CHESSBOOK REVIEWS 
Latest book reviews of 1 July 2006
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.Wilhelminalaan 33John Elburg
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess Books
5 Tigran Petrosjan & Boris Spasski
2006
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
303 Pages
Euro 29.95
ISBN 3-283-00474-9
In hardcover!
The German editions of My Great predecessors don’t run completely parallel with the Everman editions, so this heavy loaded Olms edition is handling at this stage the phenomenal Tigran Petrosjan and his great rival Boris Spassky,where the excellent annotations to the games are just so superb.as we saw in the Everyman editions, but I must say that a great part of Kasparow his analyses come from all kind of sources.Pleasant to mention is that these Olms editions have some extra’s as a CD with all the games from Petrosjan and Spasski and that are all together a small 4397 extra games, plus that there are some extra photographs from the players in this book.
These Olms books are very nice printed on special kind paper that does not get old as some other chess books do, so I can insure you that this book holds it quality for a very long time.
Petrosjan was a chess player with a unique deeply prophylactic plying style that reminds us at the great Aaron Nimzowitsch and this man inspired Petrosjan as no other.
Petrosjan’s results where in the 1950s spectacular, in the 1953 Candidate tournament, at the age of 24 he finishes an impressive fifth, how ever he was not yet ready for the world title,Smyslov and Tal were at that moment just a little more ahead.
Boris Spassky was as young boy a chess prodigy, at the age of 18 he qualified for the Interzonal where he became a international Grandmaster, interesting to mention is that Spasski started as a solid positional player in the style of Capablanca but the Russian chess trainers Zak and Tolush found it necessarily to sharpened his tactical skills.
Please see game 349,Spasski - Bronstein 27th USSR Championship,Leningrad 1960; with the opening moves; 1.e4 e5 2.f4!? this book handles all together 84 unique games of these two great fighters and there competitors!
Concluson: These books are a treasure for every book shelf!
Chess Bitch by Jennifer Shahade
Woman in the ultimate intellectual sport
2005
Siles Press
Offered for review by http://www.niggemann.com/
320 Pages
Price €26,50
ISBN 1-890085-09-X
The American GM Jennifer Shahade concentrates in this first book of her, on the present and past of woman chess.
All in there own world chess heroes as the famous Polgar girls but the reader shall also find in this book superb. written historical articles on some of the greatest lady chess players that we had in the world of chess.
As for example the phenomenal Vera Menchik, and the forgotten chess genius Sonja Graf from Germany.
Sonja Graf's father was once a priest in Russia, but when he fell in love with Sonja’s mother he became a quite successful painter in Munich but as many artists he never earned enough money with his art.
Sonja Graf was invited in the famous Prague 1937 tournament where she only scored 2.5 out of 11,but she had some beautiful highlights as a draw against the great Estonian Grandmaster Paul Keres. {Graf,S - Keres,P [A40] Prague Prague (11), 1937
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ 3.Bd2 Qe7 4.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 5.Qd2 Nc6 6.e3 Qxd2+ 7.Kxd2 f5 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Nb5 Kd8 10.f3 a6 11.Nc3 f4 12.Nge2 fxe3+ 13.Kxe3 d5 14.Ng3 Re8 15.Rd1 Bd7 16.Be2 e5 17.Kf2 dxc4 18.dxe5 Nxe5 19.h3 Kc8 20.Rd4 b5 21.f4 Nc6 22.Rd2 Rb8 23.Bf3 Nb4 24.Nge4 Rb6 25.Nc5 Bf5 26.g4 Nd3+ 27.Nxd3 Bxd3 28.g5 Ne4+ 29.Nxe4 Bxe4 30.Re1 Bg6 31.Bg4+ Kb7 32.Rxe8 Bxe8 33.Rd8 Bc6 ½-½ }
And that was the great Paul Keres with his own pet line:1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ 3.Bd2 Qe7!?
Two years later in Buenos Aires Keres did get his revenge and Sonja decided not to return to her homeland Germany.
Funny enough Sonja claimed that her birthday was 1914 but chess historians found out that she was born in December 1908 in Munich, Germany. Sonja disappeared from the chess world when she married Mr.Stevensons {It is unclear that she did tell hem the trough about her real age.}to raise later her son Alexander,later she came out of retirement with a big blow by winning the US.Woman’s Chess Championship of 1957, unfortunately Sonja died only eight years later of a liver ailment on March 7,1965.
On page 37 there is a lovely photo from Sonja Graf and the former world champion Max Euwe playing a game of chess.
Jennifer Shahade is very good in describing of characters in this book and I would like to give a short example how powerful she can play with words; Fischer’s skills as well his good looks and quirkiness were admired, while his poor manners and bizarre demands were accepted as part of the package that made him great. Fischer’s awesome feats in chess made it to easy to underestimate his early signs of madness.
The material in this book is divided in to 13 chapters and I would like to mention them all: Playing like a girl, War-Torn Pioneers:Vera Menchik and Sonja Graf, Building a Dynasty: Woman of Georgia, Be like Judit! Bringing up grandmasters: The Polgar Sisters, Woman only, Chinese style, Juno and Genius, European Divas, Checkmate Around the world, Playing for America, Gender Play: Angela from Texas and at last Worst to first.
Included is collecting of 57 games unfortunately all with out any comments, a glossary, a index of names, photo’s {Around 56 photo’s!}and a impressive bibliography from over 50 items.
I would like to end this fantastic read on woman chess with a game from Jennifer Shahade on Kriventsov to show that she can play chess as no other,and please watch the fantastic knight move 27…Nd3!!; Kriventsov,S (2438) - Shahade,J (2330) [B90] USA-ch Seattle (7), 16.01.2003
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 Be7 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Qc7 11.Kb1 Rc8 12.g4 Nbd7 13.h4 a5 14.Nb5 Qc6 15.h5 a4 16.Na1 d5 17.g5 d4 18.Bxd4 exd4 19.Nxd4 Qb6 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.Be2 Rc7 22.gxf6 Bxf6 23.c4 Nc5 24.a3 Rc6 25.h6 Rd8 26.Qc2 Rxd1+ 27.Bxd1 Nd3 28.hxg7 Rxc4 29.Qg2 Rc1+ 30.Ka2 Qxb2+ 31.Qxb2 Nxb2 32.e5 Nxd1 33.Rh5 Bxg7 34.f4 Ne3 35.Rh2 Rg1 36.Nc2 Rg2 0-1
Conclusion: A well worth reading book on woman chess! {In Hardcover!}
Smart chip from St.Petersburg by Genna Sosonko
And other tales of a bygone chess era
2006
New in Chess
Offered for review by http://www.niggemann.com/
197 pages
Price €24,95
ISBN 90-5691-169-4
Smart Chip from St.Petersburg contains portraits of famous and some time forgotten chess players as the phenomenal Genrikh Chepukaitis {1935-2004} who could play blitz chess as no other chess player in the world.
Seen his fast speed he went throw the Russian chess scene as ‘Chip’ later on Internet he became the famous ‘Smartchip’ where his rating was over the 3000 ELO border.
After the age of 60 he had as Sosonko describes it as an second wind and was successful in several chess tournaments,where in one of them coming very close to the so wanted grandmaster title.
This book carries nine contributions from Sosonko;Smart Chip,Yakov Neishtadt at 80,The Morpheus variation, If the trumpet sounds {Ludek Pachman 1924-2003} A master with no name,A Miracle {Ratmir Kholmov {1925-2006} Killer instinct,Genaa Adonis and The stairway of live which is an excellent 36 page contribution on the legendary Dutch chess player Jan Hein Donner {1927-1988}
Donner called him self a chess professional but some claimed that there was a period where he did not even have a chess set at home.
During the Nice Olympiad,Donner went over to a rack of chess books and, seeing the Chess Informant
He said’now here’s a book where you can find all the current games, arranged by openings.You can look up your opponent’s games,or a variation where you are interested in. It’s amazing!
The Yugoslavs had been publishing the Chess Informant for over eight years!
Apart from the previously unpublished ‘Genna Adonis’and The Stairway of life,all articles in this book have originally been published in New in Chess Magazine.
On the cover there is an photo from Tal and Spassky but it looks that they are playing with the board wrong around.Included throw this book is collection of around 48 photographs.
Conclusion: A very creative written book!
Starting out:
Closed Sicilian by Richard Palliser
2006
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com/
208 pages
Price $21,95
ISBN 1-85744-414-0
On of the Sicilian closed main line runs after the moves: 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 Nd4 and now the exciting pawn push 10.e5!?
This interesting sacrifice is pleasantly covered by the young English IM Richard Palliser in great detail in this heavy loaded easy going Starting out book on the closed Sicilian, where white is heading for a direct blow on the black king!
World champions as Smyslov,Karpov and Spassky have favourite the closed Sicilian but really new ideas have been added by English players as Adams and Short, maybe we can even speak of the English explosion on the closed Sicilian?
And in these 42 heavy loaded model games you shall find these names back specially the games from GM Nigel Short who even preferred to play against Kasparov with 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6 5.d3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nd4 7.Qd2 Qa5 8.f4 e6 9.Nf3 Ne7 10.0-0 Nec6 and now the pawn move11.e5! and after 11..dxe5 12.Nxe5 0-0 13.Rae1 f5? 14.Bxc6 Nxc6 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Nd1 and Garry's position was heading down hill!
Black continued with 16…Qxa2 17.Bxc5 Rd8 18.b3 Rb8 and now Short had to play as Fritz with 19.Re2!
Interesting to mention in this book is the move order with 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 d5 that was favoured at the end of the nineteenth century by nobody else as Louis Paulsen, and put new in life by Grandmaster Korchnoi in his match with Spassky,please see game 39 of this book with again a game of Short, 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.d3 Nc6 5.exd5 exd5 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.Nge2 d4 8.Ne4 Nxe4 9.dxe4 Be7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Nf4,Short - Topalov,V Sarajevo, 1999.
Conclusion: Black players watch out for this book!
Winning chess combinations by Yasser Seirawan
2006
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com/
254 pages
Price €20,85
ISBN 1-85744-420-5
With this book Winning chess combinations the seventh book in the series of winning chess is now at last completed, and GM Yasser Seirawan can look back of a successful made series of instructive learning books.
Maybe we can even say last best want this combinations books is not a usual exercise book but one that learns you to play and to understand the winning position.
First you must learn to establish an advantage and how to recognize the advantages and disadvantages in a position,
this all is done with instructive explanations where some as the famous short cut between the Chinese Liu Wenzhe (2200) and the Dutch GM Donner,J (2490) [B07] Buenos Aires ol (Men) Buenos Aires (8), 1978
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.g4 h6 6.h3 c5 7.d5 0-0 8.h4 e6 9.g5 hxg5 10.hxg5 Ne8 11.Qd3 exd5 12.Nxd5 Nc6 13.Qg3 Be6 14.Qh4 f5 15.Qh7+ Kf7 16.Qxg6+ Kxg6 17.Bh5+ Kh7 18.Bf7+ Bh6 19.g6+ Kg7 20.Bxh6+ 1-0 this all
is explained with nearly three pages of text!
But also the following game from Hans Bohm is great learning and well covered with a lot of text ; Bohm,H (2410) - Hernandez,R (2500) [C68] IBM-B Amsterdam (3), 1979 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.h3 h5 7.d3 Qf6 8.Be3 Ne7 9.Nbd2 Ng6 10.hxg4 hxg4 11.Ng5 Nf4 12.Qxg4 Qxg5 0-1{Whoops!Hans was so preoccupied with preventing a queen and rook battery down the h-file he missed the point that 13.Qxg5 Ne2 is both check and mate!}
But Seirawan does not tell us in this book that Bohm could have the saved the game with 11.Bg5! Please also see The quickest chess victories of all time,Cadogan 1998.
A strong point from this book is that Seirawan uses completely games to explains his goals where the games are a nice deliberate mix of difficult and easy.
Included are test positions and ofcourse a lot of instructive explanations!
Conclusion:Overloaded with instructive explanations!
Rudolf Spielmann master of invention by Neil McDonald
2006
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com/
143 pages
Price $21,95
ISBN 1-85744-406-X
The English Grandmaster Neil McDonald takes in this book a look at one of the greatest attacking chess players of all time and goes back in time to the legendary Rudolf Spielmann.
In this work you shall find a biography that includes some of Spielmann best games and a very interesting discussion from McDonald on Spielmann his unique style of play.
There are in this book around 21 complete games from Spielmann and the rest are unfortunately game extracts where the reader is now and than invited to find moves that Spielmann missed.
When Spielmann had he day he could produce brilliant games as we can see for example against Alekhine,even at young age ,the future world champion was at the begin of his career a notable scalp for Spielmann but he could also create as no other terrible disasters.
All together Alekhine and Spielmann played around 16 times with each other where Alekhine did win four games and Spielmann only two but the remaining games ten of them where all draws!
In this book you shall find three encounters with Alekhine.
Many readers are probably not aware of it but Spielmann belonged in the years 1926-1930 to one of the world’s top ten players.
In contrast to his fierce attacking play, away from the board Spielmann was friendly and good natured. He never married and was devoted to chess, mountain air and beer { Neil McDonald in the introduction}
Included throw this book is a collection most brilliant sacrifices and that makes it all very unique.
Conclusion: A very good book on Spielmann!
Secrets of chess endgame strategy by Lars Bo Hansen
2006
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
223 pages
Price $26,95
ISBN 1-904600-44-1
This latest endgame book from the Danish GM Lars is build op on ideas from his previous work Foundations of chess strategy.
In Secrets of chess endgame strategy Hansen works again with a lot of general principles all based on a profound endgame knowledge.
What I like in this book are the recent endgame struggles all explained with a hugh amount of instructive text,as for example the exciting endgame position between Torre and Jakobsen played back in Amsterdam 1973,where black had a strong centralized knight and white a bishop that had nothing to go for.
This game was a real struggle from around 112 moves and a highly instructive endgame for the reading, illustrating the unique battle of the good knight and bad bishop.
The author gives throw this book a lot of short summary’s where he explains important general principles but also important strategies as the control of important squares and files.
Lars Bo Hansen :When you possess an edge in the endgame, it is very important not to allow the opponent any counter play.
In fact ,in may situations that be your top priority. But it depends on the kind of edge or advantage that you possess. As I discussed in Foundations of chess strategy ,advantage can either be temporally or sustainable.
Temporary advantage must be explored immediately otherwise they disappear. A nice example is the well known position is the game position between Leko – Kramnik Brissago Wch(5) 2004.Where Leko played 26.Kg2 this position is well explained by Lars Bo Hansen
with three pages of text here we can learn to have no hurry at all!{Interesting to mention is that this position did get no attention at all in the book; Kramnik – Leko world chess championship by Martin Breutigam, Chessgate 2004.
This was already pointed out by Steinitz ,advantages can either be temporary or lasting.
Interesting to menton is chaper six where the Danis GM discusses a number of openings that lead to an early exchange of queens,so as for example 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Bg4 6.h3 h5 7.d3 Qf6 8.Be3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qxf3 10.gxf3 or 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1.
Conclusion: A very understandable endgame book!
The Queen’s Indian by Peter Wells
2006
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
127 pages
Price $19,95
ISBN 1-904600-49-2
GM Peter Wells handles here in a very instructive way the whole Queen’s Indian with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 and it does not matter if white plays 4.g3,a3 or 4.Nc3 it is all here well covered with 25 instructive model games all played between the last six years.
Every game in this book is good for a impressive amount of five pages of text where the reader can find everything that he or she needs to know to understand this opening.
Even the latest lines with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bd2!?
game 17 of this book ,Alexander Riazantsev – Magnus Carlsen,Warsaw 2005 is excellent analysed by the great Wells.
As in every good opening books there are conclusions where the reader can find some interesting suggestions as for example 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qb3!? from the game; Loek van Wely – Viktor Bologon,Wijk aan Zee 2004.
Conclusion: Instructive till the last page!
Chess CD's
Sicilian Alapin System by Dorian Rogozenko
2006
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price €29,99
System requirements: Pentium, 32 MB RAM, Windows 98 SE/2000/Me/XP
Included on this CD is also a German edition!
The young GM Dorian Rogozenko from Moldova,please see http://www.romanianchess.org/rogozenko/index.html, handles here in a very compressive the Sicilian with 2.c3, Rogozenko mentions this opening as the Sicilian Alapin system named after the Lithuanian Simon Alapin who played 2.c3 three times in the famous Vienna tournament of 1898.
Rogozenko deals the whole 2.c3 Sicilian in a very impressive way, 54 text files with superb. explanations, 500 games are specially analysed by Rogozenko for CD and all imported in a Hugh master file from over 75000 entries!
Where all together a small 1335 of these games have comments!{Mainley based on game refernces of the ChessBase magazines}
In this game file you shall find every possible game ever played with 2.c3 correspondence of over the board is included on this heavy loaded game file.
Interesting is for example the idea with 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.cxd4 Bg4 7.Nc3 Bxf3 8.gxf3 Qxd4 9.Qxd4 Nxd4 10.Nb5 and good for 132 entries where two of these entries cover excellent analyses.
The aim of this CD lays between the Elo rating 2000 and 2500 so we have here a CD that is even suitable for chess professionals!
Fun is the Training file with 40 exercises where Rogozenko discusses all kind of strategies and openings traps as for instance: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 Nf6 6.d5 Ne5 7.Nc3 Bg4 8.Nxe5! Bxd1? 9.Bb5+ Nd7 10.Bxd7+ Qxd7 11.Nxd7 and white wins, funny enough there are quite some games in my database with 8...Bxd1? So I can really recommended go for these 40 exercises!
There is a Sicilian Alapin Tree from around 85.2 MB, and of course a excellent developed ChessBase reader to open all the files of this interesting written opening's CD!
Rogozenko covers here in this CD a compressive mass of latest chess theory!
Conclusion: Certainly one of the ever best made ChessBase openings CD's!
Endgames 1 – Basic knowledge for beginners by Karsten Müller
2006
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price €29.99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
GM Karsten Müller explains here in this DVD in instructive multimedia files all the essential endgame knowledge that a chess player must be aware of when he wants to get involved with chess endings.As the author explains so instructively with endings you learn the power of your chess pieces!
And that is for instance mating with the queen, mating with the rook but also more complicated matters as opposition, knight endings and more.Many advanced positions as Knight endings II with knight, pawn, king against king alone gets on this heavy loaded DVD from 2.34 GB a important instructive turn from the instructive GM Karsten Müller, but the aim on this DVD lays by the local chess player and amateur who wants to improve his of hers endgame skills..
To get private chess lessons from one of the greatest endgame experts in the world of chess is open for a small 30 euro!
The running time is al together around 5.5 hours and that is more than a simple refreshing up!
Conclusion: Excellent endgame material!
Fritztrainer opening by Alexei Shirov
My Best Games in The Spanish
2006
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price 29,99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
This DVD does not run on TV-connected DVD players.
Alexei Shirov was the first player who ever reached the 2700 level before the age of 20,this put him in list with great players as Garry Kasparov.Shirov is enormously talent and it is pleasant to see him as the latest Chessbase movie star with a collection best games in the Spanish opening.Shirov handles here in 4.5 hours private sessions nine of his best games in the following lines; Steinitz Variation (41:10) Berlin Defence (37:04)Open Spanish (42:08)Moeller and Archangelsk Defence (26:22) Anti-Marshall- System 1 (32:05) Anti-Marshall-System 2 (15:50) Marshall Gambit (20:42) Modern Chigorin Defence (34:55) and the Flohr / Saitzev Variation (34:06)Shirov explanes here in these games a lot of tips, and for example in the Marshall Attack he comes with the interesting 9.d4{1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.d4 exd4 10.e5 Ne4 11.cxd4 Bg4 12.Nc3 Bxf3 13.gxf3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 f5 15.Kh1 Na5 16.Rg1 Qd7 17.Qe2 Qe6 18.Bg5 c6 19.Bc2 Ra7 20.f4 Kh8 21.Qh5 Ba3 22.Rg3 Nc4 23.Rag1 Qf7 24.Qh4 Nd2 25.Rh3 Qg8 26.f3 Nc4 27.Bd3 Nb2 28.Bb1 Nc4 29.Bf6 Nd6 30.Be7 Rxe7 31.Qxe7 1-0, Shirov - Bacrot,Bundesliga 2003.John Nunn wrote once in his book: The Marshall Attack,Nunn,Harding Batsford 1989:This Sharp method of declining the Marshall must be treated with respect, but it should give Black a good type of Open Spanish since he is not required to play ..Be6.The interesting 14…f5!? from Bacrot is by the way a old recommendation from Tal and Gutman.
As we can learn in this DVD from Shirov he is a anti Marshall man and suggests moves as 8.h3 {1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 }
Fritztrainer opening by Alexei Shirov
My Best Games in Sicilian
2006
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price 29,99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
This DVD does not run on TV-connected DVD players.
Alexei Shirov explains in My best games in the Sicilian DVD some of his greatest highlights that he played in the Sicilian defence and that are 11 games and good for nearly four hours of highly chess enjoyment. By the way the Najdorf defence is handled on DVD number 3 below.
One of favourite games on this DVD is the Svesnikov with the sacrifice on b5: Shirov,A (2722) - Topalov,V (2707) [B33] Leon Man+Comp Leon (1.2), 08.06.2001
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.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bxb5 axb5 12.Nxb5 Ra4 13.b4 Rxb4 14.Nbc7+ Kd7 15.0-0 Qxc7 16.c3 Rxe4 17.Qh5 Kd8 18.Nxc7 Kxc7 19.Qxf7+ Be7 20.Rab1 Ba6 21.Rfd1 Rf8 22.Qb3 Rb8 23.Qe6 Rxb1 24.Rxb1 Bd3 25.Rd1 f4 26.Qd5 Bc2 27.Rc1 Re2 28.a4 e4 29.a5 Bd3 30.Ra1 Rb2 31.c4 Rb7 32.a6 Ra7 33.f3 Ne5 34.fxe4 Bxc4 35.Rc1 Rxa6 36.Rxc4+ Nxc4 37.Qxc4+ Rc6 38.Qf7 Kd8 39.Qg8+ Kd7 40.Qxh7 Rc5 41.Qf7 Rc1+ 42.Kf2 Rc8 43.Qf5+ Kc7 44.Qe6 1-0
GM Rogozenko once wrote: This position seems to suit Shirov perfectly. The second time he plays it and achieves a very nice win.As we can lean from Shirov it was all preparation till move 21 and from move 26 he automatically played computer moves! All material is divided in: Intro & Kan Variation (40:33) Paulsen System (30:03) Sveshnikov Variation (23:10) Rossolimo Variation 1 (31:04) Rossolimo Variation 2 (30:48) Richter-Rauzer Attack 1 (16:38) and again a Richter-Rauzer Attack 2 (23:19)
Fritztrainer opening by Alexei Shirov
My Best Games in the Sicilan-Najdorf
2006
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price 29,99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
This DVD does not run on TV-connected DVD players.
In this DVD I found eight Najdorf games where Shirov only handles one game on the black site of the board and well in the game,Bologan –Shirov, Canadian Open 2005 {1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.Be2}
More interesting for the Najdorf fan is the game Shirov – Kasparov,SuperGM IT Sarajevo 1999, with the aggressive 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.Be2 h5 11.Bxg4 hxg4 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Nf5 Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qa5 15.Qxg4 f6 16.Rab1 Shirov does not mention this move as a mistake ,like Tapani Sammalvuo did in his book The English Attack,Gambit 2004.
But please don’t expect to much openings secrets van Shirov he is a chess professional but I am very pleased on this DVD with the large amount of instructive tips!
The material is divided: Intro (01:58),Najdorf with 6.Be2 (29:56),Najdorf deviations 1 (21:52),Najdorf deviations 2 (15:09} ,Scheveningen System (45:45) ,Keres Attack 1 (14:03) ,Keres Attack 2 (20:45)
Keres Attack 3 (23:01),Keres Attack 4 (29:46).
Conclusion: Great learning DVD's!
Corr database 2006
2006
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price €79,90
System requirements: Pentium PC, Win98, Me, 2000, XP, 32 MB RAM, CD-ROM drive, ChessBase 8.0 or 9.0, hard disk space requirements: 350 MB.
Besides the Mega database ChessBase has also is a special correspondence database with around 588.000 games and that are a small 88.000 more than the 2004 edition from ChessBase,all together I found around 2495 annotated correspondence games on this CD,and that are around 600 more annotated games than the above mentioned 2004 edition.
But when we compare it with the Mega correspondence CD from Tim Harding with 725723 games and over 21000 annotated games than it is clear this ChessBase 2006 correspondence CD is not a real competitor for Harding his CD,even that the Corr database 2006 from ChessBase is a little more up-to-date. But Tim Harding also wins it in the so called references to the games,for a example there is a game Johansson – Keres corr.1963 on this CD but this is game is not played by correspondence but by telegraph.
The same with the game City Reykjavik – Alekhine corr.1931 was not completely a radio game as Harding pointed out :The first 8 moves were played blindfold in a restaurant in Reykjavik. Then some moves by radio while Alekhine was aboard a ship sailing from Iceland to Denmark; the game was possibly concluded by post.
The names of the Icelandic players were:Eggert Gilfer, Brynjólfur Stefánsson and Hannes Thórður Hafstein and it was probably Alekhine's last correspondence game.
Included is a correspondence chess players base with around 63000 names and this is a great playing tool but the included ICCF ratings in this 6 MB file are not very up to date.
It would be nice if Chessbase made a real players file with photo’s from the players this would make the CD much more interesting!
Conclusion: I am not very impressed!
Chess Magazines
British Chess Magazine No.6
Volume 126
June 2006
Price: £3.60
This nice made issue with the young Luke McShane on the cover starts with 4NCL Final Weekend coverage where Steve Giddins is good for a full report on this clash of the titans.
Billionaire sponsor and world champion in correspondence chess has marked every birthday of his oldest daughter with the rapid play/blindfold Melody Amber tournament.
The notes to the games come here from Lubosh Kavalek,who is also responsible for the Kavalek file.Where we can read that one of the best German chess players Wolfgang Unzicher 26-6-1925-20-4-2006 is not between us anymore.
As a preceding judge of an administrate court in Munich,he did not have much time to play chess ,but his achievements were remarkable.
Steve Giddins looks back at the Blackpool conference ,European Championships and the great Garry Lane, in Chess questions answered looks at the Halloween attack {1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5}
Steve Giddins pays tribute to Ratmir Kholmov,who died on 18 February 2006,aged 80.
Others are Easter Congresses, Quotes and queries {Where I found a very readable contribution on FW Womersley –chess columnist, founder member of the HastingsCC,and one of the organisers of the 1895 Hastings International Tournament who was shot dead in 1911 in the offices of the building society of which he was manager.
Please see also the ten page summary from Edward Winter’s latest Chess Notes compilation. Chess Facts and Fables,McFarland,2006 etc.
Conclusion: A very good chess magazine!
Latvijas Šaha Vēstnesis
Issue 2 2006
May/June
For information mail Val Zemitis chess@davis.com
In this May – June number I found quite some interesting games as one from Svesnikov with 1.Nf3 b6 2.g3 Bb7 3.Bg2 g5!? A interesting correspondence games from the Dutch Rene Raijmaekers starting with 1.c4 f5 2.h3 e5 3.g4 and two exciting Latvain gambit games where one was played by the old master Zemitis! 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.d4 Nf6 4.dxe5!
Conclusion: Interesting issue!