowledge plays a role to some extent. We need to learn, for
instance, what characterizes a clearance or skewer tactic, develop our pattern
recognition, and raise our awareness of conditions that give rise to
combinations just to name a few. Still, tactical training is mostly in the
domain of practice, and the chess industry is rightly geared to provide us with
excellent material from a skills-development approach. One can easily find
terrific tactical compilations from books, software, and Internet sites. Even
ChessBase Fritz trainers such as PowerPlay's tactical installments, or Mller's Magic of
Chess Tactics encourages hands-on involvement from the viewer. When it
Cafe comes to tactics there is no substitute to learning by doing.
Nevertheless, if you are already integrating tactical problem-solving into your

Louis Lima chess training, a complimentary approach would be to also learn the
by ChessBase
mechanics of chess tactics. This can help you see things with fresh eyes and in
[Find us on Facebook.] ways you might not have considered, improving your performance both over-
the-board and in your tactical training. The Power of Tactics: A World
Translate this page Champion's Guide for a Club Player by former FIDE Knock-out World
Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, helps fill the knowledge void in the Fritz
trainer media, providing a series of lectures focusing on three types of tactics:
the pin, the double attack, and the back-rank weakness.
This effort is an improvement from The Path to Tactical Strength, where I felt
many of his explanations where unnecessarily convoluted. Here he takes a
more organized approach, starting with the simplest examples for beginner
players and moving on to more complicated material. There is close to four
and half hours of video content organized among eighteen lectures: Strategy University, Vol 1
The Central Approach
01: Intro by Adrian Mikhalchishin
02: The Pin Basics
03-07: The Pin Samples
Rating Chart 08: Double Attack Intro
09-13: Double Attack Samples
Poor 14: The Back Rank Basics
Useful 15-17 The Back Rank Samples
Good 18: Wrap Up
Excellent
Kasimdzhanov tries to cater to players of all levels, continuously promising
more complicated examples to come, but I suspect many players rated around
1600+ will find about half of the initial material in the pin section to be
somewhat tedious. The last lecture on the pin, containing the most complex
examples, discusses positions such as the one below: Know the Terrain, Vol. 1
The Carlsbad
by Sam Collins
[FEN "2krr3/1p1n3p/2pBbpp1/p3p3/
P3P3/1PNR4/2P2PPP/2KR4"]
White to Move
White needs to find 1.Nb5 here, threatening mate on a7, and after 1cxb5 2.
Rc3+, Black is forced into a pin with 2Bc4. White does not want to take
this bishop with the b-pawn, as that would close the file for his rook.
Therefore, he removes the defender of the pinned piece by 3.axb5. After 3
Nb6 4.bxc4, the file is closed, but White has emerged with an extra pawn and
better position.
If you thought this position was too easy, then you are likely to feel bored
with the preceding material on the pin. Still, most players can surely learn
from Kasimdzhanov, and I appreciated his discussions of various subjects.
For instance, in the above position Kasimdzhanov also discusses the element
of fantasy in realizing our tactical advantage, a theme he emphasizes
throughout the rest of the lectures. We realize that Black is weak on the dark
squares, and are able to see that a knight on a7 would mate. However, we
might be put off seeing that the knight gets chopped off if we try to get there
via the b5-square. Kasimdzhanov recommends looking further and having a
sense of optimism, and see if we can in fact make the moves that seem
visually impossible at first.
[FEN "k3r3/1p4pp/pn3pb1/2Rp4/
1N1P2P1/2N3PP/P1P2QK1/4q3"]
White to move
Here Black would like to play 1Re2 and pin the white queen, but
unfortunately the knight on c3 is protecting that square. However, if we look a
little further, we might realize this knight is a bit overloaded, controlling both
e2 and e4. Thus, if we put our optimistic hat on and decide to calculate a bit
further we might be able to see that White loses the queen after 1Re2 2.
Nxe2 Be4+!.
Through numerous practical examples from tournament play, Kasimdzhanov

touches upon various themes, such as the basic components to a pin, pieces
that look pinned but are not, unpinning methods, exploiting a pin for
positional advantages, attacking the pinned pieces, being pinned to a key
square (i.e., a mating square), and replacing once pinned piece with another.
Occasionally, Kasimdzhanov dispenses some practical tips such as placing

our king on the opposite-color square as our opponent's bishop to avoid pins
or double attacks, or consider all possible checks, as in the following position:
[FEN "2b2rk1/R2n2pp/1p1Q1q2/
2pPp3/1pP1p3/1N4PB/5P1P/6K1"]
White to Move
White does not have time to gain the two minor pieces for the rook with 1.
Rxd7, as Black can strike back with 1Qxf2+, so we are advised to look for
all possible checks in the position. We have 1.Be6+ and 1.Qe6+ and both
seem to fall short. For instance, 1.Be6+ Kh8 2.Rxd7 fails to 2Qxf2+. The
solution is 1.Qe6+ Kh8 2.Qxf6! If 2Rxf6, 3.Rxd7 wins two pieces for the
rook. The point of the illustrative example is that after 1.Qe6+ Kh8 2.Qxf6
Nxf6, White now has another pin with 3.Ra8! winning a piece.
But how could we have found the right moves here? Kasimdzhanov points us
in the right direction by looking at all possible checks, but to find the proper
sequence one has to plow through forcing moves the check being the
ultimate forcing move to consider. Yet there are no more checks after 1.Qe6+
Kh8. Therefore, 2.Qxf6 is the most forcing move in the position, as Black has
to do something immediately to regain his material. The second thing a player
needs to appreciate is "pins in the making," as Black's king and rook could
potentially become part of a pinning chain all we need is an attacking piece.
This is where I feel Kasimdzhanov's discussion of the subject falls short.
The lectures on double attack and back-rank mate were richer and much more
interesting. The presentation of the subject for beginner players looked quite
strong and thorough for a video lecture, and he seemed more at ease and
fluent in his explanations. Kasimdzhanov looks at the nature of double attacks
by observing specific piece features pawn, knight, bishop, rook, and queen
double attacks. He indicates, for instance, that the long range of a single
bishop can sometimes create double attacks when pieces are on the same
color complex. He also discusses relevant themes, such as how to fight a
double attack, underpromotion examples, or utilizing the double attack for
positional gains rather than actual material.
[FEN "r3k3/p7/8/4b3/4n3/8/8/3Q2K1"]
White to Move How many double attacks can you find?
There is also some practical advice that Kasimdzhanov nicely illustrates on

the DVD. He tells us, for example, that when calculating we tend to spend
inordinate amounts of time trying to make something work, but then what we
have to do is switch our observation button on and fish for other weaknesses
we might able to exploit.
Kasimdzhanov seems to place a great deal of focus on the tactics themselves,
but in some cases fails to mention that these tactics work because of factors in
the position such as hanging pieces, weaknesses, and other elements that give
rise to such combinations. Let's look at an example of this:
[FEN "2r1r1k1/pbp2p1p/1p2p1p1/3nP1q1/
4B1N1/2P5/PPQ2PPP/3RR1K1"]
White to Move
Kasimdzhanov's discussion of this position culminates with the explaination

that the double attack with 1.Nf6+ ends up becoming "an attack over the
whole board." Why not just clarify that the combination 1.Nf6+ Nxf6 2.Bxb7
Rb8 3.Bc6 works because there is an undefended bishop on b7? I feel that a
more integrated discussion of the tactical subject in relationship to these clues
would have reinforced some of the lectures in this section.
I must admit that I found it odd to sit back for hours listening to lectures on
tactics. Whenever Kasimdzhanov presented an example, I wanted to press the
pause button to try solve the positions myself. This would have given me
added practice, allowed me to see any deficiencies in finding the solution and
correct variation, and given me the chance to compare my way of thinking to
that of a GM. Unfortunately, many of the examples required Kasimdzhanov
making some initial moves to reach the tactical combination. This production
would surely have been much stronger if Kasimdzhanov had simply asked us
to pause the lectures before presenting the solutions, allowing us to participate
in the experience. Karsten Mller did this in Magic of Chess Tactics to a great
extent, which helped me to improve my tactical abilities rather than just
wowing me with wonderful examples.
Overall, I feel this production is interesting and educational. Beginner players

will appreciate the initial lectures, and intermediate level players will not be
bored with the more difficult examples. However, not incorporating any skills-
development practice makes this product incomplete in my view.
Order The Power of Tactics

by Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Black is OK in the Benko Purchases from our
The ABC of the Benko Gambit (DVD) by Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing
accessible:
time: 6 hours $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
In this second edition of the ABC of the Benko Gambit, Martin examines both
the gambit accepted and declined, and tries to present a solid grounding of the
ideas and themes that underpin the opening. He uses illustrative games to
allow the viewer to play the opening with confidence by knowing how to
organize their pieces and what to play for.
ChessBase The main four hours of content was geared to be relevant for 2005; the two
hour update includes many recent games and a portrait of how the gambit
Cafe stands today. The material is divided as follows:
Introduction
Michael 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 c5 4 d5 d6 5 e4 b5: Van Scheltinga-Opocensky
The Open Ruy Lopez
by Andrew Martin
McGuerty 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 g6 4 Nc3 d6 5 e4 b5: Taimanov-Bronstein
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6: Aspler-
Benko
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6: Parr-Browne
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 b6: Cheparinov-Ivanchuk
Translate this page
Benko Gambit Accepted
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6 7 g3:
Gurevich-Cao Sang
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6: Radziewicz-
Pinski
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 Nc3 Bxa6 7 Nf3:
Wright-Fedorowicz
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 g3: Marquez Molina- Strategy University, Vol 2
Bellon Lopez by Adrian Mikhalchishin
Pawn Structure
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 Nc3 Bxa6 7 g3: Aseev-
Ponomariov
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 Nc3 Bxa6 7 f4:
Bangiev-Devcic
Rating Chart 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 g6: Knaak-
Vaganian
Poor Summary Benko Gambit Declined [sic]
Useful Benko Gambit Declined
Good 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 e3: Georgiev-Rogers
Excellent 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 b6: Elson-Mannion
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 b6: Aubry-Goulenok
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 Nc3: Breutigam-Fedorowicz Unorthodox Chess Openings
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 f3: Dzagnidze-Kostiuk by Valeri Lilov
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 Nf3: Sokolov-Bareev
d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 a4: Gheorghiu-Norris
Summary Benko Gambit Declined and farewell
2010 Update
Van Wely-Carlsen
Atalik-Milanovic
Mohota-Turov
Yermolinsky-Ehlvest
Sargissian-Caruana
Shestoperov-Bogorads
Nyback-Kivipelto
Muheim-Eames
Vitiugov-Nepomniachtchi and Outro
The running time of six hours can seem a little daunting when you think about
how to find that kind of time to devote to watching a DVD. However, the
video files mostly run twenty minutes (more or less), so it is easy enough to
watch one or two segments per day; and, once you begin, each segment leaves
you looking forward to the next.
The introduction mostly consists of a series of games in which things go very

well for black. In the game Parr-Browne, Adelaide 1971, where White was
decidedly the weaker player, Martin states the main reason he is showing the
game is that there are few things as instructive to the average player as fairly
lopsided games in an opening. Because usually the main themes are well
illustrated as the loser is failing to cope with the opponent's ideas. And finally
you get a nice optimistic basis for learning the opening.
Martin believes that when one is coming to learn a new opening one needs to
be optimistic. We don't really want to see games where Black is getting
crushed to start off with, because that makes you feel depressed about playing
the opening in question. He further notes that the little details and subtle
problems come with time and not from learning from a DVD. They come
from experience playing the gambit and learning from books. But to begin its
a good thing to know the best things that can happen to you when you use the
opening. He admits it is "propaganda" for the opening to showcase where one
side gets its own way, but it also creates an excitement with the viewer to try
and put these plans into practice. It is only in the last game of the introduction,
Cheparinov-Ivanchuk, FIDE World Cup 2005, that Martin shows what can go
wrong for Black. He calls it a lesson in what Black should avoid in the Benko
Gambit.
The presentation is primarily from Black's point of view, though there are
plenty of pointers for White as well. In the BGA section, Martin shies away
from variations and presents ideas, typical tactics, general evaluations, golden
rules, and thematic endgame play. He often points out Black's advantageous
structure for endgames. He deals with each of the following benefits for Black
in turn:
First, easy development for his pieces.

Second, the initiative and promise of positional pressure.
Third, a fireproof pawn structure and the hope of a favorable endgame.
After presenting a number of games where everything goes Black's way,

Martin presents some games to illustrate its not always as easy at it seems for
Black. The game Knaak-Vaganian is described as an "an ideal example of
virtually all the things that can happen if Black goes even slightly go wrong."
Here, White's energetic play simply dominates. In the game Bangiev-Devcic,
the following position is reached after 18 Bf4:
[FEN "r5k1/4p1bp/3qN1p1/2pPn3/
5Bn1/2N5/PP2Q1PP/R4K2 b - - 0 18"]
Martin proclaims it is difficult to give a definitive assessment of the position,

but "Black should be OK." And here one of the features of using the Fritz
Trainer within ChessBase 11 or a playing program comes in handy, because
one can simply pause the video, click on the default kibitzer, and get an
evaluation from the chess engine of choice. In this case, Fritz 12 offers a +-
(3:09) and clearly assesses White as winning.
In the BGD section, Martin tries to present lines in the spirit of those shown in
the BGA portions of the content, though he notes that Black has to be more
concrete. Black has to be prepared to part from the routine and cannot get by
on generalizations, as the play is more specific. Martin is unimpressed with
the 5 e3 variation for White and in the Shirov 5 b6 line he recommends 5...
Qxb6 as best and most straightforward.
During the 2010 update, Martin claims Black is still OK in the Benko, but the
games have players such as Carlsen, Caruana, and Nepomniachtchi all getting
the worse of it as black and feature more wins for White than for Black,
though Martin shows where Black could have improved in these games. He
describes the Benko as a challenging opening and this certainly applies to
both sides. At the top level Martin calls it a sign of courage to be willing to
assay the Benko, because White has all manner of ways to fight against it and
Black has to walk a fine line to keep the balance, especially in the fianchetto
line with 10 Rb1. His presentation will leave you itching to play the opening
after only thirty minutes and will enable you to generate interesting ideas at
the board.
Order ABC of the Benko Gambit

by Andrew Martin


Educational Excellence Purchases from our
Strategy University, Vol 1: The Central Approach (DVD) by Adrian
accessible:
Mikhalchishin, ChessBase, Playing time: 3 hrs. 50 min. $34.95 (ChessCafe
Price: $28.95)
"If you feel that you have both feet planted on level ground, then the
university has failed you." Robert Goheen
There are times when we emerge from a chess learning experience realizing
how superficial and unsophisticated our view of the game can be, and at the
ChessBase same time, fortunate to be given the opportunity to learn such valuable
lessons. This is how I felt after viewing Mikhalchishin's Strategy University
Cafe Vol. 1: The Central Approach, a series of twenty-one lectures comprising
close to four hours of content. Utilizing the classics, as well as today's top
level chess, Mikhalchishin delves into a wide array of topics related to central
Louis Lima strategy:
A Modern Way to Play
the King's Indian
by Dejan Bojkov
[Find us on Facebook.] How to materialize our central advantage
Counter play methods against a central advantage
Translate this page Illustrations of the power of the pieces behind the center
Typical opening plans connected to central strategy
Dissolving the center to one's advantage
Transitioning to various endgame stages
Exploiting the power of a knight on e5
How players such as Fischer, Botvinnik, and Rubinstein treated the
center
Changing the central structure to one's advantage
Deciding when to open or close the center
Creating a central passed pawn
Creating a strong center and rolling it down the board Strategy University, Vol 3
Typical central structures by Adrian Mikhalchishin
Destroying the center with a piece sacrifice
Creation of a second weakness
Rating Chart Theory of the isolated pawn
Developing the initiative with a strong center
Poor Combination of flank strategy with central strategy
Useful Attacking the root or the base of the pawn chain
Good
Below are some sample highlights of how Mikhalchishin addresses some of
Excellent
the topics above. Take some time, if you can, to solve the diagrams and
compare your answers with Mikhalchishin's comments.
Polugaevsky, L Dorfman, J
USSR Championship 1978 Unorthodox Chess Openings
by Valeri Lilov
This game was covered in the first video lecture, intended to show why the
center is so important and what becomes possible with a powerful center.
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 g6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6
"In the Grnfeld Defense Black gives up the center in many cases and has
ideas to attack it with different measures with Bg7 and Bg4, so White's next
move is very important."
6.h3
"Prevention of the pin Bg4, limiting the bishop on c8 and increasing the
power of the center as Nf3 is protecting d4 very well."
6Bg7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Be2
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/ppp1ppbp/1n4p1/8/3PP3/
2N2N1P/PP2BPP1/R1BQK2R b KQ - 0 8"]
What are Black's plans in this position?
"Here there are different plans to attack the center. One of the plans is of
course 8c6 9.0-0 Nd7 with the idea of destroying the center with e5.
Another plan is some sacrifice like 8c5 9.dxc5 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxd1+ 11.
Bxd1 N6d7 12.Be3 Na6. OK, it's typical Grnfeld play. On one side Black
gives up his main asset, the black-squared bishop, which is always a problem
because this bishop is so powerful. But on the other hand, the pawn c3 is very
weak. Of course White does not allow c5, better to play 13.c6 bxc6. This kind
of position, of course, we have pair of bishops but the structure is
symmetrical, so generally the rule says that in symmetrical structures the
knight can match the bishop. Thus, this position is quite unclear."
8Be6?! 9.0-0 Bc4?
"Black has problem with space, it's true, and it's useful on those situations to
exchange pieces. But on the other hand it would be possible to play Na6 with
the idea of playing c5 to attack the center."
10.Bxc4 Nxc4 11.Qe2 Nb6 12.Rd1
"9Bc4 just allows White too easy development. Of course, one piece was
exchanged but it doesn't matter for White. He much improved his pawn on d4
as the rook is protecting it and White is ready to push. White is now ready to
get more space with d5 and e5. This powerful center can roll on and create a
lot of troubles for Black."
12N8d7 13.Bg5 c6
[FEN "r2q1rk1/pp1nppbp/1np3p1/6B1/3PP3/
2N2N1P/PP2QPP1/R2R2K1 w - - 0 14"]
14.a4!
"Useful move trying to attack knight on b6 driving it back. If Black would

play 14a5, then there would be a very unpleasant move 15.Rab1 with b4
opening the b-file and creating threats on the b-file, then the b7-pawn would
be very vulnerable."
14Qe8 [with the idea e5] 15.a5 Nc8
[FEN "r1n1qrk1/pp1nppbp/2p3p1/P5B1/
3PP3/2N2N1P/1P2QPP1/R2R2K1 w - - 0 16"]
"This is a key moment. What to do with a strong center? It's always the
question. The answer is that the strong center has to be open. Why? For the
simple reason that in such cases we can see the power of the pieces that are
behind this center."
16.d5! a6
[FEN "r1n1qrk1/1p1nppbp/p1p3p1/P2P2B1/
4P3/2N2N1P/1P2QPP1/R2R2K1 w - - 0 17"]
17.e5!
"Getting more space and closing the bishop on g7."
17h6 18.Bh4 e6
[FEN "r1n1qrk1/1p1n1pb1/p1p1p1pp/P2PP3/
7B/2N2N1P/1P2QPP1/R2R2K1 w - - 0 19"]
How would you handle this position as White?
"Of course, 18cxd5 would create a lot of problems after 19.Nxd5 as square
on c7 is extremely vulnerable. So Black tries to close the center, to force
White to play 19.d6. Of course, another possibility now was to make
weakness on c6 by 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.Ne4 trying to come to d6 with the knight
or trying to play Rac1 and to exploit the weakness of the c-pawn. Both ways
are quite possible and both ways guaranteed White a huge positional
advantage."
19.d6 g5 20.Bg3 f5
[FEN "r1n1qrk1/1p1n2b1/p1pPp2p/P3Ppp1/
8/2N2NBP/1P2QPP1/R2R2K1 w - f6 0 21"]
What would you play after 20Na7 instead?
"21.Ra4! Trying to transfer rook to g4 and to start kingside attack with h4,
opening the position of the black king. You see, the power of the pieces
behind the center is huge because it allows the pieces to be transferred to both
sides."
The game ended with similar commentary after 21.exf6 Rxf6 22. Ra4 Na7 23.
h4! gxh4 24.Rxh4 Nb5 25.Be5 Rg6 26.Bxg7 Kxg7 27.Ne5 Nxc3 28.bxc3
Rg5 29.f4 Rf5 30.Qg4 Kh7 31.Qh3 Rf6 32.Ng4 Qf8 33.Nxf6+ Qxf6 34.Re1
Nf8 35.Re5 Kg7 36.Reh5 1-0
Each lecture begins with a game that clearly illustrates the strategic concept,
such as the PolugaevskyDorfman encounter, and then moves on to more
complicated examples. The material is very interesting and suitable for Class
C players and above.
One of the aspects I enjoy in Mikhalchishin's lectures is his ability to discuss

the games of great champions from a single, strategic perspective. We saw
this in his fabulous The Secret Weapons of the Champions, where he
illustrates Botvinnik's flank strategy, Tal's intuition of attack, Petrossian's
light-squared strategy, and Makogonov's theory of the worst-placed piece.
Here he takes the same approach with many of his lectures. Two wildly
interesting lectures covered several of Fischer's games, and Mikhalchishin
illustrates how the former champion handled his central advantage. You are
likely to walk away from these with a renewed interest in investigating the
games of Fischer, Botvinnik, Rubinstein, and many others. There are close to
fifty games analyzed from the perspective of central strategy, and you'll find
some wonderful gems, such as Rubinstein's immortal game and Tal's common
piece sacrifices to destroy his opponent's center:
[FEN "r2qrb2/3bnp1k/p2p1npp/1ppPp3/4P3/
1PP1BNNP/P1BQ1PP1/R3R1K1 w - - 0 19"]
What would you play as white?
Mikhalchishin begins the tenth lecture on structural change in the center be

featuring the TalGhitescu encounter. Tal sacrificed the exchange with 19.
Bxc5! dxc5 20.Nxe5 Nc8 21.f4 Qe7 22.c4 Bg7
[FEN "r1n1r3/3bqpbk/p4npp/1ppPN3/
2P1PP2/1P4NP/P1BQ2P1/R3R1K1 w - - 0 23"]
What would you play as white?
Mikhalchishin comments as follows: "23.Nf3 Very typical and instructive

moment. The knight is fantastically placed in the center but it is necessary to
free the way for the pawns." Tal went on to win the game and Mikhalchishin
culminates the lecture with a similar example in the game KorchnoiNijboer
from the 1993 Netherlands Championship. The thirteenth lecture also covered
a number of similar piece sacrifices to destroy the opponent's center, focusing
on the French Defense and the games of Mikhail Gurevich.
I highly recommend this DVD for 1600-rated players and above.

Mikhalchishin is considered one of the top five chess coaches in the world
and the value of both his material and oral instruction is of the highest quality.
Order Strategy University, Vol 1: The Central Approach



Mastering the Carlsbad Purchases from our
Know the Terrain, Vol. 1: The Carlsbad (DVD) by Sam Collins, ChessBase,
accessible:
Playing time: 7 hrs. $31.95 (ChessCafe Price: $25.95)
"This type of understanding about a specific pawn structure, and

knowing it in fine detail that's the type knowledge that never loses its
currency. Opening variations change and need to be updated and
refreshed, but we've seen by the range of games over fifty years or more,
that the Carlsbad-type ideas have been dictating and explaining the play
of even the world's best creative players in these structures. Thus, just as
ChessBase a guide for understanding how these players play and hopefully
beginning to approach their level of play, I hope you got something out
Cafe of this." IM Sam Collins
There are pawn structures every player needs to know how to handle in order
Louis Lima to execute correct middlegame plans. One of them is the Carlsbad pawn
Chess Expertise Step by Step
by Efstratios Grivas
structure, also known as the Orthodox exchange formation. This opening
[Find us on Facebook.] structure can arise from several openings including the Queen's Gambit;
English and Slav by transposition to the Queen's Gambit; Grnfeld, Nimzo-
Translate this page Indian, Caro-Kann, and others.
1.e4 Repertoire
by Sam Collins
[FEN "4k3/pp3ppp/2p5/3p4/3P4/4P3/PP3PPP/4K3"]
Rating Chart
I am extremely impressed with the quality and depth of content Chessbase
Poor
Trainers contain these days. The coverage of Carlsbad ideas here by IM Sam
Useful Collins is frankly astonishing, covering about twenty key Carlsbad themes in
Good fifty-three video lectures and totaling approximately seven hours of master
Excellent instruction. We get to see several games from well-known Carlsbad masters
on both sides of the board, like Karpov and Yusupov, giving the work a
balanced treatment.
Unorthodox Chess Openings
01: Series Introduction by Valeri Lilov
02: Intro
03: Carlsbad
04: Model game: Karpov Ljobojevic,L
Themes
White plays Nc3-a4-c5
05: Karpov,A Beliavsky,A
06: Djuric, S Baburin, A
07: Dobrev, N Sasikiran, K
08: Graf,A Jussupow,A
Black plays Nf6-e4-d6
09: Bobtsov,M Petrossian,T
10: Portisch,L Kasparov,G
White plays b5/Black plays c5
11: Piket,J Timman,J
White exchanges b4xa5
12: Kramnik,V Timman,J
13: Karpov,A Kharitonov,A
Black plays b5
14: Larsen,B Geller,E
15: Telljohann,S Dautov,R
White plays b5/Black plays a5
16. Timman,J Spassky,B
17: Sotnikov,I Pushkov,N
18: Kortschnoj,V Spassky,B
Black plays f5-f4
19: Karpov,A Campora,D
Black plays Bd6, Nd7-b6-c4
20: Inkiov,V Jussupow,A
Black plays a kingside attack
21: Karpov,A Beliavsky,A
22: Yermolinsky,A Garcia,G
11.Rae1
23: Botvinnik,M Robatsch,K
24: Jusspow,A Kramnik,V
Rae1, Nf3-e5, f4
25: Reyes Naero,C Kelly,B
26: Kramnik, V Gelfand, B
27: Mamedyraov, S Gurevich,M
Nf3-e5 and f4
28. Bacrot,E Luce,S
e3-e4
29. Karpov,A Beliavsky,A
30: Karpov,A Jussupow,A
Bxf6
31: Kortschnoj,V Karpov,A
White plays 0-0-0
31: Bacrot,E Karpov,A
33: Tukmakov,V Jussupow,A
34: Timman,J Karpov,A
35: Portisch,L Larsen,B
36: Daly,C Collins,S
37: Botvinnik, M Khanov,K
Black plays Nb8-a6
38: Karpov,A Jussupow,A
Double Pawn f7/f6 ending
39: Van Wely,L Short,N
40: Bitalzadeh,A Collins,S
Black plays Nf6-h5 early
41. Baburin,A Hoffman,A
White plays Nge2
42: Kasparov,G Andersson,U
43: White plays Nge2: Botvinnik,M Keres,P
44: White plays Nge2: Botvinnik,M Larsen,B
45: White plays Nge2: Ivanchuk,V Jusspow,A
Black plays Bc8-f5, White plays Qd1-c2
46: Kaparov,G Short,N
Black plays c5 early IQP
47: Kasparov,G Karpov,A
Move Order
48: Main Lines
49: Early Deviations
50: Direct Transposition
51: Other Openings
52: Carlsbad Conclusion
53: DVD Conclusion
Collin's lectures abound in verbal commentary that helps viewers understand

Carlsbad structural features, and very often avoids delving into variations
unless they were necessary to make a point. His lecture introductions are
thoughtful, and the content centers on key Carlsbad plans and ideas that
Collins clearly articulates for the average tournament player. Here are a few
highlights from the fifth lecture showing Collin's educational style:
"One of White's key resources in Carlsbad structures is to bring his
knight to c5, and before pushing his pawn to b5. This has the effect of
exerting additional pressure on Black's queenside and even in the center.
The knight on c5 controls key squares like d7, e6 and e4. So, it's always
with these ideas if there is a game from the master available, it's worth
learning it from that. Fortunately Karpov has used this idea in several
games. His clash with Beliavsky from Belfort 1988 is particularly
instructive."
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 0-0 7.Bd3 Re8 8.Nf3
Nbd7 9.0-0 c6 10.Qc2 Nf8 11.h3 g6
[FEN"r1bqrnk1/pp2bp1p/2p2np1/3p2B1/3P4/
2NBPN1P/PPQ2PP1/R4RK1 w - - 0 12"]
"Karpov's patent move 11.h3. Karpov has used different moves here as
well, including Rab1, but h3 is one of Karpov's key ideas. In this game
Beliavsky selected g6. This is a move with a few points, one of which is
that now the knight can come to g7 which would enable bishop to f5
trading White's very good light-squared bishop and this tends to be an
excellent plan for Black."
12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.b4 Ne6
"Karpov needs to get going on the queenside and he decides to take on

f6 and then play b4. So, he really saves a tempo because he hasn't
needed to play Rb1 just yet. I suppose the other idea as well, and one of
the reasons this work with g6, is that when White takes on f6 in these
positions frequently he wants to trade light-squared bishops anyway,
simply because now Black has the two bishops, so there is something in
this trade for White. So, once Black has played g6 frequently it is a good
idea to take on f6 because Black goes to some trouble in exchange the
light-squared bishop which White really doesn't mind trading anyway in
the new circumstances. "
14.Rfd1 a6 15.a4 Qd6 16.Qb3Rd8 17.Bf1
[FEN"r1b1r1k1/1p3p1p/p1pqnbp1/3p4/PP1P4/
2N1PN1P/2Q2PP1/R2R1BK1 b - - 0 16"]
"The game has settled into a simple maneuvering phase You will
notice that with 17.Bf1 is that Karpov vacates the d3-square for the
knight, thus preparing the journey that we see in this game."
17Bg7 18.Ra2 Nc7

"Beliavsky drops back with the bishop but I supposed Ng7 and Bf5 have
as much point when the white bishop has already retreated and puts the
knight on c7 instead."
19.Ne1 Bf5
[FEN"r3r1k1/1pn2pbp/p1pq2p1/3p1b2/PP1P4/
2N1P2P/R1Q2PP1/3RNBK1 w - - 0 19"]
"So, now, this is a relatively harmonious formation for both sides. Both
players are, of course, experts in this structure. What we see now is that
Black is really well-prepared for b5; his knight on c7 and pawns on a6
and c6 both control this square. His knight on c7 also protects the d5-
pawn so in certain positions he can consider c5 and that would open the
game up for the bishops. So, he has protected himself against an
immediate b5 and that is one of the reasons why Karpov decides to sink
a knight into c5."
20.Ne2
"Bringing another defender to the kingside. Karpov needs to be a little

bit careful that Black doesn't get his standard kingside counterplay."
20Bf8 21.Rb2 Qf6
"And now Beliavsky prepared the d6-square for his own bishop."
22.Nf4 Ne8 23.Rc1 h5
"Typical move in these positions, gaining space on the kingside. In

certain positions he might be able to consider a march of the g-pawn,
although he will need to be careful about his own h-pawn."
24.Ra2 Bd6 25.Nfd3 Nc7 26.Nc5
[FEN"r2r2k1/1pn2p2/p1pb1qp1/2Np1b1p/PP1P4/
1Q2P2P/R4PP1/2R1NBK1 b - - 0 26"]
"The key position which I really want to discuss starts here with 26.Nc5.
You noticed that even though it is move twenty six Karpov still hasn't
pulled the trigger on the b5 advance. Instead he has just placed his
knight on this square [c5]. The knight is just excellent on this square. He
hits two key weaknesses [a6 and b7], it controls various squares where
Black might like to put his pieces. Thus the knight is very strong in there
and it is actually very difficult to drive it away."
26Rab8 27.b5
[FEN"1r1r2k1/1pn2p2/p1pb1qp1/1PNp1b1p/P2P4/
1Q2P2P/R4PP1/2R1NBK1 b - - 0 27"]
"And now with b5 Karpov breaks through on the queenside, and we

noticed that Black, even though he has played very logically, hasn't
managed to get much going on the kingside. As always Karpov has been
very attentive to his king defense. The knight and the bishop both hold
the king. This rook [a2] operates laterally, so it's a very effective defense
of the kingside."
Collins briefly explains Beliavsky's pawn sacrifice after 27b6 28.Nxa6

Nxa6 29.bxa6 c5, explains the key features after 30.Nf3 c4 31.Qb5 h4 31.Qb5
h4 32.a5 bxa5 33.Qxa5, and then returns to reinforce the ideas of Nc5 in the
conclusion of this lecture:
"You can look at the rest of the game yourselves, but the key position to
bear in mind is this idea of moving the knight to c5. Black had prepared
well for the b5 advance during the game, but putting a knight on c5
before playing b5 makes a lot of sense. One of the other things which is
important mention is that Nc5 tends to be in response to a6. This pawn
on a6 means that it is more difficult for Black to kick this knight without
any problems."
The following two lectures in the Nc3-a4-c5 section discusses ways for Black
to handle White's knight on c5, and the last game concludes with a model
game by Yusupov, considered by Collins to be one of the foremost exponents
on how to handle the black side of these structures.
Collins ends this production with a short but powerful conclusion. If you are
getting into Carlsbad-type structures from your opening repertoire as white or
black, you will find Collin's seven-hour exposition of the subject a truly
worthwhile investment.
Order Know the Terrain, Vol. 1: The Carlsbad

by Sam Collins

Prophylaxis and Pawn Protected Squares Purchases from our
"in what do I see the idea of true positional play? The answer is short
accessible:
and to the point in prophylaxis." Aron Nimzowitsch, My System.
Strategy University, Vol 2: Prevention and Preparation in Chess (DVD) by

Adrian Mikhalchishin, ChessBase, Playing time: 3 hrs 30 min. $34.95
(ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
Those familiar with Mikhalchishin's Chessbase Trainers usually come to

realize just how complex and vast a single chess subject can be, and I
ChessBase continue to find his works of immense value, both from an educational
perspective as well as for my growth of chess culture in general.
Cafe
Strategy University Vol.2: Prevention and Preparation in Chess presents
countless examples to various aspects of prophylactic thinking. If you thought
Louis Lima prophylaxis was just about asking yourself what is your opponent up to,
Opening Encyclopaedia 2011
by ChessBase
& Steven B. Mikhalchishin's work will lift the veil off your eyes and guide you to engage
in true positional thinking.
Dowd
The second volume runs for three and a half hours and is broken down into
[Find us on Facebook.] twenty-nine lectures, as indexed below. The games are underlined in the main
interface page, so you have the choice - either before or after viewing the
Translate this page lecture, to look at the game fragments with their analysis.
If you want to turn this DVD from a series of interesting educational lessons,
and into a true positional training tool, my suggestion would be to open these
games and click on the Chessbase training tab to hide the moves to figure
them out on your own, later comparing your analysis with Mikhalchishin's
lecture. You can also go through this training exercise after viewing each Practical Pawn Endgames
video lecture to reinforce the lessons learned. It takes much longer to view a by Daniel King
Chessbase trainer in this manner, and I had to stop for fear of missing my
column deadline. However, chess is a game of skill and I doubt we can make
any progress in our game if we are not pushing our brain. I'm looking forward
to continuing to look at this work in this brain-challenging manner even if it
takes me the rest of the year!
Rating Chart 01: Introduction: Ozturk Savina; Juniors; Kavalek, L Bohm, H; Zhu
Chen Khurtsidze, N; Huebner, R Ljubojevic, L.
Poor 02: Prophylactic problems in champion's games: Fischer, R Smyslov,
Useful V
Good 03: Prevention Excluding the opponent's piece I: Sokolov, A
Mikhalchishin, A; Geller, E Mikhalchishin, A
Excellent
04: Prevention Excluding the opponent's piece II: Lilienthal, A The Secret to Chess
Botvinnik, M; Beliavsky, A Korchnoi, V by Maurice Ashley
05: Prevention Excluding the opponent's piece III: Mikhailchishin, A
Deleyn, G; Mikhalchishin, A Aseev, K; Nikolic, P Van Wely, L
06: Prevention Excluding the opponent's pieces IV: Spassky, B
Gligoric, S; FM Biryukov, M FM Ali Marandi, C
07: Tactical Prophylaxis I: Duchene, R Van Nies, P; Seirawan, Y
Karpov, A; Solak, D Sargissian, G
08: Tactical Prophylaxis II: Beliavsky, A Xie,J
09: Tactical Prophylaxis III: Kasimdzhanov, R Nakamura, H; Rohl
Montes, J Luther, T
10: Limit the activity of opponent's pawn structure I: Botvinnik, M
Ragozin, V
11: Limit the activity of opponent's pawn structure II: Mikhalchishin, A
Tseshkovsky, V
12: Prevention of freeing pawn moves: Vyzmanavin, A
Mikhalchishin, A
13: Prevention of the improvement of opponent's structure I: Spassky,
B Petrosian, T; Bronstein, D Fischer, R
14: Prevention of the improvement of opponent's structure II: Huebner,
R Ljubojevic, L
15: Improvement of King's Position: Illescas Cordoba, M Andersson,
U
16: Rubinstein: Exchange pieces I: Rubinstein, A Duras, O;
Rubinstein, A Tarrasch, S; Rubinstein, A Bogoljubow, E
17: Rubinstein: Exchange pieces II: Rubinstein Spielmann;
Rubinstein, A Dus Chotimirsky, F; Yates Rubinstein; Rubinstein
Przepiorka; Rubinstein, A Nimzowitsch, A
18: Rubinstein: Exchange pieces III: Janowski, D Rubinstein, A
19: Prevention of opponent's plan: Yildiz Papadopoulou; Gufeld, E
Damjanovic, M
20: Prevention: Transfer the King to the other flank: Palac Pavasovic
21: Problems of young players with the opponent's plans: Bartel, M
Urban, K; Muhren, B Danielian, E; Muhren, B Kovalevskaya, E
22: Prevention of Exchanges: Tal,M Ribli, Z; Kholmov Geller
23: Prevention of opponent's threats: Can, E Mamedov, R
24: Prevention in complicated strategical positions: Mikhalchishin, A
Drei, A
25: Prevention in endgames I: Schultz, K Schebler, G
26: Prevention in endgames II: Examples 2; Chigorin, M Tarrasch, S;
Example; Example; Example
28: Examples of top players I: Karpov, A Timman, J
29: Examples of top players II: Svidler, P Jussupow, A
Mikhalchishin introduces the concept of prophylactic thinking and taking

prophylactic measures in chess, which in its basic form relates to thinking
about what our opponent's threats are after each move. Right from the get-go
we learn from Mikhalchishin that this is the most elementary form of
prophylaxis. The second form of prophylaxis is asking what our opponent's
plan might be and how to fight against it. Yet, a third form of prophylaxis
illustrated throughout this production is being aware of new elements in a
position after a move has been played, and incorporating this awareness into
our decision-making process.
Mikhalchishin also dispenses the notion that prophylactic thinking is a passive

endeavor that does not focus on what we want to do with our position, but
instead places too much emphasis on what our opponent wants to do with his.
Dvoretsky clearly explains this in School of Chess Excellence III: "What I
understand by prophylactic thinking is the habit of constantly asking yourself
what you opponent wants to doand to take account of it in the process of
taking a decision." Mikhalchishin takes the concept further and explains that
prophylaxis is both prevention and preparation prevention of our opponent's
threats and plans, and preparation of our own plans and ideas. An excellent
illustration of preparation comes from one of the introductory examples
(Kavalek-Bohm, IBM Amsterdam 1975):
[FEN "6k1/p3bppn/1p2p2p/2p1P2P/2P2BP1/
1P1Q2K1/P2N1P2/7q w - - 0 36"]
Black has just played 35Qh1. White might want to carry his own idea of
invading on the seventh rank with his queen to simultaneously attack the
bishop on e7 and the pawn on a7 but after asking what Black was up to with
the queen maneuver, he realizes there is a mate threat with Bh4. Therefore,
some defensive measure is required here and White played 36.Nf3. Now it is
Black's turn to take into account Qd7 in his decision making process, and
concludes that it is necessary to prevent it and plays 36Nf8. Now it is
White's turn to move, and unfazed with the knight move by his opponent, he
decides to continue with his plan and play 37.Qe4 to enter the seventh rank on
b7:
[FEN "5nk1/p3bpp1/1p2p2p/2p1P2P/
2P1QBP1/1P3NK1/P4P2/7q b - - 0 37"]
White failed to prepare his plan by pinning his queen and allowed the decisive
37Bh4+ ending the game. There are many similar examples of this,
suggesting that preparation can simply involve looking at any potential
tactical features arising out of a potential move we might want to play, before
playing it.
Failure to engage in prophylactic thinking leads to many oversights, and there

are many colorful illustrations of this in all stages of the games and
throughout Mikhalchishin's lectures, showing what can happen when players
of all levels neglect prophylaxis. The following example is from Bronstein-
Fischer, Mar del Plata 1960.
[FEN "r2qk2r/pp3pbp/4pp2/2n5/8/2N2Q2/
PPP1NPPP/R3K2R b KQkq - 0 12"]
Here Mikhalchishin points out that it was imperative for Black to play 12f5
in order to activate the bishop. Fischer castled instead, allowing Bronstein to
play the preventive 13.g4!, denying the best diagonal for the bishop for the
rest of the game.
Many of the lectures felt quite advanced, and Mikhalchishin's uneven

speaking style didn't help. In some lectures he displays a calm, thoughtful
voice, while in others he races excitedly over the material. The second lecture,
for instance, had him speeding madly through a Fischer-Smyslov game,
concluding at the end how both players missed basic prophylactic moves. I
found lectures like this a bit overwhelming, even after having looked at the
game in advance, but I imagine these lectures are educational to stronger
players and Mikhalchishin's work abounds in examples for intermediate to
advanced players.

Order Strategy University, Vol 2:
Prevention and Preparation in Chess
Hello! I am Steven B. Dowd and will be taking over from Louis in the future.
I thought I would start with a review of a new trainer better suited for lower-
rated players by Maurice Ashley. I have long admired him for his
accomplishments in both achieving the GM title and his skill as a teacher, so
bear that in mind in this review. Following up on his successful Maurice
Ashley Teaches Chess, it looks like Ashley is about to produce another series
of winners, and I will review the first volume in this month's column.
What Grandmasters Don't See, Vol. 1: Protected Squares (DVD) by Maurice

Ashley, ChessBase, Playing time: 4 hours 18 minutes. $35.95 (ChessCafe
Price: $29.95)
As I noted earlier, this new series, with it's catchy title, looks like a winner to
me, especially for players rated below 1600. What does this series hope to
accomplish? From the insert:
"Many times when a top player blunders, it is routinely described by the

esoteric term, chess blindness. In the series What Grandmasters Don't
See, chess trainer and world-class commentator Maurice Ashley strips
away the myth, and for the first time explains why the root of these
mistakes is more often based on the psychology of human learning."
Does the first volume accomplish this goal? For the average player, certainly.
Ashley is absolutely correct, many average players live in a world more often
filled with more chess myths than knowledge. This is of course not their fault.
Most chess learning is experiential learning, and despite reports to the
contrary, learning by doing is not always the best way to learn there needs
to be some focused study as well. This volume's first edition appears to be
well on the way to meeting this need.
What does he mean by "psychology of human learning?" The great Robert

Mager, the developer of behavioral objectives in learning, noted that "people
learn to avoid the things they are hit with." Thus, early in our careers, when
we start playing chess seriously, we notice we lose pieces when we place
them on squares that are protected, especially by pawns. But this avoidance
precisely will make us miss moves that are great sacrificial sallies because we
are hesitant to lose that piece, the attack fizzles out, and end of game.
Ashley claims to have coined a new term "Protected Squares," and this
volume focuses on "Pawn Protected Squares." At first I wanted to call him out
on the carpet a bit for this. Surely this is no new term or concept? But a
review of my chess literature found that only Vukovic in his Art of Attack in
Chess, with his concept of "focal points," even comes close.
The rationale behind the series is that if grandmasters or strong players miss
these moves, then they are probably missed even more at lower levels.
Here is the lay-out for the first volume:
01: Introduction
Protected Squares
02: Protected Squares 01: Bareev, E Timman, J
03: Protected Squares 02: Cao Sang-Bologan,V
04: Protected Squares 03: Carlsen,M-Giri,A
05: Protected Squares 04: Kramnik, V-Anand,V
06: Protected Squares 05: Yudasin,L-Kramnik,V
07: Protected Squares 06: Saigin,V-Tal,M
08: Protected Squares 07: Dreev,A-Tiviakov,S
09 Protected Squares 08: Tal- Suetin
10: Protected Squares 09: Melikhina-Mandizha
11: Protected Squares 10: Schroer,J-Kacheishvili,G
12: Protected Squares 11: Bronstein,D-Zamikhovsky,A
13: Protected Squares 12: Hector, J -Vernersson
14: Protected Squares 13: Tal, M-Koblencs,A
15: Protected Squares 14: Stein-Tal
16: Protected Squares 15: Olafsson, H- Levitt,J
17: Protected Squares 16: Ashley,M-Kreiman,B
18: Protected Squares 17: Hungaski,R- Shroer,J
19: Protected Squares 18: Tate, E- Yudasin, L
Test Positions
20: Test position 01: Bets,A-Moskalenko,V
21: Test position 02: Bronstein, D- Geller, E
22: Test position 03: Sprenger, J-Bobras,P
23: Test position 04: Karpov, A-Stojanovic, M
24: Test position 05: Steinitz-NN
25: Test position 06: Tal,M-Platonov, I
26: Test position 07: Hartston,W-Richardson,J
27: Test position 08: Ivanchuk-Shirov, A
28: Test position 09: Reinfeld 1
29: Test position 10: Reinfeld 2
30: Test position 11: Geller, E-Portisch, L
31: Test position 12: Kuzmin, G- Lein, A
32: Test position 13: Rossolimo-NN
33: Test position 14: A Kasantsev
34: Outro
The insert notes Ashley's "trademark style," and he is indeed very engaging.
For example, in the introduction to a quite good game by the American chess
player Emory Tate, he notes that this game is the best he has ever seen, "even
better than my man Tal," (He repeatedly points out Tal as his hero and
recommends that all players study his games) and I paraphrase:
If you have some chess buddies you like or even don't like, call them
and invite them over to see this game, order a pizza, get some drinks, as
it is one of the best games you will ever see in your natural born days as
a chess player.
You have to enjoy a teacher who can make learning fun like that.
Occasional mistakes are made that should have been corrected: for example,
in one section, he states that one side will be up "a whole rook" when it is
clear that this side will be up the exchange (and several pawns, so he may
have meant "the equivalent of a whole rook," but for clarity's sake, this should
have been corrected).
Let's look at one sample from the games and one sample from the test so you
can see the quality of the material. The game sample is from the always
entertaining Jonny Hector, who has white against Vernersson in this game
from the Swedish Championship of 2001:
[FEN "r1b1kb1r/1pqn1pp1/p3pn1p/8/3p3N/
3B1N2/PPPBQPPP/2KR3R w kq - 0 14"]
An interesting example of "knight on the rim" whose future is not so dim!

You might consider 14.Nf5 here, especially given the topic, but in this
example of "PSP" (pawn square protection), Hector found the much better 14.
Ng6! Rg8 (14...fxg6 15.Bxg6+ Ke7 16.Nxd4 is just murder) 15.Nxd4 Nc5
(15...fxg6 loses even more quickly) 16.Bf4 Qb6 17.Nxf8 Kxf8 18.Bc4 Bd7
19.Nf5 (again!) 19...Bb5 20.Qe3 Ne8 21.Rd6 Ashley makes the interesting
comment here that such moves, where a piece is placed on a square protected
by a piece, is much more common in grandmaster games, and not as easily
missed. This makes sense based on his previous suppositions; we are less
likely to be "burned" with such moves, since giving up a rook for a knight is
not as immediately potentially devastating as a rook for a pawn. 21...Bc6
[FEN "r3nkr1/1p3pp1/pqbRp2p/2n2N2/
2B2B2/4Q3/PPP2PPP/2K4R w - - 0 22"]
Note how Black is essentially self-blocking his king, even the "good"
defensive move Rg8 will come back to haunt him. Now a second and then a
third example of PSP, and it is finally lights out:
22.Bxe6!! fxe6 (22...Nxe6? 23.Qxb6 the e6-square is only apparently

protected by a piece) 23.Rxe6 Na4 and now our final blow on a pawn
protected square 24.Rf6+! Nxf6 25.Qe7#
There is of course much more commentary and analysis on the DVD than the
small amount I just showed you. The pacing of the commentary is excellent,
and the depth of the analysis is "just right," especially for a basic
understanding of the concept presented.
These are all very good lessons for below 1600 players. The information is
worth watching at any level, though higher-rated players won't learn anything
all that "new," the examples are nicely reinforcing and will remind them to
look more closely for such moves in the future. I always evaluate how well
teaching material works for me by evaluating my subsequent play; I did
notice in some club games I was playing, I was more aware of pawn protected
squares and how I might sacrifice a piece on that square. I am going to
introduce a new term here that I plan to use in future reviews while a DVD
like this is definitely good for the average player as a trainer, I consider this
DVD valuable for high-rated players as a "watcher."
What is a "watcher"? Simply, it is something a strong player will enjoy

watching, even if he learns nothing new from it. I am a chess puzzle fanatic,
buying nearly every chess puzzle book ever published, and I really got a lot
out of just watching the tests. They weren't hard, they weren't enlightening to
me, but I really enjoyed them. And if you are enjoying yourself, you are
learning, at least unconsciously. You could similarly say you won't learn
anything new at a "macro" level if you are an above-average player, but you
will learn at a "micro" level. Something inside you will click.
Some sort of categorization would have made this more valuable for higher-
rated players, such as "Knight plants on f5 when the square is protected by an
e6-pawn," and so on, and Ashley may indeed be planning such study and
presentation for that audience (and for the lower-rated players who will
simply want more after this fine DVD). He does make brief mention that
these moves occur on certain squares more often, such as e3, g6, etc. There is
a good progression of the concept from easy to more difficult, and Ashley
continues to teach, not just test, in the test section. Too many teachers do not
recognize that testing is also another form of learning, and in fact sometimes
provides the best learning. This is a mistake Ashley does not make.
We'll look now at one of the test examples, from a game Rossolimo-NN,
Paris, 1944 (Ashley pontificates a bit here on "NN" and how there are no NNs
today it's an amusing little diatribe).
[FEN "3r1b2/1p1q1ppk/p1n1p2p/2p1Pn2/
3PNR2/2P2K2/P2QBP2/6R1 w - - 0 1"]
1.Rxf5 (not so hard to see) 1...exf5 2.Qxh6+! (2.Nf6+ doesn't lead anywhere
yet) and if 2...gxh6, Black is quickly mated, but the really brilliant
continuation follows after 2...Kxh6 3.Rh1+ Kg6 4.Kf4!! Qe6 and now if 5.
Bh5+ Kh7 6.Bxf7+ Qh6+ 7.Ng5+ Kh8 and the win is gone, so White instead
makes a "problem-like move" (an often misused term, but not in the case of
Rossolimo, who seemed to find these continuations more often than most) 5.
Rh8!! and Black can resign. 6.Bh5+ will follow, with devastating effect.
One final teaching critique. A long time ago, I learned the simple rule as an
academic that any lecture, presentation, series of lectures, and so on should
always contain the following three checkpoints: "Tell us first what you are
going to tell us, tell us, and then tell us what you just told us." The final
checkpoint ensures a reinforcement of material, with studies dating back to
the beginning of last century showing that comprehension increases by about
fifty percent when this is done.
In the introduction, GM Ashley does a great job of "telling us what he is

going to tell us," and he of course does a great job as well in telling us and
testing us. The "outro" is a bit weak, and just glosses over the "shock value"
of such moves, etc. I would like to see a little more "tell us what you just told
us." I am sure the average player will learn a lot from this, but it is key to tell
them what they learned for proper reinforcement.
A near perfect trainer for 1600 and below, and an entertaining "watcher" for
those above that level.
Order What Grandmasters Don't See, Vol. 1

by Maurice Ashley

Purchases from our
Reviewed this Month chess shop help keep
Strategy University Vol. 3: accessible:
Positional Pawn Sacrifice
Attack With the Modern Italian

by Nigel Davies
Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 1,

ChessBase Unexpected Tactics
Cafe Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 2,
Mastering Strategy
Louis Lima by Efstratios Grivas Chess Expertise: Mastering
Strategy
& Steven B. by Efstratios Grivas
Dowd
You Can Always Sac a Pawn!
Translate this page This month Louis Lima examines the latest of a long list of instructive titles
by GM Adrian Mikhalchishin. While Steven Dowd looks at one exceptionally
excellent opening DVD, and then a two volume set covering strategy and
tactics that is somewhat uneven: good material, but not well-presented, at
least in terms of the lecture format. The two volumes could have been quite
excellent if executed in the proper manner, although they are still good and
certainly bear a look if the subject matter is of interest.
The Catalan
Strategy University Vol. 3: Positional Pawn Sacrifice (DVD) by Adrian
by Viktor Bologan
Mikhalchishin, ChessBase, Playing time: four hours. $34.95 (ChessCafe.com
Price: $28.95)
If you are an advanced player seeking to improve

your positional mastery through ChessBase
Rating Chart Trainers, GM Mikhalchishin's works are worth
exploring. Strategy University Vol. 3: Positional
Awful Pawn Sacrifice adds to a long list of instructive titles
by Mikhalchishin.
Poor
This work is not a systematic approach to help you
Uneven
build the skill of pawn sacrificing - there is no
Good methodical build-up of the subject. Instead, what we What Grandmasters Don't
have here is a four-hour collection of loosely
See, Vol. 2
Great organized lectures offering an abundance of terrific by Maurice Ashley
pawn sacrifice examples. As with previous Mikhalchishin works, the material
Excellent
covers past and present play, utilizing no less than sixty games or game
fragments. The lecture content is also available on a ChessBase database file
for slower study.
You can always sac a pawn!

Real pawn sac keeping the king in the center
Real pawn sac ways to eliminate the initiative for a pawn
Real pawn sac preventing your opponent of castling
Positional sacrifices of central pawns
Other forms of sacrificing the central pawns
Developing an attack after sacrificing a central pawn
Real positional central pawn sac
Modern typical positional sacrifices of the c7 pawn
Complicated cases of the c7 pawn sacrifice
Typical pawn sacrifices for control of the long diagonal
Typical pawn sacs in King's Indian Structures
Different positional pawn sacrifices in the direction on the opponent's
king
Kasparov's positional pawn sacs
How to develop the initiative after an early positional pawn sac
Positional pawn sac pawn breaks: destroying the opponent's pawn
Way to fight against a freeing pawn sac
Pawn sac for bishop pair activity
Positional pawn sac central piece of development as compensation
for the pawn
Piece activity and pressure on different parts of the board as
compensation for the pawn
Centralization as compensation for the pawn
Complicated positional pawn sacs Kramnik's way (not always
successful)
Typical positional pawn sac diverting the play from the centre to the
kingside
Pawn sac reducing the opponent's central pressure and drawing
attention away from the king
Positional pawn sac sacrificing doubled pawns to activate your pieces
Sacrificing a pawn for the total activity of your own pieces
I often wonder what rating level is ideal to make it worthwhile to purchase a

ChessBase Trainer. Few lessons can be extracted if the material is too
advanced for the viewer, unless there is willingness and dedication to
immerse in hard work and analyze the content files. My current USCF rating
is in the 1900s (and steadily declining) and I found several lectures quite
difficult to follow in Strategy University Vol. 3. Chess is not easy!
Conversely, intermediately-level players no doubt will be stimulated as I

was by the variety of examples and possibilities. Mikhalchishin shines
through with his ever excellent and instructive material. There are so many
wonderful instructive moments that I am already revisiting some of the
lectures just for sheer pleasure. Here are some brief examples:
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp3ppp/3b1n2/3p4/8/
1PN1PB2/PBQ2PPP/R3K2R"]
Black to Move
This is from the fourth lecture discussing central pawn sacrifices to prevent
castling. Mikhalchishin comments
"It is a position with the isolated pawn, but at the moment this pawn is
not well contained and this allows Beliavsky to open the e-file (with the
pawn sacrifice 12d4). Of course, Korchnoi is a big lover of pawns so
he took it immediately, despite the fact that it was best to avoid for
White to take this pawn with 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 dxe3 15.0-0 exf2+
16.Qf2 and White would have serious compensation for the pawn."
[FEN "r2q1rk1/ppp1bppp/1nn1p3/4P2b/
2PP4/2NBBN1P/PP4P1/R2Q1RK1"]
White to Move
Mikhalchishin usually begins his video lectures with an educative talk

introducing the topic, often weaving interesting anecdotes and stories of
known players. He also spends some time discussing the opening of the game
to create a context in which the pawn was sacrificed. For example, the
position above was taken from his thirteenth lecture. He discusses the
differences between positional and dynamic pawn sacrifices, and then moves
on to briefly explain some basic aspects of the Four Pawns Attack in the
Alekhine Defense.
Here White sacrificed a pawn with 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Ng5+ Kg8 15.Qxh5
Bxg5 16.Bxg4 Qxd4+ 17.Kh1 Qxe5. Mikhalchishin comments, "Black won a
pawn and White queen is pinned on h5. But, White sacrificed a pawn for real
good mobilization of the pieces and some weakening of the opponent's king
flankbecause there are no many defending pieces there." After 18.Rae1
Qa5 19.Ne4, Mikhalchishin show's White's plan of action here. I liked his
clear use of visuals when explaining his plans, and incidentally, around here
he discusses a new type of pawn sacrifice:
[FEN "r4rk1/ppp2pp1/1nn1p3/q5BQ/
2P1N3/7P/PP4P1/4RR1K"]
In this position Black played 19Nd7 to bring some defensive resources to

the kingside. What did White played to uncoordinated Black's pieces?
Mikhalchishin comments
"Of course White's threat is something like c5 to cut the fifth rank, and
then try to conduct attack with Nf6 or Bf6, or even Rf4-h4. So, you see,
different plans of attack. OK, it depends if Black does not attack the
rook on e1 then White can play Rf4. If he does, then there are other
methods of attack. So after 19.Ne4, Black played Nd7, trying to bring
some power back. After 19f5 20.Nf6+ Rxf6 21.Bxf6+ gxf6 22.Qg6+,
such positions are generally indefensible."
In the game, Mikhalchishin played 20.b4! to destroy the coordination of the

black pieces. If 20Qxb4, then 21.Bd2 gains a tempo on the black queen,
vacates the f4-square for a potential Rf4-Rh4 maneuver. After 20...Nxb4 21.
Rd1, Mikhalchishin explains that the point of Rd1 is to attack Black's most
important defensive piece, and he show the culmination of White's attack after
21Rad8 22.Qh4 f6 23.Bxf6 Nxf6 24.Nxf6+ gxf6 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Qxf6
Nc6 27.Qg6+ Kh8 28.Qh6+ Kg8 29.Qg6+ Kh8 30.Qh6+ Kg8 31.Qxe6+
Kh8 32.Rf5 Qd2 33.Qf6+ Kh7 1-0
Mikhalchishin points out that almost every opening has its own set of
dynamic pawn sacrifices, so there will be a plenty of interesting stuff here for
theory buffs. As a Nimzo-Indian player myself, I enjoyed lectures such as Zhu
Chen Xu Yuhua from Nanjing 2009 where Black sacrificed a pawn for
active piece play in 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.
Qxc3 d5 7.cxd5 Ne4!? 8.Qc2 exd4 9.Bf4 Bf5! offering the c7-pawn.
Overall, great work from Mikhalchishin. We are fortunate ChessBase

continues to tap into one of the best chess trainers in the world for positional-
based lectures.
Order Strategy University, Vol 3

Attack With the Modern Italian (DVD) by Nigel Davies, ChessBase, Playing
time: four hours. $34.95 (ChessCafe.com Price: $28.95).
Nigel Davies is one of my favorite modern chess

writers, and after viewing this DVD, one of my
favorite chess lecturers as well. He has an extremely
pragmatic approach both to the game and to
presenting chess concepts. His approach to the
opening is as follows, taken from his highly
recommended Chess Improver blog: "I see the
opening as little more than a prequel to the middle
game so I think the major focus should be on which
middle games someone should be willing to play."
For many years the emphasis in the openings has

been regardless of level trying to learn a lot of theory to catch one's
opponent unawares and secure a convertible advantage as White or at least
equalize with black. I know I spent a lot of time when I was actively playing
chess (trying to and occasionally winning tournaments) on memorizing
opening lines, when I should have been working on my middle- or endgame
skills. Additionally, I have seen players rated much lower than me doing the
same sort of preparation.
However, in recent years players have often focused more on this idea of
using the opening to reach a playable middlegame, even at the grandmaster
level. Players from Kasparov to Gelfand have used this opening, the Modern
Italian, to reach a middlegame that is often similar to play in the classical
Ruy, but without the need for lengthy memorization of lines and keeping up
with every theoretical innovation, and especially without having to know all
the sidelines Black can play.
One thing that is especially attractive about this opening is that it features
many attacking lines, lines that are ideal for club play. Many of these lines
feature opposite-side castling for both sides, and usually these opposite side
castling lines occur when Black has made the slightest of mistakes (for
example, playing ..h6 and then castling king-side, allowing White to try to
slash and burn the kingside with a g4 push). It is no secret that most club level
players want to play fun games, and in chess, fun games means trying to mate
the opponent's king in a fancy manner. One reason I picked this DVD to
review was my desire to find a new 1.e4 e5 opening line as white.
The material is divided into games featuring the most important lines:
Introduction
Main line move order: Warakomski-Bartel
Main Line 10...dxe4 11...Qxd6: Howell-Parry
Main Line 10...dxe4 11...Qxd6: Tiviakov-Sargissian
Main Line 10...dxe4 11... Qxd6: Howell-Svidler
Main Line 10...dxe4 11... Be6: Rodriguez-Mahia
Main Line 10...dxe4 11...Nh5: Gonzalez Vidal-Gomez
Main Line 10. d4: Gunnarson-Weeks
Main Line 10...h6: Tiviakov-Balogh
Main Line 10...Re8: Kobalia-Sorokin
Main Line 10...Qd6: Emms-Ledger
Main Line 10. ..Be6: Tiviakov-Buhmann
Main Line 8...Ne7: Macieja-Stefanova
Main Line 9...Be6: Yemelin-Klimov
Main Line 7...d5: Kobalia-Petkov
Main Line 7...0-0: Nepomniachtchi-Bindrich
3. ..Bc5 5. ..0-0: Shcherbakov-Predke
3...Bc5 5...d6 6. Bb3 Bg4: Kasparov-Queriz
3...Bc5 5. ..d6 6. Bb3 h6: Bologan-Barber
3. ..Nf6, 7...Na5: Bauer-Hebden
3...Nf6, 7...h6: Tiviakov-Semcesen
3...Nf6, 7...Be6: Malakhov-Carlsen
3...Nf6, 7. ..Bg4: Tiviakov-Bacrot
3...Nf6, 7...Kh8: Rossiter-Littlewood
3...Nf6, 7...d5: Hansen- Borges Feria
3...Nf6, 6...d5: Efimenko-Kravtsiv
3...Nf6, 4...d5: Hansen-Santos
3...Nf6, 4...h6: Zambrana-Marin
3...Bc5, 4. ..Qe7 Kudrin-Palozi
3...Be7: Vasiukov-Garcia Martinez
2. Bc4 and Summary: Morozevich-Gelfand
The main line begins as follows: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3
d6 6.Bb3 a6 7.h3 Ba7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Nf1 d5 10.Qe2. This certainly qualifies
as a line in which White has good chances of working an advantage in the
middlegame, and if his opponent falters, a nice crush might be in sight.
GM Davies has an attractive style of presentation. Choosing one specific

game to illustrate his points, it is easy to focus on learning the essentials. He
also follows the style of, in each lesson, telling you what he is going to tell
you, telling you, and then telling you what he just told you. This is the best
way to help the student learn. Some of the summaries are a bit too brief,
rushing through what he just told you, but that is a rarity. He will drop an
occasional dry joke into the annotations; for example, at the end of one game
he indicates he thought one grandmaster was an expert at the Open Games,
but after seeing this game, he may need to rethink that! The only problem I
had with the DVD is that I found it difficult to implement the line in practice
games, but I attribute that mostly to the fact that I haven't properly digested
the material yet.
Here is the game/lesson I enjoyed the most. It's probably not the best, but the
game was the most fun to play over. Notes based on those by GM Davies.
Howell, D (2593) Parry, M (2261)

WYCC Boys U18, Vung Tau City 2008
Italian Game [C54]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6
Davies calls this a "high-class waiting move" fulfilling several functions.
6.Bb3 Ba7 7.h3 d6 8.Nbd2
We've essentially had a series of waiting moves here but now White is
compelled to action.
8...00 9.Nf1 d5
Black feels compelled to do something (break in the center) since White's

slow build-up to a kingside attack will otherwise prove dangerous.
10.Qe2 dxe4 11.dxe4 Qd6 12.Ng3 Ne7 13.Nh4 Qc6 14.Bc2 Be6 15.Bg5 Ng6
16.Nhf5 Nd7 17.h4 Qb6
[FEN "r4rk1/bppn1ppp/pq2b1n1/4pNB1/4P2P/
2P3N1/PPB1QPP1/R3K2R w KQ - 0 18"]
A moment of decision again for White. He decides to protect the b-pawn and
castle, of course then letting the f2 pawn go.
18.000 Qxf2 19.Qg4 h6
A moment of decision for Black now. Davies indicates 19...Qxg2(!) may be

the best for Black, if 20.Rd2 Bxf5 21.exf5 Nf6 22.Bxf6 Be3. Best may well
be 22.Rxg2 Nxg4 23.fxg6 when White has a piece for several pawns but
active pieces. It would be an interesting test for either side. But now the game,
as we used to say, practically "plays itself."
20.h5 hxg5
If 20...Nf4 21.Bh4 g5 22.hxg6.
21.hxg6 fxg6 22.Nh6+ gxh6 23.Qxe6+ Kh8 24.Rxh6+ 10
At the end, he gives the reasons why entry into this line through the Bishop's
Opening (2.Bc4) is not such a good idea. It's a nice little lesson in and of
itself, showing how Black, using classical principles of occupying the center,
can nullify the Bishop's Opening. This lesson will help me as Black, as I gave
up this approach some time ago against the Bishop's Opening, trying all sorts
of dubious lines. I am confident enough now to return to my first love!
This is an excellent trainer, and if you are interested in an alternative as White

in the 1.e4 e5 opening complex, as I am (and have been for a few years), I
highly recommend this one. If you just enjoy watching the battle of chess
ideas, I can recommend it for that reason as well. Probably dedicated Ruy
players would even get something out of this DVD, since so many of the ideas
here are very similar to that opening.
Order Attack with the Modern Italian

by Nigel Davies
Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 1, Unexpected Tactics (DVD) by Efstratios

Grivas, ChessBase, Playing time: four hours. $35.95 (ChessCafe.com Price:
$29.95).
I have to say that I was not initially pleased with this

DVD, although it grew on me as I worked through
it. I found the material to be in good shape, but was
very unhappy with the style of the presentation. I do
not know much about grandmaster Grivas; his
resume indicates he is an accomplished trainer, but
this is not immediately evident.
Not usually bothered by accents of any kind, I found
his accent too distracting at times. Also, often it
seemed like he was simply reading the material,
rather than trying to instruct (remember those
teachers from school who simply read from their notes, which were also
flashed up on the screen? this DVD can be wooden in the same manner),
and when he was not reading, often simply filler statements were made such
as, for one example, "This is the move usually played, and of course there are
some games." Well, I certainly hope so!
There are also errors of usage of the English language that crop up in some
ChessBase trainers that I find difficult to fathom, as if there is no editorial
overview of the presenter's material. The worst example here is "and like a
bold from the blue." Those who do not speak English as a first language often
make such mistakes, "bold" seems perfectly acceptable to them. So I do not
fault the GM as much as I do the editorial staff at ChessBase; such errors are
simple enough to correct. In case you wondered if I simply misheard GM
Grivas, the offending statement is printed in the notes in exactly this manner.
Here are the main chapters, with a total of seventy-two games:
Unexpected Tactics
Introduction
Mate on the Back Rank
The Dancing Knight
Queen Sacrifice Around the King
A King's March
The f4 Break
Initiative Sacrifices
Are "the fundamental building blocks" of tactics presented here, as noted on

the package insert? Yes and no. The DVD starts basically (back-rank mates)
but then moves quickly to more advanced material. When you get past raw
beginner, back rank mates are hardly unexpected tactics, but ideas like the
"King's March," which is somewhat counter-intuitive in many settings, are. A
relative beginner who bought this DVD expecting basic tactics lessons would
soon find himself like, well, a fish out of water. It is not for anyone who
doesn't have some experience with basic tactics. I am also a bit confused: if
the first volume is on basic tactics, why is the second on "mastering" strategy?
The fit isn't there in that case. But this first DVD really isn't all that basic,
meaning there really is a nice fit between the two volumes.
I enjoyed this game from "The f4 Break" section because the break is not in a
position where a mating attack is expected the black king is the target, but
more so to secure an endgame advantage than to mate (Hou-Sharevich,
Khanty Mansiyk, Olympiad, 2010):
[FEN "r1b4r/1p1k4/p2p3p/4pppB/7B/
2P5/P1P1RPPP/5RK1 w - - 0 20"]
20.f4! gxh4 21.fxe5 dxe5 22.Rxf5 Kc7 23.Rf7+ Kd624.Rf6+ Kc7 25.Rxe5
Bd7 26.Re7 Kd8? 27.Ref7 Bc6 28.Bf3!
Here Black's last active piece is exchanged, and the win will be a matter of
possessing the proper technique. Grivas does not stop there, and shows how
the proper technique was used to win the game. I must compliment him on
this, as many annotators would have stopped at the end of the tactical phase of
the game, given that this is a DVD on tactics.
If you have been through at least one book on tactics, you will find material of
worth here. A club player with a knowledge of basic tactics will find the
material interesting, and the presentation style hopefully not too irritating. I
certainly would have rated it one star higher with a better presentation.
Order Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 1

Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 2, Mastering Strategy (DVD) by Efstratios

Grivas, ChessBase, Playing time: four hours. $36.95 (ChessCafe.com Price:
$30.95).
In stark contrast to the first volume, I found this very

enjoyable from the outset (despite the accent and
often wooden presentation style; that may be
because I was more used to it by this point) and I
found myself learning about various strategic
concepts. The author does classify themes, as the
package asserts, the language in the notes is used
well for the most part, and the examples are all
entertaining, in addition to having good learning
value.
In the section on "The Useless Isolani," the author

even uses an example from his own games in which he did not properly
exploit the useless isolani. Such examples are often gold, because the author
must be honest, and show how he did not use the opportunities presented to
him. No matter what your level (at least up to 2200 or so), you will find
something of value that you can use in your own games.
There is a very nice emphasis on the "why" rather than simply "how." Why is
this important? In any activity, be it chess or cycling or mathematics, simply
knowing how to implement a strategy in a specific situation does not mean
you can transfer the strategy to a similar, or especially, a seemingly dissimilar
situation (quite different from tactics, when memorization of sequences is
enough, in strategy you must understand the idea). When I was involved in
technical education, one saying we often repeated was that "an ability to
perform a task does not signify an understanding of that task," meaning you
might be quite adept at operating a certain machine, but unless you
understood how machines of those types worked in general, you might not be
able to transfer that knowledge to other settings.
It is obvious the author understands the hows and whys of the situations he
presents, and he makes a game effort in presenting these (the games and notes
are typically well-done; the presentation style, as I noted in the earlier review,
leaves a bit to be desired) in an understandable manner.
The main sections of this DVD, with a total of thirty-one well-annotated

games:
Strategy Mastering
Introduction
The Important f5-Square
The Useless Isolani
Emptying the Queenside
The a7 Forepost
Small Advantages
The Weak d5-Square
My favorite lesson was on the a7-forepost, although I cannot critique any of

the lessons for content. If you have been playing chess for awhile, you are
familiar with the following Karpov masterpiece. The light notes here are
based on those by Grivas, which are extensive and good. I remember this
game primarily because when I first saw it I noted how many ways I would
have gone wrong, from the formation of the forepost onward; Grivas explains
many of these points quite well in his notes. So I learned even more about a
classic game and a powerful strategy. Notes based on those by Grivas.
Karpov, Anatoly (2700) Unzicker, Wolfgang (2535)

Olympiad Nice, 1974
Ruy Lopez [C98]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.00 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0
0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Nc6 13.d5 Nd8 14.a4 Rb8 15.
axb5 axb5 16.b4 Nb7 17.Nf1 Bd7 18.Be3 Ra8 19.Qd2 Rfc8 20.Bd3 g6 21.
Ng3 Bf8 22.Ra2 c4 23.Bb1 Qd8
Grivas notes that Karpov was probably inspired by a previous game in which
he was on the other side of the forepost idea, Spassky-Karpov, Leningrad
1974, which he cites as the seminal game for the use of this a7-forepost.
[FEN "r1rq1bk1/1n1b1p1p/3p1np1/1p1Pp3/1Pp1P3/
2P1BNNP/R2Q1PP1/1B2R1K1 w - - 0 24"]
24.Ba7! Ne8
One reason I remember this game so well is that I remember thinking that I
would probably never have thought of this foreposting idea, and its
effectiveness took some time to sink in. It is the sort of maneuver that
establishes something close to a middlegame zugzwang; Black just doesn't
have any effective plan to combat White's intentions.
25.Bc2 Nc7 26.Rea1 Qe7 27.Bb1 Be8
Grivas notes, "The main problem of Black's cramped position is that he

cannot exchange any pieces and he has not enough space for their regrouping,
so he to stay in a passive position, waiting for White to show his hand. "
28.Ne2 Nd8
Now White opens a second front on the kingside. Grivas makes a nice note
here that, "that's the power of the spatial advantage, as pieces can be
transferred on any side in no time." I give the rest without notes; Grivas' notes
are very good in showing how totally lost Black is.
29.Nh2! Bg7 30.f4 f6 31.f5! g5?! 32.Bc2! Bf7 33.Ng3 Nb7 34.Bd1 h6 35.
Bh5! Qe8 36.Qd1! Nd8 37.Ra3! Kf8 38.R1a2 Kg8 39.Ng4! Kf8 40.Ne3
Kg8 41.Bxf7+ Nxf7 42.Qh5 Nd8 43.Qg6! Kf8 44.Nh5
Another game shows the idea in mirror image (Bh7!), from Kasparov-Karpov,
FIDE WC 1985, which I find quite clever, seeing it done on the other side of
the board should help to "cement" the concept firmly in the learner's mind.
If you have read through at least one decent strategy book, there is material
here you can benefit from. Again, the author's lack of an effective
presentation style diminishes the value of the material, along with annoying
bloopers like "this has been a continually nightmare," but a serious student of
the game will be able to overcome this.
Order Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 2



Purchases from our
Deep Junior 12 accessible:
by Amir Ban & Shay Bushinsky
HIARCS 13
by Mark Uniacke
HIARCS 13 Professional Openings Book

by Mark Uniacke
ChessBase
Cafe
Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!
Steven B. Deep Junior 12
by ChessBase
This month we review two chess engines using the ChessBase Fritz 12
Dowd interface. Today, when some of the best engines are available free (examples
available via the ChessCafe.com links page include Stockfish, one I often use
to analyze endgame positions, and Houdini), the interface, with its various
bells and whistles, becomes as important as the engine itself. Many
Translate this page individuals do not want to use free Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), such as
Arena, and prefer a commercial product with support (as I will note later, I
have always had good results with ChessBase support). So that will be a
major component of this review. I also wish to note that I am, like most
players, a user of chess engines but do not consider myself especially expert
in the algorithms or other in-depth technical issues. I don't consider myself a
"power user" of engines, even though I use them all the time.
Hiarcs 13
We'll start with a general look at each engine, then look at the interface and by ChessBase
my experiences with it, and then my experiences with each engine. I installed
the programs on a computer with a 2 Quad CPU, 8GB of memory and 64-bit
operating system.
The Programs
Rating Chart
Deep Junior ($110.95, ChessCafe Price: $104.95), in an earlier incarnation,
Awful
held Kasparov to a draw in a match, and even carried off a successful "Greek
Poor gift" Bxh2+ sacrifice against him in that match. Junior is said to have its own
special search techniques and evaluation functions. It is described by
Uneven ChessBase as "enterprising and entertaining, sacrificing material for initiative
whenever it sees a chance, providing new ideas in traditional positions against
Good
man or machine." Hiarcs 13 Book
Great by ChessBase
The authors are Amir Ban and Shay Bushinsky, and with Junior, they have
Excellent won a number of World Computer Chess Championships. Version 12 is said
to be some 200 Elo points stronger than its earlier incarnation. It also has 32
and 64 bit options, with the use of up to forty cores. The opening book was
written by GM Alon Greenfeld.
HIARCS ($58.95, ChessCafe Price: $52.95) has been around for over thirty
years and has won the world championship more than once beginning in
1993, a statement that makes me realize there are many players who have
never lived in a world without commercially available computer chess
programs. In discussing the engine with various players, I found that the hype
that it, as noted on the HIARCS site, "famous for its human-like playing style
and its ability to come up with the unexpected," and that "recent HIARCS
versions are renowned for sharp attacking chess and a never say die attitude to
their play," is indeed true.
Version 13 has a new deeper search capability and evaluation of dynamic

possibilities, and most excitingly, for me, at least, plays rather deep attacks
while also having a greater positional sense than before. It is especially touted
as an analysis partner and no less an authority than world champion Anand
has praised its use as such. Version 13 can use sixteen cores simultaneously,
but yet supposedly even runs well on a single-core system. Although it is not
part of this review, it should also be mentioned that the software for Pocket
Fritz 4 is HIARCS.
It should also be noted that HIARCS runs a forum that covers both of these
programs. I noted several posts by Mark Uniacke, the developer of HIARCS,
and there are a number of interesting discussions of both programs.
The Interface and "Ribbons"
The interface uses the "ribbons" implemented for Microsoft 2007. If you are
like me, and perfectly comfortable with older versions of software (I often
only upgrade grudgingly), ribbons may be new to you.
This looks quite a bit different than the interface to my Fritz 11:
Where I hardly ever use the tool-bars to the right but mostly use the menu on
the left.
What is the use of ribbons? When Microsoft implemented them in Office

2007, they were touted as a modern way to help users find, understand, and
use commands efficiently and directly. There should be minimal "clicking,"
less trial-and-error, and less reference to Help. The idea is to consolidate the
many functions of menus, tool-bars, and task panes into one area. When first
implemented, many users felt they took too much time to learn, and some
tasks took more key-presses or clicks to implement. One survey found that
most users were negative regarding the change to ribbons and advanced users
of the software actually found a reduction in productivity.
In our software, I can't say that I had an especially negative reaction to the
ribbons. This, even though I can be quite hesitant in using, and become quite
frustrated with, new implementations of technology. It certainly took more
time at first to find the things I wanted, although generally they were in the
areas I wanted them to be, and I just had to "fish around" a little.
I also recommend reading the manual to the software, and yes, I am one of
those folks who hardly ever reads the manual, preferring to stumble in and
start using it. The introduction to the ribbons and their logic is succinctly
contained in the manual, under initial operation. Many options that didn't
seem to work as they should, did work when I read the manual and realized
the step(s) I was omitting.
So I will give the ribbon concept a cautious thumbs-up. I adapted to them

readily, and even though, after a month, I am probably just back up to speed
in using the functions, I do not see them as a great time-waster. Those already
familiar with ribbons will probably be quite comfortable with them.
Options in the Interface
For those who have used previous forms of CB engines and their interfaces,
all the old options are still there. They may take awhile to find initially, but
they are there.
Some of the options are quite nice. For example, there is a device called a
"slider" that allows you to get to a certain point in a game faster. One function
I continually had trouble with was "Calculation Training." Every time I tried
to use it the program(s) shut down. This is an option that does indeed look
like it would be a very valuable one, especially for people of my age, where
calculation begins to fail and general knowledge takes over. Using such a tool
would help my fading visualization skills.
To be fair, I had not had the time yet to communicate with the help people at
ChessBase to see what the problem is. I mention this because it may be
simply a fault of how I am using the option. ChessBase, for all its small flaws,
cannot be described as a company that does not respond to their consumers.
Whenever I have contacted ChessBase for help, I have always received some
kind of response within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. When I bought the
endgame analysis program Freezer some years back, the help person even ran
my analysis for me as an initial guide to helping me getting up and running
with the program. So probably CB can help me with this problem.
Another option I had trouble with at first was engine-engine match. I figured
out my problem on this one myself, but again, a glance into the manual would
have revealed the issue. I wasn't setting the parameters beforehand (I had
assumed that I would enter them later), and thus the engine had no idea what
to do. This left both of us hanging. I find computer-computer games most
intriguing, and I know I am not alone here, as it gives you a view into the
"thinking" done by each engine. Engines see things that humans don't and
by this I don't mean simply stronger moves but also different ones.
One option I almost never use on any engine is actually playing the engine.
To me, playing an engine is rather like having a footrace against your car. But
I found many people do still spar and play against their computer programs.
Unfortunately, I found little to dissuade my view that engines are great as
analysis partners and not much use as a sparring partner.
In the past handicapping a computer by rating was a bit of a fool's game.

Basically the engine played its normal game for a certain number of moves
and every so often inserted an idiot's move that you could capitalize on. The
little clown face in the corner gives little hope that this has been improved.
Unfortunately, this seems to be the case. I didn't get much different of a game
and in some cases no difference at all whether I set the slider to 1385 or
1800 or 2000. Both programs simply tended to hang a piece early on and
depending on the level set, either defended tenaciously or poorly. Deep Junior
was the worst culprit here, at handicap levels simply flinging the same piece
(s) all over the board, and in many cases, playing for a helpmate in less than
twenty moves. Both programs have different levels; the above is from
HIARCS, but the slider stopped at a rating of 2125 in Deep Junior.
I was more impressed with HIARCS ability to play a decent handicap by

rating game, although I personally would never use either engine for this.
Particularly disappointing, as, like many people, I cannot get to the club or to
tournaments as I once could, and would have loved to use this option. But
with the software you get a free year at the Playchess site, where there are
plenty of humans to play. Since a year's membership is about thirty-five
dollars, this is one of the real advantages of buying one of these programs.
There are specific programs designed for opening training. I never liked any
of them. I must admit I also liked studying openings the least of all, which
could certainly account for this. Here I found the opening trainer to be quite
useful in brushing me up on openings.
I particularly enjoyed looking at the whys and wherefores of the different

opening choices:
In many cases, they differed quite a bit from what I expected, both in my own
personal repertoire and what the books told me. So long as you use this option
critically, I think you will do well. It made me reconsider some of my opening
variations and their possible continuations. However, with some, I felt the
evaluation provided was inaccurate. But like any tool, knowing its strengths
and weaknesses (you don't drive a nail with a screwdriver) makes you a better
user. In at least one line that seemed ridiculous to me, I saw a fundamental
mistake I was making in evaluation. In another, I found that the line
recommended was mostly "smack-downs" of lower-rated players, and the line
did not consider the resulting endgame, as it never got that far.
The HIARCS Professional Openings Book ($32.95, ChessCafe Price: $28.95)

is a very good addition, so if you were thinking of using the engine as an
opening trainer, and you were a fairly high-rated player, you probably would
choose HIARCS with the opening book.
Those are primarily "before a serious game" function; what if you choose to
use these engines in analyzing your games? I had not used options such as
"auto-analyze" in the past with engines (my preference is to analyze, move-by-
move, either with the engine alone, or preferably, within ChessBase), as I
found they tended to generate as much nonsense in analysis as useful
information, and there was always plenty to wade through. Happily, I believe
these options are much more useable in these engines. I'm still a little wary of
this use of an engine, as I still believe the human controlling the analysis
move-by-move is a superior method. But I am also sure many will disagree.
Also, there are a number of analysis options. Like any tool again, the user will
probably find which version(s) work best - whether full analysis, blunder
check, or shoot-out.
I used both programs to analyze this months offering by IM Dvoretsky, "Tal's

Unknown Game" using the full analysis option. Both processors agreed in
general with the analysis to that game and also allowed me to analyze the line
23.Nxc7+!?, where the win was proclaimed as more difficult, but no analysis
was given. Actually both engines see it as a rather easy win (although they
didn't consider it in the full analysis option; I had to force them to do so in the
"Infinite Analysis" mode); however, Tal's spectacular line was of course
superior. Here are the results of full analysis by Deep Junior from move
fifteen in the Tal game, with additional comments from the analysis done by
HIARCS in parentheses:
[FEN "4kr1r/pppqb1pp/2n1b3/3pP3/8/2NQ1N2/
PPP2PPP/R1B1R1K1 w - - 0 13"]
13.Ng5
White threatens to win material: Ng5xh7 13.Bg5 Bb4 14.Bd2 h6+/- (A later
analysis in blunder check mode with HIARCS showed that it considered this
move a blunder, although it is only seen as "not best" in the Dvoretsky article.
But it also gave the rather odd line 13.Rd1 Nb4 14.Qe2 Nc6 15.Bg5 Bc5 16.
a4 a6 as best. Interestingly, when I let the full analysis mode run overnight, it
came up with the supposedly best move, 13.Bg5!, whereas deep position
analysis, at sixty minutes for analysis, thought 13.Rd1 best and 13.Bg5
second-best).
13...Bc5
13...Bxg5!? 14.Bxg5 Rf5+/=. (HIARCS gives 13...Bc5 a question mark,

indicating 13...Nb4 is the best option Black has; e.g., 14.Qd1 Bf5+/-)
14.Nxe6+/- Bxf2+ 15.Kh1 Bxe1 16.Nxf8
16.Nxd5!? Ba5 17.Nxf8 Rxf8 18.Be3 Nxe5 19.Qd4+/-. (HIARCS also prefers
16.Nxd5, without giving it any punctuation, but gives 15.Nxf8 a double
question mark)
16...Rxf8=
Black king safety improved.
17.Bg5?
17.Be3!? and White could well hope to play on 17...Bxc3 18.bxc3= (HIARCS
also gives White's move here a question mark, and notes 17.e6!? is a viable
option, which is something I wondered when looking at the game for the first
time; however, all lines end in a slight to large advantage for Black).
17...Nb4+/- 18.Qe2 Nxc2 19.e6 Qd6??
There were better ways to keep up the pressure, 19...Qc6 20.Rd1 d4+.
20.Nb5+- Qe5?
20...Qc5 21.b4 Qb6+- (HIARCS also considers 20...Qb6 here, but considers it
favorable to White).
21.h4 Qg3
21...Rf5 hoping against hope 22.Qxe5 Rxe5 23.Nxc7+ Kf8+-.
22.Rd1 Rf2 23.Qxf2!!
Mate threat.
23...Bxf2
23...Bxf2 24.Rxd5 Combination; 23...Qxf2 24.Nxc7+ Kf8 25.e7+ Passed

pawn; 23...-- 24.Qf7# Mate threat.
24.Rxd5 1-0
Not a bad result for a thirty second per move evaluation; not quite as good as
Dvoretsky and Sosonko's analysis, but most of us don't have an IM and GM at
our disposal. I was particularly happy with the additional options HIARCS
considered over Deep Junior. An interesting feature is the "Compare
Analysis" option, where the analyses of various engines can be compared
without doing it "the long way," as I did above. Also, the language-based
analysis isn't as clumsy or downright silly as it has been in some earlier
incarnations of this interface. All comments in "natural language" were
appropriate and easy to understand.
For testing the analytical capabilities of the engines in single positions, I used
a number of the positions available online. Again, the programs found the
continuations in a short period of time, without glitches. When fully armed,
the programs are quite impressive with what they find, and many of the
studies (with their various underpromotions and zugzwang positions) that
used to confound engines did not stump either program.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed my time evaluating both these engines. I am going to give

HIARCS a nod because of the various advantages mentioned above, such as
its more "human-like" play and that I preferred the analysis it gave me, but
both are decent purchases and any player choosing one of these as his primary
engine will not be disappointed. I cannot recommend them as a sparring
partner in rating handicapped mode; I encourage programmers to work on
this, especially since this should be a strong selling point for a commercial
engine over the various free ones. But for analysis of games, engine-engine
matches, and opening study, both programs lived up to expectations. I would,
as a consumer, probably be dissuaded from buying Deep Junior because of
the cost; you can have HIARCS 13 and the opening book for less than Deep
Junior alone.
My assessment of HIARCS 13:
Order HIARCS 13
by ChessBase
My assessment of HIARCS 13 Professional Openings Book:
Order HIARCS 13 Professional Openings Book

by ChessBase
My assessment of Deep Junior 12:
Order Deep Junior 12

by ChessBase


Purchases from our
Unorthodox Chess Openings accessible:
by Valeri Lilov
Beating the Sicilian:

A Grandmaster's Repertoire, Vol. 1
by Viktor Bologan
Know the Terrain, Vol. 2:

ChessBase The Capablanca Structure
by Sam Collins
Cafe
Steven B. Chess Endgames 8
Orthodox and Unorthodox Approaches by Karsten Mller
Dowd
We will be reviewing three trainers this month: one on unusual openings that
has been out there for awhile and two new brand-new trainers, one on main
line Sicilians and another on pawn structures that is a continuation of a
previous trainer. Thus, the concentration is on openings and the middle- and
Translate this page endgames that arise from them.
Unorthodox Chess Openings (DVD) by Valeri Lilov, ChessBase, Playing

Time: 5 hrs 16 min. $32.95 (ChessCafe Price: $26.95)
Lilov is a popular presenter on the Playchess server,

and this set of lectures shows why. Don't expect to
learn anything about unorthodox openings in depth; Beating the Sicilian: A
this DVD is an introduction to a whole slew of Grandmaster Repertoire Vol. 2
unorthodox openings. Lilov speaks a very good by Victor Bologan
colloquial style of English with an accent that is not
too bothersome; he lapses into the occasional
malapropism but nothing that makes you wince.
Rating Chart The material is divided as follows:
Awful Introduction
Sokolsky
Poor Dunst
Double Fianchetto
Uneven
Richter-Versov
Good Anderssen, Larsen, and Grob
Chess Expertise:
Fantasy Variation
Great Chigorin Variation Mastering Strategy
Center Game
Excellent
Danish Gambit
Blackmar-Diemer and Omega Gambit
Nimzowitsch Defense
Hippopotamus
St. George
Gurgenidze Variation
Balogh and Kingston
Latvian, Elephant, and Greco
Chigorin Defence
Albin's Countergambit
Budapest Gambit
Tango
Polish Defense and Englund Gambit
Opening Formations
Outro
I've loved unorthodox openings, especially strange gambits, for years, so I

was very pleased to be reviewing this trainer. However, if you do have plenty
of experience with unorthodox openings, you will find little new material
here. I see this trainer as a bit of edutainment for a player, probably at the club
level, who has little experience with these sorts of formations. I enjoyed the
sections on the Sokolsky, Richter-Veresov, Hippopotamus, and Englund
Gambit the best.
The Sokolsky material is actually comprehensive enough that it would give

the club player playing against it or thinking of taking it up enough material
for a start. The Hippopotamus and later material on the Universal Defense in
"Opening Formations" was well-presented, and as most of us know, and Lilov
affirms, is tough to break through. I play mostly speed chess on the net these
days, so I see a lot of these these players play quickly, sit back, and wait for
you to overextend yourself or lose on time in the complications. The approach
Lilov gives to battling these makes perfect sense whether in a bullet game or a
rated slow tournament game.
Since a lot of my speed chess is played "coffeehouse style," I do occasionally

play the Englund Gambit, and the one formation Lilov covers is something of
a reversed Blackmar-Diemer Gambit in addition to the old known "one trap"
line with 4...Qb4+. It's not sound, but it is often fun, and what is interesting is
how persistent the attack can be for Black if one does not try to blow White
away immediately. A sample line is 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 f6?! 4.exf6
Nxf6 5.Bg5 Bc5 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 d5 8.Nc3 Be6 9.Bd3.
That being said, it is strange that the material on the actual Blackmar Diemer
doesn't resemble anything close to what I know as BDG theory. He gives 1.d4
d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3 c5 8.dxc5
Bxc5 9.Qe2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne4 as the main line. If this is all you
know about the BDG, as black or white, you will quickly find yourself losing
from either side.
One unorthodox opening I always play poorly against is the Dunst, and Lilov
offered nothing of value to me here (I always end up in something of a bad
Scotch opening). Some of the modules are just too short and don't contain
enough information, even for a rough start, and the Dunst is one of those. In
the material on the Latvian, Elephant, and Greco, he notes these are good
surprise weapons, and covers the Latvian well, but doesn't give enough
information on the Elephant. The material on the Elephant ignores the 1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 d5?! 3.exd5 e4!? line, as well as "The Wasp," 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5?! 3.
Nxe5 dxe4 4.Bc4 Qg5?!, which most books stop here, listing a great plus for
White (absolutely true if you know the subsequent analysis, but if you don't,
Black will wipe the board with you).
Covering the Chicago Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nxe5?!, in a serious

manner was amusing. I only knew the apocryphal story behind it, where the
player who invented it on his deathbed indicated he simply "didn't see that the
e-pawn was protected." But why is the more highly regarded Halloween
Gambit relatively ignored?
As an overview for club players, this is to be recommended. Higher-rated

players who enjoy watching these trainers will also find something of value, if
nothing else, in Lilov's fun way of presenting these that does not descend into
the ridiculous. He is always aware of the drawbacks of these various
openings.
One things that is odd is that full reference information (Player's names, etc.)
is not given in writing, so you have to listen for the names of the players if
Lilov mentions them, in case you want to try to find more games by that
player. This is the first trainer I have ever seen that did this. But if you want
in-depth information on any of these formations in order to play them (in most
cases, he gives sufficient information for the player who has to play against
these openings), you will have to find books that cover that material.
Order Unorthodox Chess Openings

by Valeri Lilov
Beating the Sicilian: A Grandmaster's Repertoire, Vol. 1 (DVD) by Viktor

Bologan, ChessBase, Playing time: 6 hrs. $36.95 (ChessCafe Price: $33.95 )
Although I mainly play coffeehouse style chess for

fun these days, I realize that if I ever want to plunge
into serious play again, I am going to have to bite
the bullet and engage in some serious opening study.
Like all players, I have my dreams, and one is to
perhaps compete in the World Senior Open one day
(hey, if I can't beat all these new kids, maybe I can
beat up my own generation!), and to do so, I will
have to give up both my "junk" openings as well as
my serious repertoire, which is designed to avoid all
main lines. For someone like me with those sorts of
dreams, this DVD, and the promised follow-ups is
ideal. I simply cannot praise it enough.
This is the first volume on the Open Sicilian, and it covers all Black responses
to 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd 4.Nxd4. So we have the Sveshnikov and
Cheiabinsk Variations, the Rauzer, the Maroczy Bind, as well as minor side
lines. What I really liked about this DVD is that Bologan goes back to his
roots in many variations and discusses, for example, how he learned certain
lines from his first trainer or how he had to come up with a variation for one
of his students. Although he covers lines, you have to realize that he is
presenting ideas to you. From the one or two lines he gives, you should have
the main ideas mastered for that opening variation.
In terms of level, this is not the DVD for you if you don't understand how to
exploit favorable positions, for Bologan will often stop at a point where for a
lower-rated player, even if they understood that the position is favorable for
them, will not know how to proceed to the win.
For practice, I've played some main lines Sicilians as black, with little
success, and Bologan has shown me why. If I ever take up the white side, I
feel confident this DVD and its successors will prove invaluable in that
regard. As to the presentation style, Bologan of course has an accent but it
does not disturb once you have listened to it for awhile. He also presents with
great confidence (although his speaking is a bit on the quiet side and
occasionally descends into what sounds like mumbling to my older ears),
which keeps you focused. He notes, "I don't like to give you too many lines,
too many variations, I try to give you exactly what you need." And he does.
Here are the main divisions of the DVD:
Introduction
Maroczy Systems: 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4
Richter Rauzer: 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5
Lwenthal: 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5
Sveshnikov: 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5
3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6 Line
I cannot say there is a section in which I was not impressed with his
knowledge and his ability to impart that knowledge. If I had to critique any
section, it would be the Rauzer, and I don't find anything out of order here
except there are lines that are not covered that I feel should have been.
Another critique is that when I turned to the analysis section (going over the
games after the presentation is very important for proper learning), the
annotations were not in English! Seeing things like "po tsentru!" after a move
is not useful for me, and I imagine, most users of this media.
Bologan is always honest and forthright in his discussion. For example, he
notes that a student of his used to play the following line in the Lwenthal: 1.
e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6. He wanted to have the
student quite the line, but noted it was not so easy for him to prove an
advantage for White. After 6.Nd6+ Bxd6 7.Qxd6 Qf6, the books recommend
8.Qd1, 8.Qxf6 (Khalifman), 8.Qc7 or 8.Qd3, the last two also seemingly
being the choice of most chess engines. Many years ago 8.Qc7 was the move,
thought to secure White the advantage. But here Bologan recommends his
own line of 8.Qd2!
[FEN "r1b1k1nr/1p1p1ppp/p1n2q2/4p3/4P3/
8/PPPQ1PPP/RNB1KB1R b KQkq - 0 8"]
The white queen does not stand badly, and of course after c4 and b3 the c1-
bishop may well be fianchettoed. Bologan believes that this 8.Qd2! move is
the best way to maintain the needed control over the d5-square, and he shows
this very well.
If I could give this first volume ten stars I would. I have learned more from
this one DVD than probably all the trainers I have ever viewed combined. It
was a wonderful learning experience, and I look with great anticipation to the
next two volumes.
Order Beating the Sicilian:

by Viktor Bologan
Know the Terrain, Vol. 2: The Capablanca Structure (DVD) by Sam Collins,
ChessBase, Playing time: 4 hrs 30 min. $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
My predecessor for this column praised very highly

the previous DVD in this series on pawn structures:
Know the Terrain, Vol 1: The Carlsbad, and I am
going to offer the same high praise for the quality of
ideas presented, but I found Collins' presentation
style here less than ideal. He hesitates, he looks lost
at times, and just doesn't give that air of confidence
you should have when you have such excellent
ideas. He reminds me very much of a young
professor, unsure of himself in the classroom and
he should not be. I must remark this is not always
the case throughout the entire DVD, but I did find it
unnecessary. I also wonder if this is Collins' fault why doesn't an editor at
ChessBase note these glitches and re-record that lecture or section of a lecture?
For a serious player looking to improve, you will find no better way to do so,
once you have mastered endgames, to study pawn structures in depth. It is an
understanding of pawn structures that separates the good players from the also
rans. Combinations come up only every so often, but knowing what you need
to know with a certain pawn formation will always serve you well. Although
this pawn formation crops up more in 1. d4 openings than others, it will be
seen in some 1. e4 openings as well such as the Chase Variation of the
Alekhine, the Caro-Kann, and others.
This is the Capablanca structure, which Collins claims has been neglected in
the past:
[FEN "6k1/pp3ppp/2p1p3/8/2PP4/8/
PP3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
I checked my copies of Kmoch's Pawn Power in Chess as well as the more

recent Understanding Pawn Structures by Marovic and Soltis' Pawn Structure
Chess, as well as various middlegame texts and felt he was correct in this
assessment. The structure of this DVD is excellent, Collins starting with his
own discovery of the potential of this structure through some games of his
own, and then moving on to try to cover as many eventualities as possible.
Using full games as a guide is excellent; you get to see the opening set-up and
the resultant middle- and endgames.
Introduction
Meeting e4 with e5
d4-d5 Advance
c5 advance and occupation of d6
c5 vs. b6 and Bb7
Rook lift and advance of h-pawn
Tactics against f7 and e6
Nf5
g4 pawn storm
f4
e5 advance
b5 and light-square bind
f5 and g5
Tactics for Black
Doubling rooks on d-file
Early endgame
Maneuvering
Which pieces to trade?
Conclusion
I give only the main headers because underneath each of these is as many as
seven games, for a total of forty-seven full games! The research, the material,
it is all first class and on a par with well-known theoretician such as
Dvoretsky. By the time I had watched the entire DVD, I felt I had added over
a hundred Elo points to my sagging playing ability based on the excellent
knowledge I now had of this pawn structure.
This was my favorite game from the series as it showed the potential in the
endgame for Black of having such a solid pawn structure in the center, letting
him go crazy on one wing. It is by the always enterprising and entertaining
Suat Atalik:
Illescas Cordoba, Miguel (2585) Atalik, Suat (2575)

Bled ol 2002
Chebanenko Slav [D15]
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e3 Bf5

Collins "An interesting idea"
6.Bd3 Bxd3 7.Qxd3 e6 8.00 Be7 9.e4 00 10.b3 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.
Qxe4 Nd7
At this point it is obvious Black is OK.
13.Bf4 Qa5 14.Qc2 Rad8 15.Rad1 Rfe8 16.Rfe1 Bf6
White doesn't have much of anything here, and his d-pawn is under pressure,
as Collins notes.
17.h3 Nf8 18.Bd2 Qh5 19.Be3 Ng6 20.Qe4
At this point a draw was offered and declined. And certainly this makes sense,
Atalik has nothing to fear.
20. ..Nh4 21.Nxh4 Qxh4 22.Qxh4 Bxh4 23.Kf1 Rd7 24.Ke2 Red8 25.Rd2
Be7 26.Red1 Bb4 27.Rd3 f6 28.Bd2 Bd6 29.Ba5 Re8 30.Kf3 Kf7 31.Bb6
h5 32.Ke2 g5 33.a4 Rg8 34.Rh1 Be7 35.f3
[FEN "6r1/1p1rbk2/pBp1pp2/6pp/P1PP4/
1P1R1P1P/4K1P1/7R b - - 0 35"]
At this point it is fairly obvious Black holds all the trumps. He has been able
to instigate an action on the wing that White has no way of meeting. The rest
of the game is an instructive example of when and how to play an aggressive
endgame. Normally "throwing pawns forward" is a bad idea in the ending; but
the Black set-up is so ideal he can afford this aggressiveness.
35. ..h4 36.Rhd1 Rc8 37.Kd2 Bb4+ 38.Kc2 a5 39.Rf1 Ra8 40.f4 gxf4 41.
Rxf4 Rg8 42.Rf2 f5 43.Kd1 c5 44.d5 Kf6 45.d6 Rg3 46.Rff3 Rxg2 47.Bc7
e5 48.Rde3 Rd2+ 49.Kc1 f4 50.Rd3 Rxd3 51.Rxd3 e4 52.Rd1 e3 53.Rf1 e2
01
For any player rated 1800 or above, this is an excellent DVD for
improvement. Collins is very thorough in the presentation of his ideas and
does not ever get too complex in his analysis, so players of around 1600 might
benefit as well. I nicked one star from my rating due to the sometimes hesitant
presentation style, other than that it is a near perfect DVD for learning
purposes.
Order Know the Terrain, Vol. 2:

The Capablanca Structure
by Sam Collins


Purchases from our
Beating the Sicilian: accessible:
by Viktor Bologan
First Steps in Attack

by Andrew Martin
Chess Endgames 8:
ChessBase Practical Rook Endings
by Karsten Mller
Cafe
Steven B. Tricks & Traps Vol. 3
Wealth of Information by Nigel Davies
Dowd
This month we look at three DVDs, one each for the opening, middlegame,
and ending. Each one is very well-done, and contain a wealth of information
for the learner. It will probably be the only time you see me giving six stars
the maximum to each DVD.
Translate this page
Beating the Sicilian: A Grandmaster Repertoire Vol. 2 (DVD) by Viktor
Bologan, ChessBase, Playing time: 5 hours 40 minutes, $36.95 (ChessCafe
Price: $33.95)
I reviewed the excellent first volume of this series

last month. There is nothing here that dissuades me
Beating the Sicilian: A
from my original opinion: if you are a decently
strong player, club player or above, and want to get Grandmaster Repertoire Vol. 3
by Victor Bologan
an inside track on how to beat the Sicilian as white
using main lines, this DVD is for you. Buy it before
someone else in the club does, so you can start
winning more games! I note that ChessCafe is
currently running a special where you can buy all
Rating Chart three DVDs (the third volume is now available as
well) with a six dollar discount.
Awful
The emphasis is on the Dragon and Najdorf systems. There are twenty-four
Poor well-laid out sections: one an introduction and discussion of the "Drago-
Uneven
Najdorf," four on the Dragon, and nineteen on the Najdorf.
Good I was most interested in the first section. According to Bologan, the system
What Grandmasters Don't
presented here, which he calls the "Drago-Najdorf" (and I have always heard
Great being referred to as the "Dragon-dorf"), is a system that popped up a few
See, Vol. 3
by Maurice Ashley
Excellent years back, with the intent of beating weaker players by combining the
Dragon system with the Najdorf. A friend and I had had a conversation on this
one some years back, and we both remembered that GM Kavalek had in the
old RHM series roundly condemned such systems as violating too many
general opening principles.
The basic analysis here starts on move eight:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 3.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.Qd2 a6
[FEN "rnbqk2r/1p2ppbp/p2p1np1/8/3NP3/
2N1BP2/PPPQ2PP/R3KB1R b KQkq - 0 8"]
Black has three main continuations: 8...Nbd7, 8...b5, and 8...h5!?
Interestingly, each of these three is dealt with in a slightly different manner,

although all involve the a4 push by White in a timely manner. For example,
8...Nbd7 is met by 9.g4 b5 (9...Ne5 10.0-0-0 b5 11.g5 Nfd7 12.f4 Nc4 13.
Bxc4 bxc4 14.Nc6 Qc7 15.Nxe7 and White is winning) 10.g5 Nh5 11.a4
bxa4 12.Rxa4 Nc5 (12...Bb7 might be better, but still leads to a secure White
advantage) 13.Ra2 Bb7 14.Bg2 0-0 15.0-0 Rc8 16.Nde2 Nd7 17.Bh3 e6 18.
Qxd6, with a secure plus for White, as in the game Bauer-Romero Holmes,
France 2005. Black's only real chance seems to be 18...Ne5, hoping for a
queen trade to alleviate some of his problems, but then 19.Qb4! just leaves
Black struggling.
That is an interesting use of play on both flanks, and White seems to violate
basic opening principles as well by pushing pawns on both flanks. However,
the white position is secure in the center and Black's c6 hole is a large deficit.
The g-pawn pushes force the black knight to a worse position, and the a4 push
secures White's positional advantage. The white king is in no danger from the
black pieces, they cannot exploit his potential deficits, whereas White is well
set-up to profit from Black's mixture of two diverse plans. Such a position
reminds me of how Alekhine used to win game after game by skillful play on
both flanks.
I had another friend who played the Dragon religiously, and I used to play it
in the days when Reinfeld recommended it, so the Dragon material didn't
seem to offer anything especially new or ground-breaking, but it was very
thorough, with much of the analysis extending to move thirty and beyond.
The Najdorf has always been the reason I have avoided mainline Sicilians,
and it was reassuring to hear Bologan state that there is no clear answer for
White here, the Najdorf being something "of a headache" for White. There are
so many potential options that have been tried, and none has ever "busted" the
system. Bologan suggests that 6.Be3 (the English Attack) is the best line, as it
is both aggressive and positional at the same time. It also has similarities to
the means used to meet the Dragon.
The means by which White can combine positional concepts with attacking
play is impressive. For example, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.
Nc3 a6 Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6The 8.f3 h5 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.0-0-0 Be7 11.Kb1 (he
stresses often that b1 is the best square for the king) and now Black has a
choice between 11...Qc7 or 11...Rc8. After 11...Qc7, White has an interesting
plan with 12.g3 b5 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.exd Nb6 15.Bxb6 Qxb6 16.Na5! and
White will aim for a potential c4 push, if allowed; if not placing the WB on
g2, with an eventual f4 and Nc6 will give him a good advantage. On 11...Rc8,
the plan changes to a kingside attack.
This is one of the best DVDs I have reviewed, but it is not worthwhile for the
beginning player. You particularly have to understand how to capitalize on
various fluid plans that result from Black's move choices. The annotations in
the notes are mostly in English, but occasionally lapse into other languages.
This was a larger problem in the first volume, I consider it quite minor here.
Again, Bologan is also a good speaker of English, with an accent, but it is not
distracting, with only occasional language flubs. If I ever do make the brave
jump to mainline Sicilians, I will have all the Bologan DVDs by my side.

by Viktor Bologan
Order all three volumes of Beating the Sicilian and automatically save an
extra $6.00!
First Steps in Attack (DVD) by Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing time: 4

hours, $23.95 (ChessCafe Price: $19.95)
I was not sure what to expect from this DVD,

because of its author. It is touted as the beginning of
a series for players under 2200, and which will
eventually cover a variety of topics. At the end of
the series, the viewer should be able to pursue
individualized study on the chess topics of his
choosing, as he will now have a firm foundation.
Why was the presenter an initial concern? Andrew

Martin is certainly one of the most prolific authors in
chess these days, but unlike his compatriot Nigel
Davies, also a prolific author, Martin has produced a
few duds. When I was a member at chesspublishing.com, I liked his analyses
and sections the least. They often seemed hurried and incomplete. He has
produced some very good books, but also some that were less-than-stellar.
However, just about any prolific author is bound to release some letdowns just
because they are producing so much material. And unlike some authors, who
shamelessly cut-and-paste from their colleagues, Martin's mistakes are all his
own.
Here Martin wants to tell you what you should be thinking "before you launch
an assault." He notes that just about everyone likes attacking chess, and of
course, below 2200, tactics prevail. His presentation style is very entertaining,
and he divides the DVD into sixteen annotated games. This is great, because
full games are the best way for a lower-rated player to really understand chess
in its entirety. Although I understand the use of game fragments and positions
as a means of teaching for lower-rated players and tactics, I often think this is
overly stressed. A good collection of games, showing how the attack followed
logically from the opening and early middlegame, is best for learning.
Particularly impressive was that Martin was not afraid to show one of his
losses, in this case to show the potential of the queen as an attacking piece.
Chess is a funny game in that often we learn more from our losses than our
wins, painful though they might be. And Martin makes no bones about the
fact that this game was a painful lesson for him. Having just completed his
first book on the King's Indian, Martin was eager to show how Bronstein's
queen sacrifice was good against the Smisch.
Levitt, Jonathan (2480) Martin, Andrew (2425)

Glasgow, 1989 [E87]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 00 5.f3 d6 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8.Qd2 Qh4
+ 9.g3 Nxg3 10.Qf2 Nxf1
[FEN "rnb2rk1/ppp2pbp/3p2p1/3Pp3/2P1P2q/
2N1BP2/PP3Q1P/R3KnNR w KQ - 0 11"
Here we have the beginning of Bronstein's queen sacrifice, which looks like a
duffer's mistake. Even if you don't play either side of this opening, it is one of
those phenomenal ideas that deserve closer study. Here Martin makes an
excellent point on how the King's Indian is a reactive defense that relies on
exactly the right time to counterattack.
11.Qxh4 Nxe3
Black has only two minor pieces and a pawn for the queen, but has a number
of threats, as Martin notes.
12.Ke2 Nxc4 13.Rc1
A major problem here of course is that Black, although he has compensation,

must proceed rather slowly with his attack, a deficit Martin clearly points out.
He is going to have to break open the position with either ...c6 or ...f5, but
both moves take a good deal of preparation.
13..Na6
13...Nxb2 14.Nb5; 13...Bd7 14.Nd1 Bb5 15.a4 Ba6 16.b4 c6. 13...Bd7 may
well be best here. White has his own ideas after 13...Na6 to amass pieces on
the kingside, against a black king that looks rather secure at first.
14.Nd1 Nb6 15.Ne3 Bd7 16.Nh3 f6 17.Nf2 Nc8
A "retrograde" move according to Martin that made sense at the time, but that
he would probably reconsider today.
18.Nd3
18.Rc1 was Kasparov's choice against Seirawan in a game played in the same
year; Martin finds Levitt's approach "superior to the great Kasparov." There
are no real inroads into the black queenside and the game was later drawn.
18..c5 19.Qg3 Bh6 20.h4 Bb5
This seemed logical at the time, but Levitt notes that the newer 20...f5 is
better, and if 21.exf5, then 21Ne7!, a move he admits was found by his
"silicon friend."
21.a4 Bxd3+ 22.Kxd3 Nb4+
The knight looks pretty here, but really isn't doing much.
23.Ke2 f5 24.h5 Bxe3 25.hxg6 h6

[FEN "r1n2rk1/pp6/3p2Pp/2pPpp2/Pn2P3/
4bPQ1/1P2K3/2R4R w - - 0 26"]
Martin thought he was doing well here, but missed the brilliant move to
follow. My own "silicon friend," Fritz 11, takes a few seconds to find the
brilliancy, and also finds that all other continuations favor Black, or at best,
provide equality.
26.Rxh6!! Bxh6 27.Qh3 Kg7 28.Rh1 Bg5
28...Rh8 29.Qxf5 Rf8 30.Qh3 Rh8 31.Qd7+ Kxg6 32.Qe6+ Kg7 33.Rg1+.
29.Qh7+ Kf6 30.Qd7 Bh6 31.Rxh6 10
I've only given a small portion of Martin's annotations to the game; the
contrast between the Kasparov game and Levitt's approach is particularly
worthy of study.
And all the games given have that same quality quality games with quality,
easily understandable annotations by any player above 1200. I've been
through this game several times to see how one can amass forces in such a
position. Note how small but how decisive Martin's mistakes were in this
game.
Even if you are above 2200, you will find this DVD worthwhile as a review
of the basic concepts involving properly amassing forces to the kingside for
an attack. The fact that Martin focuses on "thinking points" and ideas means
that if you put the work in, you cannot help but learn. Credit to Martin for
producing such an excellent product that would be inexpensive at twice the
price.
Order First Steps in Attack

by Andrew Martin
Chess Endgames 8: Practical Rook Endings (DVD) by Karsten Mller,

ChessBase, Playing time: 3 hours 41 minutes, $34.95 (ChessCafe Price:
$28.95)
I always expect quality from Karsten Mller's

offerings; for years I kept a notebook of his
Endgame Corner column, which I now of course
archive digitally. I was not disappointed here. There
are seven chapters, and each chapter has at least five
examples, using annotated games in all cases except
for a few pointed studies. The titles of some of the
examples are enticing in and of themselves: "Mating
attacks out of the blue," "Prophylaxis is important,"
"The king needs a place to hide," "The beauty of
ugly rook moves," and so on. The DVD concludes
appropriately with, "Duel of the Legends," featuring
a Korchnoi-Karpov world championship game from Baguio City, 1978.
I had believed no one would ever produce anything superior to Emms'
Survival Guide to Rook Endgames, one of my favorite books on rook
endgames, but I do believe this DVD is much better, and for those who prefer
the kind of learning provided by electronic media, it is definitely superior.
The lessons are typically short and pointed. I like to view one each morning to
get the main point, but someone who wanted to use it as a quick overview of
rook endings could do so easily. For example, from Huschenbeth-Buhmann,
German Championship 2011:
[FEN "4k3/R7/5Kp1/8/1P3PP1/8/p4r2/8 w - - 0 52"]
Can you spot the win? It isn't 53.Kxg6? Rxf4, but instead, the formation of an
"umbrella" for the king:
52.f5! gxf5 53.g5!!
53.gxf5? Kd8 54.b5 Kc8 55.Kg6 Kb8 56.Ra6 Rg2+ 57.Kf7 Rf2 58.f6 Kb7 59.
Kg7 Rg2+ 60.Kf8 Rf2 61.f7 Re2 62.Kg7 Rg2+=.
53...f4 54.g6 Rg2 55.g7 f3 56.Rxa2! f2 57.Ra1 Rg3
57...Rg1 58.Rf1!!+.
58.Rf1 Rf3+ 59.Kg6 Rg3+ 60.Kh7 Rh3+ 61.Kg6 Rg3+ 62.Kf6 Rf3+ 63.
Ke6 Rg3 64.Rxf2 Rxg7 65.Kd6 Rg6+ 66.Kc7! Rg7+ 67.Kc6 Rg6+ 68.Kb7
Rg7+ 69.Ka6 Rg6+ 70.Ka5 Kd7 71.Rc2! Re6 72.b5
Here Black resigned, although there are still some technical difficulties before
the win occurred, Mller doesn't just stop here, but shows the full winning
technique.
Another pointed example: the importance of rook activity has been drilled
into all of us who have studied rook endgames, but as Mller notes,
sometimes only passivity does the job (from Esser,N-Esser,J 21st Goch
Open, 2010):
[FEN "6k1/8/8/6p1/1r1RK1P1/5P2/8/8 b - - 0 46"]
It is easy for most of us to see why 46...Rxd4+? fails, but can you see why the
passive defense of 46...Rb7! just holds, while the apparently better and less
passive move 46...Rb6? fails? In the game Black played for activity with 46...
Rb3? and lost, something many of us would have done.
46...Rb7! 47.Rd5 Rg7 48.Kf5 Rf7+! (a resource not available after 46...Rb6)
49.Kxg5 Rxf3, drawn. I enjoyed his discussion of when to be passive and
when to be active, and like most good material on chess, it made me think
about how I might apply this to my own games.
This is, of course, the eighth in the series, and of the ones I have seen this is
the best. The games are recent, which I find important since endgame
technique has definitely improved over the years; too many examples in the
old books are of a relatively weak player versus a GM. The only quibble I
have with Mller is that, unlike his presentation style in German, which is
clear and forceful, his presentation style in English, although perfectly
understandable, is a bit hesitant and reserved. But this is not a major problem
and should not deter anyone from buying this DVD. The only thing that was
out of place here was his discussion of Duchamp's famous "left-behind"
study, which he has discussed in his column as well. His revision of it is very
clever, but seems not to belong in media discussing practical rook endgames;
however, if you haven't seen this little bit of history yet, just consider it a
bonus to the practical endgames.
I don't know anyone who couldn't use a little more training in rook endgames.
I have studied them for years and am still amazed by what I don't know, or
what I do know, but don't play because I evaluate the position incorrectly. If
you want to get better at rook endings, this DVD is for you.
Order Chess Endgames 8:

Practical Rook Endings
by Karsten Mller
Buy any three Chess Endgames DVDs and automatically save forty
percent on a fourth!
A PDF file of this month's column, along with all previous columns, is
available in the ChessCafe.com Archives.


Purchases from our
Power Play 16: accessible:
Test Your Rook Endgames
by Daniel King
What Grandmasters Don't See, Vol 3

by Muarice Ashley
ChessBase
Training and Testing
Cafe
This month I review two products that provide the opportunity for you to test
Steven B. yourself on the knowledge gained. Thus, they train and test, which is an Fritz 13
excellent way to learn for any skill with a performance component, such as by ChessBase
Dowd chess. Too often, one may learn something of value but not have the
opportunity to use that knowledge right away. In such cases the knowledge
fades quickly into the recesses of our brains. With these two products, you can
not only learn something about the royal game, but also how reinforce how to
use it in a game. Let's go!
Translate this page
Power Play 16: Test Your Rook Endgames (DVD) by Daniel King,
ChessBase. Playing Time: 6 hrs. $34.95 (Chesscafe Price: $30.95)
This is the first product by GM King I have

reviewed, and he passes muster. He has a good
speaking ability, is obviously knowledgeable and
well-prepared for each unit, and works to his Beating the Sicilian: A
strengths. He isn't the "fun" sort of instructor we Grandmaster Repertoire Vol. 3
will discuss in the next review, but he can crack a by Victor Bologan
joke when appropriate and is exceptionally
professional in his approach.
That being said, this product must be compared with

Rating Chart the product I reviewed last month, Karsten Mller's
Chess Endgames 8: Practical Rook Endgames. I
Awful compared that product favorably with, and even felt it surpassed, my favorite
all-time book on rook endgames, Survival Guide to Rook Endgames by John
Poor
Emms.
Uneven
Comparatively, this is a very good product, though it is quite a different
Good product from Mller's. First of all, the endgames given are more basic than
Tutorials Openings #04
Mller's examples. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If you are looking for a
Great by ChessBase
first primer on rook endgames and if you don't believe you need more than
Excellent one, you haven't played much tournament chess this could be just the ticket,
with Mller's product to follow.
Second, there is the opportunity to test yourself with King's DVD. He

structures the test portion quite nicely, giving you various positions in which
you must find a plan. Later, he explains the proper plan so you can compare
your answers with those given. There is no feedback, though, to tell you how
well you did other than your own evaluation of your answer with King's.
Let's look closer at the content. First comes the learning material. There are
eighteen endings, all curiously called "pawn endings" for some reason. They
are mostly grandmaster games from 2000 on, although the classics are
included. Newer games are better, simply because both sides show a deeper
understanding of how to attack and defend various positions. Too many
endgame books use the "great player versus second-class player" approach;
this is not a problem here.
King is another author who shows his losses. The following game was played
when he was quite young. He notes the deep impression it made upon him,
since he could have drawn but did not, in fact, getting it "spectacularly
wrong." I believe this is often the impetus to endgame study; you lose a game
you should have drawn or won and realize that it is because you have spent
too much time in opening books and middlegame puzzle books, and don't
understand the finer points of an ending.
Sanz-King, Charlton Open 1979
[FEN "8/pp6/4R3/2k5/8/P5P1/1P3r2/
1K6 b - - 0 32"]
Here Black played 32...Rg2, as he should. After 33.Rg6, he made a not-so-

obvious mistake, 33...Kb5? Normally one is dissuaded from flinging pawns
forward in the endgame, but that is exactly here what he must do, with 33...
b5! 34.Rg4 a5! ( 34...a6 is also probably good and more solid). Now if 35.Ka2
a4! and the king cannot emerge. King is hard on himself, but probably
shouldn't be. Many players would be hesitant to push those pawns, and his
waiting strategy led to an eventual win for White, who both got his king out
and cramped Black with his own queenside pawns.
The second part of the DVD is the test. It is straightforward, and the viewer is
encouraged to make plans in most cases, instead of finding single moves.
There is no means of evaluating yourself once you complete the test, but I
would say a seventy percent score would place you in about the 1800
category, at least in terms of rook endgame knowledge.
As much as I love ChessBase products, and love to recommend them to visual

and oral learners, I still, in every product, see at least a bit of sloppiness in the
production. For example, the following appears on one of the test questions
(Spoiler alert!):
In the test to this section, you are asked whether Black can win or whether it
is a draw. Now if you have any sort of command of German (or are simply
curious, an online translator will tell you what the above says in a few
sections), you will know that Black can win, since it clearly states that he can
decide the race for himself. Why do such goofs survive in otherwise quality
products? It clearly isn't King's mistake, or even if it was, the CB editors
should have removed that comment for the test. It especially irks me because
it shows a nice classical win of far advanced pawns versus rook and pawn,
and if you already know Black will win, you won't look for the draw.
As noted, this is a good first primer for rook endgames. If you are at that point
where you lose or draw too many rook endgames simply because you have
not studied them in any depth, this is a great product for that purpose, and the
opportunity to test yourself is a great plus. After that, you can graduate to
Emms or Mller, and know rook endgames as well as the grandmasters.
Order Power Play 16:

Test Your Rook Endgames
by Daniel King
Buy any three PowerPlay DVDs and automatically save forty percent on a
fourth!
What Grandmasters Don't See, Vol 3 (DVD) by Maurice Ashley, ChessBase.

Playing Time: 3 hrs 45 min. $34.95 (Chesscafe Price: $28.95)
Maurice Ashley scores again as favorite teacher

with this DVD. I reviewed the first volume of this
series in one of my first columns, and I am not
embarrassed to say that Steve Goldberg did an even
better review of the second volume in ChessCafe.
com's weekly review column. We certainly agree,
though: Ashley teaches with a entertainingly fast
pace, is quick to crack a good joke, and simply
relates well to the audience. If there really were a
ChessBase University, Ashley would be a candidate
for teacher of the year, and would be my hands-
down choice to win.
This DVD does exactly what it sets out to do: it summarizes the content in
previous DVDs, including pawn protected squares, discoveries involving
what he calls higher-level tactics (involving multiple pieces), and his mantra,
"What you don't see can hurt you." Of course, GM Ashley especially exploits
our wonder at the things grandmasters some of them even super-
grandmasters miss in games. The combinations and continuations are not
that hard to find. Yet in the heat of battle, even those hundreds of rating
points above us do, at least on occasion. There's an opportunity to learn
something even a GM doesn't see? Sign me up!
Let's look first at what he covers in the summary. The introduction does a
great job of summarizing the first two DVDs, and explains that this one will
go into trickier tactics than we normally focus on, as well as looking at piece
protected squares and pawn protected squares. There are eighteen
grandmaster level games or game fragments. Again, as in previous volumes,
Ashley shows some of his own discoveries, and on occasion, when he was, as
Steve Goldberg put it, the "discoveree" rather than the discoverer. Readers of
this column will know I respect a presenter or author who can show his losses
as well as his wins. You know you aren't getting just the fluff games.
My favorite game from this section was one against Sofia Polgar early in his
career, a match he managed to draw and almost won. This game shows
discovery nicely, as well as the idea of protected squares. What interested me
even more was that Ashley noted he was unaware of these ideas he has now
coined, of pawn and piece protected squares, and that it was in his pursuit of
the GM title that he became aware of these concepts. It wasn't memorization
or special preparation that brought him the title, but instead a focus on chess
ideas. This little bit of wisdom, that thinking about chess is more important
than memorizing in achieving higher levels, is something all of us can afford
to chew on for awhile.
Polgar, Sofia (2445)-Ashley,Maurice (2370)
Match New York 1992
[FEN "r5k1/pp3rbp/5np1/3np2q/8/PNN2R1P/
1PP1Q1P1/R1B4K w - - 0 20"]
Here Polgar plays it safe with 20.Bd2, so as not to allow 20...Nxc3. Ashley
notes Black already has a good active game here, with the e-pawn being in
question: is it weak or is it strong? Well, the discovery move 20...e4! shows
that it is strong. The idea of course is to exploit the long diagonal since, as the
grandmaster notes, every move has a weakness. Here that weakness is that the
b2-pawn is weakened. With four pieces in the way, he must open things up.
The fact that e4 is "overprotected" does not mean anything.
Now Polgar saw that 21.Nxe4 Nxe4 22.Qxe4 Rxf3 23.Qxf3 Qxf3 24.gxf3
Bxb2 25.Ra2 Bc3 leaves White's pawns scattered. Since that was not a good
option, she chose something else, something that also looks solid, holding the
queen on e2, 21.Rf2. But what follows? Yes, of course!
Another push! White has made a connection between the Rf2 and Bd2, and
one could argue that the two solid moves in a row were actually poor moves.
After 21...e3! (yes that square is doubly piece protected!), if 22.Bxe3 Nxe3 23.
Qxe3 Ng4! and the game is practically over, so Polgar chose instead 22.Qxh5
gxh5 23.Rxf6 Bxf6 24.Nxd5 exd2 25.Nxf6 Rxf6 26.Nd2, but after 26...Rf2
there were simply too many open lines the exchange for a pawn just isn't
going to be enough.
So a player of Polgar's caliber, seeing one potentially bad endgame, is tricked

into another by missing discovery on squares that are well-protected by
pieces. The test section contains fourteen games, fragments, and a puzzle.
Spoiler alert! This is my favorite section of the product from the test section,
no players given, simply entitled "Lifesaver." I might like this one the best
because the answer jumped out at me (well, after a minute, anyway) and
Ashley says that no one has ever found the answer to this one.
Lifesaver
[FEN "5b1k/1b2P1p1/p4PQp/3P3P/1p4K1/
4qBP1/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
At first glance, it looks pretty hopeless for Black. He can't sacrifice the bishop
for the pawn with 1...Bxe7? because he gets mated on g7. So 1...Bc8+ is
obvious, as is White's reply of 2.Kh4. Now Ashley says people look at Qd4+,
many look at a possible draw with 2...Qg5+ (this appears to fail and at best
puts Black in a pretty rotten position) and everything but the winning move 2...
Qxe7!! He can't take the queen, and now Black wins by force, a piece up, and
White's position in ruins.
No matter what your level, this is a fun product where you will also learn
something. And since these really are things grandmasters don't see, even
higher-level players will benefit from the information as well as the excellent
lecturing style of the presenter. If I could ever afford lessons from a
grandmaster, I would pick GM Ashley, no question. Luckily, I can have him
as a teacher for about thirty bucks with this DVD; let's hope he makes more.
Order What Grandmasters Don't See, Vol 3

by Maurice Ashley
Order all three volumes of What Grandmasters Don't See and

automatically save an extra $6.00!


Purchases from our
ChessBase Tutorials Openings #04: accessible:
Indian Defenses
by ChessBase
Know the Terrain Vol 3:

Central Majority
by Sam Collins
ChessBase
Cafe From the Opening to the Middlegame
Steven B. What? Back so soon? The good people at ChessCafe.com have decided to Fritz 13
switch my column to a first Saturday schedule (with Inside Chess moving to by ChessBase
Dowd the third Wednesday), hence this column so soon after the last one. This
month I review an ingenious way for many people to become acquainted with
an opening, the ChessBase tutorial system. I will also review another Sam
Collins video on central majority pawn structures, probably the most
interesting of them all so far.
Translate this page
ChessBase Tutorials, Openings #04, Indian Defenses (DVD) , ChessBase.
Playing Time: 5 hours. $35.95 (ChessCafe Price: $29.95)
I'd never seen this type of product before, and being

an old-school skeptic, I wondered how well a video
of this nature could introduce a player to certain
opening structures. The accompanying booklet, Chess Expertise, Vol. 2
excellently produced, with plenty of interesting facts by Efstratios Grivas
on the openings it covers, purports the DVD as "all
you need to know about" the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's
Indian, Bogo-Indian, King's Indian, Grnfeld,
Budapest Gambit, Trompowsky, Torre, Old Indian,
Benoni, Benko, and Blumenfeld Gambit. There are a
Rating Chart total of twenty-four videos.
Awful Manufacturer hyperbole aside (I don't believe a five hour video on any one of
these could cover "all you need to know"), each lesson does cover in
Poor sufficient detail what you need to know to start playing that opening
successfully and have a decent basic overview. Igor Stohl examines the
Uneven
Queen's Indian and Nimzo-Indian Defenses, Lawrence Trent does the King's
Indian, Lars Schandorff presents the Grnfeld, Daniel King addresses the My Best Games in the
Good
Benoni formations and the Budapest, and Valeri Lilov handles the Benko and King's Indian
Great Blumenfeld, along with the Bogo-Indian, Torre, and Trompowsky. by Alexei Shirov
Excellent
I found Stohl a bit quiet and hesitating, and Schandorff as well. It was
somewhat harder to follow their presentations, although not impossible. King,
Trent, and Lilov were all great as far as presentation style goes; Lilov
struggles with English at times, but it does not detract from his enthusiastic
presentation of his material. What is great, if you also know German, is that
the DVD also contains the same theoretical discussions by (mostly) other
speakers, the exception being Daniel King, who does a great job in German or
English.
So how much detail is presented? The best analogy I can come up with is a
video version of Abby Marshall's column here at ChessCafe.com, "The
Openings Explained." If you don't know much about these openings, the
presenters give you what you need to get started. And like Abby, the DVD
doesn't just have a presentation on the opening. Included is a database with
100 famous games (according to the booklet, but there actually are 101) that
feature these openings. The drawback is that they aren't organized by
openings nor are they annotated. Adding even brief annotations would have
been a great plus.
I'll confine myself to one example since it relates to a system I sometimes

play when my normal ones aren't working (always good to have something in
reserve), the Bogo-Indian. Most of my knowledge of it relates to an article I
read many years ago by Bent Larsen. I was attracted to the fact that it was not
often-played and was idea-based, with several ways to proceed for Black.
Lilov presents the main ideas behind the lines confidently and quickly (he is
almost too quick for me at times, but I suppose that is what "rewind" and
replay" are for!). Breutigam, is a bit more "variation-based" in his discussion,
although there is not much difference between the two.
After the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+, I am comfortable with all
continuations except 4.Nbd2 and that is simply because I have been too lazy
to look in the book at what is recommended. But Lilov believes I can give up
the b4-bishop here and secure a good game: 4...b6 5.a3 Bxd2+ 6.Qxd2 Bb7 7.
e3 00 8.Be2 d6 9.00 Nbd7 10.b4 Ne4 11.Qc2 f5 12.Bb2 Qe7 13.Rad1 Rf6
14.d5 Rh6
[FEN "r5k1/pbpnq1pp/1p1pp2r/3P1p2/
1PP1n3/P3PN2/1BQ1BPPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 15"]
Lilov indicates Black may already be better. I am not so sure, but it is a line I
would like to try: it looks to me like 15.Bd3! is best here for White, when
Black will have to sacrifice a pawn for what will be a dynamic game for both
sides.
And if he recaptures with the bishop? 6.Bxd2 Bb7 7.Bg5 d6 8.e3 Nbd7 9.Qc2
Qe7 10.Rd1 h6 11.Bh4
[FEN "r3k2r/pbpnqpp1/1p1ppn1p/8/2PP3B/
P3PN2/1PQ2PPP/3RKB1R b Kkq - 0 11"]
And two possibilities emerge, 11...g5 or 11...a5. Pushing the g-pawn signals
the possibility of queenside castling (there are some other openings with a
queenside fianchetto where I occasionally castle on the queenside and this
position looks better than most of them) Pushing the a-pawn signals that you
are prepared for White's b4-push, and will try to use the a-file to your
advantage. Although I am sure there is more to the story, I really am anxious
to try this out, both possibilities in fact.
I'll briefly note one other section that impressed me. As a youngster I played
the Budapest Gambit, so I was very interested in what King had to say. I was
surprised how little had changed in forty years, but also very impressed that
King avoided the tricks and traps in this opening and concentrated on the two
most telling White responses holding the pawn or returning it for a
positionally better game. For the adventurous, he also showed a means by
which they might imbalance the position: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4
g5 probably dubious, he notes, but worth an attempt if you want to mix it up.
What level of player will benefit here? Well, any player with tournament
experience will find these to be a useful introduction, perhaps barring those
rated more than 2200. I normally play, for example, classically, and thus, the
Tarrasch defense has been my defense of choice. But there are times when the
defense just doesn't work for me, and it is always useful to have a back-up. In
these cases, I play Nimzo/Queen's Indian/Bogo-Indian defenses, so I know
something about them. Still, I found Stohl's material very useful in telling me
a little more about an opening I rarely play, but know at least a little about.
And of course, I already mentioned Lilov's little piece of theory I am dying to
try out in my online games. For someone brand new, it would be a good
introduction, for those who know a bit about openings, a useful review. This
tutorial system is a great idea.
Order ChessBase Tutorials Openings #04:

Indian Defenses
by ChessBase
Order all four volumes of ChessBase Tutorials Openings and

automatically save an extra $10.00!
Know the Terrain Vol 3. Central Majority (DVD) by Sam Collins, ChessBase.
Playing Time: 4 hrs 39 min. $31.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
I really enjoyed the last Know the Terrain video,

and the material in this one is probably even
superior, as Collins discusses this idea of a central
majority in ways I have not read or heard about
before. It is an important theoretical contribution
and anyone getting through the DVD will have
weapons at his disposal (these weapons being
ideas!) that his opponents will not have.
The idea behind these videos is that prepared lines

don't win all that many games - knowledge wins the
tough tournament games. In this case specifically,
superior knowledge of the pawn structures that typically arise from various
openings. The fact that such knowledge should be transferable between
different openings that have similar structures is another good weapon. When
I was competing regularly, I grouped all of my openings, for white and black
into ones that led to similar middlegame structures. This reduces the amount
of time you have to spend on memorizing openings (general ideas will take
over when memory of specific lines fails) and gives you the middle- and
endgame advantage over your opponent.
Collins defines this central majority as white pawns on a2, d4, and e4 against
black pawns on a7, b7, and e7. These structures appear quite often in the
Grnfeld and Semi-Tarrasch Defenses. White has a space advantage that
gives him the initiative in the middlegame and a potential kingside attack.
Black's goal is to reach an endgame where his outside passed pawn may prove
to save the day. A related construction covered is the passed d-pawn structure
that arises when the e-pawns are exchanged. The short question here is
whether that passed pawn is a strength or a weakness. Kramnik and Carlsen
are the main proponents of this type of structure from the white side, while
Svidler, Ivanchuk, Van Wely, and Gymesi are the primary proponents from
the black side.
In my youth, I was impressed with several Spassky games utilizing such

structures. The positions are definitely unbalanced I had many satisfying
wins with the structure Collins set forth, and many frustrating losses. Here are
the two basic positions, one arising from the Semi-Tarrasch:
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/4p3/8/3PP3/5N2/
P4PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 8"]
And the other from the Exchange Grnfeld:
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/pp2ppbp/6p1/8/3PP3/
5N2/P3BPPP/1RBQK2R b K - 0 10"]
The sections are as follows:
Black plays b6 and Nc6

Black plays b6 and Nd7
White plays d4 and e5
White plays d5 and e5
Kingside Attack
Black plays f5
c4 outpost
Minority Attack
Decoying the black central pawn
Passed d-pawn
Ng5
Blockade in the middlegame
Blockade in the endgame
d5 outpost in the endgame
No less than thirty-four illustrative games are used, and for those who want
modern games, you will not be disappointed. The seminal game is
Polugaevsky-Tal, 1969, where "Polu," with outstanding preparation, rips
Tal's ...Nc6 line to shreds and even has the ability to develop a kingside attack
that includes every player's favorite, Bxh7+! But most of the games are from
"this century," including Topalov-Anand, 2010!
It is very hard to pick a favorite game. All are good and instructive. I suppose
because it fit under the category of "Attack I would most likely mess up," I
picked this stunner:
Sokolov, Ivan (2695) Polgar, Judit (2722)

Hoogeveen Essent Crown, 2003 [E12]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.a3
The Petrosian variation of the Queen's Indian is another way to get to the
types of positions discussed here.
5...d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Qc2 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Be7 9.e4 00 10.Bd3 c5 11.00 Qc8
Here I would be stymied, like Tarrasch, I do not play well without my king's
bishop. The idea is both to trade off the bishop and threaten ..cxd, which
would also nullify any attack.
12.Qe2 Ba6 13.Rd1 Rd8 14.h4
Many of us know to play this move in these sorts of positions, but Collins also
explains two of its advantages quite well: first, that it controls g5 and Bg5
may be the desired moved, when, if Black trades, the pawn can recapture,
making h7 weak; and second, if Black prevents the push all the way to h6
when White plays h5 with his own ...h6, then the kingside has become more
static and vulnerable to attack.
14...cxd4 15.cxd4 Bxd3 16.Rxd3 Nd7 17.Bg5 f6
Collins considers this advance quite sound based on the second advantage,
although he also notes, that even if the h7-pawn were to become weak, the
knight could transfer itself to f8 to hold, and as Bent Larsen once noted, "with
a knight on f8 you can never get mated!" My engine analysis indicated both
the trade and Polgar's move to be sound, leaving White with the slightest of
advantages.
18.Bf4 Qb7 19.h5 Rac8 20.Rad1 Qa6 21.e5 f5 22.d5 exd5
This sort of double push of the pawns occurs frequently in these types of
formations, the other being an e5- and d5-push. Polgar's 21...f5 may have
been a mistake. However, my Fritz 11 calls for 22...Nc5!, not mentioned by
Collins and worth a look analytically. After 22...exd5, Fritz thinks the White
advantage to be secure, more than a pawn equivalent.
23.Nd4
[FEN "2rr2k1/p2nb1pp/qp6/3pPp1P/
3N1B2/P2R4/4QPP1/3R2K1 b - - 0 23"]
Most of us could win such positions. It's getting to them that is the hard work.
Black has too many holes; f5 is already hanging and d5 may in the future as
well.
23...Rf8 24.Qf3
Fritz prefers 24.Bh6! here and it does seem quite good, but Sokolov probably
had a specific plan in mind.
24...Nc5 25.h6
White plans on 25...Nxd3 to play 26.hxg7. But whether White still has an
advantage is unclear to me.
25... g5 26.Bxg5 Bxg5 27.Qh5 Bf4 28.Rf3 Bxe5 29.Nxf5
White is a piece down, but his attack is raging. In fact, all my engines
consider White to be winning at this point.
29...Qb7 30.Rxd5!
My exclamation point, not Collins. But he obviously can't take the rook with
the queen because of the fork.
30...Rce8 31.Qg5+ Kh8 32.Rxe5
The immediate 32.Ne7! is probably crushing at this point
32...Rxe5 33.Ne7!
Again, my emphasis, but White looks won at this point.
33...Re1+ 34.Kh2 Qb8+ 35.Rg3 Rxe7
What else? 35...Rf7 36.Qg7+! and Black is mated by a mere pawn.
36.Qxe7 Ne6 37.Qxe6 Qf4 38.a4 a6 39.Qxb6 Rb8 40.Qe3 Qh4+ 41.Rh3
Qf6 42.Qc3 10
The rook endgame is easily won, the h6-pawn still containing the black king.
So after all the praise, what do I consider a deficit here? It is that Collins'
presentation style is extremely unpolished. I was so put off by it, I started
counting the stammers and awkward pauses that arose during his presentation.
At times I had to stop the video and go through the game myself, without the
benefit of his expertise, taking notes, whereupon I then watched the video to
the end. This was less irritating to me, but it should not have been necessary. I
would have awarded this DVD at least one more star had the presentation
been smoother. The powerful ideas he presents deserve no less.
Order Know the Terrain Vol. 3: Central Majority

by Sam Collins
Order all three volumes of Know the Terrain and automatically save an
extra $6.00!

Purchases from our
Tricks and Traps Vol. 3: accessible:
The Flank Openings
by Nigel Davies
World Champion's Guide

to the Kings Indian, 2nd ed.
ChessBase
Cafe Playing on the Flanks: Not Just for
Hypermoderns
Steven B. Fritz 13
by ChessBase
Dowd This month we'll look at two opening DVDs. One by GM Nigel Davies on the
flank openings, and the other is the second edition of Kasimdzhanov's Guide
to the King's Indian. Both of these have plenty to offer the student of these
openings.
Tricks and Traps Vol. 3: The Flank Openings (DVD), Nigel Davies,
Translate this page ChessBase. Playing Time: 4 hours. $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95).
In this third volume of his Tricks & Traps series,

Davies gets to the meat of his expertise the flank
openings. If you want to see for yourself, go to his
Chess Improver blog and see this game. He played 1.
g3 in five out of his six white games when he No Fear of 1.d4, Vol. 1
returned to competitive chess in the recent British by Sergei Tiviakov
Rapidplay Championships. Davies states that, "it
puts the emphasis on a broad knowledge of opening
formations rather than specific preparation."
In the introduction to this DVD, GM Davies notes

that there are fewer tricks and traps in the flank
Rating Chart openings, simply because the position stays closed longer (few quick f7 or f2
weaknesses) and that the pieces do not engage each other rapidly. This makes
Awful
his job a bit harder, as he has to search for examples of traps (there are
Poor probably more neat tricks here than traps), but he has done a remarkably and
I cannot think of any better word for it eclectic job. If you are thinking about
Uneven playing flank openings in the future, or wish to find ways to encounter some
of them on better footing, this DVD is for you. First Steps in Defence
Good
by Andrew Martin
Great Here are the thirty-three different sections. I could only find one lesson that I
did not consider of the highest quality (and Davies notes he added this one
Excellent with reluctance), and had a few quibbles with one other.
Introduction
h1-a8 diagonal 1
h1-a8 diagonal 2
h1-a8 diagonal 3
Hedgehog 7.Re1 trap 1
Hedgehog 7.Re1 trap 2
Hedgehog 9.Bg6 trap
English Grnfeld trap
Petrosian-Ree
Semi-Tarrasch failure
Keres pawn sacrifice
h8-a1 diagonal e4 killer
h8-a1 diagonal Ljubojecvic-Stein
h8-a1 Hartston trap 1
h8-a1 Hartston trap 2
h8-a1 diagonal Davies-Thiel
Positional trap King's Indian Attack with an early e5
Positional trap King's Indian Attack with an early 0-0
Positional trap King's Indian Attack with Uhlmann playing f5
General traps Queen fork
General traps Reti Gambit with Bg4
General traps English with Nd4
General traps Queen fork
General traps Traffic jam
General traps Mikenas attack with a Queen trap
General traps Larsen Opening with a fork trap
Chamber of horrors From Gambit mates
Chamber of horrors Orang Utan 2...Qd6
Chamber of horrors Deadly Dunst tricks
Chamber of horrors Grob and Summing Up
Not just one theme here, as noted earlier, but an eclectic assortment, placed in
an order that is best for learning. Since there are so many things I like about
this trainer, I will first state some of the things I didn't like. First of all,
"positional" is misspelled as "positianal," not once, but four times. This is not
the fault of GM Davies, but ChessBase needs better quality control in this
area. Also, "stem games" are mentioned in verbiage, but not in the analysis
portion (which I usually enjoy turning to before and after the video there is
an absolute lack of commentary there, and "bare moves" are not very helpful).
Thus, you have to write down the players and other information to find the
full game in question.
One section that seemed weak to me was on the Keres pawn sacrifice: 1.c4 e5
2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nc3 (he mentions in passing that 4.d4 might be best and
is featured on his DVD on the English Opening; I still would like to have
heard a bit about it, because my experience has shown, as Shatkes noted years
ago, that the queen is rather exposed on d4. Since d4 is "avoiding the trap" of
the pawn sacrifice, I expected more) 4...d5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Nc6 7.Nxd5
Nd4 8.Nxf6+.
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/5N2/4p3/3n4/1Q4P1/
PP1PPPBP/R1B1K1NR b KQkq - 0 8"]
Here he analyzes the well-known 8...gxf6. This move may seem surprising
but is best. He notes that 8...Qxf6 is "both quite interesting" and gives Black
"compensation for the pawn." This is certainly true, but it certainly is quite
inferior to the capture with the pawn. After 8...gxf6, he analyzes only 9.Qd1
and again, since some books consider 9.Qd3 to be superior, I wonder why he
did not mention it. Also, I was left wanting at the end Black is considered,
after more than a dozen moves, to have compensation, perhaps even into the
endgame, but no examples were given of how that compensation could be
specifically exploited.
Davies does give a line that is better than the pawn sacrifice. Instead of 7.
Nxd5, 7.d3 is to be preferred. However, this section could perhaps have used
a part two, as we have for some other sections. But this is a minor quibble,
and perhaps is due to the fact that I have played the line for more than forty
years as Black I expect perhaps too much from this introductory video.
The material on the Grob is the portion he added with reluctance, but he only
superficially covers this poor opening move. This was one of the places
where, as advertised, he does place "an emphasis on the psychological side of
things" by noting that many players lose to the Grob, as they consider it
something of an insult. But there is not much more than that, and an
admonition not to take the g4-pawn. The other advertised item, "positional
traps that can occur in flank openings which can lead to miserable positions if
players are unaware of them," was well-represented. That they were mostly in
the King's Indian Attack was terrific for me, since this is an opening I often
play.
Everything else on this trainer was very well-done. I will give two examples
of things I particularly liked. The first was what he calls the Hartston trap (and
is the "main event" in the a1-h8 diagonal section): 1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7
4.Nc3 Nc6 5.a3 e6 6.b4 Nxb4! (6...cxb4 leads to positions similar to the
Benko Gambit) 7.axb4 cxb4. As he notes, there is now quite a body of theory
that has developed here such a comment may seem small, but it gives the
viewer a starting point to do more research. The knight is pinned to the rook,
and if it moves, the bishop will take the rook.
After discussing the main line, where he shows how White can still emerge
with a decent game, even after losing the pawn, there is a part two with a very
interesting exchange sacrifice ("probably the most interesting game the
English opening has to offer").
Here is the game in full:
Hodgson, Julian M (2580) Gulko, Boris (2590)

Groningen, 1994
English Opening [A36]
1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.a3 e6 6.b4 Nxb4 7.axb4 cxb4
Davies: "I suspect Julian fell into this by accident, and then decided to
sacrifice the exchange as well."
8.Nb5
[FEN "r1bqk1nr/pp1p1pbp/4p1p1/1N6/1pP5/
6P1/3PPPBP/R1BQK1NR b KQkq - 0 8"]
8...Bxa1 9.Qa4 Be5
This eliminates the check on d6, but later analysis indicated 9...Bf6 might be
better, to bring the king over f8 to g7. 9...Bf6 10.d4 a5 11.Bf4 Ra6 had
actually been played some twenty years earlier, Barle-Smejkal, Vidmar
Memorial 1973, with Black winning. White has to really drum up his
compensation here, according to Davies.
10.Nf3 Bb8 11.Bb2 f6 12.h4!
Bringing the white rook into play.
12...a5 13.h5 gxh5

He obviously cannot play 13...g5? here.
14.Rxh5 Qe7 15.Ng5 Ra6 16.Ne4 e5
Hoping to block the bishop's diagonal.
17.c5 Kf8 18.Nbd6 Bxd6 19.Nxd6 Rxd6 20.cxd6 Qxd6
Sacrificing back the exchange doesn't quite work, White still has means of
breaking through.
21.d4 exd4 22.Rd5 Qc7 23.Rxa5
"All Black's pawns are weak, and Black's king is standing with the wind in his
hair on f8"
23...Ne7 24.Qxb4 d6 25.Rb5 Kg7 26.Qxd4 Rf8 27.g4 Qd7 28.Rh5 Kg8 29.
g5
In the end, White dominates the a1-h8 diagonal, when Black did early on.
29...Qg4 30.gxf6 10
Black doesn't have any way to stop the threats. Although this game is
interesting, Davies thinks just going down a pawn as white (which most likely
would be regained with a good position) is the way to go when all is said and
done. I found that approach intriguing show the neat piece sacrifice after
first demonstrating how it can be dealt with with quiet play. Then in part two
present an attempt at refutation that is wildly interesting but probably fails
with best play. This provides a bit of cognitive dissonance and makes the
student consider the various options he might pursue in his own games. I've
already found myself trying to find ways to make White's position work after
9...Bf6. But in the end, I'll probably end up playing the safer continuation.
My second favorite was the section on the Sokolosky (Orang Utan) where he
notes the potential trap 1.b4 d5 2.Bb2?! Qd6!. Davies doesn't mention this,
but this is known as the German Defense. He does note that the intent is to
play for a large pawn center with e5. If White is not careful and plays 3.b5?,
he loses a pawn to 3...Qb4!
[FEN "rnb1kbnr/ppp1pppp/8/1P1p4/1q6/8/
PBPPPPPP/RN1QKBNR w KQkq - 0 4"]
What I especially liked about this section and he does this in other sections
as well is that he looks at the move and how it might be applied to the white
side. For example, 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b5 3.Bg5 4.Qd3 a6 5.Nbd2 and White will
again strive for a large pawn center that will be difficult for Black to crack.
The idea of playing Qd3 in d4-openings is not new, but surely with an added
target on b5, White has good chances in a position that will be, in all
likelihood, new to the second player.
This one gets a near-perfect score from me. I was even able to immediately
implement some of the traps and ideas in my online games, which is a test I
use for every trainer I review. For anyone 1600 and above (below that level
you probably shouldn't be playing many flank openings anyway!), this is an
excellent way to engage not just tricks and traps, but many of the ideas behind
the flank openings.
Order Tricks and Traps Vol. 3: The Flank Openings

by Nigel Davies
Order all three volumes of Tricks & Traps and automatically save an extra
$6.00!
A World Champion's Guide to the King's Indian, 2nd ed. (DVD), by Rustam
Kasimdzhanov, ChessBase. Playing Time: 7 hours. $36.95 (ChessCafe Price:
$30.95).
With seven hours of running time, and an update

that includes many new games by Kasimdzhanov
and other players, this is a real bargain, especially at
the ChessCafe.com price of only $30.95. It is, as
advertised, "a perfect tool for players looking for a
complicated battle against 1.d4," as well
as,"structural insights and an array of ideas." I've
always admired the King's Indian Defense, although
I never have been able to play it as well as I would
like. In the annotations to one of the games,
Kasimdzhanov notes that Bronstein once noted that
the Evans Gambit was not just a chess opening, but
a chess school, making the King's Indian the equivalent of a chess university!
I find I must agree.
Introduction
Classical Variation: Atalik-Kasimdzhanov
g3 Variation: Neverov-Kasimdzhanov
Be3 Variation: Intro
Be3 Variation: Sasikirian-Kasimdzhanov
b4 Variation: Intro
b4 Variation: Bacrot-Kasimdzhanov
Pawn structure
Saemisch variation: Abolianin-Kasimdzhanov
Letelier Martner-Fischer
Update
Elijianov-Radjabov
Elianov-Radjabov
Gelfand-Radjabov
Wang Yue-Radjabov
Gelfand-Radjabov
Margvelashvilli-Kasimdzhanov
Vescovi-Radjabov
9.b4
Wrap-Up
With so many lessons packed with ideas, it is difficult to select illustrative

sections; nevertheless, here is small sampling of one of the update games that
I find the most fascinating, with the annotations based on the ideas presented
by Kasimdzhanov.
Vescovi, Giovanni (2660) Radjabov, Teimor (2733)

World Team Ch. Turkey, 2010
King's Indian Defense [E90]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.h3
Although 6.h3 is considered a sideline, it is a multifaceted move that not only

prevents Bg4 and Ng4, it also plans g4, Be3, and Nd2, preventing Black's
kingside operations.
6...e5 7.d5 Nh5
The standard reply, making 8.g4? a bad move, since the knight can then plant
itself on f4 with good counterplay.
8.g3 a5
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/1pp2pbp/3p2p1/p2Pp2n/
2P1P3/2N2NPP/PP3P2/R1BQKB1R w KQ - 0 9"]
A standard position from this line. Both sides have advantages and
disadvantages associated with their position. For example, Black would prefer
to have the knight on f6, but withdrawing it here would cost time.
9.Bg2 Na6 10.O-O Nc5 11.Be3 Bd7 12.Ne1 b6 13.Kh2 Qe8 14.Bf3 f5
Finally Black decides to strike out after patiently waiting and building up his
position. This will involve a piece sacrifice.
15.exf5 e4 16.Be2 Bxf5 17.g4 Qe5+
At the cost of a piece to come, Black has weakened White's kingside.
18.Kg1 Nf4 19.Bxf4 Qxf4 20.Ng2 Qh6 21.gxf5 gxf5
Black has only a pawn for the piece, but his advantages are easy to see. Every
single one of his pieces has the potential to infiltrate the kingside.
22.f4 Qxh3 23.Qd2
White has started well with his defense. But it probably isn't enough.
23...Kf7! (?)
Here Kasimdzhanov thinks that 23...Rf6 might be better, with 23...Kf7 too
slow. 23...Rf6 24.Qe3 Rh6 25.Qxh3 Rxh3. I'll note that my Fritz 11 initially
assigns only the smallest of pluses to White here. Kasimdzhanov thinks Black
still has good chances in the endgame. But when I let Fritz run for awhile and
play out some possible continuations, it finds the game continuation to be
best. In fact, I believe it is winning, contrary to the world champion's analysis.
24.Rfe1?
24.Qe3 was the best chance here as well, as in allowing ...Rg8 without a
challenge, White gives Black an easy winning advantage. There will simply
be too many threats. After 24.Qe3, Black has to sacrifice another piece with
24...Bd4! and is probably still winning. The queen has to capture, and is not
well-placed on d4, and Black now has time to place his powerful rooks on the
g-file.
[FEN "r4r2/2p2k1p/1p1p4/p1nP1p2/2PbpP2/
2N1Q2q/PP2B1N1/R4RK1 w - - 0 25"]
24.Qe3 Bd4! 25.Qxd4 Rg8 26.Rf2 Rg3 27.Bf1 Rag8 28.Rd2 (or 28.Re1, etc.)
28...Qh4 29.Nd1 R8g6 30.Rc1 e3, and this looks winning to me. After 24.
Qe3, Kasimdzhanov only gives 24...Qh6?, after which it does appear that
White is out of the frying pan and the fire. He can follow up with the
defensive move 25.Kf2!, after which Rh1 is threatened. I am uncertain why he
did not mention the possibility of 24...Bd4!.
24...Rg8 25.Bf1 Nd3
Now "all Black pieces walk into the White position." The game is, for
practical purposes, over.
26.Nb5 Bh6 27.Re3 Nxf4 28.Rxh3 Nxh3+ 29.Kh2 Bxd2 30.Kxh3 Rg5 31.
Rd1 Rag8 32.Rxd2 Rh5+ 33.Nh4 Rg4 34.Kh2 Rgxh4+ 35.Kg1 Rh1+ 0-1
If you play or are considering playing the King's Indian, this DVD will be a
big boon to your understanding. And as it is idea-based, many of the ideas
here apply well to openings such as the Pirc and Modern as well. There
appear to be a few flaws in the analysis, as noted above, but these are few and
far between, and again, I think the idea-based approach trumps pure analysis
in most cases when it comes to opening preparation (you can always fire up
your engines for help with analysis, but most of us need help with ideas).
Don't pass up the opportunity to learn some complicated ideas about chess
from a world champion!
Order A World Champion's Guide to the King's Indian


Purchases from our
Scandinavian with 3...Qd6 accessible:
by Sergei Tiviakov
The Art of the Exchange Sacrifice

by Ari Ziegler
Chess Endgames 9, Rook and Minor Piece

by Karsten Mller
ChessBase Tactics: from Basics to Brilliance, Vol. 2
Cafe by Valeri Lilov
Steven B. Fritz 13
by ChessBase
Dowd The Battleground of Ideas
This month I review opening, middlegame, and endgame trainers that all
show the power of original ideas in chess, the categorization of such ideas,
and how learning how strong players formulate and classify these ideas will
Translate this page make you a better player. It is a new year and perhaps time to consider some
new ways of studying and playing chess to make you a better player.
Scandinavian with 3...Qd6 (DVD), Sergei Tiviakov, ChessBase, Playing

Time: 4 hours 16 minutes (two databases) $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
This trainer is interesting, idea-packed, and

thorough. The package insert boldly states that this No Fear of 1.d4, Vol. 1
system may well be called the Tiviakov system, and by Sergei Tiviakov
that may well be true after all, the Benko Gambit
was, once upon a time, called the Benoni
Countergambit. The DVD contains a database of
Scandinavian games, and another database of games
by the author, of which many were unpublished.
Rating Chart ChessBase calls this a bit of "added sweetener," but
I wish all DVDs offered something of this sort. It is
Awful a great way to plunge into study let a grandmaster
tell you what he thinks of an opening, and then go
Poor study games by him and others to see whether the opening really meets your
needs.
Uneven
Good I do suppose it is an added sweetener in that the DVD is so well done. The First Steps in Positional Play
presenter speaks English with an accent, but with great command, and is a by Andrew Martin
Great good presenter to boot. There are none of the irritating editorial flubs you too
often find on these trainers none of the others reviewed here will pass
Excellent
muster on that account, unfortunately and the author captivates you from the
start and doesn't let up until the end.
There are fourteen chapters here. The first three cover what to do if White
doesn't play 3.Nc3. This part is a bit short, but this is understandable, given
the content. You may need a supplemental text on the Scandinavian if you
intend playing this opening.
It was a game Tiviakov played as white in 2005 that opened his eyes to the
potential of this system:
Tiviakov, Sergei (2678) Almeida, Omar (2462)

Open Internacional del Solsones 2005
Scandinavian [B01]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6 6.g3 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.
Bg2 Nc6 9.00 000 10.Bf4 Qb4 11.d5 e6 12.a3
[FEN "2kr1b1r/1pp2ppp/p1n1pn2/3P3b/1q3B2/
P1N2NPP/1PP2PB1/R2Q1RK1 b - - 0 12"]
You don't need to be a grandmaster or to fire up your engine to see that White
is in a terrible way after only twelve moves in fact, this position is
objectively already lost. Black can happily ignore Marshall's old admonition
to never grab the b2-pawn with the queen and sail to victory. Tiviakov admits
he was lucky that his opponent accepted the draw here.
Interestingly, though, Black does not usually play this aggressively in this
system. Often you get something similar to a Caro-Kann (Black plays ...c6),
sometimes with a fianchettoed king's bishop, and waits for the counter-punch.
If White gets too aggressive, some of the positions resemble weaker versions
of a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, with its concomitant positional weaknesses.
But Black's position is always solid and never overextended.
My favorite game was the following:
Macieja, Bartlomiej (2600) Tiviakov, Sergei (2686)

Remco Heite Schaaktoernooi Wolvega, 2008
Scandinavian [B01]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.g3 Bg4 7.Bg2 e6 8.00
Be7 9.Bf4 Qd8 10.h3 Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Ne5 Nfd7 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Ne4
Nf6 15.Nc5
[FEN "rn1qk2r/pp2bpp1/2p1pnp1/2N5/3P1BP1/
7P/PPP2PB1/R2Q1RK1 b kq - 0 15"]
The knight appears to be well-outposted, and only a patzer would try to drive
it away with 15...b6?, correct?
15...b6!!
The exclamation points are all mine, although Tiviakov admits he was quite
proud of this move, as it showed a deep insight into the position. That's not
bragging, it is absolutely correct. I have always enjoyed GM innovations that
look like what Tarrasch used to call Stumperzug (a duffer's move); the text
gives up the c6-pawn, and with check, no less.
16.Bxb8 Rxb8 17.Bxc6+ Kf8 18.Na6 Rc8
The point of the sacrifice is now clear. Not only has White given up an active
bishop, h3 is now hanging, and if White wants to keep this pawn, he has to
worsen the position of his knight to a much weaker "outpost" on a6 and
again, as the great Tarrasch noted (English transliteration), "Knight on the
rim? Future is dim!"
19.Bg2 Nd5
The idea of course is to outpost his knight on f4, a formidable square from
which to commence operations all over the board.
20.c3 Nf4 21.Qf3 Bd6 22.Rfe1 g5
The idea is not only to consolidate the knight's position, but to consider
doubling the rooks after ...g6. But he also had to consider that he needs to
sacrifice a second pawn here. But he still has no worries.
23.Re3 g6 24.Qb7 Kg7 25.Qxa7 Re8
Here Black gives up the idea of doubling rooks to play on both sides of the
board.
26.Qb7 Re7 27.Qe4 Ra7 28.Nb4 Bxb4 29.cxb4 Rc4 30.Ra3 Rac7
With his terrible pawns and awkward position, despite being two pawns up,
White is practically lost here. The rest of the game follows without comment.
31.Rc3 Kh7 32.Rxc4 Rxc4 33.Rd1 Rxb4 34.b3 Qc7 35.Bf1 Nd5 36.Qe1 b5
37.Qd2 Qe7 38.Re1 Qa7 39.Rd1 Qe7 40.Bg2 Nf4 41.Kf1 e5 42.Qe3 Qa7 43.
dxe5 Qxa2 44.Bd5 Qc2 45.Qd2 Qxd2 46.Rxd2 Kg7 47.f3 Kf8 48.Kf2 Nxh3
+ 49.Ke3 Nf4 50.Kf2 Ke7 51.Rd1 Nxd5 52.Rxd5 Rxb3 53.Rd6 b4 54.Rb6
Rb1 55.Ke3 b3 56.Kf2 b2 57.Kg2 Kd7 58.Kh2 Kc7 59.Rb3 Kc6 60.Kg2
Kd5 61.Rb5+ Ke6 62.Kh2 Rf1 63.Rxb2 Rxf3 64.Kg2 Rf4 65.Kg3 Kxe5 66.
Rb5+ Kf6 67.Rb6+ Kg7 68.Rb7 Rd4 69.Ra7 Rd3+ 70.Kg2 Rc3 71.Kf2
Rc4 72.Kf3 Rf4+ 73.Kg3 Kh6 74.Ra8 f5 75.gxf5 gxf5 01
This is one of those rare trainers that actually gives insight into the
grandmaster's lab, and how he formulates ideas in the opening. If you are a
patient counter-puncher who likes activity as black, in an opening your
opponents probably won't know very well, you need to consider this DVD
and opening. It is too good to pass up.
Order Scandinavian with 3...Qd6

by Sergei Tiviakov
The Art of the Exchange Sacrifice (DVD), Ari Ziegler, ChessBase, Playing
Time: 6 hours 40 minutes $31.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
I was very excited at the prospect of learning more

about that most diffuse of sacrifices, the exchange
sacrifice. I love such sacrifices because of the
unbalanced positions they provide, as well as the
opportunity to play a "beautiful" game. The package
insert promises that you will, "seriously enhance
your understanding of exchange sacrifices, very
quickly recognize the value of an exchange sacrifice
in any kind of position, your games will be richer
and you will see more opportunities and because of
that you will improve your overall results, and you
will reach a better understanding of the games of
world class players."
The author notes that this is a DVD for "chess lovers," and that only a true
chess lover would buy a DVD on the exchange sacrifice. Ziegler succeeds
with flying colors in developing a classification of when the exchange
sacrifice works in various settings. Exchange sacrifices work in diverse
positions and have diverse goals. Sometimes you sacrifice the exchange for
mating possibilities, but just as often it can be a strategy to give you a strong
outpost piece in the middlegame, or as a means to an endgame advantage by
sacrificing the exchange for a minor piece and a pawn.
There are thirty sections to his taxonomy, from defensive sacrifices to build a
fortress (the DVD uses the unfortunate term "to build a castle," which might
be misinterpreted by some) or secure a technical draw, getting strong outpost
pieces on e6/d6 or d3/e3, sacrifices on squares such as f6 or c3 to weaken the
squares around the king, for central domination, getting the bishop-pair plus
one pawn against rook plus bishop with weaknesses on the squares that would
be protected by the missing bishop, and so on. He obviously has been
collecting these for a good many years, and he knows his material.
However, some of the games are misplaced. For example, the very strong
exchange sacrifice made by Kasparov against Yusupov, 1989, is classified
under "Sacrifice on f6 in order to weaken the squares around the castled
king." Well, in this game Kasparov sacrificed an exchange on e8 to a white
bishop on h5, which lead to fatal f3 weaknesses, so it does qualify as a
sacrifice that weakened the f3-square, but that is not where the sacrifice
occurred. Certainly some viewers would find this distracting and confusing.
My favorites were the various endgame sacrifices, especially the following,

since it looks like a study. It falls under the heading "sacrificing the exchange
to get a pawn to the seventh rank."
Ljubojevic Vukic
Yugoslavia, 1975
[FEN "3r2k1/3R1ppp/1bp1p3/P3P3/
3nN3/7P/5PP1/3B2K1 w - - 0 30"]
Here your silicon monster will probably tell you that the mundane 30.Rxd8+
is best, followed by pushing the pawn to a6, leading to a White advantage.
That may well be the case, but this is a game between humans, with the clock
ticking, and Ljubojevic was always one to pursue the unbalancing option. I've
looked a bit at that ending, though, and found it hard it would take a long
time, anyway to find the win. My own silicon monsters find the initial
position dead even at 0.00 after the sacrifice; I am convinced they are wrong.
30.axb6 Rxd7 31.Nc5 Rd8 32.b7
The threat now is Nd7, Ziegler notes. Compared to exchanging rooks, Black's
defensive task is much more difficult and difficult to find, if there even is a
defense.
32...Rb8 33.f4 f6 34.Kf2 fxe5 35.fxe5 Kf7 36.g4 Ke7
Ziegler indicates the best defense here is 36...Nb5, where White must be
careful, since only 37.Ba4! works. If 37.Bf3?, then 37...Nd4, and then if 38.
Be4, Black happily pulls what Ziegler calls "an important trick": 38.Nb3!, and
on 38.Nxb3 Rxb7, when the passed pawn is gone and "the clumsy rook" has
the freedom it needs to defend not that White has any real threats anymore.
After 37.Ba4, Black can only shuffle pieces around and push his kingside
pawns until he gets into zugzwang and must allow the white king to infiltrate
on the queenside.
37.Ke3 Nb5 38.Bf3
Here only 38.Bf3 gives a clear win, 38.Ba4? allows 38...Kd8! and a potential
defense to White's threats.
38...Na3 39.Kd3 Rd8+ 40.Kc3 Nb5+ 41.Kb4 Nd4 42.Be4 Rb8 43.Kc4 Nb5
44.Bxc6 Nc7 45.Kb4 Nd5+ 46.Bxd5 exd5 47.Kc3 10
Ziegler comes across as a sympathetic character, but he is a terrible presenter.

Another weakness of this DVD is the written notes accompanying the games.
Some are in poor English with multiple misspellings (whereas others are well-
done without mistakes), some are in German, and some are in Swedish! This
appears to be a lack of editorial quality control by ChessBase.
The material in terms of its attempt at a first taxonomy of the exchange

sacrifice deserves six stars. The author's analysis is usually quite good,
although it does lapse at times into the superficial. His ideas deserve a full six
stars as well. But given his poor presentation skills, and the editorial gaffs,
this brings the rating down considerably. Still, if you are one of those "chess
lovers" who wants to learn more about the elusive exchange sacrifice, you
will want this DVD. My hope is that the author expands on his material; it
would be enough to fill a good-sized book and would provide for easier
reference.
Order The Art of the Exchange Sacrifice

by Ari Ziegler
Chess Endgames 9, Rook and Minor Piece (DVD), Karsten Mller,

ChessBase, Playing Time: 7 hours 38 minutes $34.95 (ChessCafe Price:
$28.95)
If I have to take the time to convince you that

Karsten Mller is one of the very top endgame
analysts of our time, I would first have to ask what
planet you have been living on for the past fifteen
years. The German grandmaster consistently
produces excellent endgame analysis, often finding
obscure games to analyze he either has a
prodigious memory or the best endgame database in
the world, to say nothing of his uncanny ability to
analyze the most difficult of endings.
This trainer is one of his best, taking a topic not

often explored in endgame texts: how rooks and minor pieces work together
or in many cases, how they do not. As with any endgame study, seeing how
pieces work together will improve your middlegame and opening skills, as
well as improve your knowledge of that particular endgame.
There are five chapters to this DVD, the first is rook and knight versus rook
and knight, with twenty-one examples, the second is rooks and opposite-
colored bishops, with fourteen examples, the third is rooks and same-colored
bishops (although it is erroneously given the same title as the second chapter),
with ten examples, the fourth, what is called the "Fischer endgame" where the
bishop dominates the knight, with fourteen examples, and finally, what Mller
has named the "Andersson endgame" in honor of the Swedish grandmaster,
who handles knights like no other, with eleven examples.
The stem game for the fourth chapter is the famous Fischer-Taimanov match
game, and if you haven't studied it before, Mller's smooth analysis should be
your introduction. I've studied this game over the years, many times, and I
learned a few new things about it from Mller. One chapter I particularly
enjoyed was on opposite-colored bishops. Of course, with a rook on board,
there are definite winning chances, many of them tactical, and I have always
enjoyed playing opposite-colored bishop endgames anyway, because so many
of my opponents seem to assume they are "automatic" draws.
Mller presents well in English. Some of his pronunciations are a bit odd (the
way he says "attacker" always throws me) and he is sometimes given to long
pauses, probably to think out what he wants to say, but this is minor, and does
not detract. He uses nice snappy titles for his examples, which I always find
helps me to remember them later. Some on this DVD include, "The bishop
shoots in the air," "Shirov fails to set the board on fire," and the follow-up,
"He does better in the second (example)," and, "To exchange or not to
exchange, that is the question."
Consider this game fragment. Can you see, as Mller puts it, how "A light
initiative weighs heavily," and Smyslov forced Benko (two other great
endgames experts to capitulate in only eighteen more moves? How many of
you would offer a draw here? Yet it only took two mistakes by Benko, and the
game was over. Smsylov first exploited Black's undeveloped and then off-side
knight to win; I'll let you either work out how or let you buy the trainer to see!
Smyslov Benko
Monte Carlo, 1969
[FEN "rnr5/p3ppkp/1p4p1/8/3N4/1P4P1/
P3PPKP/R4R2 w - - 0 16"]
As I stated earlier, the section on opposite-colored bishops and rooks was one
of my favorites. Look at how Black's light-squared weaknesses in this game
led to his defeat. But how, you say? Isn't the rule that only one pawn up with
"opposites" is a draw?
Mller Heinemann
German Ch. Altenkirchen 1999
[FEN "8/br5p/3R2p1/1P2p2k/2B1P2P/
5KP1/8/8 w - - 0 56"]
56.Kg2
"Come on in," said the spider to the fly. Of course 56...Kg4?? gets mated and
56...g5? 57.Be2+ (57.Kh3 is also good) 57...g4 58.Bc4 Bd4 59.Rf6 shows that
Black has not only light-squared weaknesses, but also on the dark squares as
well. After Rf6, he loses at least the exchange immediately, and more later.
56...Bc5 57.Rc6 Bd4 58.Kh3 Kh6 59.g4 Kg7 60.g5 Be3 61.Bd5 Rb8 62.Rc7
+
White continues tactically. By maintaining the squeeze, he forces the black

king to an unfavorable position in which he is under the threat of getting
mated, which allows White to carry out his plan. Black eventually attempts
counterplay, but it doesn't work.
63...Kh8 63.Bc6 Rf8 64.Re7 Bd4 65.Bd5 Rf3+ 66.Kg2 Rf2+ 67.Kg3 h6 68.
gxh6
68.h5! is even stronger, leading to mate. But the one pawn advantage is about
to become three, and that's good enough with the clock ticking in an important
game.
68...Rf4 69.Re6 Kh7 70.b6 Rf8 71.b7 Ba7 72.h5 gxh5 73.Kh4 Rf1 74.Kxh5
Rg1 75.Re7+ Kh8 76.Rxe5 10
Finally, a short example of the "Andersson endgame." I chose this one

because I once watch Andersson on the ICC blithely trade off his bishop(s)
for a knight(s) in game after game. (A bishop it looked to me like he needed
sorely for defense!) Then, with apparent ease, he showed the superiority of
the knight in those positions. His opponent here is another world-class
endgame expert. You would expect that with this material, only a pawn down,
Black might have drawing chances. But Timman's light-squared bishop is
ineffective as a defender or attacker of the dark squares, and serves as little
more than a target for the rook.
Andersson Timman
Bugojno, 1982
[FEN "8/1R5p/4b1pk/4N3/4PK1P/
5P2/8/r7 w - - 0 68"]
68.Rb6!
Other moves win as well, but this study-like domination of the bishop (where
to go?) must have been especially disheartening to study composer Timman.
68...Bh3 69.Kg3 Bc8 70.Rc6 Ra8 71.Nf7+ Kg7 72.Rc7 Kf6 73.Kf4 10
All Black's pieces are dominated, and he soon will hemorrhage the last of his
pawns.
There's little more to say here except that if you want to tackle more
complicated endgames, this trainer is the ticket to that goal.

Order Chess Endgames 9, Rook and Minor Piece
by Karsten Mller
Tactics: from Basics to Brilliance, Vol. 2 (DVD), Valeri Lilov, ChessBase,

Playing Time: 4 hours 18 minutes $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
As a presenter, Lilov always delivers competent

instruction. I make it a point to attend as many of his
lectures on the Playchess site as often as possible;
they are always basic, but show a good
understanding of how chess is played. They make
me remember some of those important concepts that
are easy to forget when you are occupied with
advanced material.
The first volume of this set covered basic tactical

motifs. This DVD has twenty-four sections; each
one focuses on the power of a particular piece in
tactical play, from pawns to kings. The audience, as for many of Lilov's
DVDs, can be considered "the advanced beginner." For the visual/oral learner,
they are good substitutes for the basic books, such as Reinfeld's classic on
checkmates.
My sole quibble is that the player information is not included in the game
fragments presented. For example, consider the following:
[FEN "5rk1/pp4pp/4p3/2R3Q1/3n4/2q4r/
P1P2PPP/5RK1 b - - 0 23"]
Any player rated higher than 1600 who doesn't immediately recognize the
position, at least the name of the black player, and the story behind the game,
gets 100 rating points docked! (I'll give you one hint: "gold pieces.") This
game made a deep impression on me at a very young chess playing age.
Stories help us to learn and to remember, but even if Lilov chooses not to use
these stories in his instruction, he should at least list the players of the games
to show respect for their achievements. In this case, they are Stefan Levitsky
as white and the incomparable Frank J. Marshall as black.
That aside, I find this a very good set of instructional material that will take
players rated from 1000 to 1400 to the next level in their tactical play.
Order Tactics: from Basics to Brilliance, Vol. 2

by Valeri Lilov



Purchases from our
Mega Database 2012 accessible:
by ChessBase
Gambit Opening Repertoire

by Valeri Lilov
The Dutch Stonewall

by Valeri Lilov
ChessBase First Steps in Opening Play
Cafe by Andrew Martin
First Steps in Positional Play

Steven B. by Andrew Martin Fritz 13
by ChessBase
Dowd
Something for Everyone

Translate this page This month I review four trainers and the new Mega Database 2012. I had
plenty of fun "playing" with the new Megabase, and the trainers are designed
primarily for players of lower ratings, but have their value for high-rated club
level players as well. Andrew Martin, with his solid teaching style, particular
impressed me this month.
Mega Database 2012 (DVD), ChessBase, $173.95 (ChessCafe Price: $159.95)

No Fear of 1.d4, Vol. 1
Advertising itself as, "the exclusive annotated by Sergei Tiviakov
database," the newest Mega contains more than 5.1
million games from 1560 to 2011. There are 66,000
games with annotations by strong players, with
ChessBase opening classification with more than
100,000 key positions, and the ability to access
Rating Chart players, tournaments, middlegame themes, and
endgames. There is a new edition of the playerbase.
Awful The insert states, "as usual, this is where most of the
work was done." However, given the many errors
Poor that arise in historical games, I am looking forward
to the day when this statement is instead, "as usual,
Uneven
great care was exercised in making sure historical games were accurate and
Good annotated by strong players." First Steps in Defence
by Andrew Martin
Great I am quite impressed with the database, but my quibble lies with not including
Excellent
the famous game Kujoth-Fashingbauer, Milwaukee 1950; one of the most
fascinating non-master games of the last century:
1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3 Nc6 4.axb4 Nf6 5.b5 Nb8 6.e5 Qc7 7.d4 Nd5 8.c4
Nb6 9.c5 Nd5 10.b6 Qd8
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/pp1ppppp/1P6/2PnP3/3P4/
8/5PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 11"]
Yes, nothing but pawn moves by White so far and Black is crushed.
11.Rxa7 Rxa7 12.bxa7 Qa5+ 13.Nc3 Nxc3 14.axb8=Q Nxd1+ 15.Bd2 Qd8
16.Kxd1 and White later won.
Is it because the game is still thought by some to be a fabricated game?

Kujoth has dealt with that critique himself over the years and there should be
little question that it should be included.
The package insert also states that CB11 is required and that "with ChessBase
10 or 11 you can download games for Mega 2012 for the whole year..."
However, Mega2012 installed perfectly fine on my CB9, with the only caveat
that I could not have received the updates. Nevertheless, using Mega in CB9
is hardly optimal; it is like putting retreaded tires on a Roll-Royce compared
to what you get with CB11.
Although I had a long chess life without ChessBase, I cannot imagine one
without it today. That being said, I have been a haphazard user of the
database, and resolved to become more familiar with its features. For one, I
used the database to extract all the featured games for the trainers below. One
thing I could not do with CB9 was, for example, to find all of Meduna's
games with Black to establish his opening repertoire and win/loss percentage.
I was interested because Andrew Martin notes in his opening trainer
(reviewed below) that Meduna is a particularly economical player of the black
pieces.
With the help of Steffen Giehring from ChessBase I learned how it is done.
By the way, I have always received timely help from ChessBase support,
often in less than twenty-four hours, even before I started this column. Here is
the explanation of how this is done (there are actually two ways to do it!),
with illustrations:
In CB 11 there is a prominent button right in the main screen especially for

this purpose. It takes three clicks:
That brings up the players index of your Mega right away:

Now you select the player of your choice and simply click on the button
"Prepare against White" or "Prepare against White" on the top. That will bring
up the opening statistics for his games and the full list of his games. The
opening tree gives detailed information about the number of games, score,
when he last played a line, the opponents, etc.:
In CB 10 it works similarly. Open the Mega 2012 and click on the "Players"
index. Select the player of your choice and click it with the right mouse.
Again, click on "Prepare against White" or "Prepare against White," etc.
Finally, in both versions, there is also the "Dossier" feature.
Right click the player name in the players index and click on "Dossier." This
feature takes longer because ChessBase creates a new text with all available
information about the player from the databsae and also from the Players
Encyclopedia.
Here is a sample of what you get when you search for Meduna:
You can research how well he has done against certain players, how he has
performed in certain tournaments, and since I will never play GM Meduna,
more importantly, his opening repertoire as black should I wish to see if he is
really as economical in his play as Martin indicates. The value in this for
players at my level (2200 and below) is that we can find high-class players to
emulate, so long as they fit our style. I will speak more about using CB11 in
coming months.
Everyone should get this database. It is obviously a must buy for any serious
tournament player or analyst who uses ChessBase. There are flaws, mainly as
I noted, in its approach to historical games, but many won't consider this
serious.
Order Mega Database 2012

by ChessBase
Gambit Opening Repertoire (DVD), Valeri Lilov, ChessBase, Playing Time:

4 hours $30.95 (ChessCafe Price: $26.95)
I love gambits; always have, and always will. I

realize that as I have aged, I should look for a more
sedate opening repertoire, but I simply can't. First
sacrifice a pawn, then some pieces, and mate! I
know it is a simplistic view of the game, but chess
for me has always been fun, and I can't imagine just
searching for "playable middlegames," as many of
the experts suggest.
For lower-rated players though, gambits are one of

the best means of learning tactics. In the
introduction, Lilov indicates that everyone from
beginner to below GM level should train in the open games, because this
develops an ability to calculate, develops a feeling for tactical positions, and
most importantly, develops an ability to attack. These are all wise words, but
if you buy this DVD, I would ask you to start with the summary. It is here that
Lilov gives the key.
If you are going to play gambits, you must learn them in depth and simply
put, you have to study them. This does not mean simply memorizing some
theoretical lines. This will not be a quick process, he notes, and the first
question to be answered is, which gambits fit you well? This is an important
question. With the exception of the Blackmar-Diemer, for example, I found I
don't like gambits where I advance my f-pawn. I found over the years that
central gambits are more my speed.
On all four trainers I review here, there is an emphasis on developing a

personal system for study. For example, here Lilov notes three things you
must do to become a strong gambit player:
1. Work through games.
2. Make a database of your own, based on your own investigations,
3. Learn the opening through quick games. He considers time limits of

fifteen to twenty minutes optimal. I believe correspondence games are
also helpful, as they make you engage in deeper thought about the
opening. The flaws of an opening become quickly apparent with time to
think, and with so many free sites to play "turn-based" chess, it seems a
waste not to take advantage of that option these days.
There should also be a fourth item here, one I call "Purser's Law" (after Tom
Purser, who now runs a BDG blog and for years published BDG World).
Purser's Law is that any gambit player must learn the pawn-down endgames
that result from the gambits. The reason is that when the attack goes awry,
you need to find a way to draw the game. Often the activity gained from
sacrificing the pawn can carry into the ending, giving you "just enough" to
draw.
The gambits presented are The King's, the Evans, Belgrade, Wing Gambit
Deferred, Nimzowitsch, Rasa-Studier, The Mad Dog Attack, Alekhine
Gambit-Omega Gambit, The Blackmar-Diemer (BDG), Staunton, Jaenisch/
Rosseau, Marshall, Icelandic, Colorado, Fajarowicz, Schara-Henning, From's,
and then four worthwhile games on gambits entitled "Gambit Strategy." I
rather enjoyed his presentation of the Colorado Gambit (1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 f5?!)
given with a wink and a nod, indicating maybe "it isn't as bad as it looks."
And he is correct, it is one of those gambits opponents will want to blow off
the board but will find that Black has all sorts of odd resources.
Lilov is an excellent and enthusiastic teacher. He has an accent, but strives to

make everything he says clear, and he does an excellent job. The focus is on
ideas here rather than specific variations. But that is one place Lilov also fails
on this trainer, at least in two gambits I am very familiar with.
The first is in his presentation of the Henning-Schara gambit: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6

3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4 5.Qa4+ Bd7 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.Qxd5 Nc6 8.Nf3 9.Qd1
Bc5 10.e3 Qe7 11.Be2 0-0-0 12.0-0 g5
[FEN "2kr2nr/pp1bqp1p/2n1p3/2bP2p1/3Q4/
2N1PN2/PP2BPPP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 11"]
Here he only considers 13.a3, which as has been known for decades as too
slow. Only the counter-thrust 13.b4! is to be taken seriously (see the table
from CB11 and the new Megabase below) and leads to complications that are
beyond the scope of this column. I felt a bit betrayed, like I had bought one of
those old opening pamphlets that only showed spectacular wins for the
"correct" side, and ignored best defenses. Even if he wanted players to study
that line on their own, he should have mentioned the possibility and
encouraged them to research it on their own. It should also be noted that
White has ways to avoid the Henning-Schara, and thus, Black must be
prepared to play classical Tarrasch lines. I consider this exclusion much more
significant than the next.
More puzzling was the exclusion of the Gunderam Defense from the BDG.
"Gunderam's Opfervariante" (sacrificial variation) was one thing that got me
interested in the BDG many years ago:
1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bf5
Gunderam's Defense. Scheerer in his book The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

devotes twenty-seven pages to this defense; I highly recommend this book if
you decide to take up the BDG.
6.Ne5 e6 7.g4 Ne4!? 8.gxf5?!
Later the in-between check 8.Bb5+ was thought to be better, but it turns out
White wins this way.
8...Qh4+ 9. Ke2 Qf2+ 10.Kd3 Nc5+
[FEN "rn2kb1r/ppp2ppp/4p3/2n1NP2/3P4/
2NK4/PPP2q1P/R1BQ1B1R w kq - 0 11"]
And the complications are phenomenal (11.Kc4! is best and wins, according
to Scheerer), having been argued for over fifty years now. I am not saying he
should have included this particular variation, but to cover 5...c6 and not
cover 5...Bf5 just didn't make sense to me.
Thus, this is a slightly flawed but useful introduction to various gambits. With
only four hours to cover a cornucopia of openings, Lilov was bound to have to
leave something out; only the above two examples gave me concern. So long
as you realize you are only getting part of the story here, I don't hesitate to
recommend it. Just realize you will have plenty of work ahead in learning the
"meat" of the gambits you choose to play. But then again Lilov makes no
pretense that you won't.
Order Gambit Opening Repertoire

by Valeri Lilov
The Dutch Stonewall (DVD), Valeri Lilov, ChessBase, Playing Time: 4 hours,
$30.95 (ChessCafe Price: $26.95)
This DVD covers both the classic Stonewall with ...

Be7 and the so-called modern Stonewall with ...Bd6.
This opening has always held a certain fascination
for me as it was played by the great Botvinnik. And,
of course, Lilov uses a Botvinnik game as his stem
game. My other interest is that it resembles a system
with white advocated by Horowitz and Reinfeld in
How to Think Ahead in Chess: the Stonewall Attack.
Though, Lilov does not seem to mention the
possibility of playing this system as white.
The content is divided equally between the two

lines, which is appropriate. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were a number of
leading GMs who played the modern version: Yusupov, Dolmatov, Short, and
Agdestein. What surprised me though, was no inclusion of the Polish
Immortal, the famous game where Najdorf sacrificed all four minor pieces in
a blazing attack. Surely this game is a great advertisement for ...Bd6? There
are some other classic games missing, such as Gulko-Zaitsev, Moscow 1968,
that I believe should have been included. Also, of the four GMs mentioned
earlier as proponents, only one game by Dolmatov is included.
The most telling counter to the modern Stonewall must be the systems where
White plays b3 and tries to exchange off Black's strong bishop on d6, leaving
him only with the "inferior" Bc8. Here he first presents a game of Botvinnik,
but as white the classic game Botvinnik-Ragozin, 1939. Ragozin of course
failed to use Botvinnik's own opening against him. Then Dolmatov makes his
entry with the move 7...Qe7 (after 1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg2 c6 6.b3
Bd6 7.0-0), and in the end, it still doesn't seem clear whether or not this is an
effective counter. You will be treated to attacking games such as the
following, featuring ChessCafe columnist and master teacher Mark
Dvoretsky. In this game the Spanish master attempts the line with cxd5,
which is not normally a good move for White in these sorts of positions.
Pascual Sauch, Angel (2210) Dvoretsky, Mark (2475)

Terrassa open 1996
Modern Stonewall [A90]
1.Nf3 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.d4 c6 7.Bg2 Bd6 8.00 0
0 9.b3 Ne4 10.Qc2 Be6 11.e3 Nd7 12.Bb2 Qe7 13.Rae1 Rae8 14.Nd2 Ndf6
15.Ncb1 Ng4
[FEN "4rrk1/pp2q1pp/2pbb3/3p1p2/3Pn1n1/
1P2P1P1/PBQN1PBP/1N2RRK1 w - - 0 16"]
16.Nf3
Here if 16.h3, Black has 16...Nxf2! and if 16.f3 Nxh2!, both very typical
sacrifices for this opening. Both are well-worth analyzing on your own,
especially if you have an interest in this opening.
16...Qf6 17.h3 Nh6 18.Ne5 Nf7 19.Nd3 g5 20.Nd2 Qh6 21.Nf3 g4 22.hxg4
fxg4 23.Nfe5 Nfg5 24.Nf4 Bxe5 25.dxe5 Nf3+ 26.Bxf3 gxf3 27.Qd1 Ng5 28.
Qd4 Nh3+ 01
Lilov again emphasizes proper study techniques on the DVD, but his
presentations are not as polished and he stumbles more. In general, it seems as
if he did not put the usual preparation time into this one and it shows. I
recommend this DVD only if you are sure the Stonewall is your opening.
Order The Dutch Stonewall

by Valeri Lilov
First Steps in Opening Play (DVD), Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing

Time: 3 hours $23.95 (ChessCafe Price: $19.95)
I am a great fan of the "First Step" series and am

increasingly becoming a fan of Andrew Martin's
teaching style. He never lets the discussion get
boring, although sometimes he speaks so quickly
that I struggle to understand his accent. The
overarching theme here is that if you don't know the
opening, you won't get to the other two phases of a
chess game! That will resonate well with lower-
rated players, who often fret over this and being
caught in traps. The package insert indicates that the
series is for players below 2200, while Martin notes
on the DVD that it is designed for players below
1500. Yet, even those over 1500 will derive benefit from his approach, which
is a detailed study of master games.
I was especially impressed that further study methods were explained in some
detail. When you get past what Martin calls, "the expert guiding you," as he
does on this DVD, you have to get down to the real work of studying on your
own. Martin especially stresses that one cannot progress in chess study unless
one can find time to be completely focused on the material. It can be as little
as half-an-hour at a time, but there must be a complete focus on chess during
that time.
The master games all illustrate one poignant theme in opening play. Meduna's
opening play as black is featured in three of the games on the trainer,
primarily because Martin considers his play in the opening "economical."
This could be, of course, the jumping-off point for the serious student to study
Meduna's openings to see if his play matches their style. I was able to do a
comprehensive search of Meduna's games as black using the new CB11 and
Megabase 2012 (see the first review), and I must say he does have a simple
but not simplistic approach to the openings that I wish I could emulate.
Unfortunately, the theme is not explicitly shown in the index, so when

returning later to re-study a concept, you have to guess or remember which
theme is covered in which segment (the only major negative I find for this
trainer). For example, the following game illustrates the peril of commencing
tactical operations before development is complete. By the way, I took it from
Megabase 2012, which has the same notes by Martin! I have used it here only
in abbreviated form. The notes to this trainer are simply excellent.
Jones, Gawain C (2418) Bates, Richard (2373)

GBR-ch 2011
Sicilian [B21]
1.e4 c5 2.d3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2!?
Gawain has just produced a book and DVD about the best way to tackle the
Sicilian. Here he goes back to an old idea of Larsen, which is simply to play a
Dutch in reverse with an extra tempo. This can hardly refute the Sicilian, but
it puts Richard Bates to the test early on.
5...d6 6.00 Bg4
Ambitious and might work better if there was a knight on c3. There is a
similar idea: 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 Nf6 7.00
Bg4!? 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 00 and Black continues ...Nd7, ...Rb8, and ...b7-b5.
Exchanging off the bishop clears the decks.
7.Qe1 c4!?
Continuing with his ambition. 7...Nf6 was of course, the less risky way. As
you'll see below, this is not the first time Richard Bates has ventured this line.
8.dxc4N
8.Kh1 cxd3 9.cxd3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Nd7 11.Ng5 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 Qa5 13.Nd5 Rc8
14.b4 Qd8 15.Bb2 Bxb2 16.Qxb2 00 17.b5 Ncb8 18.Rac1 Rxc1 19.Rxc1
Nb6 20.Ne3 Qd7 21.f5 Cobb,J (2401)-Bates,R (2374), Plovdiv 2010 /
(46).
8...Qb6+ 9.Kh1 Bxb2
The point of the small combination, although Black must be very careful now
as he is leaving himself well behind in development.
10.Bxb2 Qxb2 11.Nc3
[FEN "r3k1nr/pp2pp1p/2np2p1/8/2P1PPb1/
2N2N2/PqP1B1PP/R3QR1K b kq - 0 11"]
11...Bxf3?
He had to try 11...Nf6 and castle quickly. White can disrupt this plan after 12.
e5! and then 12...dxe5 13.Rb1! Qxc2 14.Bd1! Qf5 15.fxe5 leaves Black
precariously placed.
12.Bxf3
12.Rb1! Qa3 13.Bxf3 000 14.e5 also gives White a ferocious attack.
12...Qb4 13.Rb1
It's fair to say that from this point on, White's attack is too strong to meet.
13...Qxc4 14.Rxb7 Nd4 15.Nd5 Rc8 16.Rxa7
16.Rb4 Qc5 17.Qa1 e5 18.Rb7!+-.
16...Nxc2 17.Qb1 Qc5 18.Qb7 Qc6 19.Nc7+ Kd7
19...Rxc7 20.Qxc7 Qxc7 21.Rxc7 Nd4 22.e5 Kf8 23.a4+-.
20.Qxc6+
Leading to an attractive finish.
20...Kxc6 21.e5+ Kb6 22.Rb1+ Kxa7 23.Rb7# 10
A miniature that illustrates the peril of commencing tactical operations when

development is not complete.
For those rated about 1500 this is a really good introduction to opening ideas
and how to begin studying them. Those rated 1800-2000 may find some good
new ideas; I thought I had studied most of Larsen's ideas, and may have
simply forgot this one, but this idea of playing the Sicilian as a Dutch with a
move in hand certainly seemed new to me. This one I recommend without
hesitation.
Order First Steps in Opening Play

by Andrew Martin
Buy all four First Steps DVDs and automatically save an additional
$8.00!
First Steps in Positional Play (DVD), Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing

Time: 3 hours 20 min $23.95 (ChessCafe Price: $19.95)
First Steps in Positional Play was a bit trickier to

review as everyone has a different idea on what
constitutes "positional" play. Nevertheless, Martin
gives most of the important seminal concepts for the
intended audience. It is designed mainly for players
below 1500. I normally prefer not to give the entire
list of topics covered on a trainer, but in this case it
seems important:
Introduction
A Routine
Pawn Structure
The Isolated Pawn I
The Isolated Pawn II
The Isolated Pawn III
The Double Pawn
The Passed Pawn
The Passed Pawn
The Pawn-Center
The Pawn-Wedge
Piece Activity
The Initiative
The Vulnerable King
How to Outplay an Opponent
The Weak King on Both Sides
Good and Bad Pieces
How to Outplay an Opponent II
Power of Resolve I
Power of Resolve II
Outro
The notes are really great to this one, so it is easy to go back and review a
lesson on your own without having to re-watch the video. The example game
for doubled pawns is Ivanchuk-Short, Linares 1992, where Martin notes that,
yes, in general, doubled pawns are bad, but there are ways of making them
work for us with open lines and active pieces. This is the critical position:
[FEN "rn2kb1r/pp3p1p/2p2pb1/3p4/3P4/
2N1P3/PP3PPP/R3KBNR w KQkq - 0 10"]
Despite White's solid structure, the open lines and two bishops should allow
Black to hold and he did, the game ended in an interesting draw in thirty-
five moves.
Martin considers Short, in his road to the world championship match, as a

model in the effective use of structures with doubled pawns of course this is
the same Short who once noted, "Modern chess is too much concerned with
things like pawn structure. Forget it, checkmate ends the game."
Some of the topics, such as "Power of Resolve," don't seem to belong here
(although in and of themselves, they are quite instructive, indicating how
beating stronger players requires more than just waiting for blunders),
whereas some, like "Outposts" seem to be missing. I have no hesitation in
recommending this trainer to its target audience it's obvious Martin put a lot
of time and effort into it and you will learn most of the important positional
concepts if you pay attention and, as he suggests, put the study time in
afterward. The First Steps trainers would also be great tools for teachers to
use with their students as an adjunct to a lecture or home study material.
Order First Steps in Positional Play

by Andrew Martin
Buy all four First Steps DVDs and automatically save an additional
$8.00!


Purchases from our
ChessBase 11 accessible:
by ChessBase

by Rainer Knaak (ed)
Strategy University, Vol. 4:

The Technique of Realising the Win
ChessBase by Adrian Mikhalchishin
Cafe No Fear of 1. d4! Vol. 2, Nimzo-Indian

by Sergei Tiviakov
Steven B. Fritz 13
by ChessBase
Dowd
Too Much Chess, Even for Me!
First up this month is more on my latest favorite toy: ChessBase 11. Then a
look at the latest ChessBase Magazine, and finally two trainers: one on
Translate this page converting a win and another on the Nimzo-Indian. Normally I watch each
trainer at least three times before writing my review; however, there was so
much material on ChessBase Magazine #146, I had to soften that approach. It
was too much chess (at least in a short time period!) even for a long-time
chess nut like me!
ChessBase 11 (DVD), ChessBase, Starter Package Price: $198.95 (ChessCafe

Price: $182.95) Endgame Magic
To begin I will note a frustrating bug. When

copying games from one database to another, if you
copy the games and then close the source database
before pasting them into the target database, the
games will not copy. The source database has to
Rating Chart stay open. I understand this bug has already been
reported to ChessBase and I hope it is being worked
Awful on.
Poor One of the newest features of CB11 is one that

theory fans will love; an option called theoretical
Uneven
weight, in which TNs are classified by CB11. Based
Good on games I knew had important TNs, I found that the database handled it with No Fear of 1.d4, Vol. 1
great accuracy for the most part. In some cases you will have to know (or by Sergei Tiviakov
Great keep playing through the database) to find the novelty. You can do this in an
opening by clicking on "Reference." For a theoretical novelty in an opening I
Excellent
knew well, I found that the game Rhine-Sprenkle, Midwest Masters 1981, is
still the top theoretical novelty in the Nimzowitsch Sicilian. That is the
famous game from the Informant and Nunn's Beating the Sicilian; it is also
Game #218 in 1000TN!!. I used the database of games in the Tiviakov trainer
(reviewed below) and found some interesting ideas for use in my own games
as well.
Let's look at the games from the recently completed Bunratty Masters as an
example:
At the very right is the column for theoretical weight; you can see the various
dots with different shading and sizes. The larger and darker the dot, the
greater the theoretical weight. When I click on that column, the games are
arranged by their theoretical importance:
And you can see, there were not many theoretical innovations (the dots only
get progressively lighter and smaller after the few examples above). By going
through the Adams-Short game, and keeping the "Reference" window open,
you will find that the TN was White's 9.bxa5:
Previously 9.b5 was preferred (which still looks better to me). My thought is
that 9.bxa5 was probably a psychological ploy, but then again, many TNs are.
However, my purpose here is to show the "theory mavens" how to scour
games from recent tournaments for TNs. Anyone who follows modern theory
closely will find this a very useful tool, and even those of us who play more
offbeat openings will find it useful in identifying games with novelties.
Order ChessBase 11
by ChessBase
ChessBase Magazine #146 (DVD), Rainer Knaak (ed), ChessBase, $23.95
Reviewing the latest ChessBase Magazine was an

eye-popping experience for someone like myself
who has not seen a recent issue. (I had a subscription
when it used to be distributed on CD.) It comes with
a twenty-six page booklet in English and German.
The enlarged format, compared to earlier issues, is a
wholesale improvement. It provides an absolutely
wonderful summary of the material on the DVD! The
disk also contains a PDF file of the booklet, along
with a PDF index of the opening surveys from
previous issues.
Top Tournaments
European Team Championship
Tal Memorial Moscow
Chess Classic London
Reggio Emilia
Other recent tournaments
Russian Cup final
Women's World Championship, Hou Yifan-Humpy Koneru
Openings
Carlstedt: English 1.c4 c6
Stohl: Old Benoni
Schipkov: Classical Dutch
Grivas; Sicilian 4...Qb6
Kritz: Sicilian Maroczy 7...Ng4
Moskalenko: French Advance
Marin: Ruy Lopez Bird's Defence
Kuzmin: Ruy Lopez Cozio Variations
Breutigam: Tarrasch Defence
Postny: Queen's Gambit 5.Bf4
Schandorff: Nimzo-Indian 4.Qc2
Columns
King: Move by Move
Wells: Strategy
Reeh: Tactics
Mueller: Endgames
Knaak: Opening Trap
Chess Media Training
Kritz: French Winawer 7.Qg4 0-0
Mikhailchishin: Nimzo Indian 4.Nf3
Lilov: London System, model game
Service
New products with videos of the DVDs
ChessBase 11: Video course
On the very first page, accompanying the editorial, is an invitation to take part
in a reader survey to make the magazine even more relevant, with prizes
given to selected participants. Both Carlsen and Nakamura annotate the game
Carlsen-Nakamura from London. Nakamura also annotates his save against
Anand. Nigel Short provides an excellent audio analysis of his King's Gambit
game against McShane, in which he explains, "under what conditions you can
play this 'lousy opening' and why the King's Gambit is OK anyway." All the
audio commentaries were top-notch, and, for me, the audio analysis is often
superior to the video portions, since I get distracted from the chess content by
watching the presenter in the video segments.
All 684 games from the European Championship are included, with an extra
bonus being Marin's bringing together of all the theoretically important games
in a fascinating analysis. Peter Wells' article on prophylaxis was very useful
to me. Not only does the article show how to implement this concept, but the
accompanying discussion of ChessBase 11 shows how to access further
games from the database with prophylaxis as the theme!
I found Wells' essay extremely thought-provoking and one I will ruminate

over for some time to come. Moreover, he put me at ease about my self-
assessed lack of understanding on the topic when stating, "For over the years,
I have gradually formed the impression that the term 'prophylaxis' is more
frequently used and even revered, than it is entirely comprehended." He is
willing to show his own deficits in the area and includes a discussion of the
"human component" of prophylactic moves (the annotations on the DVD are
much deeper than I give here):
Dolmatov Beliavsky
Odessa 1989
[FEN "3rrbk1/1bqn1p1p/p1pp1np1/1p2p3/
P2PP3/BPPB1N1P/2QN1PP1/R3R1K1 w - - 0 18"]
White played the mysterious rook move 18.Rab1!!, with Wells noting he
found the move "genuinely profound" once explained to him, and "baffling"
beforehand:
"To find this move White not only needs to appreciate the importance of
keeping an eye on Black's d5 pawn break, he needs to realise that its
immediate implementation 18...d5?! Is rendered problematic by the
reply 18.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.b4! When neither the bishop on b7 nor Black's
dark squares have reason to be happy with the turn of events. For this
reason Dolmatov regarded the preliminary exchange 18...bxa4 19.bxa4
d5 as the real problem, and it is that against which his move is primarily
directed."
Wells presents many examples of masters with great prophylactic ability and
stresses that those who are good at prophylaxis are not only great strategic
players, but also possess great tactical ability, which they use to prevent
tactics being employed against them. As Robert Byrne once noted of
Petrosian, he trades off your attacking pieces before you even realize you
have an attack. He also declares Dvoretsky as probably the one author who
has tackled the topic in any serious way. This is an essay I plan to read several
times during the coming months.
I also really enjoyed Rainer Knaak's opening trap, one reason being that it
meshes well with Grivas' own discussion of the Grivas Sicilian. The trap
involves the move ...Qxb2, taking a "poisoned pawn" for some time now I
have been collecting examples of the ...Qxb2 move, wondering when Black
can and cannot take the pawn. It shows what happens if a player sticks too
closely to the plan: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd 4.Nxd4 Qb6 is the normal
Grivas, but what happens on 4.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 cxd 5.Nxd4? Should Black still
try 5...Qb6? No! In this case 6.Be3! is nearly crushing. I'll let you buy the
magazine to find out how.
As to the trainers, Lilov's "model game" made me feel confident I could

handle the London System with success; the presentation is idea-based and he
notes that the ideas will work even if White does not follow a specific move-
order. It's simple really, at least the way he presents it: play for central breaks
and realize that a well-timed ...Nh5! often ruins White's game. Lilov always
seems to impart concepts in a crystal-clear manner than inspires confidence. I
can't wait to face the London!
There is just so much interesting material in ChessBase Magazine that I can't

imagine a better chess bargain than this product.
Order ChessBase Magazine #146

by Rainer Knaak (ed)
Strategy University, Vol. 4: The Technique of Realising the Win (DVD),

Adrian Mikhalchishin, ChessBase, Playing Time: 4 hours, 37 minutes. $34.95
GM Adrian Mikhalchishin has tackled a very

important topic in his latest DVD. I don't know a
chess player, grandmaster or tyro, who doesn't and
hasn't had trouble converting a win. We all know the
classic saying, "the hardest thing to win is a won
game," and many of us have lived it. Mikhalchishin
notes the dearth of training programs or books that
categorize typical ways of winning won games, and
this DVD is designed to fill that gap. I counted
seventy-one game fragments used in the thirty-three
lessons, and there is a good range of games from
classic to modern. This is one area in which classic
games are particularly useful, as technique was not as well-developed; but
even today strong GMs make mistakes and fail to win won games.
See for yourself the extent to which the material is covered:
Tactical Problems During Realization 1-2

Wrong Ways of Realization 1-3
Specific Problems of Young Players 1-3
Wrong Methods of Realizing an Extra Pawn 1-3
Bad Knowledge of Basic Theoretical Endgame Positions 1-4
Problems of Correct Exchange Technique 1-4
Exploiting a Weakness 1-3
Classical Technique 1-6
Rubinstein's Instructive Technique 1-2
Eliminating the Opponent's Counterplay 1-2
Exploiting a Flank Pawn Majority 1-3
Practical Examples of Correct Realization 1-3
It looks like everything is there. The only sections I found odd were "specific
problems of young players" they appear to be no different than the problems
we "old fish" have. You can essentially view this material as a puzzle book in
which a strong GM trainer is on hand to explain the mistakes and how they
can be combated. Mikhalchishin is a powerful presenter, his English is easily
understood, and his accent is non-intrusive. He does tend to present quickly
and sometimes stumbles over his own thoughts, but this is not much of a
detriment.
On the downside, some examples are only about maintaining an advantage

and the win is still pretty far away. There were not enough examples where an
opponent gives up a piece for insufficient compensation but the player
doesn't have the technique to convert the win. Also, the examples are brief
(you might call them vignettes) and I would have liked to see, at the
beginning, a game of a player who more slowly dissipates an advantage
most of these were quick dissolutions.
Nevertheless, as an introduction to the problem of winning won games, you

will benefit greatly from this DVD. Mikhalchishin presents some wonderful
classic examples showing Rubinstein's technique, for one and offers
practical lessons from his own games. Conversely, some of the examples,
such as those below, also show you how to wrestle a half-point from the jaws
of defeat, if your opponent lacks the proper technique. I'll confess to a certain
schadenfreude at seeing strong GMs misplay theoretically won endgames.
Here are two examples:
Portisch Kavalek
Montreal, 1978
[FEN "8/3n4/3k4/B7/P2K4/1P6/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
Portisch, who certainly was never a slouch in the endgame, forgot the rule of
"not hurrying" and played 1.b4?? (1.Bb4+ is probably best) and after 1...Nb8!
found he had just given away half a point, as after 2.b5 Nc6+! 3.bxc Kxc6,
White of course has the wrong-colored bishop for the rook pawn. If he had
tried 2.Kc4 Nc6 3.Kb5, Black would have been persistent in sacrificing his
knight with 3...Nxb4! and after 4.Bxb4+ Kc7, we have the same draw.
Here GM Susan Polgar took a chance:
Chandler Polgar
Biel 1987
[FEN "6n1/6k1/4K3/6P1/4B3/8/7P/8 b - - 0 1"]
She played 1...Nh6, which is her best chance, although White is easily
winning after 2.h4. But Mikhalchishin theorizes that Chandler only thought of
the recapture when he played 2.gxh6+?? Indeed if 2...Kxh6 3.Kf6 Kh5 4.Kg7
Kh4 5.Bf5 Kg5 6.Bd7 Kh5 7.h3 Kg5 8.Bg4 Kh4 9.Kg6 Kg3 10.Kg5, it
doesn't matter that White has the wrong-colored bishop; his king is in the
ideal position to help the pawn advance, while Black's king is far out of the
corner. But the wily Polgar played 2...Kh8! and the game is a draw doubled
rook pawns are of no more use than a single one in this situation.
This DVD is to be recommended, since no one has covered the topic in this
depth before, and it provides a useful taxonomy of the major issues that occur
in trying to win a won game. The few deficits are easily forgiven. Those rated
between 1600-2000 will probably find this most useful you have to know,
for example, the types of theoretically won endgames to derive maximum
benefit. I believe a serious student rated 1400 could benefit as well, so long as
they viewed each vignette several times and had a good middlegame and
endgame reference by their side. I hope there is a follow-up to this one with
more sophisticated and complicated examples. It is worth the investment.
Order Strategy University, Vol 4:

The Technique of Realising the Win
No Fear of 1. d4! Vol. 2, Nimzo-Indian (DVD), Sergei Tiviakov, ChessBase,

Playing Time: 5 hours, 36 minutes. $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
A competitive player always needs a back-up

opening for when things just aren't going right or
you know your opponent is "booked-up" on your pet
line. The Nimzo-Indian is my back-up opening. It is
a defense that stresses active play while remaining
positionally sound. This was one reason I
particularly wanted to review this DVD and I was
not disappointed. Tiviakov is a lifelong player of the
Nimzo-Indian, and is an enthusiastic presenter.
Included on the DVD is a database of 360,000
Nimzo-Indian games, a database of all Nizmo-
Indian games played by the author, and a database
of selected, annotated Nimzo-Indian games.
Tiviakov is also a very honest presenter and notes your repertoire won't be
complete unless you also buy Volume One of this series, covering the Catalan
and Queen's Indian. The one great weakness of the trainer is that almost all
the real analysis starts in the middlegame. So, those who have no experience
in the opening may be disappointed.
There also seems to be too much focus on specific moves rather than the ideas
behind the opening. Recent trainers have all explored ideas in greater depth
than this one, and I believe that to be a very good thing. This makes the DVD
less useful for lower-rated players. who need to learn the ideas first, and for
players who, like me, were never good at memorizing opening sequences (and
age hasn't helped). When Tiviakov does hit on an idea, it is brief and quickly
over with comments such as, "White cannot organize an advance of the pawn
majority." Just a few seconds on the "why" would have been of great
assistance. A big help in understanding why a line was equal or better for one
side is to explore the lines with Fritz.
Where ideas are given more attention is in the late opening and early
middlegame structures. For example, the real analysis and discussion occurs
at move fourteen in the following game:
Obukhov Tiviakov
Voronezh 1986
[FEN "r1b1r1k1/ppq2ppp/2n2n2/2p5/3PP3/
P2B1N2/2Q2PPP/R1B2RK1 b - - 0 14"]
Black played 14...Bg4! The game continued 15.Qxc5 (15.e5 Bxf3 16.exf6
Nxd4 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.fxg7+ Kxg7 19.Bb2 Rad8 20.gxf3 Rh8 21.Kh1 Rxh7
22.Rg1+ Kh8 23.Rg3 Qe5 24.Rag1 Rh4?! 25.Qc1! with the idea of Qf1-g2 is
a famous loss by Garry Kasparov against Sokolov at Wijk aan Zee, 1999 (25.
f4 Qe7 26.f3 as a means of line-clearance to get the white queen to g2 looks
even better to me, as after 25.Qc1 Qh5! may hold) 25...Kh7 26.Qb1+ Kh8 27.
Qf1 and white is winning) 15...Bxf3! (if 15...Nxe4 16.Bxe4 Rxe4 17.Qc2 is
slightly better for White) 16.gxf3 Qd7 17.d5? Ne5 18.Be2 Qh3 19.Qe3
Nxd5! 20.exd5 Ng6 21.Qg5 Rxe2 22.Qg4 Qxg4+ 23.fxg4 Re4 24.Rd1 Rxg4
+ and Black won the endgame, his advantage is clear.
This DVD is a good investment if you are serious about the Nimzo-Indian and
can follow the theoretical lines in this depth. A lower-rated player should
consult a book that covers the basic ideas of the opening before proceeding.
At about 1600, you can probably digest everything the presenter gives you
with multiple viewings. Recommended, with the above reservations.
Order No Fear of 1.d4!: Vol. 2, Nimzo-Indian

by Sergei Tiviakov


Purchases from our
ChessBase 11 accessible:
by ChessBase
The Queen's Gambit Declined

by Andrew Martin
Open Ruy Lopez

by Andrew Martin
ChessBase Chess Informants 95-97
Cafe by Chess Informant
Steven B. Endgame Magic

Dowd The Hits Just Keep On Coming!
I have seen some superb trainers while conducting this column. This month
two excellent entries by Andrew Martin, for club players in search of
openings, are reviewed. Also, another month of fun came my way with the
Translate this page Chess Informant on CD, viewed using ChessBase 11.
ChessBase 11 (DVD), ChessBase, Starter Package Price: $198.95 (ChessCafe

Price: $182.95)
Users of CB11 should make sure they are on the

latest build. To find out, click the "Application
1000TN!!
Menu" at the top left of the screen, and then the
by Chess Informant
"About" button. The latest build as of this writing is
February 27, 2012. To update the program click
"Activation" and "Update Program." If you run into
any trouble, ChessBase support is very helpful in
such matters.
Rating Chart Another project I've been engaged in is buying

books in ChessBase file format. One such is A
Awful Ferocious Opening Repertoire (Everyman, 2011) by
Cyrus Lakdawala. The beauty of the CB file format is that you can make all
Poor
sorts of moves on the board with your own engines running in the
Uneven background, as well as create your own databases from the source material.
The repertoire starts with the Richter-Veresov, along with various other
Chess Informants 110-112
Good openings that can arise from 1.d4 and 2.Nc3. There is still a lot to be said for by Chess Informant
paper books, but this format has really encouraged me to study openings my
Great
least favorite chess activity.
Excellent
Order ChessBase 11
by ChessBase
The Queen's Gambit Declined (DVD) by Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing

time: 4 hours 23 minutes. $35.95 (ChessCafe Price: $29.95).
International master Andrew Martin is a natural

teacher, especially for those below 2200. This
trainer is a hit with me for its ability to supply the
club player, in slightly less than five hours, with a
repertoire that can be used for the rest of one's chess-
playing career. The material is organized so well,
you could carry this one to your next tournament
and review the opening suggestions before the next
round. The analysis is clean, clear, and straight to
the point, with only a few omissions.
The package insert notes
"The Queens Gambit Declined, Orthodox Variation is an opening choice

for Black which will never be refuted. It perhaps has an unjust
reputation of being solid and passive, but this all-new ChessBase DVD
will challenge that perception. Basing his Black repertoire on the
Cambridge Springs variation, Andrew Martin takes you on a tour of
classic games, showing how Black may conveniently sidestep the
dangerous lines with Bf4, whilst retaining good chances and providing
comprehensive coverage of the lines where White captures early on d5.
This is a repertoire which will suit all levels of player."
And it does just that. By the time I had finished the two short introductions, I
knew exactly what was in store: coverage of the Cambridge Springs, coverage
of the Exchange Variation, and coverage of lines where White decides to play
Bf4.
The Cambridge Springs may seem surprising those who do not believe it is
good in modern practice. Martin believes that the defense is as viable as any,
and the only reason it is not seen much these days is simply a matter of
fashion.
The Cambridge Springs, of course, arises after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.
Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 (5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nxd5? is the well-known
Elephant Trap) 5...c6 6.e3 Qa5.
[FEN "r1b1kb1r/pp1n1ppp/2p1pn2/q2p2B1/
2PP4/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 7"]
The reason I, and many other players, moved on from the Cambridge Springs
to other openings, is the main line 7.Nd2. Martin calls the knight move
"peculiar looking," and indeed, since many of Black's traps focus on the
bishop being unprotected, it does seem odd. However, it is the most effective
move in this position. He believes it stops the ideas of ...Ne4 and ...Bb4,
losing "some of the point of ...Qa5."
After 7.Nd2, Martin recommends 7...dxc4, and White usually recaptures with
the knight after trading off the g5-bishop. 8.Bxf6 Nxf6 9.Nxc4. Now all sorts
of queen moves are possible, but certainly 9...Qc7 appears best.
[FEN "r1b1kb1r/ppq2ppp/2p1pn2/8/2NP4/
2N1P3/PP3PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 10"]
This is where the rubber meets the road and why I gave up the variation.
White has a slight pull here, and has various ways of proceeding: 10.g3, 10.
a3, 10.Rc1 and 10.Be2, amongst others. If Black is patient, Martin notes, he
should be able to weather the storm (White has an initiative, but there are few
ways to provoke a weakness in the Black camp), and has the bishop-pair to
look forward to. The position is solid but passive, and Martin provides a
number of ways for Black to "gradually come forward."
Consider some of the ideas he presents in Van der Sterren-Timman, Donner

Memorial 1994, which continued 10.g3 Bd7 11.Bg2 c5 going for a break
right away and now White is faced with how to keep the initiative 12.d5
exd5 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5.
White can capture with the bishop here, but then 14...0-0-0! 15.Qf3 f5 16.0-0
Kb8 17.Rad1 h5 and Black has chances for an attack. The game continued
14...Rb8 15.0-0-0 (games in which both sides can consider either castling
always hold some interest) 15...Be6 and now White is forced into 16.Nd6+,
which allows all the pieces to come off. 16.Qe4 is tempting, but 16...Be7 and
now queenside castling looks like something of a mistake, as ...b6 will soon
follow. Timman used his considerable endgame skill for a later win.
7.Nd2 doesn't really stop, of course, either 7...Bb4 or 7...Ne4. Both moves
have been played frequently. The aggressive 7...Ne4 looked really good to me
until I started analyzing the various games in my Mega Database 2011 one
needs to double-check the teacher's pontifications after all. There were a few
neat tricks and traps, but Martin ends up being correct in his assessment.
In the Exchange Variation, as in the Cambridge Springs, you have to be

patient. I'd always thought that Black could counter-punch back to at least a
slight advantage in the line. But this takes time, and well-timed counter-
punches, and Martin provides them.
The most interesting variations these days are those with Bf4, where, if Black
cannot prove the bishop to be misplaced, White gets a good game and Black
has little ability to fight back. One encounters Bf4 quite often at the amateur
level, and Martin considers this section one of the most important of the
DVD. The following game was particularly instructive:
Caoili, Arianne (2242) Portisch, Lajos (2544)

Marianske Lazne 2010
Queen's Gambit Declined [D94]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Nbd7
Superior to 4...Be7. Martin considers Bf4 inferior after ..Nbd7. Makes good
sense to me; the knights are ready to work in cooperation against that bishop,
whereas 4...Be7 is really best as a counter to Bg5.
5.Bf4 dxc4 6.e3 Nd5 7.Bxc4 Nxf4 8.exf4 Bb4
8...Nb6 may well be better, and the f8-bishop will be fianchettoed after the c4-
bishop moves. The knight move also neutralizes any d5 threat. Relying on the
queen check trick leads to positions like
9.0-0 Nxc4 10.Qa4+ c6 11.Qxc4 Be7. The engines rate this as equal, Martin
notes, but one important factor: White's position can only get worse, and
Black's can only get better. Finding these sorts of positions that engines
evaluate poorly are as important to the amateur as the grandmaster these days.
9.00 Bxc3 10.bxc3 00 11.Bd3 Nf6 12.Ne5 c5 13.Qf3 cxd4
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp3ppp/4pn2/4N3/3p1P2/
2PB1Q2/P4PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 14"]
Again, the engines tend to see this position as better for White. Martin
disagrees.
14.Rad1 Bd7 15.cxd4 Ba4 16.Rc1 Rb8
Now Portisch has to survive the next ten moves, and not fall prey to a
kingside attack. But there simply "isn't enough firepower" and Portisch knows
that. The rest is a typical grandmaster versus "ordinary master" win.
17.Qh3 g6 18.Qh6 Rc8 19.Rxc8 Qxc8 20.h4 Qd8 21.Re1 Qxd4 22.h5 Nxh5
23.Re4 Qa1+ 24.Kh2 Bc6 25.Nxc6 bxc6 26.Re5 Nf6 27.Qg5 Kg7 28.Re3
Qd4 29.Rg3 Rd8 30.f5 exf5 31.Qxf5 Rd5 32.Qf3 Nh5 33.Be4 Nxg3 34.
Bxd5 Nf1+ 35.Kg1 Qxd5 36.Qc3+ Kg8 37.Kxf1 Qd1+ 01
Other trainers may have greater depth of material, but this one is "just right"
for the club player looking for a solid defense to the Queen's Gambit that
offers chances of coming out on top. It is good enough to be used as an
opening reference as well. It is incredible that Martin doesn't waste a single
second here in presenting the material. Highly recommended for those rated
below 2200, with a target audience of 1400-1800. The one caveat is that you
have to be willing to accept a middlegame that might taper off into a draw,
but if you are careful, patient, and know the main ideas, you have good
chances to win.
Order The Queen's Gambit Declined

by Andrew Martin
Open Ruy Lopez (DVD) by Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing time: 3 hours
40 minutes. $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
This is another well-produced trainer, but to be fully

armed in the Ruy Lopez, Martin's two other DVDs
will round out your repertoire: ABC of the Ruy
Lopez and the Spanish Exchange Variation.
Martin describes the Open Ruy as an active defense.

The package insert notes, "White will argue that
Black loosens his position in the Open Variation, but
if Black takes the time and trouble to learn the ideas
and tactical themes that underpin this line, he has
every chance to win the game."
In that sense, it resembles the Tarrasch Defense. The same rules apply. It can
be loosening, but if you know the ideas and tactical themes, you will succeed
more often than you fail. In my own games, I hate reaching passive positions,
which I mention only because I believe others share this apprehension. For
lower-rated players, this is a particular problem, as once you are doomed to
passivity, you probably don't have the positional skills to hold on. That is why
I found the Open Ruy to be such a great starter opening.
In evaluating opening trainers, I pay particular attention to how well side-lines

are covered. In weekend tournaments, I noted that successful players often
eschewed main lines in favor of side-lines they knew well. Opening books
often don't cover such lines in any depth, and in some cases, not at all. Martin
usually does well in this department, and spends five games of the twenty-
nine on these. He also notes that many of them are "tricky," which is precisely
why you need to know them.
He does well usually, but misses on a few occasions. For example, in the line
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.Qe2 is a move designed
to not commit the rook to e1 but allow it to come to d1, 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.d4
Ne6 9.dxe5 opens the d-file. Here Martin correctly avoids the most commonly
played move in this position, 9...Bc5, in favor of 9...Nd4! 10.Nxd4 Qxd4.
[FEN "r1b1kb1r/1pp2ppp/p1p5/4P3/3q4/
8/PPP1QPPP/RNB2RK1 w kq - 0 11"]
Now 11.Rd1 is played, and Black will have two good moves to choose from:
11...Bg4, or 11...Qg4. But Martin fails to consider Euwe's recommendation
here, the prophylactic 11.h3!, which should lead to a decent game with
chances for both sides. After 11.h3, the best retort is 11...Be6, allowing the
black queen to go to c4 in case of Rd1. Certainly Black still has slightly better
chances with the bishop-pair, but his four to three majority on the queenside is
also a bit crippled.
Another tricky position comes after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6
5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.c4!? (Martin calls this move "insane-
looking").
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/2p2ppp/p1n5/1p1pp3/2PPn3/
1B3N2/PP3PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 8"]
8...bxc4?! leads to 9.Ba4, and thus Martin recommends the simple approach
with 8...dxc4, giving 9.Bc2 Nf6 10.dxe5 Qxd1 11.Rxd1 Nd7 and Black is a
pawn up with a good game. I am not certain of this, as it looks like the pawn
break 12.a4! (12.Nc3 might be good as well) will equalize. But instead of 9.
Bc2 White will play 9.Qe2, retaining some attacking chances, as in the game
Trindade-Grivas, Belfort 1983. Euwe, again, recommended the counter
stroke 8...Bg4! Here I am also convinced this active move is more in the vein
of the Open Defense, and unlike his various "distillations" in the Queen's
Gambit trainer, where you can pretty much rely on him to pick the best
continuation, Martin falters a bit with his coverage of these tricky lines.
However, one can't expect a four hour DVD to cover everything that is what
your database is good for!
Martin's coverage of the main lines is impeccable, and I leave you with this
game in which the mighty Seirawan gets beaten by an unknown. This is an
example where Black's piece activity is impressive, and is the kind of game
that makes you take up an opening like this. Two pieces versus a rook is not
always an advantage!
Seirawan, Yasser (2610) Zak, Uriel (2335)

Lugano op 1989
Open Ruy Lopez [C82]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.00 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5
Be6 9.c3
A good noncommittal move for White, waiting to see what he wants to do

with his queenside pieces, and supporting the d4-square.
9...Bc5
Martin recommends this over other possibilities as it is more active. The

drawback is that the bishop is exposed, and might be exchanged.
10.Nbd2 00 11.Bc2 Bf5
Another recommendation by Martin (Larsen once beat Fischer with it); usual
is 11...f5.
12.Nb3 Bxf2+
Murey's move; 12...Bg6 is more usual. We end up in a position similar to the

Dilworth.
13.Rxf2 Nxf2 14.Kxf2 Bxc2 15.Qxc2 f6 16.exf6 Qxf6 17.Kg1 Ne5 18.Qd1
18. Nbd4 has been recommended by Korchnoi. 18. Qf2 is another option, but
in all cases White is under pressure.
18...Rae8 19.Qxd5+ Kh8 20.Bd2 Nxf3+ 21.gxf3 (21.Qxf3?? Qb6+) 21...Re2
Black's rook is "supremely active on the seventh rank," according to Martin.
22.Be1 Rxb2 23.Nd4 Qf4 24.Bg3 Qd2 25.f4 c5 26.f5 cxd4 27.cxd4 Qd3 28.
f6 gxf6 29.Rf1 Rg8 30.Rxf6 Rxg3+ 31.hxg3 Qe3+ 01
Order The Open Ruy Lopez

by Andrew Martin
Chess Informants 95-97 (CD), Chess Informant. $55.00 (ChessCafe Price:

$51.00)
The information on the Chess Informant

compilation CD is provided in four formats:
ChessBase, Chess Assistant, Chess Informant, and
PGN. I am reviewing its use in ChessBase, which is
an excellent way to access the material.
In brief, this disk contains 1,265 fully annotated

theoretically important games and 1,478
accompanying game fragments played between
October 2005 and August 2006. It also contains the
so-called "trademark sections" of the ten best games
and the ten most important theoretical novelties
from Chess Informants 94, 95, and 96; theoretical surveys in ECO format
(C92, D49, and E15); tournament standings and crosstables; along with the
best of Alexei Shirov, John Nunn, and Svetozar Gligoric. Not to mention my
favorite sections of the most interesting combinations and endings from recent
tournament practice, as well as the studies.
The easiest way to copy the content from the Informant CD to your computer
is to create a new folder in My Documents/ChessBase/Bases and name it, for
example, "Informant." Then use Windows Explorer to navigate the content of
the CD and copy everything from the "ChessBase" folder to the "Informant"
folder you created. Open the databases as usual with CB11.
I enjoyed going through the theoretical novelties section quite a bit, even
though the openings are rarely ones I play. That's because TNs represent great
ideas in chess that have applicability across the opening spectrum. Here is
another proof that two pieces can't always match a rook, especially when
there is a nice pawn mass. Boros's annotations are in brackets:
Boros, De (2402) Nemeth, Zo (2370)

Budapest 94/96, 2005
Sicilian Defense, Pelikan [B33]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.
Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 Rb8 12.Nc2 Bg5 13.Be2 Ne7?!
[13...00 77/143]
14.Ncb4 Bb7 15.a4!N
[FEN "1r1qk2r/1b2nppp/p2p4/1p1Np1b1/
PN2P3/2P5/1P2BPPP/R2QK2R b KQk - 0 15"]
[15.00] It seems surprising that this move could be a novelty, as it starts

putting questions to Black he will have a hard time answering, whereas
castling is just too agreeable. My Fritz 11 seems to prefer the slight pull it
"sees" after 15.Nxe7 Qxe7 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.Qd5.
15...Bxd5
[15...00 16.axb5 axb5 17.00+-] I don't disagree with this assessment, but
wonder if it isn't better to play 15...Nxd5. 15...Bxd5 seems to give up one of
the important defenders of the light squares.
16.exd5!
[16.Nxd5?! Nxd5 17.exd5 (17.Qxd5 bxa4!) 17...00=] I do wonder how many

would have automatically recaptured with the knight, but the pawn wedge on
d5 is obviously superior (in hindsight!) and the outpost on b4 is superior.
16...Qb6 17.Nxa6!! Qxa6 18.Bxb5+ Rxb5 19.axb5 Qb7
[19...Qxb5?? 20.Ra8+]
20.c4 00 21.Ra6 Rc8 22.b3 Qc7 23.00 g6 24.Qa1! Bd2 25.Qa3
25.b6! Looks better as after 25...Qb8 26.Ra7! White wins a piece, since all
attempts to hold it give time for moves like 27.Qa6 or 27.b7. But again, that is
hindsight, and you can't blame Boros for sticking to his plan.
23...Nf5 26.Rc6+ Qd8 27.Rxc8 Qxc8 28.b6 e4 29.Ra1! e3 30.Qa8 Qxa8 31.
Rxa8+ Kg7 32.Kf1 exf2 33.b7 Be1
I suppose you can always hope. This sort of trap, though, usually only works
in blitz.
34.Re8 10
Richard Becker is the best study composer today in the United States; perhaps
of all time. His studies feature game-like positions that are notoriously
difficult to solve, typically involving the three themes you see featured here:
reciprocal zugzwang, positional draw, and stalemate. Endgames down a piece
(especially a knight) but few pawns offer drawing chances, and it is worth
reviewing studies with this constellation of material. If you had this position
as White in a game, could you draw it?
Richard Becker
White to Play and Draw
First Prize, Olimpia dunyasi 2005
[FEN "1n6/5Q2/8/2K5/1p2q3/1P6/8/1k6 w - - 0 1"
1.Kb5! Nc6 2.Ka4 Qc2 3.Qg8!!
There are a number of other queen moves here. I would never have found this
move with the clock ticking, although I finally did in a process of elimination.
It is well worth your while to go through the possibilities here until you
realize why the g8-square is the best.
3...Qa2+ 4.Kb5 Qc2 5.Ka4 Ka2 6.Qd5 Kb2 7.Qd3 Qc3 8.Qe2+ Qc2 9.Qd3
Kb1 10.Qh3! Qa2+ 11.Kb5 Qc2 12.Ka4 Ka2 13.Qe3 Qc3 14.Qf2+ Qb2 15.
Qe2! Qxe2 =
Were you able to see all the reciprocal zugzwang positions? I did not. The CD
points them out if you cannot find them, you need the CD!
To say that there is a wealth of material here is an understatement. I expect I

will be using this CD for several months, especially to fill my notebooks (both
paper and electronic) with interesting material. That you can save your own
annotations (instead of penciling them in the margins) is another great plus.
My assessment of this CD:

Order Chess Informants 95-97
by Chess Informant

[Contact ChessCafe.com] [Advertising]

Purchases from our
Enter 1.f4, Bird's Opening! accessible:
by Andrew Martin
Try the Sicilian Kalashnikov!

by Dejan Bojkov
Beating the Sicilian:

A Grandmaster Repertoire, Vol. 3
ChessBase by Viktor Bologan
Cafe Chess Endgames 10,

Rook and Two Minor Pieces
by Karsten Mller
Steven B. Chess Highways
by Dejan Bojkov
Dowd
Opening Choices
This month we feature three opening trainers and one on the endgame. Two of
Translate this page the opening trainers, by Bojkov and Bologan, feature the ever-popular
Sicilian, and one, by Martin, is for those who want to tread new ground by
playing Bird's Opening. The world's foremost endgame expert, GM Karsten
Mller, attempts to educate us on endgames with rooks and two minor pieces
in a trainer worthy of university credit! As an added bonus, he emphasizes
positions in which the pieces work together in harmony, something that has to
improve your middlegame skills as well.
Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack
by Nigel Davies
The latest CB11 update fixes the copy and paste problem noted a few columns
back. So be sure to update your program. I know it has made my life a little
easier when it comes to making my own databases of games!
Enter 1.f4, Bird's Opening! (DVD) by Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing

time: 3 hours. $30.95 (ChessCafe Price: $26.95)
Rating Chart
Andrew Martin makes a good case for the Bird by
Awful first massaging our egos with a bit of old-fashioned
salesmanship: we amateurs don't have much time
Poor for studying openings, but we are original and
creative players who don't want to sit through a
Uneven
memory test. He then makes a case for the Bird by
Beating the Berlin Defence
Good providing an unusual repertoire that does seem to
by Alexei Shirov
offer chances of success, if you can handle it.
Great
Excellent
The DVD is divided into four chapters: The Bird
Game, From Gambit, Leningrad Game, and Other
Systems. I recommend you start this DVD with the
last section from the first chapter, Repertoire Choice, as it immediately shows
you the choices he is going to recommend. In the case of the From, he
eschews accepting the pawn with 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.Nf3 dxe5 4.e4. This
seems reasonable, and an open game in the style of the King's Gambit
Declined. Against 1...d5 2.Nf3, and against moves other than 2...Bg4, where
he recommends 3.e3, he wants you to play the Reversed Leningrad, where I
prefer the name "Polar Bear Opening."
There are a number of players Martin features on this DVD who play the
Bird. These are GM Danielsen, GM Granda Zuniga, and even GM Kamsky
(who occasionally plays the Polar Bear by transposition from 1.g3). He makes
the excellent suggestion of following their games.
When it comes to choosing a repertoire for that "busy amateur" who wants to
play creative chess, it seems to me that a repertoire with similarity of
positions and goals offers the best chances. For example, if you play the 2.c3
Sicilian, you might want to combine that with the Tarrasch French and the
Panov-Botvinnik as white, and the Tarrasch as black against 1.d4. The three
set-ups Martin recommends, though, seem too diverse, and would work
against the idea of chess openings as a memory game they all require quite a
different handling of the opening.
Still, those of us who have tried the Bird have dreamed of playing such a
game as this:
Danielsen, Henrik (2512) Luther, Thomas (2507)

Petermaennchen GM 1999
Bird's Opening [A03]
Surveying Megabase, I note that Danielsen went 6-3 in 1999 with the Bird for
a performance rating of 2520. His weakest results (draws and a loss versus
Nunn) were in the Reversed Leningrad, whereas he shone in games such as
these.
1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 Bg4 3.e3 Nd7 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 Ngf6 6.g4
6.Nc3 is another option, forcing a defense of the d5-pawn, and after 6...e6 (6...
c6 is also possible) lead to a win for Nimzowitsch versus Kmoch, Kecskemet
1927, continuing 7.g4 Bb4 8.g5 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Ne4 10.d3 Nd6 11.c4 (opening
up the position for the two bishops) 11...c6 12.e4 dxe4 13.dxe4 f5 14.exf5 Qa5
+ 15.Bd2 Qxf5 16.0-0-0 0-0-0 17.Bc3 Ne8 18.h4 Rf8 19.Bh3 Qxf4+ 20.Qxf4
Rxf4 21.Bxe6 1-0. One question here is whether ...e5 is a threat or not,
Danielsen makes for a slow but aggressive build-up.
6...e6
If 6...e5, then 7.g5. Then 7...Ne4, ala Nimzowitsch-Kmoch, 8.d3 and White
wins a pawn. If 7...e4 8.Qe2 Ng8 and now either 9.Nc3, or Timothy Taylor's 9.
Qb5! should be advantageous for White.
7.d3 Bb4+ 8.c3 Bd6 9.e4
[FEN "r2qk2r/pppn1ppp/3bpn2/3p4/4PPP1/
2PP1Q1P/PP6/RNB1KB1R b KQkq - 0 9"]
A creative position no doubt! White has moved only his queen and pawns,
and is playing according to precepts first advocated by Philidor, with bishops
first inside the pawn chain he is creating, and then opening lines for his
bishops.
9...dxe4 10.dxe4 e5 11.g5 Ng8 12.f5 h6 13.h4 Be7?
13...hxg5 is probably better.
14.Qh5!
With a rook and knight practically trapped in the corner, Black has few
options.
14...Nb6 15.Be3 Qd6 16.Na3 c6 17.Nc4 Nxc4 18.Bxc4 0-0-0 19.Rh2 Qc7 20.
Bxf7 hxg5?
It is all over really, the rook sacrifice isn't enough.
21.Qxh8 Nh6 22.Qxg7 Ng4 23.f6 1-0
Martin, as always, makes a good case for his repertoire. However, in the end,
I didn't buy it, mostly because the opening choices don't really fit my style of
play. So take my skepticism with a healthy dose of your own. If all this
sounds intriguing to you, go for it. In the end, opening choices are a
personality fit, and this one might fit you well. The usual good work by
Martin makes this both an educational and entertaining DVD.
Order Enter 1.f4, Bird's Opening!

by Andrew Martin
Try the Sicilian Kalashnikov! (DVD) by Dejan Bojkov, ChessBase, Playing

It was a game in the Kalashnikov, sometimes called

the Neo-Sveshnikov line, that won the best game
prize in Informator 75 in 1994. The game is featured
on the trainer, of course, and even in John Nunn's
own book Understanding Chess Move by Move.
Nunn, John (2600) Nataf, Igor (2481)

French Team Championships, 1999
Sicilian Defense, Kalshnikov Variation [B32]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6 6.

c4 Be7 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 f5 9.Bd3 f4 10.g3 Nf6 11.
gxf4 exf4 12.Bxf4 0-0 13.Bg3 Ng4 14.Be2?
The losing move, only 0-0 held chances for White.
14...Nxf2!!
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1p2b1pp/p1np4/8/2P1P3/
N1N3B1/PP2Bn1P/R2QK2R w KQ - 0 15"]
Else White secures an advantage. Nunn notes that this sacrifice is one "where
one cannot give any kind of justification based on general principles." It
certainly reminds of the sacrifices Tal made in his heyday.
15.Qd5+ Kh8 16.Bxf2 Nb4 17.Qh5 Rxf2 18.Kxf2 Bh4+ 19.Kg2 g6 20.Qf3
Qg5+ 21.Kf1 Bh3+ 22.Qxh3 Rf8+ 23.Bf3 Qe3 24.Qxh4 Nd3 25.Nd5 Qxf3+
26.Kg1 Nf2 27.Kf1 Qxh1+ 28.Ke2 Qxa1 0-1
The main drawback Black faces is the weakening of the d5-square, and of
course, if Black can overcome this deficit, he has at least equalized and
perhaps has the better game.
I like how this DVD is subdivided. There are two parts, giving a total of thirty-
two videos. Part one provides the main ideas behind the opening, and the
second gives the theoretical material. Too often, opening study is concerned
with move order choice instead of understanding the ideas behind them.
The first part contains sections like "Historical journey," "Attack on the dark
squares," Play on the queen's flank," Endgame dangers with heavy pieces
only," "Endgame dangers with all the pieces on the board," and so on. Bojkov
stresses the potential positives and negatives of playing this line, never
excessively proselytizing the line. The following is the kind of endgame "with
all the pieces on the board," taken from Popovic-Ivanovic, Vrsac 1994, that
you can fall into if you are not careful:
[FEN "2r1nr2/1p2n1k1/p2pb3/5p1p/1NP1pP2/
1P2N1P1/P2RB1PK/5R2 w - - 0 29"]
Some of Black's more egregious weaknesses are highlighted, but I am sure

you see them anyway.
In the second part, where theoretical lines are given, one primary game is used
as the showcase game, as is the custom in these trainers. I was bolstered
studying these lines, as now that I knew the basic ideas, I was learning exactly
when to implement them in the theory section. Bojkov is a decent presenter of
the material; he is a bit on the quiet side, and has a very slight accent that does
not disturb. One thing I found impressive is that he caught any small flub he
made in his presentation and quickly corrected himself. This is not the case in
all trainers, where sometimes presenters just fly on without acknowledging
their mistakes.
From my Mega Database 2011, I see that GM Radjabov has played the most
games with this line in the decade of 2001-2011, with an impressive score and
Elo performance of 2703, but there is only one game by him on the trainer,
with Sveshnikov getting the lion's share of examples. Sveshnikov has played
the most games with the line, 102 to Radjabov's twenty-three. It's simply that
Radjabov has more recent games.
This, coupled with the fact that the most recent book on the line seems to be
authored in 2001, may signal nothing more than the fact the theory of the line
is pretty well developed, and not subject to much change, which can be a
good thing for the amateur player. If you like an opening that can be
aggressive, but also has a relatively sound positional base without too many
positional deficits, you may want to "try the Kalashnikov." Bojkov's trainer
might be your ticket to exciting games!
Order Try the Sicilian Kalashnikov!

by Dejan Bojkov
Beating the Sicilian: A Grandmaster Repertoire, Vol. 3 (DVD) by Viktor
Bologan, ChessBase, Playing time: 5 hours. $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
This third volume in the series by GM Bologan

deals with 2...e6. This is a "less direct, more subtle"
approach to the Sicilian, and is usually adopted with
the intention of slowly outplaying White. However,
if White reacts strongly and quickly, Black can find
himself in some real trouble. The DVD is dedicated
mainly to various Paulsen lines using 4...a6 and 4...
Nc6. In some cases, Bologan recommends Nxc6 for
White, but usually he recommends an English attack
set-up (Be3, f3, Qd2, and 0-0-0), as he does against
the Najdorf and Dragon.
Side lines such as 5...Bb4 are also covered, and the classical Keres Attack in
the Scheveningen, where 6...e5! is still the test for White's strategy. Bologan
tries to show an advantage for White, and his original treatment is very
interesting:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6
One can play the "normal" 6.Be3 here, but Bologan feels if Black is going to
allow the Keres attack, White may as well play it!
6.g5 e5
6...e5 is something of a trick, where White should get the advantage if well-
prepared, so knowing the specific lines is very important.
7.Bb5+
The immediate 7.Nf5 has good results in Mega Database 2011, but Bologan
does not cover the line.
7...Bd7 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7 9.Nf5
[FEN "rn2kb1r/pp1q1ppp/3p1n2/4pN2/
4P1P1/2N5/PPP2P1P/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 0 9"]
Here Black is forced to play 9...h5 right away, else he gets killed on the light-
squares, especially d5. The f8-bishop has no active prospects at this time.
9...h5 10.f3
If 10.g5, then 10...Nxe4! The only game by Bologan I could find in this line
saw 10.gxh5, where Black also countered with 10...Nxe4. He won that game
in fine style with a TN, but must have reconsidered the move in the meantime.
A little on that, "entering the grandmaster's mind," so to speak, would have
been a great addition.
10...hxg4 11.fxg4 Rh3
Such an active measure by Black is needed, as "normal moves," such as 11...

Nc6, just lead to positions where White has all the play. Even if a knight gets
to d4, it will eventually be driven away with c3 (or as Bologan piquantly
states, "his joy will not be forever"), and White will control two important
squares on the queen's file. He is preparing an exchange sacrifice on c3, and
12.Bg5 is wrong.
12.0-0 Qc6
If 12...Rxc3 13.bxc3 Nxe4 14.Qf3! (Playing on the f-file) 14...Nc5 15.Be3,

White threatens to take on c5. 15...Nba6 16.Rad1 0-0-0 17.Ng3 f6 18.g5. And
White has very active play, down only one pawn for the exchange, although
that pawn is, of course, doubled. 12...g6 is also possible, but the knight just
drops back to a better square.
13.Ng3 Rxg3+
Another exchange sacrifice! Yet without such an aggressive countermeasure,

White just dominates the game with no disadvantages of his own to contend
with.
14.hxg3 Nxe4 15.Qf3 Nf6 16.g5 Qxf3 17.Rxf3 Nfd7 18.Be3 Nc6 19.Raf1
Nd8 20.Nd5 Rc8 21.c3 b6 22.Kg2 Nc5 23.c4 and White dominates the board.
I admit I found it hard to digest the material on this DVD, and some of the
lines have not seen many tests in master games. For someone like me, a
lengthier overview at the beginning would have helped, but I also imagine
that this DVD is precisely not for players like me, but for Sicilian aficionados.
The analysis is fascinating, but by using CB11 and my Mega Database 2011,
I noted there were many continuations Bologan did not cover. I imagine he
has refined his analysis to the most critical lines.
For anyone who wants to contest the main line Sicilian as white, this series is
absolutely essential. The first two DVDs were of good quality, with plenty of
original ideas, and this one doesn't disappoint either. Study this series and you
may find that your club mates will suddenly switch to the French! My only
critique is that Bologan flips through lines quickly at times and you often have
to pay more attention than usual.

A Grandmaster Repertoire, Vol. 3
by Viktor Bologan
Order all three volumes and automatically save $6.00!
Chess Endgames 10, Rook and Two Minor Pieces (DVD) by Karsten Mller,
ChessBase, Playing time: 7 hours 38 minutes. $34.95 (ChessCafe Price:
$28.95)
This DVD comes in at a whopping seven plus hours,

which means you know the material will be covered
in sufficient depth. Mller did some research and
found that the distribution of material with a rook
and two minor pieces against a rook and two minor
pieces is very common in practical play. In fact,
these various types of endings are found more often
than rook endgames alone, which prompted his
decision to make a tenth endgame DVD. Most
endgame texts that cover this sort of material
balance mainly only discuss the bishop-pair. So
there is new material here that you will not find
elsewhere, not even in those weighty endgame tomes.
Mller emphasizes achieving harmony and coordination of pieces, which also

makes the DVD good for learning about the coordination of pieces in the
middlegame. In fact, some examples are really the so-called "queenless
middlegames," included to show the full range of possibilities for the pieces.
In terms of achieving harmony, one example is the geometry of the knight-
pair in connection with rooks. Here the important question is: should the
knights be defending one another or standing side by side?
Mller addresses other important questions such as the following:
When is the combination rook+bishop+knight superior to the trio of

rook and two knights?
When should we liquidate to an ending with rook and minor piece
against rook and minor piece?
What are the rules of thumb and methods which we can deduce from
this?
The question of "slight initiative" is also covered. What was a "slight

initiative" in the middelgame can rapidly become a winning advantage in the
ending; if you don't believe that, I encourage you to study Karpov's games.
As an example of exploiting a slight initiative, Mller addresses whether it

becomes an even greater when there are a rook + two knights against a rook +
two knights. Steinitz's restriction method and questions of pawn handling,
such as Capablanca's rule, and some new concepts, such as "Bacrot's
bishops," are all covered here. Mller has a knack for giving these endings
witty names that encourage memory retention, such as, "Shirov's knight
power" or "Short's net of knights." Here are the chapters:
Rook and two knights versus rook and two knights.

Rook and two knights versus rook, knight and bishop, with the bishop's
side having disadvantage.
Rook and two knights versus rook, knight and bishop, but here the
bishop has the advantage.
Rook, knight and bishop against their counterparts, but opposite-
colored bishops.
Rook, knight and bishop against their counterparts, but the bishops are
of the same color.
Rook and bishop-pair versus rook and knight-pair.
Rook and bishop-pair versus rook, knight, and bishop.
Rook and bishop-pair versus rook and bishop-pair.
The material in this trainer is more detailed than any endgame text I have
seen, and the examples are presented in near perfect style. One of the things I
find particularly attractive about all of Mller's columns, books, and trainers
is that he is able to find recent grandmaster and master games to illustrate his
points, whereas many endgame "experts" rely almost exclusively on classic
examples. Look at this recent Shirov-Anand rapid game, Leon Masters 2011.
If you have never committed the sin of overextending your king in the
endgame, blindly following the dictum to activate your king, and then fall into
a mating net, well, you either are much stronger than me or haven't made it to
many endgames!
[FEN "2r3k1/5p2/4p1pn/1p1pPn2/
p1rP1K1P/6P1/PP1R4/N2RN3 b - - 0 32"]
Here Anand played
32...f6!! 33.exf6
If 33.Nf3 Rf8 34.g4 g5+ 35.hxg5 fxg5+ 36.Kxg5 Ne3-+.
33...e5+ 34.Kxe5 Ne3 35.Rb1
35.Kf4 Nxd1 36.Rxd1 Rf8 37.Kg5 Kh7-+.
35...Re8+ 36.Kf4
36.Kd6 Nf7+ 37.Kd7 Rd8+ 38.Ke6 Rc6+ 39.Ke7 Nf5#.
36...Rc6 37.Kg5 Re4 38.Kxh6 Rg4?
You don't need to be a study composer to see the near model mate that results
after 38...Ng4+ 39.Kxg6 Rxf6+ 40.Kg5 Kg7 41.h5 Rf5+ 42.Kxf5 Ne3+ 43.
Kg5 Rg4#, but this was a rapid game.
39.Rf2?
White misses his chance: 39.f7+! Kxf7 40.Kh7 Rc7 41.Nd3 Kf6+ 42.Kg8 Rc8
+=.
39...Nf5+ 40.Rxf5 gxf5 41.Kh5 Rc7 0-1
And White gets mated by the two rooks. The pitiful looking knight and rook
in the corner are still there.
Here is an example of Bacrot's bishops, from a Smyslov-Bacrot match in

1996. Beating Smyslov in an endgame was an accomplishment of
phenomenal proportions no matter what his age, and here Bacrot does it while
missing an even better winning continuation. Smyslov made a few mistakes
before this position, letting the superior harmony of the black pieces take what
should have been an equal endgame to one that was very difficult for him in
just a few moves.
[FEN "1r6/4p1k1/4bp2/2b5/p1P4B/
1P1RpBP1/P3K3/8 b - - 0 35"]
Here Bacrot played 35...Rb6?!
Waiting for the optimal moment to play axb3, according to Curt Hansen. But
Mller notes that the engines find the incredibly deep 35...Bxc4!! (he also
notes he probably would have played "a normal human move" such as Rb6 as
well) 36.bxc4 Rb2+ 37.Kd1 Rxa2 38.Rd5 Bb4 39.g4 a3 40.g5 Rh2 41.gxf6+
exf6 42.Rd7+ Kg6 43.Be1 a2 44.Ra7 Bxe1 45.Kxe1 Rb2 46.Be4+ f5 47.Bd3
and now Mller gives 47...Rb1, winning, but I think Black can play with
White a bit here with 47...Kf6! etc. not that it matters.
36.g4 axb3 37.axb3 Ra6 38.b4?
Better was 38.Rd1 Ra3 39.Rb1 Ra2+ 40.Kd3 Rd2+ 41.Kc3 Bd4+ 42.Kb4 Be5
43.Be1 Rd8 44.Ka4 Rh8.
38...Ra2+ 39.Kd1 Bxb4 40.Rxe3 Bxc4 41.Re4?
This final mistake ends it all. Better was 41.Be4 e6 42.Rh3 Be2+ 43.Kc1
Bxg4 44.Rb3 Bd2+ 45.Kb1 Ra7 46.Kc2 Bf4, but is still winning.
41...Bb3+ 42.Kc1 Bd2+ 0-1
43.Kb1 Bc3 44.Rxe7+ Kf8 45.Re2 Ra1#. White is mated with the two bishops
hanging right over the king's head.
Any endgame work by GM Mller is of great value to practical players. So

save all his columns, buy all his books, and his trainers. If you are serious
about taking endgame points away from your opponents, you'll heed this
advice, and probably have the equivalent of a Ph.D. in practical
endgameology as well. The only drawback I can find to this DVD is that GM
Mller still has a somewhat hesitant speaking style in English with many
"verbal pauses." I've watched his trainers in German and noted he has no such
problem there; I assume he is searching for the proper words during this time,
and perhaps this could be fixed with a little more rehearsal before making the
trainer.
Order Chess Endgames 10, Rook and Two Minor Pieces

by Karsten Mller
Buy any three Chess Endgames DVDs and automatically save 40% on a
fourth!


Purchases from our
Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack accessible:
by Nigel Davies
Beating the Berlin Defense

by Alexei Shirov
Chess Highways
by Dejan Bojkov
ChessBase
Cafe
Bring Down the Wall
Steven B. Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack
by Nigel Davies
Openings are king again this month, with two trainers on openings, and one
Dowd middlegame strategy trainer on diagonals and files from Dejan Bojkov. Two
of the trainers (Bojkov and Davies) have excerpts featured in ChessBase
Magazine #147; CBM is a good investment for any player and offers enough
material for months of study. Our CB11 note features my own rather
idiosyncratic approach to openings.
Translate this page
Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack (DVD) by Nigel Davies, ChessBase, Playing
time: 4 hours 40 min. $30.95 (ChessCafe Price: $24.95)
Whenever you see the name Nigel Davies attached

to a chess product these days, you can expect a high
level of quality on all fronts. In the case of a trainer
Beating the Berlin Defence
that means objective, "just deep enough" analysis;
by Alexei Shirov
an emphasis on ideas, and a good presentation style.
Every Davies trainer I have reviewed has met these
standards, and this is no exception.
Davies calls the line 1.Nf3, followed by 2.b3, the

Nimzowitsch Attack; and 1.b3 the Larsen Opening.
Rating Chart He notes that the opening complex has been "rather
neglected by the theoreticians." I would believe that
Awful is because it is the type of opening that is hard to pin down in terms of "lines,"
but it is well-used by players who want to innovate. Larsen himself called it,
Poor
as I remember from the pages of his column in Chess Life in the 1970s, the
Uneven "Baby Orang-Utan."
Chess Highways
Good This is an opening that is used both by attacking players (Ljubojevic, Planinc, by Dejan Bojkov
Minasian, and Fischer) and positional players (Petrosian, Taimanov, and
Great
Bagirov), and it is a fun opening to play.
Excellent
Davies shows the pluses and minuses for both sides here. It is not one of those
"snake-oil" trainers where the presenter does his best to convince you that the
opening is great by showing only victories for one side. I've always believed
that the best approach for Black, if he wants to win, is to adopt the classic
approach of occupying the center with pawns on the dark squares. However,
after viewing Davies' commentary, this sort of approach, which does nothing
to contest White's dark-square control, must be wrong:
Nimzowitsch, Aaron Voellmy, Erwin

Bern 1931
Nimzowitch Attack [A06]
1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 Bf5 4.e3 Nbd7 5.c4 e6 6.Nc3
The most active set-up according to Davies. White will exchange on d5 at

some point. If the recapture is with e-pawn, then White has a central pawn
majority and a possible minority attack on the c-file, as occurs in the game. If
he recaptures with the c-pawn, White can be first to use the open c-file.
6...c6 7.Be2 Bd6 8.00
[FEN "r2qk2r/pp1n1ppp/2pbpn2/3p1b2/
2P5/1PN1PN2/PB1PBPPP/R2Q1RK1 b kq - 0 8"]
8...Qe7
Probably not the best move, but we already have a position that is not so easy
for Black to play. To diverge from GM Davies' analysis, this reminds me very
much of a New York system against the Reti (for Gary Lane's excellent
overview of this system see his January 2005 column), but the slight
differences in position mean it just won't work as well.
If Black plays 8...0-0 here, and then 9.cxd5 cxd5, we have a motif that occurs
often: 10.Nb5 and if 10...Bb8, then 11.Ba3 Re8 12.Nd6 and the bishop-pair is
lost.
But if 10...Be7, then a knight to the rim 11.Nh4! and the bishop-pair is again
lost. What appears to be an innocuous position is not. We can rewind back to
move eight 8...h6 9.cxd5 and allow Black to play the other recapture 9...exd5,
but then 10.d3! to blunt Black's bishop on f5 and to play for a later e4, taking
advantage of his central pawn-majority. A minority attack with a3 and b4 is
also possible in conjunction with this.
9.cxd5 exd5
If 9...cxd5, we have a continuation similar to the above 10.Nb5! Bb8 and now
11.Ba3 is even more unpleasant, as it hits the black queen and gives White an
almost winning advantage.
10.Rc1 Ne5 11.Nd4 Bd7
Can you see why 11...Bg6 is bad? Again, 12.d3 already threatens f4 and f5,
winning the bishop. But this necessary passive retreat allowed Nimzowitsch
to win the bishop-pair and carry off an instructive minority attack.
And those are just a few ideas he presents with that very instructive game.
Here is one of his own, a victory for the black side, where White tries to play
hyper-aggressively. He provides extensive analysis of alternate lines here for
White and Black. I give only brief annotations directly related to the game.
Taimanov, Mark (2505) Davies, Nigel (2460)

Gausdal International, 1992
Nimzowitsch Attack [A06]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2 c6 4.e3 Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Nbd7 7.g4
Better is probably 7.g3 according to Davies.

7...e5 8.g5 Ne4 9.h4 Bb4
In retrospect, 9...Bd6 might be better, but at the time Davies preferred this
idea.
10.Bh3
[FEN "r2qk2r/pp1n1ppp/2p5/3pp1P1/1b2n2P/
1P2PQ1B/PBPP1P2/RN2K2R b KQkq - 0 10"]
Now the protection of the e5-pawn is a problem.
10...Qe7
10...0-0 would have been his preference, but then 11.Qf5! is hard to answer.
So he recalls his "King's Gambit fare" from his youth and sacrifices a central
pawn a courageous decision, with the idea of opening up the position with ...
f6.
11.Bxd7+ Qxd7 12.Bxe5 00 13.a3 Ba5 14.b4 Bc7 15.Bxc7 Qxc7 16.Qf4
A dubious decision, according to Davies, as the endgame is better for him,

even though he is temporarily a pawn down. It certainly shows that just any
queen exchange when a pawn up won't do, you have to plan those carefully.
Black keeps piling on the pressure, even after winning back his pawn. Please
play this one out to the helpless and hopeless end, the final position is worth a
look.
16...Qxf4 17.exf4 Rae8 18.Kf1 f6 19.d3 Nd6 20.Nc3 fxg5 21.fxg5 Nf5 22.
Kg2 Nd4 23.Rac1 Rf4 24.Kf1 Ref8 25.Nd1 Nf5 26.Rh3 Nxh4 27.c4 d4 28.
Rc2 Nf3 29.Re2 Rg4 30.Rh1 Rf5 31.g6 Rxg6 32.Nb2 Kf7 33.c5 Rfg5 34.
Rc2 Re6 35.Re2 Rh6 01
And that is just a smattering of the rich fare Davies provides. For any player
who has reached the level where they have a basic positional understanding,
and wants to try an opening where plans and ideas trump memorized lines,
this is a phenomenal trainer.
Order Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack

by Nigel Davies
Beating the Berlin Defense (DVD) by Alexei Shirov, ChessBase, Playing

time: 3 hours 49 min. $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
I won't deny it the Kasparov-Kramnik World

Championship match in 2000 was the final straw for
me in trying the Ruy Lopez as an opening. The
package insert provides an excellent introduction to
the material to be presented:
"Ever since the Kasparov-Kramnik WCh

match (London 2000) players with the white
pieces have been breaking their teeth biting on
the Berlin Wall in the Ruy Lopez. There may
also have been some successes for White of
course, but time and again Black has
convincingly demonstrated how to equalise or even how to construct an
impregnable fortress. The situation from White's point of view has
become precarious ducking it is equivalent to capitulation, because in
all alternative variations to the Berlin endgame White gives up from the
start on the struggle for an opening advantage. What can he do? There is
no other way, White has to find ways to crack open Black's defence. "
Shirov's previous DVDs on the Spanish have been well worth the money, and
he again works wonders here. His hesitant presentation style is somewhat
lacking (and way too many "OKs"), but it isn't enough to detract from the
richness of the concepts.
Shirov looks like he just arrived in Hamburg after a seventeen-hour train ride;
tie open, and a few days growth of beard; but that is part of the charm. How
much is "off-the-cuff" is a matter of conjecture, at least once he exclaims, "I
just found this idea." The introduction is very rich with ideas and the more I
listened to it, the more I thought I might try again to battle the Berlin Wall.
Shirov's frank approach in the introduction heartened me. He notes, first of

all, that just about every Ruy Lopez line can be seen as a separate opening.
The Berlin "only" requires a good understanding of the strategic ideas behind
it, and Shirov notes that he personally is just now coming to an understanding
of the strategic ideas of the opening and is still very far away from a full
understanding. That is a great personal admission that is heartening to us
patzers who struggle with trying to understand the ideas.
In the introduction, he shows the various ways White can avoid the dreaded
endgame, and they all fail. Most provide at best a shaky equality for White,
and some are just not good. He knows, as he has tried them, like in this game
against French GM Fressinet:
Shirov, Alexei (2705) Fressinet, Laurent (2700)

European Championship 2011
Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense [C67]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.00 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bg5
The idea behind 6.Bg5 is a piece sacrifice. The hope is for 6...f6 7.dxe5 Nxb5
8.exf6 gxf6 9.Re1+ Kf7 10.Qd5+ Kg7 11.Bd2. A new move; 11.Bf4 was
played in the game Socko-Lautier, European Champ, 2001, and is annotated
in the latest Megabase by Stohl. 11.Bd2 is certainly worth a try, but as Shirov
states, Black can avoid all of this with the simple 6...Be7! As played in his
game here he states although he won this game, he should not have.
6...Be7 7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Bxc6 dxc6 9.dxe5 Ne4 10.Qe2 Nc5 11.Nc3 Bg4 12.
h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 000 14.Qe3 Kb8 15.f4 f5 16.Rad1 Ne6 17.Ne2 c5 18.
Kh2 Qh4 19.Rd3 g6 20.Rfd1 b6 21.Rd7 Rxd7 22.Rxd7 Qe1 23.Qf3 g5 24.
fxg5 Rf8 25.Qc6 Qxe2 26.Qxe6 Qe3 27.Qd5 Qxg5 28.Qf3 f4 29.e6 h6 30.e7
Re8 31.Kg1 Qh4 32.Kf1 Rc8 33.Qe4 Re8 34.Qe5 10
The most interesting game to me was Gashimov-Carlsen. Gashimov is oft-

cited on the DVD as one who has well-mastered the strategic concepts behind
the Wall, and this game was especially interesting as it was a blindfold rapid
game. How these two super-GMs can play strategically in such a game was
baffling to me.
Gashimov, Vugar (2740) Carlsen, Magnus (2813)

Amber-blindfold, 2010
Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence [C67]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.00 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5
8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8
[FEN "r1b1kb1r/ppp2ppp/2p5/4Pn2/8/
2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 10"]
Usual is 10.h3. With his next move Gashimov is trying to innovate and save
the h3-tempo.
10.Ne2 c5
10...Ne7 may have been better, forcing 11.h3 after all.
11.Nf4 b6
Gashimov is going to get an interesting position (not necessarily an

advantageous one) here using what Shirov calls "straight moves" by which
he means of course straightforward moves. He contends this is exceptionally
difficult in the Berlin.
12.Nd5 Kd7 13.Ng5 Kc6 14.c4 Be6
This position is difficult to evaluate. Certainly Black should be OK since he

has the king on the best square, c6, and after White's next he might want to
consider ...h6, accepting some other strategic disadvantages. And ...Re8 might
be best of all.
15.Rd1 Nd4 16.Be3
Only here does Shirov really like White's position. What Gashimov has
succeeded in doing with his plan is confuse Carlsen, something that Shirov
notes is also not easy.
16...Bxd5 17.cxd5+ Kxd5 18.Rac1!
Black's weakness is on c7.
18...Be7 19.Nf3 Bd8 20.Bxd4 cxd4 21.Rxd4+ Ke6 22.Rc6+
White should be winning here.
22...Ke7 23.Rd5 Re8 24.Nd4 Kf8 25.g3 g6 26.Kg2 Re7 27.f4 Ke8 28.f5
gxf5 29.Rh6 c6 30.Nxc6 Re6 31.Rxe6+ fxe6 32.Rd6 Bc7 33.Rxe6+ Kd7 34.
Rh6 Re8 35.Kf3 Re6 36.Rxe6 Kxe6 37.Kf4 a5 38.Nd4+ Kd5 39.Nf3 Ke6
40.Kg5 Bd8+ 41.Kh6 Kd5 42.Kxh7 Ke4 43.Kg6 10
This DVD is a good jumping off point to deeper personal analysis. The only
further thing I would have wished for was an overview of the 2000
championship games, which would have made a good addition, especially in
comparison to modern efforts to bring down the wall. At the end, you should
be ready to try to conquer the dreaded Berlin Wall, through more study, play,
and understanding of the strategic ideas in the endgame. This video is
primarily for those with a good basic understanding of strategic principles in
general; thus, probably Elo 1800 and above.

Order Beating the Berlin Defense
by Alexei Shirov
Chess Highways (DVD) by Dejan Bojkov, ChessBase, Playing time: 5 hours

38 min. $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
In my May 2012 column I expressed admiration for

Bojkov's DVD on the Kalashnikov. However, I am
not enthusiastic about this one. The description from
the package insert might appear whimsical, and thus
appropriate as a "fun" trainer, but some of it is just
fluffy nonsense:
"Almost all the chess pieces (except for the

tricky knights) have the ability to move along
straight lines, whether vertically (files),
horizontally (ranks) or on the diagonals. These
straight lines, which connect different areas of
the board and give the pieces the chance to decide the outcome of the
battle, are most important in chess, and thus the title highways.
Understanding the abilities of the pieces is absolutely crucial for every
player, from beginner to master. In a game of chess you are the general,
and the pieces are your soldiers the better your relationship with your
soldiers the better your results."
Who would have thought that understanding the ability of the pieces was
crucial?
This is the third ChessBase DVD by Bojkov, and reviewing it has me baffled.
I certainly understand the concept, and this DVD is probably OK for the just
above beginning level player, but it won't offer much to anyone who has been
through a decent chess puzzle book. There are indeed thirty clips, but there is
no in-depth organizing principle behind them. Some are terribly misnamed,
"Straining the bishop," (constraining!), or misspelled, as in
"Chenturini" (Centurini) position. When you are done you will have seen a
bunch of neat games or game fragments illustrating a principle, but how do
you hook those into your memory for your next tournament game?
Couple that with a very weak presentation by the GM, and you have a product
that one can't really recommend. Unlike the Kalashnikov DVD, he does not
try to make himself understood and there were segments where his voice trails
off as he seems to be searching for what to say. Yet, even with multiple
viewings, I could not figure out what it was. One positive aspect is the use of
quiz questions at the end, but again, without a format or "hook" for the trainer,
you are simply answering random questions.
It is too bad, as some of the examples are quite good. Who hasn't over-pressed
in such a position, and ended up almost losing a rook? Bojkov calls this, "The
fears of the rook," which I don't find to be an appropriate title (although it
does correlate with his description of optimal rook placement, "The rooks
dream"), if you have a section on "[Con]straining the bishop," why not
"Constraining the rook"? Or perhaps, as he calls it later in the presentation,
"In-boxing of the rook"?
Shavtvaldze Jankovic
Kalamaria Open 2008
[FEN "8/8/5kpp/1p2p3/3rPp1P/2R2P2/
1P2K1P1/8 b - - 0 38"]
Here Black played 38...Rb4?, which allows White to in-box the rook with 39.
b3! And after 39...g5, White should have played 40.Rd3. Then if the rook
tries to escape with 40...Rd4, the pawn endgame is lost after 41.Rxd4. Instead
we saw 40.hxg5+ hxg5 and then 41.Rd3 g4. White can now win with 42.
Kd2!, which threatens to either win the rook or exchange rooks, and still wins
for him. But he erred with 42.Kf2? and got the draw he had hoped for,
although he could have won.
I could be overly critical and it is possible that lower-rated players will find
this appropriate. Perhaps checking out the sample clip in the most recent
Chessbase Magazine is advisable before you purchase. I also wonder, when a
DVD such as this goes awry, whether it is a problem with the author or
improper editing by the publisher. I suspect more of the latter. I encourage
ChessBase to think about this the market for DVDs and other video trainers
is going to become even more competitive in the future.
Properly reworked, this could be a decent DVD for the player rated 1200-
1600. But I cannot find much to recommend in its current form. It is "OK,"
but I expect more from both ChessBase and Bojkov.
Order Chess Highways

by Dejan Bojkov
A ChessBase11 Note
One thing I really like about ChessBase11 is the enhanced functionality that
comes with using an Everyman Chess e-book, along with a trainer and
database at hand. It makes research rather seamless. I was perusing Yelena
Dembo's excellent Fighting the Anti-King's Indians, when she stirred me with
some "fighting words" regarding the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit:
"The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit never ceases to amaze me with its

popularity. It is often met at club level and in correspondence chess,
while thematic tournaments are devoted to it and its supporters are more
fanatical than the fans of major football clubs! All this is very strange
for a gambit that is best, quite dubious."
Her remedy is playing a Huebsch Gambit rather than a Blackmar-Diemer, but

what got me was this:
"I'm not sure how strong both Blackmar and Diemer were, but I am
pretty sure that if this gambit were remotely sound, at least one of the
1,000 grandmasters out there would wheel it out occasionally, if only as
a surprise weapon."
I remembered that GM Velimirovic used the BDG approach against the

Scandinavian, and indeed the game is there in the databases:
Velimirovic, Dragoljub (2540) Bellon Lopez, Juan Manuel (2450)
Metz, 1988
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (by transposition) [D00]
1.e4 d5 2.d4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.
Bf4 e6 9.000 Bb4 10.Bd2 Nbd7 11.Bd3 Nb6 12.Qg3 Qe7 13.Rhf1 Rg8 14.
Rxf6 Bxc3 15.Bxc3 Qxf6
[FEN "r3k1r1/pp3ppp/1np1pq2/8/3P4/
2BB2QP/PPP3P1/2KR4 w q - 0 16"]
16.d5!
A typical blow for this sort of position and one that should justify the
exchange sacrifice. A friend of mine used to call such line opening for the
bishop-pair, "opening the can for the worms." (Brings up an odd visual,
doesn't it?) It would seem to me that Black could still hold this but he starts
drifting, which is of course exactly what the gambit player hopes for.
16...Qe7 17.d6 Qd7 18.Bxh7 000 19.Bxg8 Rxg8 20.Bd4 Kb8 21.h4 Nd5
22.h5 g5 23.Kb1 f6 24.c4 Qh7+ 25.Kc1 Nf4 26.Qe3 b6 27.Bxf6 Qf5 28.Be7
e5 29.d7 Ne6 30.Qf3 Qxf3 31.gxf3 Kc7 32.d8Q+ Nxd8 33.Bxd8+ 10
There are other GMs who have also used the BDG, the most interesting
finding being that their opponents almost always decline it and transpose to
other openings, such as the Caro-Kann or French. It is, according to
conventional wisdom, a mistake for a lower-rated player to try such an
approach; if you are going to beat the GM or force him to take a draw, surely
accepting the gambit is best? In any case, it has given me something to
explore in my opening research. And, yes, we BDG fans tend to be a bit rabid
about our opening. (I love it despite its faults.)

Purchases from our
ABC of the Classical Dutch accessible:
by Andrew Martin
1.Nf3: A Variable Repertoire for White

by Lubomir Ftacnik

by ChessBase
ChessBase
Cafe
Summertime Training
Steven B. Deep Fritz 13
by ChessBase
Yes, it is that time of year when many of us are thinking of outdoor activities,
Dowd but with chess being so portable these days why not consider a trainer or the
always excellent ChessBase Magazine to take along with you? When you
reach the end of your journey, there will be masters waiting to teach you!
ABC of the Classical Dutch (DVD) by Andrew Martin, ChessBase, Playing

Translate this page time: 3 hours 45 min. $29.95 (Chesscafe Price: $24.95)
Andrew Martin is one of my favorite presenters. He

always approaches a topic with enthusiasm. On this
trainer, after a rather pragmatic introduction, his
next two sections consist of "Black getting pounded"
and a "cautionary tale" so you can see what not to do
in this opening! You won't even see the main line of Attack with 1.e4
the repertoire until the fourteenth game of the thirty- by Daniel King
three presented. The Classical Dutch is one of those
openings that doesn't enjoy a great reputation at the
highest levels. Yet, there is no refutation in sight,
and it has been adopted by all kinds of
uncompromising players. The Dutch player is a
Rating Chart combinative one, willing to play for complications and the win from the get-
go. The Dutch is an unbalancing opening, and the Classical Dutch demands
Awful accurate play on both sides.
Poor Here is an example of how things can go wrong for White. He has already let
the opening get away from him, and his careless approach to the middlegame
Uneven
will lose.
Winning with the
Good
Ruy Lopez, Vol. 1
Notaros Maric
Great Novi Sad 1974
by Viktor Bologan
Excellent
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/4b1pp/2p5/p2p4/2pP4/
4B1P1/PP2P1BP/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 17"]
Black's small but persistent advantage is rather obvious. White should try 17.
Bd2 or 17.Bf4 here, but tries instead to break up the queenside pawn structure.
17.b3 c3
Accurate play in a wide open position, according to Martin. Of course, Black

could have played 17...Bb4 or 17...Ba6 with advantage as well.
18.Qc1 Qb6 19.Rd1
The best way to get off of the "skewer line" was probably 19.Rf1.
19...Bg4 20.Bf1 Qb4 21.Rd3 c2 22.Qxc2 Bf5 23.Qxc6 Bxd3 24.Qxd5+ Kh8
The engines think White is still OK here. Yet, he is lost in less than ten
moves. White's decision to give up the exchange for some pawns was not a
good one; Black's activity is long-term, White's, short-term. That is a common
theme in this opening; play good moves until White's opening advantage
dissipates, and then counterattack.
25.exd3 Bf6 26.Rc1 Rae8 27.Rc4 Qe1 28.Bf2?
28.Bf4 should hold for awhile, anyway, although it still looks hopeless in the
long run. Now White is lost.
28...Qd2 29.Qg2 Bg5 30.d5 Rxf2 0-1
The reason I show this game fragment, and why Martin includes it as the first
Black success, is that it represents just one of the many positions that can arise
in the Classical Dutch once things "open up." You have to exercise a certain
"flexibility of thought" in the Classical Dutch, Martin later notes, giving it a
certain appeal to those who like to innovate over-the-board.
The main repertoire line features GM Simon Williams, who is a consistent

proponent of the Classical Dutch. Although Martin calls 7...Ne4, a relatively
new move, it was advocated by Williams as early as 2003. The idea behind 7...
Ne4 is to exchange a set of minor pieces, then going for the ...e5 break with
Bf6 and Nc6. The traditional Classical Dutch moves of ...a5 and ...Qe8 are
held in reserve. White's choices are mainly to take the knight or play various
queen moves, with 8.Qc2 the main line.
Here is a great fighting game by Williams, against a world class-GM, that

illustrates his "cold-blooded approach":
Sokolov, Ivan (2689) Williams, Simon (2452)

Reykjavik op 2006
Classical Dutch [A96]
1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 00 6.00 d6 7.Nc3 Ne4 8.Bd2
This looks like one of those passive moves you get from rank beginners,
almost a Stmperzug, so if a GM of Sokolov's stature plays it, there must be a
point. Indeed, he plans to get in a quick d5. Both players have left
conventional paths already.
8...Nc6 9.d5 Nxd2 10.Nxd2
Black has the bishop-pair, but White has greater freedom of movement. It is
going to be a battle. White now turns to natural moves; they don't get him
very far.
10...Ne5
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/ppp1b1pp/3pp3/3Pnp2/
2P5/2N3P1/PP1NPPBP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 11"]
White can try 11.dxe6 here, hoping to take advantage of the long diagonal for
the bishop, but after 11...c6!, blunting the bishop, Black is slightly better. It
looks to me like the experiment has failed, and White has to fight for equality.
11.e3 c6 12.b4 Bf6 13.Qc2 Bd7 14.Rad1 a5 15.b5
Gains space but also opens lines for Black pieces.
15...cxd5 16.cxd5 Rc8
The immediate tactical threat is, of course, 17...Rxc3.
17.Ndb1 Bxb5
White has tried to conduct the early middlegame with solid moves, but this
approach has failed. So he tries an exchange sacrifice that gives him practical
chances. If such imbalanced games as this one do not appeal to you, the
Classical Dutch with ...Ne4 is perhaps one opening you should not try!
18.dxe6 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 Kh8
One of those moves that shows Williams has a good assessment potential for
this type of position he removes his king from any potential light-squared
difficulties.
20.Bxb7 Rc7 21.Qb3 a4
A tactical deflection and, according to Martin, a "bamboozling" move.
22.Nxa4 Qe8 23.Nbc3 Qh5 24.Bg2 Nf3 25.Bxf3 Qxf3 26.Qd5 Qh5 27.Qxd6
Rfc8
A position that is hard to evaluate and may even now be slightly better for
White.
28.Kg2 h6
In a "confused position" Black removes the possibility of a back-rank mate.
29.Nb5 Rc2 30.Nb6 f4
Evidence that time-trouble must have affected this game, as the immediate
30...Qe2 would have won.
31.exf4 Qe2 32.Rf1 Qe4+ 33.Kg1 Rxf2 34.Rxf2 Rc1+ 35.Rf1 Rc2 36.Qd5
Qe2 37.Qh1 Qe3+ 01
A brilliant game no doubt, but also one riddled by mistakes, as expected from
a hard-fought OTB battle.
When I tried to conduct my usual evaluation of the opening through online

games, nearly everyone avoided the Classical Dutch! You can interpret that
two ways: "people hate to face this opening, so I am going to take it up!"; or
"if all my opponents avoid it, I will just end up in some crazy sideline, so I
will stick with my standard openings!"
Upon viewing the DVD, I felt very comfortable in my knowledge of the

repertoire: get a set of minor pieces off the board, strive for an ...e5-break, and
watch out for an e4-break by White, or alternately, a break on the queenside.
What really attracted me is that the play is active the whole time.
This DVD is an excellent introduction to the Classical Dutch and Martin is an

excellent teacher. Nevertheless, he stresses that to really learn the repertoire
(and all the ways White can avoid the Classical Dutch), you will need to get a
book or two on the opening and immerse yourself in a database of games. It is
a great DVD to consider if you are thinking about playing the opening, and if
not, you will still learn something about counterattacking chess in general.
Order ABC of the Classical Dutch

by Andrew Martin
1.Nf3: A Variable Repertoire for White (DVD) by Lubomir Ftacnik,

ChessBase, Playing time: 4 hours 33 min. $29.95 (Chesscafe Price: $25.95)
This is a very unusual opening repertoire DVD from

GM Ftacnik. He is the sort of strategically-minded
GM who makes positional chess look simple and
forces the viewer to sometimes reconsider their
approach to the game. And that can be a good thing.
A quiet but determined presenter, his command of

English is strong with few gaffes. One example of
the latter, he uses "parade" for the German parade
(counter). These small mistakes are persistent, but
do not overly detract from the material. The
introduction is worth listening to for any class of
player, as he attempts to answer the question,"Why 1.Nf3 instead of 1.c4 or 1.
d4?" One thing he stresses is that one should use databases to find ideas you
can use with either color by looking for analogies and symmetries in openings.
That made me think right then and there. I have used databases to search for
specific positions, and have noted instances like this in the openings a
Latvian Gambit can transpose to positions found in the King's Gambit, for
example. I may explore this further and report on it in a future CB11 note. 1.
Nf3 is a "careful player" repertoire. When playing it, you are often a step
away from mainline openings, and you can transpose, but you do not often
run the risk of falling into an opening trap based on a specific variation. I
don't normally give the whole list of topics on a DVD, but it seems wise to in
this case:
Introduction
Symmetry (no less than ten illustrative games! - there sixty-five total
on the DVD)
1.Nf3 01: Avoiding main lines 1...b5, 1...d5, and 2...Nc6, 1...b6
02: The Hour of Bc8 1...d6 and 2...Bg4
03: Dutch Defence 1...f5
04: King's Indian Set-up for White
05: English Opening 1...c5
06 English Version of Gruenfeld/Queen's Indian 1...Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.
Nc3 d5 4.cxd5/ 1...b6
07 Nimzo-Indian Setup
08: Catalan (without d4)- 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2
09: The Big 1...d5 Challenge 1a 1...d5 2.e3 Part 1
10: The Big 1...d5 Challenge 1a 1...d5 2.e3 Part 2
11: The Big 1...d5 Challenge 2a 1.d5 2.g3 Part 1
12: The Big 1...d5 Challenge 2b 1.d5 2.g3 Part 2
13: The Big 1...d5 Challenge 2c 1.d5 2.g3 Part 3
14 Hedgehog with ...e6 1...Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 e6 4.g3
15 Hedgehog with ...g6 1...Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.g3
16 English Opening 4 Knights 1...Nf6 2.c5 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3
17 English Opening with 3...e5 1...Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 e5
18 Summary
You certainly cannot complain that this DVD is too sparse with either
variation- or idea-based play.
I am a big believer in using ideas rather than rote memorization for openings.
However, I must confess that I have rarely found the approach of using an
opening with a tempo in reserve to be all that useful. It is very difficult to turn
a defensive idea into an attacking idea, especially for a player who prefers
punching to counter-punching. Still, the third section was quite illuminating,
with the game Kramnik-Carlsen providing a good example of his symmetry
analogy and I began to get the drift.
Kramnik, Vladimir (2791) Carlsen, Magnus (2823)

Moscow Botvinnik Memorial 2011
1.Nf3 [A40]
1.Nf3 b5?!
Stopping an immediate 2.c4 but only for the shortest of time.
2.e4! Bb7?!
Marin in his notes in MegaBase that it almost looks safer to avoid the pawn
exchange with 2...a6 3.d4 Bb7 4.Bd3, transposing to 1.e4 a6, the famous
game Karpov-Miles.
3.Bxb5 Bxe4
Here both Marin and Ftacnik make similar comments: Generally speaking, the
exchange of a knight-pawn for a central one should favor Black. However, the
bishop is exposed in the center and the time invested in this operation (two
tempi) is too high a price to pay. At the same time, the b5-bishop is active.
For instance, it prevents an early occupation of the centre with ...d5, according
to Marin.
4.00 Nf6 5.d4 e6 6.c4
Here is where the point of the DVD became clear to me, because I play 1...e5
against the Polish. But there, Black has to usually block his c-pawn with Nc6
to control the center; here White has time for c4 and is going to continue in
Steinitzian mode with d5. The extra tempo for White certainly tells here.
6...Be7 7.Nc3 Bb7 8.d5 00 9.Bf4!? Na6 (9...c6? 10.d6!) 10.Re1 Qc8 11.Nd4
Bb4 12.Bg5! Ne8 13.Re3
A decisive kingside attack.
13...c6 14.Bxa6 Bxa6 15.Qh5 f6 16.Rh3! fxg5 17.Qxh7+ Kf7 18.Qh5+ Kg8
19.Qh7+ Kf7 20.Ne4 Bxc4 21.Qh5+ Ke7 22.Qxg5+ Kf7 23.Qh5+ Ke7 24.
Qg5+ Kf7 25.dxe6+ dxe6 26.Nf3! Kg8 27.Qh4 Rxf3 28.Qh7+ 1-0
28...Kf8 29.Rxf3+ Ke7 30.Qh4+.
One thing I really appreciated from Ftacnik is how to utilize closed positions
to my advantage. You can never have too many examples of these in your
chess memory. I just wish it were as simple as he made it look. After you
work your way through all these games, the summary is a bit disappointing;
he really doesn't give you any more than he gives in the introduction, less in
fact. A more overarching conclusion would be valuable.
Closed openings are not especially useful for lower-rated players seeking to
improve, so I will say this DVD is for any player rated above 1600 Elo who
wants to learn more about ideas that arise in closed openings. It certainly was
an educational experience for me, and I intend to continue viewing it, as the
author has many great ideas that I need to comprehend.
Order 1.Nf3: A Variable Repertoire for White

by Lubomir Ftacnik
ChessBase Magazine #147 (DVD) by ChessBase, $23.95 (Chesscafe Price:

$19.95)
ChessBase Magazine is one of the best chess values

you can buy. First off in #147 is comprehensive
coverage of three major tournaments: Gibraltar, Wijk
Aan Zee, and the Aeroflot Open. The annotations
provided by the GM contributors is amazing.
The European championship of 2011 still holds

interest and Alexei Shirov has a fifty-minute video
on his phenomenal game as black in the Botvinnik
Variation against Grischuk. This alone is worth the
price of the DVD. The video is a detailed summing
up of the latest developments in this sharp variation.
He goes into both the systems with 6.a4 (here his recommendation is 6...b5)
and also with 6.e4 and shows a series of new themes.
There are thirteen openings articles with "numerous ideas for your repertoire
including a weapon against the Volga Gambit (4.Nf3), a strategic
recommendation against the Maroczy Bind in the Sicilian, a re-discovered
move in the in French Advance Variation and a completely new development
in the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit."
I found the following opening articles of most interest: Breutigam, writes on

the Tarrasch QGD with a solid e3 for White, concluding Black has nothing to
fear; Stohl, on the QGD with Bf4, showing many interesting ideas and
Schipkov, on black alternatives in the Classical Dutch to Qe8, which
complimented well Martin's DVD. He also concludes that with 7...Ne4 "Black
gets sufficient counterplay." The opening article I enjoyed the most was
Marin on the King's Indian Torre Attack. Everything by Marin is worthwhile
to the serious player. When working on an earlier theoretical survey he found
two games that did not lead to the traditional slow maneuvering for advantage
but featured an intense fight for the initiative from an early phase. He
recommends an interesting combination of lines against the 6...c5 variation,
which he rightly notes would form a "balanced and varied repertoire," and
would be difficult to prepare against.
Knaak's Opening Trap is a fairly deep idea (his traps are never the simple
kind), with a natural-looking move losing in the Exchange Variation of the
Slav by allowing Black's queenside pawns to become weak and doing nothing
against a strong bishop on f4:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4 Bf5 7.e3 e6
8.Bd3 is a well-known drawing line but 8.Qb3 is more ambitious.
8...Qb6 9.Bb5
Now the natural developing move 9...Be7 is bad:

[FEN "r3k2r/pp2bppp/1qn1pn2/1B1p1b2/
3P1B2/1QN1PN2/PP3PPP/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 10"]
10.Ne5! Rc8
The stem game Reuben Houska, Menchik open 1994 continued 11.00 00
12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Qxb6 axb6 14.Na4 Bd8 15.Rfc1 b5 16.Nc5 and Black
cannot save the pawn on c6.
This trap has applicability across a wide number of openings (for instance, in
the Panov-Botvinnik), making it a great opening trap meme. In such positions,
you don't often have to give up something after winning the pawn your
advantage continues unabated. Opponents tend to fall into such "lulls" easily
in symmetrical, semi-open positions.
Tactics by Reeh shows how danger signs on the diagonals were ignored by
one side or another, the most spectacular being Rapport Pijpers,
Groningen 2011:
[FEN "6k1/3bpp2/3p3p/q1pP1Pp1/
2BbP3/1Q6/6PP/1R5K w - - 0 33"]
Reeh finds this position "truly amazing" and I must agree. "On which
diagonal could there ever be danger looming for the black king, especially
with that monster bishop on d4? Yet the second player simply seemed to react
wrongly to White's next move and five moves later he was checkmated!"
33.Qh3!
My engines want to play 33.Qb6 at first, but soon recognize the strength of
the text.
34...Kh7
34...Kg7? loses a piece to the check by the pawn, but 34...Bg7 was probably
better. It was likely difficult to see the retreat because the bishop seems so
well-placed on d4.
34.e5!
Obstacle-clearing. 34...Qa8 is best.
34...Bxe5 35.f6!!
Surely even the most conservative annotator would give this clearance move,
which also sacrifices the queen, two exclamation points?
35...Bxh3
Black is lost. After 35...Be8 36.Qf5+, White will dominate and win the bishop
on e8.
36.Bd3+ Kg8 37.Rb8+ Qd8 38.Rxd8#
A game in which the appellation "problem-like moves" would be appropriate.
Mller annotates the endgames of Wijk aan Zee and Gibraltar. He gives them
such delightful and memorable names, such as Radjabov's pawn rockets or
closing the mating net.
Hast Ootes
Tata Steel-C, 2012
[FEN "R2B4/5p1k/2p1p1pp/3bP3/
5P2/4b3/6PP/7K w - - 0 33"]
Would you forget to close the mating net here, and play 33.Bf6?, which gives
drawing chances? Instead, the game is over after 33.h4! If you cannot work
out why, you certainly need Mller's always sage endgame commentary. Peter
Wells' Strategy section is always thought-provoking, and this was no
exception. He discusses the concept of harmony, covering such a diffuse topic
as effectively as possible. He writes, "Harmony is inevitably concerned with
the aesthetics of a position, but the practical player wants to ensure that the
pieces coordinate and cooperate in a way which promotes appropriate plans."
Wells claims Marin's annotations to Kramnik-Leko show a sensitivity to the

concept of harmony: "the way in which White's pieces vacate squares or lines
which are then utilised by their colleagues in the sequence 12.Bg5 13.Qf4 and
14. Rc1 carries tremendous appeal, but might still have been overlooked by a
less astute observer."
Here is the "before":
[FEN "rnq2rk1/2p1bppp/p3pn2/1p6/3Pb3/
5NP1/PP1BPPBP/RNQ2RK1 w - - 0 12"]
And the "after":

[FEN "r1q2rk1/1bpnbppp/p3pn2/1p4B1/
3P1Q2/5NP1/PP2PPBP/RNR3K1 b - - 0 14"
With Marin commenting as follows:
"There is something remarkable about White's last moves. I can't help

comparing them with certain patterns of play in chess problems (mates in
three or four, helpmates). White's pieces tend to make full use of the space left
available by their colleagues. 12.Bg5 has made available a whole new
diagonal for the queen and she uses it immediately, making the longest
possible move. This has cleared the c1-square and the king's rook hurries to
occupy it. I would also point out that the queen and the bishop concentrate
their pressure on the f6-square, while the queen and the rook attack the c7-
square. To my understanding, this is pure harmony, but let us return to the
more concrete world of practical chess, where things are not that clear."
Of the eight games discussing harmony in chess, one of them, Ward-

Williams, features again the 7...Ne4 variation of the Classical Dutch. That
opening does seem to be ubiquitous. There are many other sections as well. I
just realized that the Telechess section gives readers the chance to see their
annotated games published in CBM. It seems I am always finding something
new on these DVDs. The one recurring fault with ChessBase Magazine is the
poor editing (language usage) other than that everything else seems perfect!
Order ChessBase Magazine 147
Order ChessBase Magazine Subscription

Purchases from our
Chess Expertise Step by Step: accessible:
Vol. 3, Rook Handling
A Good Start!
ChessBase by Michael McGuerty
Cafe Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 3, Rook Handling (DVD), by Efstratios
Grivas, ChessBase, Video running time: 4 hours, $33.95 (ChessCafe Price:
Steven B. $27.95) Chess Expertise:
Unexpected Tactics
Dowd If there is one aspect of chess that every player can improve, it is rook
endgames. Even a minor advance in theoretical knowledge can go a long way.

In Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 3, Rook Handling, Greek GM Efstratios
Grivas describes them as the "most fascinating element of chess, rich in both
tactical and strategic possibilities." That they are the most frequently
Translate this page encountered type of endgame is further reason to become familiar with their
intricacies.
About the author

Introduction
Keep Your Rooks Active (four segments)
Chess Expertise:
A Trapped Rook (six segments)
Mastering Strategy
Losing a Drawn Rook Ending (six segments)
Technical Rook Endings (seven segments)
Rook on the Transfer (seven segments)
Rook and Knight (four segments)
Rook [sic] and three Pawns vs. Rook (seven segments; this part should
Rating Chart read knight and three pawns vs. rook)
Awful In the "About the author" segment, as can be expected, grandmaster Grivas
lists his extensive accomplishments as a chess trainer and author. He is a
Poor
FIDE Senior Trainer (Secretary of the FIDE Trainers' Commission), an
Uneven International FIDE Chess Arbiter, and an International FIDE Chess
Organizer. He has won several medals at various Olympiads and, in 2010, he
Good was awarded the FIDE TRG Boleslavsky Medal for best author of 2009
(though he does not mention for which title). It is a bit odd that they felt the
Great Chess Expertise:
need to include this as a video clip; a paragraph of text in the index window Endgame Magic
Excellent would have sufficed. by Efstratios Grivas
Grivas has a deep, gravelly voice and talks somewhat quickly with a heavy
accent, but by the end of the short introductory clip the viewer is already
acclimating to his enunciation and inflections and quite soon this does not
become an issue at all. During the introduction, he is clearly reading his
statement and never looks square at the camera. Nevertheless, his gaze is
directed forward in later segments, and, since the focus of the viewer is on the
chessboard during the tutorial clips, one does not notice the presenter as much
in these portions.
Grivas states that the aim of the DVD is to "cover important parts of this field
rook endings and help to assimilate knowledge and understand the depth of
proper handling of the rook in certain cases: how to keep the rook active; how
to trap a rook; how not to lose a drawn rook ending; how to handle technical
rook endings; how to successfully transfer our rook; how to use cooperation
between rook and knight; and how to defend against a knight and three
pawns."
Already in the first game segment, many important principles are conveyed.
In Flohr Vidmar, Nottingham 1936, Grivas begins his analysis with the
following position:
[FEN "3r1k2/1p3p1p/p5p1/3pn3/3N4/
1P2PP2/P5PP/2R2K2 b - - 0 29"]
He states that White seems to be slightly better because of Black's isolated

pawn, but Black should be able to hold the position. He notes 29...Ke7 would
have drawn, when Black only has one weakness, which White probably
cannot exploit.
29...Nc6?! 30.Nxc6 Rc8 31.Rc5?!
Here he notes 31.Ke2! is more precise: 31...bxc6 (31...Rxc6? 32.Rxc6 bxc6

33.b4! Ke7 34.Kd3 Kd6 35.Kd4) 32.Rc5.
31...bxc6?!
31...Rxc6 32.Rxc6 (32.Rxd5 Rc2 gives Black active counterplay for the
pawn) 32...bxc6 33.b4 Ke7 34.Ke2 Kd6 35.Kd3, when Black has time to play
35...c5 36.bxc5+ Kxc5 37.Kc3 a5=.
32.Ke2!
32.Ra5?! c5! 33.Rxa6 c4; 32.b4?! Ke7 33.Ke2 Kd6 34.Kd3 Rb8 35.a3 Rb5.
32...Ke7 33.Kd3 Kd6 34.Ra5!
34.Kd4?! Rb8 35.Ra5 c5+! 36.Kd3 Rb6=.
34...Ra8 35.Kd4
White prepares e4. It is too early for 35.e4 dxe4+ 36.Kxe4, as Black's king
will hold the weak pawns: 36...Kc7 37.Ke5 Kb6 38.b4 Re8+, allowing the
black rook to become active on e2.
35...f5 36.b4
Grivas calls this a critical moment. Black needs to have an active rook, but he
first needs to protect his weak queenside pawn.
[FEN "r7/7p/p1pk2p1/R2p1p2/
1P1K4/4PP2/P5PP/8 b - - 0 36"]
36...Rb8?
36...Kc7! was necessary. Grivas then launches into an extensive analysis: 37.
Kc5 Kb7 38.Kd6 Re8 39.Ra3
A) b) 39...d4 40.exd4 Re2 41.Rc3 Rxg2 (41...Rd2 42.Rc4) 42.Rxc6 Rxh2 43.
a4 g5 44.Rc7+! Kb6 45.Rg7 White is too active and he has a good
opportunity to win.
B) c) 39...g5! Grivas states that this simple move has been overlooked in most
of the endgame books:
B1) 40.g3
B1a) 40...d4?! 41.exd4 Re2 42.Ra5! h6 43.a4! (43.Rxf5 Rxa2 44.Rf7+ Kb6
45.Rc7 Rxh2 46.Rxc6+ Kb5 47.d5+/-) 43...Rb2 44.Rxf5 Rxb4 45.Kc5 Rxa4
46.Rf7++/-.
B1b) 40...g4! 41.f4 (41.fxg4 fxg4 42.Rc3 Rf8=) 41...Re4 42.Rc3 Rc4= and
Black's position is perfectly playable.
B2) 40.Rc3 f4 41.exf4 gxf4 42.Rxc6 Rd8+ 43.Kc5 d4 Black's d-pawn offers
good counterplay: 44.Re6 d3 45.Re1 Rg8=, gives Black a perfect position to
achieve a draw.
C) 39...f4? 40.exf4 Re2 41.g4 Rxh2 42.f5+, the f-pawn is very fast and
Black cannot hold the game.
The good news for us is that Grivas admits it is impossible to calculate all
these variations. Instead, we need to follow the principles of such positions.
We have to activate the rook, so it is logical to protect the pawn with the king
and then decide what to do with the rook. For sure, a8 is the wrong square for
the rook.
37.a3 Ra8
37...Rb6 puts Black in zugzwang after any White move.
38.e4!
Grivas calls this break "enlarging the battlefield," which many will recognize
as the principle of two weaknesses.
38...fxe4 39.fxe4 dxe4 40.Kxe4

[FEN "r7/7p/p1pk2p1/R7/1P2K3/P7/
6PP/8 b - - 0 40"]
40...Ra7?!
40...Kc7!
A) 41.Kf4? Rf8+ 42.Kg3 Kb6=, and Black should be fine because the rook is
active.
B) 41.h4!? Kb6 42.g4 (42.Kf4? Rd8 43.Kg5 Rd3 44.g4 Rd4 45.h5 Re4=) 42...
Rf8 43.h5+/-, White is better, but perhaps not yet winning. This is the line
preferred by Dvoretsky in his Endgame Manual.
C) However, Grivas likes 41.Re5! Kb6 42.g4 (42.Re7? a5! 43.Rxh7 axb4 44.
axb4 Ra4 45.Rg7 Rxb4+ 46.Kf3 Rh4! 47.h3 Rh6 48.Kg4 c5 49.Kg5 Rh8 50.
Rxg6+ Kb5 51.Rg7 c4=) 42...Rf8 (42...a5? 43.Rxa5 Rxa5 44.bxa5+ Kxa5 45.
Kd4+) 43.a4+/-, when White is better, but there is still a long way to go and
Black holds more resources for counterplay than after the passive move 40...
Ra7.
41.Kf4 h6
Trying to prevent the white king from entering the position. Now White has to
find a pawn breakthrough on the kingside to win some critical squares for his
king. Worse is 41...Ra8 42.Kg5 Ra7 43.Kh6 Ke6 44.g4 Kd6 45.h4 Ke6 46.g5
Kd6 47.a4+.
42.h4! Ke6 43.Kg4 Ra8 44.h5! g5
[FEN "r7/8/p1p1k2p/R5pP/1P4K1/
P7/6P1/8 w - - 0 45"]
44...gxh5+ 45.Kxh5 Rg8 46.g4+. Now the f5-square is weak and White must
use it to penetrate with the king to c6.
45.g3!
45.Kf3? Rf8+ 46.Ke4 Rf4+ and Black has become active. Now Black has no
counterplay and can only play waiting moves.
45...Ra7 46.Kf3! Ra8 47.Ke4 Ra7 48.Kd4 Kd6 49.Ke4 Ke6 50.Re5+!
A nice move. Black must allow the rook or the king to penetrate.
50...Kd6
If 50...Kf6, then 51.Rc5 Rc7 52.Ra5 Ra7 53.Kd4 Ke6 54.Kc5 Rd7 55.Rxa6
Rd3 56.Rxc6+ Kf7 57.a4 Rxg3 58.Rxh6+.
51.Re8 c5
51...Re7+ 52.Rxe7 Kxe7 53.Ke5, and Black is in zugzwang.
[FEN "4R3/r7/p2k3p/2p3pP/1P2K3/
P5P1/8/8 w - - 0 52"]
52.Rd8+! Kc6
After 52...Kc7 53.Rh8 cxb4 54.Rh7+ (54.axb4+) 54...Kb8 55.Rxa7 Kxa7 56.
axb4 Kb6 57.Kf5 Kb5 58.Kg6 Kxb4 59.Kxh6 a5 60.Kxg5 a4 61.h6 a3 62.h7
a2 63.h8Q.
53.Rc8+ Kb6 54.Rxc5 Rh7 55.Re5 Kc6 56.Re6+ Kb5 57.Kf5 Rf7+ 58.Rf6
10
This entire segment is just fifteen minutes long and yet it is packed with
teachable moments and it clearly demonstrates the importance of the rook's
activity in the endgame. A few other segments also approach the fifteen
minute mark (in the "Technical rook endings" section), while a good many
others are seven to ten minutes in length, and others just two or three minutes.
Grivas's presentation style is matter-of-fact and straightforward. He is more
the staid professor rather than the rambunctious sports commentator.
Most of the other games on the disk are from contemporary grandmaster
practice, though there are some golden oldies in Benko-Rossolimo, 1962;
Browne-Zuckerman, 1973; and Lein-Littlewood, 1980. Grivas gives the
complete game scores with each game, even though his commentary begins in
the endgame. Of the thirty-three annotated games, Grivas's own are featured
in five; three of which are in the technical rook endings section. In the game
Grivas-Papadopoulos, 2006, he showcases his 2265-rated opponent's
excellent technique in holding the draw in a pawn-down, four-versus-three
rook endgame. If a 2200 can survive the test of a 2500+ grandmaster by
following correct principles, then it only underscores the necessity of having
this knowledge in your endgame arsenal.
Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 3, Rook Handling comes bundled with the
ChessBase Reader and so works as a stand-alone program. It also runs within
the ChessBase database program or any of the Fritz-family of playing
programs. The system requirements are Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or
higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, etc.
Grivas himself notes that this DVD provides just a small amount of what one
needs to learn about rook endings. Yet he is correct in saying "it is a good
start!" One can watch these segments multiple times and each time come
away with some new insight. Seeing the ideas in action onscreen, they are
more likely to stay with you than if you only read them on the page of a book,
and you can always review the games at your own pace in the accompanying
database. Recommended for any level of player.
Order Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 3, Rook Handling

Buy all four Chess Expertise DVDs and automatically save $12.00!
We would like to thank Michael McGuerty for filling in for Steve Dowd this
month.


Purchases from our
Tactics: from Basics to Brilliance, Vol. 3 accessible:
by Valeri Lilov
Attacking A King Which Has Castled Short

by Valeri Lilov
1.e4 e5: An Active Repertoire for Black

ChessBase
Cafe
Before the Ending
Steven B. Opening Repertoire for
the Positional Player
First, I want to thank all of you who wished me well during my last illness
Dowd and regrettable absence from my column last month. I was especially pleased by Valeri Lilov
that so many old chess friends read this column, and it is always great to make
new friends through chess; in fact that is one reason I love this game so much!
I always wonder why opening trainers are so popular until I find myself
Translate this page playing poorly in the opening and then I wonder why there aren't more of
them! However, this month we feature two middlegame trainers, by the
always competent Lilov, and only one opening trainer.
Tactics: from Basics to Brilliance, Vol. 3 (DVD) by Valeri Lilov, ChessBase,

Playing time: 4 hours. $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
I consider Valery Lilov a master teacher in training.

He is not as polished a presenter as Andrew Martin Play it Safe, Play the Petroff
or Nigel Davies, but he is definitely on the path of by Leonid Kritz
continued progress. On this DVD, Lilov proceeds
with his exploration of tactics in the Basics to
Brilliance series. In sixty-two games, he moves from
knight forks through weaknesses on files and
Rating Chart diagonals to discovered attacks, overloading, and
misplaced pieces. From the package insert:
Awful
"Topics start from "the hole in the fianchetto"
Poor and go as far as "the seventh rank." But that's
Uneven
not all we get! How about a combination juggling from a "decoy into a
pin?" You will find everything you didn't find in other tactics books, all
Good in one place, because it is now put together just for you! Enjoy FM
Learn from the Open Games
Valeri Lilov's training once again and get your tactics to the next level
Great now! "
by Sam Collins
Excellent
A bit of hyperbole, but not inaccurate, at least for players below 1600 Elo or
so. Lilov's explanation of motif versus theme is a bit of a struggle to
comprehend at first and his differentiation may be a bit homespun, but it
makes sense the more you consider it and that is what a good teacher does
shows justification for his own explanations. It not always necessary that the
student believe it, it is only necessary that the student understand it clarity of
presentation is one of the hallmarks of a master teacher.
In explaining his use of motif and theme, he uses back rank (or weakness) as
an example of motif. The theme is the execution of the tactic or combination,
the "way we exploit it, the action that we take." Deflection is a theme.
Consider the following:
[FEN "5rk1/pp3r1p/3p2p1/3NP2q/2Pn4/
1P4Q1/P2R2PP/4R1K1 b - - 0 1"]
The experienced player will note the rook on d2 and the lack of an escape
square for the white king, the black queen's ability to "run down" the diagonal
h5-d1, and the weak square e2. In fact, if you can't spot the motif the weak
back rank you are a prime candidate for this DVD to get your tactics up to
speed.
Now to the execution. Since e2 is a weak square, how is this exploited in

combination with the back rank weakness? Lilov calls attention immediately
to 1...Qe2!, which is indeed an "extraordinary move." The rooks are exposed
as helpless and clumsy against the queen and knight. This is a powerful
deflection (the theme). One thing I would have added is why 1...Ne2+!? is not
as effective as the text move, but perhaps he considered that only noise in
relation to the very clean execution of the theme.
All the examples are well presented on this DVD, which could serve as a
great resource for any player below 1600 or for teachers looking for
supplemental material for their students. It would also be a competent
refresher for the stronger player looking to shake off the rust. A solid five-star
presentation; I look forward to more Lilov, as always.
Order Tactics: from Basics to Brilliance, Vol. 3

by Valeri Lilov
Attacking A King Which Has Castled Short (DVD) by Valeri Lilov,

ChessBase, Playing time: 4 hours. $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
This is another solid effort from FM Lilov. Barring

the awkward title, it is a very good introduction to
attacking the castled king. This is a great start before
taking on weightier classical tomes, such as
Vukovic's Art of Attack in Chess, and it also features
a few things you won't find in those classical works,
as the author has the benefit of modern experience.
He begins appropriately with attacks on g7. Attacks

on this square are amongst the most important to
know when attacking the castled position. The
"why" is not always obvious to chess students, so I
always have my own students repeat the mantra: "g7 is the new f7." By this
we mean that f7 is no longer the weakest square on the board. Because, once
castled, g7 is the only square protected by the king, and the g7-pawn is an
important protector of the king. Nevertheless, much more importance tends to
be attached to the h7-sacrifices, such as the Greek gift, probably because it is
flashier and tends to draw the black king out.
In the first lesson, Lilov presents the following position:

[FEN "r1bq1rk1/3nbppp/p2pp3/6PQ/1p1BP2P/
2NB4/PPP2P2/2KR3R w - 0 14"]
This is from the game Movsesian-Babula, 1996. If you follow along in your
database, you will find four games with this position, and since Lilov doesn't
give the games with full continuations, it is worth following with the
database. If nothing else, you see all the ways White can win. I don't consider
it a deficit that he doesn't present all these possibilities; that isn't the goal of a
DVD, and the good student will always search for the whole story on his own.
Of course, here the passive 14.Ne2? isn't going to lead anywhere. Black can
then shut off the bishop by playing the pawn or knight to e5, or could also
consider 14...Qa5. The target should be clear: the king, and specifically his
protection: the g7-pawn. Lilov notes you really need three things in any
attack: a target (g7 and the king), three pieces to attack (two sometimes work
if others can come in from the wings in time, but that can be dodgy), and open
lines.
So we start with 14.Bxg7! In his annotations in Megabase, Ftacnik gives 14.

Nd5! as of equal worth. However, then 14...Ne5! seems to blunt the d4-bishop
and aim at getting the important d3-bishop off the board. But perhaps I am
missing something. The game continued 14...Nc5 15.Qh6 (we could be
greedy with 15.Bxf8, but why?) 15...Re8 (15...Nxd3+ just lifts the rook to d3)
and now 16.Ne2!, the move that was passive just two moves ago, threatens to
bring the knight to g3 and h5 with a crushing attack. White wins.
Speaking of rook lifts, another idiosyncratic use of language is his calling the
rook lift a "rook switch." He even notes that "some people" (practically
everyone) call this a rook lift. "Rook switch" just doesn't bring the same
action to mind for me.
That the DVD is very comprehensive in seen in the follow-ups to the g7-
sacrifice in double sacrifices on h7- and g7, f7- and g7. In fact, I must say
again that this DVD covers more topics than well-established sources like
Vukovic.
I am the author of a two-part article on the Bxh6 sacrifice here at the

ChessCafe.com (and one I was proud of), so I was very interested in his
coverage of the Bxh6 sacrifice. As with many sacrifices that expose the king's
position, it must often be made on general principles: not with a mate in sight,
but the opponent must defend for a prolonged time, and enough material
equivalent (usually pawns) must be secured in case the king can escape.
The goal of Bxh6 is again to destroy the cover provided by g7. This example
really floored me, as I could not initially see the value of the sacrifice. It is
Vogt's only win against Uhlmann in the databases, and in a French, no less! If
you had asked me who conducted the white pieces, I would have guessed
Fischer.
Vogt, Lothar (2505) Uhlmann, Wolfgang (2515)

East Berlin,1989
French Defense [C18]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 0-0 8.Bd3
Nbc6?! 9.Qh5 h6? 10.Bxh6! gxh6 11.Qxh6 Nf5 12.Bxf5 exf5
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp3p2/2n4Q/2ppPp2/3P4/
P1P5/2P2PPP/R3K1NR w KQ - 0 13"]
Sure Black's king is open, but only the queen is in play. Yet after White's next
move, Black is totally lost!
13.0-0-0!
Starting to clear the way for the rooks to come into play, but the rook is not
even brought to a square from which it can lift, as Black's 14...c4 seals it off.
My Fritz 11 spends a lot of time on 13.Nh3, which it initially evaluates as
equal, and takes a very long time before it "sees" long castling.
13...c4 14.Nh3 f6 15.Qg6+ Kh8 16.Rhe1 fxe5 17.dxe5 f4
Black gives himself an opportunity he cannot take: removing the Nh3, which
would just open the g-file. But what else? This is an amazing position where
Black has no hope. It is one of those rare positions where you don't need three
pieces immediately in the attack; the white queen restrains any black play
while the white pieces take their time in getting to the king.
18.Qh6+ Kg8 19.Nxf4 Qe7 20.Re3 Bg4 21.Nxd5 Qxa3+ 22.Kb1 1-0
Where the DVD is truly valuable, however, is in its coverage of pawn attacks
and pawn storms, which constitute five of the lessons. All levels of players
can benefit from this discussion, and I would like to recommend to Lilov that
he consider making "Pawn Levers and Storms Against the King" his next
DVD. I would be willing to buy that, no questions asked! To say the least, I
picked up a lot from those five lessons.
This is a five-star DVD that has something of value for all players, especially
those who have not explored the topic of attacking the castled king in depth.
Highly recommended.
Order Attacking a King Castled Short

by Valeri Lilov
1.e4 e5: An Active Repertoire for Black (DVD) by Adrian Mikhalchishin,

ChessBase, Playing time: 6 hours 48 min. $31.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
This trainer was a pleasant surprise for me, because

it offered a very informative discussion by a
grandmaster on the "neglected" open games. It
doesn't really meet the goal, in my opinion, of
providing an active repertoire for Black, especially
at the club player level, but it is definitely a good
starter for finding your own repertoire in the open
games. There is no formal introduction, but the
introductory comments regarding opening choice
are golden here: a useful discussion of why you
might choose 1.e4 e5 as opposed to various other
openings, the fight for the center, etc.
Mikhalchishin has a pronounced accent, but he is perfectly understandable.

He tends to rush through positions at times, and this means that multiple
viewings are necessary if you want to get the full gist of an idea.
He starts very well, using Smyslov as the model player for the first portion of
the Spanish: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6. Why g6 versus the Spanish? It can
be similar to a King's Indian, not in the sharp attacks but as a means of
fighting for the center. This line is easy to study and implement. You don't
need to know a lot of theory, but you need to know ideas, which makes it an
ideal opening for players below 2200.
Then he oddly switches to both the Exchange and the Archangelsk variations.
I am not sure why you would need these in your repertoire if you already had
the Smyslov line without ..a6. In fact, it seems a rather dissonant choice. I
believe he is trying to give the viewer a number of possibilities, but I am not
certain it makes much sense in a repertoire DVD. A grandmaster may need
several lines, but most of us need just one in fact, having too many can be
just confusing for the club player.
Mikhalchishin notes the many holes that can be found in this opening, but he
also praises the good development. If you like his ideas here you may want to
try his trainer on the Archangelsk. His contention is that the e4-square is of
significant importantance in the Spanish, and the Archangelsk certainly piles
pressure on that square in many variations.
In Mikhalchishin's version, Black plays ...h6 and ...g5 with castling short. The
piece activity makes up for having what Purdy called the weakest kingside
position. You have to be especially adept at handling these sorts of positions:
Prandstetter, Eduard (2400) Mikhalchishin, Adrian (2485)

Dortmund, 1990
1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.Re1 Bc5 8.c3
d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 g5
Castling here for Black and playing a later ...g5 will lead to various pieces
sacrifices on g5, which will be hard for Black to meet.
12.Bg3
None of the piece sacrifices quite work here without Black having castled.
[FEN "r2qk2r/1bp2p2/pbnp1n1p/1p2p1p1/
3PP3/1BP2NB1/PP3PPP/RN1QR1K1 b kq - 0 12]
12...0-0!?
This was a novelty at the time. The traditional line began with 12...Qe7 and
castling long, along with ...h5. If you examine the position in your database,
you will find that both Beliavsky and Hector have also been successful with
the line, along with Mikhalchishin, of course. White has only a 43.5% success
rate, which does speak to it's potential, but there have been relatively few GM
games with the line.
13.h4
13.Qd3 may be better. Exchanges on e5 just work out to a Black advantage
13...g4 14.Nh2 h5 15.Qc1
This certainly seems best, along with 15.Qd2, while 15.d5? Ne7 just lets
Black bring another piece to the kingside.
15...Kh7
There are many holes in the black position, but Mihalchishin is more
impressed with Black's "fantastic development."
16.Qg5 Rg8
This move involves a pawn sacrifice.
17.Qf5+ Kh8 18.dxe5
White doesn't take the sacrifice. 18.Bxf7 Bc8 19.Be6 Bxe6 20.Qxe6 exd4 21.
Na3 dxc3 22.bxc3 Qf8 23.Nc2 Re8 24.Qf5 Ne7 25.Qf4 Ng6 26.Qf5 is glossed
over as better for Black, which it certainly is. In the only game with this in the
databases, Svensson-Lejlic 1994, White played 21.Nd2 and won, but Black
should still be better there as well. It certainly is a position worth exploring
for both sides.
18...Nxe5 19.Bxe5
The engines already evaluate Black as much better here.
19...dxe5 20.Qxe5 Qd6!
This removes White's only active piece; Black has terrible pressure against e4
and f2.
21.Qxd6 cxd6 22.g3 Nxe4 23.Re2 Nxg3 24.Re7 Bc6 25.Nd2 Nf5 26.Rxf7
Raf8 27.Nhf1 g3 28.Nxg3 Rxg3+ 29.Kf1 Rxf7 30.Bxf7 Rg2 0-1
Certainly a model game. If this sort of fighting chess interests you, I

recommend you check out the Archangelsk DVD too.
I was quite interested in Mikhalchishin's assessment of the Bishop's Opening,

as that has been the source of the most heartbreak for me in tournaments. He
advocates building a big center, noting, "White can attack Black's center, but
the center is the center." As regular readers of this column know, I always test
openings in online games to see what I have learned. I can report a big
success here by following the author's ideas, and I want to thank him
profusely for that.
Another interesting contention of the grandmaster is that the King's Gambit is

underestimated. He asserts that White can achieve better positions than in the
Spanish, and this opening is due for a comeback. A good tip presented here is
to remind you that one can approach a gambit in two ways: take all or
nothing. The "in-between" route is rarely successful. Thus, he recommends
two lines: one declined and one accepted.
I was especially impressed with his discussion of the King's Gambit declined
and accepted. A particularly excellent discussion focuses on the right time for
White to take the c5-bishop in the 2...Bc5 declined variation. For example,
after 1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.d3 Bg4 7.Na4 0-0 8.
Nxc5 dxc5 (the loss of the bishop is not a problem here) 9.0-0 Nh5 10.h3
Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nxf4 12.Bxf4 he recommends his own innovation 12...Nd4!
(Forster-Mihalchishin, 2002), giving Black some chances to fight for a win in
a position that is normally a well-known drawing line.
If you decide you prefer the approach of taking the f4-pawn, he recommends
the modern line 3.Nf3 Ne7.
There is very little to speak against on this DVD, except its positioning as a
repertoire trainer. In its defense, the universe of the open games is very broad
and not easily covered in a few hours; whereas it is easy to make a repertoire
trainer on Larsen's or the Bird's Opening, for instance. If you view this DVD
as a potential starter for your search for an opening repertoire based on 1.e4
e5, then you will not be disappointed. In general, this one rates five stars, but
four as an opening repertoire trainer. Good work from the GM and I hope to
view more of his work in the future.
Order 1. e4 e5: An Active Repertoire for Black



Purchases from our
Play it Safe, Play the Petroff accessible:
by Leonid Kritz
Attacking A King Which Has Castled Short

by Valeri Lilov
Opening Repertoire for the Positional Player

by Valery Lilov
ChessBase
Cafe
In Search of an Opening Repertoire
Steven B. Opening Repertoire for
the Positional Player
I am one of those players who is always threatening to get back into the game.
Dowd After all, I can play "senior" chess now, in tournaments without those young by Valeri Lilov
whippersnappers that always ruin it for us old guys. I suppose that is why I
am enthusiastic about these videos I continue to be optimistic that one of
them is going to reveal my "new" opening repertoire to me. Recently, I have
had difficulty in choosing a repertoire before I get back to the tournament
Translate this page grind. I would like to play more solidly, but this has eluded me thus far.
Nevertheless, in chess, you have to be an optimist!
I always wonder why opening trainers are so popular until I find myself
playing poorly in the opening and then I wonder why there aren't more of
them! However, this month we feature two middlegame trainers, by the
always competent Lilov, and only one opening trainer.
Play it Safe, Play the Petroff (DVD) by Leonid Kritz, ChessBase. Playing Play it Safe, Play the Petroff
time: 4 hours, 37 minutes. $31.95 (ChessCafe price: $27.95) by Leonid Kritz
I love the open games, but every tournament player

needs a safety net opening for various occasions. I
chose the Petroff because it provides that safety net,
Rating Chart while also offering winning chances without too many
losing chances.
Awful
This DVD provides exactly what it sets out to. In fact,
Poor I may consider the Petroff as a main line, especially if
Uneven
combined with approaches like Shirov's on My Best
Games in the Petroff Defence (which is anything but
Good safe, as you would expect!). Learn from the Open Games
Great by Sam Collins
The presentation starts off a bit wooden, but Kritz becomes more animated as
Excellent he demonstrates the variations. In fact, variations is pretty much all you get.
Not much time is spent on specific ideas or games you might hang your hat
on. There are a few ideas, of course, such as the relative strength of the pawn
structure d6/d5, where Black has had to allow the exchange of his dark-
squared bishop, but gains good control over the e5-square.
That is when you have to ask the question as to whether the video approach is
being used to its fullest capabilities. Since video offers you more chances to
exploit the fact that most people are visual and aural learners, you should take
advantage of that. Kritz sadly does not, although he does a very competent job
of presenting the variations and making brief stops to evaluate the position.
But no more.
My main interest was in how he handled the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4,
which has been a pet line of mine for many years. Black plays 3...Nxe4 "of
course" and then the usual is 4.Bd3. No mention is made of 4.dxe5!?, which
hopes for 4...Bc5 and a slew of complications. This must be a deficit; not
because the line is good (I find only the uncompromising Short has tried this
amongst strong Gms), but because it can be tricky, and if you are going to
"play it safe" you probably want to avoid this line.
Black can simply transpose into the main line after 4.dxe5 with 4...d5 and
then there is nothing better than 5.Bd3 d5, when one line continues 5...Be7
6.0-0 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.Re1 Nc6 9.Nc3, and we reach this position:
[FEN "r2qk2r/ppp1bppp/2n5/3pP2b/4n3/
2NB1N1P/PPP2PP1/R1BQR1K1 b kq - 0 9"]
Here Kamsky defeated Carlsen at the World Cup in 2007 (Kritz only
mentions that it is a "famous game" of Kamsky's) after 8...Bg6 10.Bd2 Nxd2
11.Qd2 d4 12.Ne4 0-0. After 12.Ne4, he recommends 12...Bb4!?, which
certainly merits a try over the board, since 13.c3 is forced, although his line
13...dxc 14.bxc Be7 15.Rad1 0-0 16.Qf4 Qc8, where he says that ...Qf5 "is
coming." White can nip that in the bud with 17.Ng3, where it looks to me like
White is better.
But even better than that, I believe, is not continuing in the vein of Kamsky's
game, with 16.Qc2! When, if Black tries 16...Qc8, White responds with 17.
Neg5! threatening to destroy the g7 strong point and if 16...Qe8, White can
consider 17.Qb1 or the forcing 17.Nf6+, which pops up quite a bit in this line
whether White is castled or not.
The reason I distrust this line today is because of another line Kritz gives: the
more direct 8...Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nxe5 10.Qe2 Nxc3 11.bxc Kf8. White has
compensation for a pawn, but I doubt he can do much more than win it back
with an equal position. This is more in tune with of "playing it safe."
I certainly learned from and enjoyed the video. Some added features, as
mentioned earlier, could have driven it into first class status, and hopefully
GM Kritz will consider this in his future productions. The DVD is advertised
as being suitable for all strengths of players, and I am mostly in agreement
with that probably players of Elo 1400-2200 will benefit the most.
Order Play it Safe, Play the Petroff

by Leonid Kritz
Learn from the Open Games (DVD) by Sam Collins, ChessBase, Playing
The author is clear that this is not an opening

repertoire, instead Collins offers an overview of
specific games rather than lines, and the material is
arranged by theme: exchanges, attacking strategy,
gambits and sacrificial play, opening selection, play
with opposite color bishops, restriction of the
opponents pieces, play in queenless middlegames and
endgame technique. These themes, which continue to
crop up in open games, function to guide play in the
middlegame. The only trouble is that the themes are
not stated expressly in the menu there the only
arrangement is by opening! I had to go back and insert the theme names on
my own.
Here is the example of the opposite-colored bishops. Learning about "the

opposites" is worthwhile as they are valuable in a middlegame attack, but also
because knowledge of how they work in the ending can bring extra points
one thing I have found is that too many individuals assume that one pawn
down is a forced draw. Often it is, but not always. Here, White goes down a
pawn, but his dark-square bind and attacking chances are simply too much for
Black to overcome.
Jones, G Hebden, M.
Kilkenny 2011
Scotch Gambit [C56]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6
The Scotch Gambit, a favorite of mine. You can play 5.0-0, but unfortunately
too many people know the lines well, and except for what Collins calls
"rubbishy sidelines" you can't hope for more than sterile equality.
5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.Be3 Bd7 9.Bxc6 bxc6
Black will want to get his bishop back to b6 and push his queenside pawn
majority with ...c5 and ...d4; White has a kingside pawn majority he wants to
push with f3 and f4.
10.Nd2 Qh4 11.00 Bb6
A standard position for the opening. Nakamura played 12.Nb3 against

Hebden in 2008 and won; 12.c4 is also possible. Jones uncorks an innovation
he had found during the previous summer.
12.a4!
[FEN "r3k2r/p1pb1ppp/1bp5/3pP3/P2Nn2q/
4B3/1PPN1PPP/R2Q1RK1 b kq - 0 12"]
A move that doesn't show its true intent until later. White threatens to push
against the bishop with a5, but that is only the immediate threat. In retrospect,
it is easy to recommend that Black castle instead.
12...a5 13.e6! Bxe6 14.Nxe4 Qxe4 15.Re1 Bxd4
Probably best, although the engines already note that White has sufficient
compensation
16.Bxd4 Qg6 17.Ra3!
This rook-lift is the actual point of 12.a4. Collins considers that Black's
position might be hopeless at this point. Although it looks like an aggressive
defense might have stemmed the tide, White certainly has all the chances in a
practical game.
17...Kd7
The "computer move" 17...Rg8 may have been better.
18.Rg3 Qf5 19.Qd2 Qh5 20.Bxg7
The engines prefer 20.Rg5, but it is understandable why White keeps the rook
on the third rank. It is fairly obvious that the black squares have been
weakened, perhaps beyond repair, as Collins claims.
20...Rhg8 21.Qd4 Qf5 22.c4 Rab8 23.h4 Rb4 24.b3 Kc8
The black king just becomes a target now, although his crown was not resting
easy on d7. Perhaps 24...Qc2! would have held, which gives White fewer
targets. Then the logical 25.Qf4 is met by the switchback 25...Qf5! and how is
White to make progress?
25.Qa7! f6 26.Qxa5 Rb8 27.cxd5 cxd5
With the c-file open, the end is near.
28.Rc1 Qf4 29.Bh6!
A sweet little overloading of the black queen.
29...Qd6 30.Rgc3 Rb7 31.Qa8+ 1-0
The themes and ideas presented here are worth seeing for any player with
more than a passing familiarity with the open games. The DVD could serve as
a good introduction to these themes for lower-rated players as well.
Another solid effort from the Irish GM, who is a great presenter. Collins has
that self-effacing manner that endears himself to a viewer: "There are good
game and there are my games on this DVD. And I hope some of my games
are good games as well." Moreover, he takes the time to think before speaking
(though this does bring about lots of pauses), but I find this preferable to some
presenters who talk too quickly and misspeak. And he does refer viewers to a
neat set of DVDs that do provide an opening repertoire for Black in the open
games: Black Repertoire against 1.e4, Vol. 1: The Marshall Attack and Black
Repertoire against 1.e4, Vol. 2: Open Games.
Order Learn from the Open Games

by Sam Collins
Opening Repertoire for the Positional Player (DVD) by Valery Lilov,

ChessBase, Playing time: 4 hours. $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
I was intrigued by Lilov's DVD mainly because I

never have considered myself a positional player. But I
recognize that positional play has to enter in a player
of my years, or as Lasker once noted, I needed to give
up the Cowboys and Indians approach to chess.
However, the trainer covers all sorts of openings: the
English; various d4 openings, including the Torre; 1.e4
e5 as white and black; and so on. So what exactly is he
advocating? Certainly no one except a Spassky is
enough of an "all-rounder" to play all those openings?
This trainer turns out to be more of a discussion of how to apply positional
concepts in your opening, so long as you play most of the usual first move
choices. Lilov should take a page from the opening pamphleteers of the 1970s
and rename the trainer "How to Play a Rock-Solid Opening, No Matter What
Your Style!"
Unlike many of those pamphlets of that era, it would be a true and honest
description in this case. If this were properly conveyed in the title, then it
would be a more attractive product for players like me who are not good at
positional play! The package insert notes, "Let one of the best coaches on the
internet guide you through the maze of positional chess where none of your
tactical opponents tricks will work! Learn how to take advantage of your
positional style of play with the help of the Tiger. " With this assessment I am
in full agreement.
This won't offer a way to choose or learn a repertoire, but it will solidify your
knowledge of how to play the opening and, for example, learn when it is
important to not worry about losing the two bishops, etc. This DVD should
help combat such wrong-headed thinking.
The content of this video is simply excellent. There are all sorts of neat
discussions from an experienced player on how to embark on getting the
middlegame you want through sound positional means. Lilov is fully in
control on this one; you'll be passing up a good set of lessons (especially for
lower-rated players) if you don't consider it for your video library. My one
major critique is that Lilov, like many strong players, is too immediately
dismissive of Black gambit lines, such as the Latvian or Elephant Gambits. It
isn't that these lines are good, but many of us don't know how to meet them. A
great future video for Lilov would be "How to Refute Positionally Unsound
Openings."
My interest was in the Torre attack, which he calls it a "Universal Weapon,"

and it seems like an opening you could assay against any level or style of
player. As usual, the 1400-1800 crowd will benefit the most from Lilov's
instruction, although I found his material a useful reminder. For example,
after 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 probably just about everyone knows 3...g6? is
not best because of 4.Bxf6, but do you know why? One trap players often fall
into is knowing that something is bad without knowing why. I am probably as
guilty as anyone on that account.
The answer is that the pawn on d5 has been weakened. Not only has the
support from f6 been knocked out but the pawn on e7 can no longer support
his colleague on d5. Thus after 5.e3 Bg7 6.c4 0-0 7.Nc3 c6 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.
Qb3, White has an exceptionally solid position and will win a pawn:
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/pp3pbp/5pp1/3p4/3P4/
1QN1PN2/PP3PPP/R3KB1R b KQ - 0 9"]
What the DVD lacks is an adequate explanation of how to proceed from here.
Strong players don't need that; but I suspect many in the target audience do.
Also some further explanation of what to do if Black takes on c4 rather than
saddling himself with the isolated pawn would help.
There are some neat tidbits here; for example, after the better 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3
Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.Nbd2 Be7 5.Bxf6!? is mentioned as a possibility, leading to a
position similar to the Rubinstein French, and based on the fact that, again,
striving for the bishop-pair is not always the sound choice. If there was a
personality test for chess, I would definitely score high on the "bishop-pair
overestimation scale."
One of the idiosyncracies of the early bishop developments after 1.d4 is that
the dark-squared bishop may not be as useful as the light-squared one,
reminding of Tarrasch's dictum that "without his king's bishop, he could not
play chess." Many of the games I found in the database with this "Rubinstein
approach" had White pressuring the kingside for a long time, and then
transposing to a better endgame where Black had permanent structural
weaknesses. It was something you could learn by ideas and basic structures
exactly what I would think the "positional approach" was all about.
Unfortunately, the move order 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 is simply not good;
the way you should enter this line is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 d5. These
bishop sorties require an accurate move order. As Palliser notes in The Torre
Attack: Move by Move (a book I highly recommend if you want to understand
the ideas behind the Torre) 3.Bg5 without ...e6 allows 3...Ne4! and in my
opinion, White is fighting for no more than equality, and can easily slip into a
bad position if he continues dogmatically.
There are a few slip-ups of this sort, but not many. In general, I was pleased
with what I found; in the lines you won't play, there still are important
positional ideas that will transfer well to other settings (e.g., control of d5). I
suppose to leave your audience wanting more is the hallmark of a good
teacher and performer, and I hope Lilov expands on this idea of solidity in the
opening in future trainers. For people like me, who, for better or worse, often
play like a caveman, it would be a welcome addition to my video library. Yet
this one serves well.
Order Opening Repertoire for the Positional Player

by Valeri Lilov


Purchases from our
1000x Checkmate accessible:
by Lubomir Ftacnik
All About Checkmate
ChessBase First, let me thank all the chess friends I have met through this column, which
is, unfortunately, going to be my last because of some personal issues in my
Cafe life. I have learned so much and appreciated the comments you have made.
ChessBase TeamViewer Support

Steven B. Chess Endgames 11
I imagine I am like many of the readers of this column: serious about chess by Karsten Mller
Dowd but somewhat limited with regard to technical matters. This is an issue that
arose in reviewing this month's trainer; everything worked fine except the
training function! So I contacted ChessBase support and soon received a reply
with a few suggestions.
Translate this page
Strategy University, Vol 5

It turns out that I must have unchecked the "enable training" function in CB11
at some point and forgot all about it. This is as simple as clicking the training
tab in the board window and checking the box for "enable training." However,
Rating Chart for some reason I could not find this on my own, so ChessBase support
invited me into a TeamViewer session. This creates a remote desktop
Awful connection that allowed them to access my computer, and they not only
enabled the training feature, they also made some tweaks that allowed for
Poor
better utilization of other features in CB11.
Uneven
I have expressed my admiration for ChessBase's technical support before, and The Chebanenko
Good once again I am very happy with their commitment to customer service. That by Victor Bologan
Great
is one reason I will continue to support CB products.
Excellent 1000x Checkmate (DVD) by Lubomir Ftacnik, ChessBase, Video Playing

Time: 60 min. $27.95 (ChessCafe Price: $21.95)
I probably do not need to cite GM Nigel Short's

famous comment about excess attention to pawn
structure and other positional considerations being a
waste of time because "checkmate ends the game" to
readers of this column. Indeed, checkmate is what it
is all about, and knowing mating patterns makes you
a better player more than memorizing umpteen
moves of opening theory ever will.
I will cite the package insert on this one, as it will
also relate to various points I will make throughout
the review:
"In this extended update of the ChessBase mating course, Lubomir

Ftacnik initiates you into the fine art of mating your opponent. In four
videos the grandmaster explains typical mating patterns. At the same
time, two small collections of material allow systematic assimilation of
the subject of delivering mate. After that, it is all about answering the
training questions in 1000 mating exercises.
"The positions are classified in different ways. The simplest of these

differentiates between mate in 1, 2 or 3 moves. There is a
methodological way of accessing the 1000 mating exercises via 15 main
themes. These include themes such as back rank mate, smothered mate,
the king in the centre or motifs involving the h-file. The systematic
solving of exercises on specific themes may be a little easier but it will
certainly help you when similar motifs crop up in your own games."
The first thing I like about this trainer are the short lessons. There are four
mini-lectures by Ftacnik that total "only" sixty minutes. But they are just
about the right length. In my former life as a professor, I found that short
lectures with intensive follow-ups of drill-and-review brought about better
learning outcomes on all levels: short-term, long-term, and quality of
knowledge.
However, that is putting the cart before the horse, and not showing some of
the real advantages this trainer brings, whether you are a tyro at the board or
at the mouse. There is a much better introductory section to this trainer than
most. It is titled "How to work with this database":
So if you are new to chess or chess databases, you have a convenient way of
learning both. Here is a small sample of what you find in the "Basics" section,
taken from the "Taking the piece" section:
[FEN "6kR/5p2/6N1/8/8/8/8/b5K1 b - - 0 1"]
Of course, this is about mate prevention: How can Black stop the mate, and
the answer is course 1...Bxh8.
Thus, before you ever start the videos, if you are a beginner, you have a way
to get up to speed first. And the videos are mostly well-done. Ftacnik is not a
naturally strong presenter, he hems and haws a bit, and has an indirect way of
speaking (he takes too long, for example, to make the case of studying
checkmates as the alpha and omega of chess study), but he is a professional,
and makes a concerted effort. Still, a more forceful, less hesitating style would
be of benefit.
His discussion is arranged in terms of motifs, for mates, the below is an
example of "Rook and light pieces" from the tenth round of the 2007 world
championship tournament in the game Aronian-Grischuk:
[FEN "3r2kb/p7/7P/8/1P1pBpN1/R6P/
P3bP2/6K1 w - - 0 37"]
Here Aronian effectively finished off the game with 37.Rxa7! and Grischuk
banked on his pawn with 37...d3 38.h7+ Kf8 39.Bg6 d2 40.Rf7+ Ke8 41.Nf6
+ Bxf6 42.Rg7+ 1-0. Here perhaps you see my quibble with the classification
scheme. Surely the white pawn has as much to say in this position as the other
pieces, since it will promote with mate on the next move. And the drawing-
out of the bishop from the queening square and the resultant shut-off of that
piece with the precise 42.Rg7+ has something to do with the combination
working, if not everything.
Perhaps the developers and Ftacnik thought this would be a case of "TMI,"
too much information, and thought it not worth including. I could understand
this; it can be confusing to list too many motifs.
After you go through basic patterns on the video, there is a reinforcement

section. This is what the package insert refers to as the "two small collections
of material [that] allow systematic assimilation of the subject of delivering
mate." This is from the mating motif section:
You will see that you can access the game by clicking on the green-
highlighted link, which is a nice feature when you want to move the pieces
around. The second of the two "small collections" was the elementary section
I already discussed. This is a bit confusing, but this has to do with how the
material is presented in the package insert a bit more "up-front" clarity in
advertising CB products is needed.
The process of drill-and-review has been known for over a century to bring
the best learning results, yet it is not used often enough. I firmly believe every
trainer should have a drill-and-review section. You learn best by doing, and
when you cannot play the game, the next best thing is drill-and-review
exercises. How else do you know what you learned or did not learn? A slick
presenter can make you feel like you learned a lot but when you next play at
the club or in a tournament, will you really remember that opening line you
just looked at? That endgame? No trainer without drill-and-review is
complete.
This is what makes this trainer usable for any level of player. If Dad is the
local master, and son is just learning the game, both can benefit from this
DVD. Here is an example of the drill-and-review section (the "Mates"
section):
You will see that I was correct on Black's last two moves (...g5+ and ...Rxh3
+) and have now only to deliver the final coup of ...Bf3# to get the maximum
score of 100% on this one.
So you get much more than just the thousand mates, which is only the last
portion of the DVD. You get video training with a GM, reinforcement
through a review, and then the chance to test your knowledge. It is no
different than a competent shampoo: lather, rinse, repeat. And if the jump to a
DVD trainer is a big one, the use of the trainer is explained in great detail. If
you just learned chess, what you need to learn basic patterns is there as well.
My biggest nit with this DVD is "Smoothered mate." Yes, there it is. This
despite the fact that the package insert uses the correct "smothered." There are
many mistakes you can let go, but, really, ChessBase? A "smoothered mate?"
All sorts of bad puns leap to mind: "Is that a smothered mate delivered in a
smooth fashion?" "How did the cow checkmate the goose? With a smoothered
mate?" If you try to type "smoothered mate" in Google, it will correct you.
Spell-check will alert you. How do these things happen in otherwise quality
products?
That said, I rate this product highly. All of us, from beginner to master, need
more checkmate study and practice. And this one delivers the goods.
Order 1000x Checkmate

by Lubomir Ftacnik

A Head Start Purchases from our
by Michael McGuerty accessible:
The Chebanenko: Still Improved (DVD), by Victor Bologan, ChessBase,
Video running time: 4 hours 40 min. $32.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
In 2008, New in Chess published The Chebanenko Slav According to

Bologan, and Bologan notes that the openings popularity has only improved
since then (hence the title of the DVD), with many games played at a very
high level, including by Magnus Carlsen.
ChessBase
The variation arises upon 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc4 a6 and is named
Cafe after Vyacheslav Chebanenko, the patriarch of Moldovian chess, who was one
of Bologan's trainers in Kishinev. Chebanenko also developed the system
with 3.Bb5 in the Sicilian, which is yet the topic of another Bologan DVD, Meet the Nimzo-Indian
The Sicilian Rossolimo for White, and book, The Rossolimo Sicilian, also with 4.Qc2!
published by New In Chess. by Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Translate this page
Bologan claims that it is not easy for White to gain an advantage against the
Chebanenko and suggests the DVD will give new life to this already popular
opening. He notes that even he will switch to 1.e4 when he knows he is
playing someone who employs the Chebanenko. On this DVD he gives a full
repertoire for Black against 1.d4, which means he also covers other side
systems in the Slav Defense. For some reason, the English side of the DVD
cover has the spelling as "Chebanenco," while the German side has the correct
Chebanenko.
Introduction 1000x Checkmate

5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Bf4 Nc6 7.Bd3/Rc1 by Lubomir Ftacnik
Rating Chart 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Bf4 Nc6 7.e3/Rc1

5.h3
Awful 5.Qc2
5.Qb3
Poor 5.Bf4
5.Bg5
Uneven
5.a4 e6 6.e3
Good 5.a4 e6 6.g3
5.a4 e6 6.Bg5
Great 5.Ne5
5.c5 Nbd7 6.h3
Excellent
5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4
4.e3 a6 5.Qc2 e6 6.Nf3/c5/b3/Bd2 Chess For Novices 1
4.e3 a6 5.b3 by Sabrina Chevannes
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Bd3/Nbd2
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bf5 6.Nc3
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bf5 6.g3
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 a6 6.Qb3/Ne5/c5/Bd3/cxd5
5.g3
It is rather unhelpful that in the games list of the database these are named as
"Clip 1," "Clip 2," etc. Everything should be done for the users ease of use
and access, and here naming the game headings after the table of contents
would have been more convenient. Only two of the clips extend beyond move
twenty, with the longest (Clip 14) going to move twenty-seven. In addition
only two clips are longer than twenty minutes in length, with the longest (also
Clip 14) clocking in at 21:11. Nevertheless, Bologan examines several options
at each significant juncture summarizing the different plans at Black's
disposal. For instance, in the slightly more than eighteen minute clip on 5.c5
Nbd7 6.h3, he spends the first eleven minutes examining other sixth move
alternatives.
In the brief introduction, Bologan notes that the Chebanenko Variation

includes a variety of setups for Black and incorporates ideas from the Slav, of
course, and the Classical Queen's Gambit Declined, with setups and plans
sharing common ground with the Carlsbad and Cambridge Springs structures.
He says the original idea of 4...a6 was for Black to simply make a waiting
move that improves his position and see what White does next before
deciding which system to play. Black's fourth move also controls the b5-
square, prepares ...b5, and allows Black to play the light-squared bishop to f5
or g4 before playing ...e6.
Bologan will often give two plans for Black from the same position and then
summarize the main setups at the end of the clip. He also uses graphical
elements to highlight key maneuvers:
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/1p1npppp/p1p2n2/4N3/
2pP1B2/2N5/PP2PPPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 7"]
Bologan shows the typical plans, piece maneuvers, and easy-to-remember

tricks and ideas, along with the positional nuances of different moves in
certain setups. For instance in the exchange variation 5.cxd5 cxd5, Black
wants to play his light-squared bishop to f5; if White's light-squared bishop is
already on d3, then Black plays it to g4 and then to g6; the dark-squared
bishop is better placed on d6 than e7; and Black will often play for the
maneuvers Nc6-a5-c4 and Nf6-d7-b6. In positions with four knights on the
board, Black aims for the placement on c4 and d6. Easy as pie!
There are no full illustrative games on the DVD. He verbally notes when a
line is from an actual game, but the games themselves are not included on the
database. So why not include them, when it can be done with so little effort.
Another thing lacking is some guidance from the publisher on how to best
make use of the material. It may seem obvious to them, but the are many users
who would like things spelled out in greater detail.
Here is how I would approach the material (using it within ChessBase 12 or

any of the Fritz family of programs; the ChessBase Reader that comes
bundled with the DVD does not have such extensive functionality):
Copy the games to a new database on your computer. (I only copy the
games, not the multimedia components.)
Watch the video clips from the DVD that you feel are most relevant to
your repertoire.
Once you have seen several segments and are itching to try the
opening, play some practice games (preferably against human
opponents).
Copy your games into the notes of your newly created database.
Compare you games with the recommendations by Bologan and review
any of the relevant video clips.
Use a chess engine to evaluate the positions where your opponent
deviates, as they ultimately will, and copy the analysis into the game
notes.
As you progress, look for similar games and copy those relevant to you
into your database.
For example, it was interesting to see the recently played game Kramnik-
McShane from round five of the London Chess Classic 2012. Kramnik played
the 5.g3 variation and McShane responded with 5...dxc4 6.a4 e6. We can thus
compare this to Bologan who recommends 6...g6 or 6...a5 in the line, and a
further viewing of this clip cements this material firmly into the foundation of
our understanding of the repertoire.
Bologan recommends his book as a companion to the DVD and to study the
games of Malakhov, Rublevsky, and Carlsen, and, surprisingly, to use
Houdini to find new moves and ideas for Black. With regard to checking with
an engine, it is indeed necessary, especially for club players who may not
follow all the nuances intuitively. For instance, in the following position it is
Black to move:
[FEN "r1b1k2r/1p1n1ppp/pqp5/2b1P3/3pPP2/
N5P1/PP1B2BP/R2QK2R b KQkq - 0 14"]
Bologan follows the line 14...0-0 15.Nc4 Qc7, without explaining that upon
14...Qxb2 the queen gets trapped after 15.Nc4 Qb5 16.Bf1! and Black is
helpless against the discovered attack with check.
Bologan also gives improvements compared to the book. In the line 1.d4 d5 2.
c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 5.Ne5 Nbd7 6.g3 e6 7.Bg2 Nxe5 8.dxe5 Nd7 9.
cxd5 exd5 10.f4 Bc5 11.e4 d4 12.Na4 Bb4+ 13.Kf2
[FEN "r1bqk2r/1p1n1ppp/p1p5/4P3/Nb1pPP2/
6P1/PP3KBP/R1BQ3R b kq - 0 13"]
"The move that escaped attention in the book" is 13.Nxe5, "completely

destroying the white pawn structure and after 14.fxe5 b5 "winning back the
piece, with a much better position for Black."
While Bologan promises to show how to take the initiative as black and play
for the win, the phrase he most often utters at the end of a variation is that
things are "solid" or "equal." This likely reflects the chess professionals
attitude of drawing with black and playing for a win with white. His
presentation itself is professional; he is dressed in a suit and tie, makes good
eye contact with the camera, and for the most part speaks clearly. He can be a
little hard to understand when he pronounces players names when referencing
games, but the chess ideas are never in dispute.
From a pure content perspective, the DVD only offers a fraction of what a
similarly priced book does. Yet, it does provide an easier way to learn the
opening, and an easier way to parse the material and study it in depth. The
more you make the material your own, the better you will play and understand
the opening. Bologan's DVD gives you a head start on this process, it is not
the be all and end all itself.
Order The Chebanenko: Still Improved

by Victor Bologan


Fighting for e4 Purchases from our
Meet the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2 (DVD), by Rustam Kasimdzhanov,
ChessBase, Video running time: 3 hours 28 min. $32.95 (ChessCafe Price:
$26.95)
The Nimzo-Indian Defense, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4, is a hyper-modern

opening developed by grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch. The basic premise is
to prevent White from playing e4 by pinning the knight on c3 and possibly to
ChessBase double White's pawns after Bxc3. This DVD is by grandmaster Rustam
Kasimdzhanov (pronounced "Kah-zeem-jha-nov"), who was the FIDE
Cafe Knockout World Champion in 2004. He examines the Classical Variation
with 4.Qc2, with which White aims to spoil Black's plan of doubling pawns
by recapturing with the queen. Houdini 3 Pro
by ChessBase
There was some initial trepidation of the content based on some editing
mishaps by the publisher, in that from the back cover of the DVD we have the
Translate this page
following promotional blurb:
"Rustam Kasimdzhanov, the FIDE World Champion in 2004, is pre-

destined to deal with the subject of the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2, since
he has been extremely successful with this opening both with White and
with Black. The Usbek grandmaster has also gathered valuable
experience on the subject when working as a second to world champion
Anand. Right from his introduction, Kasimdzhanov emphasises that the
Nimzo-Indian has a lot of advantages and that White is often left with a
ruined pawn structure; that is precisely what the queen move avoids. Of
course in his investigations the author offers much deeper insights into 1000x Checkmate
the opening. In over 4 hours of video [emphasis added] Rustam by Lubomir Ftacnik
Kasimdzhanov explains all the important ideas, strategies and tricks
helped by sample games in which the white side is represented, e.g., by
Rating Chart Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik and Ivanchuk as well as the author himself."
Awful But then the paragraph ends with bold red lettering "Video running time: 3
Poor
hours 28 min," which is accurate and, of course, less than four hours of video.
The next flag was the introductory text file in the ChessBase database named
Uneven "Meet the Mimzoindian [sic] with 4.Qc2." Thankfully, these slips were not
indicative of the training material to follow.
Good
Great Kasimdzhanov goal is to provide a "proper repertoire against the Nimzo-

Indian"; a fact he emphasizes at least three times in the two-and-a-half minute
Excellent introduction. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6, he calls 3.Nc3 the most natural The Chebanenko
continuation and notes that the problem for most amateur players, as well as by Victor Bologan
professionals, is that 4.Nf3 can transpose to too many different openings. He
notes 4.Nc3 limits the opponents choices, but then leaves White facing the
question about what to do upon 3...Bb4. His own choice of course being 4.
Qc2. Kasimdzhanov promises an overview of the theory as it stands now and
many practical examples from recent games; though the four most recent
games are from 2011, with the others spanning from 1999 to 2008.
Introduction
01: Theory Introduction
02: Minor Lines Theory
4...c5
03: Kasparov,G - Chuchelov,V
04: Morozevich,A - Vitiugov,N
4...d5
05: 4...d5 Theory
06: Anand,V - Kramnik,V
07: Kasimdzhanov,R - Karpov,A
4...0-0
08: 4...0-0 Theory
09: Kasimdzhanov,R - Naiditsch,A
10: Kasparov,G - Grischuk,A
11: Kramnik,V - Tiviakov,S
12: Kramnik,V - Leko,P
13: Kasimdzhanov,R - Ghaem Maghami,E
14: Dreev,A - Movsesian,S
15: Shomoev,A - Andreikin,D
16: Ivanchuk,V - Morozevich,A
17: Wrap up
Of the eighteen video segments, twelve are devoted to game presentation and
six to outlining the theoretical material. The longest game clip is
Kasimdzhanov-Karpov at almost twenty-one minutes. The longest theory
segment is on 4...0-0 and runs just over twelve minutes. However, the theory
segments are only introductions to the basic themes and plans; there is plenty
more theory in the game presentations.
In the introductory theory segment, Kasimdzhanov devotes nine-and-a-half

minutes to the basic principles of the line. He calls 4.Qc2 "a bit easier to play,
a bit easier to understand, and a bit healthier in general." He notes that Black's
replies are limited to three or four continuations, with the heart of the
variation being 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3 6.Qxc3, when White has a strong pawn
center and the bishop-pair; with the drawback that Black is already ahead in
development.
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/pppp1ppp/4pn2/8/2PP4/
P1Q5/1P2PPPP/R1B1KBNR b KQ - 0 6"]
He then gives a brief overview of 6...b6 7.Bg5 Bb7, which he calls the main
tabyia of the whole line and 6...d5 7.Nf3 dxc4 8.Qxc4 b6 9.Bg5. So much for
the maxim don't bring your queen out to early! Kasimdzhanov later notes it is
easier for White to build a long-term repertoire from 5.a3 than from 5.e4.
The other mainline is 4...d5, which stops White from playing e4, when 5.a3
can transpose to the line above after 5...Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 0-0 or Black has 6...
Ne4 7.Qc2 c5 8.dxc5 Nc6, which he calls "another very, very major position."
White also has 5.cxd5, with Black now having the choice between 5...exd5
and 5...Qxd5.
During the presentation Kasimdzhanov is articulate and comfortable in front

of the camera, though he does speak with many verbal pauses ("uhs"). He
often seems to steer the viewer away from overly complex speculative lines to
solid variations that offer a slight pull for White. At one point he comments
"If Black loses control over e4, White's advantage will probably become
overwhelming."
Kasimdzhanov begins by looking at the minor lines before moving on to the

critical variations. He is quickly dismissive of these and often ends with an
assessment that White has easy play after only a handful of moves. However,
he does not explore them too deeply and if you find yourself in one of these
situations, you may be wishing for Kasimdzhanov's level of skill to capitalize
on the "easy play" you are supposed to be enjoying. One of the longer lines he
looks at is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 00 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3
Nc6 8.Bg5 Nd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.e3 Qa5 11.exd4 Qxg5 12.Qd2 Qxd2+ 13.
Kxd2
[FEN "r1b2rk1/pp1p1ppp/4pn2/8/2PP4/
P1N5/1P1K1PPP/R4B1R b - - 0 13"]
He notes that the line has fallen out of favor with Black because White has an
enjoyable endgame. This may well be true, but, again, a player needs the skill
to make the most of the position. A player serious about improving may
decide to play out this position repeatedly against a friend or computer to see
how they fare. As Kasimdzhanov notes, in reference to a different position, a
deeper understanding of the resultant positions will do no harm.
One of the things that I liked is that when you click on a game link in the
ChessBase text file, it jumps to the position of the variation under discussion.
This saves time for the viewer by not having to watch the presenter click
through the opening moves to arrive at the desired position. I also like the fact
that Kasimdzhanov includes the complete game scores. Moreover, whenever
an important position is reached he stops to explain the theoretical
underpinnings and the relevant variations in some detail, while also pointing
out the tactical shots hidden in the position.
[FEN "r5rk/1bqn1pp1/1p5p/pP2p2P/
N1P1P3/P3Q3/4BP2/1K1R2R1 b - - 0 25"]
The coverage mostly highlights the dangers of Black's position, such that you
may wonder how it is that Black ever wins a game, especially given that the
twelve complete games on offer are all White wins. Given the nature of this
opening, I would advise the prospective player to watch as many of the video
segments as possible before venturing it over the board; certainly watch all
the theory clips and several of the game clips. But then have at it and enjoy!
Meet the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2 is a very good introduction to this complex
opening. It arms the viewer with the necessary knowledge to confidently
include this variation in their repertoire.
Order Meet the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2

Comment on this month's column via our official Chess Blog!
[ChessCafe Home Page] [ChessCafe Shop] [ChessCafe Blog]

[Book Review] [Columnists] [Endgame Study] [The Skittles Room]
[ChessCafe Links] [ChessCafe Archives]
[About ChessCafe.com] [Contact ChessCafe.com] [Advertising]

Aiming to Achieve Purchases from our
First Steps in Gambits and Sacrifices (DVD), by Andrew Martin, ChessBase,
Video running time: 3 hours 21 min. $30.95 (ChessCafe Price: $24.95)
The DVD packaging promises that "on this all new ChessBase DVD FIDE
Senior Trainer and IM Andrew Martin will show you how to go about
[sacrificing] in the right way." And in the introductory video, IM Andrew
Martin describes the content as follows:
ChessBase
"Sacrificing material successfully is one of the most exciting rewards
Cafe that the game of chess can bestow. To play a truly excellent or even
brilliant game brings confidence and a true belief in one's own ability.
Sometimes we look at the sacrificial masterpieces of the great players in First Steps in Attack
awe. Could we ever imagine ourselves playing in that grand manner? On by Andrew Martin
this all-new ChessBase DVD I hope to open up the world of sacrificing
material and to see how it all works. Romantic notions aside, the fact is
Translate this page that more sacrifices fail than succeed and especially today, when
computing power is at a new level and gambit play is reducing to a very
narrow field at master level. The advice to the newcomer to chess is still
the same: learn to make combinations and sacrifices early and to let your
imagination fly. We will try to keep to this maxim, but inject a dose of
realism at the same time; the realism that modern chess compels us to
look out for. The most important thing to understand about sacrificing is
that, adhering to the maxim of Steinitz everything is geared to the needs
of the position. You have to be able to recognise situations throughout
the game where a sacrifice might become possible. So join with me now
and enter the world of the chess sacrifice. It will be an exciting journey." 1000x Checkmate
by Lubomir Ftacnik
Rating Chart Introduction

Breakdown
Awful Game 1 Adly,A Duchrow,O
Poor Game 2 Zhao Jun Zhou Jianchao
Game 3 Ledger,D Jones,G
Uneven Game 4 Esserman,M Van Wely,L
Game 5 Sarkar,I Onischuk,G
Good Game 6 Weller,J Hanley,C
Great Game 7 Aronian,L McShane,L
Game 8 Gligoric,S Keres,P
Excellent Game 9 Bondick,K Cebalo,M Houdini 3 Pro
Game 10 Sigfusson,S Bellin,R by ChessBase
Game 11 Moranda,W Hoffmann,P
Game 12 Velimirovic,D Ljubojevic,L
Game 13 Vuckovic,B Govedarica,R
Game 14 Von Meijenfeldt,B Naiditsch,A
Game 15 Gustafsson,J Kramnik,V
Game 16 Cramling,P Garcia Domingo,J
Game 17 Zagorskis,D Sadler,M
Outro
It is noted that the material is further divided into the following sections:
Punishing sacrifices the enemy has lost time and must be attacked!
Sacrifices for momentum
Positional sacrifices
Intuitive sacrifices
Speculative sacrifices
Unjustified sacrifices
However, it is not differentiated in the table of contents list as to which games

fall into which categories.
The majority of the games are from 2011-2012. While there are a couple of
old classics in Gligoric-Keres, 1958 and Velimirovic-Ljubojevic, 1972. The
longest game clip is seventeen minutes in length; the shortest is a little more
than eight; and the average is probably about eleven minutes or so. The
majority of the games are less than thirty moves; the longest are forty-four
and fifty-five moves.
In the first clip we see a grandmaster rip apart his lower-rated opponent's poor
opening choices. The rating difference is 475 points, but, as Martin notes, it
does not take away from Adly's accomplishment. The game with the largest
rating difference is Moranda-Hoffmann where the winner out-rates his
opponent by a whopping 815 points; another lopsided crush is Von
Meijenfeldt-Naiditsch, with a disparity of 552 points, but it is the lower-rated
player that sacrifices a pawn and then the exchange and only later goes wrong
against his grandmaster opponent. Oddly, this latter game did not display
properly at first in ChessBase 12. As can be seen from the screen-shot below,
even though the slider bar (under the image of Martin) is half-way through the
commentary, there is no game loaded in the game screen:
A restart of CB12 did not seem to help either. Nevertheless, the issue was
resolved by opening the game in the database window first and then clicking
to launch the ChessBase media file. Why this is so I have no idea. Another
buggish issue in CB12, which has occurred in a number of databases, is that
when the text file for the table of contents is first opened, it appears to be
completely blank and it is only after attempting to scroll that the contents
appear on screen.
Note that owning CB12 is not a prerequisite. First Steps in Gambits and
Sacrifices comes bundled with the ChessBase Reader, so no other software is
necessary. The system requirements are Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or
higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, etc.
Returning to the DVD content, not all the games are lopsided slaughters; for
instance, in Esserman-Van Wely it is the higher-rated player who "caught it
on the nose" from the black side of a Smith-Morra Gambit. Here the rating
difference is 230 points, though Esserman literally wrote the book on the
Smith-Morra.
Here is that game with select notes:
Esserman, Mark (2453) Van Wely, Loek (2683)

US op 112th Orlando (3), 03.08.2011
Sicilian Defense [B21]
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 a6 7.0-0 Nge7 8.
Bg5!
This is a reasonable and ambitious defensive set-up against the Morra,

whereby Black aims to control the central dark squares d4,e5 and f4 by
placing his Knight on g6. This is why White interrupts this plan with 8 Bg5,
forcing a concession.
8...f6 9.Be3 Ng6 10.Bb3 b5 11.Nd5!
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/3p2pp/p1n1ppn1/1p1N4/
4P3/1B2BN2/PP3PPP/R2Q1RK1 b kq - 0 11"]
An absolutely typical Morra sacrifice. White detonates the position before

Black gets developed. Practically, the sacrifice give excellent chances,
especially against an optimist like Van Wely, who believes he can defend any
situation.
11...exd5 12.exd5 Nce5 13.d6
Forced, in order to open the Bishop on b3.
13...Bb7 14.Nxe5 fxe5 15.f4 Qf6?
Van Wely falters in defence, bringing his Queen out to a very exposed
position. 15...exf4 is again forced, with everything to play for after 16.Re1!
(16.Bc5 Qg5!! 17.Qe2+ Be7) 16...fxe3 17.Rxe3+ Be7 18.Qd4! although I
would not like to be Black in this situation.
16.fxe5! Qxe5 17.Bg5!
17.Bf7+ is also crushing! 17...Kd8 18.Bb6+ Kc8 19.Re1.
17...Be7 18.Bf7+ Kd8 19.dxe7+ Nxe7 20.Qd2 Kc8 21.Rac1+ Nc6 22.Rfd1
Qf5 23.Bf4! Qxf7 24.Qd6 Kd8 25.Rxc6 Bxc6 26.Qxc6 1-0
Martin's presentation is topnotch. He speaks clearly, has good eye contact

with the camera, and explains things in an easily understandable fashion.
Another praiseworthy aspect of the content is that much of the spoken
commentary is included in the notes to each game in the database. Aside from
some misspellings, this is ideal for those who want to play over the notes
without the audio visual component. Moreover, it brings an element of
portability in that one can copy the games to a PGN database and then load
them onto a tablet, such as the iPad, for use in a PGN viewer. For those who
prefer old-school book learning or may be interested in a companion to the
DVD, Fred Wilson's Simple Attacking Plans offers thirty-seven games along
the same general theme as the DVD.
First Steps in Gambits and Sacrifices is an inspiring collection of games that

players of any strength can enjoy and hope to learn from. However, the fact
that it is part of the First Steps series seems to suggest that it will offer
instruction for beginners in how to play gambits and sacrifices. This is not
quite the case. It certainly showcases some exemplary games and offers some
general advice, but club-level and casual players will likely find it most
worthwhile. The high level of tactics on display also require an equally high
level of skill to begin with; so, while the DVD shows what can be achieved, it
does not necessarily show how to get there in any categorical way.
Nevertheless, it is well recommended as chess entertainment.
Order First Steps in Gambits and Sacrifices

by Andrew Martin


The Modern Slav Modernized Purchases from our
by Colin Potts accessible:
The ABC of the Modern Slav, 2nd ed (DVD), by Andrew Martin, ChessBase,
Video running time: 5 hours $32.95 (ChessCafe Price: $26.95)
Andrew Martin has been a fixture in the DVD market for many years now.
His easy delivery makes him a particular favorite among junior players. He
does not talk down to his audience, but he is plain-spoken and enjoyable
company. Do not let the cheeky chappy cockney demeanor fool you, though;
ChessBase he is eloquent, knowledgeable, and intelligently incisive. With Martin you
generally get what is advertised on the box. The current DVD on the Modern
Cafe Slav (i.e. variations of the Slav where Black plays an early ...a6 and does not
capture on c4) does not disappoint. It is what most club players want: an
encouraging and clearly articulated introduction to a repertoire choice. ABC of the Ruy Lopez
However, if you are a 2200-player or above, the analysis and coverage will by Andrew Martin
likely seem superficial and slight.
Translate this page
The Chebanenko
by Victor Bologan
Rating Chart
Awful
Poor
A note of caution, though: This is a re-release and update of a DVD initially
Uneven produced several years ago. It is billed as a second edition, but I would
quibble with this. It is really a re-packaging of the earlier DVD with a lengthy
Good
addendum of nine games to bring it up to date. A second edition of a book
Great would involve extensive editing of the text throughout, not the mere addition
of further chapters, however long. Likewise, a second edition of an eBook
Excellent should have involved the re-recording or extensive revision of the games Houdini 3 Pro
analyzed in the first edition with the updates interleaved with the content, so by ChessBase
that the updates could be understood more clearly in the context of what they
are updating. Most chess players would not be fazed by the breaks in
continuity that would result, because it is the content that matters, not the
clothes the presenter is wearing.
As it is on this DVD, the viewer is forced to skip back and forth between the
older and newer material. There is also a dramatic difference in style between
the two sets of material covered here. Aside from the obvious continuity
issues, the games are treated more as a collection of interesting games worth
studying by someone already familiar with the earlier material. The earlier
games featured an almost uncanny ability by Black to equalize and gain the
advantage. The score in these games was +14 0 =3 to Black with another
couple of lines that are not followed to the end of the game, leading one to
wonder why everyone did not start playing the Modern Slav. The new
material is more balanced (+4 4 =1). There is less advocacy for the black
pieces and more of an encouragement to enjoy and learn from both sides.
Martin explores the main variations starting from 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.
Nc3 a6 (the Chebanenko Slav) but also 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 3.e3 a6 and
the unconventional 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 (a very popular line) 4...a6. There are also
those lines of the Exchange Slav where Black plays the popular ...a6 in
response. The entire complex is quite flexible, but not so varied that you need
to understand many middlegame configurations. One distinctive type of
position occurs when White plays an early c5 before Black has the
opportunity to challenge the c-pawn with ...b5. Another is the exchange center
when White captures on either d5 or b5 and Black recaptures with the c-pawn,
and a third is a QGA-type position where Black plays ...c5 after developing
his pieces. This latter idea often leads to isolated QP positions. That is pretty
much it, and nine out of ten games starting with 1.d4, 1.Nf3 or 1.c4 might be
funneled into such familiar variations, a godsend for lazy or busy club
players. Martin gives several nuggets of wisdom to help you understand when
to play one way and when to play another. For example, if White leaves the
pawn on c4, Black should avoid b5 until the Nb1 comes to c3. (The idea is
that White's dangerously disrupting a2-a4 can in that case be met by the
counter-disruption b5-b4 followed by a queenside pawn sacrifice or
expansion.)
Bizarrely, Martin spends some time in the first update game (Anand
Aronian, Moscow 2009) explaining the ideas of the opening all over again. It
is a symptom, along with the introduction of one game that features the
Schlechter Slav/Grunfeld, that the nine new games do not cohere in the way
that the original nineteen do. The games are not presented in an order that
reproduces the order of the variations in the first set and the result is to make
Martin's recommendations seem undeservedly haphazard. That first game is
spectacular, though, and worth reproducing even though it is not very typical
of this solid system. Martin explains that Anand just forgot theory at move
twelve and allowed Aronian to exchange White's powerful bishop, leading to
an imbalance that won the game for him.
Anand, Viswanathan (2788) Aronian, Levon (2786)

4th Tal Memorial Moscow (9), 14.11.2009
Slav Defense [D15]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e3 (5.c5) 5...b5 6.c5
6.cxb5 cxb5 7.a4 b4.
6...Nbd7 7.Bd3 e5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Nd7 (9...Ng4) 10.e6 Nxc5
10...fxe6 11.Qh5+.
11.exf7+ Kxf7
[FEN "r1bq1b1r/5kpp/p1p5/1pnp4/8/
2NBP3/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R w KQ - 0 12"]
12.b3
12.Bc2 g6 13.0-0 Bg7 14.Ne2 Re8 15.Nd4 Qd6 16.b4 Ne6 17.Rb1 Nxd4 18.
exd4 a5.
12...Nxd3+ 13.Qxd3 Qg5 14.g3
14.Rg1 Bd6; 14.Kf1 Bf5.
14...Qf6 (14...Bh3) 15.Bb2 Qf3 16.Rg1 Bg4 17.a3 Re8 18.Rc1
18.b4 a5 19.bxa5 (19.Na2 axb4 20.axb4 Ra8 21.Bc3 d4 22.Bxd4 Rxa2 23.
Rxa2 Bxb4+ 24.Bc3 (24.Rd2 Qd1#) 24...Bxc3+ 25.Qxc3 Qd1#) 19...Bc5 20.
Rf1 (20.Nd1 d4 21.Bxd4 Bxd4 22.Qxd4 Qe2#) 20...Bh3.
18...b4 19.axb4 Bxb4 20.h3 Bxh3 21.g4 Bxg4 22.Rg3 Qf5 23.Qd4 Re4 24.
Qa7+ Qd7 25.Qb6 c5 0-1
If you are interested in finding out more about the Modern Slav, which is a
pretty self-contained defense for Black against 1.d4, you could definitely
benefit from this perfectly positioned introduction. In fact the casual or
improving club player could learn to play this defense from the DVD alone,
with perhaps some lightweight personal research from time to time. There is
really no need to supplement it with a book or personal database research as
there would be if the defense were more dynamic and double-edged. The
updated version is now a five-hour course and very good value for money, but
if you have the earlier version, I am not sure that the nine new games fully
warrant buying it again.
Order The ABC of the Modern Slav

by Andrew Martin


The Irish Bear Defense Purchases from our
Two Black Repertoire DVDs
accessible:
by Colin Potts
A good piece of advice for club players to follow when choosing an opening
repertoire is to identify a player whose games they enjoy and find instructive,
or whose repertoire seems comfortable, and then try to play like that player.
There are not as many role models to choose from as there used to be, though.
Members of the chess elite tend to have broad, varied repertoires as a way to
stay ahead of the opposition, and in this era of chess databases even lowly
ChessBase grandmasters are following suit.
Cafe Alexander Baburin, the Irish grandmaster, coach and writer born in Russia, is
a throwback. For many years "the Irish Bear" played only the Alekhine
Defense and Queen's Gambit Accepted as black, and his playing style leads to 1000x Checkmate
the kind of non-random, logical middlegames that a patzer can study with a by Lubomir Ftacnik
semblance of understanding without having to rely on an engine. The DVDs
this month feature exactly those defenses, including some of Baburin's own
Translate this page
games.
The Queen's Gambit Accepted: A Repertoire for Black, by Sam Collins, Video
running time: 3 h. 30 min. $29.95 (ChessCafe Price $24.95)
Sam Collins, Baburin's compatriot, presents a repertoire for black that he

developed for his own use as a surprise, second-string weapon against over-
prepared opponents. He wanted a solid defense that was simple to acquire,
and the QGA appeared to fit the bill. The problem for him was that he had
seen several of Baburin's games in team tournaments in which black suffered
in the main isolated queen's pawn lines, and it was only when he hit on the The Chebanenko
underestimated 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 Bg4 variation as the stem by Victor Bologan
variation for his repertoire. It seems that his plan to trot this out over-the-
board as a surprise was derailed by the decision to publish the repertoire in
Rating Chart DVD form, because I cannot find a single example of him playing the QGA in
my database other than one transposition from a Slav. Never mind; his loss is
Awful
your gain.
Poor
Uneven
Good
Great
Excellent The Queen's Gambit Accepted

by Valeri Lilov
The database presents a complete repertoire for black against 1 d4 d5 2 c4,

which means that it is almost half a repertoire for black. You will have to find
your own responses to irregular queen's pawn openings and work to avoid
being move-ordered in transpositions from the flank openings, but in the
straight and narrow of the queen's gambit move order the DVD presents
comprehensive coverage with no apparent gaps, and it achieves this in only
three and half hours. This implies that the material has to be thin, but in this
opening, at least in the lines selected by Collins, there are few critical lines
that need to be learned by heart and an understanding of the resulting
structures will suffice. For a series of lessons collectively not much longer
than a Lord of the Rings movie, this is quite an achievement.
The main lines then are as follows:
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 Bg4 (a favorite of Tony Miles)

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dc4 3 e3 e5 (necessary to avoid the IQP lines)
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dc4 3 e4 Nc6 (Baburin's favorite line)
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dc4 3 Qa4 c6 (a transposition to the Qc2 or Qb3 variations
of the Slav)
Some of the positions arising from the ...Bg4 variation have a surprising
affinity with the Nimzo-Indian, and Collins explores these and the
significance of piece placement very instructively.
Avrukh's influential repertoire recommends 3 e3 for White precisely to

avoid ...Bg4. Black has to diverge at this point. If he plays 3..e6, we are back
in the main lines that Collins wants to avoid. Given the popularity of Avrukh's
books, the treatment of 3...e5 is therefore critical. White gets an isolated
queen's pawn usually, but here Black has a c-pawn, not an e-pawn, and this
leads to much more fluid play from both sides. Here is an example game in
that line from the DVD. Note how Black has to take the initiative by risking
his kingside around moves nine to twelve:
Stocek, Jiri (2584) Rausis, Igors (2520)

CZE-ch Havlickuv Brod (2), 14.02.2008
Queen's Gambit Accepted [D20]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nf3
6.Qb3 Qe7+ 7.Ne2 (7.Be3 Nbd7) 7...Qb4+ 8.Nbc3 Qxb3 9.Bxb3 Bb4 10.Bf4
Ba5 11.0-0 0-0.
6...Bd6 7.0-0
7.Qe2+ Qe7 8.Qxe7+ Bxe7 9.0-0 Be6 10.Bxe6 fxe6 11.Re1 Nc6 12.Nc3 (12.
Rxe6 Rd8 13.Be3 Kd7) 12...Rd8 13.Rxe6 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Rxd4 15.Be3 Rd7
16.Bc5 Kf7 17.Rxe7+ Rxe7 18.Bxe7 Kxe7 19.Re1+ Kf7.
7...0-0 8.Bg5
8.Nc3 Nc6 9.h3 (9.Bg5) 9...h6.
8...Nc6 9.h3
9.Nc3 h6 10.Bh4 Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Nxd4 13.Qxb7 Rb8 14.Qxa7 Ra8.
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/ppp2ppp/2nb1n2/6B1/2BP4/
5N1P/PP3PP1/RN1Q1RK1 b - - 0 9"]
9...h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Bxg3 12.fxg3 Na5 13.Bd3 Nc6 14.Bc4
14.Qd2 Nh5 15.g4 Nf4 16.Be4 Nxd4 17.Nxd4 Qxd4+ 18.Qxd4 Ne2+ 19.Kh2
Nxd4.
14...Na5 15.Bd3 Nc6 16.Nc3 g4 17.hxg4 Bxg4
[FEN "r2q1rk1/ppp2p2/2n2n1p/8/3P2b1/
2NB1NP1/PP4P1/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 18"]
Quite a transition!
18.Bc4 Qd6 19.Qd3 Kg7 (19...Qxg3 20.Qg6+) 20.Rad1 Rad8 21.Ne2 Na5
22.Bb5 a6 23.Ba4 b5 24.Bc2 Nc4 25.Rde1 Rfe8 26.Nh4 Ne3 27.Rf2 Qb4 28.
Rb1 Qc4 29.Qxc4 bxc4 30.Ba4 Re4 31.Re1 Ned5 32.Nf5+ Bxf5 33.Rxf5
Rb8 34.Bc6 Rxb2 35.Re5 Re3 36.Bxd5 Rxe5 37.dxe5 Nxd5 38.Nf4 Nxf4 39.
gxf4 c3 40.Rc1 c2 41.Kf2 Rxa2 42.Ke3 h5 43.f5 Rb2 44.Kf4 a5 45.Kg5 a4
46.f6+ Kf8 47.g4 a3 48.gxh5 a2 49.h6 Kg8 50.e6 Rb5+ 51.Kg4 fxe6 52.Rh1
Kh7 0-1
Sam Collins has a dry, fluent style of teaching that will appeal to most
viewers. Some may find him insufficiently animated or entertaining, but three
and a half hours does not leave room for anecdotes or distractions, and he has
a quiet, convincing authority that makes one confident that all the hidden
details have been carefully researched and are being summarized even-
handedly. If you want a concise introduction to a secure, logical repertoire,
Sam's the man.
Order The Queen's Gambit Accepted: A Repertoire for Black

by Sam Collins
The ABC of the Alekhine, 2nd Edition, by Andrew Martin, Video running
time: 7 h. 30 min. $33.95 (ChessCafe Price $27.95)
Alekhine's Defense is about the most provocative opening played in serious

chess. On the very first move, black attacks the pawn on e4, luring it forward
having to dodge and weave to d5 and then b6 or c7. It is deliciously
transgressive: the little guy with the black pieces, who according to Tarrasch
could only try to equalize before trying to seize the initiative, instead comes
out fighting It is guerrilla warfare; a blow against the establishment. Things
can go horribly wrong, of course, with black getting overrun by the phalanx of
advancing pawns or, more likely, suffocated by White's permanent space
advantage. But Black aims to nibble at White's center before any of that
happens, and when the center collapses, if it collapses, there are plenty of
unguarded squares behind for Black pieces to flow into.
Andrew Martin has developed a complete repertoire in the Alekhine's Defense

that frankly admits the risks of adopting this opening and addresses them head
on by a series of uncompromising, but (so Martin claims) sound variations.
1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 Nf3 (Modern Variation) de5 5 Ne5 c6

(Another favorite of Miles)
1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 Nb6 5 ed6 (Exchange Variation) ed6
1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 Nb6 5 f4 (Four Pawns Attack) de5 6
fe5 c5!?
1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 c4 Nb6 4 c5 (Chase Variation) Nd5 5 Nc3/Bc4 e6
1 e4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5/e6!?
There are, of course, many minor lines, and Martin deals with most of the
ones you are likely to see very thoroughly in a total of seven and a half hours.
For sheer volume, this is incredible value for money.
As with last month's reviewed DVD, Martin's ABC of the Slav, this is a
second edition. Again it is a re-release of the first edition with a lengthy
addendum of more recent games. However, in this case the new games relate
much more directly to the lines considered in the first version, and in only one
line (1 e4 Nf6 2 Nc3) does Martin have serious doubts about his earlier
recommendation (2...d5). In this case, of course, a 1 e4 e5 player who is
looking for a new defense could just fall back on the Vienna. Martin does not
recommend this, preferring to stay within the Alekhine Defense, and gives a
fascinating recent game of Baburin's in which he played 2...e6. (You can view
that game, edited down, in the DVD preview on the ChessBase site.)
Martin devotes most of his attention to two lines: the Modern Variation, with
4 Nf3, which has been the preferred main line at grandmaster level for
decades, and the Exchange Variation, which is the recommendation for White
in several recent repertoire books written from the white side of the board. In
the case of the Modern Variation, he abjures the old defense 4...Bg4 or
Alburt's favored 4...g6, and recommends exchanging in the center followed by
5...c6. This leads to positions resembling the Caro-Kann or Scandinavian
Defenses and was a favorite of Tony Miles. In the Exchange Variation, he
acknowledges that the Voronezh Variation is a positional refutation of 4...
cxd6 and opts for 4...exd6 with a solid position in which Black's main
challenge is reactivating his knight on b6. There are no horrors in either
variation, and Martin explores them thoroughly.
The real psychological test of the entire defense, though, is the Four Pawns
Attack. Now regarded as too committal at grandmaster level, it still packs a
punch as a surprise weapon even among the elite and is formidable at club
level unless you have a cool head. Here, Martin makes a bold decision that
will either sell this repertoire or sink it, depending on your boldness and
ability to maintain a poker face. His line is ...c5 (1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 c4 d6 4
f4 de5 5 fe5 c5!?). White is almost impelled to keep rolling forward with the
do-or-die 6 d5. Martin makes a compelling case that Black is OK and that the
White center, like Napoleon in Russia or the Enron Corporation has taken one
liberty too many. Martin breezily and confidently goes through a couple of
games in which Black seemingly inevitably pulverizes the pawn center,
infiltrates and wins. If here were selling kitchen knives I'd buy them instantly,
but I don't know about this choice of variation. Call me cowardly, I'm not sure
I'm convinced would have the sang froid for these positions. In the update,
Martin does give one example of a more restrained response to the Four
Pawns Attack: 5...Bf5 followed by ...Bg4 once White moves his knight out
and allows it to be pinned. But one game in this main variation is only an
introduction and not sufficient material for a repertoire choice.
Here is an example of an exciting game with the ...c5 line where Black
escapes with a draw:
Volzhin, A Svechnikov, L
Russia, 1988
Alekhine's Defense [B03]
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 c5 7.d5 g6 8.Bf4
8.Nc3 Bg7 9.Be3 (9.Nf3 Bg4 10.Bf4 N8d7) 9...0-0! 10.Bxc5 N6d7! 11.Bd4
Nxe5.
8...Bg7 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Qd2 e6
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/pp3pbp/1n2p1p1/2pPP3/
2P2B2/2N5/PP1Q2PP/R3KBNR w KQ - 0 11"]
11.0-0-0
11.d6 Nc6 12.Nf3 f6 (12...Nd7 13.Qe3 f6 14.0-0-0 Ndxe5 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.
Qxc5 Bd7 17.Bxe5 fxe5 18.Kb1 Bc6) 13.0-0-0 fxe5 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.Ne4 Nd4
16.Nxc5 Qc6.
11...exd5 12.cxd5 Bg4 13.Re1 (13.Nf3 N8d7) 13...c4! 14.h3
14.Bh6 Bxh6 15.Qxh6 Nxd5 16.h3 Bf5 17.Rd1 Nxc3 18.Rxd8 Nxa2+ 19.Kd2
Rxd8+.
14...Bf5 15.g4
15.Nf3 Na6 16.Nd4 Bd3 17.d6 Nc5 18.Be2 Re8 19.Bf3 Nbd7 20.Nd5 Nxe5
21.Ne7+ Rxe7 22.dxe7 Qxe7 23.Bxe5 Bxe5 24.Bxb7 c3! 25.bxc3 Qxb7 26.
Nc2 Bf5 27.Nb4 a5 28.Rxe5 axb4 29.Rxc5 bxc3 30.Qxc3 Qb1+ 31.Kd2 Rxa2
+.
15...Bd3 16.Bxd3 cxd3 17.Qxd3 Na6 18.d6 Rc8 19.Kb1 Nc4 20.Nd5 Qa5
21.Ne7+ Kh8 22.Nf3 Rc5
22...Nxb2!? 23.Kxb2 Nb4 24.Qb3 Rc2+ 25.Kb1 Rxa2 26.Rh2 Ra3 27.Qc4
Ra1+ 28.Kb2 Qa3#.
[FEN "5r1k/pp2Npbp/n2P2p1/q1r1P3/
2n2BP1/3Q1N1P/PP6/1K2R2R w - - 0 23"]
23.h4?
23.Qb3 Nxb2 24.Bd2 Qa4 25.Re3 Rb5 26.Qxa4 Nxa4+ 27.Rb3 Rxb3+ 28.
axb3 N4c5.
23...Qxa2+ 24.Kxa2 Nb4+ 25.Kb3 Nxd3 26.h5 gxh5

26...Nxf4! 27.hxg6 fxg6 28.e6 Nxd6.
27.Rxh5 Nxf4 28.Rxh7+ Kxh7 29.Rh1+ Bh6 30.Ng5+ Kg7 31.Nf5+ Kg6 32.
Nh7!! Nd2+ 33.Ka4 Kxh7
33...Rc4+ 34.b4 Nh5 35.Rxh5 Rxg4 36.Rxh6+ Kxf5 37.Nxf8 Kxe5 38.Nd7+
Kf5 39.Rf6+ Ke4 40.Nc5+ Ke5 41.d7.
34.Rxh6+ Kg8 35.Ne7+ Kg7 36.Nf5+ Kg8 37.Ne7+ -
If you see yourself playing the black side in that game and like the look of the
position at move eleven, go for it!
This DVD is essential for anyone who is tempted to take up Alekhine's

Defense. The thirty-seven (!) games are instructive and inspiring (even if most
are a little one-sided for Black). It is a thorough and deeply considered effort
that will repay serious study. In fact, viewing the DVD from beginning to end
would be a nine-to-five experience, and dipping into it one game at a time
would take you over a month. The real question is whether this repertoire is
for you.
Order ABC of Alekhine, 2nd ed.

by Andrew Martin


Learning the Hard Way Purchases from our
by Colin Potts accessible:
Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 4, Endgame Magic (DVD), by Efstafios
Grivas, ChessBase, Running time 4 hours, $33.95 (ChessCafe Price: $27.95)
Efstafios Grivas, the Greek grandmaster turned trainer, has written several
training books and has recently turned his hand to ChessBase DVDs. His style
in these works is to collate into a larger work several concrete chapters or
segments on advanced topics. The idea is not to present a treatise that covers
ChessBase an entire field, but rather to choose example themes or games in the hope that
the student will fill in the gaps between. His style resembles the teaching of
Cafe literature rather than science. In science, a course necessarily looks at one
topic and goes systematically into details about that entire subject. There is no
shortage of chess books, including endgame treatises, that adopt this 1000x Checkmate
approach. In literature, however, the usual strategy is to take a sample of by Lubomir Ftacnik
works and analyze them in detail. So you studied King Lear at school, but not
Hamlet. Well, you can read Hamlet later. The point is not to teach King Lear
Translate this page but to teach how to read King Lear (and Hamlet) and to appreciate and extract
the themes from any literary work.
So it is with Grivas's endgame DVD. It is the fourth in a series of trainers and

has the loose theme of endgame training, but the topics are a smattering of
themes:
The isolani in the endgame (5 game fragments)

Rook and RP vs. Bishop and RB (14 theoretical positions)
The square a misnamed segment on exchange up endings (3 game
fragments) The Chebanenko
Queen vs. rook endgames (8 game fragments) by Victor Bologan
Shattered pawns (3 game fragments)
Pawn endgames (5 examples)
Rating Chart Rook vs. bishop-pair (7 game fragments)
Awful
As you can see, this is an arbitrary collection of topics that by no means
Poor amounts to a treatise on a DVD or even a part of a treatise. Rather, it is a
collection of seven distinct lessons that last for an average of forty minutes.
Uneven Some of the endgames are theoretical. Others are more practical. To evaluate
whether it is worth buying and watching, involves asking two separate
Good
questions. First, are the topics themselves important and taught well. (Is King
Great Lear an important play, and do you understand its major themes after the
course?) Second, and more importantly: Are the thinking processes illustrated
Excellent by this motley collection of topics and game fragments explained in a way Meet the Nimzo-Indian
that is likely to stick? (Having studied King Lear, can you approach other with 4.Qc2
literature in a similar, critical way?) by Rustam Kasimdzhanov
This is a high bar to reach, and perhaps it would be fairer to ask the question
of the entire collection of DVDs of which this is just one volume, rather than
a four-hour collection of coaching sessions. But the bar has to be reached to
justify a work like this, and this single DVD does not.
Grivas's delivery is clear but rather wooden and lacks spontaneity and
character. In the introductory segments he visibly reads from a script. Worse,
he reads it without insight or enthusiasm as though he had just been given
someone else's lines to recite. The first segment, where he could engage the
viewer by explaining why he chose the seven themes, is an opportunity
wasted. Instead he merely reads the list aloud, barely elaborating beyond the
contents page. This is not an auspicious start.
Once he gets into the games themselves, however, Grivas comes more into his
own. He explains the strategies of the positions quite clearly in accented and
occasionally ungrammatical but flowing English. What is lacking in his dry
commentary, though, is an understanding of the amateur viewer's real needs.
Take the following game as an example. It is the first game on the theme of
the isolani, and according to Grivas has already been analyzed in another of
the DVDs. (Not having viewed that DVD, I cannot comment on whether this
is a case of synergy or double-dipping.)
White, having blockaded the isolani and rendered Black's rook passive is
about to open a second front on the kingside, but the key to winning is a
couple of lines in which he plays a pawn move on the opposite wing to put
Black in zugzwang. Watch for the move a4. (The annotations are by Grivas,
but the comments are mine.)
Szabo, Laszlo (2565) Penrose, Jonathan (2450)

ETC tt Bath (4), 09.07.1973
[FEN "8/1k1r1bp1/1p3p1p/p2p1P2/
3K2PP/P3PB2/1PR5/8 w - - 0 36"]
36.g5! fxg5
36...hxg5 37.hxg5 Bg8 38.g6! (With the black bishop shut in, Black is
running out of moves.) 38...Rd6 39.Be2! Rd8 40.Bb5 Rd6 41.a4 zugzwang.
Whatever Black does, White infiltrates to c6.
37.hxg5 hxg5 38.Rg2 Rd6
38...Kc6 39.Rxg5 Be8 (39...Bg8 40.f6) 40.a4+. Again it is zugzwang.
39.Rxg5 g6 40.fxg6 Rxg6 1-0
Black resigned immediately after the time control as the weak pawn is about
to fall.
Grivas explains very clearly in annotations omitted from the fragment above
White's overall strategy, but its implementation depends crucially on being
able to see that a "passing" move is needed in both these variations forcing
Black to give way, and this Grivas merely comments on after the fact with
admiration. But if I were White following this logical strategy at the board, a
voice in the back of my head would not be telling me "lose a move. Lose a
move" at the critical juncture. It is being able to notice these critical moments
in the execution of a plan that differentiates merely knowledgeable players
from very strong players. Yet Grivas rolls on past these valuable teaching
moments, failing to remark on the growing constriction and inflexibility of
Black's pieces as signals that a zugzwang opportunity is imminent or even that
that is what White should be aiming for by the restricting move g6 in the first
variation.
In the above example, it is the important details that Grivas skates over, and
perhaps the studious viewer might learn more effectively by going back and
asking why the restriction worked and when the zugzwang had to be sprung.
But in other cases, Grivas fails to give enough overall orientation. Instead
there is just the click, click, click of his keyboard as he advances the board
animation. The section on the square is a good example of this.
By the square, Grivas refers to a square-shaped cycle of squares that the rook
has to maneuver around during an exchange-up ending with opposite bishops
where each side has only one pawn and neither is passed. Here is a famous
example with his evaluation of the position. (However, Lubos Kavalek has
pointed out that this entire example was "lifted by Grivas from [his]
Huffington Post article word-from-word." - ed.)
Kasparov, Garry (2800) Karpov, Anatoly (2730)

FIDE-Wch Lyon (16), 01.12.1990
[FEN "5k2/4R3/2K3p1/4BbPn/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 89"]
Here the game was adjourned for the second time. Judging from all the
features the position is a winning one for White, and in end the logic of
chess triumphed. To win the game, Kasparov has to walk his king to the
square d8. He can only do it by having his rook moving around a
magical square which is described by a7-, a3-, e3- and e7-squares.
Let's stop Grivas right there. White's king clearly needs to get over to the f-
file eventually and the first step in that plan may indeed be to go via d8. But
there are other paths too. As a naive endgame student, I might look for a
zugzwang as in the preceding position that would force the bishop off the
diagonal and let the king in via d6 and e6. Or I might ask how, having reached
d8 in Grivas's "only" plan, the king will penetrate further to the f-file. Never
mind, a journey of a thousand miles starts with four steps. Let's see how
Kasparov and his seconds put together the maneuver during the break and
how Grivas explains it (with detailed annotation of click-click-click variations
omitted).
89.Ra7! Bg4 90.Kd6 Bh3 91.Ra3!
The second side of the square is born. But why has the rook land on the
square a3? It prevents the black knight from jumping to the square g3.
91...Bg4 92.Re3!
The rook draws the third side of the square, preparing the white king's
journey to d8. Now nothing can prevent the white king from making his
way into the enemy position.
92...Bf5 93.Kc7 Kf7 94.Kd8
The king's journey is over and White push the black king from the f-file.
94...Bg4 95.Bb2!
Kasparov makes an important bishop move precisely in a moment when

the black knight can't move. It opens the road for the rook to come back
to the square e7.
95...Be6 96.Bc3!
An accurate waiting move which puts Black in a zugzwang position.
96...Bf5 97.Re7+
Returning where it all began, the rook finishes the square journey.
97...Kf8 98.Be5
The domination is complete: the knight at the edge has no moves. White
can easily force the black king to the corner.
98...Bd3 99.Ra7 Be4
And at this point, Kasparov could have checked with the bishop and forced
the king to e7 and f6 in a few moves. He continued maneuvering instead, but
Karpov saw the writing on the wall and resigned two moves later anyway.
Grivas says in summary that the ending was both very easy and very difficult:
easy by virtue of there being a simple, albeit long-term plan; difficult because
it required precise execution at key moments. And this, in a nutshell, is his
belated recognition of the challenge of DVD courses like this, a challenge that
I do not believe Grivas fully meets. He does explain the simple stuff quite
well although I came to appreciate the concepts more effectively by reading
his text annotations than by listening to his verbal explanations. But it is the
difficulties that are difficult to teach: he does not clarify sufficiently well
when obstacles have to be met by precise move orders, waiting moves, and
threats.
None of this stopped me from enjoying this DVD because I enjoy chess. And
I do feel a little guilty accusing Grivas of making me work too hard to learn
the deeper themes that he is teaching which for me are all about restricting
the opponent. Learning that sticks, after all, is learning that is deep and active,
not learning that the student picks up while casually listening. Nevertheless,
Grivas does not make enough effort to reach out to his audience, to emphasize
the key moments, to stop and say: "Look, something interesting is about to
happen, and it can only happen right now because of this and that" the way
that a world-class teacher or coach should. Just as we can learn from King
Lear and Hamlet life lessons about the indecisiveness and fickleness of
human nature, so we could learn about restriction and domination of pieces
from Grivas's lessons. But some of us need a teacher's insight at these key
points, and it is not enough for him just to recite the text.
Order Chess Expertise Step by Step: Vol. 4, Endgame Magic

by Efstafios Grivas


Purchases from our
accessible:
Throwing Down the Gauntlet
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase Fighting Chess Move by Move (Ebook) by IM Colin Crouch, Everyman
Chess, ChessBase and PGN file formats, $21.95
Cafe
What separates the top players from the rest of us? This was the question that
IM Colin Crouch set out to answer in Fighting Chess: Move by Move. In the 1000x Checkmate
Spring of 2012 IM Crouch was extremely ill and when he finally was well by Lubomir Ftacnik
enough to sit at his computer he found himself wanting to look through some
high-level chess as a lifeline to the world.
Translate this page
As it turned out his timing was excellent, since Vladimir Kramnik and Lev
Aronian were just about to start their friendly six-game match, and shortly
thereafter Viswanathan Anand would be defending his world championship
crown against challenger Boris Gelfand (twelve games, plus four tie-break
games). Also, following on the heels of those two events would be the Tal
Memorial in Moscow (in which eight games are featured).
Knowing as I did that in the eighteen main games of those two matches there
were only four wins to go along with fourteen draws, I had a hard time
wrapping my head around the idea that fighting was any part of the chess. Chess Expertise 2:
After all, we are conditioned these days to the idea that a draw must consist of Mastering Strategy
a handful of moves of theory accompanied by a peace offering so as to allow
both sides to take no risks.
Rating Chart
Imagine my pleasant surprise as I worked my way through IM Crouch's
Awful
addition to the excellent "Move by Move" series. While I would not refer to
Poor all of these games as fighting chess, I would certainly refer to them as
technical chess with a high level of precision shown in the majority of the
Uneven games. Over the course of the thirty deeply annotated games IM Crouch is
able to clearly define the level of technical precision that separates the top ten
Good players from most everyone else in the chess world.
Great
Excellent
Meet the Nimzo-Indian
with 4.Qc2
To access the content one must have either a PGN compatible program, or
ChessBase, or a ChessBase playing program (Fritz, Rybka, Shredder, etc.), or
the freely available ChessBase Reader. I used the latter. Once you have
downloaded your Ebook, simply double-click the file and it will open in
ChessBase. You will see the "Contents" menu, which allows you to navigate
to the "Preface," "Introduction," or games. Just click the option you would
like to look at first and enjoy! The PGN file has the same content as the
ChessBase file and is formatted for use in the Everyman Chess Viewer,
which is now available for both Apple and Android products.
Let's jump right in and look at a position from Game Six of the Anand-
Gelfand match.
[FEN "r3k2r/1p2qppp/p3bn2/2bp4/8/2N1P3/
PPQ1BPPP/R1BR2K1 w kq - 0 14"]
This is the position after Anand's 13...Qe7. IM Crouch notes, "An extremely
difficult position to try to evaluate. Anand is a vastly experienced
grandmaster, and World Champion, with great tenacity in defense. He decides
that this move, protecting the c5-bishop but abandoning control of the d5-
pawn, is sufficient to hold the game. He loses a pawn, but his pieces are so
much better developed, he would argue that White has no realistic chance of
playing for a win."
After 14.Bf3 0-0 15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Rxd5 Rac8, we arrive at
the following position:
[FEN "2r2rk1/1p2qppp/p7/2bR4/8/4P3/
PPQ2PPP/R1B3K1 w - - 0 18"]
For those who are not familiar with the "Move by Move" format, the idea of
this series is that when a critical position is reached the reader is asked a
question as if they are working directly with a chess coach. If the reader
chooses to work through the exercises as intended, then he or she will learn
much more than if simply playing through a standard annotated game. In this
case the question is "What should White do next? Can he keep the extra pawn
successfully?"
The answer is that White can attempt to hold on to the extra pawn only by
passively defending. Therefore, he returns the material with 18.Bd2 Bxe3
19.Bc3 to try to hold on to a slight edge.
After looking at this draw I realized how much I wish my own games were
like this. How many times have I had a similar position where I am saddled
with a potential weakness, such as Black's IQP, which can be effectively
blockaded and will therefore require a lot of attention to defend? How often
have I not known how to proceed and so the weakness falls, causing my
position to collapse around me? And yet here is a crystal clear example of
how players at the highest level deal with these same positions. Anand chose
to sacrifice the pawn, knowing that Gelfand would have to choose to either
give the material back or accept a less active position.
So while this may not be fighting chess in the slash-and-burn style of Tal or
Christiansen, this is certainly tenacious chess worthy of a world championship
match.
Here we have a position from the Game Eleven of the match. Gelfand, as
white, has just played the enticing move 17.Bf4.
[FEN "r4rk1/pp1n1ppp/2b1pn2/7q/2PP1B2/
P2B1N2/4QPPP/R2R2K1 b - - 0 16"]
This invites Anand to play 17...Bxf3, when 18.gxf3 would ruin Gelfand's
pawn structure. Here IM Crouch asks, "Should Anand have tried that?"
The answer is "Probably not. Anand was happy to halve out with his next
move, safely. Yes, he could give his opponent doubled and isolated f-pawns,
but White then has two bishops versus two knights, and while it is easy
enough to see ways in which White can improve his position, it is difficult to
see anything constructive for Black."
This was another comment that left me feeling as if I had been struck by
lightning once a fully understood it. It is something I would previously never
have considered because the maxim of the weakness of doubled isolated
pawns was so ingrained at a young age. Yet as soon as I realized that if Black
enters the above line, then eventually, as the position opens more, White's
bishops will become too powerful for Black's knights to handle, I understood
why these moves are possible and how much top-level players value piece
activity over pawn weaknesses in such positions.
Now let's take a look at the final game (Game Six) of the Kramnik-Aronian
match. I found it very interesting that even top GMs are capable of making an
opening inaccuracy as early as move seven!
Here is the position after Black's sixth move.
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/ppp2ppp/2np1n2/1Bb1p3/
4P3/2PP1N2/PP1N1PPP/R1BQK2R w KQ - 0 7"]
Aronian plays a normal looking move: 7.0-0. IM Crouch then points out, "As
Steinitz recognized over a century ago, the manoeuvre with 7.Nf1, followed
by either Ne3 or Ng3, can be highly effective. In such a knight manoeuvre, if
White has already castled he will have to use an extra tempo with Re1 to
vacate the f1-square."
After a few more moves, the following position arises:
[FEN "r2qr1k1/pp3pp1/1bppbnnp/8/P2pP3/
2P2N1P/1PB2PP1/R1BQRNK1 w - - 0 15"]
Here White has the option to recapture on d4 with either the pawn or the
knight. It seemed obvious to me to recapture with the c-pawn in order to have
more center pawns. However, after 15.cxd4 d5!, White now finds his center
coming under fire. The attempt to win a pawn by 16.e5 Ne4 17.Bxe4 dxe4
18.Rxe4 fails to 18...Bd5, and then after White moves his rook, Black will
chop the knight on f3 and win back the pawn on d4. Therefore, the correct
move is 15.Nxd4.
Crouch's pinpoint annotations make these concepts crystal clear. Again, we

could quibble over the definition of fighting, but these examples do contain a
wealth of information about how to improve.
Yet, Chapter Three of this book is all about fighting. Perhaps not Kimbo
Slice-style street brawling, but fighting nonetheless. This chapter takes us to
Moscow in June of 2012 for the Tal Memorial.
Round Five featured the game Radjabov-Carlsen. Radjabov played the Scotch
Game and after some long maneuvering this position was reached upon
51.Kd2
[FEN "8/8/1r1k4/4p3/2ppB1b1/2P5/
RP1K2P1/8 b - - 0 51"]
Black has the more mobile pawns and his rook is active. But how to convert
those advantages? Here Magnus finds the winning plan with 51...Be6. After
52.Kc2 Bd5 53.Bxd5 d3+ 54.Kd2 Kxd5 55.Ke3 Rg6 56.Ra5+ Ke6 57.Ke4
Rg4+ 58.Kf3 Rf4+ 59.Ke3 Rf1, White has no defense against ...Re1+ and
...Re2 and so resigned.
[FEN "8/8/4k3/R3p3/2p5/2PpK3/
1P4P1/5r2 w - - 0 60"]
Fighting Chess: Move by Move is very well written and full of practical
advice that will be relevant to the average tournament player. The author
wholeheartedly meets his goal of showing what separates the top handful of
players in the world from the rest. The answer is a clarity of play that most of
us can only hope to achieve, but certainly all of us can improve at this with
some hard work and dedication. This book will be most useful to those rated
1500 and up, or even just below that threshold for ambitious improvers.
At first I was leery of the idea of an Ebook, since I have been reading paper
chess books since what feels like the beginning of time. However, as I came
to learn, there are many advantages. The two most noticeable are that you can
have an engine running in the background giving constant evaluations and
alternative suggestions (and even copy them into the game), and that you can
easily play through the analysis without any errors. With an Ebook, you will
never set up the wrong position!
One final ironic observation: the same night that I looked at the Aronian-
Kramnik game, I came across Steinitz-Blackburne, London 1876. After the
moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 Be7, Steinitz
played 7.h3, and Dr. Tartakower in annotating the game states that a better
plan would be 7.Nbd2, with the idea of Nf1 followed by Ng3 or Ne3. History
repeats itself again.
My assessment of this Ebook:

Order Fighting Chess: Move by Move
by Colin Crouch


Purchases from our
accessible:
Hello Old Friend
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase Kasparov-Short, 1993 (Ebook), ChessCafe, CBV, PDF, and PGN formats,
$3.99
Cafe
This eBook was compiled from a series of articles written for Inside Chess in
1993 by IM Colin Crouch, along with guest analysis by other commentators. 1000x Checkmate
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the legendary match between by Lubomir Ftacnik
World Champion Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short, the British challenger for
his crown. Looking back now it is easy to laugh at some of the things that
Translate this page
seemed so serious back when the Cold War era had just ended. As an
example, prior to the match GM Short accused Kasparov of having been
involved with the KGB. Today in 2013 that sounds laughable, but two
decades back it sounded sinister.
Another historical aspect of this match is that it was the first match for the
World Championship played outside the auspices of FIDE since 1948 when
Mikhail Botvinnik ascended to the throne. Prior to the match being held both
Champion and Challenger were dissatisfied with FIDE President Florencio
Campomanes's decision to simply award the title match to Manchester. This
ignored FIDE regulations which said that the venue for the match would be Chess Expertise 2:
Mastering Strategy
decided by the organization and the match participants.
As a result of what they felt to be an unacceptable abuse of power Kasparov
Rating Chart and Short united to form the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and
removed their match from FIDE's control. As a result, FIDE stripped
Awful
Kasparov of his title and for the next thirteen years there were two world
Poor champions until reunification in 2006.
Uneven The ebook consists of the following three file formats:

Good A ChessBase database featuring all twenty games of the match deeply
annotated, nineteen text files, and the seven bonus exhibition games that
Great
were played in lieu of the final four scheduled games.
Excellent A 126 page PDF file of the match coverage, diagrams included.
A PGN file of the annotated match games and exhibition games that Meet the Nimzo-Indian
works well with the Everyman Chess Viewer app for Apple and with 4.Qc2
Android devices.
To access the ChessBase content you have to use ChessBase, a ChessBase
playing program (Fritz, Rybka, Shredder, etc.), or the freely available
ChessBase Light. Once you have downloaded and unzipped your eBook
simply double-click the file and it will open in ChessBase. You will see the
Contents menu that allows you to navigate to the introductory text or game
that you would like to see. The text files offer the full content of the magazine
article, with diagrams, that corresponds to the annotated game, along with a
link to the game in the ChessBase database. The game files contain the full
replayable annotations to each game from the match. Just click the option you
would like to look at first and enjoy!
Although I grew up reading paper chess books and magazines, I have come to
love eBooks and their advantages. The two most noticeable are that you can
have an engine running in the background giving constant evaluations and
alternative suggestions, and that you can easily play through the analysis
without any errors.
Game One really seemed to set the tone of the match. Kasparov built up a
dominating position, and after Short's eighteenth move the following position
was reached:
[FEN "1rq1r1k1/2pb1ppp/p2p1b2/P2P4/
1pBp4/3P4/1PPB1PPP/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 19"]
As IM Crouch writes, "White has a massive advantage. Imagine, for example,

a position with all the major pieces exchanged: Black's a- and b-pawns would
be so weak that one of them must fall. Black has another problem in that the
e-file is open. White will continue to offer the exchange of major pieces
along this file, and since Black must refuse, he will cede control of the open
file to White. This, in turn, will give White the leverage to develop an
initiative on the kingside, leaving Black under pressure across the whole
board. It must be reckoned that White's advantage is close to decisive if he
plays reasonably accurately.
"Kasparov thought for a very long time here, and halfway through this Short
returned to sit at the board and stare intently at the position. This was an
indication that he saw he was in deep trouble; up to now neither player had
been sitting at the board when it was the opponent's turn to move, preferring
instead to scan the electronic demonstration boards. But now the position is
desperate; Nigel must put in some hard work."
Eighteen moves later the following position is reached:
[FEN "r5k1/2q2pb1/p2p1Bp1/P1pP4/
1pPpR3/1P5Q/2P2P2/6K1 w - - 0 36"
With only seconds remaining on his clock Kasparov blundered with 37.Bxg7?
?. IM Crouch notes that after 37.Re7 Qc8 38.Qxc8 Rxc8 39.Bxg7 Bxg7
40.Rd7, White easily wins the endgame.
Instead, after 37...Kxg7 38.Rh7+ Kf8 39.Qg4, Short lost on time finally
having achieved equality.
It is impossible to truly know if the psychological impact of this loss had a

continuing influence on Short's performance, but at the end of four games the
score was 3- in favor of Kasparov. In comparison to his previous five
matches against Karpov, Kasparov seemed to be cruising to an easy victory
against his English challenger.
Over the next ten games Short dug in his heels, seemingly determined to stop
the bleeding, at least as best as he could. The score in those ten games was 6-
4 in favor of the champion, with eight draws, and two Kasparov wins.
However, in game eight Short missed a spectacular win.
Here is the position after 23...Qd5:
[FEN "r4k1r/1b3p2/p2NQ3/1p1qn1B1/
7p/1P6/1PP3PP/2K2R2 w - - 0 24"]
Short played 24.Rxf7+!?. As California Master David Gliksman pointed out,
24.Qf6 could have made this Short's Immortal Game. Here is the analysis
given at length:
A) 24...Kg8 25.Nf5 (threatening both Qg7 mate, and Ne7+, winning the
queen) 25...Nd3+ 26.Kb1 Qe5 27.Ne7+ Kh7 28.Qxf7+ Qg7 29.Qf5+ and mate
next.
B) 24...Rh7 (if 24...Rg8? 25.Bh6+ wins instantly) 25.Bh6+ and now:
B1) 25...Rxh6 26.Qxh6+ Ke7 [if 26...Kg8, then 27.Nf5 Nd3+ 28.Kb1 Qe5
29.cxd3 (threatening d4 as well as Rf4-g4) 29...Bc8 30.Qg5+ Kf8 31.Qd8+
Qe8 32.Qd6+ Kg8 33.Nh6+ wins] 27.Nf5+ Ke8 28.Qf6! and Black cannot
meet all of White's threats. For example, 28...Nd3+ 29.Kb1 Qe5 30.Ng7+ or
30.Nd6+ are both very strong and if 28...Ng6 29.Ng7+ Kf8 (or 29...Kd7
30.Rd1) 30.Ne6+ wins.
B2) 25...Kg8 26.Nf5, and now:
B2a) 26...Nd3+ 27.Kb1 wins because of the threat of Ne7+ as well as Qg5+.
B2b) 26...Nc6 27.Qg5+ Kh8 28.Bg7+ Kg8 29.Be5+ Kf8 30.Bd6+ Ke8
31.Re1+ Kd7 32.Re7+ and Black gets mated.
B2c) 26...Ng6 27.Rd1 Qc5 28.Rd8+ Nf8 29.Qg5+ wins.
B2d) 26...Re8 27.Rd1 Qe6 (if 27...Qc6 28.Rd8 Ng6 29.Nd6 Rf8 30.Qxg6+!
and mate next move) 28.Rd8! and although Black is still up a rook, he is lost
because he cannot defend against the threat of Ne7+. For example, if
B2di) 28...Nd3+ 29.cxd3 Qe1+ 30.Kc2 Qe2+ 31.Bd2 wins.
B2dii) 28...Ng6 29.Ne7+ Qxe7 30.Qxe7 wins.
B2diii) 28...Nc6 29.Qg5+ Kh8 30.Bg7+ Kg8 31.Bd4+ Kf8 32.Bc5+ Ne7
33.Qg8+! and mate next move.
Although from a match standpoint this is one that got away, it serves to
illustrate one of the beautiful aspects of chess: that with careful analysis it is
possible to unearth gems such as this.
Heading into Game Sixteen Kasparov had taken a commanding lead of 10-
4 and seemed to be readying the finishing touches on a near flawless
victory. At this point it seemed as if Short would not win so much as a single
game.
Showing a grim determination to finally get in the win column Short steered
the game into the following position:
[FEN "3r3k/1b1r1ppp/p2ppn2/1pq5/4P3/
PBNRQP2/1PP3PP/3R3K b - - 0 22"]
At this point Crouch writes, "A strange phase of the game starts here. The
exchange of queens is inevitable, but neither side initiates it White refrains,
because ...dxc5 would improve Black's pawn structure, and Black, because he
feels he can profitably maintain the tension. For either player to retreat the
queen would be a big concession; so the status quo is maintained. Both
players try to make gradual improvements to their positions, starting off by
bringing their kings closer to the center for the endgame."
After some protracted maneuvering, and with queens remaining on the board,
Short built up quite an advantage:
[FEN "b5r1/3rkp1p/p2ppn2/1p2q1p1/3RP3/
PNP2P2/1PB2QPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 32"]
Observes IM Crouch: "Nothing has been exchanged and no pawns have come
in contact since move eighteen. It has been pure maneuvering. A comparison
between this diagram and that after White's twenty-second shows just how
much progress White has made, and just how little Black has been able to
achieve. Note in particular that White has strengthened his center, improved
the positions of both his minor pieces, driven Black's queen away from c5 to
a much more vulnerable spot, and generally taken control of the queenside
dark squares. Black, in return, has some very slim chances of a kingside
attack. Before these counterchances can amount to anything, White makes a
pawn break to open up Black's defenses on the queenside."
White then finds the winning plan with 32.a4 h5 33.axb5 axb5 34.Rb4 h4
35.Nd4 g4 36.Rxb5 d5 37.Qxh4 Qh5 38.Nf5+ 1-0
[FEN "b5r1/3rkp2/4pn2/1R1p1N1q/4P1pQ/
2P2P2/1PB3PP/4R1K1 b - - 0 38"]
Sadly for Nigel this was his only win of the match.
Three games later Kasparov drew the nineteenth game to retain his title, and
then the twentieth to win the match.
On the surface this match was an easy victory for the champion, and so it is
easy to attempt to dismiss Nigel Short after this result. However, at a much
deeper level this match signaled a shift in the world chess scene as the title
seemed to move away from pure Russian dominance. Considering that these
games were annotated on a tight deadline to meet the publication schedule of
a biweekly magazine the analysis is deep enough to be meaningful without
being impossible for the club player to follow.

Order Kasparov-Short, 1993 (Ebook)
by ChessCafe
Order Inside Chess 1988-2000
by ChessCafe


Purchases from our
accessible:
Spassky Redeemed
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase Boris Spassky: Master of Initiative (Ebook) by Alexander Raetsky & Maxim
Chetverik, Everyman Chess, ChessBase file format, $21.95
Cafe
History has been somewhat unkind to the tenth world champion. It seems that
practically any time Boris Spassky's name is mentioned it is as a footnote to 1000x Checkmate
the career of his successor, Bobby Fischer. However, the reality of Spassky's by Lubomir Ftacnik
career is much richer than his role as Fischer's foil. In truth, Spassky's
ascension to the chess throne almost seems inevitable, and, as noted in the
Translate this page
introduction (written in 2006), "Together with Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly
Karpov, he is the only player to have made it all the way through the
candidates matches to play for the World Championship more than once."
Spassky is widely considered to have a universal style, meaning that he was

comfortable playing almost any position, be it attacking, defending, tactical,
positional, open, closed, etc. As Garry Kasparov indicated in My Great
Predecessors, "It is generally considered that the universal chess style,
involving an ability to play the most varied types of positions, stems from
Spassky. However, in my view, this general conviction about Spassky's
universality ignores the fact that from childhood he clearly had a leaning My Great Predecessors, Part 3
by Garry Kasparov
towards sharp, attacking play, and possessed a splendid feel for the initiative."
As an aspiring chess player in the latter part of the 1980s, I remember

Rating Chart "discovering" some of Spassky's games. How nice it was to see
swashbuckling openings, such as the King's Gambit, which he famously
Awful
employed against opponents the caliber of Bronstein, Fischer, and Karpov. I
Poor understand now that Spassky infused elements of romanticism, exemplified by
many of the players from a century before his time, into the modern games of
Uneven his era.
Good So let us now enter this world of the tenth world champion.
Great
First, let's discuss how to access the content. You have to use ChessBase, a
ChessBase playing program (Fritz, Rybka, Shredder, etc.), or the freely Bobby Fischer Goes to War
Excellent
available ChessBase Light. Once you have downloaded the files, simply click by David Edmonds
& John Eidinow
the icon for the Ebook. The database will then open in ChessBase, and you
will see the table of contents:
The content is divided into ten chapters:
Boris Spassky: A Short Biography

Warming Up
A Greater Depth
It's Time to Calculate
Up Another Level
The Very Best of Spassky
Endgame Legacy
Retaliation
Missed Opportunities
Tips
It might surprise the prospective reader, as it did me, that this book is not a
game collection, but rather a puzzle book. The authors note, "In this book we
have selected Spassky's best tactical finishes to give the reader a chance to
improve their tactics." While they invite the reader to "study the tactical
moments of Boris Spassky's chess career in the form of puzzles," they also
generally provide the full game score along with the solution to each puzzle.
However, since I truly enjoy puzzle books and think that they are a very
important part of a player's improvement, I was delighted to accommodate
their request.
If one wants to access the complete games, you can click on the "games" tab:
You will then see the following:

Here you may double-click on any of the games in the list and play through
the entire game or view the puzzles and solutions as well as the text files.
Now let's take a look at some of the main content, since that is what we are
here for in the first place!
The book begins with a brief biography of Mr. Spassky from evacuating as a
four-year-old during the siege of Leningrad to becoming editor of the weekly
Russian newspaper Shakhmatnaya Nedelya in 2005. Those who only knew
him as a former World Junior Champion and from the Fischer match will
surely learn quite a bit. For instance, one of the numerous informational
jewels in this section is that in Spassky's first game in his debut international
tournament (Bucharest 1953) he defeated future World Champion Vassily
Smyslov. This sections also includes four of his greatest games annotated in
full: against Bronstein, Tukmakov, Karpov, and Fischer.
Chapter Two, "Warming Up," presents twenty examples of one-movers

where the authors warn that anything "less than a 100% score should serve as
a good warning about the state of your tactical ability and form." Let's take a
look at the first example, which is Ivkov-Spassy, Santa Monica 1966 with
Black to play.
[FEN "8/4k1p1/1p2pp1p/p6P/2n1PN2/
4qPP1/1P4K1/3Q4 b - - 0 36"]
One of the nice features about using ChessBase to read an Ebook is that if you
have a position where it is Black to play, you can simply press Ctrl+F to flip
the position and view it from the black perspective:
[FEN "8/4k1p1/1p2pp1p/p6P/2n1PN2/
4qPP1/1P4K1/3Q4 b - - 0 36"]
I like having this option, since I try to duplicate game conditions as much as
possible in order to derive the most benefit from reading a book of this nature.
I encourage everyone reading this review to work on solving the examples
included here on their own. The solutions appear at the end of the column.
The next chapter, "A Greater Depth," gives us a chance to work on some
more difficult puzzles. Included among them are Spassky's win against Bent
Larsen at Palma de Mallorca in 1969.
Here is the position from that game. Boris has the white pieces, and a
miserable position to go with them. However, Larsen's last move 65...h4 was
a grievous error, and Spassky saw the chance to pounce:
[FEN "6k1/1p3p2/p2prPq1/8/7p/
2Q5/PP3RP1/6K1 w - - 0 66"]
Chapter Four, "It's Time to Calculate," was one of the more interesting
chapters. As explained by the authors, "So far we've dealt with several basic
but important tactical motifs, albeit without overtaxing the reader's calculating
ability. It's now time to help improve that with some more challenging
exercises. These will require a bit more calculation as well as some
imagination."
This chapter has a nice example from later in Boris's career in the game
Spassky Eliet, French League 2002:
[FEN "r1bB2r1/pp3pnp/2p5/4k3/4P3/
2N2P2/PPP1B2P/2KR4 w - - 0 18"]
It is White to play and the authors ask "Spassky has sacrificed the exchange
to control the dark squares. What happened next?"
One of the nice things about the format of this particular Ebook is that each
puzzle is diagrammed in the accompanying text file and has three hyperlinks.
The top links to the ChessBase game window, and the bottom links point to a
tip and to the solution. This makes for an extremely readable experience.
However, in the game window it reads to "Press F10 for the solution." This
was previously the load next game command, but it is no longer valid in
ChessBase 12. In CB12, the proper key is F11. One wonders why ChessBase
would have changed this longstanding shortcut.
Chapter Six, "The Very Best of Spassky" is both fun and instructive. One of
the examples given was my favorite from the entire book: Spassky Geller,
Suhumi 1968.
[FEN "2r3k1/1b2ppb1/q2p1np1/2p3N1/1p2P1PQ/
nP1PB2P/r1P1N1B1/2R2RK1 w - - 0 23"]
The above position was reached on the white side of the Closed Sicilian. In a
complex position Boris finds a nice way to break through.
When I was examining the above position I could not discern who was
objectively better if there was no immediate tactic available. White is
pressuring Black's king, but Black seems poised to break through on the
queenside. I was unable to solve it, and so after working through the solution
I loaded the position into Fritz 12. This can be done simply by clicking "File"
and "Go to Fritz." Interestingly, the computer evaluates Black as much better
for about a minute or so before it finally calculated the win for Spassky.
Incidentally, it is also possible to get an engine evaluation from the
ChessBase game window by clicking "Default Kibitzer."
Overall, I enjoyed Boris Spassky: Master of Initiative very much. I like how
the authors chose to group the exercises by level of complexity rather than by
theme. This causes the reader to look deeper at the positions compared to
books that identify the theme of each chapter beforehand. If readers work
through the puzzles the way the authors intend, there is much to be learned.
The one nit I have is the title. Master of Initiative is not very descriptive of
the content; something along the lines of "Master of Tactics" would have been
more appropriate.
Solutions
Ivkov Spassky: 36...Qxf4 wins after 37.gxf4 Ne3+.
Spassky Larsen: 66.Qc8+ Kh7 67.Qxe6 and Black must give up his queen
to stop the pawn.
Spassky-Eliet: White wins a piece with 18.f4+ Kxf4 (or 18...Ke6 19.Bc4#)
19.Rf1+ Ke5 20.Bc7+ Ke6 21.Bc4+ Ke7 22.Rxf7+ Ke8 23.Bd6.
Spassky Geller: The solution here is more complex, so I will give only the
main line, which is 23.Rxf6! Exf6 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Nxf7!! Rxc2 26.Bh6!
Rxc1+ 27.Nxc1 Kxf7 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.g5 f5 30.Qxg6+ Kd7 31.Qf7+ Kc6
32.exf5+.

Order Boris Spassky: Master of Initiative (Ebook)
by Alexander Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik


Purchases from our
accessible:
Going Mainstream
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase The Scandinavian: Move by Move (Ebook) by IM Cyrus Lakdawala,
Everyman Chess, ChessBase and PGN file formats, $24.95
Cafe
The Scandinavian with 3...Qd6 is in fashion these days mainly because of GM
Sergei Tiviakov, who began using it as his main weapon against 1.e4. It has 1000x Checkmate
even earned a stamp of approval from the twelfth world champion Anatoly by Lubomir Ftacnik
Karpov, who used it to draw a fine game against former world champion
Veselin Topalov in a rapid game earlier this year. For his part, IM Lakdawala
Translate this page
has been playing this opening, in his words, "since Ronald Reagan's
presidency." This line in the Scandinavian is a good choice for club players
who would like a solid opening choice that does not require dozens of hours
per year to keep up with current theory.
Over the course of the fifty-four games in this eBook, Lakdawala acquaints
the reader with the opening and covers the main lines and most topical
sidelines stemming from 3...Qd6. For anyone not already familiar with the
Move by Move series, allow me to explain the advantages. This series is laid
out in a question and answer format that encourages the reader to collaborate
in the learning experience. In answering the questions posed by the author, the Chess Developments:
The Grnfeld (Ebook)
reader is an active participant and is able to become more familiar with the
by David Vigorito
ideas being conveyed in the book.
Rating Chart To access the content one must have either a PGN compatible program, or
ChessBase, or a ChessBase playing program (Fritz, Rybka, Shredder, etc.), or
Awful
the freely available ChessBase Reader. I used the latter. Once you have
Poor downloaded your Ebook, simply double-click the file and it will open in
ChessBase. The PGN file has the same content as the ChessBase file and is
Uneven formatted for use in the Everyman Chess Viewer, which is now available for
both Apple and Android products.
Good
Great
Winning Chess Openings
Excellent (Ebook)
by Yasser Seirawan
The advantages to the eBook format include being able to turn on an engine
to either check the author's analysis or explore reasonable alternatives to the
suggested lines. I gain a lot just by seeing how my own ideas either work or
are refuted. Using ChessBase, it is also handy to be only a few mouse clicks
away from their online reference database to see how recent GM games are
trending.
The content is divided as follows:
The Main Line without 6.Ne5

The 7.Nc4 Variation
The 7.Bf4 Variation
Shirov's Variation: 7.f4
Fifth Move Alternative's
The Early...c6 Move Order
The 5...g6 Scandinavian
White Refrains From an Early d4
White Avoids an Early Nc3
Odds and Ends
The first chapter begins with a less critical line. As IM Lakdawala puts it,
"Before we enter the terrifying 6.Ne5 lines of Chapters Two, Three and Four,
let's begin the book with a relaxing vacation in the non-critical sixth move
alternatives. In this chapter, White's hope of a long-lasting opening advantage
(or, indeed, any advantage at all) is spent, flavourless gum, chewed too long.
The variations we arrive at in this chapter will probably occur against
opponents who don't know Scandinavian opening theory and are just basically
winging it. Let's keep things simple by remaining within Caro-Kann-like
structures. In each instance, White gets nothing from the opening, and his
efforts to force an advantage are wasted." Come on Cyrus, tell us how you
really feel!
It is no coincidence that five of the seven games in this chapter (and, in fact,
twenty-two games in the entire book) feature Sergei Tiviakov as black. Let's
have a look at the game Sulskis-Tiviakov, Pfalz 2009:
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5

[FEN "rnb1kbnr/ppp1pppp/8/3q4/8/8/
PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 3"]
Notes Lakdawala, "Welcome to the other Caro-Kann!
Question: If the position is destined to be Caro-Kann-like, then why not

just go ahead and play the real Caro-Kann?
Answer: This is a facsimile of the positions we reach from the Caro.

But if you play the Caro, you must also face the Advance Variation, the
Panov-Botvinnik and about a half-dozen others, all different from one
another and all loaded up with nearly a century of theory. The
Scandinavian avoids such a theoretical nuisance. We tend to get the
same mainline Caro structure over and over. Also, most 1 e4 players are
heavily booked up on the Caro, and anything but booked up against the
rarely played Scandinavian.
The reason that Lakdawala refers to this as the Caro-Kann is because most of
the structures arising from this opening involve ...c6, and often ...e6 as well,
thereby taking on the properties of the Caro Slav structure.
3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.h3 Bf5 7.g4!?
[FEN "rn2kb1r/pp2pppp/2pq1n2/5b2/3P2P1/
2N2N1P/PPP2P2/R1BQKB1R b KQkq g3 0 7"]
Question: Isn't his move weakening?
Answer: To play for a win, one must sometimes take on reasonable risk
as well. I think this rare but ambitious move, designed to take over both
the initiative and bishop-pair, is White's only real try for an edge, and if
failing that, then at least a sharp fight.
Alternatives:
7.Bd3 Bxd3 8.Qxd3 Nbd7 9.Bg5 e6 10.0-0-0 Be7 11.Kb1. Now Black
has a choice of 0-0-0, which is not very ambitious but good enough for
equality, E.Inarkiev-S.Tiviakov, Moscow 2009,( or the more
enterprising but riskier 0-0!?, going opposite wings.)
7.Bc4 Nbd7 (the most accurate move; Black covers e5) 8.0-0 e6 9.Bg5
(or the more enterprising but riskier 9.Nh4 Bg6 10. Nxg6 hxg6, but we
Scandinavian players are used to such structures) 9...Be7 10.Qe2 0-0
11.Rad1 h6 12.Bh4 Qc7 is equal, Yu Ruiyuan-O.Barbosa, Ho Chi Minh
City 2012.
Later on, after White's forty-sixth move the following position is reached:
[FEN "2r2b2/6p1/R3p1P1/1p4Br/
4N2p/1k1K3P/8/8 b - - 0 46"]
Here the reader is asked to find the denouement:
Exercise (planning): Just one strong move is required and Black's pieces
emerge in force. What should he play?
Answer: Overload.
46...Rc4
Black threatens 47...Rxe4. This in turn collapses White's semblance of

counterplay.
Summary: Prepare yourself for the upside down, alternate reality, also
known as the Scandinavian, where development is optional, and Dukes
and Counts smack down Morphy. Having gone over this game, it feels
like White did everything right and Black did everything wrong, yet the
forces of chaos won anyway. For some reason, I am reminded of Bill
Clinton's assertion that he 'didn't inhale' when reflecting deeper on this
game.
As you can see, the questions vary from nuances of development to raw
tactical exercises.
Now let's look at a more topical game in the current main line theory from
Chapter Two. The introduction to this chapter begins as follows:
[FEN "r1b1kb1r/pp1npppp/2pq1n2/8/2NP4/
2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 7"]
Part of the magic of chess is the fact that two strong players with equal
IQ levels and chess ability can examine a position and come to opposite
conclusions on an assessment. Most strong players may look at the
diagrammed position above and tell you Black is in serious trouble.
After all, White leads in development in a somewhat open position. We
Scandinavian players know better, and I state with confidence, mainly
based on GM Tiviakov's games: Black holds his own.
The game Tiviakov-Sveshnikov, Moscow 2011 begins 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5

3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nc4 Qc7 8.Qf3 Nb6 9.Ne5 and
again the questions start to flow:
Question: Why would White refuse to gain a tempo by posting his

bishop to f4?
Answer: We saw in earlier games the havoc Black's ...Qd7 and ...Qg4!
manoeuvre caused, so White reasons there is no rush for the tempo-gain.
He takes care of business first, preparing to castle long and only then
will he play Bf4 which isn't running away. In essence, White's last move
prevents the dreaded ...Qd7.
9...Be6
Practiced familiarity is synonymous with masterful control. Tiviakov

knows and understands this line better than anyone else in the world and
doesn't get confused by White's tricky move order. He discourages the
coming Bc4. Remember, always be flexible about ...g6 and ...Bg7
development. We look at the fianchetto lines later in the book, which
will actually help you understand this and other chapters better as well,
since in some cases we do fianchetto our dark-squared bishop.
10.Bf4 Qd8
[FEN "r2qkb1r/pp2pppp/1np1bn2/4N3/
3P1B2/2N2Q2/PPP2PPP/R3KB1R w KQkq - 0 11"]
Question: Why isn't Black getting blown away? So far he moved his
queen three times to end up where she started from.
Answer: You just described the great Zen koan of the Scandinavian. I
can't explain why Black is able to survive, other than he just does!
Perhaps the reason is twofold:
1. White has great difficulty in opening the position in the Scandinavian.

This in turn, has a way of dampening his impressive development lead.
2. The second reason lies perhaps within the psyche of many who face
Scandi as White: They act like they are winning when they actually are
not. The net result of this is overextension, which happens to White on a
regular basis in the Scandi.
11.0-0-0 g6 12.Bd3
Alternatives;
12.h4 Bg7 (Black feels no great urgency to play ...h5, since he can grab
it and perhaps castle queenside later on) 13.Be2 Nfd5 14.Bd2 (perhaps
White should proceed forward with 14.h5 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Qd5 16. Qf3
Qa5 17.a3 Nxf4 18.Qxf4 when Black must still deal with issues of
where to place his king) 14...Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Qd5 16.Qd3 0-0! with equal
chances, since g2 is too dangerous a grab, T.L.Petrosian-S.Kasparov,
Bhubaneswar 2011.
12.h3 Bg7 13.Ng4 isn't very effective, since Black hasn't committed to
kingside castling yet, T.Paehtz-S.Kasparov, Arco 2011. Black looks fine
after Nfd5.
12...Bg7 13.h4 Nbd5 14.Bc4 Nxf4 15.Qxf4 Bxc4 16.Nxc4 Nd5 17.Qf3 Nac3
18.bxc3!?
[FEN "r2qk2r/pp2ppbp/2p3p1/8/2NP3P/
2P2Q2/P1P2PP1/2KR3R b kq - 0 18"]
A theoretical novelty and a radical approach. A soldier is obliged to

follow orders from a commanding officer, even when he realizes it may
be sheer folly. Sveshnikov refuses to lose time with his queen, and
allows serious damage to his structure around his king. There is
something unsettling and incongruous about White's idea.
As you can see by the example above this is an opening that can lead to some
seriously imbalanced positions. The so-called "three-result chess." Black not
castling, as in the game above, is not a rarity, and so wild attacking
possibilities often exist on both sides of the board.
As noted by IM Lakdawala, the 6.Ne5 lines are the only variations in this
opening in which Black must be rather knowledgeable since they cannot be
improvised.
Let's take a look at one more example of the possibilities that exist in the
Scandinavian, this time from Chapter Seven, which covers 5...g6.
Per the introduction to this chapter
The biggest complaint about the ...c6 lines is not that they are unsound,
but that they tend to veer toward the overly solid, and therefore can be
difficult to win as Black. So to alleviate this issue, a sharper, little
studied sideline is offered: 5...g6. In Alekhine's Defence/Grunfeld
fashion, we hand White the centre, with the understanding that we
eventually strike back with either:
Direct piece pressure on White's d-pawn with ...Nc6, ...Rd8, ...Bg4 and
...Bxf3. This plan tends to be more effective when White tries Nb5 and
c4 lines, which undermine his c3 support for the d4-pawn.
Black plays for a ...c5 break, but only when we catch up with White in
development. We all understand not to open the position when behind in
development in the Scandianvian!
We play for an ...e5 break, sometimes with ...Bg4 and ...Bxf3 tossed in,
to weaken White's control over e5, at the cost of the bishop-pair, which
rarely scares the seasoned Scandinavian player.
So if you are in the mood to play harder for a win, or just desire a
change (or plan wanton opening treachery upon the opponent!), then the
5...g6 line is an interesting diversion which is almost certain to catch
your opponents off guard theoretically, after which the recoil from our
opening surprise may throw off his or her aim.
The game is Crisologo-Lakdawala San Diego (rapid) 2010:
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 g6 6.Be2

[FEN "rnb1kb1r/ppp1pp1p/3q1np1/8/3P4/
2N2N2/PPP1BPPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 0 6"]
You may face this ultra-safe, annoying line from lower-rated players
who hope to draw. White envisions the coming ...a6, ...b5 and ...Bb7. He
plans to mute dynamism with Ne5 and Bf3, challenging Black's
powerful bishop along the h1-a8 diagonal and injecting the game with
as much dullness as possible.
Question: Isn't c4 a more natural square for the bishop?
Answer: It is, but in a way it is also the move Black wants, since we
follow with ...a6 and ...b5, chasing down the bishop. Later on, when
White's bishop posts on b3, we play ...c5 and after dxc5, recapture with
a d7-knight, once again harassing his bishop. For example: 6.Bc4 Bg7
7.0-0 0-0 8.h3 (preventing Bg4) a6 9. A4! (disallowing Black easy
expansion with ...b5) Nc6 10.Be3 Bf5 11.Qe2 Nb4! (here is the down
side of a4: it allows Black's knight to nest on b4) 12.Bb3 Nbd5 (seeking
freeing exchanges) 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Bg5 Rae8 15.Rfe1 h6 (15...Nf4
16.Qd2 Ne6 17.Qe3 g5!? 18.Bg3 e6 19.h4, P.Leko-V.Kramnik, Moscow
(blitz) 2009. White may have a shade of an edge after Bf6, since Black
has yet to achieve either ...c5 or ...e5 breaks.
Now let's skip ahead to the position after White's twenty-fourth move:
24.Rc6?!
[FEN "2r1r1k1/2p1ppbp/p1R2np1/4B3/
1q6/5Q2/PP2NPPP/5RK1 b - - 0 24"]
Exercise (combination alert): In his zeal, White hopes to affect a crude

form of parliamentary legitimacy to his tyrannical reign over the
queenside, yet his last move is an error. Tactical alertness is perhaps the
single most important characteristic to chess improvement. Do you see
the simple trick which your unobservant writer missed?
Answer: Double attack. Black picks off another pawn after 24...Qa5!
25.Bc3 Qxa2.
Overall, IM Lakdawala achieves his aim, as this book will certainly prepare
someone for their first experience wading into the waters of this enjoyable
opening. If you are looking for in depth analysis of recent top-flight GM
games in a heavily debated theoretical line, then this book is not for you. On
the other hand, if you are looking for a primer that explains ideas and themes
in clear language and then reinforces them with a series of questions and
answers, then this is indeed the droid you have been looking for.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to take up the

Scandinavian, either as a main line or as a surprise weapon. It can even be
recommended to those playing it from the white side. Lastly, I recommend
this book to anyone who plays or coaches scholastic chess, as this seems to
be a frequently played opening at that level.

Order The Scandinavian: Move by Move (Ebook)
by Cyrus Lakdawala


Purchases from our
accessible:
Armas Peligrosas!
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase Dangerous Weapons: The Ruy Lopez (Ebook) by John Emms, Tony Kosten,

and John Cox, Everyman Chess 2013, ChessBase file format $21.95
Cafe
The Ruy Lopez is the Cadillac of chess openings, offering numerous options
for either side. Whether you prefer to play something sharp or solid, the
1000x Checkmate
Spanish offers you a plethora of choices. Over the past few years there have by Lubomir Ftacnik
been quite a number of books covering the Ruy Lopez, but none quite like this
offering from Everyman Chess. The beauty of Dangerous Weapons: The Ruy
Translate this page Lopez is that it is chock full of ideas for both sides.
The Dangerous Weapons series is intended to provide playable options in

sidelines to theory. Rather than having to learn mountains of key variations, a
player can learn something that is offbeat, but offers excellent practical
chances. As quoted in the Series Introduction, "The original concept behind
Dangerous Weapons was to take a major chess opening and to approach it in a
completely different way to normal: to concentrate on variations that are
ambitious, sharp, innovative, disruptive, tricky, enjoyable to analyse; ones not
already weighed down by mountains of theory, and ones unfairly ignored or
discredited."
Garry Kasparov, Part II:

1985-1993 (Ebook)
by Garry Kasparov
Rating Chart
Awful

Poor

Uneven

Good

Great

Excellent

Practical Endgame Play:

Beyond the Basics
by Glenn Flear
To access the content one must have ChessBase, or a ChessBase playing

program (Fritz, Rybka, Shredder, etc.), or the freely available ChessBase
Reader. Once you have downloaded your Ebook, simply double-click the file
and it will open in ChessBase.

The Aronian Variation
Classical Berlin: Introduction
Classical Berlin: 5.c3 Main Line
6.Ba4 Versus the Berlin
New Ideas in the 4.d3 Berlin
An Evans Gambit in the Lopez
Fighting the Exchange Variation
New Ways to Play d3
Another g4 Lunge
A Gambit Against the Anti-Marshall
The 9...a5 Variation
An Open Chigorin
The first chapter is on the "Aronian" variation, which is essentially a Cozio

with an early ...a6. After the opening moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6
4.Ba4 Nge7 5.0-0 g6 6.c3 Bg7 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 b5 9.Bc2 this position is
reached:

[FEN "r1bqk2r/2ppnpbp/p1n3p1/1p6/3PP3/

5N2/PPB2PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 9"]
As noted by Tony Kosten, "This retreat stops Black gaining a tempo when he
plays ...Na5, but is quite rare, although I'm not entirely sure why as White will
be a tempo up in certain positions."
One of the nicer aspects of working with an Ebook is that it can be seamlessly
integrated with other aspects of ChessBase. In reading Kosten's note above I
was curious as to what the usual continuations are other than 9.Bc2. One neat
tool to determine this is the "Reference" tab in the notation window:
In my database this shows that 9.Bb3 is played almost ten times more often
than 9.Bc2, although from a total of forty-one games. Depending on the size
of your reference database, your results may vary.
Upon 9...0-0 10.d5 Kosten offers the following lengthy comment:
"However, with the bishop on c2, 10.Nc3 is probably not a good idea as
White is no longer controlling d5 adequately and Black can play:
"a) 10...d5 11.e5 (otherwise White will be left with an exposed IQP,

although this is not the end of the world by any means: 11.exd5 Nb4; or
11.h3 dxe4 12.Bxe4 b4 13.Ne2 Bf5,; 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 dxe4 13.Bxe4
g5 14.Bg3, S.De Filomeno-S.Galdunts, Cesenatico 2011, 14...Bg4 and
...f5) 11...Bg4. This is the problem: 12.Be3 f6! 13.exf6 Rxf6 14.Bg5 (or
14.Kh1 Qf8 15.Bb3 Qf7 (even better is 15...Rd8! planning ...Rxf3!)
16.h3? Bxf3 17.gxf3 Rxf3 with a crushing advantage, T.Esadze-
K.Strukova, Albena 2011) 14...Rf7 15.Nxd5?! Qxd5 16.Bb3 Qf5 (White
is lost) 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.Bxf7+ Qxf7 19.Rc1 Nd5 20.Rc5 Nf4 21.Qc2
Bxf3 22.Rxc7 Ne2+ 23.Kh1 Qd5 0-1, K.Messinger-M.Cornette, St
Chely d'Aubrac 2011.
"b) 10...d6 11.h3 can also be played, as in the main line with the white
bishop on b3. 11...Bb7 (Black develops his final minor piece, ready to
counterattack the white centre) 12.Bf4 (12.Re1 Rc8 13.Bf4 Na5 14.Qe2
c5 15.dxc5 Rxc5 16.Rad1 Nc4 17.Bb3 Nxb2 18.Rxd6 Qc8 19.Nb1 Nc4

was fine for Black in B.Firat-V.Erdos, Sarajevo 2011) 12...Na5 (still

good, even if it doesn't gain a tempo) 13.d5 Nc4 14.Qc1 b4 15.Nd1 c6!
16.dxc6 Nxc6 17.Bh6 N4e5! 18.Nxe5 dxe5 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Ba4 Nd4
with a powerful knight and better bishop, S.Grover-I.Sokolov,
Reykjavik 2011.
"c) Or 10...b4!? first, to drive the knight back: 11.Ne2 d5 12.e5 Bg4
13.h3 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Qd7 15.Kh2 with mutual chances in R.Potze-
F.Erwich, Hoogeveen 2011."
I like it that the annotations are essentially variation-driven, which allows the
reader to fully explore the resulting positions, while still being wordy enough
to provide a clear explanation of the underlying plans.
While the lines are not explored in great depth, the reader has the opportunity
to use the reference tab to find further games and dive in to whatever depth is
desired. Another benefit is that you can do all of this with an engine running
in the background to keep from straying too far off course!
"New Ideas in the 4.d3 Berlin" by John Cox was the chapter I was most
looking forward to, as I was looking for something different against the Berlin
endgame. The d3-theme arises in a number of Lopez variations, so I was
excited about the chance to explore this chapter. It begins with the statement
"This is the move Kasparov said later he wished he'd tried in London in 2000.
It provides a calm strategic alternative to the main endgame line of the Berlin,
yet with a drop of poison."
The game given as a reference point for the way that White should handle the
resulting structure is Capablanca-Janowski, New York 1913. The game itself
is not annotated, although there are some footnotes at the end. After that, Cox
gives us a deeper look into McShane-Parker from the British League 2011,
given here in condensed form.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5

[FEN "r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/1Bb1p3/

4P3/3P1N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 5"]
This is the classical reply and pretty much the invariable choice of the
top players these days; of course Black can play many moves and we'll
have a quick look at some of them in the 'Looking a Little Deeper'

section. This is the position in which Luke McShane has a new idea.
5.Bxc6
The line established back in the 19th century was 5.c3 0-0 6.Bxc6 (6.0-0
allows either 6...d6 with a kind of Giuoco Pianissimo where White's
bishop has overshot to b5,(or 6...d5, a more forthright attempt to
equalize which seems to have gone out of fashion a little bit) ) 6...bxc6
7.Nxe5 d5, when Black has enough compensation for the pawn. Instead
5.0-0 Nd4 is pretty comfortable for Black.
5...dxc6
Jonathan thought for about ten minutes over this move. "I thought
5...bxc6 might just lose a pawn", he told me afterwards, and indeed
obviously Black would prefer to have castled while White wastes time
on c3, as in the old line. Probably Jonathan's sage observation is more or
less correct despite a bit of initial optimism from the machines. For
example, even the naive line 6.Nxe5 d5 7.exd5!? Qxd5 (7...Nxd5 8.d4
Bd6 9.Nxc6 Qf6 10.0-0 Bxh2+ 11.Kxh2 Qxc6 isn't much better, largely
because White has the vexing 12.Qe2+, when 12...Be6? loses a piece to
c4, d5 and so on) 8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Nc3 Qd6 11.Re1 Bf5 12.Be3
sees Black struggling to demonstrate any reasonable compensation.
6.b3
This was Luke's new idea. "This structure is underrated for White", he
tells me.
6...Qe7 7.Bb2 Nd7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Ne2
This is White's usual manoeuvre in this structure; the knight is on its way
to g3. Black doesn't usually want to play ...g6, which gives White a
variety of handles, so he has to be constantly wary of a Nf5 leap, and
White can get ready for f4 to liberate his rooks.
9...Ba3
A controversial moment; obviously Black could play ...Bd6, ...c5, ...Re8,

...f6 and ...Nf8-e6 instead, digging in and treating his 'bad' bishop, in
Bellin's marvellous phrase, "like a girder in a building". That would
perhaps be the more conventional option, but it's a different game, as
they say. Still, it's easy to see why Parker wanted to remove the b2-
bishop, which would certainly have pointed malevolently at his kingside
after a later f4 break.
10.Bxa3 Qxa3 11.0-0 Qe7 12.Ng3 Nc5

[FEN "r1b2rk1/ppp1qppp/2p5/2n1p3/4P3/

1P1P1NN1/P1P2PPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 13"]
13.b4
A difficult choice. As I said before, White's move doesn't give him such a
secure blockade as the other sort of arrangement of his queenside. What
it does do in the short term, however, is prevent Black from establishing
a pawn on c5 and thus secure White's control of the d4-square and his
advantage in the centre. McShane demonstrates an ability which all
strong players have but which is perhaps particularly a mark of his style,
to change his plans according to events.
13...Na6
13...Na4 was also possible, but it doesn't change the play all that much. It
looks attractive to bring the knight to b6 and to be ready to invade on c4
if White does play d4, but actually it doesn't help half as much as one
might think as they say, it's only a square. White can bring a knight
round to e3 and trade the knight off, and the bishop isn't stable on c4
unless Black plays ...b5, which is obviously not what his queenside
pawns want to see. Many of these issues came up in a slightly different
form in Capablanca's game.
14.c3 c5 15.a3 cxb4 16.axb4 c5 17.bxc5 Nxc5
This was Black's idea; he has solved his structural issues on the

queenside, but the trouble is that in so doing he has allowed White a

central majority and better control of that sector. Jonathan told me after
the game he was surprised by the way his troubles endured here and the
way the white knights continue to outplay his bishop.
From here McShane goes on to win a nice sixty-move game. Cox continues to
give explanations of how White is implementing plans that are cohesive with
his position, although the analysis is not particularly deep.
Each chapter finishes with a section called "Looking a Little Deeper" in which
the plans and ideas in the variation under discussion are delved into at a
greater depth. As an example, let's take a look at a position from "An Open
Chigorin" by John Emms:

[FEN "r1bqr1k1/4bppp/p2p1n2/npp5/3PP3/

5N1P/PPB2PP1/RNBQR1K1 w - - 0 13"]
13.Nc3 was considered in Hayawaka-Clausen, and the two other options

we'll consider in detail are:
A: 13.Nbd2
B: 13.d5
Alternatively:
a) 13.e5 dxe5 14.dxe5 doesn't look dangerous. For example, 14...Qxd1

(or 14...Nd5!? with similar play to Hayawaka-Calusen) 15.Rxd1 Nd7
16.Be4 (16.Nc3 Nc4; 16.b3!?) 16...Ra7 17.Bf4 Nf8 18.Nc3 Ne6 with
balanced chances. The asymmetrical pawn structure offers both sides the
chance to fight for the advantage, even in the ending. However, an early
queen exchange generally favours Black, who no longer has to worry
about a direct kingside attack.
b) 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Nc3 (14.e5 transposes to 13 e5) 14...Qxd1 (14...Bb7

transposes to Hayawaka-Clausen) 15.Rxd1 Be6 16.e5 Nd7 is similar to
'a' and again offers balanced chances.
c) 13.a4 Bb7! 14.d5 White has followed the principle of waiting for

...Bb7 before advancing with d4-d5. However, his waiting move, 13 a4,

turns out to be a weakness which allows Black greater counterplay on
the queenside than usual. After 14...Nd7 15.Nbd2 Bf6 Black is ready to

activate with ...c4 and ...Nc5.
d) 13.Bf4 Bb7 and now:
a) This time after 14.d5 Black can exploit White's early bishop

development with 14...Nh5!, intending 15.Bh2 (or 15.Be3 Nc4) 15...Bf6

and ...Nc4 with counterplay.
b) 14.Nbd2 cxd4 (if 14...Qb6 then 15.d5) 15.Nxd4 reaches a typical

Romanishin-type position, with the slight difference being White's dark-
squared bishop has developed earlier than usual. Here I suggest 15...g6
(15...Bf8 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Nc6 18.Nxc6 Bxc6 19.Qf3 looks slightly
better for White, N.Djukic-N.Doric, Paracin 2011), and if 16.Nf1 Bf8
17.Ng3 we transpose to Line A1, note on 17 Bf4.
The authors fully meet the goal of arming readers with some interesting
surprise weapons. However, I would not recommend these lines as repertoire
recommendations if, like me, you play against the same members of your club
all the time. Yet, I do recommend using these as occasional surprise weapons.
Order
Dangerous Weapons: The Ruy Lopez (Ebook)

by John Emms, Tony Kosten, and John Cox
A PDF file of
this month's column, along with all previous columns, is
available in the
ChessCafe.com Archives.
Comment on this month's column via our official

Chess Blog!




Purchases from our
accessible:
More Crashes than a Demolition Derby
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase ChessBase Tactics App, ChessBase, iPad, iPod, iTouch, or iPhone, Free
Cafe I was initially very excited when I heard that ChessBase had released a tactics
app. After all, I am a dedicated user of ChessBase, Fritz, and the Fritz Trainer
software.
Magnus Force (Ebook)
by Colin Crouch
Translate this page

Fighting Chess:

Move by Move
by Colin Crouch
Rating Chart
Awful

Poor I downloaded the app on my iPhone and set out to see what they had to offer.
Sadly, it was less than what I hoped for. In the first place, unlike other tactics

Uneven
apps I have used, nothing happens when you press the square of the piece that

Good you want to move. I am used to the square being highlighted so that I know
that I have selected the correct piece.
Best of Viswanathan Anand

Great by Chess Informant
For example, here is a screen shot after having pressed the rook on c8, since

Excellent the solution is ...Rxc4.

Without the square being highlighted I do not know if I have truly selected the
right piece, meaning that it is quite possible that I actually pressed the rook on
d8. Were I now to press c4 for the destination square, I would be told I
selected the wrong answer, since the rook on d8 cannot go to c4. This
happened a few times on various puzzles. I would try a move, be told that it
was incorrect, and then eventually realize that I pressed the wrong square.
Another shortcoming is that there is no rating function. Tactics ratings serve

two very useful purposes. The first, of course, is ego. We all like to see that
we are improving and a rating achieves that aim. The second is much more
important, as an app with a ratings function should feed the user tactics
appropriate for their level. This app seems to be very random, which does not
help with systematic training as effectively as it could or should.
The layout of the app was also a bit vague. Let's take a look at another screen
shot.
Some of the layout is rather standard. For example, the colored dot just below
h1 is the color of the side to move. The hint button will highlight the piece to
be moved, while the next button will make the next move, or if the puzzle is a
one move solution, the next button will take you to the next puzzle entirely.
As for the buttons on the bottom bar, the one on the far left that looks like a
joystick will take you to the leader boards to show you the users who have
solved the most puzzles. The center one with the X in the middle will reset all
of the puzzles, and the one on the right with the number one in it just seems to
crash the program, as all I ever got was a "please wait" followed by nothing
until I reset the app. Though I believe this allows you to buy the ChessBase
currency known as "ducats."
At the top of the puzzle you will notice that there is a bar that displays Total =
100, Solved = 22. The solved total indicates the total number of moves found,
not the total number of puzzles solved. For example, let's solve the puzzle
starting with the above.
1.Qd8+
As you can see the solved total has increased to twenty-three, and the green
square indicates that the correct move was chosen. Had an incorrect move
been attempted the box would be red.
1...Rxd8
2.Rxd8#
Again, the total solved has now increased by one.
Next I set out to determine what happens when the total solved goes over 100.
Sadly, I never found out. I got to sixty-seven when I was given the following
puzzle:
The answer is clearly 1.b3 which puts Black in zugzwang. I pressed the b-pawn
and the app crashed. After repeating this process three or four times, I finally
just skipped this problem by using the next button and was given this
problem:
I tried to input 1...Nxf2+, which seemed like it might work, but the app
crashed. Again, I repeated this three or four times with the same result.
I returned to the app store to read any reviews and found three one-star
negative reviews. One said that there comes a time when the program will
crash every time you attempt to enter a move. Another was titled "More
Crashes than a Demolition Derby," and the third just said that the app was
impossible to use.
It was at this point that I decided to end my quest to reach 100 on the solved
meter, because I had seen enough. ChessBase has some serious problems with
this app. In its current form I would not advise anyone to use it.
However, there is a lot of potential here. If ChessBase will go back and

redevelop this app to make it less buggy and more user-friendly, then they
could do some really cool things. For instance, they could link the app to their
database. Then you could actually see the root game that a tactic comes from,
assuming it is a game example, and play through the moves. I believe that
would be a useful way for people to become more familiar with some famous
games. So there is a lot more potential if ChessBase decides to rework the
app.
My assessment of this app:
A PDF file of
available in the

Chess Blog!




Purchases from our
accessible:
Amazing Functionality and Value
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase ChessBase App, ChessBase, iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, $4.99
Cafe After last month's review of the disappointing ChessBase Tactics app, I was
apprehensive about reviewing another ChessBase app. However, in this case
ChessBase stuck with their strengths and produced an amazing and useful
application that comes in very handy. by Colin Crouch
When you first open the app you see their title screen:
Translate this page

Fighting Chess:

Move by Move
by Colin Crouch
Rating Chart
Awful

Poor

Uneven

Good You are then directed to the home page:

Great

Excellent

Garry Kasparov, Part II:

1985-1993 (Ebook)
by Garry Kasparov
Click the "online" button and you will be taken to a list of recent games:
I am not certain how often the online database updates, but it is frequent. In the
month or so that I have been testing this app it has updated three times, and as
I write this on November 28th it already contains games from the recently
completed European Team Championships.
The beauty of this application is that it works much the same as ChessBase
itself, but in a manner that is totally portable. One of the ways in which I put it
to use was for opening preparation in upcoming club games. The clubs I
attend play one slow rated game each week, so typically you know your
pairing several days in advance and can do a little bit of preparation.
If you click the graphic of the chess board that appears in the lower left corner
of the app (see above in the list of games) you see the following:
You can then either move the pieces on the screen or click the choices (i.e.
1.e4 or 1.d4, etc.) until you find the position you want to view:
At this point if you press the magnifying glass search icon you are shown a list
of games with that starting position:
Click on the game that you want and you can begin to examine it:
Once you are done examining the game you can press the Games button in the
upper left of the screen and you will be taken back to the previous screen,
which lists the games starting in the position you selected.
One drawback of this feature is that it does not save the search parameters
between uses. In other words, if you perform a search for a specific line and
then set it aside, when you go back later you will have to start over from
scratch. It would be nice to see ChessBase update this in a future version for
those of us who do their research in increments when time allows rather than
all at once.
You can also search for games between players, just like in ChessBase itself.
To do so simply click the search button in the lower left hand of the screen:
Then you will be taken to this screen:

If you are looking for a game between two specific players, simply click the
advanced button:
Enter the information to look up the game you want. One way in which this
came in handy was when I was reading an opening book and I was able to
search for the games that were listed in the notes without having to be at my
computer.
Another nice feature with this app is that it comes with an analysis engine. To
access the engine you tilt the phone so that the screen shows in landscape.
You will then see the start button for the engine:
Click the Go button and the engine will start analyzing:

Of course, you can also click the Stop button when you are done using the
engine.
The app also provides the ability to email games. I have a few friends whom I
regularly get together with to study and it is convenient to be able to send a
quick email of a game or two that we will be looking at later.
To email a game, first bring up the game:
Then click the icon all the way to the right at the bottom of the screen:
If you then select the email option, you can email the game:
Of course, you can also select the other options that will allow you to do things
such as publish games to Facebook or bring up information about the players.
I will leave you with one last feature that I found enjoyable. The menu has a
hyperlink that will take you to ChessBase News on their website. Just click
the link on the lower left hand corner of the screen:
Having spent the past month using this app on a daily basis, I almost forget
what it was like before I had this tool at my disposal. I highly recommend this
product.
My assessment of this app:
A PDF file of
available in the

Chess Blog!





Purchases from our
accessible:
An Interactive Coaching Session
by Chris Wainscott
ChessBase Power Play 20: Test Your Attacking Chess by Daniel King, Fritz Trainer
DVD, ChessBase, Video running time: 4 hours 40 min. $34.37
Cafe
Test Your Attacking Chess is the twentieth installment in GM King's Power
Play series, but it was a first for me. It was also the first time I experienced the
The Panov-Botvinnik
new interactive training with video feedback feature of the Fritz Training Attack: Move by Move
DVDs. I had no idea what a treat was in store when I began watching. The one by Lorin D'Costa
main feature that sets this apart from other materials I have trained with is that
Translate this page the viewer is asked to solve exercises using an interactive board.
For example, a video clip shows the first several moves of a game, complete
with explanations, and then at a certain point the viewer is asked what move
they would make in a given position. You then play a move with your mouse
on the GUI chessboard, and if your move is correct, the next clip plays
explaining why the move is good. If the move is incorrect a text pop-up
informs you of that fact; but if your move is an interesting alternative or
particularly poor for a reason that might not be so obvious, another clip will
play explaining why.
The format of the DVD is very useful for this type of training because it
The Nimzo-Larsen Attack:
consists of complete games rather than just tactical fragments. The intention is
Move by Move
to show the viewer how to conduct an attacking game from start to finish by Cyrus Lakdawala
Rating Chart rather than just focusing on how to solve a tactical situation.
Awful The DVD is divided into ten segments, which naturally are the ten complete
games:

Poor
Kasparov Begun

Uneven
Sadler Hawkins

Good Kjartansson Fedorchuk
Popovic Cvetkovic

Great Miladinovic Kovacevic
Svidler Ivanchuk

Excellent Kramnik Fressinet
Hector Rapport
Sanikidze Ivanisevic by Colin Crouch
Norwood King
There is also a bonus database of fifty attack test games, which GM King
describes as follows:
"In this database you will find the ten test games with annotations, and
underneath each one I have selected some related games (but mainly
without annotations). Sometimes you will find the same opening as the
test game, but one of the players varies; sometimes you will find a
similar theme, for example a pawn break or a piece manoeuvre;
sometimes I show how the defender might have improved his play. If
you study the test games well, it should be clear where the similarities
lie. I hope that the supplementary games will deepen your understanding
of the attacking concepts presented on this DVD."
The DVD runs as stand-alone software, though it does require the bundled
newest version of the CB 12 Reader, or ChessBase 12, or Fritz 13 (or higher).

Other system requirements are as follows:
Minimum: Pentium III 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Windows Vista, XP (Service Pack
3), DirectX9 graphic card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows
Media Player 9, and internet connection for program activation.
Recommended: PC Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 7 or
Windows 8, DirectX10 graphic card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or
better, 100% DirectX10 compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11,
and internet connection for program activation.
One of the nice features of modern day living is that you can purchase a DVD
and then download it instead of having to wait for it to arrive in the mail. So if
you are sitting around one afternoon wondering what you should do, you have
the option to purchase a DVD and watch it within just a few minutes rather
than having to wait several days.
Now, let's get on to the content of the DVD.
In the introduction to Game One, GM King says, "Every chess player should
have the ability to play a direct attack against their opponent's king or to sense
when it's possible to play a direct attack." He then explains that the point of
this DVD is to show players how to identify the key themes that run through
all attacking games. He notes that after seeing those themes (i.e. lack of king
safety, open lines, etc.) there will come a time when calculation is key.
I found it interesting, especially considering that it was advice being given on a

DVD, that GM King recommends the viewer set up the positions on a real
board so that when it comes time to do the calculation exercises the viewer is
under game or tournament conditions.
Game One, between Garry Kasparov and Sergei Begun, dates from the
Sokolsky Memorial in 1978. (Yes, that Sokolsky; the one who popularized
1.b4.) At this point Kasparov was still a relative unknown, as this was prior to
his first international tournament in Banja Luka 1979. (An interesting
historical side note is that when Kasparov was sent to the grandmaster
tournament in Banja Luka he had no Elo rating. He won the event, emerging
with a rating of 2575.)
After the first ten moves in a Semi-Tarrasch this position is reached:

[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/2n1p3/2p5/3PP3/

3B1N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 11"]
It is at this point that the viewer is asked their first question: Can you find a
way for White to seize the initiative?
It was now my turn to make a move on the interactive board, so after
calculating for a bit I thought 11.d5 was a reasonable choice. After all, the
pawn does not hang as after 11...exd5 12.exd5 Qxd5 Black's queen would be
lost to 13.Bxh7+, so d5 looked like a good way to grab some space.
However, 11.d5 was incorrect and a video pops up where GM King indicates
that after 11...exd5 12.exd5 Nb4 13.Bc4 Bf5 White now has some serious
issues to deal with, not to mention that Black's dark-squared bishop will
simply go to d6 to stop the pawn.
The correct move is 11.dxc5, as after 11...Bxc5 12.e5 White now has the threat
of playing 13.Qc2 with a double attack on the h7-pawn and the bishop on c5
so Black is forced to waste time by playing 12...Be7

[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/2n1p3/4P3/8/

3B1N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 13"]
GM King points out that the pawn on e5 is a common attacking theme. It

serves the dual purpose of opening the b1-h7 diagonal, and helps lock in the
bishop on c8. Here the viewer is again asked to find the most logical
continuation.
The next moves were 13.Qe2 Nb4 14.Bb1 Bd7 and once again it is time for
the viewer to find the continuation:

[FEN "r2q1rk1/pp1bbppp/4p3/4P3/1n6/

5N2/PP2QPPP/RBB2RK1 w - - 0 15"]
Here, 15.Qe4 looks logical as Black would be forced to play 15...g6, but after
16.Bh6 Black can play 16...Bc6, rather than the immediate 16...Re8, and after
a move like 17.Qg4 comes 17...Re8 18.a3 and now Black has the zwischenzug
18...Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Nc6. Now, as pointed out by GM King, one of Black's
main problems a few moves earlier, his light-squared bishop, is no longer an
issue and Black is OK.
Therefore, the correct move is 15.a3, driving the knight away prior to playing
Qe4. The game continues in this question and answer format until Kasparov
wins on move twenty-four after a withering attack.
Another game I particularly enjoyed was Miladinovic Kovacevic, Serbian

Ch. Vrnjacka Banja 26.04.2013. (Talk about the inclusion of topical games!)
One reason that I enjoyed this game is that Miladinovic is one of my favorite
lesser-known GMs. I spent a bit of time last year studying the Taimanov
Sicilian and he is a devoted adherent of that opening, so I became familiar
with many of his games. Another reason that I enjoyed this game was that it
was very interesting.
After twenty-one moves in a rare line of the Trompowsky the following
position is reached:

[FEN "1r4k1/1bq2pbp/pp2p3/2rp1p2/P2N4/

1QP1P1P1/1P1R1P1P/R4BK1 w - - 0 22"]
Here, as GM King points out, White has no structural problems and his pieces
are placed very harmoniously. It is at this point that the viewer is asked to find
the smoothest way for White to continue.
The move here is 22.Qd1, with the idea of being able to expand on the
queenside by freeing up the b-pawn to advance. In fact, after the next two
moves in the game, 22...Bc8 23.Rc1, there is a threat shown by making the
"nothing move" 23...Bf6 and then the attacking idea White has is brought to
fruition via 24.b4 Rxc3 25.Rxc3 Qxc3 26.Rc2 Qxb4 27.Nc6 which is winning
for White.
Later, after several more tests of your attacking acumen, the following position
is reached upon Black's forty-first move:

[FEN "5q1k/1br3b1/pp2R2p/5p2/P4P1Q/

2pBP2P/1P5K/6R1 w - - 0 42"]
Here White is gathering for the final attack and now it remains only to figure
out how to best bring home the point. I will not spoil this one for you, but will
leave you to find the solution on your own.
Having worked with this DVD, I find myself eager to explore more of these
interactive Fritz Trainers. Rather than a static product, like most books,
articles, and DVDs, this is a very dynamic tool that will help most aspiring
players on their journey towards improvement. This DVD comes as close to
emulating a lesson from a GM as anything I have seen, and will be
particularly useful for those rated between 1400 and 2000. In addition the
production value is on par with what you would expect from ChessBase. I
give this a very enthusiastic five out of six stars.
The DVD is available for purchase in the

ChessBase store
A PDF file of
available in the

Chess Blog!




Purchases from our
accessible:
We are still ironing out some wrinkles in the website redesign. In the
meantime enjoy this month's ChessBase Cafe. Please support this
column with a purchase from our chess shop.
ChessBase Tutorial: UCI Engines in Fritz 13
Cafe by Mark Donlan
Note the directions here will also be applicable to the ChessBase

Houdini 2 UCI Pro

database program, any of the Fritz-family of playing programs, and by ChessOK

playing or database programs from other developers, though individual

commands may differ.
Translate this page
Fritz 13 was designed as a multi-engine program. This means that the chess
playing part of the program (i.e. the chess engine) is separate from, and
independent of, the graphical user interface (GUI). This allows the GUI to
support multiple engines; these can even run at the same time to, say, stage
engine matches or engine tournaments.
There are now many strong and freely available Universal Chess Interface
(UCI) engines. A selection of these can be found in the Chess Engines and
Resources section of the ChessCafe.com Links page. A few of these programs
and engines even run on a Mac. We also link to sites that rank the strength of
Rybka 4 UCI
the various engines. by ChessOK
Rating Chart
Awful

Poor

Uneven

Good

Great

Excellent
Houdini 2 UCI Standard
by ChessOK
UCI is an open communication standard that enables a chess engine to

communicate with a user interface. The UCI protocol was developed in 2000
by Rudolf Huber and Stefan Meyer-Kahlen. Meyer-Kahlen is the publisher of
the Shredder chess engine. UCI makes it possible to plug any UCI chess
engine into any UCI capable GUI, such as Fritz 13, ChessBase, etc.
The benefits of the UCI protocol include the following:
The engine can be run under a tested interface that allows developers to
focus on improving the strength of the engine.
The engine runs at full performance and strength without the need of

special adapters.
The engine can be installed without the need for any complicated

configuration.
The UCI protocol can be used without any license fees, for private and
for commercial purposes.
Installing a UCI engine
First, you have to download a UCI engine to your computer. It can be saved to
any folder on your system, though you could create a separate folder on your
system, say, Users\Documents\Engines, and then have individual sub-folders
for each UCI. The engines are usually packaged in a zip file and need to be
accessed using an unzip utility. Windows often does this automatically;
otherwise, you may need an unzip utility.
Click on the file you saved to your computer and unzip or extract the engine to
the folder you created. Then launch Fritz to install the engine. This is done as
follows:
Select "Create UCI engine" in the Engine menu.

Use "Browse" to navigate to the location where you saved the UCI

engine on your computer.
The author and engine name automatically fill in. Simply click "OK" to
install the engine, and it will then be displayed in the engine list.
The engine can be changed via Menu Tools - Engine.
Modifying Engines
Most users can just use an engine with the standard settings. Nevertheless,
many UCI engines allow you to modify the search and evaluation parameters
that influence the playing style of the engine. For advanced users, once an
engine is installed its parameters can be modified, and the modified engine
can be saved under a different name. However, the original engine name must
be part of the new name. So if you installed Stockfish, and tweaked the
parameters, you would have to name it, say, "Stockfish Altered." You could
not name it "My Engine."
Anytime you change the default parameters of an engine, the engine name
must be changed, though the name of the engine author cannot be removed.
Note that modifying and storing an engine with a different name does not
create a new copy of the engine. It simply stores the modified parameters
under the new name and applies them when the engine is started.
To change the parameters click on the Parameters button in the Create UCI
engine dialog. Each UCI engine will then display the parameters that can be
changed, and these can vary for different engines. If you make any change, the
input fields for "Name" and "Author" become active. After clicking "OK" the
new engine is registered and will appear in the engine list, together with any
other UCI and bundled chess engines. You can also install different logos for
different UCI engines, which are then displayed in engine matches.
Set UCI Priority
In Fritz 13 there is a parameter to determine the priority of a UCI engine. This

has to do with the distribution of the processor time. The communication
between the user interface and the chess engine is carried out by a separate
program: the Engine Interface. The Engine Interface runs with low priority to
give the chess engine the maximum amount of resources. However, some UCI
engines have problems with the default setting, because they use too much of
the system resources and the Engine Interface cannot receive the evaluation
results and similar data.
The setting "Below normal" solves display problems that can arise when
certain UCI engines are used. Even when the lower priority is set, a UCI
engine receives all the processor speed it needs. The setting does not
adversely affect the performance of a UCI engine. This can be tested by
analyzing the same position with both settings. There should be no change in
the engine's speed, it only makes the usage smoother.
For the Fritz-family of engines, the priority does not need to be lowered,
because ChessBase engines are linked as dynamic link libraries to the user
interface. This means that they are internal processes. So no external protocol
is necessary, and no priority must be set.
Hash Tables
Hash tables are memory areas in which the program can store positions and
evaluations while it is calculating the moves of a game. If the program
encounters the same position again, it can simply take the evaluation from the
hash tables, rather than analyzing the position all over again.
Hash tables increase the playing strength of the program considerably. This is
especially true of tactically strong engines such as Fritz. Some run beyond
500,000 positions per second, and will fill the hash tables very quickly. After
that, the search slows down. This is not the case in a slower, positionally
oriented program, which processes fewer positions per second, and takes
much longer to fill the hash tables.
For slower time controls and deep analysis, the engines need large hash tables.
Tournament games with an average of three minutes per move ideally require
over 256 MB for the hash tables. On blitz levels 16 to 64 MB is sufficient.
If you set a very large hash table, Windows has to free the memory the first
time you activate the engine. This process can be slow and during this time
the hard disk will run constantly. If there is constant disk activity during the
game, then the hash table setting is too large. If there is no disk activity at all
when you first start an engine, this could mean that the hash table size is too
low. In which case you may want to increase the size to achieve optimum
playing strength.
Elements of this article were adapted from the Fritz 13 user manual.
A PDF file of
available in the

Chess Blog!




Purchases from our
accessible:
ChessBase Tutorial: Creating a Personal Tournament Book
Cafe by Mark Donlan
The Internet may have deterred chess publishers from producing tournament
Mannheim 1914 and
books devoted to the top events, but that should not stop you from creating
the Interned Russians
your own book for private use. This month we will look at how to create a by Anthony Gillam
personal tournament book from the web in ChessBase 12.
Translate this page
Let's use the No Logo Norway 2014 tournament as an example. The

participants were as follows:
GM Simen Agdestein
GM Levon Aronian
GM Magnus Carlsen
GM Fabiano Caruana
GM Anish Giri
GM Alexander Grischuk
GM Sergey Karjakin
GM Vladimir Kramnik
Grandmaster Repertoire:
GM Peter Svidler
1.e4, Volume One
GM Veselin Topalov by Parimarjan Negi
Rating Chart
First, you might wish to create a folder for the tournament on your computer.
Awful Open Windows Explorer, go to My Documents-ChessBase-Bases, right click
in the window, choose New-Folder, and type in the name. Then visit the

Poor official tournament site, navigate to the download page, and download all the

Uneven
PGN files for the games and save them to the folder you created.

Good Next open ChessBase 12 and create a new database (Ctrl-X). You can save it
in the same No Logo folder you just created. Let's call it NoLogo.cbh. With

Great the database created, right click on the database icon and choose properties.
Here you can set the type of database if you so wish, though it is not

Excellent absolutely necessary.

Grandmaster Repertoire 18:

The Sicilian Sveshnikov
by Vassilios Kotronias
Here we chose the icon for Top Chess, but you can choose any that you prefer.
It would be nice if there were an option for "Historical" content, but that is
beside the point.
Now with the NoLogo database created, copy all the PGN games into it from
rounds one through nine. Use the open database command (Ctrl-O), navigate
to the No Logo folder, select all the PGN databases, and press OK.
Left click once on the PGN database icon for round one, hold the mouse button
down, and drag the icon until it hovers over the ChessBase No Logo database
icon. Release the mouse button and it will copy all the games into the
ChessBase database. Do this for all nine rounds, and the blitz tournament as
well if you wish to include those games. You can copy them all at once using
shift-click on each icon and dragging the entire group over, but going round
by round assures the proper order in the database. Once you have finished
there will be ninety games in the No Logo database.
Now you can shift-click on all the PGN databases, right click on the mouse,
and choose Delete Physically to move these files into the trash bin since they
are no longer necessary.
Double-click on the No Logo database to open it, and click the Players tab.
Here you can check the formatting of the names of the participants. To edit
any name, click on it and press f2. The same can be done with the
Tournaments tab and Sources.
Now you have a database of games, but you still want to make a personal
tournament book. Go to the official tournament website, and click on
Round
Reports. Open the link for Round 1 and then save the web page to your No
Logo folder on your computer by using the File-Save As command. Do this
for each of the nine rounds and even the brief report of the blitz event if you
like.
With the web files saved to your computer, you now want to import them as
Text files into your No Logo database. From the database window choose
File-New-Text In Database (Ctrl-Alt-N). This launches the database text
editor with a new database text. You can also load an existing text and edit it.
Once the text editor opens, choose File-Open-Import Text. Navigate to the No
Logo folder, click on the html file for round one, and click open. This will
load the entire web page, including photos, that you saved to your computer
into the database text editor. Any links within the web page will still work
from the database text window, which acts like a web browser. You can delete
any of the elements you do not wish to save. If you make a mistake while
editing the page, use the undo command (Ctrl-Z) to undo the last function.
Another useful feature for future ChessBase versions would be the ability to
import text from PDF files.
When you have formatted the database text page to your liking, choose File-
Save (Ctrl-S) and then enter a name and author for the page. You can also
enter information for the round, country, city, type of tournament, etc.
Now exit the database text window and return to the No Logo database
window. At the bottom of the games list, you will see the listing for the Text
file you just created. Click on it once and drag the listing to the top of the
database screen so that it is above the list for the first game. Click on the
Games tab and then choose Fix Sort Order. This will then place the text file
for round one at the top of the database list.
Do this for each of the nine rounds of the event. Once you have saved a Text
file you can still edit it later as well. In the database text editor, enter Editor
Mode (Ctrl-W) to make changes. Note that you do not have to add and move
each text file one by one for each nine rounds, you can add all nine text files
and then move them to their proper positions, or not, and use the Fix Sort
Order command just once. If you edit the text file after you have first saved it,
use the Replace command (Ctrl-R) to save the edited version.
The ChessBase Text File editor conforms to most of the normal Windows
conventions with regard to typing and editing. The keyboard functions are
similar to those of Windows Notepad. In a database text you can embed
pictures, sound files, and even videos. They can only be linked into the
database text after you have saved it. This means that you could convert
YouTube videos with a program such as Freemake Video Converter and
embed the videos into the ChessBase text file. However, there is a bit of a
glitch when opening text files. They can appear completely blank at first. If
this happens, attempt to scroll the page and the content usually then appears.
Soon you will have a database list of text files for each round followed by the
games from each round:
To ensure that your database is being created without any errors you can run
an integrity check either as you build it or once it is complete. Just right click
on the database icon:
Hover over the tools menu:
And click the Check Integrity command. This is also the process for creating
an archived back up of your database via the Backup Database (Ctrl-Z)
command.
If you subscribe to Chess Today, or the Chess Evolution Newsletter, or have
purchased the Chess Insider: Norway Chess 2014 bundle, you can copy these
games into your database and use the Sort Order feature to place the games as
you see fit. Now you will have reports and game analysis from a wide variety
of annotators.
Of course you can use the many analysis functions of ChessBase or one of the
Fritz-family of programs to annotate the games, including using multiple
engines. Here is another tip as well: if you find a website with analysis of the
games within a PGN viewer, even if there is not a download PGN option, you
can often save the PGN file to your computer anyway by right clicking on the
web page, choosing View Source, and locating the PGN game within the
source code. Copy it, paste it into Notepad, and save it as a PGN file to your
computer. Now you can open it in ChessBase, just as with any PGN database
file.
A PDF file of
available in the

Chess Blog!



Purchases from our
accessible:
ChessBase Tutorial: Building an Opening Repertoire
Cafe by Mark Donlan
This month we will look at using ChessBase 12, or any similar database
Bent Larsen's Best Games
program to some extent, to build an opening repertoire. Players will by Bent Larsen
sometimes lament, usually after a loss, that they do not have any good
openings. Yet it is rarely the opening that is at fault. It is usually a tactic on
Translate this page which the game turns. With regard to the opening these players seldom study
Select Language
Select Language it in a formulaic way, and often do not play long enough time controls in
Powered by Translate which to expect perfection in any phase of the game.
First let's consider some maxims from chess authors to define our parameters:
"The importance of opening theory is grossly overestimated." - Herman

Grooten, Chess Strategy for Club Players
"All openings are sound below master level." - William Lombardy
"Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame." -

Lajos Portisch
Garry Kasparov

Part III 1993-2005
This last locution from Portisch seems especially apropos today. Small moves, by Garry Kasparov
such as e3 and g3, are prevalent and the era of big chess appears to be over
thanks to the dominance of computer engines in opening preparation. The goal
nowadays seems to be to get your variation on the board before your opponent
does, often through the use of offbeat lines and quiet systems. As noted by
Rating Chart Viswanathan Anand, perhaps somewhat humorously, "It is always advisable
to avoid openings that cover more than four pages in an Informant!" However,
Awful
even today you can find a good amount of theory on the most obscure of

Poor openings. We can also consider Bent Larsen's admission that "I do not
deliberately play openings that are obviously bad. I emphasize the surprise

Uneven element, and in some cases this makes me play a variation without being
convinced that it is correct."

Good
So first you have to choose a line, and there are many ways to go about it. One
Play Unconventional

Great
is to find a player whose style you would like to emulate and model your
Chess and Win

Excellent repertoire based on their preferences. For instance, if you like open positions, by Noam A. Manella
you might see what Morphy played against the French, and you might be
& Zeev Zohar
surprised it was often the French Exchange Variation. You could start by
compiling his games into a database and then adding some modern examples
from contemporary play.
Another method is to follow the recommendations of authors such as Gary

Lane or Abby Marshall and others. Marshall in particular often recommends
interesting lines that do not have a large body of theory. For example, in her

August 2014 ChessCafe.com column, she recommended c3 against the e6-
Sicilian with the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.e5. If Black now plays 4...Nc6
the game has transposed to an Advanced French; while she examines 4...d4 in
her column, with 5.Bd3 to follow.

[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pp3ppp/4p3/2p1P3/3p4/

2PB1N2/PP1P1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 5"]
If this sparks your interest, then this is all you need to get started. Open a new
game board (ctrl-N), enter the moves of the variation, and then click the
reference tab in the board window:
A search through MegaBase finds almost 300 games; while a search in a The
Week In Chess compilation database finds 114:
To search a database that is not your main reference base, click the drop-down
menu in the ribbon:
You can also use this search result to see which players have used this
opening:
If you want to copy some of these games into a new database devoted to this
one opening, you create the database with ctrl-x, name it, highlight the games
you want to copy (shift-click), right click the mouse, and choose edit-copy.
Then tab over to the new database and choose edit-paste. You now have the
beginning of a repertoire database on this one line. (A shortcut to all this is to
download the ebook of the column.) To mark the database as a repertoire
database right-click the icon in the database window, select properties, and in
the dialog that appears click the "Repertoire database" check box:
If you are replaying a game from any database, you can add it to your
repertoire by right clicking anywhere in the board window and selecting Add
to repertoire. If no repertoire database has yet been defined, the program will
offer to create a new repertoire database.
Now that you have compiled a database of games, play through them several
times or more to learn the themes and structures that can arise. As noted by
Alexander Kotov, "The main task when studying an opening is to understand
the strategic essence of certain basic positions, which determine the scheme of
variations." And Tigran Petrosian weighed in as follows: "To study opening
variations without reference to the strategic concepts that develop from them
in the middlegame is, in effect, to separate the head from the body."
Once you feel comfortable with the setup, try to implement the line in your
own practice. As you play games in the variation, be sure to enter them into
your repertoire database for future study. Before you go to a club, tournament,
or online session, review a few key games or positions to refresh your
memory in each of the lines you expect to encounter.
Do not worry too much about remembering the specific move orders. If you
get the position after Black's fourth move on the board and realize you already
forgot White's fifth, that's OK. As Soltis remarks in Studying Chess Made
Easy, the method of learning the openings is too remember as much as you
can up to a certain point, and then use that position as your next memory
marker. In that way you slowly build your knowledge deeper into the
middlegame and your understanding of the system grows as a result.
Once you enter your games in the database use a chess engine to evaluate the
moves and catch any errors for you and your opponent, just remember to let
the engines run long enough for a proper evaluation and to use different
engines on the same position to see the various results. In this way, you can
begin to learn the traps in the opening and when conditions are right for taking
advantage of an opponent's misstep. You can also copy the engines evaluation
into the game notes. You could even run engine vs. engine matches if you
wish.
When using a repertoire database it is easy to search for games that match your
interest. Simply launch the search mask (ctrl-F) and click In repertoire. This
will retrieve all the games in a database relevant to your repertoire. You can
also click a directory with many databases, or even an entire partition of your
hard drive, and use the search mask to find all repertoire games there. The
repertoire scan is another function that easily let's you discover what's new in
your opening systems. Say you just downloaded the latest TWIC database:
click File-New-Repertoire scan. ChessBase will then generate a report of all
games that are important to your repertoire. The report is a database text with
separate sections for each of the repertoire lines. The games are given as links
and can be clicked for instant load and replay, sorted by player Elo and degree
of annotation.
You can also print out an ECO-style repertoire table. If you have a deeply
annotated game, or if you have merged a number of games from one variation
into a large variation tree, then use the command File-Print-Repertoire. In the
print preview you can see what your page will look like prior to printing.
The last component of building a repertoire is to buy a specialty book or ebook

devoted to the opening. Do this at the point when you begin to feel so
comfortable with the opening that you start to wonder about the expert
theoretical assessments. In this way you will learn the critical variations on
which the entire complex hinges, and you can prepare for the day when, if
ever, you face those lines. You may even find yourself playing the opening
from the opposite side just to reach those positions to try them out.
The more work you put into building your repertoire, the more confident you
will feel with it, and the more your results will improve. Soon your opponent's
will be avoiding certain openings altogether, rather then test your knowledge
against them.
A PDF file of
available in the

Chess Blog!




A Wonderful Multimedia Product
by Davide Nastasio
Master Class Vol. 2: Mihail Tal, ChessBase DVD, Running Time 4 hours, 13 min., $39.95 (ChessCafe Price $29.95)
This review is about a wonderful new multimedia product. When it comes to chess improvement methods, we often
only consider learning from books, and maybe they are best. Yet thanks to the integration of computer, video, audio,
and software, we can have chess material that engages all our senses, which broadens our ways to learn.
The Master Class series of DVDs starts with Robert James Fischer, rightly the greatest world champion of all, continues
with Tal, and now there is already a third installment on Alekhine.
I bought the DVD on Tal, because curiosity took advantage of me! While I love Fischer, I consider him above and
beyond my level at the moment. Tal is too, but in this case I wondered how correct his tactics and combinations were. I
refer to a quote attributed to Botvinnik on page 232 in Chess Explorations, by Edward Winter, "If Tal sacrifices a piece
- take it, if I do, check the variations, and if it is Petrosian - decline the sacrifice." Hence, the interest in this product,
which promises many games full of tactics.
The material on the DVD is divided as follows:
Openings, three video clips by GM Rogozenco:
In the first video Rogozenco explains that Tal was mainly a 1.e4 player, and had a preference for open games, but like
every world champion, he could also be universal, and utilize 1.c4 or 1.Nf3. While with black he would mostly answer
1.e4 with the Sicilian. The second video comments on Tal's opening preparation for his matches with Botvinnik. The
third video shows how Tal enormously improved his opening repertoire in his later years thanks to his cooperation with
Karpov.
Strategy, five video clips by GM Mihail Marin:
In the first clip Marin shows Tal at his best, and describes how other players saw him in the 1960s. In the second clip
Marin presents a thorough analysis of the eleventh game of the Botvinnik - Tal 1960 Match. In the third video Marin
demonstrates that Tal could be a strategic player, and extensively comments the game Tal Timman to prove the point.
The fourth and fifth videos are a recollection of Marin's meeting with Tal, and how Tal was really brilliant, showing
some games, and some of the thought process behind Tal's moves.
Tactics, twenty video clips by IM Oliver Reeh:
Oliver Reeh produces the Tactics section of ChessBase Magazine, which is another interesting product. Here he shows
the critical point of twenty games played by Tal, where his creative efforts lead to brilliant combinations.
Endgames, twelve video clips by GM Mller:
Mller is a leading authority on the endgame, famous for his books, ChessCafe.com columns, and his ChessBase
videos. He presents six videos called Magic Moments, followed by three videos on rook endings, and the last three are
famous Tal's endgames.
The DVD contains all games by Tal (around 2,900), many of them annotated (about 350 in Informator style), plus
tournament tables. There is also a short biography of Tal. The last section offers 245 games with training questions.
Let's now say few words about Tal. He was born in 1936, just a few years before the beginning of one of the bloodiest
wars in human history. At the age of seven his father taught him to play chess. His first great tournament was the 23rd
USSR Championship, which was held in 1956 where he reached 6th place (that tournament was won by Spassky!).
Then, just one year later, in the 24th USSR Championship held in 1957, he wins first place followed by such illustrious
names as Keres, Bronstein, Spassky, Kortchnoi, and Petrosian. In 1958 he won the Interzonal held in Portoroz and this
gives him access to the Candidates Tournament in 1959, where Fischer also played.
Notice that Tal is at the top of his form, for in that time he played four games against Fischer, winning all four. Tals
career reaches the apogee in 1960 when he wins the World Championship against Botvinnik in a very exciting match.
Unfortunately chess is a very hard sport and in 1961 Tal loses the world championship, partly also for health problems,
as he had to undergo surgery many times for his kidneys. This then becomes a trademark of his career, for when we
reach 1979 Tal wins against Karpov in a super-tournament in Montreal; however, without good health it is impossible
to remain at the top. In 1988, at the age of 51, Tal won the Second World Blitz Championship. His last great
performance was beating Kasparov in a blitz tournament in Moscow in May 1992, just one month before he died.
The 245 games with training questions alone make this DVD worthwhile. But just quickly playing through the more
than 300 annotated games can be an exciting experience. Tal created many masterpieces during his lifetime, and it is
our duty as dedicated chess players to become familiar with them. Last, but not least, here are a few brilliant games
played by Tal against world class players.
Mikhail Tal - Anatoly Karpov
Blitz (Belgium) (5), 1987
1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nxd5 6.Nf3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 g6 8.d4 Bg7 9.Bd3 O-O 10.O-O Nc6 11.Re1
Re8 12.Bg5 Be6 13.Rxe6 fxe6 14.Bc4 Qd6 15.Qe2 Nd8 16.Re1 Rc8 17.Nd2 Kh8 18.Ne4 Qc7 19.Bb3 e5 20.h4 exd4
21.h5 gxh5 22.Qxh5 Rf8 23.Bc2 Qe5 24.Ng3 Qxe1+ 25.Kh2 h6 26.Bxh6 Kg8 27.Bxg7 Rxf2 28.Qh7+ Kf7 29.Qg6+
Kg8 30.Bh6+ 1-0
Mikhail Tal - Vasily Smyslov
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (8), 9/18/1959
1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 4.Ngf3 Nd7 5.d4 dxe4 6.Nxe4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Ngf6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.O-O-O O-O 10.Nd6 Qa5
11.Bc4 b5 12.Bd2 Qa6 13.Nf5 Bd8 14.Qh4 bxc4 15.Qg5 Nh5 16.Nh6+ Kh8 17.Qxh5 Qxa2 18.Bc3 Nf6 19.Qxf7
Qa1+ 20.Kd2 Rxf7 21.Nxf7+ Kg8 22.Rxa1 Kxf7 23.Ne5+ Ke6 24.Nxc6 Ne4+ 25.Ke3 Bb6+ 26.Bd4 1-0
Mikhail Tal - Bent Larsen
Reykjavik, 1957
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Bd7 8.Qf3 Nc6 9.O-O-O Nxd4 10.Rxd4 Bc6 11.Be2
Be7 12.Rhd1 Qa5 13.Qe3 h6 14.Bh4 e5 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.R4d3 O-O 17.Kb1 Rfd8 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Nd5 Bg5 20.Qf3
Rac8 21.b4 Qa4 22.Ra3 Rxd5 23.exd5 e4 24.Qc3 Bf6 25.Rxa4 1-0
Mikhail Tal - Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian
USSR Championship (13), 2/8/1957
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Nf5 8.Bd3 h5 9.Qh3 cxd4 10.Nf3 Nc6 11.g4 Nfe7
12.gxh5 Qc7 13.Bf4 Ng6 14.Qg4 Nxf4 15.Qxf4 dxc3 16.Qg5 Qe7 17.Qxg7 Qf8 18.Qg5 Qh6 19.Rg1 Qxg5 20.Rxg5
Bd7 21.Ke2 Ke7 22.Ke3 Raf8 23.Rag1 Be8 24.Nd4 f5 25.Nxc6+ Bxc6 26.Kd4 f4 27.Rg7+ Rf7 28.Rg8 Rxg8
29.Rxg8 Rf8 30.Rxf8 Kxf8 31.h6 b6 32.Kxc3 Kg8 33.Bg6 a5 34.Kd4 Kf8 35.c3 Kg8 36.h7+ Kg7 37.Bf7 Bd7
38.Bg8 Bc8 39.Kd3 Bd7 40.Ke2 Kh8 41.Kf3 b5 42.Kxf4 d4 43.cxd4 b4 44.axb4 a4 45.d5 a3 46.dxe6 a2 47.exd7
a1=Q 48.d8=Q Qc1+ 49.Kf5 Qb1+ 50.Ke6 Qg6+ 51.Kd7 1-0
Yuri Averbakh - Mikhail Tal
USSR Championship, 1958
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Be2 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.O-O Re8 10.Qc2 Na6 11.Bf4 Nb4
12.Qb1 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Bf5 14.Nfd2 Nxd5 15.Bxd6 Nf6 16.Bf3 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Qxd6 19.Qc2 Re7
20.Bf3 Rae8 21.Rad1 Bd4 22.a4 b6 23.b3 Re5 24.Rd2 5 25.Re2 Rxe2 26.Bxe2 h4 27.Kh1 Qf4 28.g3 Qf6 29.Qd1
Rd8 30.Bg4 Bxf2 31.Qe2 Rd2 32.Qe8+ Kg7 33.gxh4 Qd4 34.Bh3 Qd3 35.Bg2 Rd1 0-1
Pal Benko - Mikhail Tal
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (21), 10/13/1959
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.f3 Be7 9.Be3 O-O 10.Qd2 Qc7 11.g4 Nc6
12.Nxc6 Qxc6 13.g5 Nd7 14.Nd5 Bd8 15.a4 Ne5 16.O-O bxa4 17.Nb4 Qb7 18.Rxa4 Bd7 19.Ra3 Be7 20.Qd4 Rfc8
21.Bd2 Bb5 22.Rf2 a5 23.Nd3 Nc4 24.Bxc4 Rxc4 25.Qe3 Rxc2 26.Bc3 Rxf2 27.Nxf2 Qc7 28.Ra1 Qc4 29.h4 a4
30.Kg2 Rc8 31.Qa7 Bf8 32.Re1 Qb3 33.Qb7 Bf1+ 0-1
Mikhail Tal - Mikhail Botvinnik
Russia (11), 4/6/1960

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.O-O O-O 5.c4 c6 6.b3 Ne4 7.d4 d5 8.Bb2 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nxd2 10.Qxd2 Na6 11.Rac1
Qd6 12.Ne5 Rfd8 13.Rfd1 Rac8 14.Qa5 dxc4 15.Nxc4 Qc7 16.Qe1 Qb8 17.e4 Bxc4 18.Rxc4 Nc7 19.Bh3 e6 20.Bc1
Qa8 21.Bg5 Re8 22.Qd2 f5 23.Bh6 Bxh6 24.Qxh6 Re7 25.Re1 Rf8 26.Rc5 Qd8 27.Re5 Rg7 28.Qd2 Qd6 29.Bf1
Rd7 30.exf5 Rxf5 31.R5e4 Rf6 32.h4 Kg7 33.h5 gxh5 34.Rh4 Kg8 35.Bd3 Rg7 36.Re5 Rff7 37.Qh6 Qe7 38.Rexh5
Nd5 39.Qd2 Nf6 40.Rh6 Qd6 41.Rf4 Qf8 42.Qe3 Nd5 43.Rxf7 Qxf7 44.Qe5 Nc7 45.Qc5 Qf3 46.Bxh7+ Rxh7
47.Qg5+ Kh8 48.Qd8+ Kg7 49.Rxh7+ Kxh7 50.Qxc7+ Kg6 51.Qxb7 Qe4 52.Qa6 Qb1+ 53.Kg2 Qe4+ 54.Kf1
Qb1+ 55.Ke2 Qc2+ 56.Kf3 Qf5+ 57.Ke3 Qg5+ 58.Ke2 Qh5+ 59.Kd2 Kf6 60.Qxc6 Qa5+ 61.Qc3 Qxa2+ 62.Ke3
Kf7 63.d5 exd5 64.Qc7+ Ke6 65.Qc6+ Ke7 66.Qxd5 Qa1 67.Qe4+ Kf7 68.Kf4 Qc1+ 69.Kg4 Qa1 70.Qd5+ Kf8
71.Kf5 Qb1+ 72.Kf6 1-0
A PDF file of this month's column, along with all previous columns, is available in the
2014 ChessEdu.org. All Rights Reserved.

An Alternative Tool to Learn the Opening
by Davide Nastasio
ABC of the English Opening, by Lorin D'Costa, ChessBase, Video running time: 7 hours
As an amateur who competes in many tournaments throughout the year, I am interested in learning about openings and
the ideas behind them. Unfortunately, as an adult with limited time, I cannot really read chess books in any great depth.
The magnus opus of the English Opening was written by GM Marin for Quality Chess, a beautiful set of three books in
the Grandmaster Repertoire series, with a total of 1,187 pages! If I only had the time to read it. So as an alternative tool
for learning the openings, I find the Fritz Trainer DVDs enormously beneficial.
On this DVD English International Master Lorin D'Costa presents a complete repertoire for White. D'Costa is a full time
coach who has written some great chess books, and created a number of other Chessbase DVDs.
1.c4 e5 - 14 videos
1.c4 c5 Symmetrical English - 7 videos
1.c4 setups against Slav, Kings Indian, Grunfeld, 1...b6 and other minor lines - 13 videos
Test Positions: 11 videos
A database of 58 essential games, with many different annotators.
Every year I try to rotate my openings, and the English is the next one on my list. I find it to be an exciting opening,
because it can give rise to complex games with a reversed Sicilian setup, or with a symmetrical double fianchetto
bishops as in the game below:
Ulf Andersson - Karl Robatsch
Munich (Germany), 1979 English Opening [A15]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Bb2 0-0 8.Nc3 d5 9.Nxd5 Nxd5 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.cxd5
Qxd5 12.d4 cxd4 13.Qxd4+ Qxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 a6 16.Rac1 Ra7 17.Rc2 Rd8 18.e3 e5 19.Nf3 f6 20.g4
Rd6 21.Rfc1 Nd7 22.Rc6 Rxc6 23.Rxc6 Kf7 24.Nd2 Ke7 25.Ne4 Rb7 26.b4 Rb8 27.Nc3 f5 28.Nd5+ Kf7 29.Kg3 h5
30.gxf5 gxf5 31.Rd6 Rb7 32.Kh4 Kg7 33.Kxh5 1-0
This particular game is not on the DVD; I came across it in the book Grandmaster Chess Strategy. But it stands out as a
model game and can be found with select notes in the
ChessCafe.com book review.
No extra software is necessary to view the DVD as it comes bundled with the CB12 Reader; however, the advantage of
using the ChessBase 12 program for watching the games in the database is evident. One can easily click the reference
tab to see how many games were played with that line, and which other moves the different GMs tried. Its been said
that in order to understand an opening, a player needs to find at least six to ten other games in that variation in order to
see the main ideas and traps. And thanks to the integration with ChessBase 12, I can do it with just one click.
As to the games on the DVD, D'Costas explanations are amazing and his choice of games spot on for highlighting the
ideas behind them! I am very pleased with this product and grateful to this young IM for creating such a wonderful
product. D'Costa notes that one should study classical games because they contain important ideas. Yet, I would like to
add that having the right teacher is immensely helpful.
D'Costa also knows when to stop commenting. In the first game he stopped around move twenty-four, and advised the
student to watch the rest on his own to discover more of the tactical ideas.
Here is that game, which is remarkable for the ease in which Nakamura wins, and, of course, D'Costas mastery of
explaining the main points and clarifying commentary is uncanny.
Nakamura,Hikaru (2759) - Navara,David (2712)

Tata Steel-A 74th Wijk aan Zee (5), 19.01.2012
English Opening [A22]
1.c4 e5 2.g3
D'Costa explains that the repertoire he gives on the DVD is based on the idea of delaying the development of the Nc3,
while playing g3. He also adds that we are going to play Nc3 at some point, but in this way a lot of theory is avoided.
This is the reason why he recommends 2.g3. In my opinion this is a particularly good choice that every amateur should
keep in mind.
2...Nf6 3.Bg2 d5
D'Costa reminds us that the English is all about e4 and d5. So we must keep it in mind when fighting for the center.
4.cxd5
Here D'Costa says there is a general rule when one should always exchange a pawn in the center. However, to me it
makes sense to exchange a wing pawn for a central pawn since this is a kind of reversed Sicilian.
4...Nxd5 5.Nc3
This move applies pressure to d5, and now the reader should pause for a moment, and think what they would do as
Black. The correct move could come as a shock.
5...Nb6
[FEN rnbqkb1r/ppp2ppp/1n6/4p3/8/2N3P1/PP1PPPBP/R1BQK1NR w KQkq - 0 6]
Here D'Costa explains why it is important for Black to play Nb6. The main idea is that if Black played Nf6, that would
block Black's development and coordination. Black can also play f7-f5, but it could not be played if the knight on f6.
While on b6 the knight is placed well if Black wants to create a Maroczy bind pawn structure.
5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 D'Costa points out that Black does not want this exchange, because afterward White would have an
open b-file and pressure on b7, thanks to the Bg2.
6.e3
D'Costa goes for this move because it is becoming popular between GMs and is more offbeat than the main lines. He
explains that this move looks weakening because Black can aim at d3 with his pieces. However, White's plan is to play
Nge2 and d2-d4.
6.Nf3 This is the main line, but D'Costa prefers to use a slightly offbeat approach to this opening. 6...Nc6 7.0-0.
6...c5
Here Black is setting the Maroczy Bind pawn structure, with the idea to control d4.
7.Nge2 Nc6 8.0-0 Be7 9.f4
D'Costa points out the problem that all the white pawns are on dark squares, and he explains how to develop the Bc1,
via b2-b3, and Bb2 to attack e5 and g7, or on a3 to attack c5.
9...exf4 10.Nxf4
D'Costa shows that this pseudo-outpost is good for White, if Black tries to dislodge the knight with g7-g5. In that case
White can play Nd5 or even Nh5!
10...0-0 11.b3
Now White can have harmonious development. Continuing with Bb2, Rf2, and eventually doubling on the f-file. White
has so many choices, since the c-file can also give rise to an attack on the c5-pawn. Let's also consider Black's
development. The Bc8 does not have a good square, because if Black plays Bf5, then it is exposed to a g4 advance, or
even to a possible e4 attack. Let's not forget that if White moves the Nf4, a bishop on f5 would be attacked by the Rf1.
11...Bf5 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Ne4!
[FEN r4rk1/pp1qbppp/1nn5/2p2b2/4NN2/1P2P1P1/PB1P2BP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 0 13]
Nakamura plays this good move, which has a lot of ideas behind it. It opens the b2-g7 diagonal, and puts pressure on the
enemy king, since White can continue with Nh5 attacking g7, and the Bf5. And at the same time attacks the c5-pawn.
13...Rad8
Now Black is threatening the d2-pawn, once the Ne4 defender is removed, and here we see Nakamura finding a
defending/attacking move.
14.Rf2 Nb4 15.Qf1!

[FEN 3r1rk1/pp1qbppp/1n6/2p2b2/1n2NN2/1P2P1P1/PB1P1RBP/R4QK1 b - - 0 15]
Nakamura continues to find really good moves. Now the threat is Nh5, with an attack on the Bf5, and f-file.
15...Bxe4 16.Bxe4
And now both the bishops are menacingly pointing at Black's king! Notice the difference with Black's position. White's
pieces are active and pointing toward the enemy stronghold, while Black's pieces are unfocused. They lack of
coordination and a plan. The point here is that D'Costa does an amazing job in showing us the critical points of the
game, and to focus our attention on them.
16...N6d5
Here Black tries to exchange a passive knight, for the Nf4, which will join the attack and put even more pressure on the
enemy castle upon going to h5.
17.Nh5
Now D'Costa, as a great coach, asks: "how does Black deal with the g7-pawn?" This prompts the student to stop at this
critical position and consider all possible replies by Black in order to better understand the position. The difference with
a diagram in a book is that watching the video and hearing D'Costas tone of voice makes it clear right away that one
must stop to think, and then, of course, one can resume following his crystal clear explanations!
17...g6
This opens the diagonal for the Bb2.
17...f6 D'Costa explains that this move would open the position for the Be4 to better attack h7. 18.Qb1 g6 19.Bxg6 hxg6
20.Qxg6+
18.a3 Na6
This is another critical moment in the game, where a player trying to learn should stop and think for a few minutes to
find the best continuation for White.
18...Nc6 This move was better for Black.
19.Bxd5 Qxd5 20.Bf6
20.Nf6+ This line shows why it was better to play 20.Bf6, because then it becomes nearly impossible for White to go to
g7 with the queen. 20...Bxf6 21.Bxf6 Rd7 22.Qh3 h5 Whites position is still better, but Nakamura played more

precisely in the game with 20.Bf6.
20...Qd6 21.Bxe7 Qxe7 22.Nf6+ Kg7
[FEN 3r1r2/pp2qpkp/n4Np1/2p5/8/PP2P1P1/3P1R1P/R4QK1 w - - 0 23]
Once more the viewer should pause and try to guess White's next move.
23.Qc4
23.Qh3 This natural move is not the best. 23...h6 24.Raf1 Here White is still better, but not winning like in the game.
23...Qe5
23...Nc7 Here D'Costa explains why Qc4 was better, and shows that White can create more threats. 24.Qh4 h6 25.Nh5+
As we can see, it is just a question of calculating a few moves in advance, but the correct ones.
24.Raf1
IM D'Costa stops commenting the game here and suggests that the student goes through the rest of the game on their
own to better appreciate Nakamura's creativity.
24...h5 25.Nxh5+ Qxh5 26.Rxf7+ Rxf7 27.Rxf7+ Kh6 28.Qf4+ g5 29.Qf6+ Qg6 30.Qf1 Qh5 31.Rxb7 c4 32.Qf6+
Qg6 33.Qxd8 Qb1+ 34.Kf2 1-0
My one negative experience with this product was trying to register it. To do so one needs Internet activation, with a big
long code. I thought I had activated the product at home to later enjoy it on my laptop. However, when I tried to open
the first video, it asked me for the activation code again. So I had to use my phone to create a hotspot and input the
code again from an email. As a customer, I would like the product to be more hassle free.

Tutorial: Creating a Multimedia Database
by Mark Donlan
In the tutorial Creating a Personal Tournament Book (cbcafe56) we looked at how to create a personal ebook from the
web in ChessBase 12 using the No Logo Norway 2014 tournament as an example. This month we will examine how to
create a multimedia database similar to the ChessBase Media System DVDs using the 2014 Carlsen-Anand world
championship match as an example.
In the previous column we saw how to import web pages into a database text file. Here we will learn how to embed
videos. The video file must be in the Windows .wmv format. You could also embed pictures (.bmp) and sound files
(.wav) if you so wished. A database text is not a game but a text report. It can contain pictures, videos, positions and
links to games, keys, other texts, etc. It appears like a game in the database list, and can be loaded in the same way.
Database texts can also contain links to video sequences, so that when you click a video icon the clip is replayed.
First, you might wish to create a folder for the match on your computer. To do so, open Windows Explorer, go to My
Documents-ChessBase-Bases, right click in the window, choose New-Folder, and type in the name, say, wcc2014.
Next up is to open ChessBase 12 and create a new database (Ctrl-X). You can save it in the same folder you just created.
Lets call it wcc2014.cbh. With the database created, right click on the database icon and choose properties. Here you
can set the type of database if you so wish, though it is not absolutely necessary. If you have saved any PGN files from
the match coverage on the Internet, you can copy them into this new database.
Here we chose the icon for a Match, but you can choose any that you prefer. To copy from one database into another,
open the PGN database, click on the icon in the database window, hold the mouse button down, and drag the icon until
it hovers over the wcc2014 database icon. Release the mouse button and it will copy all the games into the ChessBase
database.
Now we want to create a new text file in the wcc2014 database. To start a new text click New Text in the database
window or press Shft-Ctrl-Alt-N. The database text is created with a special database text editor that is built into the
CB12 program.
By way of introduction for the first game, I pasted Peter Svidlers commentary from the official match site into the
newly created text file and saved it as Game 1. You have to save the file before you can link video into it, because
multimedia files can only be linked into the database text after you have saved it.
Now it is necessary to create the multimedia files. To do this you will need an external video converter; one that
converts Internet videos to wmv or avi files. One such program that is freely available is called Freemake, but we will
not get into the specifics of using the external conversion program. Just be sure to not use it to download copyrighted
content. When you link them in the text file, the multimedia files are copied in separate directories with the name of the
database and the extensions.
Once you are ready to link the video file into the text database, open the database text, and make sure you are in Editor
Mode. Place the mouse cursor into the text file where you want the video link, and from the drop-down menu for Links
click Video. You can also click Stream, which provides a link in the text file to the video on your system, instead of
embedding the file in the text. In fact, this latter option can be the easiest.
Navigate to the folder where the video is saved on your computer, click the file name for the video you wish to link, and
click OK. You now have a video control panel visible in your database text file. If you want to center the panel, click
on it, and click the proper alignment icon in the menu ribbon.
Now you want to use the replace command (Ctrl-R) to save the file. If you use the save command (Ctrl-S), it will save
the file as a separate database text instead of overwriting the existing file. Note that once you have saved a Text file you
can still edit it later as well. In the database text editor, enter Editor Mode (Ctrl-W) to make changes.
Now exit the database text window and return to the wcc2014 database window. At the bottom of the games list, you
will see the listing for the Text file you just created. Click on it once and drag the listing to the top of the database
screen so that it is above the list for the first game. Click on the games tab and then choose Fix Sort Order. This will
then place the text file for round one at the top of the database list. You can do this for each round of the event.
This method of embedding multimedia will not play the video in the game window the same way that the ChessBase
Media system does, but it does give you a way to create your own multimedia database with video functionality.

Unlucky 13
by Mark Donlan
Tutorial: How to install ChessBase 13, by ChessBase, DVD, Various pricing
Thirteen might be a lucky number for Garry Kasparov, but its not for ChessBase. This column was designed to by a
walk-through for installing the latest iteration of their flagship product ChessBase 13. Yet things didnt go quite so
smoothly as Ive come to expect from ChessBase products.
Perhaps it has something to do with only meeting the minimum requirements rather than the recommended
requirements. Ive found it is usually beneficial to meet the latter, rather than the former. However, even though I was
installing on a Vista machine, it is one that meets the recommended requirements aside from Windows 7. So it should
handle CB13 without issues.
The system requirements are as follows:
Minimum: Pentium III 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Windows Vista, XP (Service Pack 3), DirectX9 graphics card with
256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9 and Internet access to activate the program,
Playchess.com, Lets Check, Engine Cloud and updates.
Recommended: PC Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 7 (64 Bit) or Windows 8 (64 Bit), DirectX10
graphics card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or more, 100% DirectX10 compatible sound card, Windows
Media Player 11, DVD ROM drive and Internet access to activate the program, Playchess.com, Lets Check,
Engine Cloud and updates.
ChessBase 13 can be registered for use on two computers with one serial number. However, if I recall correctly, CB12
allowed for three, and this is a better situation, as one could install it on a home and work computer, along with a
laptop. Now one has to choose which system isnt getting the upgrade. Nevertheless, the user has the option to
deactivate an installation in order to be able to install it on another system. So if you want to install the program on a
new computer you must first deactivate the previous registration. Even if you update your system configuration, say
your operating system, it is necessary to deactivate and reactivate the installation.
The installation instructions are printed inside the DVD cover of CB13. Yet, it was not as simple as these would make it
out to be. Auto-run of the installation did not start for me, which is no fault of the program, thats just the way my
system is configured. Thus, I launched the setup files by pressing the Windows icon button on the keyboard, along with
the letter r, which is the shortcut for the Run command. Alternatively, you could open Windows Explorer, navigate
to the DVD folder, and double-click setup.exe from the DVD drive.
The installation asks that you stay at the computer until administration rights are granted. The initial installation took
seven minutes, but it did not automatically launch the program prior to installation. So I double-clicked the desktop
icon for CB13 (182 MB) to launch the program and was immediately prompted to install the database. This installed
the Big Database 2014 (2.7 GB) and took about six minutes. The program then asks to install the Player Encyclopedia
2014 (628.9 MB), which took nine minutes.
It was only now that the program asked to input the activation key. Note that there are two fields here: the activation key
and the code field. The activation key is printed inside the DVD case. Capital letters are the default when inputting the
letters, so you do not have to worry about pressing the shift key when entering them. The code field is the four numbers
that appear within the orange background. Upon entering the key and the proper code I received a pop-up that
activation was successful.
I know that it is important to keep the program up-to-date, so I immediately went to update the program with any new
version. This is done by clicking on File, Activation, Update Program.
However, now it told me that the program had not been activated and prompted me to do so.
Thus, I clicked program activation and went through the process once again of activating the program, and once again
received the message that it was successful. I tried to update again, and you guessed it it told me the program was
not activated.
Now I exited the program and relaunched it. Once again I am prompted to activate the program, and once again it tells
me I did so successfully. I am now fifty minutes into the installation process. This time I exit the program, restart my
computer, and relaunch CB13. And yet again I am asked to activate the program. This is getting to be absurd. Yet, it is
finally and truly successful; fourth time is a charm, or is it the fifth, Ive lost track.
Now the program prompts me to update to a new version without me checking it, so I know the activation was a
success. And even though CB13 was released only two or three weeks ago, it is already at version three.
Among the new features in CB 13 are the following:
Input and saving of illegal positions. ChessBase 13 supports the input and saving of illegal positions. This can
be useful for demonstrational purposes or for explaining certain concepts.
Endgame Classification. There is a new menu "Endgames" under the Games option in the database window.
This adds an endgame classification to the games in a database.
Support Syzygy Tablebases. ChessBase 13 supports a relatively new endgame database format, the Syzygy
Endgame Tablebases. Older versions only supported the Nalimov Endgame Tablebases, which are still supported
in this version. The new format was designed by Ronald de Man from Holland. Most new chess engines already
support this format. The Syzygy Endgame Tablebases pay attention to the 50 move stalemate rule. If there are 50
moves without a piece being taken or a pawn being moved, the game is drawn. Since the data can be accessed in
RAM very fast and effectively the Syzygy Endgame Tablebases are now used exclusively by many modern chess
engines.
Cloud Databases. With ChessBase it is now possible for you to store your data not only on your own hard drive
but also on our ChessBase servers. This makes it possible for you to access your data from different devices

without having to copy or re-install databases.
Repertoire Databases in the Cloud. In ChessBase 13 you can manage your opening repertoire in two databases,
one for White and one for Black. It is recommendable to keep these two databases in the Cloud, so that you can
look at them on any computer that has ChessBase 13.
Analysis Jobs. Analysis jobs are a collection of positions which are automatically processed by ChessBase 13.
The results of the evaluations by chess engines are stored in a database with the same name, so that you can

return to them later to study them.
Loading multiple instances of an engine. Many engines can be loaded more than once in the same window. This
allows more possibilities in the analysis mode "Deep Position Analysis".
By the way, the CB13 manual (25.3 MB) is on the installation DVD. You can copy it to your system via Windows
Explorer. There is also a manual for PlayChess (11.5 MB). I look forward to exploring these new features. I only hope
they work better than the installation process. My advice to you is this: once the initial installation is complete restart
your system, perhaps you can avoid all this ridiculousness.

Hours of Chess Fun
by Steve Goldberg
First Steps in Pawn Structures, by Andrew Martin, 2014 ChessBase, DVD, approx. 4 hours playing time. $29.95
(ChessCafe Price $22.46)
Andrew Martin gets right to the point in explaining his purpose in producing
First Steps in Pawn Structures:
"The purpose of this DVD is to focus on pawns, pawn structure, and to demonstrate exactly how pawns can play a
pivotal role in our favorite game ... Pawn weaknesses don't necessarily lose, but you have to know how to handle them.
Pawns are important because they facilitate the proper development of the pieces."
There are several aspects to this DVD. The primary segment consists of analysis of 22 games, one game per video
segment. Topics include various types of pawn centers, open centers, half open centers, blocked pawn centers, passed
pawns, isolated pawns, weak pawns, doubled pawns, hanging pawns and pawn chains.
Martin presents these topics with suggestions for both sides of the board and more importantly, analyzes games
illustrating both successful and unsuccessful implementation of these guidelines. One point comes across continually
play actively!
For example, in the video for Game 2, Martin stresses the importance of properly timing an attack against an opponent's
center pawns. In this game, Black attempted to attack White's center pawns, but his pieces remained passive and he
never generated any counterplay. However, in Game 3, Martin shows how Black successfully dismantled White's
center and went on to win.
Similarly, in Game 17, he introduces the idea of hanging pawns, and he presents a fun game between Gligoric and Keres
that includes some great tactical options for White. Once White was able to advance one of his hanging pawns, the
position became more favorable for him.
Game 20 (Karpov-Unzicker, 1974) represents the third of three pawn chain presentations in the video section of the
DVD. Martin describes this as "A textbook lesson on how to create a favorable pawn chain and how to control the
position through domination of an open file. It's also a textbook lesson on how to handle a position in which you've got
more space, where the enemy is cramped." In this game, Unzicker, as Black, has very little space to maneuver.
Let's take the game up after 23...Qd8:
Already Black is quite cramped. Martin notes that Karpov uses the closed pawn chains to more or less seal off the
queenside so he can then attack on the kingside.
Karpov followed up with 24.Ba7, which did a phenomenal job of further cramping Black. Eight moves later the game
looks like this:
Black can hardly move, while Karpov finally begins maneuvering on the kingside. After 44.Nh5, the final position
shows Black unable to avoid the loss of one or more pawns before long (i.e. after Bb6 and Ra5). This is where
Unzicker finally threw in the towel.
There are also 8 semi-interactive test positions. Martin provides a position with a little explanation, and the viewer is
asked to make a move on the board on the screen. If the move is correct, the video continues with Martin's discussion of
why this move is advisable. If an incorrect move is made, a prominent message is displayed stating "That was not the
right move."
If the viewer doesn't want to make a move, or can't solve the test position correctly, the "Solution" button can be
clicked, again continuing the video with Martin's further discussion of the correct move.
There are two other important portions of the DVD "Pawn Structure Extra" and "Essential Games."
Pawn Structure Extra is a database of 19 heavily annotated games by Martin, all occurring in 2014. He has generally
organized them by opening and pawn structure.
Essential Games is another database on the DVD. This consists of 50 games which took place between 1997 and 2014.
These are also heavily annotated, although interestingly, none of the games appear to be annotated by Martin. Many are
annotated by one of the players themselves.
So in total, there are 91 well-annotated games the viewer is treated to, as well as the 8 test positions.
It is possible that one could watch the video segments or review the annotation notes in the various games, and forget at
times that this DVD is about pawn structure. Much of the DVD is about general game annotation.
But this may also be viewed as a strength, allowing the viewer to see how the given pawn structure and the players'
handling of this structure determine the further course of the game. Just as it is important for players to understand what
types of middlegames and even endgames may result from specific openings, it is helpful to be able to get a sense for
how a pawn structure factors into the game continuation.
I would tend to agree with the publisher's statement that this DVD is well suited for players rated up to about 1800
FIDE. Martin clearly explains how one should handle the more common pawn structures, and the abundance of deeply
annotated games is a pleasure to work through.
My assessment of this software:
Order
First Steps in Pawn Structures by Andrew Martin
Most Amazing Moves, by Simon Williams, 2014 ChessBase, DVD, approx. 5 hours playing time. $39.95 (ChessCafe
Price $33.95)
Every chess player may have his or her own reasons for being attracted to the game, but I suspect for many of us there is
that hard-to-describe incredible beauty and attraction of the bolt-from-the-blue move or the shocking combination.
While others may stare with fascination at a Rembrandt or their souls may revel in the melodic notes of Beethoven, for
us it is the subtle and not-so-subtle action on the board that grips our imagination.
This is the motivation for the production of the Most Amazing Moves ChessBase DVD by British grandmaster Simon
Williams. In this 5-hour presentation, he has selected 37 games to highlight, each with its own video segment.
Each game is presented in its entirety, and in each case, Williams provides commentary, leading to a stopping point
where he asks the viewer to try to determine the surprising move that comes next. The process is interactive the
viewer makes a move on the board that is displayed, and if it is correct, Williams goes on to explain in fair depth the
game continuation. If the choice is incorrect, he may explain why the given move doesn't quite work, or why it's not the
move that was played, or he may provide a bit of a hint.
The viewer can then click the button that says "Try Again" and select another move. If the choice is still incorrect, there
may or may not be any further response from Williams, but there is always the option of either trying again, or clicking
the "Solution" button to reveal the correct answer.
Among the 37 games are the classic Adolf Anderssen "Evergreen" game and the equally stunning but perhaps lesser
known "Gold Coin" game by Marshall. Most of the games, however, will likely be new to most viewers. Most are
extensively annotated.
In addition to these 37 games, there is an additional set of 50 games included in the "Extra Database" portion of the
DVD. There are no video segments for these 50 games, and these are less heavily annotated than the featured 37 games.
But they are also quite remarkable.
Clicking on one of the games in the Extra Database produces the ChessBase Training display. It is timed, and the viewer
is asked to enter his suggested move on the board. If you are unable to find the correct move, click "Solution" and then
"Continue" to see the correct move and its follow-up.
Viewers will find the Byrne-Fischer "Game of the Century" here (can one ever tire of seeing that?), as well as a number
of other relatively well known games from decades past. There are also newer games as well. As in the main database,
there is plenty of material here likely to be new (or forgotten) for most viewers.
Williams points out that these games should not be viewed solely for the pleasure they provide us. They can also be
springboards of ideas for our own games.
As an example, game 11 is Nimzowitsch-Rubinstein, Dresden 1926, in which White played Nh1 to reroute his knight.
The subsequent game on the DVD is Ward-Williams from 2004. In this game, Williams uses a similar idea, moving
...Nh8, again to the corner of the board. In his case, it wasn't specifically to move the knight to a better square, but
rather to make way for a subsequent pawn move that the knight had been blocking.
More to the point, take a look at the Levitsky-Marshall "Gold Coin" game:
It is Black to move, and his h3-rook is already en prise. What is Marshall's famous move in this position?
It is 23...Qg3!
Remarkably, capturing the black queen with either the f-pawn or the h-pawn leads to mate, and capturing with the white
queen leads to a lost position for White, a piece down. The black rook at h3 can no longer be captured, and if the black
queen is not captured, mate occurs with ...Qxh2.
With this position in mind, let's look at the game Rossolimo-Reissmann (which occurred 55 years later) after 22...Kh8:
With the hindsight of having seen Marshall's incredulous 23...Qg3, it may not be hard to find 23.Qg6! played by
Rossolimo in this position. Mate is threatened on h7, and no matter how Black captures either the white queen or the
f6-knight, mate will follow.
So much of success in chess stems from pattern recognition, even if it may be a bit mysterious to us. Playing over such
games may well lead to our own ability to produce similar moves.
Interestingly, Williams relegates to his Extra Database what he considers to possibly be the "most beautiful ever played
in the history of chess" a game which most readers may not have seen before (or may not remember).
On the downside, there are a number of misspellings in the annotation notes in the Extra Database, so a little tighter
editing would have helped. However, this does not detract from the beauty of the games themselves. In addition, in the
Nimzowitsch-Rubinstein game referenced above, the annotation notes appear to be in French, although the rest of the
DVD contains notes in English. Note that there is an option to change the primary written language on the DVD if
desired, although utilizing that option didn't change the French notes.
Most Amazing Moves represents what excites me most about the game of chess. I very much enjoy subtle positional
games, and I marvel at exceptional endgame technique. But it's the magnificent games such as those included here, and
the beautiful, sometimes unusual mating patterns illustrated in these games, that keep me addicted to the game.
In my opinion, all players, at all levels, are likely to share this appreciation.
My assessment of this software:
Order
Most Amazing Moves by Simon Williams

Knowing the King's Indian is a Must!
Review by Davide Nastasio
Winning Against King's Indian with the Main Line, by Mihail Marin, ChessBase, 4 hours 11 min, $39.95 (ChessCafe
Price $29.96)
I don't play the King's Indian, and I'm not sure if I will play it in the future. So why did I get this DVD? Because in the
last fifty years or so the greatest battles of the greatest chess players have been fought around this opening. Thus, the
road to mastery is clear: knowing the King's Indian is a must!
Just as it is important to read the classics of chess literature, it is equally essential to become familiar with classical
structures. And the King's Indian teaches a player about all aspects of the game. Do you want to learn tactics? Do you
want to learn important pawn structures? Do you want to learn the plans to attack on the kingside or defend on the
queenside? This opening will teach you that.
Moreover, many of the top master players in my area have shown me some of their games and given me a good
explanation of what was happening and why. I honestly was in awe about this opening, and understood that it was my
duty to learn more and complete the formation of my chess persona.
Now let's examine the content of the DVD. The presenter is Romanian grandmaster Mihail Marin. He has won the
Romanian championship multiple times, played in eleven chess Olympiads, and has been a candidate in the interzonal
tournament at least twice (which is the main tournament played to qualify for the world championship). GM Marin's
work as an opening theoretician and author is widely known, especially his series of books on the English Opening,
and, of course, his collaboration on the Judit Polgar trilogy.
Now, why do we need a GM of Marin's caliber to teach us the King's Indian? Well, in today's world many amateurs
think that computers can give us the winning lines and provide all the answers. In the case of the King's Indian this can
be particularly dangerous and lead to disaster. In fact, Marin warns us about this very thing in the introductory video to
the Mar del Plata attack with Nd2. While long generated computer lines are nearly impossible to remember, the ideas
behind the moves are easy. With a few key points and phrases GM Marin had me understanding the ideas behind
White's play in just a few seconds.
I also find GM Marin to be intellectually honest. He clearly states that he cannot arm us against all the possible lines
available to Black in the King's Indian, but his promise is to give us the ideas behind the main moves, and the critical
opening and middlegame positions needed to effectively play this opening. I also appreciate the passion with which
Marin conveys his material. He emphatically hopes that the student will learn the tactics and the strategic subtleties of
the system he teaches.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2

[FEN "r1bq1rk1/ppp1npbp/3p1np1/3Pp3/2P1P3/2N5/PP1NBPPP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 9"]
Three videos are covering the lines beginning with 9...Nd7.
One video is covering 9...Ne8.
Four videos are covering 9...c5.
Eleven videos cover 9...a5.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0

[FEN[FEN "rnbq1rk1/ppp2pbp/3p1np1/4p3/2PPP3/2N2N2/PP2BPPP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 7"]
Three videos cover the lines from 7...Nbd7.
Three videos cover the lines from 7...Na6.
Two videos cover the lines from 7...exd4.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2

[FEN "rnbq1rk1/ppp1ppbp/3p1np1/8/2PPP3/2N2N2/PP2BPPP/R1BQK2R b KQ - 0 6"]
One video covers 6...c5.
One video covers 6...Bg4.
Most of the videos alternate general explanations with quizzes, giving the viewer a chance to test their new-found
knowledge and to reinforce their skills. The main database used for the videos is based on twenty-nine examples, while
a further database of 286 deeply annotated games is also provided. Inside we find the games of many illustrious
players, such as Fischer, Kasparov, Kasimdzhanov, Karpov, and Spassky (just to mention a few of the world champions
who have employed this opening), along with Chuchelov (Caruana's coach), Gelfand (candidate to the world
championship), and many others who have battled in the arena of the King's Indian.
I'd like to share one of the games from the database that I found particularly interesting. Chess authors often mainly
show amazing wins made by the side they are promoting. This is nice for some inspiration, but not so useful to avoid
tournament losses. In this game White lost, and in order to "Win with the King's Indian" one must learn how White
loses and why. In this sense I find the selection of games made by GM Marin quite useful.
This game below demonstrates how tactics, sacrifice, and a tactical blunder can be common components in the King's
Indian. I will add some comments for beginning players, because the intended audience of the DVD is geared toward a
more advanced level.
Ftacnik,Lubomir (2585) - Cvitan,Ognjen (2570)
Bundesliga 9798 Germany (2.1), 19.10.1997
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6
GM Marin doesn't comment on this position, but as we can see White has developed a big, strong center, while Black
has been able to develop his dark-squared bishop on a very active diagonal. Black will attack White's center at the right
time. For improvers the best games to watch on this opening are the one played by Bronstein and Boleslavsky in the
1940s and '50s.
6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2
Marin explains that the idea behind this move is to stop Black from playing Nh5. However, there are also other factors:
the d5- and c4-pawns give White a space advantage on the queenside, which means that the Nd2 could become an
important piece in such fight. While Black will need to move the Nf6 in order to gain a space advantage on the
kingside, with f7-f5, and attack.
9...Ne8
9...a5 could be played to prevent White from playing b2-b4.

10.b4 f5 11.c5 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 14.a4
This is clearly a race on both sides.
14...Ng6 15.Ba3
GM Marin points out that the dark-squared bishop is very important on this diagonal, because it puts pressure on d6 and,
consequently, on f8.
15...Rf7 16.b5 dxc5 17.Bxc5 h5 18.a5 g4
I've seen this kind of race also in other openings, the Dutch for example, and the problem is that there is no king on the
queenside. While on the kingside one can get checkmated if the opponent wins the race.
19.b6 g3 20.Kh1 Nh7 21.d6! Qh4 22.Bg1

[FEN "r1b3k1/ppp2rbn/1P1P2n1/P3p2p/2N1Pp1q/2N2Pp1/4B1PP/R2Q1RBK b - - 0 22"]
22...Bh3!?
22...Ng5 23.dxc7+- Nh3 24.Qd8+! Marin, Stoica.
23.bxc7??
23.gxh3! Qxh3 24.Rf2 gxf2 (24...Nh4 25.Bf1+) 25.Bxf2 '+/-' 25...axb6

(25...Nh4 Marin, Stoica 26.Bxh4 Qxh4
27.bxc7+; 25...cxb6 Marin, Stoica
26.Bf1 Qd7 27.axb6 a6 28.Na4 Rc8 29.Nc5 Rxc5 30.Bxc5 Ng5 31.Na5+; 25...c6
Marin, Stoica 26.Bf1 Qd7 27.bxa7+; 25...c5 Marin, Stoica 26.Bf1 Qc8 27.bxa7 Rxa7 28.Nb6+; 25...cxd6 Marin, Stoica
26.Nxd6 Rd7 27.Qb3+ Kh8 28.Nf7+ Rxf7 29.Qxf7+ axb6 30.Qxg6) 26.Nd5! (26.a6! Marin, Stoica 26...Rxa6 (26...bxa6
27.dxc7+) 27.Rxa6 bxa6 28.dxc7 b5 29.Qd8+ Rf8 30.Nd6+) 26...cxd6 27.Nxd6 Rff8 28.Nxb6 Rad8 29.Bf1 Qe6
30.Bc4.
23...Bxg2+! 24.Kxg2 Qh3+!!
24...Ng5? 25.Rf2!.
25.Kxh3 Ng5+ 26.Kg2 Nh4+ 0-1
26...Nh4+ 27.Kh1 g2# This was a nice short game that teaches us a lot about the roles for both White and Black in this
opening.
Today's chess world is quite complex, the amount of knowledge we have at out disposal is bewildering: as GM Soltis
once said, chess has become a case of TMI (Too Much Information). In my reference database on the main line
proposed by GM Marin, I have more than 30,000 games! Thus, for me to decide as to which moves are good or bad is
likely impossible. Marin's selection of deeply annotated games is a gold mine that every serious student must dig into.
A student cannot do this on their own, but with Marin's guidance the road to understanding has been paved and through
the videos, the questions posed, the training questions, and the sample games we see the gamut of ideas of this exciting
opening in actual play.
I highly recommend Winning Against King's Indian with the Main Line for the advanced student who wishes to achieve
a master level in chess. For beginners, I recommend The ABC of the King's Indian, 2nd edition by Andrew Martin.
Order
Winning Against Kings Indian with the Main Line

by Mihail Marin

Learn the McCutcheon
Review by Steve Goldberg
The New McCutcheon, by Rustam Kasimdzhanov, 2014 ChessBase, DVD, 4 hours, 42 minutes playing time. $34.95
(ChessCafe Price $29.87)
Particularly for a player looking for a Black repertoire response to 1.e4, The New McCutcheon by Rustam
Kasimdzhanov is an excellent choice.
The McCutcheon French is reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4.

[FEN rnbqk2r/ppp2ppp/4pn2/3p2B1/1b1PP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R2QKBNR w KQkq - 0 5]
So what is new about this? Kasimdzhanov explains that 5.e5 h6 6.Bd2 used to be the main variation, with 6.Bc1 and
6.Bh4 also common continuations. But now, he states, 6.Be3 is the primary follow-up.
In this DVD, former world champion Kasimdzhanov reviews all of these variations, and more, to help the player with
the black pieces safely navigate the sometimes treacherous waters this line may lead to. Of course, this information is
also useful to the White player who frequently begins with 1.e4.
A quick database search shows that White has about a 40% win rate with the McCutcheon, Black about 30%, with about
30% drawn. With the detailed information Kasimdzhanov provides, a knowledgeable player may be able to skew these
percentages more favorably.
After the introductory video segment, Kasimdzhanov presents two videos analyzing 5.exd5 and 5.e5 h6 6.exf6, both
considered inferior for White, allowing Black to quickly equalize or more. But Black needs to be aware of some
resources that might be overlooked.
For example, if play continues 5.e5 h6 6.exf6 hxg5 7.fxg7 Rg8 8.Qh5 Rxg7 9.Qh8+, it may appear that Black will lose
his rook at g7.
However, Black has the simple resource 9Bf8. But because of the backward bishop move, it might easily be missed.
Kasimdzhanov offers additional insights regarding other potentially dangerous White moves, and how Black can
correctly respond.
The primary instructional portion of the DVD, however, is in the subsequent segments, as follows (after 5.e5 h6):
6.Bh4: 3 video portions. Kasimdzhanov recommends this follow-up for White if he is looking for a positional struggle.
Black will do fine as long as he understands the requirements of the position, but Blacks kingside is vulnerable if he is
not careful.
6.Bd2: 3 video segments. The old main line as Kasimdzhanov refers to it. This is playable for Black, but does require
some precise play at certain junctures.
6.Bc1: 4 videos segments. This odd-looking move can lead to some messy positions, as the author describes. But
again, understanding the important elements of the position should allow Black to hold his own.
6.Be3: 6 videos. This variation, the new main variation, is where Kasimdzhanov presents the most instruction. This
follow-up can lead to some wild positions, offering good chances for either side. Again, a proper understanding of the
important elements will vastly improve ones chances of achieving a happy outcome.
A summary video follows, offering a quick overview of each of these primary variations.
Four instructive games are presented in the next segments, including the original Steinitz-McCutcheon simul game that
led to the naming of this variation. Even though this game occurred as part of a simultaneous exhibition, nevertheless it
is remarkable seeing an unknown amateur defeat a reigning world champion (in 28 moves!), giving birth to a variation
still active 130 years later.
At times, Kasimdzhanov moves the pieces a bit faster than a club player may be able to easily assimilate, but thats what
the rewind button is for. Frankly, to get the most out of this DVD, the viewer will likely want to review key sections a
couple times anyway.
To be fair and complete, Kasimdzhanov doesnt simply demonstrate Black success in all these McCutcheon analyses.
For example, of his four instructive games, two are Black victories and two are White victories.
The last of these games has an interesting story attached to it. The game was Kasimdzhanov-Smerdon from the 2014
Tromso Olympiad. Kasimdzhanov knew that Smerdon had recently taken up the McCutcheon as part of his Black
repertoire, but what Smerdon didnt know was that Kasimdzhanov had just completed recording all the videos for this
DVD, which had not yet been released.
So Kasimdzhanov had a great hidden advantage which he used to his fullest ability, once he was able to steer the game
toward the McCutcheon French. Despite finding good moves over the board, Smerdon ultimately couldnt overcome
Kasimdzhanovs deep unexpected preparation.
The DVD ends with 12 test positions resulting from McCutcheon openings. The idea with these is not just to present
tactical tests, but rather to test the viewers memory of important junctures that Kasimdzhanov has previously
discussed. If all or most of the test positions are solved quickly, that indicates that the reader retained a good amount of
instruction from the DVD. If not, it may be worthwhile to go back and review the material here.
As Kasimdzhanov states, With modern chess theory, almost everything which was true 15 years ago, is different now.
So even if the viewer has been a lifelong French Defense player, there may well be important tidbits here that have
escaped his or her attention.
Just as with Kasimdzhanovs game against Smerdon in the Tromso Olympiad, the more well-prepared player is indeed a
dangerous opponent. With The New McCutcheon, every viewer has the opportunity to be that dangerous player.
Order
The New McCutcheon


A University Education
Review by Davide Nastasio
Power Strategy 1, by Mihail Marin, ChessBase, Video running time: 4 hours 52 min., $39.95 (ChessCafe Price $29.96)
When I was in college I was frustrated with the education system because every year they would test us on what kind of
learner we were (visual, auditory, or tactile), and then independently from the results they would just give us a heavy
2,000+ page book to read. I'm not against books, but as a tactile learner my brain is clearly dominated by movement,
color, and geometric shapes. So, while one of the best books on the middlegame was written by Nimzowitsch, between
his metaphors from a previous century and the translation, I wasn't able to learn much from it. Yet I knew that one
cannot go far without studying the middlegame and the endgame.
Thanks to the ChessBase Fritz Trainer system I can receive all the knowledge I need without opening a book, while at
the same time engaging all my senses for learning. With the Power Strategy series of DVDs, Romanian grandmaster
Mihail Marin aims to demonstrate the importance of taking proven principles into account before choosing the
direction of your over-the-board calculations. This first DVD focuses on development in the initial phase of the game
and the wide range of situations in which developing moves are of the highest priority.
Marin offers the viewer a kaleidoscope of games played by modern grandmasters across twenty video segments, along
with an exclusive training database of fifty-five essential games that correspond to the themes presented on the DVD.
The database is quite interesting because of exciting games played by the best players: Tal, Nezhmetdinov, Fischer,
Geller, and GM Marin himself. Viewers can also test their skills with many quiz videos featuring interactive feedback.
In the section on general aspects, GM Marin shows the game Ivkov Gheorgiu:

[FEN rnbq2k1/p5bp/3p1pp1/1NpP2B1/2P1Q3/5N1P/P4PP1/4R1K1]
The black player, a strong Romanian GM, is punished for not developing. This shows us that the rules are the same for
amateurs and professionals alike, and if one violates them, the opponent will win the game. Gheorghiu also made the
mistake of attacking before finishing his development. As can be seen in the diagram, Black has still four pieces on the
back rank, and it is already move seventeen of the game.
Marin presents games that had an impact on him as a player. He tells us to "find some games which are beautiful, and
you will want to see them over and over." I believe this is necessary in order to become a stronger player. The
importance of his message is conveyed in his tone of voice, which wouldnt come across so clearly if only written on
the page of a book.
Marin shares a lot of chess wisdom throughout the DVD, including quotes from players the past. For instance, Rudolf
Spielmann, the last of the romantics, in relation to the material value of a pawn compared to development, said "one
pawn is equivalent to three tempi." Marins deep knowledge of chess history is one of the things that I really like about
this DVD.
Of the four videos on the theme of punishing a deviation from natural development, I'd like to show a position that is
really interesting from Fischer-Byrne, 1965:

[FEN r1b1k2r/ppp1bppp/2n2n2/7q/2BN4/2P5/PP1N1PPP/R1B1QRK1]
Fischer just played Nxd4, thinking that he will be able to keep the enemy king in the center because the Be7 is under-
protected. Instead Byrne answered with a move that left Fischer dumbfounded! The threat Nxc6 is not real, but Fischer
was deceived into thinking that Black couldn't castle!
Another game of note was played between Timman versus Geller in 1973:

[FEN rnr3k1/p3qpp1/1p2b2p1Bpp4/3P4/Q3PN2/PP3PPP/2R1K2R]
In this position White has just played 14.Bb5, trying to impede the development of the black knight. Is this a great move
or not? In explaining the answer GM Marin tells the story of how Geller previously lost a game against Furman in
1970. Let's remember that Furman was Karpov's coach! Then Geller found an improvement: 14...Qb7. He told Spassky
about this move, but he didn't use it in his match against Fischer! Hence, with this game against Timman, Geller wins
thanks to Qb7! This shows the importance of knowing the history of an opening line, and the ideas behind it, especially
at the professional level.
The three videos devoted to converting an advance in development were quite enlightening. Marin notes Steinitz that
while a development advantage can be temporary, it can also last throughout the game, up until the final victory. This
made me think twice, because I always considered it just temporary. This simple statement shook the foundation of
things I thought I knew, and made look at the games I review daily under a different light.
The next section of four videos is about developing sacrifices. The obvious role model for these games is Tal. The next-
to-last section is entitled "how to catch in development, ignoring minor threats, as is comprised of five videos. The last
section features two games on the theme "the tactical benefits of perfect development."
Overall, I'm satisfied with Power Strategy 1. Marin performs with the expertise of a university professor who patiently
explains difficult material in an easily understandable manner. With the aid of the many games provided, I've absorbed
the ideas, and will be able to apply them to my own games. Products like this one allow amateur-level players to play
far above their rating. I'd like to conclude the review with another pearl of wisdom: Marin, quoting Kortchnoi, states "in
order to ignore the rules, you first must know them well."
Order
Power Strategy 1


Louis Lima Et Al. - ChessBase Cafe (2009-2015)

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Louis Lima Et Al. - ChessBase Cafe (2009-2015)

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Louis Lima is an active tournament player in Long Island, NY.

He holds Purchases from our shop help

His published articles include "Faux Pas and Adventures of a Latino in

Cafe Openings for 1.e4 Players Fritz 12

Order The f4 Sicilian

As a 1.e4 player who has never played the Vienna, I

The Vienna is characterized by the moves 1.e4 e5

a) 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 White plays 3.Bc4, followed by a speedy d3 and

c) One lecture on 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 where he recommends 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.

d) One lecture on 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 where Martin again advocates 3.Bc4

e) One lecture exploring 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 where the recommended

f) One lecture on 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 featuring a game played by

I often felt Martin underestimated Blacks chances in many positions, and

And the problem in this position is of course the pawn on d6. So

It is this superficial treatment by Martin that I found slightly irritating at

It is perfectly appropriate to show illustrative games that contain mistakes, but

Order The ABC of the Vienna

In The Sicilian with 3.Bb5, Shirov shares his

This is a truly outstanding production. We are

Currently eighteenth in the world rankings, Shirov provides us with chess of

Shirov paints a realistic view of the game. Chess is a very complicated

It is always very risky to say that on move five someone is already

I recommend this DVD to anyone interested in the 3.Bb5 Sicilian. Shirovs

Order The Sicilian with 3.Bb5

2009 All Rights Reserved.

[ChessCafe Home Page] [Book Review] [Columnists]

2009 BrainGamz, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Scandinavian the Easy Way explores the

ABC of Chess Openings

The first game featured in Martin's DVD is a sparkling win from GM

This DVD covers the following lines:

Martin also provides us with several brief lectures discussing various

Order Scandinavian the Easy Way (2nd ed.)

The Arkhangelsk by Adrian Mikhalchihin Running time: Five hours.

I approached the Arkhangelsk's review with great

The Arkhangelsk is a sharp attempt by Black to get an active middlegame

The Arkhangelsk includes a database file with forty-eight games; many of

The DVD concludes with a twenty-two minute lecture titled "Kasparov

I would recommend the Archangelsk for anyone wanting a deep immersion

The Queens Gambit Declined Exchange Variation by Nigel Davies Running

This is one of the most accessible Fritz Trainers for

Ten lectures under "Minority attack" labeled under the titles:

Four lectures under "White castles long" are titled:

Nine lectures under "White plays e4" titled:

I wanted to provide some illustration of the amount of explanation Davies

"And this is a very instructive moment, because we got this b4 plan

"Now, I mentioned earlier, the weakness on c6 that Black often

If you still don't get it, no worries, Davies continues:

Order The Queens Gambit Declined Exchange Variation

The Budapest Gambit by Andrew Martin Running time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Saving the best for last, The Budapest Gambit is an

The "Theme One" lecture focuses on white's

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4

4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Qe7 7.Qd5 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3

Martin makes quick comments on almost every move, and pauses

8..Qa3 9.Rc1 f6 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.Qd2 d6 12.Nd4 00 13.e3

Black to move, what would you play here?

15.Qc2 Qa5+ 16.Ke2

"Tell me which move to make and I'll

16Rxf4! 17.exf4 Bf5

The "Theme Four" lecture continues on the subject of restraining White's

The second section contains the following lectures:

Order The Budapest Gambit

2009 All Rights Reserved.