Latest book reviews of 1 June 2007
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG.
Wilhelminalaan 33John Elburg
7261 BP RUURLO
The Netherlands.
Chess Books
The history of correspondence chess in Canada by Leonard Zehr & J.Ken Mac Donald
2006
Thinkers Press
253 pages
Price $55,00
ISBN:1-888710-31-4
rice $55 US plus shipping from J. Ken MacDonald and postage from Canada to the USA is $11 airmail (7-9 days) or $9 surface (2-3 weeks). Postage to international destinations is $24.50 for airmail and $11.00 for surface (2 to 2.5 months to Europe). PAYPAL payments can be arranged.
There are not many books on correspondence chess and certainly not one as this lovely printed book with over 30 years of research done by the chess historian Ken Mac Donald.
This book is there fore a real collectors item, and dear readers not only for the chess book collectors between us.
Canadian correspondence chess goes back to around 1841 but the Canadian Correspondence Chess Association was founded in the early 1920s.
A major part of this book is on deep research of 19th century newspapers and old journals, where the authors have managed to dig up around 180 forgotten correspondence games, as for example the one between O.M Boehl against R.G.Smellie {Illinois State Chess Association 1917} where black went for the Latvian Gambit with the interesting move order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5 e4 4.Ne5 Qg5!? This is Smellie’s interesting innovation.
It brings the queen into action early,and we are inclined to doubt whether it will stand the test on that account {notes to this game are from Malcom Sim}.
But Tony Kosten wrote in his book: The Latvian Gambit lives about Diepstraten’s 4…Qg5 but it was Stasch Mlotkowski who wrote for the first time about this move in the British Chess Magazine from 1916, so Mr. R.G.Smellie was at that time very well prepared just as the modern correspondence chess player from today supported with latest ChessBase theory.I shall give the game but please for give me that I leave out the excellent annotations,Boehl,O.M - Smellie,R.G ,Illinois State Chess Association Sofia, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5 e4 4.Ne5 Qg5 5.d4 Qxf5 6.Bc4 Nc6 7.g4 Qf6 8.Nf7 d5 9.Bxd5 Nxd4 10.Nxh8 Nf3+ 11.Kf1 Bxg4 12.Bf7+ Ke7 13.Qd5 Bh3+ 14.Ke2 Nd4+ 15.Kd2 Qxf2+ 16.Kc3 Qxc2+ 17.Kxd4 Rd8 18.Bxg8 Qd3+ 19.Ke5 Rxd5+ 20.Bxd5 Kd7 0-1
The second part of this book covers postal chess from 1918 till the eve of internet chess so this book is filled with pure correspondence chess enjoyment.
One of the most creative Canadian correspondence players is GM Duncan Suttles who began to play correspondence chess in the early 1960s; {Z&K}Suttles joined the Canadian Correspondence Association in April 1962.But like many teenagers’ zest for instant gratification, he lacked the gritty patience to commit months of work to a single game of chess.
Indeed, he withdrew from the first event in 1962.
The authors give a interesting game from Suttles where he went as a 17 year old boy for the good old Max Lange attack and where he showed already his great talent for eccentric chess moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Kf8,this move gets a question mark from the white player R.Leonard but I have my doubt if it is really a bad one!
Suttles opened all of his postal games with 1.g3 and 1..g6. or d6.His motive was to create early problems for his opponents. Adopting a style that has often been called unorthodox {Z&K}.Unfortunately Suttles retired from chess in the mid-1980s where he developed other interests such as the stock market and computer programming.
Included in this book are some of the finest games that Suttles ever played the Canadian GMC Jonathan Berry goes so far as to call them some of the most striking games ever played.
Many modern correspondence games in this book are very well analysed as for example the excellent win from Jonathan Berry on the Dutch H.B.Sarink.Berry,Francis Jonathan - Sarink,Hendrik Bartus,CCCA-60 8185 corr, 1981 1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d6 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.e5 dxe5 9.fxe5 Nd5 10.Bg5 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Qd5 12.Bd3 h6 13.Bf4 Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Qxf3 16.gxf3 Nc6 17.0-0-0 Rfd8 18.Rhg1 Kf8 19.Rg2 g5 20.Bh2 Ne7 21.f4 Nd5 22.fxg5 Ne3 23.gxh6 Nxg2 24.Rg1 Nh4 25.h7 Ke7 26.Bf4 Ng6 27.Bg5+ Ke6 28.Bc4+ Rd5 29.Rf1 f5 30.Bf6 c6 31.Rg1 1-0{For the excellent annotations please see the book}
Jonathan Berry’s postal chess career began as a teenager but soon ended because of escalating postage costs,but he returned at the age of 22 and won the Canadian CC Championship twice in three tries:1978 and 1980.
The book is published by Bob Long who did a fantastic job all fine printed in hard cover plus dust jacket
All together we have here a deeply researched chess book that tells us the fascinating story of correspondence chess in Canada.
Conclusion: A must for every chess collector!
Play the Caro-Kann by Jovanka Houska
2007
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
208 pages
Price $23,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-434-6
WGM Jovanka Houska from England provides the black reader in this repertoire book a complete chess repertoire against the first move 1.e4, based on the Caro-Kann,where she suggest a lot of interesting lines for black as the Classical variation or better known as the Capablanca variation.
Here she goes for the most combative replay with the moves 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Bb4 13.c3 Be7 14.c4 Qc7 15.0-0-0 Ngf6 and now white has even choice out six possibilities,
and this all is well explained in the chapter Main Line: Introduction and 11.Bf4.
For the first fourteen moves she needed around six pages of text so it all very well explained with a lot of moves plus instructive text,
here aim of the book is plenty of explanation of ideas,basic principles plus a lot of latest chess theory and indeed she has succeeded in this as no other!
The line with 11.Bd2 chapter two of this book gets also a very important turn from around 14 pages,and
against the advance Jovanka Houska prefers the set-up with {1.e4 c62.d4 d5 3.e5}3…c5 where Karpov and Podgaets wrote in there book Caro-Kann Defence: Advanced Variation and Gambit System Batsford 2006,In the past decade this move has come out of the shadows and now represents worthy competition to the basic continuation 3…Bf5, by the way the more critical answer with 4.dxc5 is handled in a separate chapter of 20 pages!
Pleasant to mention is that every possible move from white is covered in this book as the Fantasy variation {1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3}Panov’s 2.c4, Two knights variation, King’s Indian attack {The Philidor with colours reserved}and a collection unusual bizarre moves as for example 2.Ne2 d5 3.e5 c5 4.d4,funny enough this position can also be reached in the advance variation via 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Ne2.
Jovanka Houska explains that the wing gambit with 4.b4?! of them seen in the French and the Sicilian,does not work well here because of 4…cxb4!? 5.a3 Nc6! 6.d4 e6 7.axb4 Bxb4 8.c3 Ba5 9.Ng3 Nge7 10.Qg4 Qg6 11.Bd3 Qh4 12.Qxh4 Nxh4 13.0-0 0-0 and with the queens of it is very difficult for white to generate a big enough attack to compensate for the pawn deficit.
On 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3 exf3!5.Nxf3 Bf5!6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Ne5 e6 8.g4!? Bg6 9.h4 This has been played in a few correspondence games but Jovanka Houska gives 9…Nbd7 10.Nxd7 Qxd7 11.h5 Be4! 12.Rf1 Bb4 13.h6 Rg8 14.hxg7 Nd5 15.Bd2 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Rxg7 and black is winning!
Conclusion: A impressive written repertoire book!
Dangerous Weapons:
The French by John Watson
2007
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com/
320 pages
Price $25,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-435-3
The master of strategy International master John Watson handles in this latest dangerous weapons book a collection exciting offbeat lines in the French defence.As the most of us know John Watson has the French opening in his repertoire and he is author of the book Play the French Everyman Chess 2003.
This latest heavy weight from 320 pages covers around fourteen unexplored lines in the French defence as for example the strange lookung Queen move 7.Qh5,that runs after the moves: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7.
But first some words from Watson him self :A beginner’s move!Of the major authors and books that I am aware of, only Tiemann,Minev,and Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings {ECO} give 7.Qh5 even a passing mention. The wordless ECO refers to 7.Qh5,but says only 7.Qh5 0-0! With a slight advantage for Black,a judgment they rightly accredit to Keres,Tiemann assigns 7.Qh5 a “?” and is satisfied with quoting one brief excerpt to show black’s advantage. Unfortunately, that excerpt ends in a position in which white has a one move tactic which after some forced moves gives him a winning advantage!
To Tiemann’s credit,this indicates computer-free analysis, a rare an valuable practice that probably accounts for many of the fresh ideas in his excellent book.Nevertheless,7Qh5 escapes his book with its reputation unscathed.Mines is the open-minded one giving 14 moves of the Fuderer – Guimard game below.
He also quotes Kere,but suggests that 7.Qh5 0-0 8.f4 c5 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.0-0-0 could use a practical test. I should also mention that several books deal briefly with the related line 7.f4 a6 8.Qh5,a transposition of 7.Qh5 a6!? 8.f4 we look at this below.
Seen that here are not so many good games with 7.Qh5 Watsom puts a lot of energy in his analyses and gives a lot of interesting possibilities as 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Qh5 0-0 8.Nf3 c5 9.Bd3 g6 10.Qh6 Nc6 11.Nb5 c4 12.Be2 f6 13.exf6 Nxf6 14.Nc3 where both sides have dynamic possibilities.
Or 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Qh5 0-0 8.f4 c5 9.Bd3 f5 10.Nf3 Nc6 11.0-0 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Ne2 Qb4 14.a3 Qb6 15.g4 Nc5 16.gxf5 Nxd3 17.f6 Nc5 18.Kh1 Ne4 19.Rf3 Bd7 20.Rg1 Rf7 21.Qh6 g6 22.f5 exf5 23.Nf4 Nxf6 24.exf6 Qxf6 25.Nxg6 Rg7 26.Rfg3 and wins, unfortunately there is a type set error in the book 26.Rgf3.
But there are also suggested lines as 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Bf8 (chapter 10 with the text two for the price of one}that I would never play,but it’s stays a matter of taste, surely development means something here.
More serious is a confounding retreat where Watson suggests the bishop move { 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6} 6.Be3!? which is feared by many MacCutcheon fans.
Other ideas that you can find in the book are 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ndf3!?
Jonathan Rowson and John Emms have shared there secrets with John Watson on this move and the ideas and analyses here are in these 26 pages are certainly worth trying!
Further I found breaking the chain 5.f4 c5 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.Nb3,1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nc6 {Swearing in church}A surprise in the Winawer 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 cxd4!?,Down with the king 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Qg4,Leaving the unbeaten path 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Qf3,Waiting and outflanking 3.Nc3 h6.A leap of faith 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nh6,3.Nd2 h6 What can you do to me,One rook pawn deserves the another 3.Nd2 a6 and a debasing strategy 3.Nd2 Nc6.The move 3…Nc6 introduces the Guimard system,again Watson has included some latest developments from the Neil McDonald and his Chess Publishing column.
Conclusion: A book that is overloaded with interesting ideas!
The Pirc in Black and White by by James Vigus
Detailed Coverage of an Enterprising Chess Opening
2007
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com/
381 pages
Price $25,95
ISBN 13-978-1-85744-432-2
This openings book from the former British Junior Champion Fide Master Dr.James Vigus provides the reader with a move to move coverage of the Pirc defence.It is not only illustrated with a large number 87 deeply analysed games but the author focuses on very latest material but this book is also over loaded with a lot of re-evaluated material from older books as the Ultimate Pirc from Nunn and McNab.
The whole work is very impressive with it’s 380 pages and 87 illustrated games where some of these analysed games are good for around five pages of text.
For example the one with the Spike line where white goes for the interesting bajonet move 5.g4 {1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7}
James Vigus writes: The Spike.I think, however ,that the g4-plan is far subtler and more dangerous if delayed for a move. I have never seen 5.Be3!?mentoned in a book, but the English FM Graham Lee has made a speciality of this Delayed Spike for at least the last 25 years,and I can tell you from bitter experience that it’s wise to prepare something against it.
Vigus gives here around one and a half page of text to analyse this position and advices to go for a interesting version of the 150 attack with the move 5….c6 6.Qd2 and the author gives three different possibilities but not one can really impress me.
Fascinating is the game Nakamura – Smirin,Mashantucket 2005, 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e5 Nfd7 7.h4 c5 8.h5 cxd4 9.hxg6 dxc3 10.gxf7+ Rxf7 11.Bc4 Nf8 12.Ng5 e6 13.Nxf7 cxb2 14.Bxb2 Qa5+ 15.Kf1 Kxf7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Bd3 Qb4 18.Rb1 Bd7 19.c4 Qd2 20.Bxh7+ Nxh7 21.Qxh7+ Kf8 22.Rh4 1-0
First some words from James Vigus after the interesting move 9.hxg6!? This wild sacrifice has been long despised by theory,but Nakamurá experiment with it signals a small revival. Smirin is caught napping, but there might just be more to this sharp line than mere opportunism. Funny enough Nunn and Mcnab wrote back in 1998,Althrough this 9.hxg6? is a critical test,it is a mistake regarded objectively, and leaves white struggling for equality.
Covered is also the idea from Jeroen Bosch out his book Secret Opening Surprises, New in Chess 2003 where he recommends 1.d4 d6 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.a3 but after 5.0-0-0 6.Nf3 you must not play 6…c6?! After Vigus it is fatal to respond passively against the a3 system.
This whole line is well covered by the author with a small five pages of deeply analyses and that is more information than the book from Bosch!
One of the most dangerous lines for black runs after the moves 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.f4 h6 6.Bh4 c5 7.e5!? Nh5 8.dxc5 dxe5 {The extravagant 8…Nxf4 !? leads to exciting play ,but as we can read in this book isn’t fully adequate theoretically}9.Qxd8 Kxd8 10.0-0-0 Bd7 11.fxe5 g5 12.Be1 Nc6 13.e6!? and white went on to a win in Macieja – Nyback,Anatlya 2004,game 90 of this book.
Well covered also is the 150 attack where white goes for 4.Be3 and 5.Qd2,this all is good for around 46 pages!
Included are useful summary’s and a impressive bibliography.
Conclusion:For me the best book ever written on the Pirc!
Modern Chess Planning by Efstratios Grivas
2007
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
143 pages
Price $24,95
ISBN 978-1-904600-68-8
Grandmaster Efstratios Grivas provides the reader in his latest Gambit book with a exciting collection of 75 practical examples where the reader is invited to find the correct plan of play.
Grivas does not leave you alone with a complicated position but he guides the reader with a clear explained selection of possibilities.
Fifty of these careful selected games are played by the great master himself and there is no better way for a Grandmaster in chess to explain his thought and ideas than from his own games.
Pleasant is the use of complete games in this book all to help the reader of this book to find the correct decision of play,as we can learn from Grivas a good chess player refuses to act without any plan, even if his plan sometimes turns out to be mistaken in the long run.
As I said the reader must judge and with the best plane he can make points sometimes even to 30 pionts,some times only a few it all depends all on there value.
After the test the reader must take a good look at the solutions it is all very well explained by the great chess teacher Efstratios Grivas!
Conclusion: A fine test book on logical planning!
Mastering the chess openings by John Watson
2007
Gambit Publications Ltd
http://www.gambitbooks.com
E-mail info@gambitbooks.com
319 pages
Price $29,95
ISBN 978-1-904600-69-5
International chess master John Watson,the master of explanations concentrates in this second volume of mastering the chess openings on the Queens Gambit Declines lines, Slav and Semi-Slav lines,Nimzo-Indian defence,Queen’s Indian defence ,Grúnfeld Defence and the Modern Benoni.
In big lines Watson goes for typical play above latest developments but he covers in these 319 pages a unbelievable amount of complete games and instructive explanations.
For example the King’s Indian four pawn attack is well filled with around sixteen and a half pages of text and he gives to the reader more explanations than moves!
The book is overloaded with instructive text but it is for example very interesting to pick out something as in the King's Indian defence where
Watson sees nothing in the Gunderam attack {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0-0 6.Nf3 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Be2 exd5} 9.e5,named after the German gambit player Gerhart Gunderam {1904-1992} who was the inventor of this line but it is also known as Florentine Gambit and very popular under the local chess scene.
But first some words from Watson: 9.e5 is still being played and has been analysed for years.
In most examples it is a classic case of overextended pawns. The easiest road to some advantage is 9….Ne4 10.cxd5 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Nd7 12.0-0 dxe5 13.Kh1 e4 14.Ng5 Nf6 15.Bc4 h6 16.Nh3 Bf5 Ruhrberg – Kopp,Hessen 1992,but Watson gives in the book some more possibilities but I like this one it’s most.
Konikowski & Soszynski give in there book The Fearsome four pawns attack as alternative 10.Nxd5!? but Watson waves it all away with 10…Nc6 11.Bd3 f5 12.exf6 and 12... Nxf6 favours black.
Many positions in this book get a important turn from Watson as the explanation of the Russian system in the Grünfeld defence;1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 all together good for nearly three pages of his book where the notes after 7…Nc6 are very interesting seen the influence of computer analysis,Watson:Most players find 7…Nc6 a little hard to believe at first, since it walks directly into d5 now or later.
That was the conventional wisdom for some years until,armed with computer analyses,some players decided that a knight on a5 {for that is where it’s headed after d5}would be in no great danger,and that its influence over the board will be significant if black can open the c-file by means of ..c6.Such a modern view of flank knights is not so unusual.Black is saying:”I don’t care where my pieces end up as long as I can break up your centre.”
So it is clear that Watson digs deeper in this book than only on the vital concepts of modern play!
Conclusion: Buy it for the highly instructive explanations from John Watson!
Chess Informant issue 98
2007
Beograd
http://www.sahovski.com
340 pages
Price GBP 20.50
Informator issue 98 comes with a impressive collection of 432 annotated games and 490 game fragments all held between September 1st and December 31st of the year 2006.
Between the fourteen pages of tournament indexes I found the following highlights as the match between Carlsen and Agdestein,Norge {ch} play-off,World Senior’s Championship won by Korchnoi but please also see the excellent performance from the Stefano Tatai!
The world Championship reunification match between Kramnik and Topalov,World Youth Championship,Hogveen,Moscow XI 2006, La Habana, Kramnik - Deep Fritz (m), Russia (ch), V. Topalov - Ju. Polgar (m-blindfold), Merida, Pamplona, etc
The list of contributors is even more impressive and it easy filled nearly one and a half page of this book.{But first a small over view of contributors: V. Anand, Kramnik, Ivanchuk, Leko, Morozevich, B. Gelfand, Svidler, Ju. Polgar, R. Ponomariov, Navara, Grischuk, Shirov, Sasikiran, N. Short, Nisipeanu, Van Wely, Kasimdzhanov, Sergey Karjakin, L. Dominguez, Rublevsky, Inarkiev, V. Milov, A. Naiditsch, Bologan, Smirin, Iv. Sokolov, Krasenkow, Motylev, Fressinet, A. Volokitin, Bareev, M. Kobalia, A. Beliavsky, M. Gurevich, Sutovsky, Alex. Fedorov, Bruzon, Illescas Cordoba, Ar. Jussupow, Ribli, Xie Yun, Christiansen, J. Timman, J. Benjamin, Mikhalchishin, Speelman and so on!}
Seen that there is no ISBN number on this book some call it a magazine but if you ask me it is the one and only best chess magazine in the world.
The most important theoretical novelty of the preceding volume goes to the game Volokitin,A (2660) - Barsov,A (2525) [C18] Torino (ol), 2006
[Volokitin,A]
Inf 97/197 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 0-0 8.Bd3 Nbc6 9.Qh5 Ng6 10.Nf3 Qc7 11.Be3 Nce7 12.h4 Nf5 13.Bd2 f6 [13...c4 — 94/218] 14.Ng5!!N [14.Qg4] 14...fxg5™ 15.hxg5 cxd4 [15...Kf7 16.Qxh7 cxd4! — 15...cd4a) a) 16...Bd7? 17.Rh6 Nge7 18.Rf6+ Ke8 19.Rxf8+ Kxf8 20.g4+-; b) b) 16...Rh8? 17.Qxg6+ Kxg6 18.Rxh8 Kf7 (*) 18...Qb6 19.g4 cxd4 20.gxf5+ exf5 21.Be2 Kf7 22.g6+ Ke6 (22...Ke7 23.Bg5+ Kd7 24.0-0-0 d3 25.Rxd3 Qxf2 26.Rxd5+ Kc6 27.Rd6+ Kc7 28.Bd8++-) 23.cxd4 Qxd4 24.Rd1 Qe4 25.c4 d4 26.f3 Qc2 27.Bf4 Qc3+ 28.Kf2+-) 19.g6+! Kxg6 (19...Ke7 20.Bg5+ Kd7 21.Bb5+) 20.g4 Kf7 21.gxf5 exf5 22.0-0-0 cxd4 23.cxd4 Rb8 24.Rg1 Bd7 25.Rh7 Rg8 26.Be2±; ] 16.Qxh7+ Kf7 17.cxd4 [17.Rh6?? Qxe5+ 18.Kf1 dxc3-+] 17...Nxe5! [17...Bd7? 18.Rh6 Nge7 19.Bxf5! Exf5 (19...Nxf5 20.Rf6+ Ke7 21.Bb4+) 20.Bb4 Ke8 21.Qxg7+-;
17...Rh8? 18.Qxg6+ Kxg6 19.Rxh8 Qb6 (a) 19...b6 20.Be2! Nxd4 (20...Kf7 21.g6+) 21.Bh5+ Kf5 22.Rf8+ Ke4 23.f3+ Nxf3+ 24.Rxf3+-) 20.c3 Kf7 21.g6+ Kxg6 22.g4 Qb2 23.gxf5+ exf5 24.Rb1 Qxa3 25.Ke2+-] 18.Be2 [18.Bxf5!? Exf5 19.Rh6 (19.Qh2 Nd3+! 20.cxd3 Re8+ 21.Kf1 Qxh2 22.Rxh2 Bd7=) 19...Ng4! (a) 19...Ke8? 20.Bb4 Kd8 (20...a5 21.Bc5 Qf7 22.g6 Qe6 23.Kf1+-) 21.Rd6+ Nd7 22.0-0-0‚) 20.Rg6 Re8+ 21.Kd1! (a) 21.Kf1 Qc4+! 22.Kg1 Qxd4 23.Rf1 (23.Rxg7+? Qxg7 24.g6+ Kf6 25.Bg5+ Kxg5 26.Qxg7 f4!³) 23...Be6™ (23...Bd7?? 24.Rxg7+ Qxg7 25.g6+ Kf6 26.Bg5+ Kxg5 27.Qxg7+-) 24.Bb4! Bd7™ (*) 24...Rac8 25.Rxe6 Kxe6 26.Qg6+ Nf6 (26...Kd7 27.Qd6#) 27.Re1+ Kd7 28.Qxg7+ Kc6 29.Rxe8 Rxe8 30.Qxf6+ Qxf6 31.gxf6+-) 25.Bc5 Qc3 26.Bb4 Qd4=) 21...Rg8™ 22.f3 (22.Qh5 Ke7 23.Qh7 Kf7=) 22...Qh2 (a) 22...Qc4 23.Kc1! (23.fxg4 Qf1+ 24.Be1 f4 25.Rf6+ Ke7 26.Kd2 Bxg4 27.Rb1 Qe2+ 28.Kc3 Rac8+ 29.Kb3 Qc4+ 30.Kb2 Qxc2+ 31.Qxc2 Rxc2+ 32.Kxc2 gxf6 33.Rxb7+ Ke6 34.gxf6 Kxf6 35.Bd2 Bf5+=) 23...Ne3 (23...Qxd4 24.Rb1±) 24.Bxe3 Qc3 25.Rf6+ Ke7 26.Qxg8 Qxe3+ 27.Kb2! (27.Kb1 gxf6 28.gxf6+ Kxf6 29.Qf8+ Kg6 30.Ka2 Qc3=) 27...Qxd4+ 28.c3 Qf2+ 29.Kb3 gxf6 30.gxf6+ Kxf6 31.Rh1 Qb6+ 32.Ka2 Qf2+ 33.Ka1±) 23.Rf6+ Ke7 24.Bb4+ Kd7 25.Qxh2 Nxh2 26.Rd6+ Kc7 27.Rg6 f4 28.Bd6+ Kd8 29.Bxf4 Ke7 30.Kd2 Bf5 31.Rd6 Rac8 32.Re1+ Kf7 33.Re5²] 18...Nc6! [18...Ng6? 19.Bh5 Nfe7 20.Rh3! Qxc2 21.Rc1 Qe4+ 22.Re3 Qxg2 23.Bxg6+ Nxg6 24.Rc7+ Ke8 (24...Ne7 25.Bb4 Bd7 26.Rxd7 Qg1+ 27.Ke2 Qg4+ 28.Kf1 Rae8 29.Rg3+-) 25.Qxg6+ Kd8 26.Rf7 Qg1+ 27.Ke2 Qg4+ 28.f3 Qg2+ 29.Kd1 Rxf7 30.Qxf7 Qf1+ 31.Be1 Bd7 32.Qf8+ Be8 33.Rxe6+-;
18...Nd7 19.0-0!!‚ (a) 19.Bh5+ Ke7 20.g4 Ng3!„ (20...Nd6? 21.Qxg7+ Kd8 22.Bg6 b6 23.Rh8 Rxh8 24.Qxh8+ Ke7 25.0-0-0 Bb7 26.Qg7+ Kd8 27.Bf4+-) 21.fxg3 a) *) 21.Qxg7+ Kd8 22.g6 a1) *) 22.Bb4? Qf4! (*) 22...Qxc2 23.Qe7+ Kc7 24.Bd6+ (24.Qd6+ Kd8= …25.Qxg3? Qe4+ 26.Kd2 Qxd4+µ) 24...Kb6 25.Bxg3 Qc3+ 26.Ke2 (26.Kf1? Qxa1+ 27.Kg2 Qxd4 28.Qxe6+ Ka5µ) 26...Qb2+=) 23.Bxf8 (23.fxg3?? Qe4+) 23...Nxh1 24.Qe7+! Kc7 25.Bg7 Qxf2+ 26.Kd1 a5! 27.Be5+ Kb6 28.Qxe6+ Ka7µ;
a2) *) 22.fxg3? Qxg3+ 23.Kd1 Qf3+ 24.Kc1 Qxh1+ 25.Kb2 Qh2! 26.Bb4 Rf2µ; 22...Ne4 23.Qh6! (*) 23.Bb4 Qxc2 24.0-0 (24.Qe7+ Kc7 25.Qxf8 Nxf8 26.0-0 Bd7! 27.Rac1 Qc4³) 24...Rxf2 25.Qe7+ Kc7 26.Bd6+ Kb6 27.Rac1 Qd2! 28.Bc7+ (28.g7 e5!-+) 28...Ka6 29.Qb4 Rxf1+ 30.Rxf1 Qe3+ 31.Kg2 Qe2+ 32.Kg1 b6³) 23...Rxf2 24.g7 Qg3 25.0-0-0 Qxa3+ 26.Kb1 Ndf6 27.Bg6 Nxd2+ 28.Rxd2 Qb4+=;
b) *) 21.Bb4+ Kd8 22.fxg3 Qxg3+ 23.Kd2 Qf2+ 24.Kc1 Qxd4 25.Rb1! b1) *) 25.Kb1 Nc5 26.Bxc5 Qxc5 27.Qxg7 Qb6+!= (27...Bd7 28.Bf7 Rc8 29.Qf6+ Qe7 30.Qxe7+ Kxe7 31.g6²) …28.Qb2 Ke7³; b2) *) 25.Ra2 Rf2 26.Qg8+ Kc7 27.Qxe6 Qe5 28.Re1 Qxe6! (28...Qxg5+ 29.Kb1 Nc5 30.Qe8 Ne4 31.Rb2±) 29.Rxe6 Nb6 30.Re7+ Bd7 31.Rxg7 Nc4ƒ; 25...Nc5 26.Rd1 Qe3+ 27.Kb2 Na4+ 28.Ka2 Nc3+ 29.Ka1 Qe5 30.Re1 Ne4+ 31.Rb2 Rf2 32.Bg6 Rxc2 33.Reb1 Kc7 34.Bxe4 Rxb2 35.Rxb2 dxe4 36.Bf8! Qxg5 37.Rc2+ Kb6 38.Bc5+ Ka6 39.Qxe4 Bd7 40.a4 Qd5 41.Qe2+ b5 42.axb5+ Kb7 43.Rd2 Qxc5 44.Rxd7+ Kb6 45.Qxe6+ Ka5 46.Qa2+ Kb4=; 21...Qxg3+ 22.Kd1 Qf3+ 23.Kc1 Qxh1+ 24.Kb2 Rf1! (24...Qh2? 25.Bb4+ Kd8 26.Bxf8 Nxf8 27.Qxg7 Nd7 28.g6 Qf2 29.Rd1 Nb6 30.Qg8+ Kc7 31.Qf7+ Qxf7 32.gxf7 Bd7 33.g5 Nc4+ 34.Kc3 Nd6 35.g6 Nxf7 36.gxf7 Rf8 37.Rg1 Kd6 38.Rg8 Ke7 39.Kd3 Ba4 40.Bg6±) 25.Qxg7+ (25.Bf4 e5 26.Qxg7+ Kd8 27.Bxe5 Nxe5 28.Qh8+ Kc7 29.Qxe5+ Kd8 30.Rxf1 Qxf1 31.Qxd5+ Bd7 32.Qg8+ Kc7 33.Qxa8 Qb5+ 34.Kc3 Qa5+=) 25...Kd6™ (*) 25...Kd8? 26.Rxf1 Qxf1 27.g6 Qf6 (27...Kc7 28.Qf7 Qxf7 29.gxf7 a5 30.g5+-; 27...a5 28.Qf7 Qxf7 29.gxf7 Ke7 30.Bg5+ Kd6 31.Bh6 Ke7 32.g5 Nf8 33.g6 Nxg6 34.Bxg6 Bd7 35.Bg7±) 28.Qf7 Qxf7 29.gxf7 Ke7 30.Bg5+ Kd6 31.Bf4+ Ke7 32.Bg5+ Kd6 33.Bh6 Ke7 34.g5 Nf8 35.g6 Nxg6 36.Bxg6 Bd7 37.Bg7±) 26.Bb4+ Kc6 27.Rxf1 Qxf1 28.Qe7 Qc4™ 29.Qxe6+ Kb5 30.Be8 Qxd4+ 31.Bc3 Qb6 32.Qxd5+ Ka6+ 33.Bb4 Qb5 (33...Qc7 34.Qd3+ b5 35.a4 Kb7 36.axb5 Qe5+ 37.Bc3 Qxe8 38.Qd5+ Kb8 39.Qd6+ Kb7 40.Qc6+ Kb8 41.Bb4+-) 34.Qxb5+ Kxb5 35.g6 Kb6 36.Bf7 Nc5 37.g7 Bxg4 38.g8Q Rxg8 39.Bxg8=) 19...a5! (19...Ke8 20.Rae1 Nb6 21.Bb4 Nd6 22.f4! a5 23.Bc5 Na4 24.Bb5+! Nxb5 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.f5+-) 20.Rfe1! (a) 20.Bh5+ Ke7 21.g4 Ng3! (21...Nd6 22.Qxg7+ Kd8 23.Rae1 Qxc2 24.Rxe6 Nc4 25.Re7±) 22.Qxg7+ Kd8 23.Rfe1 (23.g6 Ne4 24.Bh6 Rf3!=) 23...Nxh5 24.gxh5 Qxc2 25.Rxe6 Qxd2 26.Qe7+ Kc7 27.Qd6+ Kd8=) 20...Ke7 21.g4 Nd6 22.Bd3 Nc4 23.Qxg7+ Rf7 24.Rxe6+ Kxe6 25.Qh6+ Ke7 26.Re1+ Kd8 27.g6+-;
18...Nc4 19.Bh5+ Ke7 20.Bb4+ Kd7 (20...Ncd6? 21.g4±) 21.Bxf8 Nce3! 22.fxe3 Qc3+ 23.Kd1 Qxa1+ 24.Kd2 Qxh1 25.Be8+ Kxe8 26.Qxh1 Kxf8 27.g6 Ke7 (27...Nh6 28.g4 Bd7 29.g5 Ng8 30.c4±) 28.Qh8 Kf6 29.g4 Nh6 30.g5+ Kxg5 31.Qxg7 Ng4 32.Qf7 Nh6 33.Qe8 Kf6 34.c4±] 19.Bh5+ Ke7 20.g4 Ncxd4 [20...e5?! 21.gxf5 Kd8 22.Bg6 Nxd4 23.f6 gxf6 24.Qh6 Rg8 25.Bh7 Rg7 26.gxf6 Rf7 27.Bg6 Qc4 28.0-0-0 Qa2 29.Ba5+ b6 30.Bc3 Ne2+ 31.Kd2 Nxc3 32.Bxf7+-] 21.gxf5 Qe5+? [21...Nxf5? 22.Bb4+ Kd8 23.0-0-0 Nd6 24.Qg6!! (24.Rd3 a5 25.Rc3 Qe7 26.Bxd6 Qxd6 27.Qxg7 Bd7 28.Bg6 Ra6 29.Rh8 Qf4+ 30.Kb2 Rxh8 31.Qxh8+ Ke7„) 24...a5 (24...Bd7 25.Rxd5 exd5 26.Bxd6 Qc3 27.Bxf8 Qa1+ 28.Kd2 Qxh1 29.Bxg7 Qh2 30.Qf6+ Kc7 31.Bf7+-) 25.Bxd6 Qxd6 26.Rxd5! Qxd5 27.Rd1 Ra6 28.Rxd5+ exd5 29.Qxg7 Rxf2 30.Qh8+ Kc7 31.Qe5+ Rd6 32.Qc3+ Kd8 33.Qg3 Rf1+ 34.Kd2+-;
21...Kd8! 22.f6 (22.0-0 Nxf5 23.Bb4 Qf4! 24.Bxf8 Qxg5+=) 22...gxf6 23.Qh6 Qd6! a) a) 23...Qc5 24.gxf6 Bd7 25.f7² …Nxc2+ 26.Kf1 Nxa1 27.Bb4+-; b) b) 23...Qe7 24.Bd1 Nf5 25.gxf6 Qd6 26.Qf4 Bd7 27.Rh7 (27.Qxd6 Nxd6 28.Bb4 Kc7 29.Bc3 Ne4 30.Be5+ Kc6 31.Rh6) 27...Rc8 28.Rb1 b6 29.Qxd6 Nxd6 30.Bh6 Kc7 31.Bxf8 Rxf8 32.Rb3 Rxf6 33.Rc3+ Nc4 34.Be2 b5 35.Bxc4²; 24.g6!? Nf5 (24...e5 25.Qh7!±) 25.Qh7!! (25.Qf4 Qxf4 26.Bxf4 e5÷) 25...Qe5+ 26.Kf1 Qxa1+ 27.Kg2 Qxa3 (27...Qd4 28.g7 Re8 29.Bc3 Qxc3 30.Bxe8 Ne7 31.g8Q Nxg8 32.Qxg8 Kc7 33.Qg7+ Kb8 34.Rh8 Qxc2 35.Bd7 Qe4+=) 28.g7 Qe7 (28...Nxg7? 29.Qxg7 Bd7 30.Rb1± …Kc7? 31.Rxb7+ Kxb7 32.Qxd7+ Kb8 33.Qxe6 Qa4 34.Qxd5+-) 29.gxf8Q+ Qxf8 30.Bg6 Bd7 (30...Ne7 31.Bb4ƒ) 31.Bf4 Rc8 32.Qh8 Qxh8 33.Rxh8+ Ke7 34.Rh7+=] 22.Kf1+- Kd8 [22...Nxf5 23.Re1 Qd4 24.Bb4+ Nd6 25.Re2 Kd7 (25...a5 26.c3) 26.Rh3] 23.f6! Nf5 24.Re1 Qd4 25.Bb4 1-0
Impressive analysed by Volokitin in Informator 97 but the theoretical survey from the great master M.Bjelajac in Informator 98 may not be missed!
The best of Chess Informant goes this time to GM Boris Gelfand one of the world’s top ranking players and did you know that he was Junior Champion of the Soviet Union at the age of 17!
Other contributions are studies, combinations and endings.
Conclusion: Buy it if you want to go for the best chess magazine of the world!
Chess CD's & DVD's
Chess Informant 98 on CD
2007
Beograd
http://www.sahovski.com
Price £ 20.50
Chess Informant 95 printed boek + CD is only £ 27.50
Going throw the electronic version of the ChessInformator is only a matter of clicks and the included program ChessInformant Expert Lite or Chess Informant reader offers the user a lot extra utilities.
This time I went for the Chess Informant Expert 5.1 full version which was free included of the 4th edition of Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings D.
With this program you have a real database program in house which engines,trees,clipboards and more.
The possibility of including electronic openings books and Encyclopaedia’s makes this program very useful for all who travel from one tournament to a other or don’t want to work throw a pack of heavy loaded chess Informators.
As I said it is only a matter of a few clicks and your could consider to go for the ChessBase files Informators but than you don’t have the extra possibilities of the electronic publications as the above mentioned import of Encyclopaedia’s.
But interesting to mention is the possibility to import pgn files so it is easy to generate your own game files.
Conclusion: A very interesting electronic production!
ChessBase magazine issue #117 on DVD!
Morelia/Linares: Anand wins and becomes No.1
2007
April
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Price Euro 19,95 per issue
Annual subscription costs Euro 99,70