ChessBase Reviews

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CDs, DVDs, Software Part 24

The Scandinavian The Easy Way By Andrew Martin

The first two titles in this edition of the magazine come from Andrew Martin who produces some excellent teaching material. As with previous DVDs produced by Martin these take the form of video tutorials using the Fritz8-Chess Media System. All of the lectures are presented in their entirety with video pictures and synchronised chess graphics. The system requirements for both are: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Media Player 9.0, and DVD drive.

The Scandinavian, or Centre-Counter Defence if you prefer, is an opening for Black which will furnish good results in the shortest possible time. I have used this on occasions and my experience is that my opponents had to tread carefully to avoid getting into a lot of trouble early in the game.

International Master Andrew Martin has written extensively on the Centre-Counter and here he turns his attention to 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6!? Playing flat out for the win against 1.e4 is never easy, but here we encounter a variation where Black can do just that! All relevant second and third move alternatives for White are analysed as well. This DVD will be a boon to all chessplayers, but particularly to the busy person with limited time for study or those who wish to incorporate a new defence into their Black repertoire with the minimum possible hassle. This really is the Scandinavian - the easy way!

The Trompowski The Easy Way By Andrew Martin

The Trompowski 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 is used by some of the best players in the world and a great deal of complicated theory has built up. In this fascinating DVD, International Master Andrew Martin traces the history of the opening from those early days, through the 'golden age' of the late 1980s and 1990s, and shows how the theory and ideas have evolved into the sharp and dangerous weapon that the Trompowski undoubtedly is today.

Martin simplifies the theory of 2005 and creates an easy to understand repertoire for the White player that recaptures the pioneering spirit of those early days...with interest! He argues conclusively that 2.Bg5 can still lead to original chess. Games from Vaganian, Hodgson, Bellon, Miladanovic, McShane, Ivanchuk and a whole cast of excellent players help to demonstrate why.

Dutch A80-A85 By Boris Schipkov

In the third and final part of his trilogy about the Dutch, Boris Schipkov turns his attention to the less important lines. But some of them could well be considered main lines, since they are played by respected grandmasters and since the statistics are excellent from the point of view of White. For example 2.Nc3 – White immediately begins to fight for the advance e2-e4. Or 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 – which is encountered so often in praxis that it can hardly be called a sub-variation. The author treats all lines with great thoroughness. All are preceded by a text in which Schipkov presents the underlying strategic ideas of the variation in question and refers to the relevant model games. Includes: 20 chapters, 370 model games annotated by the author and over 37,000 games as well as a training database. The ChessBase Reader based on ChessBase 9 is included.

The Vienna Game By Gregory Huber

This CD actually covers two openings, including the Bishop's Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4) as well as the Vienna Game (2.Nc3). This is logical, however, since in various lines of the Vienna Bc4 is also played and in the same fashion the Bishop's Opening often involves Nc3. The author also includes further possible transitions including certain variations of the King's Gambit with the result that the CD offers a complete repertoire for 1.e4 e5.

The work consists of a clearly laid out database containing 26 texts and 330 games, 220 of which have been annotated by the author. In addition there is a large database containing more than 27,000 games (a good 300 of which have been annotated), a training database with 124 training questions and a large opening tree constructed from all the games. Includes: 26 chapters, 330 annotated games, a database of over 27,000 games and a training database. The ChessBase Reader based on ChessBase 9 is included.

1000 Opening Traps By Karsten Muller & Rainer Knaak

I always enjoy these types of CD. I suppose it harks back to the days of solving mate in X moves in magazines and papers. If you do not know opening theory in its most intimate details, then you must rely on a sound understanding of chess. But sometimes, that is not enough, because opening traps lurk everywhere, relying on the unwary making "normal" moves – developing a piece, making a capture, setting or parrying a threat. But after that the reply is mainly an unusual and therefore an unexpected one – a sacrifice, a piece moves to an unusual square or an expected recapture is omitted in favour of another, better move. In this work, the authors have a twofold aim in view; if you wish, you can master the traps within the area of your own openings. But you can also systematically attempt to extend your opening repertoire in order to set some traps yourself. The ChessBase Reader based on ChessBase 9 is included.

Mega Database 2006 By ChessBase

In my opinion the best and most exclusive annotated database available. I would consider this a most for all top class Correspondence Chess players. Contains more than 3.2 million games from 1530 to 2005 in the highest ChessBase quality standard. 60,000 games contain commentary from top players, with ChessBase opening classification with more than 100,000 key positions, direct access to players, tournaments, middlegame themes, endgames.

The largest top class annotated database in the world. The most recent games of the database are from the middle of November 2005. Mega 2006 also features a new edition of the playerbase. As usual, this is where most of the work was done. As the player index now contains already more than 180,000 entries, it made sense to use an adapted playerbase which includes about 200,000 names. Doing this, the photo database was extended as well to contain 26,000 pictures now. Requires ChessBase 9.

Fritz Powerbook 2006 By ChessBase

The current openings theory with 1 million games. The Fritz Powerbook 2006 contains 18 millions opening positions, derived from 1 million high class tournament games. Together with each position all relevant information is stored: all moves that were played in the position, by players of what average rating, with what success and performance results. The games from which the Fritz Powerbook 2006 were derived are also included on the DVD. This means that in any position of the openings tree you can load and replay the games in which the position occurred. The Fritz Powerbook 2006 represents the state of the art of current openings theory. Discover exciting and tricky new lines and practice them against Fritz. In addition the DVD has a small but very exclusive book with the strongest GM games from the past 100 years (900,000 positions). Requires Fritz 9.