Latest book reviews of 1 January 2008
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.
Wilhelminalaan 33John Elburg
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
CHESSBOOK REVIEWS
Latest book reviews of 1 January 2008
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.Wilhelminalaan 33John Elburg
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
From London to Elista by Evgeny & IIya Levitov
2007
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
400 pages
Price €29,95
ISBN 978 90 5691 219-2
Evgeny Bareev and his companion IIiya Levitov provide you in this book from London to Elista with an excellent view of inside stories from the World Championship matches, that Vladimir Kramnik played and won against Garry Kasparov,Peter Leko and Veselin Topalov.
In nearly every page of this book you can feel the breath from Bareev and his amateur chess friend IIiya Levitov ,for all who have never heard from
Ilya Levitov,he is a truly chess amateur and close friend of Vladimir Kramnik and Evgeny Bareev.
Some times the both authors can be very irritating when they for example discuss the Euwe – Alekhine matches;Levitov: We also don’t need to analyse the Alekhine – Euwe matches.After reading the novel The White and the Black by Grandmaster Kotov I get the impression that the main difference between 1935 – and 1937 was that in the first instance Alekhine drank brandy the game and let his Siamese cats walk on the board,and in the second he switched to milk and turned down the services of representatives of animal kingdom.
No I prefer Evgeny Bareev with his excellent analyses and quotes about the crucial moments of the games!
I am aware that San Luis book has the reputation of one of the best written World Champion books and there for rewarded with E.C.F book of the year but dear readers they have not seen and touched this work from Evgeny Bareev and IIiya Levitov!
Personal I love the match games in this book with Kasparov,specially the second match games fascinates me because it was Kramnik’s turning point of the match.
Please also see the ChessBase DVD’Vladimir Kramnik My Path to the top World Championship Chess”
First of all I love the fascinating analyses from Bareev for example after the move 11.Rxh7 {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5 9.Qd2 Bg4 10.Rb1 a6}
Where he writes: A novelty. In the stem game Timman choice the absurd 11.Rb3?!,and,though the position remained unclear for a long time, of course white could not count on an advantage: 11…b5 12.d5 Bxf3!{12..Nd713.c4 b4 14.Qc2 Qc7 15.Nd2 Nb6 16.f4 a5 17.Bd3 a4 18.Rb1 g5 19.f5 Be5 20.h3 Bg3+ 21.Kf1 Bh5 22.e5 Qxe5 23.Ne4 with a unclear position,Timman – Ivanchuk,Linares 1992}13.gxf3 c4 14.Rb4 Qa3 15.Bd4 Bxd4 16.Qxd4 0-0 17.Qd2 Nd7 and black has a slightly advantage.
It’s surprising that 11…Rxb7 12.hadn’t previously been played,and likewise that in this preparation the World Champion hadn’t paid due attention to this most obvious move: the rook invaders on the seventh rank and in addition captures a pawn.Kramnik analysed this position with Illescas,but not too deeply, since he didn’t think his opponent would so easy give up a pawn.White obtains a great advantage ‘without risk’but with a guarantee of pressure.
Bareev writes:The blunder in an unpleasant position leas to immediate defeat, while the game probably had a serious effect and undoubtedly left its mark on the further course of the match.As a matter of fact, from this moment its second stage unofficially began,where already it was enough for Kramnik to reduce the remaining games to a draw to win the world title.
Let me remind you that initially the equal score suited Kasparov,who would remain World Champion in case of a tie.
In the 3rd match game Kramnik went for the Berlin Wall and after
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Bd7 10.b3 h6 11.Bb2 Kc8 12.Rad1,Bareev writes:After the opening,I remember well,we were absolutely horrified again.It seemed to us that the position was extremely dangerous.Kasparov skipped the move h3,he went 12.Rad1,another couple of moves were made,and Joel and I went out for a walk.We discussed which opening to prepare for game 5,because everything had become clear to us with this variation-the position was virtually hopeless.
Yes this book is overloaded with readable quotes and I can insure you this is one of those books that you can not put down!
Conclusion: Certainley one of the best written tournament books of all time!
The Chigorin Defence according to Morozevich by Alexander Morozevich & Vladimir Barsky
2007
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
236 pages
Price €28,95
ISBN 978 90 5691 200-0
The Chigorin defence is named after the Russian master of the nineteen century Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin who had an imaginative approach to openings
Alexander Morozevich belongs to the champions of this openings and that makes this book more than interesting, even that this book does not hold all variations of this opening but is written on the own experiences of the amazing playing Morozevich.
So this book is based on 75 model games which are mainly all played by Morozevich himself and where the main emphasis is placed on the opening stage of the Chigorin, this all is placed a readable balance of text and explanations.
Morozevich his knowledge of the Chigorin is impressive, for example after the moves: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.cxd5 Qxd5 4.e3 e5 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 exd4 8.Ne2 Bg4 9.f3 he prefers to castle to the queen’s side and writes: Initially the sacrifice 9…Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qxf3 brought some successes, but than white figured out what to do.
Other authors on this subject as Angus Dunnington in his book Attacking with 1.d4,Everyman Chess 2001,give the after 9…Bxf3 the following words: So far the most exciting continuation, and one that we are happy to go along with.There are several alternatives,each leading to varying degrees of difficulty for black.
The same with Nunn’s Chess Openings the move 9...0-0-0 is not mentioned not even between the lines of this dreadful heavyweight.
The Chigorin defence is a opening that goes against traditional principles by not maintaining the central outpost at d5 but with this book we can learn from Morozevich and Barsky how to gain a quick development with a heavy piece pressure!
Interesting to mention is that with the moves {1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.cxd5 Qxd5 4.e3 e5 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nf3 exd4 7.exd4} we reach a position from the Göring Gambit Declined ECO section C44!
I found mass of unpublished Internet games so the reader is well prepared with this book The Chigorin Defence according to Morozevich!
Conclusion: The best book ever written on the Chigorin Defence!
On the Attack
The Art of Attacking Chess According to the Modern Masters
by Jan Timman
2006
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
235 pages
Price €27,95
ISBN 90-90-5691-187
The former third best player in the world, GM Jan Timman analyses in this book a collection of 33 sparkling attacking games all explained with a large amount of instructive text.
In this book does not have to fear to get lost in a mass of lines no Timman does in this book where he is best in and that is analysing with readable words!
Timman starts this game collection with a describing of Anatoly Karpov;The Boa Constrictor: this is how many people like to characterize Karpov’s play.He takes his opponent in a stranglehold and than squeezes the life out of them.
And it is true that Karpov’s ply is primarily aimed at restricting his opponent’s options.It just never was his style to enter into an open fight for the iniative.
The first model games that Timman shows us is Karpov’s impressive win against Sax with the Scheveningen variation, the so called Keres Attack which was a Specialty of Karpov in the seventies and begin 80s.
Timman uses a around a half a page of text to explain with understandable text the move 6.g4.
Timman has aimed to provide an insight in the way in which modern top players conduct there attacks but interesting enough he has not included games from players like Kramnik and Leko,because as he writes in the introduction I filed to find material that was suitable for my purpose.
In this book I enjoyed the section of Jan Timman very much with his”Always the initiative”
Timman writes over himself: At the start of the 1980s,the American grandmaster Walter Brown once said that my play ws based on sharp tactics.This surpriced me,as I had the idea at the time that my play was mainly strategic in character,and that whatever it lacked would have to do more with tactics.
The 33 games in this book re from the past 25 years and some of them as Volokitin – Lputian,Sochi,2006 and Volokitin- Nakamura,Lausanne 2005,are quite recent.
Included in this book are also 33 attacking fragments all in harmony with the 33 model games of this book.
Conclusion: These 33 model games are truly overloaded with instructive text!
The Sämisch King's Indian Uncovered by Alexander Cherniaev & Eduard Prokuronov
2007
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
175 pages
Price $24,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-540-4
GM Alexander Cherniaev and his companion the Fide Master Eduard Prokuronov digs and reveal in this latest Everyman Chess book on the Sämisch variation named after the German tacticus Fritz Sämisch {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3} of the King’s Indian defence.
Both authors handle and investigate this rock of a opening at the hand of a collection of 50 model games,where they explain in instructive words the following lines; The Classical Sämisch 6.Be3 e5 7.d5,Keeping the tension 6.Be3 e5 7.Nge2,The Panno Variation 6.Be3 Nc6,6.Be3 c6 and 6…Nbd7,The Sämisch Gambit 6.Be3 c5,The Sämisch Benoni 6.Be3 c5 7.d5, The Sämisch Benoni after 6.Bg5 and 6.Nge2 and the flexible 6.Nge2 and 6.Bg5.
This book starts with a explanation of some classical lines where black prevents white from occupying the important e4-square but there are for black a wide variety of strategies where he can go for but I must admit all typical Sämisch structures get a important turn in this book.
Model game five handles the Bronstein idea with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8.Qd2 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nxg3 10.Qf2 Nxf1 11.Qxh4 Nxe3,where the authors write: Beginning a spectacular and famous queen sacrifice. Black gives up a queen for two bishops and two pawns, but material considerations are not the most important reason for this sacrifice.
Positional speaking Black is doing well as the authors explain,with control of the dark squares, much the safer king and the opportunity to open lines, but whether his adds up to fully sufficient compensation is not entirely clear.
More interesting for play is the Sämisch Gambit, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 c5 where John Emms wrote in his book The Controversial Sämisch King’s Indian,Batsford 2004,the critical test of the 6.Be3 Sämisch.
The three model games from Cherniaev & Prokuronov on this line are not very impressive when I compare it with the above mentioned book from Emms but they give the interesting alternative 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.e5!? Nfd7 9.f4 f6 and this line is not mentioned in any other book on the King’s Indian Sämisch!
All together we have a interesting written book on the Sämisch where the positional explanations and strategies of this opening go before latest Informator lines.
Conclusion: Certainly a must book for all Sämisch players!
Shredder 11
2007
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 49,99
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Minimum: Pentium 300 MHz, 64 MB RAM, Windows Vista or XP (SP 2), DVD ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9. Recommended: Pentium IV 2.2 GHz or higher, 256 MB RAM, Windows Vista, GeForce5 or compatible graphics card with 64 MB RAM or higher, 100% DirectX compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 9, DVD ROM drive.
This program from Stefan Meyer-Kahlen's Shredder chess program did not become champion at the World Computer Chess Championship that was held this year in Amsterdam.
Even that it has won in the past twelve times the title of World Computer Chess Champion,no it is now Rybka who is the Bobby Fischer of the chess engines.
But when you ask me what is your favourite chess engine than I will say Shredder seen his excellent endgame skills.
For long term middle game positions or difficult endgame analyses go for Shredder he is the only engine that helps to find the best possible line.
Shredder is a engine that you can compare with Karpov or maybe even better with the great Capablanca.
Shredder 11 is completely rewritten and when I believe the information from Stefan Meyer It’s performance is improved with around 100 point and that makes it better than any previous version.
Shredder 11 is packed in the original Fritz10 interface with it’s fantastic training and entertainment features.
But you are also insured with this book one year free access to the ChessBase Playchess server.
First I would like to mention some new features as the “Opening Advisor”, which allows Shredder to to handle and understand opening lines much better.Yes without the help of one or other openings book.
Also the evaluation of passed pawns has been improved so his horizon has become deeper.
I test Shredder on the following position: Kramnik,Vladimir (2770) - Kasparov,Garry (2849) [E54]BGN World Chess Championship London (10), 24.10.2000
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Re1 Nbd7 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.Qb3 Be7 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Qxe6+ Kh8 17.Qxe7 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Qxd4 19.Nb5 and was astounded thatShredder 11 did not play like Kasparov the move 19… Qxb2 but found the brilliant 19..Qd2 given by Bareev in his book From London to Elista by Bareev & Iiya Levitov,New in Chess 2007.
But Shredder did let me down in a old composition from Karl Behting:
White: Pawn c7,King e5,Rook a1
Black: Pawn c2,King b2,Knight d8
The solution is c8Rook and that is to much for Shredder11!Rybka 2.3 could not find it either but good old Fritz could!
So there is still some work for Stefan Meyer-Kahlen!
Shredder comes with a impressive openings book from 237 MB and a Hugh data file from exactly 1128478 games.
Conclusion: Buy this program for it’s incredible endgame strength!
Sergei Tiviakov Sicilian Defense with 2.c3 - Alapin Variation
Fritztrainer opening
On DVD!
2007
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 26,99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM,Windows XP or Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
GM Sergei Tiviakov handles digs and explains from his own and other experiences the Sicilian defence with 2.c3.
His personal peak in the years 2005-2006 with 12 wins on a row is more than impressive.
The 2.c3 Sicilian has become by the years a very fashionable opening but it has never made it to the name ‘Alapin Sveshnikov Variation’,Lithuanian Alapin played 2.c3 three times in the Vienna tournament of 1898.
Tiviakov explains the ideas and strategies of this opening at the hand of his own games and that makes a DVD likes this one very special.
Dorian Rogozenko once wrote in his book Anti-Sicilians,A guide for black,Gambit 2003, I have noticed that once one has learned the Alapin variation with white it is rather difficult to switch to something else.In my opinion this is exactly the reason for it’s popularity.It is often like a drug for white.
Maybe this is the reason that Tiviakov believes that white has better chances in the c3 Sicilian than in the Open Sicilian.
Tiviakov covers around 25 media files and that is good for over four hours Sicilian 2.c3 entertainment! Between these files I found games as Tiviakov – Timman from the Dutch Championship of 2006.
Timman played the interesting line 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 c4 7.Bc2 Qc7 8.Qe2 g5!?
But this all did not impress Tiviakov and he had a easy walk over the former number three of the world.
Interesting is also the line 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.dxc5 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 e5 8.b4 e4 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Nxg4 11.hxg4 Bxg4 12.Nbd2 exf3 where Tiviakov suggests the bishop move to c4!
Conclusion: A DVD from one of the greatest experts on Alapin!
Rustam Kasimdzhanov Beating the French Vol. 1
Fritztrainer opening
On DVD!
2007
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 26,99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM,Windows XP or Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
The incredible “Kah –zeem –jha-nov” former FIDE world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Provides you on these,Beating the French DVD’s a complete repertoire for white based on a through out explanation of the positional and tactical aspects of this fascinating opening.
Included are three theory parts and ten model games, all good for nearly four hours highly instructive video entertainment.
Rustam Kasimdzhanov handles on this DVD all kind of lines which arise after the move 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5.
The French opening has some typical strategies and these are so far possible in a limit time aspect well explained.
Rustam Kasimdzhanov English is fluent and I had no problems at all to follow and understand him.
Going throw these lines with the great “Kah –zeem –jha-nov” You will certainly develop a feeling from better understanding of the played Winawer lines.
The material is not so compressive as the book from Kindermann & Dirr on the ‘Französisch Winawer” but these DVD’s will certainly help you to play and understand the ideas of this opening.
The Winawer has been played by many of the greatest players in the history of chess,included World Champions and there candidates!
Rustam Kasimdzhanov Beating the French Vol. 2
Fritztrainer opening
On DVD!
2007
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 26,99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM,Windows XP or Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
In this second DVD GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov goes for the Steinitz Variation which arises after the moves, 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5.
Steinitz original idea was to main a space advantage by fortifying the e5 pawn with f4,here white develops his dark squared bishop inside the pawn chain to e3.
Again there is on this repertoire DVD a theoretical part and twelve beautiful games all good for nearly three and a half hour highly instructive chess education!.
Included is a fantastic game of the great Sultan Khan, the First Ever Asian Grandmaster of Chess who played the Steinitz Variation against Tartakower in the Semeringen tournament of 1931.
As Rustam Kasimdzhanov describes about this game the story is that Sultan Khan had no education at all but he always had a beautiful lady as company to write down his moves.
Interesting to mention is that it has never been clear if Sultan Khan was a slave of a maharaja.
This game is not so interesting for the chess openings theory but “Kah –zeem –jha-nov” digs here deeply in the endgame strategies which made this game so immortal for Sultan Khan’s excellent endgame skills.
Rustam Kasimdzhanov Beating the French Vol. 3
Fritztrainer opening
On DVD!
2007
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 26,99
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM,Windows XP or Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
In part three of the Beating the French Rustam Kasimdzhanov explains and digs in the Rubenstein Variation than run with the moves: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4.
Black gives here up some central space in order to achieve a semi-open position.
Again there are some good and reliable repertoire lines from the former FIDE World champion as the game Kasparov – Ponomariov,Linares 2002.
Where Karparov was following his home analyses with the moves 4…Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6 Nxf6 7.c3 c5 8.Ne5!? Nd7 9.Bb5.
This model game is by the way also mentioned in the superb book from Igor Stohl,Garry Kasparov’s Greatest Chess Games,Gambit 2006.
Fans of Fischer are going to like the classic game Fischer – Pachman,Leipzig 1960,a game that is not covered in any best game collection on Fischer and is good for nearly 21 minutes of your time.Fischer played at the Olympiad 17 times and made 15 points not bad for a young boy of seventeen!
In Kasimdzhanov – Kortschnoj,Essen 2002,the white player is throwing all his secrets of this interesting line on the street!
Running time of the DVD is over three hour's!
Conclusion: If you love the French opening than go for these DVD’s!
Fritz Powebook 2008
2007
On DVD!
2007
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 49,99
System requirements: Pentium PC, 32 MB RAM, Windows Vista, WindowsXP, DVD drive and Fritz10/Fritz11, ChessBase8/ChessBase9
The new Fritz Powerbook 2008 is good for around 18 million openings position all divided from one million all time best played games.
Together there is all kind of other important openings information stores in these files as all moves there where played by the players in the position with average rating, success and performance results.
Included besides the million database games there is a small but exclusive book with the strongest GM games from the past 100 years and that are around 900,000 openings positions.
It is clear when you include FritzPowerbook on your Fritz or ChessBase you have access to a unbelievable amount of openings information and the references to the games can be find back in the one million game file.
Personal I prefer to copy the whole Powebook on my hard disk because speed is essential for a smoothly play of Fritz and please don't forget Fritz 11 has the ability to learn from his games!
A useful example of PowerBooks can be found in the engines rooms from playchess.com server where the strength in engines is limited but the advances can be found in a better developed openings tree.
Conclusion: This DVD offer more openings information than hundreds of openings books.
Mega Database 2008
2007
On DVD!
2007
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price 149,90
System requirements: Pentium PC, Windows 2000/XP/Vista, 64 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, ChessBase 9.0, hard disk space requirements 1.6
The latest MegaDatabase 2008 is exactly counted good for 3,803,334 games and that is more than 3.75 million high class chess games, all divided between the years 1475 and 2007.
In the begin of this file you shall find for example some forgotten games from the great Gioacchino Greco who once belonged to the strongest chess players in Europe.
The story is that Greco invented moves to demonstrate instructive combinations and I and the following game that is covered on the MegaBase could be such example: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qe7 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Nxg6 Qxe4+ 6.Kd1 Nf6 7.Qh3 hxg6 8.Qxh8 Ng4 9.Qh4 Ne3+ 10.dxe3 Qxh4 0-1
For the interested reader this position is mentioned 24 times on this MegaDatabase DVD and the last one comes from the year 2007.
But on the first place you buy this game file for the excellent annotations to the games and dear reader that are over the 61000 annotated games!
and I can insure you there is no other database collection that can come close to this excellent made database colection where it is difficult to find a error between the games but on the other a expensive price card is hanging on it.
But when I may give you a tip take a subscription on the ChessBase Magazines and buy this DVD for a special discount price or go for a upgrade.
Included is a super made openings key where it is possible to search for special themes as strategy and endgames plus this DVD features a new edition of the playerbase with 200.000 entries and 30.000 photos from our great chess heroes.
Conclusion: A must have database!
ChessBase magazine issue #121 on DVD!
Peter Svidler scored 6/7 and les his team to the title.
2007
December
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Price Euro 19,95 per issue
Annual subscription costs Euro 99,70
The tournament file of this ChessBase magazine hold the following tournaments: Barcelona,Vitoria Gasteiz,Hoogeveen,Wch U20 Yerevan ad of course a lot of other more individual games {138 games where 30 of them are annotated}
But the Major events as the European Cup and the European Team Championship have there own database on this DVD and that are 1177 plus 685 games! {45 and 32 annotated games!}
But when you click on the icon 121! Start you have direct access to all the fun with the videos in Fritztrainer format by the great Karsten Müller!
Impressive is the Telechess file with 3302 entries where about 40 of these games are excellent annotated.
The top theory files of this magazine go to the English opening A26 from the great Efstratios Grivas: 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 7.d3 d6,English Defence with 3.a3 {Part 2} by Hannes Langrock: A40 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.a3,A repertoire for the Stonewall {Part 2} by Viktor Moskalenko: A repertoire for white against the Sveshnikov by Dorian Rogozenko: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.c4, The Najdorf System with 6.Bg5 in the limelight by Lubomir Ftacnik:B99: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 10.g4,Critical aspects of the Rio de Janeiro Variation by Mihail Marin: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7 6.Qe2 Nd6 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.dxe5 Nb7
This is the starting point of the so-called Brazilian Variation, a really ancient setup. About one century ago, it was famously submitted to intense theoretical and practical discussion on the occasion of the match Lasker-Tarrasch. With his characteristic dogmatism, Tarrasch could not agree that moving around with the same knight would be a viable plan. However, the variation suited Lasker's style perfectly well: Black tempts White to launch a premature attack in order to take advantage of the weaknesses left behind. We can already see such a relative weakness: the e5-pawn has left the f5- and d5-squares insufficiently well defended, while Black enjoys the prospect of installing one of his minor pieces on the stable e6-square. For the sake of truth, it should be said that the general score in this opening was in Tarrasch' favour (+1). In modern times, the variation has never been too popular, although some strong players occasionally employed it in the 70s. In 1981, Korchnoi made an attempt to rehabilitate it on the occasion of his Wch match against Karpov. His position after the opening was acceptable, but he eventually lost, which (possibly prematurely) put an end to the whole story.
The old move 6…Nbd7 in the Ragozin Variation by Lars Schandorff:D36
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bg5 Bb4 6.cxd5 exd5 7.e3 c5 8.Bd3 Qa5 9.0-0 c4 10.Bf5 0-0 11.Qc2 Re8 12.Nd2 g6 13.Bh3,Grünfeld with 3.f3 –no problem for Black by Michal Krasenkow:D70 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd55.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0,Queen’s Indian and Bogo Indian combined by Evgeny Postny: E15: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb7 6.Bg2 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 c5,Catalan with Bd2 – no disadvantage by Mihail Marin: E15 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2,A repertoire against the Nimzo Indian with 4.Bg5 by Dorian Rogozenko: E301.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 c5 5.d5 exd5 6.cxd5 d6 and at last the Karklins Variation 7….. by Igor Stohl: E94
1.D4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d65.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nh5.
Other not less interesting contributions on this DVD are Daniel King: Move by Move,Oliver Reeh:Tactics,Peter Wells: Strategy,Rainer Knaak: Opening Trap,Karsten Müller: Endgames {With 22 smashing endgame positions!} and New DVD’s.
Included is small booklet of 26 pages with a lot of useful information.
Conclusion: Important reference material!
Chess Magazine's
British Chess Magazine No.12
Volume 127
December 2007
Price: £3.70
This issue starts with the European Team championship. Mark Lyell travelled with the England team and annotated some of the best games,Lubosh Kavalek analyses two trenchant encounters.
This month Jonathan Speelman looks at a rook and pawn endgame from the recent World Championship tournament in Mexico City.
Lubosh Kavalek tells us how he analysed Qxb2 in the Sicilian Najdorf and looks back with his classic encounter with Bobby Fischer at Sousse in 1967.
Kavalek,Lubomir - Fischer,Robert James [B97]
Interzonal+ Sousse (6), 1967 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e5 dxe5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ne4 Be7 16.Be2 h5 17.c4 f5 18.Rb3 Qa4 19.0-0 fxe4 20.Qc3 Qxa2 21.Bd1 Rf8 22.Bxh5+ Kd8 23.Rd1+ Bd7 24.Qe3 Qa5 25.Rb7 Bc5 26.Rdxd7+ Kc8 27.Rdc7+ Kd8 28.Rd7+ ½-½
Kavalek writes: I ran into Fischer on the evening after our game was played.He needed no extra lamps to illuminate his hindsight.By the dim rays of a Tunisian street light,using his pocket light,he showed me that a bishop check was indeed he had missed.
Instead of playing 21..Rf8,he should have first played 21…Bc5+,and after 22.Kh1 Rf8 white’s attack is blunted. But more interesting for the theory is the included game between Flyingfatman and Mission Control from the Playchess 2007 site.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5!
Steve Giddins reports on the Dutch event,Essent Hoogeveen.
Gary Lane handles the question of playing chess with the stars and offer the readers a novelty in the Ruy Lopez.
Other contributions are The Kavalek file,European Club Cup,Steve Giddins looks back at chess in 1957,Quotes and Queries,Problem World etc.
Conclusion: Buy it for the Poisoned Pawn contribution!