CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 September 2010
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG. 

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg

                                 Chess Books & Magazine's

Riga match and correspondence games
2010
Moravian Chess
http://www.moravian-chess.cz
468 pages
Price € 25,00

Fiala has managed to dig up this old publication from Hartwig Cassel and Herman Helms from 1916 covering a collection Riga match and correspondence games.
Original some of these cable matches where originally published  in the pages of the "Rigaer Tageblatt" and the "Baltische Schachblaetter."
On page 47 I even  found a game from the great Nimzowitsch who went down against the Latvian Gambit expert Karlis  Behting:
Betins,Karlis K. (LAT) - Nimzowitsch,Aron (LAT/DEN) [C41]
Latvia corr, 1911
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Bc4 Nxe4 5.0-0 d5 6.Nxe5 dxc4 7.Re1 Nc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Rxe4+ Be7 10.Bg5 Be6 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.c3 Rb8 13.Na3 Rxb2 14.Nxc4 Rb5 15.a4 Rd5 16.Ne3 Rd8 17.f4 g6 18.Qf3 0-0 19.f5 gxf5 20.Qg3+ Kh8 21.Qe5+ Kg8 22.Nxf5 Qg5 23.Rg4 Qxg4 24.Ne7# 1-0,we can read played by correspondence between C.Behting and A Niemzowitsch of Riga,in a match of two games,April to December 1911.
Unfortunately the second match game is not covered in this book but I found it with a little search in Aaron Nimzowitsch Ein leben für das Schach: Nimzowitsch,Aron - Behting,Carl
Riga, 1911 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 5.0-0 0-0 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d3 Bd6 8.Kh1 h6 9.Ng1 Nh7 10.Be3 f5 11.exf5 Bxf5 12.Nge2 Nf6 13.Ng3 Be6 14.Nce4 Ng4 15.h3 Qh4 16.Kg1 Nf6 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Qh5 Bf7 19.Qg4 Be6 20.Qh5 Bf7 21.Qg4 Be6 22.Qh5 Bf7 23.Qe2 Be6 24.Bd2 Rae8 25.Bc3 Bd5 26.Rae1 Bc5 27.b4 Bd6 28.Bd2 c5 29.c4 Bc6 30.b5 Bd7 31.Qh5 Qf7 32.Qxf7+ Rxf7 33.Re2 b6 34.Rfe1 a6 35.a4 axb5 36.axb5 Ra8 37.Bc1 Ra1 38.f3 Be7 39.Ne4 Bf5 40.Kf2 Bf6 41.Rc2 Rd7 42.Rc3 Bh4+ 43.g3 Bxe4 44.gxh4 Rxd3 45.Bb2 Ra2 46.Rxd3 Bxd3 47.Ke3 Rxb2 48.Kxd3 Rh2 49.Ke4 Rxh3 50.Kd5 Rxf3 51.Kc6 Rf7 52.Rxe5 Kh7 53.Re6 g5 54.h5 Rg7 55.Re3 Kg8 56.Kb7 Kf8 57.Kc8 Re7 58.Rg3 Kg7 59.Kb7 Kf6 60.Rf3+ Ke5 61.Re3+ Kf6 62.Rf3+ Ke5 63.Re3+ Kf6 64.Rf3+ Ke5 65.Re3+ Kf6 and draw.Nimzowitsch played these games together and that was probably the reason,that he  tried  every thing to win this game.
All together there are 25 games plus a 30 page supplement on the Rice Gambit,which begins with the moves:1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 g5 4 h4 g4 5 Ne5 Nf6 6 Bc4 d5 7 exd5 Bd6.
Interesting to mention are the correspondence chess hints from Walter Penn Shipley:
Always look twice at your card after you have written down your move and compare it with the position;about ten per cent of correspondence games are lost by clerical errors.
On books he recommends: Chess Openings,Ancient and Modern.Freeborough & Rankin,Modern Chess Openings Griffith & White,Modern Chess Primer,Chess Strategy from Edward lasker,The Chess Digest and St Petersburg Tournament book  1909.
Conclusion: A must for all lovers of historical  correspondence chess!

Botvinnik's Complete Games
1924-1941
And Selected Writings
Part 1
2010
Moravian Chess
http://www.moravian-chess.cz
396 pages
Price € 39,90
ISBN 978-80-7189-614-2

One of the most instructive reads of all time,Mikhail Botvinnik's Analiticheskie i Kriticheskie Raboty (Analytical & Critical Works) was originally published in 4 volumes between,1984 and 1987.
The first 3 volumes covered his best games, and these have already been published by Moravian chess, please see there ,Botvinnik's Best Games Volumes 1, 2 and 3.
This fourth volume contains Botvinnik’s writings and games,all played in the period 1924-1941.
The games and selected writings are going to be published in a series of three books where Botvinnik’s Complete games 1924-1941 is the first of this new English translation, which is done by   Ken Neat.
In this book you will find every possible Botvinnik game from the period 1924-1941,where many of them are excellent analysed,as for example his Match tournament for the title of absolute USSR Champion Leningrad Moscow: Boleslavsky,Isaak - Botvinnik,Mikhail [C15]
URS Absolute-ch Leningrad/Moscow (6), 31.03.1941
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd3 dxe4 5.Bxe4 Nf6 6.Bd3 c5 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Nbd7 9.Nf3 b6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Qe2 0-0 12.Bg5 Qc7 13.Ne5 cxd4 14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.cxd4 Rfe8 16.Qg4 f5 17.Qh4 Nf8 18.Rfe1 Rac8 19.c4 Qd7 20.Red1 Ba6 21.Rac1 b5 22.c5 Bb7 23.Bf1 Bd5 ½-½
The words from Botvinnik are now very interesting: Here Black offered a draw, which was accepted by Boleslavsky.With regards to this there where numerous comments about the ‘inexplicable’ draw.Chess critics often forget that chess is played by people; the pieces themselves are notable to play.And a player, like any person, may have various reasons, as a result of which on a given evening, if this is necessary and possible, he avoids a fight.
The chess code states that a chess player is obliged to conduct a tournament at full strength.
For this he needs to husband his strength whenever possible,if this is justified by fluctuations of the competitive struggle.
Conclusion: Highly recommended!

The life and games of Frank Ross Andersen by John Donaldson
2009
Moravian Chess
http://www.moravian-chess.cz
361 pages
Price € 39,90
ISBN 978-80-7189-608-1

The forgotten Frank Ross Anderson 1928-1980 belonged  in the earlier  1950s to  one of the best chess players of Canada.
He had,for example  no problems to out play a great player as GM Bondarevsky: Anderson,Frank R - Bondarevsky,Igor Toronto,Canada 1954
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.Bxc6+ bxc6 6.d4 f6 7.c4 Ne7 8.Nc3 g6 9.c5 Bg7 10.cxd6 cxd6 11.0-0 Bg4 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Qe2 0-0 14.h3 Be6 15.Na4 Qa5 16.Qc2 g5 17.Nc5 Bf7 18.Be3 Qc7 19.Rfd1 Rfd8 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.Nxa6 Qc8 22.Nc5 Ng6 23.a4 Bf8 24.a5 Bxc5 25.Qxc5 Qa6 26.Rc1 Rc8 27.Qd6 Kg7 28.b4 h6 29.Nh2 h5 30.Nf1 h4 31.Nh2 Nf8 32.Ng4 Nh7 33.Bb6 Qa8 34.Rc3 c5 35.Rxc5 Rxc5 36.Bxc5 Qxe4 37.Be3 Qd5 38.Qe7 Qc6 39.Nh6 Kxh6 40.Qxf7 Qc3 41.Qe7 Qd3 42.Qe6 Qd8 43.a6 Nf8 44.Qc6 1-0.
Frank Ross did not have it easy in life,as I may use some words from Donaldson: There have been few players at the top international level that
were handicapped the way Anderssen was. Bedridden for the better part of seven years in his youth he was finally able to get around with braces.
Later several surgeries to straighten his legs enabled him to walk unaided but with a pronounced limp. Unfortunately the pain never went away.
Frank Ross learned chess from his father: My dad first introduced me to the game of chess when I was ten years old,but I was not to interested at that time.
It was only  seven years later,when confined to bed with arthritis, that I happened to spy a chess books. I learned the game from books, and after about three months of playing exclusively from them,my dad enrolled me in the Canadian Correpondence Chess Association.
From the very first,Mr.Freedman who was running the C.C.C.A,gave me every encouragement and aid. Soon I was playing a great number of postal games and at one time had fifty in progress with players in North and South.
Here one of the many correspondence games that I found in this book:
Anderson,Frank R (CAN) - Martin,RE [C50]
Canada S15 corr, 1946 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.Nd5 Qg6 9.Qe2 Bg4 10.c3 Rc8 11.b4 Bb6 12.a4 a5 13.b5 Ne7 14.Nxb6 cxb6 15.Qe3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 0-0 17.0-0 Rc5 18.Rac1 Kh8 19.Bb3 Qg5 20.Qe3 f5 21.f4 exf4 22.Qxf4 Qxf4 23.Rxf4 Rfc8 24.exf5 Rxc3 25.Rxc3 Rxc3 26.Be6 Rxd3 27.f6 gxf6 28.Rxf6 Nd5 29.Bxd5 Rxd5 30.Rxh6+ Kg7 31.Rh4 Rc5 32.Rf4 d5 33.h3 Kg6 34.Kf2 Rc2+ 35.Kf3 Rd2 36.g3 Rb2 37.Rd4 Rb3+ 38.Kf4 Kf6 39.Rxd5 Rb4+ 40.Ke3 Rxa4 41.Rd6+ Ke5 42.Rxb6 Ra3+ 43.Kf2 Ke4 44.Rxb7 Ra2+ 45.Ke1 a4 46.b6 a3 47.Ra7 Ke3 48.Kd1 Kd3 49.Rd7+ Ke4 50.Rd8 Rb2 51.Ra8 a2 52.b7 Rxb7 53.Rxa2 Rb3 54.Ra4+ Kf3 ½-½
John Donaldson has managed to dig up a small 523 games of this great chess player, who reached in 1958 a Grandmaster norm but in one way or the other  he was cheated out of the grand master title!
Donaldson has managed to let Anderson tell his own story throw his own story from artiles he wrote in various chess magazines as Chess Life,Canadian Chess Chat and Chess Review.
But this is not a best games book as Donald describes in this book,you get it all the good,the bad and the ugly.
Conclusion: A fascinating read!
Who is the Champion of the Champions by Fritz Baumbach,Robin Smith & Rolf Knobel
2008
Exzelsior Verlag
224 Pages
Price €22,43
ISBN 978-3-935-80004-4

The German Grandmaster of correspondence chess, Fritz Baumbach (GER),has written with his two co-authors Robin Smith (USA) and Rolf Knobel (SUI),a book over the strongest correspondence chess tournament, that is ever played.
The ICCF 50th World Champions Jubilee tournament,is a tournament which all nine living World Champions took part, and they produced some of the finest games that
I have ever seen in correspondence chess.
Winner was the phenomenal Michael Umansky who impressed the chess world with a unbelievable  score from 7 out of 8 games.
The book is divided into three parts: the first part portraits the players and games of the first World Champions as the first worldchampion in correspondence chess, the brilliant Cecil Purdy,Viacheslav Ragozin,Alberic O’Kelly,Vladimir Zagorovsky and the great Jakov Estrin.
Part two hold the soul of this book and presents all the games of the Jubilee World champions and part holds the games of the current World Champions, in correspondence chess.
Many games are analyses with move to move annotations where the players are not afraid to give there secrets away.
Readable are the portraits from the heroes of correspondence chess as the American Hans Berliner,who played four times against the great Bobby Fischer!
Berliner explains Bobby was nicer than 80 percent of all the top players.
It is not in the scope of this book but Berliner could easy have won his game of the 1957 USA-Chamionship if he had played 57.g7!
Berliner,Hans Jack - Fischer,Robert James [E89]
USA-ch (Rosenwald 4th) New York (6), 1957
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 e5 6.Nge2 0-0 7.Be3 c6 8.d5 cxd5 9.cxd5 Ne8 10.Qd2 f5 11.0-0-0 Nd7 12.Kb1 Nef6 13.Nc1 fxe4 14.fxe4 Ng4 15.Bg1 Bh6 16.Qe1 Nc5 17.Nd3 Nxd3 18.Bxd3 Bd7 19.Bb5 Bxb5 20.Nxb5 a6 21.Na3 Rc8 22.h3 Nf6 23.Be3 Bxe3 24.Qxe3 Qa5 25.Rhe1 b5 26.Rc1 Qa4 27.Nc2 Rf7 28.a3 Rfc7 29.Nb4 Rxc1+ 30.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 31.Qxc1 a5 32.Qc8+ Kg7 33.Qc7+ Kh6 34.Qc1+ g5 35.h4 Nxe4 36.Nc6 b4 37.Qe1 bxa3 38.hxg5+ Kg7 39.Nxa5 a2+ 40.Ka1 Nc5 41.b4 Nb3+ 42.Nxb3 Qxb3 43.Qe4 Kg8 44.g6 h6 45.Qf5 Qxd5 46.Qd7 Kf8 47.b5 Qd1+ 48.Kxa2 Qa4+ 49.Kb2 Qb4+ 50.Kc2 Qc5+ 51.Kb3 Qd5+ 52.Ka3 e4 53.Qh7 Qd3+ 54.Ka4 Qd4+ 55.Ka5 Qa1+ 56.Kb6 Qf6 57.Kc7 Qg7+ ½-½
Included in this book is also Berliner his famous win against the German player Carbonnel,this time Beliner has the black side of the King’s Indian Defence: De Carbonnel,Heinz (GER) - Berliner,Hans Jack (USA) [E80]
Wch5 Final 6568 corr ICCF, 1965
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 c6 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 b5 8.0-0-0 Qa5 9.Kb1 Nbd7 10.g4 Rb8 11.h4 h5 12.g5 Nh7 13.Rh2 Nhf8 14.Rc1 Nb6 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Nd1 Qa8 17.f4 Nc4 18.Bxc4 bxc4 19.Rf2 c5 20.Nc3 Ne6 21.dxc5 Bb7 22.cxd6 Bxe4+ 23.Ka1 0-0 24.dxe7 Rfe8 25.Qd1 Rxe7 26.Nf3 Rd8 27.Nd2 Nd4 28.Bxd4 Bxd4 29.Ndxe4 Bxf2 30.Qc2 Be3 31.Rf1 Rd3 32.Nf6+ Kg7 33.f5 Re5 34.fxg6 fxg6 35.Qh2 Qb8 36.Rb1 Rb5 37.Qh1 Bd4 38.Nxb5 Qxb5 39.Qh2 Qb7 40.Ne8+ Kh8 41.Nd6 Qd5 42.Qf4 Rf3 43.Qe4 c3 44.Qe8+ Kh7 45.Qe7+ Bg7 46.bxc3 Qxd6 0-1,in the tournament book, Berliner gave 33…Re5! but now he says "This is really not best."  [My computer Hitech found 33...Rd2!!  which is much simpler and wins easily. 34.Qc1 Rb7 35.Re1 Rbxb2-+ 36.Qxb2 Rxb2 37.Kxb2 Bxg5 38.hxg5 gxf5 39.Nxh5+ Kg6 40.Nf6 Kxg5 41.Ncd5 Qxd5 42.Nxd5.
Berliner was responsible for the development of the chess computer Hitech,and in this book he explains” I have a online connection with Hitech”.
Conclusion: A must for all who are interested in correspondence chess!     
Quality chess book by John Saw
2010
Quality Chess
www.qualitychess.co.uk
352 pages
Price €24,99
ISBN 978-1-906552-12-1

The former Scottish Champion GM John Shaw provides the reader with a instructive and challenging  puzzle book,which is good for over 735 exercises.
Richard Palisliser stays champion with his 1200 puzzle book but Shaw his book is more educative with it’s solutions, and has taken the time to included a index of players!
Shaw is a great fan of the incredible Ivanchuk,always good for some astounding fire work.
I am not sure the following story from Ivanchuk is true writes Shaw but it is certainly interesting, and I found this all between the lines of this book:
A couple of top players were discussing there multimillion-game databases when Ivanchuk wandered by.”Hi Chucky.How many games are in your database? 10.000,he replied. “What? Is that all? “Ivanchuk was clearly upset. “I know,I know.I try and try,but I can’t seem to remember more than 10.000 games.”
As we can see in this book,Ivanchuk even finds brilliant combinations in blindfold rapid games.
Pleasant to mention are the large amount of latest games in this heavyweight, where  all material is divided into 15 chapters, all starting with a readable introduction as this following  blitz game from Grischuk: Grischuk,Alexander (2669) - Bareev,Evgeny (2719) [C10]
Moscow Lightning Moscow, 02.09.2001
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Nxf6+ Nxf6 8.Bh4 c5 9.Bc4 cxd4 10.0-0 Be7 11.Qe2 0-0 12.Rad1 Qb6 13.Nxd4 Qxb2 14.Nf5 exf5 15.Qxe7 g5 16.Rd8 Rxd8 17.Bxf7+ Kh8 18.Qxd8+ Kg7 19.Qe7 gxh4 20.Be6+ Kh8 21.Qf8+ Kh7 22.Bxc8 1-0.
Included are some analyses after the move 14…Bd8.
This is one of those books that you must take with you in the train,on vacation and after a little while these exercises will help you to improve your tactical skills!
Conclusion: This book will certainley help you to sharpen your tactical skills!


Opening for White According to Anand part 13
The English Attack in the Najdorf Sicilian by Alexander Khalifman
2010
ChessStars
380 pages
Price €27,95
ISBN 978954 8782 78-4

Alexander Khalifman divides this issue of his successful, “Opening for white according to Anand “to the English Attack,that runs
with the move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 and various lines of the Scheveninger variation
but than with the moves: 5.Nc3 e6 and 6.Be3.
Black can also go  for the move order: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 b5,but Khalifman does not handle in this book lines with the move 5…e5.
Khalifman digs in this repertoire deep in lines as: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6
7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 Be7 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.g4 Nd7 11.h4 Nde5 12.Qg2 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Nc6 14.Be3 b5 15.g5 Qa5 16.Kb1 b4 17.Ne2 e5
18.f4 f5 19.gxf6 Bxf6 20.f5 Qc7 21.Ng3 Nd4 22.Nh5 Bb7 23.Nxf6+ Rxf6 24.Bxd4 exd4 25.Rxd4 Rxf5 26.Rxb4,and we reach a position known from
the game Morozevich – Short,Sarajevo 1999,where white has won a pawn,his king is much safer and his pieces are at least as active as there counterparts.
This all is well covered with a lot of  move to move annotations!
Interesting to mention is that the lines arising after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 b5 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.g4 h6 10.0-0-0 Bb7
11.h4 b4 12.Na4 Qa5 13.b3 Nc5 14.a3 seems not to be playable anymore for black!
Conclusion: This book is overloaded with move to move annotations!

Lubomir Ftacnik The Sicilian Defence
2010
Quality Chess
www.qualitychess.co.uk
427 pages
Price €27,99
ISBN 978-1-906552-08-4

Grandmaster Lubomir Ftacnik provides the reader with a detailed repertoire book, based on the black side of the Najdorf Defence, where Ftacnik prefers
moves as 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 h6! And on 7.Qf3 Ftacnik also gives
the move 7…h6!? 8.Be3 Bd7!? 9.0-0-0 Nc6 10.Qg3 Nxd4!?N 11.Rxd4 Rc8 12.Kb1 Rxc3 13.bxc3 e5 14.Rb4 a5
15.Rxb7 Nxe4 16.Qf3 d5 and Ftacnik writes, the resulting position is one that every Najdorf player should be happy to reach.
Unfortunately Ftacnik does not mention the move 7.Qe2!? which leaves many questions unanswered in this variation.
 Please see the following game: Spraggett,Kevin (2536) - Veingold,Aleksandr (2478) [B95]
Seville op 29th Seville (5), 13.01.2004
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qe2 h6 8.Bh4 Be7 9.f4 Nxe4 10.Bxe7 Nxc3 11.Qc4 Kxe7 12.Qxc3 Nc6 13.0-0-0 Qb6 14.Bc4 Nxd4 15.Rxd4 d5 16.Bb3 Bd7 17.Rhd1 Rhc8 18.Qe3 Kf8 19.g4 a5 20.a3 Rc5 21.Kb1 a4 22.Ba2 Rac8 23.Rb4 Qc7 24.c3 Bb5 25.h4 Bc4 26.Rxa4 Bxa2+ 27.Kxa2 Rc4 28.Rd4 b5 29.Rb4 Qc5 30.Qe5 Kg8 31.g5 hxg5 32.hxg5 g6 33.f5 Qc7 34.Qxc7 R8xc7 35.fxe6 fxe6 36.Rxb5 R4c6 37.a4 Ra7 38.Ka3 Kf7 39.Rh4 Kg7 40.Rb8 Rca6 41.Rbh8 Rxa4+ 42.Rxa4 Rxa4+ 43.Kxa4 Kxh8 44.b4 1-0,
Maybe black had to try 12…Re8!
A other interesting alternative from Ftacnik here in this line is the move: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7,where the most popular move is 7.Bc4 but after Ftacnik,the most critical continuation is 7.f4.
Ftacnik covers all possibilities as the Scheveningen set-up,6.Bc4 or the English Attack with detailed move to move annotations, where the English Attack is good for
94 pages of this book!
Included are all kind of Anti Sicilian and miscellaneous 2nd moves as the Wing Gambit,where I found the following exciting moves:
1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.d4 {3.Bb2 and 3.a3 are also covered!}Nf6 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.Ne2 d6 6.0-0 g6!
7.Nd2 Bg7 8.f4 0-0 9.Kh1 Bg4 10.Bb2 Nd7 11.Nf3 Nc5 12.Rb1 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 d5,and white is not only a pawn down,but also overexposed in the centre and generally in deep trouble,Jurkovic – Dvoirys,Oberwart 1999.
Conclusion: A high class repertoire book!

Ten great ways to get better at chess by Nigel Davies
2010
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
158   pages
Price $26.95
ISBN 978-1-85744-633-3

GM Nigel Davies is a educative chess coach, and Ten great ways to get better in chess is packed with instructive tips, as take up correspondence chess,make friends with strong chess players
and study endgames!
Interesting are the chess book choices from Davies where he prefers the classics as Lasker’s Manual of Chess,Think like a Grandmaster from Alexander Kotov,Books from Paul Keres,One Hundred Selected Games from Botvinnik,Nimzowitsch A Reappraisal, where Davies interestingly  writes:Aaron Nimzowitsch is widely regarded as one of the giants of chess strategy,but I found his own books very difficult to read or to understand. My System was in fact inspired by a book of the same name by the Danish athlete, Jorgen Peter Müller.
Nimzowitsch was much taken with the athlete’s exercises { he mentioned them in his book on the Carlsbad 1929 tournament book}and decided to produce his own system.
Raymond Keene’s book explains Nimzowitsch thinking and influence on the moderngame in a far more lucid and accessible way.I found it immensely helpful and took it just about everywhere with me for several months.
Useful for many of us is chapter ten,improve your fitness level,where Davies honestly writes:
I was very much at low ebb.I had put on a lot of weight,had very little energy for anything,and felt a pervading sense of vulnerability.All of this manifested itself in my chess.I was playing horrible.Something had to be done!
Included in this book are 64 model games where I would like to show one typical game from Davies: Davies,Nigel R (2493) - Hendriks,Willy (2444) [B25]
Staunton Memorial 7th GM London (6), 13.08.2009
1.g3 c5 2.Bg2 g6 3.e4 Bg7 4.f4 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d3 0-0 8.Nc3 Rb8 9.h3 b5 10.g4 b4 11.Ne2 a5 12.Rb1 c4 13.Be3 Ba6 14.Rf2 b3 15.axb3 cxd3 16.cxd3 Nb4 17.Ne1 Rc8 18.f5 Qc7 19.Qd2 Qb8 20.Ra1 Nc6 21.Bh6 Qxb3 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Ng3 Qb6 24.Kh2 Nb4 25.d4 Rc4 26.Rd1 Bb7 27.g5 Nd7 28.f6+ exf6 29.gxf6+ Kh8 30.Qh6 Rg8 31.Nf3 Nf8 32.Ng5 Qc7 33.Rf4 Rc2 34.Rg1 1-0
Conclusion: This book is from high instructive value!
Play the London System by Cyrus Lakdawala
2010
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
256   pages
Price $26.95
ISBN 978-1-85744-639-5


The London System with the moves 1.d4 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4 is, as we can learn from the American IM Cyrus Lakdawala,this opening is more than an understanding
 of some major key ideas
A popular set-up against the London System is a King’s Indian with the moves:1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.e3 0-0
5.Be2 d6 6.0-0,as Lakdawala once outplayed the great Shirov with it: 6… Nbd7 7.h3 Qe8 8.Bh2 e5 9.c4 Qe7 10.Nc3 Re8
11.Re1 e4 12.Nd2 Nf8 13.Qc2 h5 14.Rac1 N8h7 15.Nd5 Qd8 16.b4 Bf5 17.b5 Ng5 18.Bf1 Nxd5 19.cxd5 Rc8 20.Qa4 b6
21.Qxa7 Qd7 22.Rc6 Bxh3 23.gxh3 Nxh3+ 24.Bxh3 Qxh3 25.Rxc7 Ra8 26.Qxb6 Rxa2 27.Qc6 Rf8 28.Nxe4 Qg4+ 29.Ng3 h4
30.Qxd6 Bh6 31.Qe5 Qf3 32.Ne4 Qg4+ 33.Bg3 Bg7 34.Qf4,Internet Chess Club,1996.
Indeed very impressive but there are more Lakdawala model games in this book and between the lines of this heavy weight.
All material is explained at the hand of 92 model games where a small twenty of them are from Lakdawala himself, and these games have hardly seen any database.
Lakdawale describes all kind of set-ups against the Londom System as versus Dutch,where Lakdawala usually comes out swinging against it,where most lines require opposite-wing castling and pawn sacrifice!
Against the Stonewall Dutch,Lakdawala suggests:
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 d5 5.c4 Be7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.h3 c6 8.Qc2 Ne4 9.g4,I prefer this to the positional option of 9.Be2 followed by castling kingside;Black would get chances for a kingside attack with a timely ..g5 later on, 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 d5 5.c4 Be7 6.Nc3 9….Nd7 10.gxf5 exf5 11.Rg1 Kh8 12.0-0-0 Ndf6 13.Ne5 white’s chances on the kingside look good,N.Sedlak – V.Sikula,Hungarian 2009. Cyrus Lakdawala presents a reliable repertoire for White with the London System,where his well illustrated games makes it all very special, yes I can imagine that even Sverre Johnsen and Vlatko Kovacevic can learn from this highly instructive work!
Conclusion: The one and only reference work on the London System!


Coffehouse chess tactics by John Healy
2010
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
398 pages
Price €16,95
ISBN: 978-90-5691-296-3

The author John Healy,well known from his book The Grass Arena, which gave him world wide literary fame describes in Coffeehouse Chess Tactics that he is not only a gifted writer but also a player from master strength.
This latest book from Healy is more than a trip throw coffeehouse chess with it’s pins attacks and checkmates, Healy’s describing of the coffeehouse chess player is in one word brilliant, but first some words from the remarkable  Healy:
As for kibitzing . . . that is a vocation in itself. The rule is that kibitzers must not speak or make any comment about the game in progress. But the judicious sip of coffee, the anguished roll of the eyes, the stifled groan, the knowing smirk- these are all part of the kibitzers' code designed to insinuate their own superiority to either player while annoying both. All this, reprehensible in the extreme, is part of coffee-house chess. So if you can't stand the heat, stay out!
Blowing cigarette smoke over the board is vulgar: but offering a light at a crucial moment of thought might be considered as much helpful as distracting.
Chess is very important for Healy it kept him from the bottle and did hold him out of prison.
In Camden College,London Healy played the following shortcut against Professor Benjamin: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Qd5 Bb7 6.Qxb7 Nc6 7.Qa6 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Nc5 9.Qb5 Bxd2+ 10.Nbxd2 a6 0-1,where Healy writes:
Attacking a piece which has no safe retreat is the simplest way to win material in chess.Now the old expert’s blood was well and truly up.He was nearly fit to cut iron with his teeth,and slaughtered me swiftly in the next game. After that,we both settled down and had a cup of tea.
Conclusion: A creative masterpiece!
SOS - Secrets of Opening Surprises 12
No Time to Study Chess Opening Theory?
2010
by Jeroen Bosch
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
141 pages
Price €19,95
ISBN 978 90 56912604

Secrets of opening surprises, volume 12 is a tricky collection of fun to play openings lines,
Where,in many lines you have a good chance to shock out your opponent in no time, as for example Jeroen Bosch shows us in his contribution on the Staunton Gambit, that runs with the moves:1.d4 f5 2.f3 where Bosch explains us a modern version of this line.
I found this move also in the book from Sverre Johnsen and Ivar Bern,but his lines can not stand up against the excellent analyses from Bosch!
Pleasant to mention is that Bosch does not stop with the headlines but takes the time to explain moves that are not mentioned in the opening books, as for example a kind of Balogh Defence that I found between the lines of his excellent analyses, it arises after the move: 2… d6 and Bosch suggests now simple moves  3.e4 e5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Nc3!
The easiest way to achieve an advantage.
And that is much easier to understand than all the lines that I have seen from Stefan Bücker in his overloaded gambit magazines!
A fine recommendation also comes from Igor Glek with his: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5!? An audacious move: Black immediately plays e7-e5 without any preparation!
One of my favourite suggestions comes from Dimitri Reinderman with his Patzer line of the Scandinavian Defence: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qe5+,where they say Patzer sees a check,patzer plays a check. The point is black can still go for a Scandinavian structure and needs no memorizing at all!
Conclusion: It does not matter what you play, that is always something of your taste in these books!

Chess opening essentials 4 by Stefan Djuric,Dimitri Komarov & Claudio Pantaleoni
2010
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
254 pages
Price €24,95
ISBN 97809056913083

Chess Opening Essentials 4 is the finale volume of out the series of instructive opening explanations.
Dimitri Komarov,Stefan Djuric and International master Claudio Pantaleoni don’t overload the reader with a mass of theory lines but explain
with instructive words the opening phase of the game.
In this work they explain the Reti Opening,King’s Indian Attack,English Opening 1.c2-c4,Minor defences to 1.c2-c4,English 1…Nf6,Lines with 2.Nf3,King’s Indian set-up,Queen’s Indian set-up,Romanishin Variation,The Grünfeld set-up,Defences with 2…e6,Nimzo-Indian set-up,Flohr-Mikenas System,Symmetrical English,English with 1…e5,Minor Openings,Rare Openings and Very Rare Openings.
For example on the Sokolsky, the authors describe lines as:
1.b4 Nf6 2.Bb2 e6 3.a3 d5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.e3 a5 6.b5 c5 7.c4 dxc4 8.Bxc4 b6 9.0-0 Bb7, 1.b4 c6 2.Bb2 Qb6 3.a3 a5 4.c4 axb4 5.c5 Qc7 6.axb4 Rxa1 7.Bxa1 Na6 8.Qb3 d6, 1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Qd6 3.a3 e5 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.c4 c6 7.Nc3 e4 8.Nd4 and 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3.Bxe5 Nf6 4.c4 0-0 5.e3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Nf3 Re8 8.Bb2 Nf4! And black has a pleasant initiative,Given that 9.Ne5 black can play 9…Qg5! With an advantage.
Funny to mention is the Grob Attack with the moves: 1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 Bxg4 3.c4 c6 4.Qb3 Qc7 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Nxd5 Qd7 with balanced play,but 5…e6 6.dxc6 Nxc6 could be an improvement.
The authors write about the move 1.g4:If we take it for granted that g4 is not a useful move,the next question would be whether it actually harms white: here options differ. Its supports cite surprise effect as one of its selling points,but the statistical evidence makes it clear that this is of very limited significance: overall, black scores better than white after 1.g4,which is comment enough for most players.
Conclusion: A complete overview of all openings,well explained with a large amount of readable text.Buy it for the clear cut explanations!

Botvinnik - Petrosian: The 1963 World Championship Match by Mikhail Botvinnik
2010
New in Chess
http://www.newinchess.com/
142 pages
Price €19,95
ISBN 978-90-5691-314-4

This is New In Chess on its best, a lovely produced classic tournament book covered with excellent annotations of Mikhail Botvinnik.For the good order you shall find seven annotated games from Botvinnik,the other games come from players as Kasparov,Flohr,Taimanov,Akopian,Kotov,Bagirov,Panov and Kortchnoi.
The 1963 match was lost for Botvinnik with the result 12 ½ 9 ½  and it did mark the end of a time period Botvinnik.
Botvinnik describes in this book,Why did I lose the match, where Botvinnik writes: Perhaps I was just in one of those bad periods, unsuitable to chess creativity, of which Alekhine spoke? Maybe….This explanation sounds plausible to me, and several games, notably the 8th,support it.
Unfortunately, my play was equally hopeless, from the practical, or ‘chess harmony’ point of view,in several other games of the match.
Perhaps this is explained by the characteristics of Petrosian’s style.The new champion has a style which makes him significantly different from other grandmasters and it is not easy to adapt oneself to his play.There have hardly been any examples of such a player in the past.
Petrosian,to sum him up, emphasizes the supreme importance of the role of defence in chess.
Yes bad luck for Botvinnik as we all know, Petrosian was the hardest player to beat in the history of chess.
Included in this book are all the eight match games of the secret training match that Botvinnik had with  Furman,played between January and February of 1963,and closes with some openings notes from Botvinnik’s notebook.
Conclusion: A historical masterpiece!         

British Chess Magazine No.8
Volume 130
August  2010
Price: £4,05

Starting with: Media Kings,Romania  where Magnus Carlsen finished an astonishing two points clear of an elite field in Romania.
Paris Open with report and annotations by IM Lorin Dçosta,Games Department by IM Sam Collins,John Saunders takes a look back in time,with his Half a century ago and 1999 and all that.Mikhail Golubev annotates a game of theoretical interest in a well known line of the Caro-Kann: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bd3 Ngf6 6.Ng5 e6 7.N1f3 Bd6 8.Qe2 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Nf6 11.Qh4 Ke7!?
A shocking move,which was found by Anatoly Karpov’s coach Mikhail Podgaets.
Other readable contributions are Quotes and queries,Problem world by David Friedgood,Reviews and New books etc.
Conclusion: All ways good for the latest chess news!  
Nunn's Chess Endings Volume 2 by John Nunn
2010
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
351 pages
Price $ 29,95
ISBN 978-1-906454-23-4


The aim work of Nunn’s Chess Endings volume 2 is based on rook endgames, but a major part of this endgame book also holds rook and minor piece endings and t,hat makes this endgame book very special.
For example on page 24 Dr.Nunn handles a endgame between Queen and rook: White Qe8,Kg4 and pawn f5,black Rf6,Kh7 and pawns on g7 and h6,taken from the game Lukin – Taimanov,Leningrad 1984.
Nunn shows us that the winning method of winning this position is relatively simple,1…Rb6
2.Kf4 Rd6 3.Ke4 Rb6 4.Kd5 Rf6 5.Ke5 Now black is in zugzwang. Ra6 6.Qe6! Ra5 7.Kd6?! Going the wrong way. Retreating to g3 wins as Nunn instructively explains.
7….Ra8 8.Ke5 Rf8 9.Ke4 Kh8 10.Qc6 Kh7 11.Ke5 Kh8 12.Qh1 Kg8 13.Qf3 Kh8 14.Qa3 Kg8 15.Qc5 Re8+ 16.Kf4 Rf8 17.Qd6! This is the key position, black is in zugzwang.
17….Rf6 18.Qd5+ Kh7 19.Qd8 Nunn writes: White has succeeded to his aim of driving the rook away from f8 and onto the third rank.Now he can return to the earlier winning plan.
19…Rc6 After 19…Rf7 20.Ke5 Rf6 21.Qe8 the rook must move along the third rank.
20.Qe8 Ra6 21.Ke4 Rb6 22.Kd5! Returning to the position 18 moves earlier,but now white adopts the correct plan.
22…Ra6 23.Qe6 Ra5+ 24.Ke4 Ra4 25.Kf3 Ra3+ 26.Kf2 1-0
Nunn writes: The conclusion is that this ending generally won for white,whether black keeps his rook on the third rank of the f-file.The one thing white must not allow is …h5 followed by ….Rh6,protecting the h5-pawn,when it is not clear if he can win.
These kind of endgames where the rook side has two pawns are difficult to find in the normal endgame books.
Included in this book are a lot of endgame fragments from correspondence chess scene but the players, have so there difficulties to find the best move!
Conclusion: A master piece on endgame play!
                       

Chess DVD's
ChessBase Magazine issue 137
2010
August
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 19.95  

ChessBase Magazine issue 137 starts with the following super tournaments: Grand Prix Astrakhan,Karpov Tournament Poikovsky, Kings Tournament Bazna,USA Championship  and the famous Capablanca Memorial of Havana.
Other not so important but not less interesting are for example  the Dutch Championship, the match from Short against the young chess prodigy Anish Giri.
The Kings Tournament included for the first time the leading world player Magnus Carlsen,the man who can play everything from King’s Gambit to positional lines of the King’s Indian.
The 137 game file of this DVD is good for 509 entries where I found the following well annotated game from the great Nakamura!
Kamsky,Gata (2702) - Nakamura,Hikaru (2733) [E97]
USA-ch Saint Louis (3), 16.05.2010
[Yermolinsky]
The main pre-tournament favourites faced each other in round three.
 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 By calling on his old favourite, the King's Indian Defence, Hikaru had recently scored impressive victories over Beliavsky and Gelfand.
 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Ne8 10.a4 True to his style Gata avoids a pitched theoretical battle. [He wanted to vary from 10.c5 f5 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 14.a4 Ng6 15.Ba3 Rf7 16.b5 (16.a5 h5 17.b5 dxc5 18.b6 Beliavsky-Nakamura, 3rd NH Tournament, 2009.) 16...dxc5 17.Bxc5 h5 18.a5 g4 19.b6 g3 20.Kh1 Bf8 Gelfand-Nakamura, World team Ch, 2010.] 10...f5 11.a5 Nf6 12.Bg5 This has already been played by many strong players. White intends to give Black a fight in the centre, rather than concede the space Black needs for his kingside attack. 12...Nh5 [12...Kh8 13.Rc1 Neg8 is a typical idea in the KID, but in the game Grischuk-Khalifman, Ordix Open (rapid), 2009 White found a way to combat it. There followed 14.exf5 gxf5 15.c5 h6 16.Bh4! and here the former FIDE World Champion encountered some problems. As the game went, first he had to lose time to move his knight to g6 to break the annoying pin, 16...Ne7 17.Nb5 Ng6 18.Bxf6 Rxf6 19.cxd6 cxd6 20.Nc7 Rb8 21.g3 and then bring it back to cover the e6-square, 21...Nf8 After 22.Rc4 Bd7 23.Qc2 Rf7 24.Nh4 White was clearly better, despite the absence of his dark-squared bishop.] 13.Nd2 The first independent move. [Ivanchuk-Radjabov, Corus, 2009 saw 13.exf5 gxf5 and here White could try the Grischuk plan, 14.Rc1 (Ivanchuk chose the restrictive approach, 14.Qd2 Nf6 15.c5 Bd7 16.b5 Be8 17.c6 b6 18.Nh4 Bf7 19.Bd3 Bg6 20.f3 and kept his advantage throughout the game until blundering in time trouble.) 14...h6 15.Bh4 which in this case might be countered by 15...Nf4 16.c5 Nfg6 17.Nb5 e4 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Nfd4 Nf4 with great complications.] 13...Nf4 14.c5 h6 15.Bxf4 exf4 16.Rc1 This position is reminiscent of the old lines of the Bayonet Attack with 9...¤h5 10.c5, which were popular until Karpov introduced the 10.¦e1 idea in the mid-1990s. White is feeling the effects of parting with the dark-squared bishop, but he's safe from standard kingside attacks and hopes to translate his spatial gains on the queenside into something meaningful. 16...fxe4 Hikaru chooses the most direct method of getting his ¤e7 into the game. [The alternative, 16...a6 17.Re1 g5 might be a dead end if White plays 18.Bh5] 17.Ndxe4 Nf5 18.Re1 Be5?! Hikaru plays a "safe" move, a decision surely dictated by tournament priorities. [Otherwise, we could expect to see something like 18...Nd4 19.cxd6 (The same idea works in the event of 19.Bg4 f3!) 19...cxd6 20.Nb5 Nxb5 21.Bxb5 f3! 22.g3 Bg4] 19.Nd2! Gata realises where the danger is coming from and takes immediate counter-measures. 19...Nd4 20.Nf3 [20.Nb5!? f3 21.Nxf3 Rxf3 22.Nxd4 Bxh2+ 23.Kf1 Rf7 is interesting, but you don't want to tempt fate by playing like this against Hikaru Nakamura.] 20...Nxf3+ 21.Bxf3 a6 Closing the avenue b5-c7-e6 for the white knight.
 22.Na4 is still a choice for White here. 22...Bf5 23.cxd6 Bxd6 24.Nc5 Rb8 25.Ne6 Bxe6 26.dxe6 Qe7 [I agree with Black's decision to leave the bait alone, as 26...Bxb4 27.Qb3 Qe7 (27...Be7 28.Red1 Qe8 29.Rxc7+-) 28.Rxc7 Qxc7 29.e7+ Kg7 30.Qxb4 Rfe8 31.h4 Rbc8 32.Re6 is very dangerous for Black.;
Unfortunately Black had no time for 26...c6 on account of 27.Qd3 Kg7 28.Rcd1 winning.] 27.Qd3 Kg7 28.b5! axb5 29.Qxb5 Rf5 [Better was 29...c6 to put up a barrier on the log diagonal right away. Then 30.Qb3 could be answered by 30...Rf5] 30.Qb2+ Qf6 31.Qd2! Now c7-c6 is being tampered with. 31...Rd8 [I'm sure 31...Re5 32.Rxe5 Qxe5 33.Re1 Qc5 looked a bit shaky, but it was Black's best bet.] 32.h3? Having so far played a near perfect game against a dangerous young rival, Gata slips up and gives the game away. [32.Bxb7 was possible, and in all likelihood would have won the game. After 32...f3 33.g3 Black finds himself in a situation where he has effectively burned his bridges and must find a tactical solution that may not be there. The trickiest move is 33...c6! where White should avoid (33...Bxg3 meets the resolute refutation, 34.hxg3 Rxd2 35.Rxc7+ Kf8 36.e7+; while 33...Bf4 34.Qxd8 Qxd8 35.e7 is equally hopeless.) 34.Bxc6? on account of 34...Bxg3] 32...h5 33.Rc4 [33.Bxb7 f3 is no longer clear: 34.e7 (34.Qc3 Qxc3 35.Rxc3 Rxa5 36.Rxf3 Rf8 and Black should hold.) 34...Bxe7 35.Qe3 Bd6 36.a6 fxg2 37.a7 Ra5 White will win the exchange but not the game.] 33...Be7 34.Qc1 c6 35.a6 This is a logical way to break through, but White's winning chances disappear with the a-pawn leaving the board. 35...bxa6 36.Rxc6 Re5 37.Rxa6 Rd6 A narrow escape from Nakamura. ½-½.
The theory files hold the following lines:Dutch Defence A80 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 by Knut Neven,Modern Defence 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4 c6 7.Be3 d5 by Sergey Erenburg,Najdorf B92 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1 Be6 10.Bf3 by Alexey Kuzmin,French Defence C11 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qb6, Ruy Lopez C77 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 by Igor Stohl part II,Slav D17 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Nh4 Bc8 7.e3 e5 8.Bxc4 exd4 9.exd4 by Evgeny Postny,
Bogo Indian E11 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 a5 5.g3 d5 6.Bg2  dxc4 7.Qc2 Nc6 8.Qxc4 Qd5 by Mihail Marin,Queen’s Indian E12 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Qc2 Nxc3 8.bxc3 part III by Michal Krasenkow,King’s Indian E84:1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.Qd2 Rb8 9.Rc1 by Boris Schipkov, ,King’s Indian E99:1.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.Ne1 Nd7 10.f3 f5 11.g4 by Yelena Dembo and at last Pure King’s Indian E99
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.Ne1 Nd7 10.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5 by Tibor Karoli.
Other columns are: King Move by Move,Wells Strategy,Reeh Tactics,Müller Endgames,Knaak Opening Traps and Tele Chess with 7891 entries!
Plus there are three great Media  files on this DVD: Kritz: French Steinitz 7…Qb6,Lilov Dutch Defence Staunton Gambit and Schandorff King’s Gambit  with 2…Bc5.
Included are upgrades for ChessBase 10 and a eyecatching booklet from 50 pages in to languages English and German.
Conclusion: One of the most important chess releases!       
Chess Endgames 5
Endgame Principles Activity & Intiative by Karsten Müller
2010
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, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard

The great endgame expert Karsten Müller handles in his Chess Endgame 5 DVD,the techniques of activity, initiative, mate and not less important how and when
to make the correct exchanges.
As Karsten instructively explains in two languages think it well over when you considering a exchange,
it is all a matter of keeping the initiative. But it is amassing to see on this DVD how much we can learn from Karsten Müller,in a small 4.5 hours.
Karsten Müller  belongs to one of the best endgame experts in the world,not only his excellent contributions and columns on the ChessBase Magazines
and ChessCafe.com publications but above all his highly rewarded endgame books makes him a living endgame legend.
For the interested reader please also see the book Genius in the background from Quality Chess where we find a readable contribution on Karsten Müller.
My favourite endgame from Müller is Secrets of pawn endings,Everyman Chess 2000.
The secret is that Karsten Müller is able to explain endgames with understandable words!
But first a instructive game that I found on this DVD: 04.18 Gelfand,Boris (2701) - Delchev,Aleksander (2634) [D41]
FIDE-Wch k.o. Moscow (3.1), 01.12.2001
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.g3 Nc6 7.Bg2 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Ndb4 9.Nxc6 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Nxc6 11.Be3 Bd7 12.Rc1 Be7 13.Kc2 0-0 14.Rhd1 Rfd8 15.Kb1 Na5 16.Bf3 Bc6 17.Rxd8+ Bxd8 18.Ne4 Be7 19.Bc5 Bxc5 20.Rxc5 f5 21.Nd6 Bxf3 22.exf3 Rd8 23.Rxa5 Rxd6 24.Rxa7 Rd1+ 25.Kc2 Rf1 26.Rxb7 Rxf2+ 27.Kd3 Rxh2 28.a4 Rh1 29.Rb3 Kf7 30.a5 Ra1 31.Ra3 Rd1+ 32.Kc4 1-0
A classical example of how to make concessions! Please see how outplays blacks inferior exchanges and easy wins.
Conclusion: Brilliant explained by GMKarsten Müller!
The Smith - Morra Gambit by Lawrence Trent
2010
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 27,90
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard


The well speaking IM Lawrence Trent digs in his latest Fritztrainer opening DVD in the smashing Morra Gambit that runs with the moves 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 offering a pawn for
complications and unclear positions.
Trent concentrates in the first part of this DVD in the so called declined lines as 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 e5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.Ng5 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Qb3 Be6 9.Qxb7 Rc8 10.Nxe6 fxe6 11.0-0 but the great funs starts when blacks takes the pawn: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 d6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Rd1 e5 10.Be3 [10.h3] 10...0-0 [10...Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3 a) 11...Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 13.Nh4 a6 (13...Nxe4 14.Nxg6 Nxc3 15.Bxf7+ (15.bxc3 hxg6) 15...Kxf7 16.Nxh8+ Qxh8 17.Qf3+ Ke8 18.bxc3) 14.Nf5 Bxf5 15.gxf5 Rc8 16.Rac1 Na5 17.Bd5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Rxc1 19.Rxc1 Nc6 20.Qg4 Kf8 21.Kh2;
b) 11...Be6; 12.Qxf3 0-0 13.a3 Rc8 14.Qe2] 11.b4 Nxb4 [11...a6] 12.Nxe5 Qa5 13.Nf3 Bg4 14.Rac1 Nxe4 [14...Rac8] 15.Bd4 [15.Nxe4 d5] 15...Ng5 [15...Nxc3 16.Bxc3] 16.Qxe7 Bxf3 17.Nb5 Qd8 [17...Bxd1 18.Qxg5] 18.Qxd8 Rfxd8 19.gxf3 [19.gxf3 a6 20.Nc7 Rac8 21.Bb6 Nxf3+ 22.Kg2 Ne5 23.Bd5 Nbd3 24.Bxb7 Nxc1 25.Bxc8 Rxc8 26.Rxc1 Nd7 27.Ba5 1-0 De Vries,G-Roelofszen,T/IECG email 1998/Corr 2008]
Yes some times correspondence players are the heroes of the Smith-Morra Gambit.
Trents spends a small five and a half our on the Mora and that is because he covers all kind of possibilities as for example the Siberian line: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Qc7 7.0-0 [7.Qe2] 7...Nf6 8.Nb5 [8.Qe2 Ng4 9.h3 Nd4-+ The Siberian Trap] 8...Qb8 9.e5 Ng4 [9...a6 10.exf6 (10.Nd6+ Bxd6 11.exd6 b5) 10...axb5 11.fxg7 Bxg7 12.Bxb5 d5 13.Bd2 0-0 14.Bc3;
9...Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Qxe5 11.Re1 Qc5 (11...Qb8 12.Qd4 Nh5 (12...d6 13.Bf4 e5 14.Rxe5+ dxe5 15.Bxe5) 13.Qe5 Qxe5 14.Rxe5) 12.Bf1 Nd5 13.Bg5 f6 14.Rc1 Qe7 15.Bf4 Nxf4 16.Nc7+ Kd8 17.Nxa8 Qd6 18.Qc2 (18.Qa4 1-0 (56) Hrvacic,P (2235)-Gara,A (2287)/Budapest 1999/EXT 2000) ] 10.Bf4 a6 [10...f6 11.Re1 a6 (11...fxe5 12.Nxe5 Ngxe5 13.Rxe5 Nxe5 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qxe5) 12.Nd6+ Bxd6 13.exd6 0-0 14.h3 Nge5 (14...Nh6 15.Bxh6) 15.Nxe5 fxe5 (15...Nxe5 16.Bxe5 fxe5 17.Bd3 g6 18.Be4) 16.Bg3 b5 17.Bd3;
10...Ngxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bxe6 dxe6 13.Rc1 f6 14.Nc7+ Kf7 15.Bxe5 fxe5 16.Qd8] 11.Nd6+ Bxd6 12.exd6 b5 [12...0-0 13.h3 Nf6] 13.Bd5 [13.Bd3;
13.Bb3;
13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 0-0 15.Be2 Nf6 16.Bf3 Bb7 17.Bg5 Nd5 18.Bxd5 Bxd5 19.Be7 Rc8 0-1 (40) Dubois,J (2242)-Vorobiov,E (2563)/Cappelle la Grande 2007/CBM 117 ext] 13...Qb6 [13...exd5 14.Re1+ Kf8 (14...Kd8 15.Ng5 Nh6 16.Qh5) 15.Ng5 Nf6 16.Re7 Qb6 (16...Nxe7 17.dxe7+; 16...Bb7 17.Rxf7+ Kg8 18.Rxf6 gxf6 19.Qxd5+) 17.Rxf7+ Kg8 18.Rxf6 Qd4 19.Rf5 Qxd1+ 20.Rxd1] 14.Bxc6 dxc6 [14...Qxc6 15.Qd4 0-0 16.Rac1 Qd5 (16...Qb7 17.Rc7) 17.Qxd5 exd5 18.Nd4] 15.Rc1 0-0 16.d7 Bb7 17.Bd6 Rfd8 18.Be7 and white has all the fun of the world!
A strong point of this DVD is that Trent is good in showing us the best possible lines and he does not fear to go for unexplored lines as 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.b4!? After Richard Palliser in Fighting the Anti – Sicilians,it remains a reasonable practical try,especially because several of the key lines remain quite unexplored.
Conclusion: One of the best studies that I have ever seen on the Smith Morra Gambit!
 Lubomir Ftacnik
1.d4 A classical repertoire for white
2010
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 27,90
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard


The well known ChessBase expert GM Lubomir Ftacnik, provides the use on this DVD with a complete repertoire line for white with the move 1.d4.
It does not matter what black plays, Lubomir Ftacnik helps you with a well thought beating lines, maybe I may say dangerous lines!
For example in the King’s Indian Ftacnik goes for the lines with h3 as we can see in the following game from Jussupow: Jussupow,Artur (2620) - Spraggett,Kevin (2580) [E92]
Wch blitz Saint John (2), 1988
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 Nbd7 7.Be3 e5 8.d5 a5 9.Nd2 Nc5 10.Be2 Nh5 11.g3 Nf6 12.Qc2 c6 13.0-0-0 Bd7 14.Kb1 [14.f4] 14...cxd5 15.cxd5 Rc8 16.Rc1 Ncxe4 17.Ndxe4 Nxe4 18.Qb3 Nc5 19.Qa3 Bf5+ 20.Ka1 Nd3 21.Bxd3 Bxd3 22.Na4 Rxc1+ 23.Rxc1 e4 24.Nb6 h5 25.h4 Be5 26.Qxa5 Qf6 27.Qb4 Rd8 28.Bg5 Qxf2 29.Bxd8 e3 30.Bg5 e2 31.Bd2 Qxg3 32.Nd7 Bg7 33.a4 Kh7 34.Bc3 Qe3 35.Re1 Bxc3 36.Qxc3 Qe4 1-0.
Against the Budapest, Ftacnik prefers the set-up with the queen to 7.Qd5 as we can see in the following model game,that I found in his 124 game file:
Krasenkow,Michal (2655) - Wippermann,Till (2446) [A52]
Bundesliga 0506 Germany (7.2), 22.10.2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Nc3 [6.Nbd2 is more solid and more frequent option.] 6...Qe7 This move order gives White extra possibilities, [more accurate is 6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Qe7 8.Qd5] 7.Qd5 [7.Qb3!?;
7.Rc1!?] 7...Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 f6 Black has to remove White's pawn wedge. [Another choice is to do it one move later 8...Qa3 9.Rc1 f6 10.exf6 Nxf6] 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.Qd3 d6 White is a pawn up, but then his pawn structure on the queenside is damaged. 11.g3 White opts for the fianchetto of his ¥f1, he is prepared to solve the defence of his §c4 by ¤f3-d2. [The text move is more ambitious then normal 11.e3 ] 11...b6 Black prepares developing of his ¥c8 the same way to eliminate the potential pressure on the long 'h1-a8. At the same time he prevents the typical pawn break c4-c5.  [11...Ne4 12.Bg2 Nc5 13.Qe3! Qxe3 (13...Ne6 14.Ng5²) 14.Bxe3 0-0 15.Nd4 Na5 16.Nb5 Na6 17.Bf4 Be6 18.c5!± 1-0 Shirov,A-Bang,D/Neuilly-sur-Seine 2001/CBM 081 ext (23);
11...0-0 12.Bg2 Bd7 (12...Na5 13.0-0 Be6 14.Nd2 Nd7 15.Nb3! Nc6 (15...Bxc4?? 16.Bd5++-) 16.Nd4² 1-0 Van Wely,L-Blatny,P/New York 1996/EXT 99/[Blatny,P] (51)(16.c5!?²) ) 13.0-0 Rae8 14.Rae1 (14.c5! dxc5 15.Bxc7 c4 16.Qd1 Ne4 17.Rc1² 1-0 Rogers,I-Miezis,N/Reykjavik 2004/CBM 099 ext (44)) ] 12.Bg2 Bb7 13.0-0 Na5 14.Nd2! Better than [14.Nd4 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 0-0 16.Bg5 Rae8 17.Rae1 Qf7 18.Bxf6 gxf6÷ ½-½ Ljubojevic,L-Ivanchuk,V/Monte Carlo 1999/CBM 069 ext (25)] 14...Bxg2 15.Kxg2² 0-0 [15...Qe6 16.Bg5 Nd7 17.Qd5!² 1-0 Kortschnoj,V-Mohr,G/Ptuj 1995/CBM 047/[Stohl] (30)] 16.Bg5 White goes for exchange of his ¥ to Black's ¤f6, his further plan is obvious: advance of the pawn majority on the kingside. 16...Rae8 [16...h6? 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Nb3!±] 17.e4 Qd7 18.Bxf6 Rxf6 19.f4 Rfe6 20.Rae1 Qa4?! Black strives for the counterplay rather then to defend passively. But this lets his ¢ unguarded. 21.f5 Re5? [¹21...Rf6 22.g4!?,] 22.f6! gxf6 23.Rxf6± Qxa2?! 24.Ref1+- The position of Black's ¢ is hopeless. 24...Kh8 [24...Qa4 25.Qf3] 25.R1f2 Qa3 26.Rf8+ Rxf8 27.Rxf8+ Kg7 28.Qf3 1-0.
Timothy Taylor writes in his book,The Budapest Gambit:7.Qd5,is the only way white can keep his pawn,but obviously such a move is risky and committal,but as we can see in the above mentioned game, Krasenkow has so his own ideas.
All together there are 68 video files,good for a English and German version,where the running time is over five and a half hour!
Yes a wealth of video files!
Conclusion: Overloaded with well thought repertoire lines!     
Power Play 14
Test your tactics by Daniel King
2010
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, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard

Daniel King shows you in his latest Power Play DVD all kind of tactical patterns, all explained at the hand of large amount of careful selected  tactical exercises.
All together I counted around 118 exercises and these are good for around six hours of your precious time,but I can insure you,after these hours your
tactical skills will be improved in a impressive way.
Pleasant to mention are the complete games that King is now and than using,a fine example that I found on this DVD, comes from Anand: Topalov,
Veselin (2804) - Anand,Viswanathan (2803) [C88]
Sofia MTel Masters 2nd Sofia (2), 12.05.2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 Re8 10.c3 h6 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 d6 13.Ba2 Nb8 14.b4 c5 15.Nb3 Nc6 16.Rb1 Bc8 17.Be3 Be6 18.Qc2 Rc8 19.Qb2 c4 20.dxc4 Bxc4 21.Nbd2 Bxa2 22.Qxa2 d5 23.Rbd1 0-1.
Pleasant to mention is that King is dealing with real time games and there is no irritating rate your self,but on this DVD
you are dealing with highly instructive human explanations from GM Daniel King!
And all video files are also  available in the German Language!
Conclusion: Yes there is no better way to learn chess!

Maurice Ashley
The secrets to chess
2010
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price € 29,95
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard

GM Maurice Ashley explains you in this DVD how to crush your opponent and above all how to create good moves.
After Ashley it is all a matter of drawbacks and of course try to be critical with what you touch on the board.
A fine example of Ashley his play is the following game that he played against Jay Bonin,
Thursday Nite at Marshall,2009,yes a 30 minute blitz game;
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.e3 g6 4.c4 Bg7 5.Nc3 0-0 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.b3 Re8 9.Bb2 e4 10.Nd2 h5 11.Qc2 Qe7 12.Rae1 Nf8 13.f3 exf3 14.Bxf3 Ng4 15.Nd5 Qd8 16.h3 c6 17.hxg4 hxg4 18.Be4 f5 19.Nf4 fxe4 20.g3 d5 21.Ba3 Bf5 22.cxd5 cxd5 23.Qc5 Be6 24.Qb5 Qb6 25.Qe2 Rac8 26.Bxf8 Bxf8 27.Nxg6 Bg7 28.Qh2 Rc2 29.Rf2 Qb4 30.Ref1 Rxa2 31.Nf4 Qc3 32.Qh5 Bf7 33.Qxf7+ Kxf7 34.Nxd5+ Kg6 35.Nxc3 Rb2 36.Ncxe4 a5 37.Rf4 b5 38.Rxg4+ Kh6 39.Kg2 Kh7 40.Nf6+ Bxf6 41.Rh1+ 1-0.
Ashley calls this aikido chess,and this game is a fine example of the play,that he has in mind for you on this well filled learning DVD!
Personal I think this DVD is a excellent follow up from Ashley his book,The Most Valuable Skills in Chess.
Running time is  4 hours!
Conclusion: Highly recommended for all who are searching for better moves!