Alan Aldridge (NZ) versus S. Willard (USA):
the high-stakes chess match few are aware of
by Steven B.
Willard
2015
283 pages
Price $13,04
ISBN 9781456572891
The main idea of this book is to cover the match games between
the chess amateurs Alan Aldridge and his companion amateur Steve
B.Willard.
In no way this work can be compared with a match as for example
De La Bourdonnais versus McDonnel of 1834,but it shows that amateurs
with even a much lower level can have fun with there games too.
Saw that Alan Aldridge has a rating of 1865 but he manages to play now
and than a game that is worth playing throw as we can see in the
following win from Aldridge on the strong player Anthony Ker: 1.d4 d5
2.c4 e6 3.cxd5 exd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Qc2 0-0 7.e3 h6 8.Bh4 Bg4
9.f3 Bh5 10.Bd3 Na6 11.a3 c5 12.Nge2 cxd4 13.exd4 Nc7 14.g4 Bxg4
15.Bxf6 Bxf3 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Rf1 Qh4+ 18.Ng3 Rae8+ 19.Be2 Bxe2 20.Ncxe2
Rxe2+ 21.Kxe2 Qxh2+ 22.Rf2 Qxg3 23.Raf1 Ne6 24.Qd3 Qg4+ 25.Kd2 Qxd4
26.Qxd4 Nxd4 27.Kd3 Ne6 28.Rf5 g5 29.Rxd5 Nf4+ 30.Rxf4 gxf4 31.Ke4 Re8+
32.Kxf4 Re2 33.b4 Ra2 34.Ra5 a6 35.b5 axb5 36.Rxb5 Rxa3 37.Rxb7 Ra5
38.Kg4 Kg7 39.Rb6 f6 40.Rb8 Ra4+ 41.Kf5 Ra5+ 42.Kg4 Rg5+ 43.Kf4 Kg6
44.Rg8+ Kh5 45.Rf8 Rg1 46.Rh8 Rf1+ 47.Kg3 Rg1+ 48.Kf4 Rf1+ 49.Kg3 Rc1
50.Rf8 Kg6 51.Rg8+ Kh5 52.Rf8 Rf1 53.Kg2 Rf4 54.Kg3 Rg4+ 55.Kf3 Rg6
56.Kf4 Kh4 57.Rh8 h5 58.Kf5 Rg5+ 59.Kxf6 Kg4 60.Ra8 h4 61.Ra4+ Kh5
62.Ra3 Rg3 63.Ra5+ Kg4 64.Ra4+ Kh3 65.Kf5 Rg1 66.Ra3+ Kh2 67.Ra2+ Rg2
68.Ra1 h3 69.Kf4 Rf2+ 70.Ke3 Kg2 71.Ra6 Rf3+ 72.Ke2 Rg3 73.Ra8 h2 0-1.
But Aldridge was lucky that Kerr did not find 69.Ra3! with draw.
Irritating in this book,the notation without numbers to the moves and
there are nearly no references to the games.
But we see this more in amateur work!
Included are a small collection tales.
Conclusion: This is a book from
amateurs for amateurs!
ChessBase Magazine
extra issue 164
March 2015
Videos by Adrian Mikhalchishin,Valery Lilov and Robert
Ris.
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail
info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99
ChessBase Magazine 164 Extra holds a impressive 26.944 games,and
all played between December and February of 2015.
The remarkable video files go to Adrian Mikhalchishin who is always
searching for new ideas.
Valeri Lilov digs in the game Vajda -Shirov and Robert Ris shows
us one of those "Immortal games".
This time I found two Latvian wins on the overloaded game file:
Hofmann,Colin (1888) - Spitzer,Erwin (1992) [C40]
Zuerich op-B 38th Zuerich (3), 27.12.2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nxc6 dxc6 6.e5 Qg6 7.Bf4 Be6
8.Bg3 h5 9.h4 Be7 10.Bd3 Nh6 11.0-0 Qf7 12.Qd2 0-0-0 13.Qf4 Rhg8 14.c3
g5 15.hxg5 Bxg5 16.Qf3 Bd5 17.Qe2 f4 18.c4 Be6 19.Bh2 f3 20.Qc2 fxg2
21.Re1 Rxd4 22.b3 Ng4 23.Kxg2 Rxd3 24.Bg3 Qf3+ 25.Kg1 h4 0-1 and
Borodkina,Sofia - Kuznetcov,Aleksander [C63]
Nizhny Novgorod Dubinin Memorial 22nd Nizhny Novgorod (3), 2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nc3 fxe4 4.Nxe4 d5 5.Ng3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.d3 Nf6 8.h3
0-0 9.c3 Bd7 10.Ba4 Ne7 11.Bxd7 Qxd7 12.0-0 Nf5 13.Nxf5 Qxf5 14.Nh4 Qh5
15.Qxh5 Nxh5 16.d4 e4 17.Bd2 Nf4 18.Bxf4 Bxf4 19.g3 Bg5 20.Ng2 Rae8
21.Ne3 c6 22.h4 Bd8 23.b4 Rf3 24.c4 Bb6 25.c5 Bc7 26.a4 Bxg3 27.fxg3
Rxe3 28.Kg2 Rd3 29.Rfd1 Rxd1 30.Rxd1 Rf8 31.Rf1 Rxf1 32.Kxf1 Kf7 0-1.
On this game file I found several wins wit the good old Marshall Gambit
as for example: Yilmaz,Didem (1330) - Atamer,Tuncay (1939) [C89]
Manavgat Turkey Cup Manavgat (2), 01.02.2015
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3
d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3
15.Bxd5 cxd5 16.Qf3 Bg4 17.Qxd5 Rae8 18.Be3 Re6 19.Nd2 Rfe8 20.Nf3 Bf4
21.Rad1 h6 22.Rd3 Re4 23.Ne5 R8xe5 24.dxe5 Bf3 25.Qa8+ Kh7 0-1.
Conclusion: Super material for a bargain price!
TrainingOpeningFritztrainer
Solid and safe against the wild Indians: Play the Fianchetto
by Nicholas Pert
2015
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail
info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows
Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard
The impressive Nicholas Pert explains in a impressive 5 hours and 44
minutes the secrets of a reliable g3 defence against the dangerous
lines of the King’s Indian and Grünfeld.
A fine example of play on this DVD is: Pert,Nicholas (2561) -
Lewis,Andrew P (2277) [E69]
Sunningdale op Sunningdale (4), 11.09.2010
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4
c6 9.h3 Qb6 [9...Qa5 10.Be3 Covered in Pert-Walker;
9...Re8 10.Be3 exd4 (10...Qa5 11.Qc2 covered in Pert-Walker) 11.Nxd4
Nc5 12.Qc2 Qe7 (12...a5 13.Rad1 Qe7 14.Rfe1²) 13.Rfe1 Nfxe4
14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Qxe4 16.Bd2±] 10.c5 dxc5 11.dxe5 Ne8 12.Na4
[12.e6 Interesting alternative that I have played several times
before.] 12...Qa6 [12...Qb5 13.Bg5 Nc7 14.Be7 Re8 15.Bd6 Ne6
16.b3²;
12...Qb4 13.Bd2 Qxe4 14.Re1 Qf5 15.g4 Qe6 (15...Qd3 16.Bf1 Qd5
17.Nc3±) 16.Ng5±;
12...Qc7 13.e6 fxe6 14.Ng5 Ne5 15.Nxc5 Qe7 16.Nd3²] 13.Qc2 b6
[13...c4 14.e6 fxe6 15.Be3 Nc7 16.Rfd1 b5 17.Nc5² Nxc5 18.Bxc5]
14.Bf4 Nc7 15.Rfd1 Ne6 [15...Re8 16.Nc3 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5 18.Bxe5 Rxe5
19.f4 Re8 20.e5 Bf5 21.Qf2 Rad8 22.Bxc6²] 16.Rd6 Qb7 17.Rad1 Re8
18.b3 [18.Nc3!? Bf8 19.R6d2 Nxf4 (19...c4 20.Be3 Qc7 21.Ne1 Nxe5
22.f4©) 20.gxf4 c4 21.e6! Rxe6 22.Nd4 Re8 23.e5] 18...Bf8 19.Bc1
Bxd6 [19...Nxe5 20.Nxe5 Bxd6 21.Rxd6 Nd4 22.Qd2 Qc7 23.Nc4 very messy
although White possibly has a slight edge.] 20.exd6 f6 21.Bb2 b5 22.Nc3
Ne5 23.Ne2 Nxf3+ 24.Bxf3 Qf7 25.Bg2 Bd7 26.Nc1 a5 27.Qc3 Rf8 28.Nd3 a4
29.e5 f5 30.Nxc5 Nxc5 31.Qxc5 Be6 32.b4 f4 33.a3 Rac8 34.gxf4 Qxf4
35.Rd3 Qc4 36.Rd2 Qxc5 37.bxc5 Rf4 38.d7 Rd8 39.Bxc6 Rc4 40.Bd5 Bxd5
41.Rxd5 Kf7 42.e6+ Ke7 43.Kg2 Rc2 44.Bd4 b4 45.axb4 a3 46.Rd6 a2 47.Ra6
Re2 48.Be3 Re1 49.Bg5+ 1-0.
As we cane see Pert is not afraid to show his secrets weapons,
personally I prefer this DVD as white player above books as for example
Kotronias on the King’s Indian.
A line that scared many Grünfeld players is again well explained
by Pert:
Pert,Nicholas (2536) - Bu,Xiangzhi (2685) [D76]
UK-CHN Liverpool (1), 04.09.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 [6...c5 7.e4
Nb6 (7...Nf6 8.d5 Qa5+ 9.Nfd2 Avrukh 9...Qa6 10.Bf1 Qa5 11.Nc3 0-0
12.Nc4 Qa6 13.e5 Nfd7 14.f4²) 8.d5 e6 9.0-0 exd5 10.exd5 0-0 a)
10...Qxd5 11.Re1+ Be6 12.Qxd5 Nxd5 13.Ng5 Kd7 14.Rd1 Bd4
15.Nc3±; b) 10...Nxd5 11.Re1+ Ne7 12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 13.Nc3 Nbc6
14.Ng5 Ke8 15.Nb5 Kf8 16.Bxc6 bxc6 (16...Nxc6 17.Nc7) 17.Nd6 f6 18.Ngf7
Rg8 19.Be3±; 11.Nc3 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nxd5 (12...Qxd5 13.Nd2 Qd8
14.Ne4 Qxd1 15.Rxd1 N8d7 16.Bh6 Re8 17.Re1±) 13.Bg5±;
6...Nc6 7.0-0] 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.e3 0-0 [8...e5 9.d5 Ne7 (9...Na5 10.e4 c6
11.0-0 transposes.) 10.e4 Bg4 (10...c6 11.d6 Ng8 12.b3 f6 13.0-0 Nh6
14.Qd3 (14.Ba3²) 14...Nf7 15.Ba3 Be6 16.Rad1 Qd7 17.Nh4 0-0
18.f4² 1-0 (57) Maletin,P (2568)-Morozevich,A (2762) Apatity 2011)
11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 c6 13.0-0 cxd5 14.Nxd5 Nbxd5 (14...Nexd5 15.exd5 Qd6
16.Qb3 0-0 17.Bd2 1-0 (33) Grischuk,A (2715)-Avrukh,B (2645) Kemer
2007) 15.exd5 Nf5 16.Qa3 Qd6 (16...Nd6 17.Be3 b6 18.Rac1) 17.b3 Qxa3
(17...0-0 18.g4) 18.Bxa3 0-0-0 19.Rac1+ Kb8 20.Rfe1 Rd7 21.Bb2 f6 22.g4
Ne7 23.f4 Nxd5 24.fxe5 fxe5 25.Bxe5+ Bxe5 26.Rxe5 ½-½
(26) Pert,N (2494)-Zhigalko,A (2511) Turin 2006] 9.0-0 e5 [9...a5 10.d5
Nb4 11.e4 c6 12.a3 Na6 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Qc2 Qc7 15.Rd1²;
9...Re8 Main Line.] 10.d5 Na5 [10...Ne7 11.e4 Bg4 (11...Nc4 12.b3 Nd6
13.Bb2²; 11...c6 12.d6) 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 c6 14.Rd1 cxd5 15.exd5
Nf5 16.d6 Nd4 a) 16...Nxd6 17.Ne4 Nbc4 18.Nxd6 Nxd6 19.Qa3; b) 16...Rb8
17.Qd3 Qd7 (17...Nd4 18.Nb5 Nd7 19.Nxd4 exd4 20.Qa3²) 18.b3 Nd4
19.Ba3 f5 20.Rac1 Rbc8 21.Qe3²; 17.Qxb7 Qxd6 18.Bg5 Qe6
19.Rac1²;
10...e4 11.dxc6 Qxd1 12.Rxd1 exf3 13.Bxf3 bxc6 14.Bd2 Nc4 15.Na4 Rb8
16.Bc3 Bxc3 17.bxc3 Ne5 18.Be2 1-0 (38) Tkachiev,V (2652)-Sutovsky,E
(2637) Dresden 2007] 11.e4 c6 12.Bg5 f6 13.Be3 cxd5 14.Bxb6 Qxb6
[14...axb6 15.Qxd5+ Kh8 16.Rfd1²] 15.Nxd5 Qd8 16.Rc1 Nc6 [16...Rf7
17.b4 Nc6 18.b5 Na5 19.Nc7!² Qxd1 20.Rfxd1] 17.Qb3 Kh8 [17...Rf7
18.Rfd1 Be6 19.Bf1 Kh8 20.Bb5 Bh6 21.Rc3²] 18.Rfd1 f5 19.Nb4 Qf6
20.Nd5 [20.Nxc6 fxe4 (20...bxc6 21.Qe3 f4 22.Qc5 Bg4 23.Rd6 Qe7
24.Rd3²) 21.Ncxe5 exf3 22.Nxf3 Bg4 23.Rc3²] 20...Qd8 21.Nb4
Qf6 22.Nd5 Qd8 ½-½.
Jonathan Rowson once wrote in his book Understanding the Grünfeld
ge is the most annoying move order for a Grünfeld player to face!
Conclusion: One of those super made ChessBase DVD’s!
TrainingOpeningFritztrainer
Tactic Toolbox Meran Variation
by Robert Ris
2015
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail
info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows
Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard
Robert Ris provides the user of this DVD with a collection
instructive exercises based on the middle game strategies of
the Meran that runs with
the openings moves 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3
dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5.
The reader is invited to test his of hers skills on these typical Meran
patterns as we so
can see in the following model game of the great Capablanca:
Capablanca,Jose Raul - Levenfish,Grigory [D49]
Moscow Moscow (19), 14.03.1935
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nc3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3
a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 axb5 13.Qf3 Ra5
14.0-0 b4 15.Bf4 Be7 16.Rfc1 0-0 17.Qh3 Rc5 18.Rxc5 Bxc5 19.Bg5 h6
20.Ng4 Be7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Nxh6+ Kg7 23.Qg4+ Kh8 24.Qh5 Kg7
25.Nxf7 Rh8 26.Qg6+ 1-0,here the user is invited to find: 19...h6
Diagram
2bq1rk1/5pp1/4pn1p/2b1N1B1/1p1p4/3B3Q/PP3PPP/R5K1 w - - 0 0
20.Ng4! [20.Nc6 Qd5 21.Bxf6 gxf6 (21...Qxc6 22.Qg3 g6 (22...g5 23.Qh3
Bb7 24.f3) 23.Bxg6) 22.Qxh6 f5 23.Rd1 Qxc6 (23...f6 24.Qg6+ Kh8
25.Bf1 Qd7) 24.Bxf5;
20.Bxh6 gxh6 21.Qxh6 Re8 22.Qg5+ Kf8 23.Rc1] 20...Be7 [20...hxg5
21.Nxf6+ Qxf6 22.Qh7#] 21.Bxf6 gxf6 [21...Bxf6 22.Nxh6+ gxh6 23.Qxh6
Re8
24.Bh7+ Kh8 25.Bg6+ Kg8 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Qxf7#] 22.Nxh6+ [22.Qxh6 f5]
22...Kg7 23.Qg4+ Kh8 [23...Kxh6 24.Qh4+ Kg7 25.Qh7#] 24.Qh5 Kg7
25.Nxf7 Rh8 [25...Rxf7 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Qh8#] 26.Qg6+ 1-0.
All well packed in a ChessBase userface.
A famous Meran game is: Botvinnik,Mikhail - Euwe,Max [D49]
World Championship 18th Den Haag/Moscow (12), 13.04.1948
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3
a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5 12.exf6 Qb6 13.fxg7 Bxg7
14.0-0 Nc5 15.Bf4 Bb7 16.Re1 Rd8 17.Rc1 Rd5 18.Be5 Bxe5 19.Rxe5 Rxe5
20.Nxe5 Nxd3 21.Qxd3 f6 22.Qg3 fxe5 23.Qg7 Rf8 24.Rc7 Qxc7
25.Qxc7 Bd5 26.Qxe5 d3 27.Qe3 Bc4 28.b3 Rf7 29.f3 Rd7 30.Qd2 e5 31.bxc4
bxc4 32.Kf2 Kf7 33.Ke3 Ke6 34.Qb4 Rc7 35.Kd2 Rc6 36.a4 1-0,and
this game is on the extra database and is well covered with a lot of
extra text from Kasparov!
Video running time is 6 hours
Extra grandmaster file with 50 entries.
Conclusion: There is no better way to
learn the tactics and strategies of the
Meran!
