CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 October 2020

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
           John Elburg


 
                                                                                            
Chess CD's

ChessBase Magazine issue 197
September- October  2020
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



The great Anish Giri shows us his best games with the Italian and is not afraid to throw his secrets away!
Corona or not ChessBase has managed to come with top chess material as from players as
Wojtaszek, Harikrishna, Adams, Anton Guijarro, Hübner, Gelfand, Keymer et al.
The main file is good for 733 entries,and where 25 of them are more than excellent analysed.
A fine example of play is:
Adams,Michael (2701) - Edouard,Romain (2649) [B51]
Biel blitz 53rd Biel (5), 25.07.2020
[Adams,Michael]
I don't usually annotate blitz games, but as I don't normally start a tournament with 9.5/10 either, I thought I would make an exception. Sadly normal service was resumed from then on, as I struggled to finish with 11/14. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.Ba4 Ngf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 Romain paused for a moment here, taking this very hot pawn is not a very clever idea, but often White will have to sacrifice more material to justify his play, which can easily go wrong in blitz. 6.Re1 Nef6 [6...d5 7.c4 Nef6 8.d4 opens the centre quickly. The pressure exerted by the rook on e1 and the bishop on a4 make it hard for Black to get his king to safety.] 7.d4 cxd4 [7...e6 is well met by 8.d5 e5 9.Nxe5! Be7 with a White edge.(9...dxe5? 10.Rxe5+ Be7 11.d6+-) ] 8.Nxd4 d5 [After 8...e6 9.Nb5! is annoying, or after;
8...a6 9.Nf5 the knight creates problems from another direction.] 9.Bf4 a6 10.Nc3 e6 [The obvious 10...b5!? was perhaps a better try, now things are quite complicated, as there are so many tempting continuations. 11.Bxb5! axb5 now I was intending the imprecise 12.Ncxb5?! (12.Ndxb5! is correct 12...e5 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5 the point- with White's queen in the game Black can't survive long. 14...Ra5 (14...Be7 15.Qxa8 exf4 16.Nd6++-) 15.Bxe5 Nxe5 16.Qxe5+ Be7 17.Nc7++-) 12...e5 13.Rxe5+ (13.Bxe5 Nxe5 14.Rxe5+ Be6 isn't very clear.) 13...Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Bg4 15.f3 Rc8 but Black is in the game here.] 11.Rxe6+ [Hard to resist but 11.Nxd5! Nxd5 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Qxd5 was best, threatening carnage on e6.] 11...fxe6 12.Nxe6 Qb6 13.Nc7+ Kf7 14.N3xd5! [The greedy 14.Nxa8? Qxb2 is much less impressive.] 14...Qa5 [14...Qxb2 would have created some confusion, although it isn't good 15.Bb3 Nc5 16.Nxf6+ Nxb3 17.Qh5+! g6 18.Qd5+ Kxf6 19.Bg5+ Kg7 20.Ne8# would be a pretty finish.] 15.Bb3 [Not an attempt to be flashy, I just didn't notice the mundane 15.Bxd7 Bxd7 16.Nxf6 collects material.] 15...Ra7 [I had seen that 15...Nc5 16.Bd2! traps Black's queen.] 16.Nxf6+ Kxf6 17.Ne8+ [There were better options like 17.Qg4 or;
17.Nd5+ Kf7 18.Qh5+ g6 19.Nc7+ but I thought this forced mate.] 17...Ke7 [I hadn't noticed the king can retreat 17...Kg6 18.Qg4+ mates next move, or;
17...Kf5 18.Qh5+ Kxf4 19.g3+ Ke4 20.Qg4+ Ke5 21.Qf4#] 18.Nd6! This move got me back on track - a strong simple option saving the knight, and threatening to take on c8 and a7 and also introducing the strong threat of Qe2+. 18...Qb4 [18...Ra8 19.Qe2+ Ne5 20.Bxe5 prepares a discovered check;
18...Kd8 19.Nf7+ Ke8 20.Qe2+ Be7 21.Re1 is crushing.] 19.Nxc8+ [Short of time I saw a winning line and played it instantly 19.Qe2+ was cleaner: 19...Kd8 20.Qe8+ Kc7 21.Qxc8+ Kb6 22.Nc4++-] 19...Kd8 20.Bd2! [20.Nxa7 Qxf4 is not so simple.] 20...Qd4 21.Nxa7 [I was happy to grab the rook, and go ahead on material, but 21.Bg5+ or;
21.Ba5+ would have collected a queen instead.] 21...Qxa7 [21...Bc5!? was worth a try, the best 22.Ba5+! with the idea of 22...b6 23.Nc6+ is not obvious.] 22.Be6 b5 23.Be3 Qc7 24.Qd5 [24.Bb6! finishes immediately, but precision is no longer necessary.] 24...Bd6 25.Rd1 My last piece joins the attack. 25...Ke7 [25...Bxh2+ 26.Kh1+-] 26.Bxd7 Qxd7 [26...Kxd7 27.Bf4+-] 27.Bg5+ 1-0
Pleasant is the back in time coverage of the famous
1970 Interzonal tournament Palma de Mallorca 1970,all with a modern touch of today with
great game analyses and columns by no less than with Marin, Mueller and Reeh.
Interesting to mention are the theoretical files:
The new issue provides 11 opening articles with new ideas:
Adrien Demuth: Reti 1.Nf3 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3
Igor Stohl: English 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Mf6 3.Bg2 Bc5
Robert Ris: Anti-Sveshnikov 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3
Niclas Huschenbeth: Sicilian Najdorf with 6.f4
Petra Papp: French Winawer 4.e5 b6 5.a3 Bxc3+
Spyridon Kapnisis: Philidor Defence 4.Nc3 Ngf6 5.g4
Sergey Grigoriants: Scotch 4...Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3
Krisztian Szabo: Ruy Lopez 3...Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 Bc5
Alexey Kuzmin: QG Ragozin 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bb4 5.Bf4
Lars Schandorff: Catalan with 5...a6/6...Nc6 (Part II)
Imre Hera: Queen's Indian 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qa4.
And then there are the video coverages:
Mihail Marin: Queen's Gambit Accepted
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bd3
Robert Ris: Queen's Gambit Exchange Variation
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.Qc2/6.e3
Daniel King: Bishop's Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4
Rustam Kasimdzhanov dissects the epic endgame in Anand-Kramnik from the Legends
50 years ago - Fischer-Larsen 0-1!
Simon Williams analyses the American’s only defeat at the IZT 1970 “Move by move” (Interactive video)
Endgame special: rook endings with four pawns against three
A practical contribution by Thorsten Cmiel featuring 30 annotated examples!
Michael Adams shows his model victory from Biel
Robert Ris red-flags 6.Ng5 and 7.h4 in the Anti-Sveshnikov
Trap expert Rainer Knaak presents nine examples from current online tournament practice - three of them in video format and more!
Superb issue!  

The Exciting Budapest Gambit
by  Simon Williams
2020
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Windows 7 or higher
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, 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.
MacOSX  only available as download! Minimum: MacOS "Yosemite" 10.10


The great English grandmaster master of attack Simon Williams provides the user in a plus six hour coverage a more than excellent study of the so exciting Budapest Gambit covering lines as the Adler Variation, Rubenstein Variation, Alekhine Variation,Fajarowicz Gambit and more, included are many video files, where you even  can play different key positions against Fritz!
It is for example possible to test various levels from the shown video files. This will certainly help the user for a better understanding of the middle game position. With Black  you must be prepared to sacrifice a pawn in order to seek the initiative and white must not hang to long on his extra pawn.
Very exciting is the Fajarowicz Gambit 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 where Max Euwe once wrote The Fajarowicz Knight creates latent threats along the a5-e1 diagonal and,in conjunction with the consequent gambit continuation d7-d6 or d7-d5,may well make white’s development more difficult. Unfortunately Sammi  Fajarowicz had a tragic life please see Kaissiber 16/Januar-März 2001.
Conclusion.One of those super made master class openings DVD’s!

Power Play 28: Tactic Toolbox King's Gambit
by  Daniel King
2020
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Windows 7 or higher
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, 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.
MacOSX  only available as download! Minimum: MacOS "Yosemite" 10.10


Grandmaster Daniel King presents 50 puzzle positions in video format, all arising from the good old King’s Gambit.
As we all know there is no better way to learn chess strategies as by doing exercises,as Daniel King explains on the King’s Gambit there is action in the centre right on from the strat,so tactics play a massive part in the game.
Simple take up and go throw these video files with there tricks and traps and you will become an expert in one of the most ancient openings of the board.
There is also a database of games featuring 101 supplementary puzzles for you to solve plus 101 extra supplementary puzzles.Video running time: 3 hours 35 Minutes (English)
Conclusion:Very instructive!

Master Class Vol.13 - Tigran Petrosian
by  Dr. Karsten Müller, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh & Yannick Pelletier
2020
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Windows 7 or higher
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, 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.
MacOSX  only available as download! Minimum: MacOS "Yosemite" 10.10


Yannick Pelletier, Mihail Marin, Karsten Müller and Oliver Reeh presents in a six hour video coverage a portrait of the legendary Tigran Petrosian {1929- 84},world champion 1963 –69,who played in ten Olympiads a score of 79 wins,50 draws,and only one lost.
This DVD or download comes with all the Petrosian games that he ever played plus a short but enjoyable to read biography.
The book Chess Praxis by  Aron Nimzowitsch,had a great influence on Petrosian as a chess player
For the true fans there is Petrosian Powerbook: The opening repertoire of the 9th world champion as a variation tree
Tactics training with 98 Petrosian games,plus 285 training questions, where you can reach a max of 615 points.
Just try to play as Petrosian but that is not a easy task!
One of Petrosian best games is probably: Petrosian,Tigran V - Spassky,Boris Vasilievich [E66]
World-ch25 Petrosian-Spassky +4-3=17 Moscow (10), 02.05.1966
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.0-0 Nc6 6.Nc3 d6 7.d4 a6 8.d5 Na5 9.Nd2 c5 10.Qc2 e5 11.b3 Ng4 12.e4 f5 13.exf5 gxf5 14.Nd1 b5 15.f3 e4 16.Bb2 exf3 17.Bxf3 Bxb2 18.Qxb2 Ne5 19.Be2 f4 20.gxf4 Bh3 21.Ne3 Bxf1 22.Rxf1 Ng6 23.Bg4 Nxf4 24.Rxf4 Rxf4 25.Be6+ Rf7 26.Ne4 Qh4 27.Nxd6 Qg5+ 28.Kh1 Raa7 29.Bxf7+ Rxf7 30.Qh8+ 1-0.
Please also see The World’s Greatest Chess Games by Burgess,Nunn and Emms.
Conclusion:This is must have material!

Magical Chess Endgames
by  Dr. Karsten Müller & Claus Dieter Meyer
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
Price Euro 29.90
Windows 7 or higher
Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, 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.
MacOSX  only available as download! Minimum: MacOS "Yosemite" 10.10


The phenomenal endgame expert Dr. Karsten Müller and his companion Claus Dieter Meyer provide the user of this DVD with a fascinating endgame collection, where upcoming chess student is
 invited into the fascinating endgame world of mate, stalemate, zugzwang, the correct exchange, coloured bishops, rook endgames and more,all with highly instructive sections on umbrella techniques, checking distance and more, the so amassing but easy to learn is the Vancura’s draw,this subject gets an important turn. The best advice that I can give you in the Vancura position is just sit and wait!
These techniques are a matter of understanding and both authors are truly experts on endgame explanations!
Conclusion: A DVD of high endgame value!