CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 July 2016
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg


                                              Chess Books      

Attacking Chess for Club Players
Improve Your Skills to Overpower Your Opponents
by Herman Grooten
New in Chess
 http://www.newinchess.com/
350  pages
Price $ 27.95
ISBN: 978-90-5691-655-8



The well known Dutch chess trainer Herman Grooten has managed to create a wonderful attacking manual, with readable chapters as Attacking motifs,Cooperation between the pices,Making use of open lines, Exploiting weaknesses, Stereotypical motifs in opening variations, Training skills, Attacking games by ace players and of course the so instructive solutions to the exercises.
Herman Grooten is an educative teacher who enjoys playing around with words,
for example the following game of Garry Kasparov is packed with nearly five pages of highly instructive text: Kasparov,Garry (2630) - Van der Wiel,John (2465) [E12]
WchT U26 Graz, 1981
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 c5 5.d5 Ba6 6.Qc2 Qe7 7.Bg5 exd5 8.Nc3 Bxc4 9.e4 h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.exd5 Bxf1 12.Kxf1 d6 13.Re1+ Be7 14.Ne4 Qg6 15.Qa4+ Kf8 16.h4 Qf5 17.Qd1 Na6 18.Ng3 Qd7 19.Re4 Nc7 20.Rf4 Qb5+ 21.Kg1 Qxb2 22.Nf5 Bf6 23.Nxd6 Rd8 24.Nc4 Qa1 25.Qxa1 Bxa1 26.Nce5 Bxe5 27.Nxe5 Nxd5 28.Rxf7+ Kg8 29.Rh3 Re8 30.Rg3 g5 31.Rf5 Nf4 32.Re3 Rh7 33.hxg5 hxg5 34.g3 Nd5 35.Rd3 Nf6 36.Rxg5+ Rg7 37.Rf5 Ne4 38.a4 Rge7 39.f4 Re6 40.Kg2 R8e7 41.Kf3 Nd6 42.Rg5+ Rg7 43.Rxg7+ Kxg7 44.g4 a6 45.Rd5 Nc8 46.g5 Ne7 47.Rd7 Kf8 48.Rd8+ Kg7 49.Ke4 Nc6 50.Rd7+ Kf8 51.Kf5 Nxe5 52.fxe5 Re7 53.e6 1-0.
Around move 15 Kasparov started doing what he would become famous for,pulling faces in order to make an even greater impression with his play.He also didn’t forget to cast piercing looks at his opponent while making his moves.
Van de denounced Kasparov’s behaviour as shameful in an article. When in that same year,Kasparov also came to our country to take part in the famous Interpolis tournamant in Tilburg,which was to be his first trail of strength with the current world top,he was asked to comment on Van der Wiels’s criticism.
In Russia we have a proverb that says:bad dancers always have problems with their balls.
One of the most impressive combinations in this book comes from Manuel Bosboom in a blitz game with his double rook sacrifices when one variation is even more beautiful than the other.
A other blitz beauty in this book comes from the legendary Bobby Fischer: Fischer,Robert James - Fine,Reuben [C52]
New York New York, 1963
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.0-0 dxc3 8.Qb3 Qe7 9.Nxc3 Nf6 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Ne5 12.Nxe5 Qxe5 13.Bb2 Qg5 14.h4 Qxh4 15.Bxg7 Rg8 16.Rfe1+ Kd8 17.Qg3 1-0,the story is that Fine did win from Bobby too in this small blitz match but I fear the game is lost for ever.
Included in this book is also: Fischer,Robert James - Celle,O [C51]
Davis sim Davis, 1964
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Be7 6.d4 d6 7.dxe5 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 dxe5 9.Qh5 g6 10.Qxe5 Nf6 11.Ba3 Rf8 12.0-0 Ng4 13.Qg3 Bxa3 14.Nxa3 Qe7 15.Bb5+ c6 16.Nc4 Qe6 17.Rad1 cxb5 18.Qc7 Bd7 19.Nd6+ Ke7 20.Nf5+ gxf5 21.exf5 Rac8 22.Rxd7+ Qxd7 23.f6+ Nxf6 24.Re1+ Ne4 25.Rxe4+ Kf6 26.Qxd7 Rfd8 27.Qg4 1-0.
Compared with  Chess Strategy for Club Players,I only can say Herman Grooten has  done it again!
Conclusion: A master piece of explanation!   

Fundamental Checkmates by Antonio Gude
2016
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
383 pages
Price €27,00
ISBN 978-1-910093-80-1


The well known chess write and teacher Antonio Gude, explains in a very readable way the secrets of mating patterns, mechanisms and combinations.
This all is well packed in over 300 inviting exercises and full solutions, divided in various sections as Basic mates, Combinative patterns, Mating combinations with two pieces, The king in the centre, Castled king etc.
Between these chapters lay hundreds of fascinating positions  as for example the beautiful queen sacrifice of George Henry MacKenzie {1837-91}who was one of the strongest players of the second half of the 19th century. Born in Scotland,in 1863 he moved to the USA, fighting for the South in the Civil War, in which he achieved the rank of captain. After the war he settled in New York, becoming a chess professional.
For the readers of my website I shall give the complete game: Mackenzie,George Henry - Mason,James [C01]
Paris Paris (9), 15.07.1878
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Bd6 6.Bd3 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Bg5 Ne7 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nh4 Kg7 11.Qh5 Rh8 12.f4 c6 13.Rf3 Ng6 14.Raf1 Qc7 15.Ne2 Bd7 16.Ng3 Rag8 17.Qh6+ Kxh6 18.Nhf5+ Bxf5 19.Nxf5+ Kh5 20.g4+ Kxg4 21.Rg3+ Kh5 22.Be2# 1-0,
The combination with 17.Qh6+ was one of his most famous.
One of my favourite positions in this book is: Stoltz,Goesta - Steiner,Herman [A21]
Saltsjobaden Interzonal Saltsjobaden (4), 19.09.1952
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 f5 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.d4 Be7 6.e3 0-0 7.Nge2 Kh8 8.Qc2 Qe8 9.b3 Nc6 10.Ba3 exd4 11.exd4 f4 12.0-0-0 Nh5 13.Be4 g6 14.Nd5 Qd8 15.Bb2 f3 16.Nef4 Bg5 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Qxg6 Ng7 19.h4 Bxf4+ 20.gxf4 Bf5 21.Qh6+ Bh7 22.Ne3 Rf6 23.Qg5 Rg6 24.d5 Rxg5 25.hxg5 Ne7 26.Ng4 Qc8 27.g6 Qxg4 28.Rxh7+ Kg8 29.Rxg7+ Kf8 30.Rf7+ Ke8 31.Re1 Qxg6 32.Rexe7+ Kd8 33.Bf6 Qxf6 34.Rxf6" 1-0,Gösta Stoltz was a car mechanic and only a semi-professional of chess.A brilliant combinative player.
Alekhine once said of Stoltz:He had a refined sense for coming up with unusual ideas.
Included is a impressive made index of names!
Conclusion: Very instructive!

A simple chess opening repertoire for white by Sam Collins
2016
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
159 pages
Price €17,55
ISBN 978-1-910093-82-5

Sam Collins comes with a small but very well thought repertoire book for white, based on lines that I have seen hardly before, as for example
the Italian line:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nbd2!?
Yes it was once played by a Carl Pomtow,back in 1862 against the great Shallopp but the white player did not realize where he did step up.
120 years later it was played by a bright young player: Andersson,Tommy - Ballester Sanz,Joaquin (2225) [C54]
Wch U14 Warsaw (8), 1991
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nbd2 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Qb3 Na5 10.Qd3 Nxc4
11.Qxc4 0-0 12.0-0 c6 13.Ne4 Re8 14.Nc3 Ba5 15.Bg5 f6 16.Bd2 Be6 17.Qd3 Nb4 18.Qb1 Bc4 19.Re1 Rxe1+
 20.Bxe1 Qd7 21.a3 Nd3 22.Bd2 Qg4 23.h3 Qf5 24.b3 Bf7 25.Qc2 Bh5 26.b4 Bc7 27.Be3 Bg6 28.Nh4 Qh5
29.Nxg6 Qxg6 30.Qd2 a5 31.bxa5 Rxa5 32.Kf1 c5 33.Nd5 Bd8 34.Qxa5 Bxa5 35.Ne7+ Kf7 36.Nxg6 Kxg6 37.dxc5 Bd8 38.Rd1 1-0.
And now we have some wonderful analyses from Sam Collins which I may not give away, but I can insure the reader
these lines touch grandmaster play!
Against the Two Knights Defence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 Collins goes for the so called
Modern Attack,one of white’s most underrated systems!
Against the Alekhine Collins goes for the interesting move order 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 which is after
Alekhine expert GM Alex Baburin very annoying!
Against the Sicilian Collins goes for the move 2.c3,this set-up is easy to learn and often leads to promising attacking play!
Conclusion: One of most interesting repertoire books of this moment!    
Chess DVD's

ChessBase Magazine issue 172
2016
June/July
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Price Euro 19.95



ChessBase Magazine issue 172 comes with a impressive tournament file of 734 entries where a small 51 of them are excellent analysed.
A fine example is: Nakamura,Hikaru (2787) - Akobian,Varuzhan (2615) [C42]
USA-ch Saint Louis (7), 21.04.2016
[Nakamura,H]
1.e4 e5!? The first surprise, but this was not entirely unexpected. Varuzhan had already lost to Wesley So in a very brutal Rubinstein French earlier in the tournament.
2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.Ra2!? This idea isn't completely new, in fact it was featured in Kasimdzhanov-Gelfand from the World Cup in 2007. However, Kasim's play wasn't inspiring and the line never really came back into fashion. 14...Na5 15.cxd5 Qxd5 16.Rb2 c6 [16...a6 Not best, but maybe not that bad either. 17.Ne5 Bxa3 18.Bf3 Qd6 19.Rbe2 (19.Ra2 Bxc1 20.Rxa5 Bf4 21.Bxb7 Rab8 22.Rxa6) 19...Bxc1 20.Qxc1 Nc6 21.Qb2² ½-½ (30) Shankland,S (2634)-Robson,R (2631) Saint Louis 2014. White is slightly better, but I'm not sure if it is enough of an advantage to win.;
16...b6? 17.Ne5! (17.Rb5 c5 18.Ne5 Qd6 19.Bf4 Bf6= 0-1 (40) Filippov,A (2607)-Bu,X (2682) Ha Long City 2009) 17...Rad8 18.Bf3 Qd6 19.Rbe2²] 17.Ne5 [17.Qa4 Qd8 18.c4 Bf6 19.Be3 Be4 20.Rd2 b6= 0-1 (52) Kasimdzhanov,R (2677)-Gelfand,B (2733) Elista 2007 21.Ne5 Qe7 22.Ng4 Bg5 23.Bf1 Bxe3 24.Rxe3 Qg5 25.Qd1 Bf5 26.Ne5 f6 27.Nf3 Qf4 28.Rde2 Bd7 29.Qe1 Rxe3 30.Rxe3 Qd6 31.h3 c5 32.d5 Kf8 33.Nd2 Bf5 34.Be2 Qd7 35.Bh5 Nb7 36.g4 Bg6 37.Bxg6 hxg6 38.g5 Nd6 39.gxf6 gxf6 40.Qa1 Kg7 41.Re6 Rf8 42.a4 Rf7 43.Qc3 Nf5 44.Nf3 Qxa4 45.Ng5 Rf8 46.Re1 Nd4 47.Re7+ Kg8 48.Qd3 Nf5 49.Qe2 Qa1+ 50.Kh2 fxg5 51.Qe6+ Kh8 52.Rb7 Qd4] 17...Bxa3 18.Bf3 Qd6 19.Rbe2 Bxc1 20.Qxc1 Be6 21.Be4?!N [21.Bh5 Rf8 22.Re3 Nc4µ 0-1 (45) Melia,S (2467)-Nebolsina,V (2310) Rijeka 2010;
21.Qb1!? This is also an interesting alternative.] 21...Rad8 [21...f6 22.Nf3 (22.Qb1 I suspect Varuzhan was afraid of this move because of how long he spent deciding between 21...¦ad8 and 21...f6. 22...fxe5 23.Bxh7+ Kh8 (23...Kf8?! 24.dxe5 Qc5 25.Qc1 Rad8 26.Qg5 Nc4 27.Bg6 Nd6!! 28.Bxe8 Rxe8 29.Re3 Nf7 30.Qg6 Kg8 31.Rg3 Qf8 32.Re4 Nh8 I guess this position is equal, but the whole line feels very far from human.) 24.Bg6 Nc4 25.Bxe8 Rxe8 26.Qxb7 Bd5 27.dxe5 Qe6 28.Qxa7 Bxg2 29.Kxg2 Qg4+ 30.Kh1 Qf3+ 31.Kg1 Qg4+=) 22...Bf7 23.Qb1 g6 24.h4 Kg7 25.h5© There is definitely compensation here, but I feel that Black should be able to defend with correct play.] 22.Qb1 g6 23.f4?! This move is probably fine, but I was very unhappy with myself during the game after the next couple of moves. [23.h4! Kg7T 24.h5 Nc4T 25.Bxg6 Nxe5 26.dxe5 Qe7 27.Be4 Rg8 A computer move after which Black seems to be fine, but all of these moves would have been extremely hard to find.] 23...c5! 24.f5 I played this after a 45 minute think. For almost all of that time, I was trying to figure out what to do against 24...¥b3. I tried to find alternatives, but nothing else besides f5 made any sense. 24...cxd4? A strange decision played almost instantly by Varuzhan. This decision confused me greatly. I had no concrete plan against 24...¥b3, but I saw nothing better. [24...Bb3! 25.Bd3!! A brilliant computer move and one which I had seen, but completely underestimated. (25.Bxb7 Most likely, this is the move I would have played after which White cannot claim an advantage. 25...cxd4 (25...Rf8 26.fxg6 hxg6 27.d5! Nxb7 28.Qxb3 Qxd5 29.c4 Qd4+ 30.Kh1 Na5 31.Qb5 Qc3 32.Qxc5 Nb3 33.Qxa7 Rd2 White is up a pawn, but Black should again be able to liquidate into a drawn endgame.) 26.Nc4 Bxc4 27.Rxe8+ Kg7 (27...Rxe8 Not this order. 28.Rxe8+ Kg7 29.fxg6 hxg6 30.Qe1!! Qf6 (30...Nxb7 31.Qh4+-) 31.Bf3 dxc3 32.Re3 c2 33.Be4±) 28.Rxd8 Qxd8 29.cxd4 Qxd4+ 30.Kh1 Bd3 31.Rd1 Bxb1 32.Rxd4 Nxb7 33.Rb4 Bxf5 34.Rxb7 a6=) 25...cxd4 26.fxg6 hxg6 27.Nc4 Qd7 28.Nxa5 Rxe2 29.Bxe2 Ba4 30.Bc4 Kg7 31.Qe4 dxc3 32.Qe5+ Kg8 33.Qxc3 Qd4+ 34.Qxd4 Rxd4 35.Rf1 Rd7 36.Ra1 Bc2 37.Bb5 Re7 38.Kf2± I assume that this is probably still pretty close to a draw, but White can definitely press.;
24...Bc4? 25.fxg6 fxg6 (25...hxg6 26.Bxg6+-) 26.Nxc4 Nxc4 27.Bd5+ Qxd5 28.Rxe8+ Rxe8 29.Rxe8+ Kf7 30.Qe1 Qd7 31.Rb8+-;
24...Bd5? 25.Bxd5 Qxd5 26.Ng4 Rxe2 27.Nf6+ Kf8 28.Nxd5 Rxe1+ 29.Qxe1 Rxd5 30.c4 Nxc4 31.f6+-] 25.fxe6 Rxe6 26.Nxf7 Kxf7 27.Bd5? Another dilemma. I played 27.¥d5 because I wasn't certain if I could untangle all my pieces and win in the 27.£a2 variations. However, I simply forgot that it was possibile to sac the queen for the 2 rooks at the time. [27.Qa2 Kg7 (27...dxc3 28.Bxg6+ hxg6 29.Rxe6 Qd4+ 30.Kh1 Rd5 31.Re7+ Kf6 32.Qe2+-) 28.Qxa5 Rde8 29.c4 (29.Qxa7? d3 30.Bxd3 Qxd3 31.Rxe6 Rxe6 32.Qxb7+ (32.Rxe6 Qb1+ 33.Kf2 Qf5+ 34.Kg1 Qb1+!=) 32...Kf6 33.Rxe6+ Kxe6 34.Qc6+ Ke5 35.Qe8+ Kf5 36.Qe1²) 29...R8e7 30.c5 Qc7 31.Qb4 Re5 32.Bf3 Rxe2 33.Rxe2 Rxe2 34.Bxe2 Qe5 35.Qxb7+ Kh6 36.Qb5 Qe3+ 37.Kh1 Qc1+ 38.Bf1 d3 39.Qxd3 Qxc5 40.Qe4 a5 41.g3+-] 27...Qxd5 28.Rxe6 dxc3? The last blunder after which there are no remaining opportunities to save the game. [28...Qxe6 29.Rxe6 Kxe6 30.Qe4+ (30.Qa2+ During the game I thought this was simply winning, but to my horror I completely forgot about 30...Rd5= in my calculations.) 30...Kd6 (30...Kf7 31.cxd4 Nc6 32.d5 Ne7 33.Qe6+ Kf8 34.d6 Nc6 35.Kf2+- This should be winning.) 31.Qxd4+ Kc7 32.Qxa7 Nc6 33.Qc5 Rd7=] 29.R6e5 Qd4+ 30.Kh1 b6 31.Qa2+ Kg7 32.Re7+ Kh6 33.Qf7 Nc4 34.Qxh7+ Kg5 35.R7e6 Qd3 36.h4+ Kf4 37.Qh6+ [37.Qh6+ Kg3 38.Qg5+ Kf2 39.Qf4+ Qf3 40.Qxf3#] 1-0.
The theory files of these ChessBase Magazines have become wanted item and in this issue I found: Havasi: Reti Opening A11
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bf5,Postny: Anti-Grünfeld A16
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4,Moskalenko: Dutch Defence A80
1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 c6,Kuzmin: Caro-Kann B11
1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e5 Ne4,Sumets: Caro-Kann B12
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.0-0 Bg6,Reinke: Sicilian Defence B20
1.e4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 3.a3,Stohl: Sicilian Defence B94
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7,Ris: Max Lange Attack C56
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Bc5 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4,Szabo: Ruy Lopez C65
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nbd2 Ne7 8.d4 exd4 9.cxd4 Bb6,Schandorff: London System D02
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6,Bronznik: Chigorin Defence D07
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Nc3 e6,Marin: Semi-Slav D45
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 0-0 8.Be2 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Bb2 and Krasenkow: Grünfeld Defence D80
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7.
Overloaded is the correspondence file with over 20000 entries.
Openings video come from Alexei Shirov Sicilian Rossolimo with 3…e6,Adrian Mikhalchishin with the Bogo-Indian 4.Nbd2 d5 and Sagar Shah with the famous English Gambit.
Other DVD columns are Williams: Move by Move,Rogozenco:The Classic {Lasker – Janowski,Paris 1909},Marin Strategy,Müller Pawn Endings {Karsten Müller’s column contains two introduction texts,23 annotated endgames,many training questions and five videos in classic form.And at last
Knaak with: The opening trap.
Conclusion: This is top must have material!

Chess Programs Komodo
Komodo 10
2016
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price:€79,90
Minimum: Pentium III 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Windows Vista, XP (Service Pack 3), DirectX9 graphic card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 12/Fritz 13 or included Reader and internet connection for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, DirectX10 graphic card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or better, 100% DirectX10 compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVD-ROM drive and internet connection for program activation


The programmers of Komodo have managed to improve  this latest version with over 60 points compared with his impressive  predecessors as Fritz and Houdini.
It was Boris Avrukh who said “In my opinion it's the perfect combination between computer accuracy and human positional understanding.
Komodo mastermind GM Larry Kaufman explained on internet the secret of this program lays in the Hugh amount of new parameters, in other words
this program is completely new rewritten.
As we all know chess engines play above grandmaster level and the great Karsten Müller and his companion Yakov Konoval gave some nice computer
play examples on there latest endgame book Understanding Rook Endgames,Gambit 2016.
Some nice features from Komodo 10 are: Developed by a Grandmaster,it supports
 up to 64 cores,and ofcourse a  Syzygy endgame tablebase support and that works all perfect!
 'Persistent Hash' lets you save Komodo's analysis of a position and this program is even able
 to make long-term sacrifices of material or pawn structures.
This engine program has won three of the last four TCEC championships and that puts him on the same level as Bobby Fischer in the 1970s!
ChessBase brings it all in a new  64-bit multi-processor engine (optionally 32-bit)
Latest Fritz 15 64-bit user interface (optionally 32-bit)
Premium membership for the all new ChessBase Web Apps and playchess.com for six months.
Conclusion: Certainly the strongest chess engine of this moment!

TrainingOpeningFritztrainer
Semi-Tarrasch: A universal weapon against 1.d4
by  Mihail Marin
2016
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

Grandmaster Mihail Marin provides the user of this DVD with a complete Semi-Tarrasch repertoire for Black,not only covering the latest developments but
also  takes time to explain, in a highly instructive way the strategies of the Semi –Tarrasch.
All material is packed in three impressive files, one from 142 entries, the Semi Tarrasch theory, Semi Tarrasch model games 51 entries and the video file
 with 34 impressive made video files and good for over 6 hours highly instructive video time.
And in two languages,German and English!
A player who understood as no other the Semi-Tarrasch was the great Viktor
Kortschnoj : Cobo Arteaga,Eldis - Kortschnoj,Viktor [D41]
Capablanca Memorial Havana (1), 1963
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 0-0
11.Bc4 Nc6 12.0-0 b6 13.Rfd1 Na5 14.Bd3 Bb7 15.Qe2 Qe7 16.Ba6 Rac8 17.Bxb7 Nxb7 18.Qa6 Nd6 19.Qd3 h6
20.Rac1 Rfd8 21.h3 Qb7 22.Rxc8 Rxc8 23.d5 exd5 24.exd5 Qc7 25.Nd4 Qc5 26.Nc6 Re8 27.Nxa7 Ra8 28.Nc6 Rxa2
29.Qd4 Qxd4 30.Rxd4 Ra1+ 31.Kh2 Kf8 32.Rb4 b5 33.Nd4 Ra4 34.Nc6 Rxb4 35.Nxb4 Ne4 36.Kg1 Ke7 37.Kf1 Kd6
38.Ke2 Kc5 39.Ke3 Kxb4 40.Kxe4 Kc5 0-1.
Conclusion: One of those super made GM openings DVD’s!

TrainingOpeningFritztrainer
The Accelerated London with 2.Bf4
by  Nigel Davies
2016
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

Grandmaster Nigel Davies digs this time in the London System, which has been for a long time a popular opening at club level chess but with the new move order from Davies 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3!? it could easy become popular under grandmasters!
But the standard lines from London System are well covered and excellent explained. All together there are 25 video files,7 self tests and a extra database from  over the 120 entries.
Running time is 4 hours and 21 minutes.
A fine example of the move 3.Nc3 is Meister,Jakob (2481) - Kuhn,Clemens (2047) [A45]
Berlin Lichtenberger op 6th Berlin, 2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Qd2 d6 5.Bh6 Bxh6 6.Qxh6 Nbd7 7.e4 e5 8.Nf3 Qe7 9.0-0-0 exd4 10.Nxd4 Ne5 11.h3 Be6 12.f4 Ned7 13.f5 gxf5 14.exf5 Bd5 15.Ndb5 Nb6 16.Nxc7+ Qxc7 17.Qxf6 1-0.
Yes the London System is sometimes razor sharp!
A other instructive example is : Grachev,Boris (2640) - Kamsky,Gata (2723) [D00]
Moscow Tal Memorial Blitz Moscow (32), 30.08.2008
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Qb3 Nc6 6.Nd2 e6 7.h3 Be7 8.Ngf3 0-0 9.Be2 Bd7 10.Qxb6 axb6 11.Bc7 Bd8 12.Bd6 Be7 13.Bc7 Bd8 14.Bd6 Be7 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 16.Ne5 Rfd8 17.0-0 Nc6 18.f4 Ne8 19.a3 Nd6 20.Nd3 cxd4 21.exd4 Ne7 22.Ne5 Bb5 23.Rae1 Bxe2 24.Rxe2 b5 25.g4 g6 26.Nd3 Nc6 27.Kg2 Kg7 28.Nf2 Na5 29.Nf3 Nac4 30.Rfe1 Re8 31.Kg3 h6 32.Ne5 Re7 33.Ned3 Rae8 34.Nb4 Kf8 35.Nfd3 Ne4+ 36.Rxe4 dxe4 37.Rxe4 Nd6 38.Re2 f6 39.Kg2 Kf7 40.Rf2 Rh8 41.Ne5+ Kg7 42.Ned3 g5 43.Re2 Rhe8 44.Kf3 Kg6 45.Rh2 Kg7 46.Re2 Kf7 47.Rf2 Rh8 48.Ke3 Kg7 49.Kf3 h5 50.fxg5 hxg4+ 51.hxg4 fxg5 52.Re2 Nc4 53.Kg3 Kf8 54.Nc5 Rh6 55.Ne4 Rg7 56.b3 Nb6 57.Nc5 Re7 58.Nbd3 Nd5 59.c4 bxc4 60.bxc4 Nb6 61.Ne5 Reh7 62.Rf2+ Ke8 63.Kf3 Rh2 64.Nxe6 Rxf2+ 65.Kxf2 Rh3 66.Nc5 Rxa3 67.Nxb7 Ra4 68.Nd6+ Ke7 69.Nf5+ Kf6 70.Ne3 Ke6 71.Kf3 Ra3 72.Ke4 Kf6 73.c5 Na4 74.Nd5+ Ke6 75.Nc7+ Kf6 76.Kd5 Nc3+ 77.Kc6 Ra4 78.Nd7+ Ke7 79.d5 Rxg4 80.d6+ Kd8 81.Ne6+ Ke8 82.Nf6+ Kf7 83.Nxg4 Kxe6 84.d7 Ke7 85.Kc7 Nb5+ 86.Kc8 Na7+ 87.Kb7 Nb5 88.c6 Kd8 89.Ne5 Nd6+ 90.Kb8 Nb5 91.Nf7+ 1-0.
Conclusion: Highly instructive!