15...Qxc5 16 a3

Latest moves in our correspondence game: The Hawk v The Rest of the World

The Rest of the World opted for: 15 ...Qxc5

The Hawk replied with 16 a3

What should Black play now? Two pieces are under attack, but Black is (temporarily) a piece ahead. It's complicated!

Please vote for the next move, using the usual methods. The easiest is to leave a comment on this site.

The full moves to date can be found here:

http://www.chesslinksproject.btik.com/documents/1843350505.ikml

Visitors

I'm delighted to say that Marsh Towers is currently receiving visitors not only from the United Kingdom but also from the United States, India, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Greece, Spain, Thailand, France, Denmark, Morocco, Bulgaria, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Brazil, Poland, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, and, last but not least, the Phillipines.

Hopefully all visitors find something of interest. Stay tuned because there's LOTS more content to come!

The Hawk v RoW: 14...Nxc3 15 0-0

The majority of the Rest of the World voted for the tempting 14...Nxc3. The Hawk replied by castling 15 0-0. So The Rest of the World has an extra piece! Is it all part of The Hawk's plan?

A very tricky position! What would you play as Black? Please vote in the usual ways!

The Hawk v RoW

After The Rest of the World played 13...Bd7,

The Hawk replied with 14 Bd3

What would you play for Black now?

See: http://www.chesslinksproject.btik.com/sh/documents/edititem.ikml?id=50505

...for further details!

Chess Reviews: 39

Fritz 11

Fritz has long been known as the leading chess software on the market. I was delighted to be able to review the very latest version.

It took just a few minutes to load the software onto my laptop and then suddenly Fritz was ready for action.

The first menu offers a choice between 'Play Fritz', 'Playchess.com' and 'Chess Course'.

‘Chess Course’ takes one to two main features. One is a comprehensive ‘Beginner’s Course’, presented by IM Andrew Martin using video clips and board graphics. This is a fabulous teaching feature for total novices, taking the student quickly over the very basics, such the chess board and the names of the pieces, through to moves of the pieces and some demonstrations of standard checkmate patterns.

Next, there are samples from no less than 53 of the high-quality Fritz Trainer DVDs. Each clip features a top player (Kasparov, Kramnik, Korchnoy, Shirov etc) giving a chess lesson. Some of them are nearly 20 minutes. Each clip is accompanied by a direct link to the Chessbase shop, giving the viewer the opportunity to pursue their particular interests with ease.

Clicking on ‘Playchess.com’ is a quick and easy way into what is probably the best of all chess playing sites (at least, it’s the best one I’ve ever known). The online navigation is simple enough and within seconds it is possible to be playing an opponent from the other side of the world. There are some new features here, including a ‘tactical competition’, in which a player has five minutes to solve as many problems as possible.

Buying Fritz gives a free one year membership to play.

'Play Fritz’ takes one to the meat of the product. First, these an audible greeting! Straight away, there is a very strong temptation to take on Fritz in a blitz game. I’ve played against nearly all of the versions over the years, starting with Fritz 2, and have on occasion managed a very rare draw (and a even rarer victory). This time I played quote a few games in a row and found I could hardly ever get into a playable middle game. With an absolutely ruthless efficiency, Fritz mercilessly exploited every single mistake. It’s audio aspect didn’t take long to start gloating. I didn’t take too much longer to turn off the sound. Naturally, the latest version of Fritz is the strongest to date and even though I was just playing blitz games, the accuracy of the program gives a little indication as to the intensity of the struggle faced by (then-World Champion) Kramnik when he played a six-game match against it in 2006.

Finally resigning myself to fact that I’m not going to win a any games on this occasion (…well, what can I say? I haven’t played much recently and feel I am somewhat rusty…) it was time to investigate the other Fritz features.

There are two chess variants to play: Giveaway Chess and Chess 960. The latter is the one where the initial position is selected randomly from a total of 960 options. My first attempt started with this bizarre position.

It’s first move was 1 0-0-0 and I immediately understood I had a lot to learn!



There are also many training levels, in which a player can practice openings, tactics and endgames. The idea is simple: load up one of the given positions and play on against Fritz until the technique is mastered.

Some of the positions are classics, such as this ‘pawn breakthrough’

White to play and win

Others are of the tricky type we never practice enough:

White to play - could you beat Fritz from here?

There’s a massive database of games, stretching across the centuries from game 1 from the year 1625 (actually some analysis by the great Greco) all the way to game 1245231 (!), a blitz play-off game between Leko and Ivanchuk at the end of 2007. There are no annotations, but there are plenty of search options to quickly find a game, player or variation of interest and of course it is an easy task to load up an analysis engine to help study the game.

The chess board can be viewed in normal 2D or even 3D. A new feature for Fritz 11 is the magic eye. This shows laser beams scanning the board, revealing Fritz’s thoughts as it plays!

Fritz 11 will provide you with many hours of fun and also serious chess experiences. Any keen player - regardless of current age and playing strength - cannot fail to improve their chess strength with this magnificent product.

Highly recommended to all!

For further details of Fritz and other Chessbase products, please go to:
http://www.chessbase.com/

The Hawk v RoW

Recent developments in the correspondence game between The Hawk and The Rest of the World....

You voted for:

12...Rxb8



...and The Hawk has replied with: 13 Nd4

What would you like to play for Black in this position? Please vote in the usual ways. See here for further details on the whole game. http://www.chesslinksproject.btik.com/

Chess Reviews: 38

Chessbase
Fritz Trainer DVDs

The three DVDs reviewed here all follow the standard Fritz Trainer format. Load up the disc and one's computer screen split into three windows. One is a chessboard, depicting the latest moves, one is for the notation and the third shows the author/presenter talking to the screen. It's very much like having a Grandmaster giving you his direct and complete attention.

Beating The French Vol 1
By Rustam Kasimdzhanov
(Running time: three and a half hours)

I have employed the French Defence many times since the early 1980s. Having spent many hours studying and playing one of the very best of all defences, I was intrigued to see what I could learn from the 'other side of the fence'.

Former World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov has already built up a solid reputation as DVD presenter; coupled with his experience at the highest of all levels he is a good choice to try and crack a tough nut.

He introduces volume 1 with a six minute video presentation to explain why he is advocating 3 Nc3 against the French rather than one of the other main tries and goes on to cover some of Black's plans after 3 …Bb4, heralding the Winawer Variation.

Straight away a big positive point can be seen. The lectures are in well-timed chunks and this gives the viewer important natural breaks in the learning experience.

Two theoretical sections follow the introduction. The first last just over 16 minutes and talks the viewer through the chosen path to the main recommendation, with plenty of explanations as to why other lines are less critical.

The main line is deemed to be:

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 Qg4



No fudging or half measures here! Kasimdzhanov clearly wants to take the bull by the horns. Later he takes a good look at 7 h4 also, to demonstrate some similar ideas and plans.
The second theoretical section is nearly 20 minutes long and takes a very good look at methods of play arising from 7 Qg4.

Following the first illustrative game, it's back to theory for the third and final time.
Then it's onwards again, with a fine selection of nine games presented as individual lectures. The length of these clips varies from just under nine minutes to over 22.

A lot of attention is given to the heavily-advocated 7 …0-0, which has gone some way to replacing the wilder 7 …Qc7 lines in recent years.

Other systems, such as the slippery 5...Ba5, are covered in depth too. Some of Black's early options - such as 4 …b6 and 4 …Qd7 - are either not covered at all or dealt with quickly. However, these do crop up at club level from time to time and it would have been good to see some critical analysis here too.

A short 'Outro' concludes the coverage of the Winawer Variation with a succinct summary and some final thoughts.

Playing the Winawer can become almost like a religion for Black players (local layers will know it is a cornerstone of the repertoire of the current Cleveland co-champion, David Baillie, and one with which he very rarely loses) so it essential to prepare very thoroughly if one is wanting to fight against it. Careful study of the material presented here will definitely boost your chances of success against 3...Bb4.

Beating The French Vol 2
By Rustam Kasimdzhanov
(Running time: three hours and 17 minutes)

The second volume takes an in-depth look at how to meet 3...Nf6, the Classical Variation. This is probably more popular than the Winawer at the moment, with lots of former 3...Bb4 specialists put off by the amount of theory.

This time, after the introduction, there is just one theoretical lecture before moving on to the 11 illustrative games.

Kasimdzhanov talks through his reasons for heading into the following position, via 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 (4...Ne4, the subject of a Daniel King 'Foxy Openings' video some years ago, is dismissed lightly along the way) 5 f4 c5 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Be3

The basic strategies for sides are explained very well indeed. I have some experience of the Black side of the variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 Bxd4 10.Bxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Qb6 in which Black heads for an endgame where he has decent chances so I was intrigued to see what would be suggested here. The answer is the trendy 12.Qd2, offering a pawn. Should Black take?; b2 or not b2 - that is the question. The idea is to win tempi for pawns after 12 …Qxb2 13 Rb1 Qa3 14 Nb5

There don't appear to be any stones left unturned here, with all the main lines covered - at least in sidelines - over the course of the verbally annotated games. Even the rarer, surprise lines are covered, such as 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 f4 c5 6 Nf3 Nc6 7 Be3 Qb6. Black has a sacrificial option after 8 Na4 Qa5+ 9 c3 cxd4 10 b4 Nxb4 11 cxb4 Bxb4+

…but it is now under a cloud after 12 Bd2, when according to this DVD White has a very good position with the plan Na4-b2-d3 suggesting itself.

As with volume 1, Kasimdzhanov concludes matters with a summing up in the 'Outro'.
I have not seen volume three (which covers 3...dxe4, thus completing the repertoire for White) but it's safe to assume that the standard will be as high as the first two.

These are top-quality products (as one has come to expect from Chessbase). Anyone who wants to improve their understanding of - and results against - The French should definitely consider investing some study time in these volumes. French players will need to watch them too - to find out what is in store for them in the very near future!

1.…d6 Universal
By GM Nigel Davies
(Running time: five hours)

GM Nigel Davies is a top coach and has mastered the art of presenting excellent chess material to standard club and tournament players across a whole range of chess media.

The title of this DVD is a trifle misleading though; it is a universal repertoire only provided that White doesn't play 1 e4. The player wanting to base a whole Black repertoire on 1...d6 is advised to pick up what is essentially a companion volume: the Fritz Trainer on The Pirc, by Davies also.

At first , it's easy to think that Black players adopt 1...d6 merely as a transpositional device to offer White the chance to steer proceedings into a Pirc and heading for a King's Indian after 2 c4 or 2 Nf3. However, as Davies ably demonstrates, it is possible to head for fresh positions that could easily non-plus an otherwise well-booked up opponent. (In fact, players are invited to be honest and think to themselves - do they prepare properly for 1...d6 at all?)

In a nutshell, the lines considered arise from:

1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5
1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 g6
1 c4 d6 2 Nc3 e5 followed by 3 …f5

Despite first impressions, 1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5 can give Black some real chances of playing for the win. 3 dxe5 dxe5 4 Qxd8 Kxd8 is surprisingly easy for Black to play and amazingly the c4 pawn often wishes it could move backwards.

White can avoid the ending with the popular 1 d4 d6 2 c4 e5 3 Nf3 but after 3 …e4 Black is once again creating fresh positions and unusual problems for White.

Black naturally follows up with a rapid …f5 (a common theme on this DVD). Such pushy play could well reap its rewards.

1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 g6 is a very interesting choice; most sources on 1...d6 prefer 1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 Bg4. Davies is clearly giving White the option of going back into a Pirc with 3 e4, which Black should be happy with if he has the companion DVD. If White sticks to d4 territory, Davies recommends 1 d4 d6 2 Nf3 g6 3 c4 Bg7 4 Nc3 Bg4

There are some delightful twists and turns in the play from this position, with Black going all out to assault the key d4 point.

Davies is particularly good at covering all the annoying little sidelines and non-critical openings one encounters repeatedly in club chess. Thus suitable lines of play are given against The London System, Colle and others.

1 Nf3 is a problem solved by 1...d6 when transpositions to earlier lines are hard to avoid. Keeping the game in the realms of the King's Indian Attack can lead to trouble for White, as even Kasparov found in a simul game against Ziglio, presented here.

Wouldn't you just love this position against Kasparov? Black proceeded with 15...Rxf3 16 Qf3 Bd7! with the idea of 17…Rf8. Kasparov somehow held on to draw but it's easy to imagine his discomfort throughout the experience.

Indeed, the chosen games demonstrated the plans and schemes admirably and there are over 100 pertinent examples on this DVD, in addition to the ones presented in the video clips. Some of the games are by Davies himself; I think it essential that an opening salesman practices what he preaches and his own personal experiences are well used here.

With a running time of five hours, there is a lot of material to get through and even serious students will be kept busy for several evenings. With an r.r.p. of £18.99 such a wealth of material really is excellent value for money.

Provided the reader has knowledge of the Pirc or some other …d6 based opening against 1 e4 (to handle transpositions) then 1...d6 Universal will provide a very promising and relatively easy to learn repertoire against everything else. One major benefit is that the given lines are very sound yet one's opponents are still likely to be less than fully prepared to meet them. 1...d6 can lead to quick victories and the player who studies this DVD and takes up the recommendations will find themselves masters of the territory when the position appear on the board. Highly recommended!

For further details of all Chessbase products, please visit: http://www.chessbase.com/

For the archive of my chess reviews, please see here: http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2007/12/chess-review-archive.html