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reviews of 1 December 2018
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Chess Books
Kurt Richter: A Chess Biography With 499 Games
by Alan McGowan
2018
McFarland & Company,Inc.,Publishers Box 611
Jefferson,North Carolina 28640.
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com
368 pages
Price $75.00
ISBN: 978-1-4766-6906-9
Kurt Paul Otto Joseph Richter was born on 24 November 1900,in Berlin and died on 29 December 1969 in
Berlin was a brilliant International chess Master and a highly rewarded chess author.
This wonderful made McFarland book written by the chess historian Alan McGowan is completely devoted to the life and games of the German chess genius who was a master of the attack.
McGowan describes in a honest way the years of World War 1,economic depression, inflation, Nazism,World War11,the cold war and the division of his beloved Berlin.
The research of this book done by the author is more than impressive, specially by the help of Richter's brother Gerhard who provided the author with original documents, photographs and score sheets.
Richter's father was reportedly killed in France shortly after the outbreak of World War1 in the summer of 1914.This must have been a difficult time for Richter's mother,Rosa,who now had to find work to support herself and her two children, and it was during this time that hunger and poor nutrition contributed to Richter's health problems. His brother Gerad said that while Richter's body grew his internal organs didn't develop properly, which resulted in a heart that was much too small to provide the physical strength later required for major tournaments.
Richter's name is related with the Queen's Pawn Richter Veresov opening 1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 and even more famous Richter Rauzer Attack:1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Pf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 and the stem game did run with the move order 6...e6 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5 Qa5 9.Bb5+,Richter – Koch,Schachgesellschaft 1931.
But Richter did not fear to play romantic lines as Budapest Gambit, Polish Defense, Scandinavian, and even the Latvian Gambit did get a turn from our famous master
of attack!
All together there are over 499 games in this book where many of them cover original analyses of that time.
A fine example is: Heinicke,Herbert - Richter,Kurt Paul [A09]
Bad Harzburg Bad Harzburg (2), 27.06.1938
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.e3 dxe3 4.fxe3 e5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 g5 7.0-0 g4 8.Ne1 h5 9.Nc2 Bd6 10.Ne4 f5 11.Nxd6+ Qxd6 12.d4 h4 13.b3 h3 14.g3 Nf6 15.Ba3 Qd7 16.dxe5 Ne4 17.Qxd7+ Bxd7 18.Bb2 0-0-0 19.Rad1 Rhe8 20.Nd4 Nxe5 21.Nxf5 Nf3+ 22.Bxf3 gxf3 23.Rxf3 Bxf5 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.Rxf5 Rd2 26.Be5 Rg2+ 27.Kf1 Rxh2 28.g4 Rg2 29.Rh5 Nd2+ 30.Ke1 h2 31.Bf4 c6 32.e4 Nf3+ 33.Kf1 Rxa2 34.g5 Kd7 35.g6 Ke6 36.Be3 Kf6 37.Rh6 b6 38.e5+ Kg7 39.e6 Kf6 40.Rh8 Ra1+ 41.Kg2 Rg1+ 42.Kxf3 h1Q+ 43.Rxh1 Rxh1 44.c5 b5 45.Bd4+ Kxg6 46.Ke4 Re1+ 0-1,this game is pleasantly well analyzed with 1,5 pages of text!
Interesting to mention is that Kurt Richter did not participate in any major tournament after Munich 1942!
By the way a brilliant win from Munich 1942 on the legendary Paul Keres:
Keres,Paul - Richter,Kurt Paul [A28]
Europa-Meisterschaft Munich (8), 22.09.1942
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bg3 d6 9.Rc1 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Bf5 11.h4 Kd7 12.Rd1 Ne4 13.Qe5 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 Nxg3 15.fxg3 Bg6 16.hxg5 Qxg5 17.Qf4 Rae8 18.Rd5 Qxf4 19.gxf4 b6 20.Kf2 h5 21.e3 h4 22.Rg5 Be4 23.Be2 Reg8 24.Bg4+ Kc6 25.Rxg8 Rxg8 26.Rxh4 Kc5 27.Bf3 Bxf3 28.Kxf3 Kxc4 29.Rh7 Rf8 30.g4 Kxc3 31.Ke4 c5 32.Kd5 c4 33.e4 Kb4 34.g5 c3 35.Rh2 Rc8 36.Rc2 b5 37.f5 a5 38.Kxd6 Kc4 39.e5 b4 40.Kd7 Ra8 41.e6 fxe6 42.f6 a4 43.f7 b3 44.axb3+ axb3 45.Rxc3+ Kxc3 46.g6 b2 47.g7 b1Q 48.f8Q Qb7+ 49.Kxe6 Ra6+ 50.Kf5 Qd7+ 51.Kf4 Ra4+ 52.Kg3 Qd3+ 53.Qf3 Ra8 54.g8Q Rxg8+ 55.Kh2 Rh8+ 56.Kg1 Rg8+ 57.Kh2 Kc2 58.Qc6+ Kd1 59.Qf3+ Qe2+ 0-1.
Alekhine wrote: One of the riches in content!
Format: library binding (8.5 x 11)
Bibliographic Info: 93 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, indexes
Conclusion: A book we all must have!
Chess DVD's
King's Indian Defence (French Language)
2018
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, Windows 7 or 8.1, DirectX11, graphics card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 14/Fritz 16 or included Reader and internet access for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel i5 (Quadcore), 4 GB RAM, Windows 10, DirectX11, graphics card with 512 MB RAM or more, 100% DirectX10-compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVD-ROM drive and internet access for program activation.
The French authors Grandmaster Fabien Libiszewski & companion Sebastian Maze come with a impressive made over 6 hour video coverage of the good old King’s Indian, where I found 32 theoretic video files and various testing exercises to test your new leaned skills.
The aim lays by the black player who is provided by both authors with a detailed repertoire as for example in the dangerous Sämisch 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 the move order 5…a6 6.Be3 c6 7.a4 c5.
Included is an extra file of 172 entries where many cover excellent annotations but above all I did enjoy the following game of the legendary Bobby Fischer who understand as no other the secrets of the King’s Indian!
Marchand,Erich Watkinson - Fischer,Robert James [A15]
New Western op Astor Hotel, Milwaukee (8), 08.07.1957
1.c4 PS 1...Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2 0-0 5.g3 d6 6.Bg2 e5 7.d4 [7.d3 Nbd7 (7...Re8 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Nc3 e4?! 10.Nxe4! Nxe4 11.Bxg7 Nxf2 12.Rxf2 Kxg7 13.Qd2 h6²) 8.0-0 Ne8 9.Qc2 f5 10.d4 e4 11.Ne1 c6 12.e3 Qe7µ Marchand,E-Fischer,R/Eastern States Open 1956] 7...e4 8.Nfd2 Re8 9.e3 c6 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.h3 h5 12.Qc2 d5 13.c5 Na6 14.a3 Nc7 15.Ne2 Ne6 16.Rd1 b6 17.b4 a5 18.Bc3 bxc5 19.bxc5 Nc7 20.Rb1 Nb5 21.Qc1 Qd7 22.Nb3 Qc7 23.Bd2 a4 24.Na1 h4 25.g4 Bd7 26.Bb4 Nh7 27.Nc2 Ng5 28.Qd1 Bc8 29.Kd2 Ba6 30.Kc1 Ne6 31.Bf1 Rf8 32.Qe1 f5 33.gxf5 Rxf5 34.Nc3 Nxc3 35.Bxc3 Bxf1 36.Rxf1 Raf8 37.Rb6 Ng5 38.Qe2 Nxh3 39.Be1 Qh2 40.Rxc6 Nxf2 41.Kb1 Qg2! 42.Nb4 h3-+ 43.Nxd5 Rxd5 44.Qc4 Kh7 45.Bxf2 Rxf2 46.Rc1 h2 [46...Rb2+! 47.Ka1 Rb3 48.Qc3 Rxc3 49.Rxc3 h2!-+ Matt in 4 Zügen.] 47.Rxg6 Kxg6 48.c6 h1Q 49.c7 Rb2+ [49...Rb2+ 50.Ka1 Ra2+ 51.Kb1 (51.Qxa2 Qxc1+ 52.Qb1 Qgb2#) 51...Qb2#] 0-1
Master Dr.Erich W. Marchand,was a mathematician, from Rochester, New York, Marchand was born on July 07, 1914 and died on August 29, 1999 at the age of 85. He was a professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Rochester,he was also involved in correspondence chess and was president of Correspondence Chess League of America!
Conclusion: Impressive made!
The Aggressive Classical Dutch for Black
by Nicholas Pert
2018
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, Windows 7 or 8.1, DirectX11, graphics card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 14/Fritz 16 or included Reader and internet access for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel i5 (Quadcore), 4 GB RAM, Windows 10, DirectX11, graphics card with 512 MB RAM or more, 100% DirectX10-compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVD-ROM drive and internet access for program activation.
The English Grandmaster Nicholas Pert provides the user of this DVD with two heavy loaded installation files,which is good for over 9 hours highly interesting video entertainment!
All material is divided in the following sections: Analysis, extra, model games and 28 video files plus several extra testing positions!
The main choice from Nicholas Pert goes to the classical set-up with the mode order 1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.c4 Be7 5.Nf3 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3 Ne4! And that makes this DVD to a very important reference work on the Classical Dutch!
For all who fear the dangerous Gambit Line with 2.e4 this all waved away with the move order 2…fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nc6!? 5.d5 Ne5 6.Qe2 Nf7 7.Bxf6 exf6 8.Nxe4 Bb4+ 9.c3 Be7 10.d6 cxd6 11.Qd2 Qc7 12.Ne2 and white has probably enough compensation for equality,but definitely no more than that!
As we can see in the following model game our author does not only write about the Classical Dutch but he is also a great expert himself!
Stoyanov,Viktor (2129) - Pert,Nicholas (2543) [A96]
Basingstoke 4NCL Spring Bank op-A 1st Basingstoke (2), 26.05.2018
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6 7.Nc3 Ne4 8.Qc2 Nxc3 9.Qxc3 Bf6 10.Rd1 Qe7 11.Qc2 e5 12.e4 Nc6 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Bd2 f4 15.gxf4 exf4 16.Bxf4 Bg4 17.c5 Bxf3 18.Bxf3 Bh4 19.Qb3+ Qf7 20.Qd5 Kh8 21.Qf5 Qg6+ 22.Qxg6 hxg6 23.Bxc7 Rxf3 24.Bg3 Bxg3 25.hxg3 Raf8 26.Rd2 Ne5 27.Rad1 Ng4 28.Rd8 Rxf2 29.Rxf8+ Rxf8 30.Rd7 Rb8 31.b4 Nf6 32.Rd6 Re8 33.e5 Rxe5 34.Rd8+ Re8 35.Rd6 Kg8 36.a4 Kf7 37.a5 Re6 38.Rd8 a6 39.Rb8 Re7 40.Rc8 Nd5 41.c6 Nxb4 42.c7 Ke6 0-1 and that makes this DVD more than interesting!
Conclusion: This is super ChessBase material!
The Open Games - A detailed overview
by Georgios Souleidis
2018
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, Windows 7 or 8.1, DirectX11, graphics card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 14/Fritz 16 or included Reader and internet access for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel i5 (Quadcore), 4 GB RAM, Windows 10, DirectX11, graphics card with 512 MB RAM or more, 100% DirectX10-compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVD-ROM drive and internet access for program activation.
Georgios Souleidis is a strong International chess master who digs with 3 heavy loaded installation files into the world of the Open Games,with lines as the King´s Gambit, Ruy Lopez,Scotch, Italian game,Philidor,Latvian and so on,all possibilities are
well explained in highly instructive video entertainment and pdf files,and all in perspective for both players of the board.
After Souleidis the Latvian Gambit is not a serious opening and is waved away with
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.f3 exf3 8.Qxf3 Nf6 9.Ne3 Nc6 10.Bd3 Qf7 11.Bc4 Qg6 12.Ned5 Bg4 13.Qe3+ Kd7 14.0-0 Re8 15.Qf2 Nxd5 16.Nxd5 but maybe black is able to improve somewhere? It would be nice for the book:The Latvian Gambit Lives!
For example the Marshall Gambit is explained with one large theoretical file,so a player does not need more to get involved with this razor sharp line!
But both players have to memorize a lot!
Included are various puzzles plus an extra file from 249 entries
Video running time is over 8 hours!
Conclusion: Top!