ChessBase Reviews

| index |

CDs, DVDs, Software Part 38

How to Beat Younger Players By Nigel Davies

A great number of our correspondence players still enjoy playing over the board chess and can find it frustrating when they get duffed up by the younger generation. This DVD will help to give you a strong edge when facing the hyper fast superstars.

Time limits are faster, sessions last longer and computer databases and playing engines seem to dominate opening preparation. Add the fact that older players often have jobs and families that take most of their time and it’s no surprise they suffer painful defeats at the hands of spotty youths. Nigel Davies is no stranger to this situation; a more mature Grandmaster who refuses to grow old with dignity, he is still slugging it out with young players in tournaments and matches. On this DVD he argues that an older player with very little time can nonetheless remain competitive, but only if he uses guile and common sense rather than bluster and machismo.

There are several aspects to Davies’ plan, for example using "low maintenance openings", seeking out particular types of position, making the endgame your hunting ground and looking after your health. He goes on to show how several great players have used such techniques to make outstanding results in their 60s and even 70s. At 57 Viktor Korchnoj played the following game so there is hope for all of us.

Korschnoj,V (2600) - Tiviakov,S (2668) [E17] 9th Open Banyoles ESP (8), 23.08.2006
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0 [5.d4 Bb4+] 5...Be7 6.d4 c6 7.Nc3 d5 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Qa4+ Nfd7 [9...Nbd7 10.Ne5; 9...Qd7 10.Qc2; 9...Bc6 10.Qc2] 10.Bf4 a6 11.Rfc1 0-0 12.Qd1 b5 13.a4 b4 14.Nb1 Nc6 15.Nbd2 Qb6 [15...a5 16.Nb3] 16.a5 Qa7 [16...Nxa5 17.Bc7] 17.Nb3 Rac8 18.Rc2 Ncb8 19.Rac1 Rxc2 20.Rxc2 Bc6 21.Bxb8 Nxb8 22.Qc1 Bb7 23.Ne5 [23.Rc7 Bd6] 23...Bd6 24.Bh3 Ba8 25.e3 Qe7 26.Nd3 Qe8 27.Ndc5 Bxc5 28.Nxc5 e5 29.dxe5 Qxe5 30.Bg2 Qf5 31.Nb3 Qd7 32.Nd4 Qd6 33.Bh3 Nd7 [33...g6] 34.Rc8 Bb7 35.Rc7 1-0

Video running time: 3 hours. System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard.

The ABC of Chess Openings (2nd Edition) By Andrew Martin

If nothing else Correspondence Chess means we come across a wide and diverse number of openings. Unless you are super rich it is probably not practical to buy reference material covering every opening system. This DVD is well put together and will provide you with sound advice on how to proceed even if you are unfamiliar with a particular opening system.

In the all new ABC of Chess Openings International Master Andrew Martin explores the diverse possibilities available to everyone in the opening phase of the game.

The material is broken down logically into Open Games, Semi-Open Games, Closed and Semi- Closed Games, Flank and Irregular Openings.

Invaluable advice is given about what to look for and how to play each specific category, and the instruction is enhanced by the use of recent, thematic master games to complement this advice.

The DVD also contains the whole training course in audio-format for Pocket Fritz 3. System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard.

The Scheveningen Sicilian By Lubomir Ftacnik

The name Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5) describes a number of systems, each of which could easily be considered as an independent opening. The problems in the Paulsen, Richter Rauzer or Sveshnikov are complex, but the Sicilian pawn structures tie them all together. The Scheveningen Sicilian is central to an understanding of all the individual versions of the most popular response to the move 1.e4 - including the related Najdorf system.

GM Ftacnik sets out to explain the vitality of the key Scheveningen line, a rich position offering scores of different plans for both sides. Players will learn to respect the importance of Black’s central pawn structure d6, e6 and its deep and essential relationship to the different d6, e5 formation. All the grand attacking plans for White, led by the aggressive g2-g4 idea in the form of the Keres attack or currently by the wildly popular English attack, are explained with the help of the games by the world’s best players. The Scheveningen DVD will enhance the way you see and understand all Sicilian systems.

A great example of the analytical coverage of this DVD is the following game which Lubomir Ftacnik devotes about half an hour to.

Leko,Peter (2763) - Topalov,Veselin (2788) [B80]
FIDE-Wch San Luis (1), 28.09.2005 [Modern line 9...b4]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e6 7.Be3 b5 8.Qd2 b4 9.Na4 Nbd7N Topalov has prepared a very sharp line at home, that is very risky. [9...Bd7!÷] 10.0-0-0 [10.Bc4 Qa5 11.b3 Bb7 12.a3 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.0-0 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Qe5 16.Qd2 Qd6 17.f4 bxa3 18.Rad1 Nb6 19.Qa5 Nxc4 20.bxc4 Qb4 21.Qxb4 Bxb4 22.Rb1 0-0-0 0-1 Ewaldt,M-Ftacnik,L/Hamburg 2005/ (31)] 10...d5 11.exd5 [11.Bf4 Bb7 12.e5 Nh5 13.b3 Nxf4 14.Qxf4 Nc5 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 16.Qd2 Qb6 17.Kb1 a5 18.Bb5+ Kf8 19.Ba4 Rc8 20.f4 Bxd4 21.Qxd4 Qxd4 22.Rxd4 Bc6 23.Bxc6 Rxc6 24.a3 Rb6 25.axb4 axb4 26.Kb2 Ke7 27.Ra1 Rc8 28.Ra4 Rbc6 29.Rd2 Rb6 30.Ra7+ Kf8 31.g3 Ke8 32.Ra4 Kd7 33.Rd4 ½-½ Teo Wei Xing-Wee, Singapore 2004] 11...Nxd5 12.Bc4 N7f6 [12...Bb7 13.Rhe1 Qa5 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Bb6 Qxa4 16.Bxd5 Be7 17.Bxb7 Nxb6 18.Rxe6 0-0 19.Rxe7 Qxa2 20.Qd4 Rf6 21.Bxa8 1-0 Wang Hao-Nava,R/Instanbul 2005/] 13.Bg5 Qc7 [13...Bb7 14.Rhe1 Be7 15.Nf5! 0-0 16.Bxd5 Bxd5 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Nb6 Rad8 19.Nxd5 Rxd5 20.Qxd5+-] 14.Bxd5 White could have contemplated also other dangerous idea 14.£e2!? [14.Qe2!? Bd6! 15.Nxe6 (15.Nf5 Bf4+ 16.Kb1 Bxg5 17.Bxd5 Rb8) 15...Bxe6 16.Bxf6 (16.Bxd5? Nxd5 17.Rxd5 0-0-+) 16...Nxf6 17.Bxe6 Bf4+ 18.Kb1 fxe6 19.Qxe6+ Kf8 20.g3 Bh6÷] 14...Nxd5 15.Rhe1 Bb7 16.Qe2 Qd6 17.Kb1 [17.f4!, Nxf4 18.Qg4 Nd5 19.Nxe6+-] 17...h6 18.Bh4 Nf4 19.Qf2 Qc7 20.Nf5? The opening experiment by Black has failed and White could have capitalised on his centralised pieces with the winning jump 20.Nb6! Qxb6 21.Nxe6 Qxf2 (21...Qxe6 22.Qa7!!+-) 22.Nxg7#; b) 20...Qxb6; 21.Nf5 Bc6 22.Qd4 Rg8 (22...Ng6 23.Bg3 Qxb6 24.Qxb6 Rxb6 25.Bc7+-) 23.Nc4!? g5 24.Bg3 Rd8 25.Ncd6+ Bxd6 26.Nxd6+ Rxd6 (26...Kf8 27.Bxf4 gxf4 28.Rxe6+-) 27.Qxd6 Qxd6 28.Rxd6+-] 20...g5! 21.Bg3 Rc8 22.Qd4 [22.Rd2 Rd8 23.Bxf4 gxf4 24.Rxd8+ Qxd8 25.Nc5 Bd5²] 22...Rg8 23.c3? Leko played very badly in time trouble and transformed the position into difficult ending. [23.Qf2!] 23...Rd8 24.Qxd8+ [24.Qe3 Bc6µ] 24...Qxd8 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8µ 26.Ne3 Bc6 27.Nb6 bxc3 28.bxc3 Bg7 29.Bxf4 gxf4 30.Nd1 Bb5 31.a4 Bd3+ 32.Kc1 Kc7 33.a5 Bh8 34.Kd2 Bb5 35.Rg1 Bc6 36.Ke2 Be5 37.c4 Bd4 38.Nf2 Bc3 39.Ne4 Bxa5 40.c5 f5 0-1

The ABC of the Ruy Lopez By Andrew Martin

The venerable Ruy Lopez is one of the most interesting of chess openings. In this diverse and instructive DVD, International Master Andrew Martin explains how the opening works, with the help of mostly recent, complete master games, although there are some classics too!

The most important ideas are highlighted and there are some repertoire suggestions, all presented in the light, easy, relaxed style for which this author is noted.

Note that this edition includes a 2009 update featuring a signifcant contribution on how to play against the Berlin Defence amongst other new ideas. Video running time: 3 h 32 min + 1 h 22 min (Update)= 4 h 54 min.