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reviews of 1 April 2019
Wilhelminalaan 33John Elburg
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess DVD's
The Bombastic Bird's - an energetic and exciting repertoire after 1.f4
by Lawrence Trent
2019
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 well known Lawrence Trent provides the user of this DVD with two heavy download files on the good old Bird’s opening named after the famous English Master H.E.Bird who demonstrated as no other the aggressive potential of this opening in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Players as Nimzowitsch won several beautiful games with it and nowadays it is even taken up by word champions as wonder boy Magnus Carlsen!
A lot of attention from Trent goes to modern lines as the Bird Leningrad that runs with the moves 1.f4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 c5 7.c3 Nc6 8.Na3 b6 but players as Adams and Carlsen prefer here the set-up with the rook.
Included on this DVD are razor sharp lines from the Froms Gambit,established theory’s assessment of unclear comes for us as no suprice.
A fine example of play is in this line: Williams,Simon Kim (2473) - Howell,David (2340) [A02]
BCF-ch rapidplay Halifax (5), 13.11.2004
1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 g5 4.d4 g4 5.Ng5 d6 6.e4 h6 7.Nxf7 Kxf7 8.Bc4+ Kg7 9.e6 Nf6 10.0-0 Na5 11.Bd3 Bxe6 12.d5 Nc6 13.dxe6 Ne5 14.Nc3 c6 15.Ne2 Qe8 16.Nd4 c5 17.Nf5+ Kg6 18.Nh4+ Kg7 19.Bc4 Nxc4 20.Rxf6 Kxf6 21.Qf1+ Kxe6 22.Qxc4+ Kd7 23.Bf4 Bg7 24.Nf5 Be5 25.Nxd6 Qe6 26.Qb5+ Kxd6 27.Rd1+ Ke7 28.Bxe5 Rhd8 29.Qxb7+ Ke8 30.Rf1 Rac8 31.Qg7 Qe7 32.Qg6+ 1-0,running time is a impressive 6 hours and 21 minutes.
Included are selftests plus a Hugh model file from over 140 entries!
Conclusion: Very important reference DVD on the Bird!
Attacking Repertoire with 1.d4! Vol. 1
by Nicholas Pert
2019
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.
Attacking Repertoire with 1.d4! Vol. 2
by Nicholas Pert
2019
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.
Grandmaster Nicholas Pert comes with two smashing repertoire made attacking DVD’s based on the moves 1.d4 d5.2.c4 plus all kind of alternatives besides the deeply covered Queen’s Gambit Accepted and Declined.
And that includes lines as Tarrasch,Slav,Schara Henning Gambit,Triangle setup,Symmetrical,Baltic,Chigorin,Albin Counter Gambit and more.
The second DVD holds lines as Blumenfeld Gambit,Nimzo-Indian,Benoni setups,Benko Gambit,Blumenfeld,Budapest etc.
Both DVD have impressive download files and offer both together over 12 hour video entertainment.
A fine example of this all is the following game from the young Pert with the move 1.d4
on a famous grandmaster:
Pert,Nicholas (2320) - Chandler,Murray G (2555) [D32]
BCF-chT 9798 (4NCL) England (9.2), 23.05.1998
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.dxc5 d4 7.Na4 b5 8.cxb6 axb6 9.e3 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 d3 11.Bxb4 Nxb4 12.Nd4 Nf6 13.Nc3 0-0 14.Bxd3 Nxd3+ 15.Qxd3 Ba6 16.Ncb5 Re8 17.0-0 Re5 18.a4 Bb7 19.f3 Nd5 20.e4 Nf4 21.Qd2 Qf6 22.Nf5 Ne6 23.Nbd6 Ba6 24.f4 Rc5 25.e5 Qd8 26.b4 Rc7 27.Rfd1 h5 28.b5 Bb7 29.Nxb7 Qxd2 30.Rxd2 Rxb7 31.g3 Nc5 32.Rc2 Rba7 33.Ne3 Nb3 34.Ra3 Nd4 35.Rc4 Rd7 36.Kf2 Ne6 37.Ra2 Kf8 38.Rc6 Nd4 39.Rxb6 Rc8 40.Rd6 1-0
Included are exercises and extra databases with around 200 entries,but please note that the Grunfeld and Kings Indian variations (2...g6) are not covered here.
Conclusion: Smashing material!
Marin's English Love - A complete repertoire for White after 1.c4 Vol.1
by Mihail Marin
2019
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.
Marin's English Love - A complete repertoire for White after 1.c4 Vol.2
by Mihail Marin
2019
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.
Grandmaster Mihail Marin provides the user of these two DVD’s with a perfect made life time repertoire opening based on the move 1.c4, the so called English Opening, and it derives it name from the unofficial English world champion Howard Staunton.
Even the legendary Bobby Fischer used it once as suprice weapon.
it does not matter what black plays Marin comes with the perfect timeless grandmaster answer.
For the start there are six installation files and both DVD's are good for over 13 hours highly interesting video entertainment.
The first DVD includes all the lines with the move 1...e5,so as the Dutch and Indian set-ups
and part two goes for answers as 1...c5, 1...c6 and 1...e6.
Besides the excellent video analyses there are uncountable text explanations, so as for example the Double Fianchetto versus King's Indian.
Included are files with hundreds of interesting model games where many of them are more than excellent analysed.
The index of these DVD's are good for nearly 98 different and well covered variations!
Conclusion: Seldom I have such excellent made DVD’s!
Master Class Vol.11: Vladimir Kramnik
by Dr. Karsten Müller, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh, Yannick Pelletier
2019
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.
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik (Russian:Влади́мир Бори́сович Кра́мник; is a Russian chess grandmaster who came from Tuapse on the north easr cost of the Black Sea, in the deep south of Russia and was worldchampion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed Champion from 2006 to 2007.In 2000, Kramnik defeated Garry Kasparov and and became the Classical World Chess Champion. He defended his title in 2004 against Péter Lékó, and defeated the reigning FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov in a unification match in 2006.Some authors consider Kramnik as one of the greatest stars of modern chess but it was a quite sup rice for me to hear that Kramnik is going to retire from professional chess.ChessBase has managed to create a wonderful made master chess DVD on this chess genius,with a video running time of: 9 h 36 min (English) It includes all
Kramnik’s games(3145 games!},plus a short but very readable biography
A Kramnik Powerbook: The opening repertoire of the 14th world champion as a variation tree.
Plus a Tactics training file with 121 Kramnik games plus 399 training questions, where you can try to play like Kramnik if you are able to reach the maximum 835 points and of course it includes the ChessBase Reader 2017.One of Vladimir latest games is : Beradze,Irakli (2495) - Kramnik,Vladimir (2779) [D46]Olympiad-43 Batumi (3.3), 26.09.2018 [Ganguly,S] The only top player missing from the show after the first two rounds was big Vlad and now he finally decided to join in by playing a spectacular game. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 A very well-known setup which is popular because of its solidity. Like most of the closed openings there are great move order subtleties and it is well known how Kramnik pays attention to the tiny detail of move orders in every opening. 7...0-0 8.Bb2 If White can get î?§b2-d3 setup without allowing e5 then that is ideal. Normally Black is happy with b6-î?§b7 setup but that is mainly when White has committed his bishop to e2 and not d3. [8.Be2 b6 now this is fine as the white bishop is placed on e2] 8...Qe7 A move order finesse. Black remains flexible for both e5 and b6 plans and for now just waits to see where White will develop his light-squared bishop to. [8...b6 would be a concession and White gets his ideal setup without having to allow e5; 8...e5 is another way to solve problems but this leads to a totally different kind of position.] 9.Bd3 [9.Be2 is more popular 9...b6 will get to the normal setup with î?§e2 lines] 9...Re8! Now that the bishop is placed on d3 Black immediately prepares e5. The main difference of having the bishop on d3 is that after e5 White will not have time to take on d5 as Black has the threat of e4. 10.Ne2?! Until now White was blitzing out his moves and now after 22 minutes of thought he comes up with a desperate attempt to stop e5... which happens anyway. [10.0-0 e5 is the whole point of this move order. No time for cd5 and Black gets a comfortable position.; 10.0-0-0 was played by Shirov once. Here the game gets very wild but Black is generally doing totally fine.; 10.Rd1!? So that after the mass exchange on e5 Black is not able to take with queen as the h2-pawn isn't hanging anymore as compared to 10. 0-0. Here also there are many ways for Black to proceed. h6 and dc4 are two of them.] 10...e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Bxe5 Qxe5 Black has got a very comfortable position out of the opening. Just some minute inaccuracies follow and Kramnik shows the precise way to exploit the same. 14.0-0?! Surprisingly this 'most' obvious move is a mistake! [14.Rd1 As 0-0 is met tactically it would have been better to start with î?¦d1 first. 14...Qg5 15.0-0 Bg4 practically Black's position is easier to play but he is not better yet as compared to the game] 14...Ng4! Kramnik doesn't miss his chance. The problem is there is no concrete way to stop Black's threat without allowing him further activity. 15.Nf4 Here î?§lack had two strong options and Kramnik chose the one which will pose maximum practical problems. [15.Bxh7+ Gets three pawns for the piece but Black's pieces are way too active. 15...Kh8 16.Ng3 g6 17.Bxg6 fxg6 18.Qxg6 Rg8 Now if White doesn't exchange queens then Black can generate a heavy attack with his pieces on the kingside. 19.Qh5+ Qxh5 20.Nxh5 dxc4 21.bxc4 Ne5µ; 15.Ng3 h5! White doesn't get any time to consolidate 16.Rfe1 h4 17.Nf1 h3f] 15...g5 [15...d4!? 16.h3 dxe3 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.hxg4 Qxf4 19.Bf5 (19.Bd3 Bxg4µ) 19...e2 20.Rfe1 Bxf5 21.Qxf5 Qd4 22.Rac1 (22.Qxf7 Qxg4-+) 22...Kg8 23.Rc2 Re5 24.Qf3 Rae8 25.g5 Black keeps up the pressure but its still a long way before the game is won.] 16.h3 [16.Bxh7+ Kh8 17.h3 Nf6-+] 16...gxf4 17.exf4 Qxf4 18.hxg4 Bxg4 19.Rfe1 [19.cxd5 cxd5 20.Qc1 Qf6 Black remains a healthy pawn up.] 19...h5 [19...d4!-+ This looked more precise.] 20.cxd5 cxd5 21.Qc5 Re5! 22.Qc3?! [22.Rxe5 Qxe5 23.Rf1 Kg7 Not a good position as White. Things get even worse when one is playing against Kramnik.] 22...Rg5! Suddenly once again the white king comes into danger. Black is a pawn up and he is attacking too. 23.Bf1 d4 24.Qc1 Qf6 Now that Black's attack is strong it makes sense to avoid the exchange of queens. 25.Re4 d3! 26.Qe3 [26.Bxd3 Bf3] 26...Rd5 27.Rb1 d2 28.Qg3 Qg6 29.Bd3 Bf5 A very clean game by Kramnik. 0-1
Conclusion: Impressive made!
ChessBase Magazine issue 188
March - April 2019
Videos by Adrian Mikhalchishin, Yannick Pelletier and Georgios Souleidis
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 19.95
System requirements:
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, 10
There was a time that chess professionals have to carry a bag of heavy loaded chess magazines with them to keep abreast of latest developments, but in our computer chess age we only have to buy a simple ChessBase Magazine and with one mouse click the user has access to a Hugh amount of latest chess developments.
For example this super made ChessBase Magazine holds all the games of London Chess Classic plus all the Tata Steel games and that are all together 216 entries!
And from these games a small 47 of them cover excellent annotations from players as Anish Giri,Viswanathan Anand and more!
So there is a lot to learn here!
The so called theory files hold wel written contributions on: Symmetrical English,Accelerated Queens Indian,Dutch,Pirc,Sveshnikov,Maroczy,French Steinitz,Bishops Opening,Petroff,Poziani,Slav and Catalan.
This heavy loaded Magazine also hold excellent opening video from Daniel King on the King’s Gambit,Yannick Pelletier on the King’s Indian and Lawrence Trent on the Najdorf Variation.
Other columns are Williams: Move by Move,Rogozenco :The Classic,Marin:Kingside expansion with g4-g5,Reeh:Tactics Time to be brilliant,Knaak:Recent opening traps and at last Karsten Müller excellent made Endgame contribution with Recent rook endings.
The user shall find here two videos on Magnus Carlsen’s endgame with bishop + knight against rook from Wijk aan Zee and more!
Included is a eye catching booklet in two languages,English and German.
Conclusion:This is must have material and it offers more than any printed book or magazine!