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CDs, DVDs, Software Part 34

Strategy Step by Step By Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Making the right strategic decisions is one of the most difficult tasks at the chessboard. But how can one enhance one’s strategic understanding and methodical play? With this video course Rustam has carefully selected games from his own practice which are dominated by positional and strategic considerations, clarifying in extensive annotations which thoughts the decisions of the grandmasters are based upon. He shows how the game plan is made in the first moves of the opening and then - in the ideal case - purposefully continued step by step in the middlegame. At the end of this entertaining and practically relevant course, you will be familiar with many positional elements like e.g. open lines, strong and weak squares, pawn chains, isolated pawns, space advantage, pawn majorities, hanging pawns etc., making you ready to use them for your own play. Video running time: 3:54 min.

This position comes from the game:-
FIDE-Wch San Luis (4), 01.10.2005 Kasimdzhanov,Rustam (2670) - Anand,Viswanathan (2788) Sicilian defence [B90] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.h3 Ne5 11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.exf5 Nbc6 13.Nd5 e6 14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Ne3 0-0 16.Be2 Qe7 17.0-0 Rad8 18.Bh5 Kh8 19.Re1 d5 20.a4 Nc4 21.Nxc4 dxc4 22.Qg4 Qb4 23.Qxe6 Rd2 24.Rad1 Nd4 25.Qe4 Nf5 26.Be5 Rxf2 27.Bf3 Rd2 28.Bxg7+ Kxg7 29.Qe5+ Rf6 30.a5 Nh4 31.Qc7+ Rf7 32.Qe5+ Rf6 33.Bh5 Ng6 34.Bxg6 Rxd1 35.Rxd1 Kxg6 36.Qe4+ Kg7 37.Rd7+ Kg8 38.Qh7+ 1-0

With 15.Ne3 having just been played. Kasimdzhanov clearly does a great deal of preparation for his games and this game is no exception with the winning move having been found in home preparation. Ftacnik wrote in ChessBase Magazines: Kasimdzhanov has done his homework and is well informed about the nuances of the position. His new move strives to prevent relocation of the black knight to f4 square.

I found this a highly instructive chess course. The strategy learnt will help even the best of correspondence chess players with the long term planning of all their games.

Powerplay 6 - Pawns, Pieces & Plans By Daniel King

If you want to be a well-rounded chess player, it is vital that you have a good understanding of positional play. In this 6th Power Play DVD, Daniel King discusses three classic questions:

the Isolated Queen’s pawn
central passed pawns
when to exchange pawns (and when not to exchange pawns).

In each case, the slightest difference in the placement of pieces can make a massive difference to the assessment of the position. At the end of the lectures, you can test your understanding of these themes by examining a series of specially selected test positions.

The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer. Video running time: 5 hours.

Powerplay 7 - Improve Your Pieces By Daniel King

Why is manoeuvring important, and in what circumstances should we consider manoeuvring rather than another course of action? In this 7th Power Play DVD, Daniel King helps you to recognise when a piece is poorly placed and what to do about it.

Throughout the DVD, specially selected positions will enable you to test your understanding of the subject. The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer.

Daniel King, as well as being a fantastic player, is also one of the best chess teachers going. Anyone can learn a lot by simply playing through his games but when you combine this with the video tutorials, and test positions, on his DVD’s then you can’t fail to become a better all round player. The following is one of the games available on his latest DVD:

BCF-ch Southampton (3), 1986
King,D (2460) - Depasquale,C (2305)
French Defence [C18]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 f5 7.Nf3 Bd7 8.Be2 Qa5 9.Qd2 Bb5 10.0-0 Bxe2 11.Qxe2 c4 12.Ng5 Qa6 13.a4 g6 [13...h6 14.Qh5+] 14.Ba3 h6 15.Nh3 Nc6 [15...g5 16.Qh5+] 16.Nf4 Nce7 17.a5 Kd7 18.Bc5 g5 19.Nh5 Rf8 20.Rfb1 Rf7 21.Qd1 Nc6 22.Qc1 Kc8 23.Qa3 Nge7 24.Bb6 Ng6 25.Qd6 Nd8 26.Nf6 Nf4 27.Kf1 g4 28.g3 Nh3 29.Qc5+ Nc6 30.Bxa7 Qxa7 31.Rb6 Rc7 32.a6 bxa6 33.Raxa6 Qxa6 34.Rxa6 Nb8 35.Qd6 Nxa6 36.Qxa6+ Kb8 37.Qb6+ Rb7 38.Nd7+ Kc8 39.Qc6+ Rc7 40.Nb6+ Kd8 41.Qd6+ 1-0

If you haven’t already started collecting this set of DVD’s then I would thoroughly recommend that you start now.

Endgame for Experts By Rustam Kasimdzhanov

If you want to play successful chess you must pay great attention to the endgame. Because it is only if you handle the endgame correctly that you can turn an advantageous position into a full point or save half a point from an inferior position.

On this DVD, Rustam Kasimdzhanov analyses the type of practical endgames which tournament players encounter on a daily basis. We are talking here about endgames which are still full of life, endgames which in the final analysis must be played out over the board.

Using selected games of his own, he shows the importance of understanding positional factors such as an advantage in space, piece activity, pawn weaknesses, strong and weak squares, pawn majorities, passed pawns, etc. He explains what has to be known in order to make the correct strategic decisions and to find the correct plan in such endings.

Studying the examples in this 3.5 hour long video course will certainly pay off for you in your own games. Kasimdzhanov’s outstanding and easily understandable explanations will certainly help you to substantially improve your own performance in the endgame.

Rustam Kasimdzhanov explains uses 23 media files to reveal his secrets of endgame play. This tutorial runs for about 3.5 hours. You will learn a lot from the ex world champion. To begin with which means he really understands the positions he is explaining. One of many interesting games explained is his impressive is his win against Michael Adams, of which Psakhis wrote after this game: "A glorious finish of the knight march."

FIDE-Wch k.o. Tripoli (7.7), 13.07.2004
Adams,Michael (2731) - Kasimdzhanov,Rustam (2652)
Sicilian Defence [B51]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Ba4 b5 8.Bc2 Rc8 9.a4 g6 10.axb5 axb5 11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4 Bg4 13.Nc3 b4 14.Ne2 Bg7 15.d5 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Ne5 17.Ba4+ Nfd7 18.Nd4 0-0 19.f4 Nc4 20.Nc6 Rxc6 21.dxc6 Nc5 22.Qe2 Nb6 23.Bb5 Nb3 24.Ra6 Nd4 25.Qd3 Na8 26.Ra4 Nc7 27.Rxb4 Qb8 28.Rxd4 Bxd4 29.Qxd4 Qxb5 30.f5 Rc8 31.Bh6 Ne8 32.e5 Rxc6 33.exd6 Rxd6 34.Qe5 Qxe5 35.Rxe5 Rd7 36.Rc5 f6 37.fxg6 hxg6 38.Be3 Rb7 39.Bd4 Kf7 40.Kg2 Nd6 41.Bc3 e5 42.Ra5 Nc4 43.Ra1 Rb6 44.b4 Nd6 45.Rb1 Ke6 46.Bd2 f5 47.Be3 Rb7 48.Bc5 Ne4 49.Rd1 Rc7 50.Bb6 Rc6 51.Ba7 Ra6 52.Be3 f4 53.Bc1 Ra4 54.Re1 Kf5 55.Bb2 Rxb4 56.Bxe5 f3+ 57.Kxf3 Kxe5 58.Kg4 Kf6 59.f4 Nf2+ 60.Kg3 Nd3 0-1

Chess for Scoundrels By Nigel Davies

Psychology is one of the most important aspects of chess, yet most players put themselves at a serious disadvantage by ignoring this aspect of the game. Being 'nice' is all very well in civilian life, but in the war zone of the chess board a more ruthless approach is required. The fact of the matter is that a good chess player must be something of a scoundrel in order to survive.

On this DVD Davies discusses the various ways by which a player can conduct psychological warfare, from inducing Pavlovian responses to insulting the opposition with provocative moves. A knowledge of these methods is essential for the serious tournament competitor, if only to avoid becoming another victim. Video running time: more than 4 hours.

It's a bit of an eye opener when Davies makes you aware of the psychological aspects of the games of top the players and this is probably an aspect which I have missed when playing through their games in the past.

Don’t think for a second that these psychological ploys can’t crop up in Correspondence Chess. I can remember being told of an instance where a player offered the conditional move - If Resigns, thanks for the game.

The Modern Benoni By Andrew Martin

The Modern Benoni is one of the sharpest and most controversial replies to 1 d4. In return for active pieces and a queenside pawn majority, Black voluntarily inherits a position with the clear defect of a weak, backward pawn on d6, a trade-off which invariably leads to razor-sharp play.

On this Chessbase DVD, International Master Andrew Martin will teach you all the nuts and bolts of this fascinating opening, shows you when to duck and when to punch with Black and tackles some of the most critical move-orders of the day.

The opening is dissected, so that players of all levels will learn how the Black position ticks and the typical ideas that White may adopt to try to put the Benoni out of business. In the final analysis, this is an inspiring tour which will encourage you to try this opening yourself!

Andrew Martin explains in a very logical and easy to understand way the secrets of the Modern Benoni. The Benoni is one of Black's best openings , and offers fantastic piece activity. It has been used by some of the great players such as Kasparov, Fischer, Kramnik, Topolov and Tal. The material in Andrew Martin's DVD’s is very inspiring.