MIME Attachment View

CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 December 2004.
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.
Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg

Chess Books

Beating the Petroff by Vassilious Kotronias & Andreas Tzermiadianos
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
240 pages
Price $ 21.95
ISBN 0-713-8919-7

The Petrof opening is one with not much glamour but on the other hand white can nearly make no advantage in the opening at all but the two Greece chess professionals have done awful there best to write down a very creative made openings book that is overloaded with instructive explanations.
This is no move to move openings book with every possible line but the whole material of the Petroff is explained at the hand of a selection of 38 important model games.
Both authors start with a instructive explanation of all kind of typical Petroff strategies {24 pages!} and a two and a half page coverage of typical endings that can arise in this opening but not covered are unusual third moves as 3.Bc4 and the interesting knight sacrifice from the Latvian IM Vitolins, but this book offers you a full coverage of recent developments in the Petroff where I would like to mention the use of many interesting never published correspondence chess games!
Conclusion: A very educative openings book!

Test your chess with Daniel King
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
240 pages
Price $ 21.95
ISBN 0-7134-8933-2

This test your self guide is based on GM Daniel King’s monthly columns from theUK magazine Chess where the reader is invited to guess or even better to predict the next move from the example game, as for example the game Akopian Bareev,where you ca earn seven points if you can find after :1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 Ngf6 12. O-O-O Be7 13. Ne4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Nf6 15. Qd3 Qa5 16. Kb1 O-O 17. Ne5 Rad8 18. Qg3 Kh8 19. c4 the powerful move knight move 19… Nd7!
Each game in this book covers a readable introduction about the player and circumstances that the game is played,only it is pity that there is no index of games but for the interested readers there are exactly twenty chapters in this well written test book.
The first game in this book starts with Mr.Universe and the famous game Kasparov – Ponomariov Linares 2003{good for 16 pages}but
to find the correct moves in this book is not a easy task but on the other hand it is very instructive!
Conclusion: Tough but a very good test book!

Chess Results 1747-1900
A comprehensive record with 465 tournament cross tables and 590 match scores by Gino Di Felice
2004
McFarland & Company,Inc.,Publishers Box 611
Jefferson,North Carolina 28640.
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com
235 pages
Price $35.00
ISBN 0-7864-2041-3 2004

The Italian chess historian Gino Di Felice has compiled in this high quality chess book from McFarland a comprehensive record of various chess competitions that all took place between 1747 and 1900.
This material comes from many years of research throw digging in all kind of tournament books and dusty newspapers.
Gino Di Felice work contains a impressive 465 tournament crosstables and 291 match results, if we compare this all with the book from Jeremy Gaige {Chess Tournament Crosstables,Volume One 1851 – 1900} than the Italian researcher comes up with more than 130 chess results.
Included in this book is a bibliography of sources and two indexes of events by players and years.{Alphabetical}
Going throw this book I found even a few correspondence chess events as the 1st Hungary Correspondence chess tourney of 1893-1897 and which was won by the famous Rudolf Charousek but it would have been very pleasant for correspondence chess players if Mr.Di Felice would also have included important correspondence city matches as for instance the well known London – Edinburgh match of 1824.
The book starts with the famous match between Francois Andre Danican Philidor & Philip Stamma from the year 1747,{Philidor odds 1 move,draw counts as a win for Stamma!} and ends with the Austrian match between Alapin & Albin form Vienna 1900.
Conclusion: A very important reference work on tournaments!

Bogoljubow: The fate of a chess player by Sergei Soloviov
2004
Chess Stars
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
280 pages
Price GBP 15.99
ISBN954-8782-38-3

Efim Bogoljubow {1889-1952} was a player with a dynamic playing style and was ranked in the thirties as No.2 in the world just behind Alekhine, as player he was nearly unbeatable and dominated the world of chess along with his competitor Alekhine.
On August 28th,1928 Bogojubow challenged Alekhine to a match and the world champion gave his consent, interesting enough the correctness of this agreement between the two rivals is questioned even today, but
ten days for the dead line set by Alekhine Bogoljubow managed to deposit the wanted $ 500!
Bogoljubow was born on April 14,1889 in the family of a village priest where he was originally intended for the priesthood but he became a chess master in a very curious way.
This high quality made Chess Stars book from the Russian IM Sergei Soloviov is more than a excellent collection of 211 annotated Informator chess games but tells above all the fascinating   story of the great “Bogo”, a chess professional who had to survive throw World War I the internment of Triberg, the inflation of the 20s,the rise of the Nazis and the coming of the second World War.
Bogoljubow style is notable for it’s great dynamism as for example his game with Euwe,Karlsbad 1941 where “Bogo” went for his pet line: {1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6} with 8.Qf3 a line which he revived in the earlier 1940s and still carries his name.{Please see game 163 of this book}
This work from Soloviov is based on historical research and the games cover many annotations from today.
Conclusion: A very well researched work on Bogoljubow!

Chess endings Encyclopaedia by Nickolai Kalinichenko
2004
Mockba
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
sales@chessassistant.com
702 pages
Price
ISBN 5-17-025662-0

The Russian chess player Kalinichenko has managed to compile in this heavyweight a large collection from 2991 endgame positions, where the material is divided in the following chapters: Pawn/rook endings, Rook against rook, Rook against pawns, Rook against pieces, Queen against queen, Queen against pawns, Queen against piece, Bishops of the same colour, Bishops of the opposite colour, Knight against pawns, Knight against knight, Bishop against knight, endings with several pieces and studies of world champions.
It is very interesting to compare the world champion studies with each other: Steinitz 5,Lasker 35, Capablanca 11, Alekhine 3,Euwe 50, Botvinnik 17, Smyslov 40 and Tal (& Pogosjants) 1
So it is clear Euwe is world champion of endgame compositions!
Most endgame positions in this book come from the practice even that there are some fine compositions from composers as Kasparian, Troitzky {49 compositions) Berger etc.
Even that I can not read any Russian language the endgame book gave me no problems to work throw.
Conclusion: A very compressive endgame book! {In Hard cover!}

Experts vs. The Sicilian
2004
Quality Chess
http://www.qualitychessbooks.com
info@qualitychessbooks.com
288 pages
Price $ 24.95
ISBN 91-975243-3-6

Experts vs. The Sicilian is the second release from the new Swedish publishing company
Quality chess all under the leadership from the creative Danish IM Jacob Aagaard.
In this book you shall find 65 hot Sicilian chess games all written by the best openings experts on these lines as, GM Thomas Luther who is doing the Najdorf, GM Mikhali Golubev the Dragon {Which is truly topper with latest developments!}IM Jacob Aagaard the Sveshnikow & several minor lines.{Again a superb article in this exciting openings book!} GM Peter Wells who is doing the classical Sicilian, GM Sune Berg Hansen the Taimanov & Kan, GM Peter Heine Nielsen the Accelerated Dragon, GM Viktor Gavrikov the Kalashnikov, IM Alexander Raetsky the four knights and at last IM John Saw who is good for several minor lines as for instance 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 b6 and the Haberditz variation that runs after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 h6 which is a favourite of the Swedish chess legend GM Ulf Anderssen.
When we go careful throw the games than it is impressive to see so may latest played 2004 games. Personally I would certainly buy this book for the latest developments in the Sveshnikow and the Dragon!
Conclusion: A very interesting made openings book!

Starting out: Pawn endgames by Glenn Flear
2004
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
192 pages
Price $ 17.95
ISBN 1-85744-362-4

The English GM Glenn Flear explains in this starting out course book all the necessarily basic techniques and more from pawn endings.
As Philidor once put it, the pawn is the soul of chess and please don't forget in pawn endgames the second best move in a winning position might even exchange your position in no time to a lost one.
Chapter one starts with an overview of important key principles, opposition key squares etc are all brought in a very readable way of understanding.
There are in the book around 224 practical test examples filled on with some extra exercises to test your endgame skills.
Normally the starting out book are aimed for less experienced chess players but this endgame book from Glenn Flear is certainly useful for the better club player who likes to improve on his or hers endgame skills.
Conclusion: A very didactic endgame book!

Starting out: the queen’s Indian by John Emms
2004
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
176 pages
Price $ 17.95
ISBN 1-85744-363-2

GM John Emms concentrates in this easy to follow openings books the first basics and more from the queens Indian, which runs for all new comers after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3.
It is a opening which you could consider as correct and safe with possibilities for active play.
The whole material is all explained at the hand of 44 complete games where there is more place for entertainment than latest theoretical developments.
Useful for the black player are the suggest repertoire lines from Emms where as all starting out guides the most important key ideas are highlighted by various notes.
Personal I would like to recommend this book for all who have little or no experience in the Queens’s Indian and who would like to take up this opening in there repertoire.
Conclusion: A excellent book to learn the basics of the queen’s Indian!

Play the King’s Indian by Joe Gallagher
2004
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
176 pages
Price $ 19.95
ISBN 1-85744-324-1

The King’s Indian was developed by the hypermodern era of the 1920s and brought in practice in the earlier 1940s by players as Bronstein, Boleslavsky and Reshevsky who scored brilliant victories with it.
This latest study from GM Joe Gallagher is a detailed study from all latest developments but than in Black points of view.
Some orthodox lines as for example the old one from Bronstein 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 e5 6. d5 Nh5 7. Be3 Na6 8. Qd2 Qh4+ 9. g3 Nxg3 10. Qf2 Nxf1 11. Qxh4 Nxe3 certainly belongs to the past.
Joe Gallagher prefers in this book a simple a Benoni set-up in the Sämisch {1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6.Be3}with 6…c5 !? which gives black after 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bxc5 Nc6 10.Nd5 Nd7! more than reasonable play.
A other link with the Benoni can be found in the four pawns attack where
Gallagher recommends 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 O-O 6. Nf3 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Be2 exd5 9. cxd5 Bg4 after the author a solid and reliable way to meet the main line but be aware you have to memorize dizzying lines as 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Re1 Re8 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Qa5 14. Be3 b5 15. a3 Nb6 16. e5 Nc4 17. exf6 Nxe3 18. Rxe3 Rxe3 19. fxg7 Rae8 20. f5 b4 21. axb4 Qxb4 22. Qd2 Qh4 23. Rf1 a6 and now 24. Qf2!inplace of Gallagher’s 24.Bg4?!could give black a irritating headache.
The material from Gallagher is very compressive and I enjoyed going throw this well written book only the index of variations is nearly impossible to read with out the use of a pair of glasses.
Included are 74 instructive example games where a small 22 of them are from Joe Gallagher him self!

Conclusion: A excellent made repertoire book!

Mikhail Tal tactical genius by Alexander Raetsky & Maxim Chetverik
2004
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanbooks.com
160 pages
Price $ 18.95
ISBN 1-85744-365-9

Mikhail Tal 1936-92 was a born attacking genius and the duo Raetsky & Chetverik
have compiled from Tal around 163 tactical puzzles where the reader is invited to play as Tal.
Both authors start with a short biography and three complete games to illustrate Tal’s original and complex style of play.
Counted throw the book around 77 complete games and that is very challenging for a chess student who likes to work on Tal’s tactical skills.
Some say that Tal sacrifices would crumble upon detaild examination but for those I would say take up this exercise book from Raetsky & Chetverik!

Conclusion: A good puzzle book!

Chess tactics by Paul Littlewood
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
143 pages
Price $ 18.95
ISBN 0-7134-8934-0

Slowly a classic this first printed 1984 tactic book from the legendary attacker Paul Littlewood who has written a very exciting and not to difficult exercise book with it’s pins, back rank combinations, discovered attacks etc.
Now and than you shall find between the lines some wise advises as never to give up hope in chess, opportunities for drawing combinations occur much more frequently than people can really imagine, the examples in this book speak for it’s self.
Fun is the first game in the book which is even played in real sometime ago on Internet: Golaff - Striker,
www.playchess.de (2), 18.03.2002 1.d4 e5 2.Nd2 Nf6 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.h3 Ne3 5.fxe3 Qh4+ 6.g3 Qxg3# 0-1 (I hope the white player can excuse me for publishing!}

Conclusion: A very enjoyable read on tactics!

French defence Steinitz,Classical and other systems by Lev Psakhis
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
223 pages
Price $ 22.95
ISBN 0-7134-9041-3

The fourth and finale volume of Lev Psakhis’s work on the French defence, this time the author concentrate’s on the classical lines as the Rubenstein variation and sidelines, Steinitz, Burn,MacCutcheon variation and at last the classical systems with 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 {good for 38 pages of this book}
Again Psakhis’s work is compressive and precise and all made in the footsteps of the great experts but sometimes as for example in the MacCutcheon I am missing latest played top level correspondence games. When is somebody going to give him the Mega correspondence cd? Included are 18 detailed games and the closing date of the book is August 2004.
Pleasant to mention are the numerous side lines after 3.Nc3 as 3..Nc6,h6,3…Be7 and 3..a6 which is by the way a odd pet line from the Ukrainen grandmaster Legky.
Conclusion: A very compressive written openings book!
The controversial Sämisch King’s Indian by Chris Ward
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
223 pages
Price $ 22.95
ISBN 0-7134-8872-7

This controversial Sämisch King’s Indian book from Chris Ward is no move to move openings book and it does not even cover all possible lines of the Sämisch but on the other hand it is a very special openings book that learns the reader with a large amount of text how to play and understand the secrets of the Sämisch.
For example GM Ward explains in great detail why lines as 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8.Qd2 f5 9.0-0-0 f4 10.Bf2 Bf6 Or 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8.Qd2 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nxg3 10.Qf2 Nxf1 11.Qxh4 Nxe3 12.Qf2 Nxc4 13.Qe2 Nb6 14.Nb5! have no future for black at all.{good for 56 pages of this book!}
But with this book you are well prepared if somebody plays these moves against you!
The whole work from Chris Ward is based on 34 deeply illustrated games where some of them forinstance Rowson – Kotronias Hastings, 2004 {with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 c5?!} is good for 5 pages of this book and imagine they only played 24 moves!
The whole book from Ward is based on a wealth of ideas as for example
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 a5!?
Found between the 34 example games 9 games from Ward himself.Personal I think it is a very practical openings book for those who like to take up the Sämish in there openings repertoire.
Conclusion: A very instructive openings book!
Garri Kasparov Mein grossen Vorkämpfer Band 3 Michail Botwinnik
2004
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
184 pages
Price €25.00
ISBN 4-487-00472-2

Mein grossn Vorkämpfer is the German edition of My great predecessors first published by Everyman Chess and already one of the best selling chess books of all time.
These Olms book are a little different from set-up as the English editions first there is in these Olms book extra CD where I found a interview with Kasparov, 997 Botwinnik games, ChessBase reader and extra photos from Kasparov.
All the 184 pages of this book are nearly completely divided to Maikhail Botvinnik 1911 – 95 one of the greatest players of all time and a major figure in the development of chess in the Soviet Union.
Garrry Kasparov describes Botvinnik style as one of deep strategy based on serious opening and psychological preparation, fine technique and accurately regulated positional and combinative decisions.
One page 179 there is a photo from the student Kasparov and his chess teacher Maikhail Botvinnik unfortunately the Everyman reader has to do without it.
Conclusion: Books like this belong in every chess library!

Viktor Kortschnoi Mein leben für das schach
2004
Edition Olms
http://www.olms.de
184 pages
Price €29.95
ISBN 3-487-00409-9

Victor Korchnoi born 1931 has been one of the world’s leading players for nearly 50 years and can be counted as one of the greatest of all time.
Korchnoi is under the chess players in Switzerland unbelievable popular nearly all players know exactly where Korschnoi lives but so far I did not meet many who can win from him even in a simultaneous exhibition and imagine he already passed 73!
I have seen biography’s from Korchnoi in the Dutch and German language but not one is so open as this book from Olms. Korchnoi believes that every strong player has to do something for his offspring and that was the reason for the basis of this outstanding chess biography.
The reader shall find in this book many personal things and photo’s about Korchnoi as for example his first wife Bella and son Igor who had such a tough time in the former Soviet Union.
This book covers the whole career from Kortschnoi but now and than he opens the door of his personal life and that makes this book so unique.
For example his meeting with Stalin’s daughter Swetlana Alllilujewa and his contacts with the Russian Mafia in New York simple to ask for some help him to free his family from the Soviet Union.
Believe for Korchnoi chess is above all a fight where friendships are forgotten problems are shelved the struggle on the board takes all his passion and that makes books from him so special.
Included in this book are only 8 eight games where seven of them are superb analysed by the great master him self.
Included is extra CD with around 4250 Korchnoi games!
Conclusion: A unique read on Korschnoi!
The bishop’s opening explained by Gary Lane
2004
Batsford Ltd London
http://www.Batsford.com
160 pages
Price $ 21.95
ISBN 0-7134-8917-0

The keen IM Gary Lane digs in this footsteps of the Bishop opening where white plays so soon as possible 2.Bc4 {1.e4 e5 2.Bc4}and covers all possible sub lines as the Guioco Piano, Evans gambit and two knights defence!
Guess that the most of us shall but this book for exotic gambit lines as the Frankenstein – Dracula {1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nxe4 4. Qh5 Nd6 5. Bb3 Nc6} or the Boden Kieseritzky gambit {1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3}that even can be reached throw the Russian/Petroff game.
Tim Harding already wrote in his Bishops opening from 1973 that the Boden Kieseritzkyis is generally reckoned as unsound so take care but enjoy this highly interesting openings book on the Bishop’s opening!
The material is all based at the hand of 65 exciting model games but the aim lays by the club player who like to get involved with the Bishop’s opening.For the more experienced player it is all a little to superficial.
Conclusion: A very exciting opening’s book!

Chess CD's

Fritztrainer opening by Andrew Martin
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
€ 24.99
System requirements: PC 233,64 MB RAM,CD-ROM drive,sound card,mouse,Windows XP,2000,ME,98,Windows Media player 9.

The English candidate GM Andrew Martin explains you in a perfect way of understanding how to get started with the
so complicated Ruy Lopez opening.
Andrew Martin does not only explain how the opening works {At the hand of a collecting instructive games}but also provides the reader with interesting repertoire suggestions.
The DVD contains around 210 minutes of video material where it is devided in the following way · Intro 19:12 min.
Sustained Pressure 12:54 min,Simplicity 08:36 min,Solidity 9:50 min,The Lopez Grip 12:58 min, Black tries to smash the Ruy Lopez 10:40 min,Intro to Theory and Berlin 11:38 min. Berlin 1 5:14 min,Berlin 2 6:15 min,Schliemann 16:55 min,Bird 9:19 min,Cozio 12:19 min,The Smyslov Variation 14:55 min,The Classical Variation 10:50 min,Berlin Classical 6:28 min,Chase Variation 8:57 min,Steinitz Deferred 9:28 min,Main Line 1 9:06 min,Main Line 2 7:09 min,Main Line 3 9:49 min and Outro 0:48 min.
Conclusion: Very didactic!

Fritz-Technique Trainer 2 by Henrik Schlössner
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
€ 19.99

This second chess CD from the German chess player Henrik Schlössner is nearly completely divided to the creative work of the Michelanelo of chess the great Wilhelm Steinitz.
I found around 515 exercises on this CD where a small 367 of them are from Steinitz him self.
Included on this CD are useful Fritz tips for starters as setting of levels 3 D board etc.
Conclusion: A useful beginners CD!

ChessBase magazine issue 102
2004
August
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Price Euro 19,90 per issue
Annual subscription costs Euro 99,70

ChessBase Magazine 102 starts with a overloaded game from over 1330 entries where a small 400 of them
carry excellent annotations from chess professionals as Kortschnoj, Rogozenko, Huebner, Krasenkow etc.
The strongest tournaments on this file are: Biel GM and the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess-Meeting from 2004.
This time there are only four theory files but as for example the B33 Sveshnikov from Dorian Rogozenko
{1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7
10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 O-O 13. a4 bxa4 14. Rxa4 a5 15. Bb5 Ne7 is well filled with
41 example games where 17 of them carry special annotations from the great Sveshnikov expert himself.
Other theory files are Elephant gambit C40 from the German gambit expert Peter Leisebein,
E05 Catalan {1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bf4 a5 11. Nc3 Na6} by Zoltan Ribli and at last the shining Kings Indian four pawn attack by Jerzy Konikowski.
You shall find a introduction text, seven theory files and 69 games where a small 20 of these games carry annotations.
A other impressive game file comes from the ICCF and covers 2752 games where a small ten of them carry annotations but please don’t forget to play throw all the 16th world correspondence games that was won by Tunc Hamarat!
Other files are: Endgame by Karsten Müller where you are invited to do some exciting self tests! Tactics from
Valery Atlas and strategy from the English GM and ChessBase movie star Peter Wells.
The multimedia files go this time to a interview with Vishy Anand & Sergey Karjakin where he shows us his game
from Dortmund against Valdimir Kramnik. {Very Instructive!}
Included on this CD are the ChessBase reader,update for Fritz8, Demo Media files,all files in CBF and a small ChessBase manual from 27 pages.
Conclusion: A must for every chess player!

ChessBase Magazine extra issue 102
November 2004
ChessBase
http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99
ChessBase magazine issue 102 comes with a well filled database file from 19864 latest played games plus two extra video files first from Joel Lautier {who is now president of the new ACP} and a excellent coverage of famous The Moscow Blitz Championship!{won by Morozevich and sponsored by the local newspaper “Evening Moscow”}
But the best of all that this material is all pleasantly packed in the brand new ChessBase 9 Reader than really has some nice surprises as a real 3 D board, with possibilities to log in at the playchess.com and it has no limits with databases!

Conclusion: A very interesting buy!

Caro-Kann Panov-Attack B13-B14 by Zoran Petronijevic
2004
ChessBase
Price € 24.99
System Requirements
Pentium 166,32 MB Ram,Win98 SE,WinME,Win2000,WinXP
Ps for a installation you need at least for the ChessBase 9 reader 64 MB RAM!

The Yugoslavian IM Zoran Petronijevic concentrates on this latest ChessBase training CD on all lines in the Caro-Kann that arise after {1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4}.known under the ECO code as B13- B14.
Some authors see the Panov as a time honoured plan to turn the defence into a open game where the play is similar to a kind of Queens Gambit.
But some theoreticians as Stefan Bücker and before him the late Gerad Günderam preferred unusual
moves as 4.c4 Nf6 5.c5!?
All these and more can be found on Petronijevic well filled database with over 25800 entries where a small 1187 of them carry annotations. There are around 145 database text entries and 800 model games which are annotated by the author himself.
Included is the new ChessBase 9 reader which is a really topper, a trainings file from over 60 positions
and a Hugh Caro-Kann openings key from over 25712 positions.

Conclusion: Recommended!

Fritz 8 Champion edition
2004
ChessBase
Price € 43.09
System Requirements
Pentium PC,64 MB RAM Win98 SE,WinME,Win2000,WinXP and Windows Media player 9.0
Available in English Spanish and Dutch.

This latest version of Fritz8 is identical as the Deep Fritz version that played the man vs machine duel agents the human world champion but is updated with a lot of extra’s as a brand new Fritz 8 chess engine (The new Bilbao engine!), a built in database from over a half a million database, a new photo realistic 3 D chess board, a large openings book and a extra CD that contains a real 90 minutes training’s course from t Garry Kasparov!{The reader shall find the following material on the CD: Kasparov vs. Nigel Short and Victor Kortschnoi vs. Anatoly Karpov. Included are also training lectures by Peter Wells, Jacob Aagaard and Andrew Martin. Running time: 90 minutes
The Fritz8 Champion edition is in the Dutch language but also available in English and Spanish but Gary only speaks English.
The new Fritz8 engine is impressive and my first impression is that it plays more positional than the release from 2002 but it is difficult to say in a few words how strong it is.
The 3 D chess board is very nice but to be honest I nearly never use it but use Fritz8 for analysing chess positions and there for I am pleased with the latest and so strong possible chess engine.
First Fritz8 needed 41.31 BM {only the program files on my hard disk} and now it has gone to 83.27
So that is quite impressive.
Playchess.com is pleasant side to play chess and this program insures you one year free access!
Conclusion: The best playing chess program that money can buy!

Chess Assistant 8.0
2004
http://www.ChessAssistant.com
E-mail support@chessassistant.com
Price for the Mega Package is $ 179.00
System requirements IBM-compatible PC,128 MB Ram, Hard disk IGb of free disk but recommended is certainly 256 MB and at least 2Gb of free disk space.

Chess Assistant 8.0 comes with a impressive database of 2,675,000 games than can be updated every week with a extra 2500 new games. But if you go for the Mega package that you get a extra correspondence database from around 525.000 games and a extra tablebases DVD with all the 3-4-5 piece endings {the same DVD that is included in there Compressive Chess Endings package} plus a commented game service for the years 2004-2006.{the reader shall find in the DVD box a special login and password}
All together the Chess Assistant 8.0 Mega Packet included 4CDs and a DVD.{The chess data,video help CD plus the correspondence CD}
But first of all what is new in Chess Assistant 8.0?
CA 8.0 comes with some brand new engines as Chess Tiger 2004, Ruffian,Delfi,Crafty and Russian Dragon, a brand new chess opening encyclopaedia {with more than 8000 annotations from GM Kalinin and a small 500.000 expert evaluations to key opening positions {here you can annotate new lines etc}, access to a complete new Players encyclopaedia , internet chess assistant club mode, automatic intelligent insertion of text, Nalimov endgame tablebases 6 pieces over the Internet, test and demo modes, video course, a complete new search method a so called composite search that allows you to search for over 100 different chess criteria’s.
This searching is a unbelievable tool which shows us the use of advanced technology in ChessAssistant.
Where other database programs search it 2 & 3 D chess boards CA does it in Cap Chess Analysis project, different types of trees and adjusting trees these are not only innovative but time saving tools.
New is the players encyclopaedia where you can play around with 800 photographs of rated players together with information about there performance tournaments included games plus information about birth and eventual death.
It is possible to pack and mail a base but not a simple pgn game which is a miss for every serious correspondence chess player who wants to avoid irritating writing errors.
Included on the correspondence base there is a built in ICCF elo file and can easy stand-up against the ChessBase correspondence database 2004 file from nearly 80 Euro!
The new Chess Tiger 2004 is very strong and my first impression is that finds the same moves as Shredder 8 but it is not possible to get for example the latest Rebel 12 running. Pleasant is the possibility to play against a engine so you there is no need to spend money for a chess playing program. Analysing is a great pleasure in CA 8.0 you can choice to go for different analyses methods as deep automatic game analysis ,multi- variant, back ground analysis etc. {For example you can play engine - engine tournaments}
The installation went without any problems but take the time to do it all because it is time consuming to install all CD’s.
Also I would recommended to do a update it helps not only your Hugh base which grows from 2675.000 to 2692030 games!
When I compare CA8.0 with CA7.1 than my first impression is: The new release is all must faster and it runs much smoothly throw my database and till now I never did get a error and there are really a lot of tools in it.

Conclusion: A superb database program!

Chess Magazines

British Chess Magazine No.11
Volume 124
November 2004
Price: £3.25
This November issue of BCM starts with the first eight games of the Kramnik versus Leko match where Ian Rogers annotates a Marshall game and Lubosh Kavalek is good for a tricky endgame.{Good for eleven pages!}
Other contributions are : European club cup by Mikhail Golubev, Monarch assurance Isle of man with a coverage of the Isle of man tournament by John Saunders and a article within an article by Lubosh Kavalex.
Congress Diary by Colin Crouch, Philip Stamma {Part two – A Chronological conjecture by John Roycroft}
Again Garry Lane is good for Chess questions answered where he discusses the good old Staunton gambit.
There is a Fide Ratings October2004 list, Spot the continuation, Reviews and new books, Quotes and Queries, endgame studies, Forthcoming events, News in Brief, games, photo’s etc.

British Chess Magazine No.12
Volume 124
December 2004
Price: £3.25

The December issue dropped in just for my update but here are the most interesting columns are:
Calvia Olympiad {Good for 18.5 pages and there is a excellent made photo from Azmai with his lovely black eye}Quite a sensation was the lost from Korchnoi in 13 moves : Morozevich,A (2758) - Korchnoi,V (2601) [C77]
36th Olympiad Calvia ESP (2), 17.10.2004 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.Nc3 d6 8.Nd5 Ng4 9.0-0 Na5 10.Bg5 f6 11.Bd2 Nxb3 12.axb3 c6 13.Ba5 1-0
Lausanne young masters,4ncl September weekend, World championship{With the famous Marshall game annotated!}

Conclusion: A top chess magazine!

ChessMail issue 8/2004
http://www.chessmail.com
E-mail editor@chessmail.com
Chess Mail Limited, 26 Coolamber Park
Dublin 16 Ireland
Basic Subscription 42 Euros.
{For eight issues.}

The last issue from ChessMail of this year starts with a interesting contribution from CC GM Marc Geenen about the Gillman Memorial.{7 pages}Per Söderberg is good for a readable report {part one} about the latest ICCF congress that was hold in the far and mystical India.{14 pages}
Other contributions are: Message to BCCA members; Epic queen ending to earn GM norm
By Tim Harding; The BCM postal tournament {part 3} Tim Harding on the final of the BCM event {16 pages included with Welsh winner was top B.C.C.A player}CM-ICCF web server tournament news; Reviving the Trajkovic Gambit by Tim Harding {Theory on the Trajkovic Gambit C88 that runs after :1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7 8.d4 By the way next year Harding will examine the even more interesting alternative 8.c3 d5! Letters to the editor; ICCF tournament result service; index to play of games in ChessMail volume 8 etc.

Conclusion: A magazine that you read in one turn out!

Chess Art

8 posters in a set from Veronika Kasatkina
Convekta
http://store.convekta.com/shop_model.asp?gid=195&sView=Catalog
Price $ 29,00

From the Russian chess company Convekta I received a set from eight small chess posters all in the size 20x30 cm and made by the famous Russian artist Verona Kasatkina. { http://kasatkina.convekta.com/ } who is the designer for the excellent made layouts of the Convekta products.
Would like to describe her work as very creative and not afraid for new ideas where the board and pieces are the centre of her work.
When you for example order the small set of eight chess posters you receive a card with the hand signature of the artist her self. Maybe it is interesting to install some screen savers from Verona Kasatkina to get a idea from her work
simple download them at http://www.convekta.com/download.asp
Conclusion: A great artist!