CHESSBOOK REVIEWS


Latest book reviews of 1 June 2008
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg


                                  Chess Books                                    
 

Practical endgame play mastering the basics by Efstratios Grivas
2008
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
318 pages
Price $25,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-556-5

Throw the years I have seen a lot of endgame books with and without pawns, but seldom I have seen such a impressive written endgame manual,as this one from the Greece chess teacher GM Efstratios Grivas,the  inventor of the Grivas Sicilian but that is a other story.
Most endgame authors overload you with a wealth of  analyses but not the bright Grivas this man has the gift to transfer  difficult endgame moves  into understandable words.
Mastering the basics is more than a coverage of basic endgames no Grivas has brought in all his ever played endgames  into this 318 page heavy weight!
Between the lines you can see that Efstratios Grivas has a great endgame knowledge and it would not surprise me that Grivas learned this all, back in 1984 when he was trained by the famous Soviet Chess School.
I guess that there is around ¼ of input of Grivas his own endgame positions and the remaining ones come from other great  players, as for example Capablanca and Alekhine but between the list of players  there is also a endgame position of the  chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen.
This time things went wrong because he was not aware of the basics!
White: Ke7,Rd6,Pawn e6
Black:  Kg7,Ra8
Carlsen played:  73…Ra7?? But Grivas points out that the only drawing line is 73..Kg6!
{and not 73…Ra1? 74.Ke8}74.Rd7 {It is also a draw after both 74.Kd7 Kf6 and 74.Rd8 Ra7+ 75.Rd7 Ra8 76.Rd6 Kg7!}74…Kg7 75.Kd6+ Kf6 76.e7 Kf7.
74.Ke8 1-0,Black resigned because of 74…Ra8+ 75.Rd8 Ra6 76.e7 and,with a pawn on the seventh rank,white wins.
To master these endgame strategies just slowly play throw these endgame positions and try to develop a feeling for it and try to learn to win a rook ending with a extra pawn this all is well explained with a lot of readable text.
A other interesting endgame in this book arises from the moves: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.Bb3 0-0 8.f3 Nc6 9.Be3 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Qa5 11.Qd2 Be6 12.0-0-0 b5 13.Kb1 Rfc8 14.Rhe1 Bxb3 15.cxb3 b4 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Bxg7 Nc3+ 18.Bxc3 bxc3 19.bxc3 Rxc3 20.Re3 Rac8 21.Rxc3 Qxc3 22.Qxc3 Rxc3 23.Kb2 Rc7 24.Rc1 Rxc1 25.Kxc1 where white believes he can take advantage of his queenside pawn majority and balck thinks he can hold the draw,Grivas shows us in this book that black's thoughts are the more correct and this is all well explained with two pages of text.
Also Grivas has managed to transfer difficult endgame compositions as for example  from the  French Cheron into instructive words.
The aim of this book lays in the range 1500 –1950 but it is also very useful for internet chess players seen that the study of endgames improves your endgame skills in a very  important way.
Conclusion: A highly instructive written endgame book!


Play 1.b4 by Yury Lapshun & Nick Conticello
2008
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
173 pages
Price $24,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-560-2

In the past there where a few openings book where you could taste from the good old Sokolsky opening,first named by Tartakower with the name Orangutan opening.
IM Yury Lapshun and his companion US master Nick Conticello have managed to create, in this  latest Everyman Chess book a impressive written reference book on the Sokolsky opening.
Every important line, so as for example the famous line: 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 gets a important in-depth turn.
Many are not aware of it but the great Bobby Fischer enjoyed to play  in simultaneous display the move1.b4 and this book carries three of his wins but it is interesting to mention that  against Walters he was very close to a lost.
First the game: Fischer,Robert James - Walters,K,San Francisco sim San Francisco, 1964,1.b4 Nf6 2.Bb2 e6 3.b5 d5 4.Nf3 c6 5.e3 cxb5 6.Bxb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8.0-0 Be7 9.d3 0-0 10.Nbd2 Qc7 11.c4 dxc4 12.Nxc4 Rac8 13.a4 Rfd8 14.Qe2 b6 15.Rfc1 Qb7 16.h3 Nc5 17.Nd4 Rxd4 18.Bxd4 Nb3 19.Rcb1 Nxa1 20.Rxa1 Nd7 21.Qb2 f6 22.Rb1 e5 23.Bc3 Nc5 24.Qa2 Qd5 25.Rd1 Nxd3 26.Rxd3 Qxc4 27.Qd2 Qxa4 28.Rd7 Qa3 29.Qd5+ Kf8 30.Bd2 h6 31.Qe6 Re8 32.e4 b5 33.Be3 a5 34.Kh2 Qb4 35.Bb6 Qxe4 36.Bc5 Qf4+ 37.g3 1-0
As Lapshun and Conticello explain: 35…a4! Would have collected the Fischer scalp.For example, 36.Qf5 a3 37.Ra7 Qc4 38.Qd7 b4 39.Bd8 Qc5 40.Bxe7+ Rxe7 41.Ra8+ Kf7 42.Qd8 Qc6 43.Qg8+ Kg6 and white runs out of ideas!
Poor Walters he missed the chance of a life time!
Richard Palliser favourite pet line 1.b4 c6 2.Bb2 Qb6 3.a3 a5 4.c4 axb4 5.c5! Qc7 6.axb4 Rxa1 7.Bxa1, from his book,Beating unusual chess openings,Everyman Chess 2006,is well explained with two model games.
Nunn thought in his NCO of chess openings that white has a small edge,but as Palliser pointed out black has a fine position and the two games in this book indicate this opinion.
Very reliable against the Sokloski is a King’s Indian structure as the great Capablanca once player against Reti of the New York tournament of 1924.
All material is explained at the hand of 84 model games where 22 games are played by Yury Lapshun himself,included are also the best of the great Sokolsky himself all directly translated from Sokolsky’s well known b4 openings book from the 1960s.
Interesting to mention between the list of model games is a interesting game from Alekhine which features a famous bishop sacrifice: Alekhine,Alexander - Drewitt,John Arthur,Portsmouth Portsmouth (10), 1923
1.Nf3 d5 2.b4 e6 3.Bb2 Nf6 4.a3 c5 5.bxc5 Bxc5 6.e3 0-0 7.c4 Nc6 8.d4 Bb6 9.Nbd2 Qe7 10.Bd3 Rd8 11.0-0 Bd7 12.Ne5 Be8 13.f4 Rac8 14.Rc1 Nd7 15.Nxc6 Rxc6 16.c5 Nxc5 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.Rf3 Bxa3 19.Rxc6 Bxc6 20.Bxh7+ Kxh7 21.Rh3+ Kg8 22.Bxg7 1-0,
twelve years later Alekhine played again the moves 1.Nf3 d5 2.b4 but this game does not lay with in the scope of this book.
Interesting to mention is the game 52 of this book,Lapshun – Szabolci,Budapest 2007, where the white player made a fascinating king walk: Lapshun,Yury (2479) - Szabolcsi,Janos (2376)
1.b4 c6 2.Bb2 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.a3 a5 6.b5 Bd6 7.c4 0-0 8.d4 dxc4 9.Nc3 Nd5 10.Bxc4 Nxc3 11.Bxc3 Qc7 12.Qd3 cxb5 13.Bxb5 Bd7 14.Kd2 Bxb5 15.Qxb5 Nd7 16.Rhc1 Nf6 17.Bb4 Ne4+ 18.Kd3 Qe7 19.Kxe4 axb4 20.axb4 Bxb4 21.Rxa8 Rxa8 22.Rb1 f5+ 23.Kd3 Ra3+ 24.Ke2 Ra2+ 25.Kf1 Bd6 26.h4 Rc2 27.Qb3 Rc8 28.Ng5 b5 29.Nxe6 Qf7 30.Qd5 Be7 31.Rxb5 Bxh4 32.g3 Bf6 33.Qxf5 Qa7 34.Nc5 Qa8 35.Qe4 Qa1+ 36.Kg2 Rd8 37.Nd7 Qa6 38.Rb6 1-0
Readable are the words after move 20; What is going here?The white king is not afraid of anything and demonstrates that he is a valuable member of the team.Black can’t do anything to harm him,and later on he will return to his shelter.Meanwhile,black will have bif problems with his weak b-pawn.Fritz or some other computer engine will tell you that this position is eual,but don’t believe it! I felt then,as I feel now,that white is winning  pawn and has a big advantage.
Seen the excellent annotations to the games from Yury Lapshun,I would like to consider this book as the best book ever written on the  Sokolski opening!
Conclusion: A very important refernce  work on the Sokolski opening!


The easiest Sicilian by Atanas Kolev & Trajko Nedev
2008
Chess Stars
240 pages
Price $15,00
ISBN 978-9-548782-66-1

The Bulgarian  GM Atanas Kolev and his companion  GM Trajko Nedev from the former  Yugoslav of Macedonia present you in this Easiest Sicilian book a complete repertoire line, based on the black side of the board that deals with exciting lines as the Rossolimo and Sveshnikov defence!
This book is no historical survey but a selection of a sound but aggressive opening line where both authors have manage to create a lot of own input as for example, after the moves: 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.c3 Bg7 12.exf5 Bxf5 13.Nc2 0-0 14.Nce3 Be6 15.Bd3 f5 16.0-0 Kh8 17.Qh5 e4 18.Bc2 Ne7! 19.Rad1 Bf7!? 20.Qh3 Nxd5 21.Nxd5 they suggest the surprising move 17…Qg5!?
This move is supported with a detailed two page analyse in the complete game section together with a quick repertoire section where they by the way handle one of the most aggressive systems against the Sveshnikov: 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.Bd3 Be6 12.c3 Bg7 13.Nxb5 after 13…axb5 14.Bxb5 Bd7 15.exf5 0-0 16.0-0 e4 17.a4 Re8 18.Qg4 Kh8 19.Rad1 Re5!,Rogozenko only gives in his book,The Sveshnikov Reloaded, Quality Chess 2005,Rad1 Nb8.Kolev and Nedev consider this last move after 20.Rfe1 Re5 21.Ne3 is rather gloom.
20.Ne3 Qf6 21.Qe2 Rg8! 22.Nc4 Qxf5 23.Nxe5 Bxe5 and further analyses on this line are covered in the section “ Step by Step” chapter.
To study this book you need to memorize a lot of variations but on the other hand with this book you are supported with a lot of latest novelties.
Included is a bibliography,contents,index of variations plus foreword.
Conclusion: One of those repertoire books here you can win from out the book!



Magic black to move and win!
By Richard Moody Jr.
2007
260 pages
Price $30,00
$30 + $5 priority mail domestic (US). Book + global priority outside US = $50. If buyers are satisfied with book rate prices overseas, then the price will be $40 which includes S&H.
All checks or money orders must be drawn against US banks—no cash or credit cards accepted
For information:Slmrea@aol.com

This  book from Richard Moody Jr. shows us that a chess amateur can write chess books, Richard Moody describes himself as a patzer but his opening ideas in this book are good enough to win from chess engines as  Fritz8!
In the Aleknine defence he goes for the opening moves as:1.e4 Nf6 2.Qe2 e5 3.f4 exf4 4.e5! Nd5 5.Nf3 Be7 6.c4 Nb4 7.d4 Bh4+ 8.Kd1 0-0 9.g3! and white stands clearly better.
Amateur or not this line has already appeared in the various publications as for example in the Standard Reference for all Gambit Openings from Eric Schiller,Cardoza Publishing 2002,mentioned  as the Moody Gambit.
There are not many amateurs with the skills of Richard Moody Jr but what this man is doing in this book Magic is fascinating.
But I don’t agree with all lines in this book as he writes in the Latvian Gambit 1.e4 e5.Nf3 f5 3.d4? This leads nowhere and is inferior to 3.Nxe5.
As GM Tony Kosten once wrote: There is more than a drop of poison in this line for the unwary second player,as in the main variations white offers  a dangerous piece sacrifice.
Also the odd move from the Lasa { 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3} 6….Bf5? does not promise black much.
Why not the key move 6…Qg6!?
Richard Moody Jr enjoys to move his queen to e2 as for example in the Petroff Defence he plays: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Qe2 and after 3…Nc6 he simple plays 4.d4!
Included besides the mass of lines, Richard Moody Jr has included in this book a lot
Of readable text plus hundreds of diagrams so no chess board is needed to take up these amazing ideas!
Conclusion: Amazing work!   



Ticken Schachspieler anders by Vera Jürgens
2008
Schachverlag Kania
http://www.kaniaverlag.de/
127 pages
Price €12,80
ISBN 987-3-931192-35-8

GM Vera Jürgens opens in this book the world of the chess player with his human and psychological aspects, as chess and real life,chess playing machines, chess in the literature, a life as a chess professional etc.
It is fun to read with Vera Jürgens the world of a chess players as she suggest no sex before a important chess tournament and there is no more fun for a chess player than a wife who is able to put the man check mate!
Honestly she describes in this book her world of chess and how she did meet her great love at a chess tournament.
The work is full of humour and it is even possible to do a test, am I a cool chess player!
Did you know that chess players are difficult people, exocentric, intelligent but strange and often have integration  problems.,
Fun is the chapter man vs woman chess where I did read that a woman chess player has a completely other preparation for a game than a man player.
A man prefers his laptop and the woman makeup and latest fashion.
Fascinating are the lines about chess and real life,and did you ever imagine to compare your life with a game of 80 moves?
Included in this book is a small chess lexicon.
This book only holds 127 pages but I can insure you when you pick up this book it is nearly impossible to put down.
Conclusion: I warn you it is nearly impossible to put this good read down!

Chess DVD's



London-System by Nigel Davies
2008
Fritztrainer opening
On DVD!
2008
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 XP or Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive.

The educative GM from England,GM Nigel Davies explains you in understandable words the secrets of the London system,a line that is based on key ideas.
where you simple must develop and support your d pawn with the c and e pawn but it is important to develop your white bishop on f4 before you lock it up with e3.
And than you simple can go for the automatic pilot,the idea of the London system goes back to the famous London tournament of 1922,which featured some of the greatest players of all time.
Davies has included 21 games of the London system and that is good for over four hour of  higly instructive chess entertainment!
Between these games are for games from the great Bronstein,but interesting enough this great chess genius  lost from Keres with Black!
Bronstein went for a King’s Indian set-up where he made the mistake to give Keres the so  important e-file.
Pleasant to mention is that Nigel Davies takes all the time to explain you all the openings subtleties of this set-up as you can see in this game:
Keres,Paul - Bronstein,David I [D02] URS-ch26 Tbilisi (10), 1959
1.d4 [1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 g6 7.Nd2] 1...Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 [2...d5 3.Bf4 g6] 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.Nbd2 d5 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 c5 7.0-0 cxd4 [7...Nc6 8.c3 Qb6 a) 8...Nd7 9.Qb3 e5 10.dxe5 Ndxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Rad1 Be6 13.Qxb7 Qa5 14.Qa6 Qxa6 15.Bxa6 c4 16.Bxe5 Bxe5 17.e4 Rab8 18.exd5 Bxd5 19.Bxc4 Bc6 20.Nb3 Rfc8 21.Rfe1 Bf6 22.Bd5 Be8 23.g3 a5 24.Nxa5 Rxb2 25.Nc4 Rbb8 26.Nd6 Rd8 27.Rxe8+ Rxe8 28.Bxf7+ Kf8 29.Bxe8 1-0 Anastasian,A (2475)-Sobolewski,P (2305)/Leningrad 1990/EXT 1997; b) 8...b6 9.h3 Bb7 10.Qa4 (10.Ne5 Nd7) ; c) 8...Nh5 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Nxg3 12.hxg3 cxd4 13.exd4 Bf5 14.Re1 Qd6 15.Nb3 b6 16.Bd3 Qg6 17.Nc1 Bxd3 18.Nxd3 e6 19.a4 Rfe8 20.Nde5 Nxe5 21.Nxe5 Bxe5 22.Rxe5 a6 23.Qe2 Rec8 24.f4 gxf4 25.gxf4 Kh7 26.f5 exf5 27.Rf1 Rg8 28.Rexf5 Rg7 29.Rf6 Qg5 30.Rxf7 Rag8 31.Qf3 b5 32.axb5 axb5 33.Rxg7+ Rxg7 34.Re1 Rd7 35.Qd3+ Kg7 36.Qxb5 Re7 37.Rxe7+ Qxe7 38.Qd3 Qe1+ 39.Kh2 Qc1 40.b4 Kf6 41.Qg3 Kf5 42.Qe5+ Kg4 43.Qe6+ Kh4 44.Qf6+ Kg4 45.Qg6+ 1-0 Malakhatko,V (2557)-Niknaddaf,A (2262)/Yerevan 2001/CBM 086; 9.Qb3 Qxb3 (9...c4 10.Qa3 Nh5 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bh4 e5 13.b3 cxb3 14.axb3 g5 15.Bg3 Nxg3 16.hxg3 e4 17.Nh2 f5 18.c4 f4 19.cxd5 fxe3 20.Nc4 exf2+ 21.Kh1 Qc7 22.dxc6 Bxd4 23.Rad1 Be5 24.Nxe5 Qxe5 25.Bc4+ Kg7 26.cxb7 Bxb7 27.Rd7+ Kg6 28.Rxb7 Rad8 29.Qxa7 1-0 Kovacevic,S (2435)-McMahon,D (2275)/Massy 1993/EXT 1997) 10.axb3 cxd4 11.exd4] 8.exd4 Nc6 9.c3 Nh5 10.Be3 Qc7 11.Re1 Bg4 12.Nb3 Nf4 13.Bb5 Nh5 [13...a6 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Bxf4 Qxf4 16.Rxe7] 14.h3 Bd7 15.Qc1 Rfe8 16.Bh6 Bh8 17.Bf1 Rad8 18.Nc5 Bf5 19.b4 [19.g4 Be4 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.Rxe4 Nf6] 19...Nf6 20.Nh4 Bd7 21.Bf4 Qc8 22.g4 h5 23.f3 hxg4 24.hxg4 Nh7 25.Nd3 Bf6 26.Ng2 Nb8 27.a4 Na6 28.Ne3 Nc7 29.Bg2 Bh4 30.Re2 b5 31.a5 Ne6 32.Bh2 Bc6 33.Qc2 Bf6 34.Ne5 Bb7 35.Rf1 Nef8 36.Qd3 Ng5 37.f4 Ne4 38.Nxd5 Nd6 [38...Bxd5 39.Bxe4 Bxe5 40.fxe5 Bc4 41.Qf3 Bxe2 42.Qxf7+ Kh8 43.e6] 39.Ne3 Bxg2 40.Rxg2 Bg7 41.g5 Qb7 42.f5 Qe4 43.Qxe4 Nxe4 44.Rg4 Nxc3 45.f6 Bh8 [45...exf6 46.gxf6 Bh6 47.Nf5] 46.Rh4 exf6 47.gxf6 Rxd4 48.N3g4 g5 49.Rh5 Rxe5 50.Nh6+ Kh7 51.Nf5+ Kg8 [51...Kg6 52.Rh6#] 52.Ne7+ Rxe7 53.Rxh8+ [53.Rxh8+ Kxh8 54.fxe7]  1-0
But a player as Bronstein deserves a win:: Bronstein,David I (2460) - Foster,Nick [A46]
Hastings Challengers 9192 Hastings, 1991
1.d4 Nf6 [1...d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5] 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 c5 4.c3 Qb6 [4...cxd4 5.cxd4 Qb6 6.Qc2 (6.Qb3) 6...Nc6 7.e3 d5 8.Nc3 Bd7 9.Be2 Be7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bg5 (11.Rfc1) 11...Rfc8 12.Nd2 Qd8 13.Rfc1 Be8 14.a3 h6 15.Bh4 Nd7 16.Bg3 Nb6 17.Nb3 Nc4 18.e4 N4a5 19.Nxa5 Qxa5 20.exd5 ½-½ Bronstein,D-Lengyel,L/Amsterdam 1968/MCL] 5.Qb3 Nc6 [5...Qxb3 6.axb3;
5...cxd4 6.Qxb6 axb6 7.Nxd4;
5...Nd5 6.Bg3 (6.Bd2) 6...f5 7.e3 Nc6 8.Bc4 Na5 9.Qxb6 Nxb6 10.Be2 Nc6 11.Nbd2 d5 12.0-0 Bd7 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.c4 dxc4 15.Nxc4 Nxc4 16.Bxc4 Be7 17.Rad1 Rd8 18.h4 Bc8 19.Rxd8+ Bxd8 20.Rd1 Bf6 21.Ng5 Bxg5 22.hxg5 Kf7 23.Bc7 Re8 24.f4 Re7 25.Bd6 Rd7 26.Kf2 Rd8 27.g4 fxg4 28.Kg3 b6 29.f5 Ne5 30.Bb3 b5 31.fxe6+ Bxe6 32.Bxe5 Rxd1 33.Bxd1 1-0 Bronstein,D-Averbakh,Y/Kiev 1964/URS-ch] 6.e3 Qxb3 7.axb3 cxd4 [7...b6 8.h3 Be7 9.dxc5 Bxc5 (9...bxc5 10.Bb5 Bb7 11.Nbd2 a6 12.Ba4 Nd5 13.Bh2 Nb6 14.Nc4 Nxc4 (14...Nxa4 15.Rxa4) 15.bxc4 d6 16.0-0-0 0-0-0 17.Bc2 Nb8 18.e4 e5 19.b3 g6 20.Nd2 Bg5 21.Rhf1 Bf4 22.g3 Bh6 23.f4 Nc6 24.Kb2 exf4 25.gxf4 Bg7 26.e5 dxe5 27.f5 Rd7 28.Ne4 Rhd8 29.Rxd7 Rxd7 30.Nxc5 Rc7 31.Ne4 Rd7 32.Bg1 Bh6 33.c5 Bf4 34.Nd6+ Kc7 35.b4 Ne7 36.f6 Ng8 37.Nxb7 Kxb7 38.c6+ Kxc6 39.Ba4+ Kc7 40.Bxd7 Kxd7 41.Ra1 Nxf6 42.Rxa6 Nd5 43.b5 e4 44.c4 Nc7 45.Ra7 e3 46.b6 1-0 Bronstein,D-Farago,I/Moscow 1971/EXT 2002) 10.b4] 8.exd4 Be7 9.b4 Nd5 10.Bd2 0-0 11.b5 Nd8 12.c4 Nb4 13.Ra4 a5 [13...Nc2+ 14.Kd1] 14.c5 Nd5 15.b4 b6 16.bxa5 bxc5 [16...bxa5 17.Rxa5] 17.a6 Nb6 18.Ra2 cxd4 19.Ba5 Bc5 20.Rc2 Na4 21.Rc4 Nb7 22.Bd2 [22.Rxa4 Nxa5 23.Rxa5 Bb4+] 22...e5 23.Rxa4 Nd6 24.Ra2 e4 25.Rc2 exf3 26.Rxc5 Re8+ 27.Kd1 Ne4 28.Rc7 Nxf2+ 29.Kc1 Nxh1 30.gxf3 Nf2 31.Bc4 [31.a7] 31...Re5 [31...Bxa6 32.bxa6 Rec8 33.Rxc8+ Rxc8 34.Na3 d5] 32.f4 Re8 33.a7 d5 34.Bxd5 Bf5 35.Bxf7+ Kf8 36.Bb4+ Re7 37.Bc4 1-0
As you can see Davies has detail for small things as extra analysed games between the lines!
And with this opening you don't have to memorize a lot of  moves but this opening is  based on logical sense.
Conclusion: Certainly one of  Davies top ever best made opening's  DVD!


Chess for Scoundrels by Nigel Davies
2008
Fritztrainer Psychology
On DVD!
2008
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.


Nigel Davies learns you to develop your killer instinct at the chessboard, by explaining important psychology aspects of our beloved  game of chess.
The subjects of Davies make a lot of sense and I am sure that many local club  players are not aware of the  psychological aspects ,where professional chess players have to struggle with.
At the local chess club everybody is kind against each other but for the  professional chess is war.
Davies handles in these four hours different subjects as for example  torture, which includes a fascinating torture game between Jan Sefc and Tigran Petrosian, EU-chT (Men) Vienna (4), 1957
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 a6 7.Be3 b5 8.Bf3 e5 9.Nf5 g6 10.Nh6 Be6 11.Ng4 Ng8 12.Nd5 Nd7 13.Bc1 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 h5 15.Ne3 Ngf6 16.Qc6 Qc8 17.Qxc8+ Rxc8 18.a4 b4 19.Be2 a5 20.f3 Nb6 21.c4 Bh6 22.b3 Nfd7 23.Kf2 Nc5 24.Rb1 h4 25.Rd1 Rc6 26.Bd3 Bf4 27.h3 Nbd7 28.Bc2 Nf8 29.Bb2 Nfe6 30.Nd5 Bg5 31.Kf1 Rf8 32.Re1 Kd7 33.Rbd1 Kc8 34.Kf2 Kb7 35.Ne3 Nf4 36.Nd5 Nh5 37.Ne3 Bd8 38.Nd5 Ne6 39.Kg1 Nef4 40.Bc1 Nxd5 41.Rxd5 Bb6+ 42.Kh2 f6 43.Be3 Bxe3 44.Rxe3 Ra8 45.Kg1 Nf4 46.Rd2 Ne6 47.Red3 Nd4 48.Kf1 Rf8 49.Kf2 Kc7 50.Kf1 Kd7 51.Kf2 Ke7 52.Kf1 Ra6 53.Kf2 Ne6 54.Re3 Nc5 55.Rd5 Raa8 56.Kf1 Ne6 57.Rd2 Nf4 58.Re1 Ra7 59.Red1 Rd7 60.Re1 Rh8 61.Red1 Ne6 62.Re1 Nd4 63.Red1 Kd8 64.Re1 Kc7 65.Red1 Kc6 66.Re1 Kc5 67.Re3 f5 68.Kf2 Rh5 69.Kf1 Rg5 70.Kf2 Rg3 71.Kf1 Rf7 72.Kf2 Rf8 73.Kf1 Rh8 74.Kf2 Rh5 75.Kf1 Rhg5 76.Rf2 Kc6 77.Rd2 Kc7 78.Rf2 Ne6 79.Ree2 Nf4 80.Rd2 Kc6 81.exf5 gxf5 82.Bd1 Rg7 83.Bc2 R3g5 84.Bd3 Kd7 85.Bc2 Ke6 86.Bd3 Rg3 87.Bc2 Rg8 88.Bd3 e4 89.fxe4 Nxd3 90.Rxf5 Nc5 91.Rfd5 Rxb3 92.Rxd6+ Ke7 93.R6d4 Rc3 94.e5 b3 95.Rxh4 Rc1+ 96.Kf2 b2 0-1
Petrosian did squeeze Sefc completely out in a drawing position!
In this game we don’t only learn important strategies of the mistake with the exchange of the dark bishop but above all white lost his nerves,probably  he wanted to go home to his wife and kids  and was not able to  stand-up against the psychological pressure of the creeping around the edge play of  Petrosian.
Super instructive is the section defending difficult positions, Davies handles here a fantastic game between Keres and Bronstein of the Candidates tournament of 1956.
For all the Keres fans this game is not mentioned in his famous book,Ausgewählte Partien from 1964, Bronstein,David I - Keres,Paul [C99] Candidates Tournament Amsterdam (10), 14.04.1956
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 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 14.Nb3 Bb7 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bh4 Nh5 17.d5 Nd8 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Nfd4 Nf4 20.Nf5 Qf6 21.Re3 Kh7 22.a4 bxa4 23.Rxa4 Bc8 24.Rb4 Nb7 25.Rc3 g6 26.Ne3 a5 27.Rb6 Qd8 28.Nc4 Ra7 29.Nc1 Qg5 30.Rg3 Qe7 31.Ne2 Nxe2+ 32.Qxe2 Rd8 33.Ra3 Bd7 34.Qe3 Rc8 35.Bd3 Be8 36.b4 a4 37.Kh2 Raa8 38.Be2 Rc7 39.b5 Qd8 40.Ra2 Kg7 41.Rc6 Rb8 42.Rd2 h5 43.Rd1 Kg8 44.Kg1 Kh7 45.Qa3 Qe7 46.Qxa4 Nc5 47.Qc2 Bxc6 48.dxc6 Rxb5 49.Nxd6 Rb6 50.Bb5 Ne6 51.Ba4 Nd4 52.Qc5 Rbxc6 53.Bxc6 Rxc6 0-1
Davies notes to the games are a pleasure to watch at and if you ask me,this DVD is much more interesting than Star Wars!
Conclusion: A must for every chess player !


The ABC of the Modern Benoni by Andrew Martin
2008
Fritztrainer opening
On DVD!
2008
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 XP or Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive.

The well speaking IM from England,Andrew Martin explains in a very understandable way the secrets of the Modern Benoni.
It is one of black’s most smashing openings,a one with great piece activity and there for favourite by some of the  greatest chess  players in the word as for example  Tal,Fischer,Kasparov,Topalov and Kramnik.
The advantage of these openings DVD’s is that the material is so inspiring and  not so dry as some books that I have on this line.
A other great advantage is on these DVD’s than you can not get lost in the mass of  lines!
To learn the strategies of  the Modern Benoni you only have to lay back and take-up the 33 well filled multimedia files, this all is good for nearly five hours highly enjoyable chess entertainment.
For example please see the following short cut: Akdag,D (2042) - Jorczik,J (2362) [A67]
WYb16 Kemer TUR (10), 27.11.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ Nfd7 [8...Bd7 9.e5;
8...Nbd7 9.e5 dxe5 10.fxe5 Nh5 11.e6] 9.a4 Qh4+ 10.g3 Qe7 [10...Qd8] 11.Nf3 0-0 [11...Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Qxe4+] 12.0-0 Na6 13.Re1 Nb4 14.e5 [14.Bd2 a6 15.Bf1 Re8] 14...dxe5 15.fxe5 Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Bf4 Bd4+ 18.Kg2 [18.Qxd4 Qxe1+] 18...Qf6 19.Rc1 Qf5 20.Qf3 Qh3+ 21.Kh1 Bg4 22.Qe4 Qh5 23.d6 [23.Kg2 a6 24.Bf1 Rae8 25.Qb1 Bf3#] 23...Bf3+ 0-1
The idea with 9….Qa4 comes from John Watson his book The Gambit Guide to the Modern Benoni,Gambit 2001.
Pleasant to mention is that Andrew Martin has included unpublished analyses as for example the following line:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Nd2 Bg7 8.Nc4 0-0 9.g3 Ng4!? [9...b6 10.a4 Ba6 11.Nb5 Bxb5 12.axb5 Nbd7] 10.Bf4 [10.Bg2 Ne5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.0-0 Gelfand-Jobova Goteborg 2005 12...Na6! 13.h3 Nc7 14.Bh6 Re8 15.Re1 (15.a4 Bd7 16.Qd2 Rb8 17.Bg5 f6 18.Bf4 Qe7 19.Rfd1 Bxf4 20.Qxf4 f5 21.e3 g5 22.Qc4 a5!? 23.Re1 Qf6÷) 15...b5] 10...Ne5 11.Bxe5 dxe5 12.Bg2 f5 13.Qb3 [13.0-0 e4 14.Qb3 Nd7 15.d6 Kh8 16.Nb5 Qf6 17.Rad1 a6 18.Nc7 Rb8÷ 19.Nd5 Qe6 20.Nc7 Qf7 21.Rd2 b5„] 13...e4 14.0-0-0 [14.0-0 Nd7 15.d6 Kh8 16.Rad1 Rb8 17.a4 b6 18.f3 exf3 19.Bxf3 a6÷] 14...Nd7 15.f3 exf3 16.exf3 a6÷
But I have to stop because I am not allowed to give all the secrets of this DVD away!

Conclusion: If you want to take up the Modern Benoni than start with this instructive  DVD from Andrew Martin!


ChessBase magazine issue #123 on DVD!
Vishy Anand No.1 in Morelia/Linares too
2008
April
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

A ChessBase Magazine covers around 2,14 Gigh chess material and dear reader that  is a awful lot,for example that is  more information than all the Informators and New in Chess books together!
In this DVD you can find,top tournaments as the super Morelia/Linares which is good for many fascinating games,where many are annotated by some of the best players in the world!
Other tournaments are: Wijk aan Zee {supplementary material }Bundesliga,Moscow Eroflot,Moscow Open,Reykjavik Open,Pfalz Open, National Championship of Polen & CZE,Heviz etc.
Besides the regular theory files there are also Fritztrainer video files with opening surveys from Oliver Reeh who presents a tricky line against the Dragon and Andrew Martin digs with two video files in the  Alekhine defence,no king hunt but the more reliable 1.e4 ¤f6 2.e5 ¤d5 3. d4 d6. 4.¤f3 dxe5 5.¤xe5 and  5...c6.It seems that only Larsen had the courage to play real chess with his  5…Nd7!? But dear reader  you may  not miss the superb. game Topalov –Magnus,:Linares 2008!
Other Fritz trainer videos come from Karsten Müller,Dorian Rogozenko and Daniel King{Fischer –Weinstein,USA Championship 1963!}
Theory surveys come from: Ftacnik with the Philidor defence C41,
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.
Michal Krasenkow,Grünfeld Defence D85, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5.
Dorian Rogozenko,is good for the King’s Indian E60, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5 and the modern treatment of the Alekhine: Bo4, 1.e4 ¤f6 2.e5 ¤d5 3. d4 d6. 4.¤f3 dxe5 5.¤xe5 c6.
Tibor Karolyi looks at the modern defence B07: 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0.
Evgeny Posty concentrates on the Jänisch Gambit C63 ,which has made it’s entrance in the highest level of chess: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 Nf6 6.Qe2 d5.
Mikhail Marin investigates the famous Rio Janeiro Variation C67,1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6  3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7,and the great Efstratios Grivas has a found a readable line against the Slav D11: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nbd2.
Other columns are: Daniel King:Move by Move,Oliver Reeh:tactics,Peter Wells:Strategy,Rainer Knaak:Opening Trap,Karsten Müller:Endgames,Tele chess,with over 6000 games!! etc.
Conclusion: This DVD is completely overloaded with latest games!               


Chess Magazines's


British Chess Magazine No.5
Volume 128
May 2008
Price: £3.70


This months  issue starts with the Ruy Lopez tournament that was held in the Spanish town of Merida and won by Michael Adams.
The coverage of this nine page article is done by John Saunders,where I found four analysed wins from the phenomenal playing Adams.
Lubosh Kavalek presents in his Kavalek file a smashing win from Peter Svidler against Simon Williams against the Dutch Defence,his openings did not make much sense; 1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Nd2 a5 6.Ngf3 b6 7.a3 Be7 8.Ne5 Ra7 9.e4 Bb7 10.d5 fxe4 11.Nxe4 and white has all the fun.
Pia Cramling born in 1963 yes the same year as Kasparov,while Kasparov retired the Swedish Queen has only become stronger.
Other contributions in this issue are: Speelman on the endgame,Russian Team Championship,Melody Amber {The Amber tournament has moved this year to the Hotel Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice}is good for seven pages!
Congress Round-up with Brentwood,Southend,Bolton,West of England,Welsh Championship and Edinburgh Congress.
Quotes and Queries,Endgame studies,Fortcomming events,News in Brief,Reviews and new books etc.
Conclusion:A must for every chess player!