CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

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Latest book reviews of 1 March  2026

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.

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
ChessBase Magazine issue 229 Extra comes with nearly 50000 new games,Plus videos from Daniel King and Adrian Mikhalchishin!


And a lucky bag  from 37 well annotated games!
A fine example of this all is:
Erdogmus,Yagiz Kaan (2626) - Svidler,Peter (2698) [D80]
Clash of Generations m2 Marseille (4), 27.07.2025
[Ftacnik,Lubomir]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.cxd5 Gruenfeld defense is so compact for black that any fresh line with new ideas is very welcome. Temporary sacrifice of the bishop g5 is opening the new vista in the quest to find at least small hole in the "unbeatable"opening. 5...Nxg5 [5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 Qxd5 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.e3 (8.g3 Bf5 9.Bg2 Be4 10.Bf4 Nd7 11.0-0 c5 12.c4 Qh5 13.d5 Bxa1 14.Qxa1 0-0 15.Qb2 b6 16.h3 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 Qxh3³ 0-1 (58) Ezat,M (2402)-Kamsky,G (2665) Chess.com INT 2023) 8...Qa5 9.Qb3 h6 10.Bh4 Be6 11.Bc4 Bxc4 12.Qxc4 Nd7 13.0-0 c6 14.Rab1 Nb6 15.Qc5 Qxc5 16.dxc5 Nd7 17.Rxb7 g5 18.Bg3 Nxc5 19.Rc7² 1-0 (39) Sarana,A (2686)-Nurgaliyev,S (2404) Chess.com INT 2025] 6.h4 Ne4 The boom of the interest for this variation is currently so hot, that the question of most promising defense has not yet been resolved. Should the knight jump to e4 turn out to be frustrating there is 6...e6 line, that could save the day. [6...e6 7.hxg5 exd5 8.Qd2 (8.f4 Bg7 9.e3 c6 10.Nf3 Bg4 11.Be2 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Qe7 13.Kf2 Nd7 14.Qd3 Nb6 15.b3 h6 16.gxh6 Rxh6 17.Rxh6 Bxh6 18.Rh1 Bg7 ½-½ (18) Makarian,R (2530)-Tsydypov,Z (2530) Khanty-Mansiysk 2023) 8...c6 9.g3 Bg7 10.Bh3 Nd7 11.Nf3 Qe7 12.0-0-0 Nb6 13.Bxc8 Rxc8 14.Kb1 Nc4 15.Qc2 b5 16.e4 0-0 17.e5 a5 18.Rh4 Qb4 19.Qb3 Qe7= 1-0 (27) Sarana,A (2679)-Kuybokarov,T (2550) Chess.com INT 2024] 7.Nxe4 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qd8 The position resembles Scandinavian defense, but white is missing c instead of e pawn. Similarity is palpable in the choice of squares for the black queen d6, d8 and probably the most sensible a5. [8...Qa5 9.h5 Bg7 10.h6 Bf6 11.Qd2 (11.Nf3 Bg4 12.e3 c5 13.Bb5+ Nc6 14.0-0 cxd4 15.Nd5 0-0 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Nxf6+ exf6 18.Qxd4 Qh5 19.Qxf6 Qxh6 20.Ne5± 1-0 (53) Sarana,A (2677)-Troff,K (2484) Chess.com INT 2025) 11...0-0 12.Nf3 Rd8 13.e3 (13.Rc1 c5 14.d5 Nc6 15.g3 Bf5 16.e4 Bc8 17.Bg2 Nd4 18.0-0 Nxf3+ 19.Bxf3 Be5 20.Bg2± 1-0 (35) Mamedyarov,S (2746)-Salem,A (2640) Samarkand 2025) 13...c5 14.Ne4 (14.d5 Nd7 15.Be2 Nb6 16.e4 Bg4 17.Rc1 Bxf3 18.gxf3 e6 19.Qf4² 1-0 (32) Fedoseev,V (2739)-Salem,A (2627) Biel 2025) 14...Qxd2+ 15.Nfxd2 cxd4 16.Nxf6+ exf6 17.Ne4 Be6 18.Nxf6+ Kh8 19.Bb5 a6 20.Ba4 b5= 0-1 (95) Bluebaum,M (2642)-Mamedyarov,S (2767) Warsaw 2021;
8...Qd6 9.h5 Bg7 10.Nf3 Bg4 11.h6 Bf6 12.e3 0-0 13.Qb3 Nd7 14.Ne4 Qb6 15.Rc1 c6 16.Bc4 Bxf3 17.gxf3 e6 18.Ke2 Qxb3 19.Bxb3= 1-0 (89) Erigaisi,A (2776)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2736) Riyadh 2025] 9.h5 Bg7 10.Nf3 [10.e3 c5 11.dxc5 Qa5 12.Rc1 0-0 13.Bc4 Nd7 14.hxg6 hxg6 15.Qg4 Ne5 16.Qh4 Re8 17.Nf3 Qxc5 18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.Qh7+ Kf8³ 0-1 (47) Sarana,A (2654)-Zemlyanskii,I (2495) New York 2024] 10...c5? In hindsight it seems that immediate counterplay with 10...c5 is not the best idea for black. [10...0-0 11.e3 c5 12.dxc5 Qa5 13.Rc1 Nc6 14.Be2 Rd8 15.Qb3 Qxc5 16.h6 Bf6 17.0-0 Be6 18.Qxb7 Rab8 19.Qc7 Rdc8 20.Qf4± 0-1 (55) Bluebaum,M (2681)-Ivic,V (2509) Riga 2021] 11.d5 e6 [11...Bg4 12.h6 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 0-0 14.Qd2±] 12.Qa4+ Bd7 [12...Qd7 13.Qc4 b5 14.Qh4! b4 15.dxe6 Qxe6 16.Rd1+-] 13.Qf4! Very young talent Erdogmus displays great feeling for the position, white queen has landed on a very promising square. [13.Qc4 exd5 14.Qxc5 Bc6=] 13...0-0 [13...exd5 14.Nxd5 Qa5+ (14...Bxb2 15.Rb1 Qa5+ 16.Nd2 c4 17.Qd6 Nc6 18.Rxb2 0-0-0 19.Rb5+-) 15.Nd2 Nc6 16.Nc7+ Ke7 17.Qh4+ Kd6 18.Nxa8 Bxb2 19.Rd1 Rxa8 20.g3±;
13...Qa5 14.Ne5 0-0 15.hxg6 fxg6 16.Qh2 h6 17.0-0-0 Rf5 18.f4±] 14.0-0-0 Only the lion heart and aggressive attitude is giving white the wings to castle long despite the bishop on g7. Attempt to open up the h file was also promising better chances. [14.hxg6 exd5!? (14...fxg6 15.Qd2 Na6 16.e4±) 15.Nxd5 (15.gxh7+ Kh8 16.Nxd5 Nc6 17.0-0-0²) 15...fxg6 16.Qd6 Nc6 17.e4±] 14...exd5 Svidler is such a strong player, that his abstinence from the obvius move 14..î?¥a5 indicates enormous danger for black. His counterplay may never happen quickly enough and the queen would be missing in the center. [14...Qa5 15.hxg6 fxg6 a) 15...hxg6 16.Ng5! (16.Ne5!? exd5 17.Nxd5+-) 16...Qb4 (16...Bxc3 17.Qh2 (17.Qh4) 17...Bxb2+ 18.Kb1 Kg7 19.Qh6+ Kf6 20.Nh7++-) 17.Rh8+!! Bxh8 18.Qh2 Kg7 19.Nce4+-;
b) 15...Bxc3 16.Qh6+-; 16.Qh4 h5 (16...h6 17.dxe6 Bxe6 18.Rd6 Bf7 19.Ne5 Bxe5 20.Qxh6 Re8 21.Rxg6+ Bxg6 22.Qxg6+ Kf8 23.Rh7 Re7 24.Qf5++-) 17.dxe6 Bxe6 18.Rd6 Bf7 19.Qg5 Bxc3 (19...Qc7 20.Rxg6 Bxg6 21.Qxg6 Qf7 22.Qg5+-) 20.Rxg6+ Bxg6 21.Qxg6+ Bg7 22.Ng5 Rf6 23.Qe8+ Bf8 24.Qxh5 Bh6 25.Qe8+ Bf8 26.Qe4+-] 15.Nxd5 [15.Rxd5 Qf6²] 15...Nc6 [15...Be6 16.h6 Bh8 17.Nc7 Nd7 18.e3±] 16.e3 h6 For many the modest advance of the h6 pawn might be surprising. Black needs to avoid the disaster due to opening of the h file or cramped position after h5-h6 advance. [16...Be6 17.h6 Bh8 18.Nc7 Qe7 19.Nxa8 Rxa8 20.Rd2 Bxa2 21.Bc4±] 17.hxg6 [17.Nf6+ Qxf6 18.Qxf6 Bxf6 19.Rxd7 g5 20.Nd2±] 17...fxg6 18.Qg3! [18.Qd6 Bf5 19.Bc4 Qxd6 20.Nf4+ Be6 21.Bxe6+ Qxe6 22.Nxe6 Rf7±] 18...Bf5? The most difficult choice in the game was offering 18...î?§e8 or 18...g5 alternatives in both cases with bigger challenges for white to find the best way forward. [18...Be8 19.Rh4! (19.Bc4 Bf7 20.Rh4 Na5 21.Nc3±) 19...Bf7 20.Rg4 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Qf6 22.Rd2±;
18...Kh7 19.Nf4 (19.Ng5+ Kh8 20.Nf4 Rf6 (20...Qf6 21.Rxh6+ Bxh6 22.Rxd7+-) 21.Nxg6+ Rxg6 22.Nf7+ Kh7 23.Bd3+-) 19...Qf6 20.Qxg6+ Qxg6 21.Nxg6+-;
18...g5 19.Qd6! (19.Bc4 Be6 20.Nc7 Bxc4 21.Rxd8 Raxd8 22.Qg4 (22.b3 Bf7=) 22...Bxa2 23.Ne6 Rxf3 24.Nxd8 (24.gxf3 Ne5 25.Qf5 Nd3+ 26.Kd2 Rd5 27.Nxg7 Nxf2+ 28.Qxd5+ Bxd5 29.Rf1 Kxg7 30.Rxf2) 24...Rxf2 25.Nxc6 bxc6 26.Qc8+±) 19...Bg4 20.Rxh6 Qxd6 21.Rxd6 Ne5 22.Nc7±] 19.Bc4 Kh8 [19...Qa5 20.Ne7+ Kh7 21.Qxg6+!! Bxg6 22.Ng5+ Kh8 23.Nxg6#;
19...Rf7 20.e4 Bxe4 (20...b5 21.Nc3 Qf6 22.Bxf7+ Qxf7 23.exf5+-) 21.Nc3 Qe8 22.Nxe4 Qxe4 23.Rh4+-] 20.Ng5! The complete collapse of the black's defense is cruel, but white is attacking with all his pieces against compromised position. 20...Qe8 [20...h5 21.Ne6 Be5 22.f4+-;
20...Ne5 21.Rxh6+ Bxh6 22.Qxe5++-;
20...Qd7 21.e4 Rad8 22.Ne3+-] 21.Rxh6+ Bxh6 22.Rh1 Svidler generously offered his resignation in the situation of no chance to to put up resistance.[22.Rh1 Kg7 (22...Qe5 23.Rxh6+ Kg8 24.Ne7+ (24.Rh7 Rf7 25.Rxf7+-; 24.Qh4+-; 24.Nf6+ Kg7 25.Rh7+ Kxf6 26.Qh4+-) 24...Kg7 25.Rh7+ Kf6 26.Ng8+ Rxg8 27.Rf7#) 23.Rxh6 Rh8 (23...Kxh6 24.Qh4++-) 24.Rxh8 Qxh8 25.Qc7+ Kh6 26.Nf7++-]  1-0 
Conclusion: This is must have material!