Chess Reviews: 70

King’s Indian Attack
By GM Nigel Davies
ChessBase

GM Davies has had considerable experience with the King’s Indian Attack and is the ideal choice of presenter for this DVD.

Over the course of more than five hours, he guides the viewer through the main strategies and plans of the King’s Indian Attack via 23 illustrative games.

Given the somewhat slippery nature of the KIA, the coverage focuses more on the ideas and plans side of things rather than specific move orders and lengthy theoretical lines.

GM Davies explains that there are two main ways to add the KIA to one’s repertoire. It is possible to use it in all games via the normal move-order 1 Nf3, 2 g3 etc. Played that way, it can be a good practical choice for club players, especially those with little time to follow the latest theoretical developments.

It can also act as an extra string to a 1 e4 player’s bow. For example, the French Defence can be met by 1 e4 e6 2 d3 (an occasional Fischer favourite) and the Sicilian can come in for the same treatment too, especially after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d3.

The Caro-Kann isn’t immune either; there are a couple of illustrative games showing how the late, great GM Leonid Stein roughing up those who tried to keep his tactical ability at bay with 1 …c6.

The first half of the DVD looks at games arising from 1 e4 and 1 Nf3 is examined in the latter half.

The first illustrative game shows the 11th World Champion in action, demonstrating the sort of devastation a strong player can inflict once having seized a deadly combination of extra space and the initiative on the Kingside.

Fischer v Myagmarsuren Sousse 1967

The game is famous, but if you haven’t seen it before then why not see if you can spot the mating finale.

One problem from White’s point of view is that Black has a very tough nut to crack in the form of this key position.

Dolmatov - Lautier
Rubinstein Memorial 1991

GM Davies advocates an aggressive plan with 8 Nh4 and 9 f4. Conventional wisdom has it that Black is comfortable after 8 …f5 or 8 …f6 (well known to French Defence aficionados, thanks mainly to the efforts of top 1...e6 author John Watson). The presenter freely acknowledges that the system is a good one for Black. His solution is a suggestion to trade pawns with 9 exd5 and to focus attention on the potential weaknesses on the e-file.

Naturally, starting a game with 1 Nf3 grants the opponent quite an array of different responses, including some odd looking tries. Black’s standard defensive tries are all nicely covered and lines are also given to cover peculiar tries such as 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 g3 b5 (incidentally, a former Karpov favourite).

So, dear readers, when it comes to the King’s Indian Attack the choice is yours; it can be your main White weapon or an occasional addition to your existing repertoire. Either way, studying this DVD is a great way to acquaint yourself with all the knowledge you need to get yourself up an running with a new opening.

Power Play 7:
Improve Your Pieces
By GM Daniel King
ChessBase

Grandmaster King starts the latest DVD in his impressive series by jumping straight into 16 test positions, encouraging the viewer to use a set of real pieces with which to conduct the analysis.

He also recommends playing through all of the moves up until the point that each test position is reached, to appreciate the flow of the game and provide an instructive link between the different phases of the game. Such an approach will help the student build up a series of clues towards the correct continuations.

Having made the viewer work, GM King then introduces the content of the DVD.

The path to improving one’s pieces relies on manoeuvring, often in a general sense. Particular attention is paid to pawn structures and their influence on various pieces, in the context of whether they are good or bad; for example, the hypothetical bad ‘French Bishop’.

The test positions are explained, one by one, with follow-up lectures to broaden the picture with further instructive illustrative games. GM King breaks things down to the basics, piece by piece, but impresses the need to keep a sharp tactical eye despite the outwardly positional nature of the games.

Little anecdotes are often given too, such as the presenter reminiscing about GM Keene announcing loudly - Victorian-style - checkmate in three against him!

Here are a couple of samples from the test positions to give an indication as to what to expect.

Illescas Cordoba - Short
Linares 1995

How should White continue?

King - Larsen
Hastings 1990

This one is a cautionary lesson. White eventually won after 73 moves, but sometimes deep manoeuvring can lead to curious oversights by even the great players. What should White play here?

There are 28 lectures with the length of each one varying between two and a half minutes and 27 and a half minutes. The total run time is just under 5 hours; excellent value for money, as always with ChessBase.

A run of five games by Kramnik towards the end of the DVD show the former World Champion on rather better form than he was in his recent title challenge.

The ‘Afterword’ makes good use of a Fischer game, highlighting the temptation to win material mid-way through the unfolding of a plan.

Taking material can win a game, but can also be a distraction, destroying concentration and changing a formerly favourable trend of play. It’s a tricky problem and one we’re prone to get wrong over the board. Fischer’s powerful game should help us all think twice before stalling a good plan to pick up sundry booty.

It is possible to play all of the video clips without analysing the test positions, and the viewer would definitely learn a lot. However, by the far the most rewarding experience would be to enter fully into the spirit of the presentation; trying very hard to assess the given positions before moving on and comparing one’s findings with the chess secrets revealed by GM King.

This is another excellent addition to a very fine series. Products on the middlegame might not have the quick-fix appeal as a manual on an opening but the lessons given here are for life; no amount of developing theory is ever going to dilute the wisdom provided here.

For further details of Chessbase products, please go to:
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New: Openings Workshop

Former British Senior Chess Champion Norman Stephenson has started a series of articles covering interesting opening ideas.

The first of his articles can be found over on my junior chess site:

http://www.chesslinksproject.btik.com/p_Home.ikml

Chess Reviews: 69

How Chess Games are Won and Lost
By GM Lars Bo Hansen
Gambit Publications
256 pages

In his introduction, Danish Grandmaster Lars Bo Hansen outlines the five main phases of the game and outlines his proposed plan to help readers on the way to chess improvement.

Right from the start there something a little bit different from the normal chess improvement manual. The phases of the game are usually considered fully listed as merely opening, middlegame and endgame but here the two main phases of transition are given full coverage and encouraged to celebrate their own special existence rather then act of bits and pieces of the other phases.

The contents of the book fall quite naturally into six main sections:

The Opening

The principles of the opening play are discussed and there is a considerable amount of practical advice on how to build an opening repertoire.

One subsection, ‘Where Does the Opening End?’, examines a position at move 27 of a Queen’s Indian Defence - the belated starting point of theory!

Several top-level game continuations are quoted. The author goes on to say that this sort of extremely deep preparation is something beyond the reach of all but the very top player, and the important thing for lesser mortals is to develop a repertoire that can match one’s own style and strengths.

The Transition to the Early Middlegame

Following a general discussion about central pawn structures - in which the Chigorin Variation of the Ruy Lopez comes under specific scrutiny - the author switches his attention to play arising from the Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit, examining, in great detail, the possibilities for both sides.

The Middlegame

Various methods of battling for the advantage are examined, followed by a general look at typical middlegame tactics.

Some are really eye-catching, including this fantastic display of ‘quiet moves’. The moves are fully annotated in the book; for now, just enjoy the sequence and try and fathom out the motives for each of Tal’s surprising moves…

Tal - Miller
Simultaneous Display, LA 1988
23 h4! Qg3 24 Rd1! Rf2 25 Qxf2! Bxf2 26 Rxd5! 1-0

Transition from Middlegame to Endgame

Strategic Endgames are on the agenda in this section, in which ‘…The value of concrete calculations and tactics is decreasing, while long term factors take over centre stage’.

Technical Endgames

The author provides a subjective selection of illustrative positions, with the emphasis firmly on those form his own experience. There’s also some interesting material on unbalanced material situations, such as Rook and Bishop v Rook.

Practical Tips

The tips given include how to work with computers and how top prepare for specific opponents.
The concluding tips feature acronyms geared up to assists players in time-trouble. Specifically: DAUT, NUPM and KAPP. The first of these (originally formulated by GM Nunn) stands for ‘Don’t Analyse Unnecessary Tactics’. Dear readers, if you don’t know the others you’ll just have to buy the book to find out.

This is an interesting and very readable book. It is similar in style to John Watson’s ‘Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy’ and GM Yermolinsky‘s ‘The Road to Chess Improvement’; if you liked those books, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

The author has clearly worked very hard to produce an impressive manual for the developing chess player. Readers will find an abundance entertainment and instruction in this excellent book.

101 Chess Questions Answered
By FM Steve Giddins
Gambit Publications
128 pages

I enjoyed reviewing a previous book by FM Giddins (see review column 31: http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2007/11/chess-reviews-31.html) and was looking forward to the release of this one.

In his own words:

‘This book covers a wide variety of aspects of chess, including tactics, strategy, openings, middlegame and endgame, chess history, computer chess and chess organization. It is aimed primarily at relative newcomers to the game, especially those who are familiar with the rules of chess, but have little or no experience of competitive play.’

Each ‘Chess Question’ and its answer typically takes up one page (occasionally two).

The material is split into eight sections:

General

The Opening

Tactics and Combinations

Planning and Strategy

Positional Play

The Endgame

Competitive Play

Training and Computers et al.

The early questions and answers offer advice on how to go about finding a chess club, before covering some basics of the openings.

The tactics are fairly elementary and work well as illustrative examples. The reader has the opportunity to spot winning continuations against six world champions on the road to improving their tactical skill.

Solokovsky - Lasker
Simultaneous, Moscow 1899
White to play and force resignation.

‘Positional Play’ asks questions about all sorts of pawn structures and comparisons of the strengths of various pieces.

Here’s one example:

‘Knowing which pieces to exchange and which to retain is an essential part of positional play. One very good reason for exchanging pieces is to remove a key enemy unit.

Makogonov - Botvinnik
Sverdlovsk 1943

The light squares in White’s camp, d3, e4, f3 etc., are weak. Botvinnik immediately exchanges off the two white minor pieces that can defend those squares, leaving White with only his dark-squared bishop:

13 …Bxc3! 14 bxc3 Bf5! 15`Bxf5 Qxf5

Now the weakness of the light squares is very clear. Black has a large positional advantage, and went on to win.’

Incidentally, despite Botvinnik making things looks simple (and there are plenty more examples of him doping exactly that in this book), Makogonov was certainly not a weak player. At Sverdlovsk he held second place, behind Botvinnik, ahead of the likes of Smyslov, Kan and Boleslavsky.

I’m not sure that all of the chess books selected for further reading will necessarily hold the attention of a relative newcomer. Some of them, such as Rueben Fine’s Basic Chess Endings and Alekhine’s books on the New York 1924 and Nottingham 1936 tournament, will come across as somewhat unwieldy or unwelcoming, due to their old fashioned and dated layouts. Frankly, updated algebraic editions of some of the real classics are required to make them more accessible for the modern audience.

This book is absolutely ideal for players new to club and tournament chess who would like to plug a plethora of gaps in their knowledge with the minimum of time and fuss. Players with greater experience should also enjoy browsing the contents, especially as some of the illustrative games will almost certainly be new to them.

For further details regarding the Gambit books, please visit their website: http://www.gambitbooks.com/

Lasker’s Manual of Chess
By GM Emanuel Lasker
Russell Enterprises
278 pages

Grandmaster Emanuel Lasker, the second World Champion, was a fine writer. His Manual of Chess is a famous work and the ‘New 21 Century Edition’ aspires to bring this classic work to the appreciation of the modern audience.

The ‘Foreword’ is by GM Mark Dvoretsky and he states that the manual ‘…has not lost its relevance even now, some eighty years after it was first published’.

He concludes:

‘Once you have read the Manual, you will become wiser, which is bound to help you later on, both in chess and in life.’

Taylor Kingston highlights some particularly interesting parts of the manual and explains the extent of his editorial duties. These include checking the analysis with a computer, converting the descriptive notation into algebraic and adding pertinent snippets of ‘Lasker Lore’ at various junctures.

The original work is further augmented by the addition of a number of classic photographs of Lasker and his contemporaries, plus the great man’s tournament and match record.

Lasker’s Manual is divided into six ‘books’.

The Elements of Chess

Lasker starts at the very beginning, with the number of squares of the chessboard, the names and moves of the pieces plus some elementary checkmates and endings.

The Theory of Openings

Typically, for the time it was written, the opening coverage is very heavily biased in favour of King’s Pawn Openings. Theory was very much in its infancy in those days. Lasker’s notes are very much in the style of a common sense survey.

The Combination

Experienced players will start to enjoy the material more from this ‘book’ onwards. The combinations draw heavily from games by the likes of Steinitz, Tarrasch and Capablanca.
Here’s one of the simpler examples…

Steinitz - Hirschfeld
1 Nh5! 1-0

Position Play

The meat of this section is Lasker’s in-depth review of the theories of Steinitz. He does not stint in his praise and appreciation of his predecessor. Such honest thoughts are rare when one champion writes about another, although Garry Kasparov has followed Lasker’s lead in recent years.

‘The world did not comprehend how much Steinitz had given it; even chess players did not comprehend it.’

The Aesthetic Effect in Chess

The search for real beauty in chess involves the examination of wonderful studies in addition to famous combinations.

The following passage is typical of Lasker’s delightful writing style:

‘Let us now conceive of the simple case of a recital. We are told a story. David, no larger nor stronger than any one of us, vanquishes the challenging giant Goliath by means of a sling. If David approached his enemy, the giant would use his exceeding power and his terrible weapons, the brutal force would consume its adversary as a dragon would a lamb. But the brutal force does not get its way, it is subdued by the force of the spirit. When mind overcomes matter, we are charmed.

In chess the brutal force is composed of the number, strength, and mobility of the pieces and the difficulty of the task set. If this brutal force is bested by the few in number, the slight I strength, in moves which indicate rather weakness than force, which announce rather defeat than triumph, by the power of the spirit, by an idea which, seemingly absurd, yet is truth itself, we are delighted.’

His first example is a problem composed by another of his illustrious predecessors.

By Paul Morphy
White to play and mate in two moves

Examples and Models

Lasker presents numerous illustrative games and positions to demonstrate his ideas and theories in practice. The author uses only a single example of his own play, preferring instead to highlight magnificent technique by such giants as Alekhine, Capablanca, Bogolyubov and Rubinstein.
In his concluding thoughts on ‘Education in Chess’, Lasker, as part of bid to add structure to the teaching of chess, offers a timetable to guide a Master in the education of ‘…a young man, ignorant of chess’.

Rules of Play and Exercises: 5 hours
Elementary Endings: 5 hours
Some Openings: 10 hours
Combination: 20 hours
Position Play: 40 hours
Play and Analysis: 120 hours

The final section, ’Analytical Endnotes’, covers corrections and amendments to Lasker’s work by Taylor Kingston. This takes 24 pages and is done in a very respectful way rather than a critical one.

It’s good to see such a classic book treated with the respect, care and attention it deserves. Naturally, some of the original content has dated and is ‘only’ of historical interest. However, the bulk of the work retains its vitality and will provide many hours of entertainment and instruction, from the man who was World Champion for just under 27 years.

Hopefully, Russell Enterprises will continue to resurrect chess classics in this manner. How about the aforementioned Alekhine tournament books…?

For more on books from Russell Enterprises, pop along to:
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Chess Reviews: 68

The English Opening
By GM Nigel Davies
Chessbase
8 hours

I don’t know many people who actually enjoy playing against the English Opening. In my experience, club and tournament players are rarely well prepared to meet it. Thus it seems a very reasonable idea to add it to your collection of favourite openings.

The repertoire analysed on this new DVD is based around the move order 1 c4 and 2 g3.

Following a short introduction (in which he shows how beat Nigel Short in a mere five moves - albeit when the future World Championship challenger was only eight years old), GM Davies methodically works through all of Black’s reasonable options of meeting 1 c4.

He starts with 1...e5 (12 lectures) and then moves on to 1...c5 (8 lectures). Next up is 1...e6 (8 lectures), followed by 1...Nf6 (6 lectures), 1...c6 (2 lectures), before concluding with coverage of 1...Nf6 2...g6, 1...f5 and 1...b6 (one lecture each).

By advocating 2 g3, GM Davies is able to bring lines into the repertoire which may not be the top theoretical recommendations but nevertheless carry a decent sting, especially against an unwary opponent. For example, when Black is hoping for a mainline reverse Dragon in this position:

…the recommendation is that should eschew the normal development of the Knight to c3 in favour of creating different problems for Black to fathom. White can play b3 and Bb2, with early pressure on e5, and has options of heading for a quick e2-e3 followed by d2-d4. Black will probably spend extra time over the board trying to work out whether or not …e5-e4 is healthy option.

The Botvinnik System is given against lines in which Black follows up 1...e5 with a Kingside fianchetto.

1...c5 is met in an offbeat way too, with White opting for a slow build up via the route:
1 c4 c5 2 g3 g6 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 e3 eventually completing development in harmonious fashion before pushing in the centre.

White’s intended set-up is nicely demonstrated in the game Filip - Uhlmann.

Filip went on to gain a solid space advantage which he definitely put to good use.

Attempts by Black to transpose into main line Queen’s Pawn openings are stubbornly declined. For example, 1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0–0 0–0

Panchenko - Lengyel

…White declines to enter a Catalan and opts instead to keep the game ‘Retified’ with 6 b3

This is the theme throughout the presentation: White heads for positions he should understand better than his opponent and in which the real struggle comes in the middlegame.

The average length of the video clips is around the 12 minute mark. With the total running time clocking in at an astonishing eight hours, it stands to reason that it will take a number of sessions to view all of the material so the bite-sized chunks make the whole thing easily digestible.

GM Davies provides all of the strategies, plans and possible tactics necessary to turn 1 c4 into a very potent practical weapon. A big bonus is that, given the nature of the lines analysed, the viewer’s general positional understanding of chess will undoubtedly improve.

This DVD will appeal to those looking for brand new opening repertoire (and one the opponent can’t avoid). Those who already enjoy playing 1 c4 will find plenty of interest too and will be able to pick and choose which new lines to add to their existing arsenal.

The Tarrasch Defence
By GM Nigel Davies
Chessbase
3 hours 50 minutes

The Tarrasch Defence to the Queen’s Gambit has received precious little coverage over the years. Yet it is a fighting defence and has been one of my favourites for over 20 years. I was therefore delighted to hear that GM Davies had recorded a Chessbase DVD on the subject and I have been eagerly anticipating its release ever since.

The introduction, running just under 23 minutes, provides a concise and instructive resume of the good and bad points of the Tarrasch Defence.

GM Davies shows how Black’s development is unusually good for a closed opening and the associated piece-play can be springboard for the second player to push for a win.

The Tarrasch can also be reached by transposition via a range of flank openings. The most off-putting factor remains the isolated Queen’s pawn (‘IQP’). However, at club level the chance of one’s opponents knowing exactly how to play against the target, and having the patience to do so, aren’t particularly high; tactics still decide most games and Black enjoys more than the fair share of those in the Tarrasch.

Boris Spassky famously used the Tarrasch five times against Tigran Petrosian in their 1969 World Championship match and scored a win and four draws on his way to becoming the 10th World Champion. The game he won forms the basis of the first lecture and clearly demonstrates Black’s main idea and plans.

The Introduction concludes with an examination of a typical IQP endgame in order to show that when things don’t go entirely according to plan, Black’s single weakness is often not enough to tip the scales decisively.

20 lectures follow, examining key games covering all of the main variations Black can expect to face over the board.

The illustrative games show how to play in the undisputed main line.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8

Attention is given to White’s options of 12 Qa4, 12 Rc1 and 12 Nxc6 but unfortunately coverage of 12 Qb3 is absent. This is an important line as it is the one which forced Kasparov to abandon his then-favourite defence when he suffered two defeats against Karpov in their 1984 World Championship match. Prior to that, Kasparov had used the Tarrasch to blast a path through the Candidates’ matches with notable victories over Beliavsky, Korchnoy and Smyslov and it was 12 Qb3 that made the defence Kasparov’s probably least imitated successful opening.

Despite the lack of coverage for 12 Qb3, everything esle is covered in fine detail, including all the typical club player tries, such as the early Bg5 lines: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6. Bg5

...and other attempts to try and confuse Black, such as: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.dxc5 d4 after which it is White who will probably find himself in the role of the confused.

The Tarrasch Defence deserves much more recognition than it currently enjoys. Armed with the analysis and common sense advice given on this DVD, it could turn into a dynamic point-winner in your own games. Perhaps, one day, you could reach a position like this one. If you haven't seen it before try and work out how Black went on to win tactically and brilliantly.

Rotlewi - Rubinstein
Lodz 1907

The ABC of Evans Gambit
By IM Andrew Martin
Chessbase
4 hours 30 minutes

Following a short introduction, revealing the origins of the gambit, IM Martin introduces the plans and concepts behind the Evans Gambit with some excellent inspirational games, starting with Nigel Short’s victory over L’Ami at Wijk aan Zee earlier this year.

It is interesting to hear Short, these days a self-confessed ‘chess tourist’, compared to Bent Larsen due to his experimental opening play and general free-spirit approach to the game.
The lectures then look at each of the main variations in turn, complete with no-nonsense discussions on the merits of defects of each one.

After 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 b4 Bxb4 5 c3 Ba5

…the ‘Main Line’ is reached and this comes in for considerable scrutiny. Black’s other playable Bishops retreats are also covered in detail, even the unlikely 5...Bf8, which is showcased in the illustrative game Andersson - Mayet from 1867.

Nigel Short has several games on display and even World Champions Fischer and Kasparov get in on the act with crushing White victories. The Fischer game is his well known casual encounter with Reuben Fine and it is comparable, in some ways, to Morphy’s famous friendly game with the Duke and Count.

It is included on this DVD mainly as a tribute to the late Fischer, although it is inaccurate to say that ‘…he used the Evans Gambit on numerous occasions, with great success’; he never used it in a serious encounter and his simultaneous games were not all one-way traffic after 4 b4.
Nevertheless, it is a good demonstration of the sort of advantages White is hoping for in compensation for the sacrificed pawns.

Fischer - Fine
16 Rfe1+ Kd8 17 Qg3 1-0

There’s no coverage of the Evan’s Gambit Declined apart from the obscure variation 5...d5.

The presentation of the material is extremely professional, with the presenter on top form. As usual, IM Martin leaves the viewer absolutely convinced that this is the right opening for them.

The emphasis throughout the lectures is on gaining a playable attacking position which should provide a lot of fun. IM Martin freely admits that Black is theoretically fine in the main lines and that the regular adoption of the Evans Gambit at a very high level would entail great risk.
However, it remains an ideal choice for club players and anyone studying this DVD will be able to enter into their Evans Gambit battles confident that they know an awful lot more about it than their opponents.

There’s an interesting ‘Bibliography’ at the end of the DVD, with IM Martin literally showing some of the books he used as source material. Some of the larger tomes, such as the relevant volume of the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, are mentioned but not shown to the camera; they were too heavy to take to Germany!

For further details of Chessbase products, please go to:

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Chess Reviews: 67

Starting Out: d-pawn Attacks
By IM Richard Palliser
Everyman Chess
272 pages

This new book is a companion volume to IM Palliser’s earlier on The Colle System.

As usual with books in the ‘Starting Out’ series, there are copious ‘Tips’, ‘Warnings’ and other bits and pieces of advice given throughout the volume. Some are `specific to the opening in question and others are general advice. All are instructive and welcome.

The first three chapters examine the Colle-Zukertort System. Chapter four covers a Queen’s Indian response by Black, then there are two chapters on The Barry Attack and one the ever-popular 150 Attack.

The Colle-Zukertort has been recommended more than once in 1 d4 repertoire books and I would say it is more popular with club players than the more classical Colle System.

The defining characteristic is the fianchetto of the Queen’s Bishop, as shown in the book’s first diagram.



White hopes the Bishops will come into their own and attack the Black King like a couple of powerful torpedoes.

The Barry Attack is lethal in the hands of GM Hebden and needless to say his games are well to the fore. I didn’t know that one line was now known as ‘The Tarzan Attack’

The 150 Attack is given detailed coverage too, with serious attention given to certain nuances which often pass by without notice, such as this:

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d5!?

It is typical of IM Palliser to leave no stone unturned.

The purely Modern approach by Black, 1 d4 g6, makes it more difficult to get the 150 Attack up and running on autopilot. In particular:

1 d4 g6 2 e4 Bg7 3 Nc3 d6 4 Nf3 a6 provides extra problem for White, unless he is willing to be a shade more flexible.

The author opines that 4 Be3, retaining the possibility of a quick f2-f4, is worth a try.

IM Palliser admits that White isn’t necessarily going to gain an advantage with any of the suggested lines, especially against a booked-up Black player, but there are serious practical advantages to adding them to your repertoire. All three are relatively easy to learn, understand and play.

The index of variations includes way-marking diagrams and the index of complete games is useful too. As usual, IM Palliser’s bibliography is larger than average; this emphasises his diligent research and willingness to the extra digging around which can only be of benefit to the reader.

There is only one little production fault; some inconsistent levels of printing have resulted in several pages being considerably fainter than their fellows. By no means unreadable, they do alert the eye to something being slightly amiss.

Theory doesn’t advance particularly quickly in any of these lines, so the coverage given here should be valid for some time to come. They are certainly some of the easiest for normally non-d4 players looking to add one or two surprise weapons to their arsenals without having to learn many main lines.

Starting Out: The c3 Sicilian
By GM John Emms
Everyman Chess
207 pages

Why play c3 Sicilians? GM Emms explains:

‘I began playing the c3 Sicilian nearly 30 years ago, and I’m just as happy playing it now as I was back then. I’ve always been attracted by its solid positional foundation, and yet it’s also an active opening.’

In addition to that, ‘White’s development is straightforward and easy to understand’.

There’s also the advantage of being fully prepared to meet one of the most popular openings with a fraction of the preparation time required to sail down the main lines.

‘…I’ve not restricted the coverage to a repertoire for White. I’ve dealt with all the main lines, pointed out what I believe to be the best choices for both White and Black, and explained why I think some lines are ineffective. So I hope that those playing Black will also find the book to be useful.’

The introduction briefly mentions Black’s main options and provides basic coverage of the relevant pawn structures.

Then there are two chapters each for the main lines 2...d5 and 2...Nf6 followed by a concluding chapter to round up the odds and ends, which includes a small piece on move orders involving c3 on the third move.

A recurring theme throughout the book is that the understanding of the ideas is much more important than learning long theoretical lines. That is not to say that both sides have to exercise a modicum of caution when it comes to move orders.

After this popular sequence:
1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 cxd4 7.cxd4 e6

White needs to wary of playing 8 h3. GM Emms now gives a typical ‘Starting Out’ skull and crossbones warning.

‘This move has been recommended by experts and played by quite a few grandmasters, but there’s a strong possibility that it is simply a mistake. White should instead choose 8 Nc3.’

He shows that after 8 h3 Bb4+ 9 Nc3 Bxf3! 10 Bxf3 Qc4! Black is doing well.

This book doesn’t follow a strict repertoire approach; the author covers all of the main 2 c3 variations. For example, in this key position:

…fans of 5 cxd4, 5 Qxd4 and the modern lines with 5 Nf3 will all find material of interest.

The early deviations include the odd looking 2...Qa5 (cleverly pinning the c-pawn and making 3 d2-d4 less appealing) and the interesting 2...g6. The former was once played by Tarrasch; the latter is recommended by Dzindzichasviili in various places and looks quite playable.

The index of variations includes way marking diagrams and the index of complete games is useful too.

This is a solid and reliable guide to an opening with those exact same attributes. GM Emms writes from considerable experience, making this a valuable addition to the ‘Starting Out’ series.

How to Beat the French Defence
The Essential Guide to the Tarrasch
By IM Andreas Tzermiadianos
Everyman Chess
320 pages

Beating the French is no easy matter yet this is not the first book to claim to know the secret.
The Tarrasch Variation has developed a large body of theory and anyone wishing to test the soundness of the French will have a lot to learn.

This new book systematically works it's way through all of Black's options on move three.

General Themes
3rd move alternatives after 3 Nd2
3 Nd2 c5
3 Nd2 Nf6
3 Nd2 dxe4 4 Nxe4

The ‘General Themes’ in question are:

How We Work in the Opening
Middlegame Strategy
Typical Endgames

Such themes are very important and this section provides a backbone for the repertoire, with the ideas recurring throughout.

It’s hardly possible to provide encyclopaedic coverage of all lines in 320 pages and consequently some variations are dealt with swiftly. For example, the Guimard Variation (3...Nc6) is dismissed in six pages.

Although serious modern theory is the order of the day, the suggested repertoire tends to vary from the absolute main lines.

For instance, in the popular line: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Nb3 Nc6 9.Nbxd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 a6 11 Re1 Qc7

…he prefers to play 12 Qe2!? instead of the hotly disputed lines leading from 12 Bb3 Bd6 13 Nf5

It’s not so easy to vary from all of the hotbeds of theory and some have to be tackled head-on. The author has some suggestions to try and improve on established theory at the end of long lines such as this one:

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0–0 Bd6 11.Nf3 0–0 12.Bf4 Bxf4 13.Nxf4 Ne4 14.g3

16...g5 Now, according to IM Tzermiadianos, the main line move 17 Nh5 is not doing too well in terms of gaining an advantage so he advocates the tricky 15 Ng2! Qf6 16 Ne5!?

Black can win a pawn in two different ways but the author claims good compensation in both cases, going on to say: ‘There is plenty of room for analysis and I suspect this will be the main line in the future’.

Of course, the title is a misnomer with sensationalist spin; there is no proven way to beat the French, so 1...e6 players should still be able to sleep at night. However, a player who has the time and energy to study and absorb the lines presented here will at least be very well prepared to face the popular defence, even if a slight edge is the most common outcome.

For further details of these and other Everyman products, please visit:

http://www.everymanchess.com/

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Chess Reviews: 66

Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual
By GM Mark Dvoretsky
Russell Enterprises
419 pages

GM Dvoretsky’s new book is a companion volume to his classic Endgame Manual. This time, he puts various aspects of the middlegame under the microscope but time and space is still found for endgame matters.

The target audience of a Dvoretsky book is never in doubt.

‘The book which lies before you is aimed first of all at helping strong players complete themselves. This ensures that it will overflow with exceptionally complex analysis and exercises which will be difficult for even the leading grandmasters to handle.’

The material is split into five main parts.

Immersion in the Position

The first chapter takes a look at various crucial moments, often featuring surprising twists which are only visible if one doesn’t merely scratch the surface, but actually gouges a big hole through it.

The following position, quoted by Tony Miles (players unknown), comes in for particular attention.

The analysis starts with the possibility of 1 Be4+ Nxe4 2 Rd7, and the Black Queen is in trouble. The position may seem reasonably understandable at first glance but Dvoretsky devotes the whole of an eight-page chapter to the initial investigation before following up with more advanced analysis, lasting a further 16 pages, in the very next chapter.

His concluding remarks:

‘…this chapter is filled with debatable problems. Some I do not know the answers to, and can only guess. How much effort may still be required before we can achieve a more or less accurate picture of the simple, natural position with which we stared?!’

Analyzing the Endgame

Studies are used in addition to Grandmaster positions to demonstrate various themes and to offer readers tough tests.

Dvoretsky likes to use studies as starting positions for training games, although he admits that good examples aren’t always easy to find.

Often they are used for entertainment or to train the mind to seek out the unexpected.

This is one of the simplest in the book, which is a good indication of the level:

A. Wotawa
1938

There are lots of surprises in the solution, starting with the first move (of seven), which is the zany 1.Ra5! Over to you, dear reader! Dvoretsky claims an alternative win starting with:
1 Ra6 (Incidentally, the lines associated with this study have a couple of rare typos, with the ‘b’ - as in ‘b-pawn’ - being inadvertently converted to a figurine Bishop)

Games for Training Purposes

The depth of analysis devoted to the full games in this chapter is staggering. The most impressive part is the coverage of the classic fifth game of the Reshevsky - Fischer match of 1961. The analysis lasts for 24 pages and is packed with quotes and analytical input form a galaxy of chess stars including Fischer, Kasparov, and Hubner.

Reshevsky - Fischer

One comment struck me as a major difference between the training methods in our respective countries.

‘In May 2004, I held a training session for a group of young grandmasters in Dagomys (a Russian resort on the Black Sea), where the diagrammed position was replayed several times.’
It’s hard to believe that this sort of thing goes on in England. If it did, perhaps we would be challenging for higher honours at the top events. Some of the training games are given in the notes.

The author's concluding note demonstrates the occasionaly quaint translation:

‘Is not it true that it is just this kind of game, in which both players ‘‘go for the throat’’, that becomes the sot of event that is still interesting to look at, a half-century later!’

Practical Psychology

Some of the deepest game analysis comes in this section. Two of the heaviest pieces of work focus on two very famous games at the highest level.

There are no fewer than 33 pages on the 21st game of the Karpov - Korchnoi 1978 World Championship match and 16 pages on game 1 of Korchnoi’s 1983 Candidates’ Match with Kasparov. Excellent use is made of quote and analysis from a variety of sources, some times with completely contrary points of view.

Lasker the Great

Emanuel Lasker comes in for special treatment too. Seven of his classic games are analysed in great depth in a section that runs to just under 100 pages.

The depth and quality of Dvoretsky’s work is consistently high till the very end. The final game is a 28-page analysis of the famous encounter between namesakes, culminating in a fascinating endgame.

Emanuel Lasker - Edward Lasker
New York, 1924

This is the position after White’s 98th move. A draw was agreed on move 103 and a new chapter in endgame theory had been written. Dvoretsky’s analysis, drawing on many sources, brings the game alive for the modern audience.

Throughout the book, there appears to be bit of an analytical battle going on with Garry Kasparov, with Dvoretsky targeting - and apparently refuting - the 13th World Champion’s analysis on numerous occasions.

This is a very impressive book of extraordinary depth. Very strong players will benefit the most from the material given. Lesser mortals will still find plenty of interest; beginners should definitely look elsewhere.

Production values are up to the usual high standard set by Russell Enterprises. Despite the high page count and paperback binding, the spine shows no sign of strain despite frequent use. The layout is very clear and event though there are far more variations than the average chess book, they are reasonably easier to navigate. A bibliography would have been useful, given the number of sources used and quoted.

Established Dvoretsky fans will definitely enjoy this volume; it might even be his best to date.

St. Petersburg 1909
By GM Emanuel Lasker
Russell Enterprises
190 Pages

The great tournament at St. Petersburg in 1909 was especially noteworthy for the stunning display by Akiva Rubinstein and World Champion Lasker’s struggle to keep up with him. This he managed to do thanks to a last round victory.

Olms had a facsimile of the German edition in print a few years ago and I believe it is about to be reprinted, but this is the first time we have been treated to an English language edition in algebraic notation (a ‘New 21st Century Edition!’ says the cover).

The foreword is supplied by Tim Harding, setting the scene from a historical perspective. He makes the very interesting point that this was Lasker’s only major tournament between Cambridge Springs (1904) and St. Petersburg 1914. Lasker certainly did things differently to other players.

This is followed by a preface that is Lasker’s own. The ‘Program of the Tournament’ details the prize fund, time-controls and other such items of interest.

There’s a nice group photo of the players and the tournament crosstable, then it’s straight into the games.

It was a strong tournament. In addition to Lasker and Rubinstein, the likes of Schlecter, Tartakower, Duras and Spielmann were competing in a field of 19 well known chess stars.

Some of the 175 games from this tournament are very well known, such as this famous endgame:

Cohn - Rubinstein
Round 10

Rubinstein marched his King to h3 and gained a decisive advantage.

The big third round clash should also be very familiar to readers:

Rubinstein - Lasker
Round 3

Black’s position looks fine and he appears to have serious threats against the White King. Lasker is full of praise for Rubinstein’s subsequent play.

16 Rc1 ‘A move of extraordinary subtlety. White now retains his advantages. He threatens Rc1-c5 and d4-d5, and Black’s obvious threat of 16...Rxe3 he meets as is shown by his seventeenth move.’ 17 Rxc6+ bxc6 18 Qc1 and 1-0 (40)

The notes are quite light, but are all in keeping with Lasker’s legendary ‘common sense’ style.

Schlechter - Bernstein
Round 11

‘On one side Black attacks the king, on the other the pawns, while White’s pawns are unable to exert any counter pressure. Hence White is lost, though having three pawns for the piece, as Black’s king deprives the white pieces of their mobility whereas the white king is a mark for attack. The case would be different if no rooks were on the board.’
0-1 (52)

The most popular openings at the tournament were the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Ruy Lopez and French Defence but there’s also examples of rarer openings such as the Vienna Game and Ponziani. There’s even a Modern Defence, as played by Znosko-Borovsky.

With every single game annotated by the the Second World Champion, this is a very welcome addition to one’s collection of tournament books and it comes just before the centenary of this important event.

International Chess Calendar 2009
Russell Enterprises

Forget all those dreadful calendars of soap ‘stars’ and z-list ‘celebrities’ that fill the shops. This is the ideal one for visitors to Marsh Towers.

Rare photos, historical snippets and games feature on the pages for every month.

January 2009 marks 50 years since Bobby Fischer retained his US title. Later in the year we see that it was 50 years ago that Tal qualified to play Botvinnik by winning the Candidates’ tournament.

Every day has listings of births and deaths of famous chess players and occasional historical highlights too. It is easy to tell at a glance that Alexander Alekhine was born on Halloween and that Emanuel Lasker came into the world on Christmas Eve and you can see how old your favourite Grandmasters really are. (By coincidence, I see that today's date is the birthday of Akiva Rubinstein)

This is the only calendar I’ve ever seen that features a bibliography.

Chess folk are often accused of finding it difficult to get themselves a date. Now they can have plenty, with a 12-month guarantee. This calendar belongs on the wall of every chess player.

For more on books from Russell Enterprises, pop along to:

http://www.chesscafe.com/

Missed a review? Please visit my archive:

http://marshtowers.blogspot.com/2007/12/chess-review-archive.html