CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 September 2009
BOOKS REVIEWS BY JOHN ELBURG. 

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
John Elburg
                                 Chess Books

Kasparov vs Karpov 1986-1987
2009
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
432 pages
Price $45,00
ISBN 978-1-85744-625-8

The greatest player of modern times, Garry Kasparov describes in part three of his book,Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess with move to move annotations his two,1986 and 1987 world championship matches against the legendary Anatoly Karpov.
It is nearly forgotten but Karpov dominated the world of the chess for over a decade! And don't forget he is considered by some as the best positional chess player of history!
Garry Kasparov does not only provide the reader with a wealth of back ground information but also offers the reader a unique insight of his brilliant chess thinking.
A jewel of a game is game 16 of the 1986 match, probably the most exciting Karpov – Kasparov encounter that is ever played.
Kasparov needs around 26 pages of text to explain all the secrets of this game to the readers of this book.
But first some instructive words from the great Garry Kasparov,after the moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4 h6 13.Bc2 exd4 14.cxd4 Nb4 15.Bb1 c5 16.d5 Nd7 17.Ra3 c4 18.Nd4 Qf6! This apparently pointless attack on the knight at d4,dislodging,white from the home analysis, left me slightly shocked = again Karpov avoided a ‘mine’!True,he made the queen move without enthusiasm, and soon the impression was gained that he had prepared the entire variation in a hurry.
Interesting to mention are the comments of other players at this position,as Igor Stohl writes in his impressive: Garry Kasparov’s Greatest Chess Games Volume 1,Gambit 2005.
A strong novelty, which surprised Kaparov.In general in 1986 Karpov was much better theoretical prepared than in there previous matches.
And at last the opening’s experts Johnsen & Johannessen: The Ruy Lopez: A guide for black:
Clearly the best move,introducing the tactical finesse referred to above. Black practically forces white to play the slightly clumsy N2f3,which prevents his rook from being transferred to the kingside.
Strange enough this book covers no other alternatives to move {19.N2f3 Nc5 20.axb5 axb5 21.Nxb5 Rxa3 22.Nxa3 Ba6} 23.Re3 Rb8! After Kasparov black has several other tempting moves!
Conclusion: I can only say grab this book before it is sold out!


The New Sicilian Dragon by Simon Williams
2009
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
224 pages
Price $24,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-615-9

The English Grandmaster Simon Williams the reader in this Sicilian Dragon book with a repertoire Dragon that is based on a quick development, of the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 a6,the so called Dragadorf line.
But first some words from Williams after the moves 8.Qd2 Nbd7: Black has to be very careful about when to play …b5?! as again white can play 9.a4!.
When white has not committed his king to the queenside, this is nearly always the best response to ..b5.However ,as we will see in game 19,in the high level encounter,E.Inarkiev-A.Khalifman,Khanty Mansiysk 2005,white did not play this critical move,I’m not sure why,though,as 9…bxa4 {9….b4 is the move black would like to play,but after 10.Na2 a5 11.c3 bxc3 12.Nxc3 white is better}10.Nxa4 Nbd7 11.Be2 Bb7 12.Nb3! prevents black’s standard break,…d5,which could cause white some difficulties in the centre. Here white also plans on playing a leterNa5,which will pressurize black’s queenside, and he has a nice advantage in H.Hamdouchi-M.Mogranzini,Turin Olympiad 2006.
The book holds a impressive collection of 62 model games where I even found lines as 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bg5!? R.Ovetchkin – Timofeev,Russian Championship 2003.
The gambit lover between us could even go for 6.Nd5 ?! Bg7 {not 6…Nxe4 7.Bb5+ Bd7 8.Qe2 Nc5?? 9.Nf6+ mate!}7.Nxf6!? Bxf6 8.Bh6 involves a pawn sacrifice,but at least this way black will find a hard to castle.
The material of this book is divided into the following  lines: 1. The Main Line: An early Bc4,2. The Main Line: Queenside Castiling with g4 and h4,3.The Main Line: Queenside Castiling and a quick Bh6,4. The Main Line: Positional Tries and Early Deviations,5. The Acceleratod Dragadorf,6. Classical Lines for White and 7. Less Common Lines for White.
Included  is a small biography,introduction from ten pages,index of variations and index of games.Many games in this book are analysed with plenty of text, sometimes up to four pages!
Conclusion:This book is overloaded with attacking ideas!
Play the Catalan by Nigel Davies
2009
Everyman Chess
http://www.everymanchess.com
192 pages
Price $24,95
ISBN 978-1-85744-591-6

Grandmaster Nigel Davies provides the white player with a reliable repertoire overview of the Catalan opening,where Davies prefers to reach the Catalan via Flank Openings
or throw the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3.
Many Catalan players start out with 1.Nf3 to avoid certain defensive systems. For example, black can meet the ‘Main’Catalan move order of 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 with 3…c5,when 4.d5 exd5 5.exd5 cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 leads into a Modern Benoni {Davies}
Going throw the 66 model games and summary’s of this book,we can conclude that Davies has managed to create a good and understandable repertoire book of the Catalan Opening which is someway connected to the Catalan nobleman Count Ermengol of Urgell.
Many of the model games in this book,{23 of them} come by the way  from the year 2008!
Chapter one,Main Line runs with the moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2,where Davies writes:
From a club player’s point of view this chapter should probably be seen as nothing more than fodder for building pattern recognition and as a point of reference
from which to follow top level Catalan  games.
In the Main line all moves as 10.Bf4,8.a4,7.Ne5 and 6.Qc2 and 6.Nc3 are getting in this book an important turn.The closed Catalan is described with the moves:1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Qc2, 7.Nc3 and the alternative 4….Bb4.
The Open Catalan is related to moves as 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Bb4+,5…c5,5…Nc6,5….a6,5….b5.
Also included is the Open Catalan 5.Qa4+ where Davies writes in his summary:
Given the fact that such friendly Grandmasters as Ulf Andersson and Bojan Kurajica play 5.Qa4+,I would really have liked to say something better about it.
Unfortunately I cannot escape  the conclusion that it’s dull as dishwater.
Conclusion: For the first time there is a understandable repertoire book for white on the Catalan!
Attacking the Spanish by Sabino Brunello
Quality Chess
284 pages
Price €23,99
ISBN 978-1-906552-17-6

The incredible Sabino Brunello offers you in this “Attacking the Spanish” book a choice of three exciting gambit lines for black ,as the Schliemann,1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5,Gajewski, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 d5 and the good old Marshall gambit, ,1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5.
All three lines in this book are sharp and risky attempts to wrest the initiative,but in the Schliemann, Brunello prefers the less common line with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 Nf6 and not the  sharp 5….d5 which often ends into a draw,but don't we see that with the most lines in this book?
For all who would like to take up the Marshall gambit be prepared for tons of memorizing, as for example in the classic head line,theory ends at move 32:{ .e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Be3 Bg4 16.Qd3 Rae8 17.Nd2 Qh5 18.a4 Re6 19.axb5 axb5 20.Qf1 Rfe8 21.Bxd5 Qxd5 22.h3 Bh5 23.Qg2 Qxg2+ 24.Kxg2 f5 25.Nf3 f4 26.Bd2 fxg3 27.Rxe6 Rxe6 28.Ra8+ Bf8 29.Ne5 gxf2 30.Kxf2 Re8 31.Ra6 Bd6 Adams decides to secure the draw by swapping down to an opposite ending with equal material.}
Pleasant to mention are all the Modern Marshall lines in this book as: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d3 Bd6 13.Re1 Bf5 This has not been played as frequently as 13…Qh4,but has yielded a similar score and enjoys a healthy reputation.
Included also are the Anti-Marshall lines: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2 Na5 11.Ba2 Be6 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.d4 exd4 14.Nxd4 Qd7 15.Nf1 c5 16.Nf3 Nc6 17.Ng3 Ng4 18.e5 d5! and the mysterious retreat 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re2 is not forgotten in this move to move repertoire book.
Fascinating to mention are the lines of the Gajewski which has been around on the chess scene but many of these lines have seen no print before.
The fascinating journey starts with moves as 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d6 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 d5 11.d4 Nxe4 12.Nxe5 f6 13.Nd3 Bd6 14.Nd2 Re8 15.Qh5! and now  Brunello goes for a new idea with 15…c6!?
But is there after 16.Nxe4 Rxe4!? 17.Rxe4 dxe4 18.Nc5 f5 19.f3 g6 20.Qg5 Qxg5 21.Bxg5 exf3 22.gxf3 Nc4 23.b3 Nb6 24.c4 Kg7 25.Bd3 bxc4 26.bxc4 Kf7 27.Nb7 Bxb7 28.Rb1 Ra7 29.Rxb6 Bc7 30.Rb2 Bc8 enough to hold the draw?
Complex in this book are the indexes with A2221 and B…..,why does the publisher not repeat all moves in the Marshall Gambit now and than?
This would make the book much more readable!
Also missing is a bibliography.
Conclusion: I would only buy it for the  Marshall and Gajewski!

British Chess Magazine No.8
Volume 129
August 2009
Price: £4,05

Dortmund 2009 where John Saunders reports on Kramnik’s ninth Dortmund victory {this report is good for nine pages of text!}
San Sebastian won by Hikaru Nikamura,and poor Karpov was last unfortunately his opening preparation was one from the past.
It is unbelievable that Maxime Vachier Lagrave played against Peter Svidler the poor openings move: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.Nd2 f5 18.Re1?!
Other interesting tournaments in this issue are Big Slick International, Kings Bazna  and South Wales International.
Jon Speelman shows us in his column a beautiful piece of geometry from the recent Dortmund tournament.
Sam Collins show us two instructive games in his Games Department and highly recommended is Problem World from David Friedgood with the results of the 5th BCM Composing Championship.
Editor John Saunders looks back at the career of + Alan Philips,former British Champion.
Conclusion: Very readable issue!              

Chess CD's & DVD's

ChessBase Magazine extra issue 130
July  2009
Mikhalchisnin's memorable games
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 12.99

ChessBase Magazine extra holds over 27000 games,exactly well counted 27122 games, all played between April and June of this year.
Again there are a lot of sensational games,as for example there are 22 brand new Marshall games where black did manage to win 11 games of them!
White can loose in  no time if he does not handle the chess theory of these lines,as we can see in the following game: Schmidt,Martin2 (2001) - Hentze,Markus (1993) [C89]
GER-ch Net qual1 U25 playchess.com INT (7), 10.05.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Be7 7.c3 0-0 8.Re1 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.Bxd5 cxd5 13.d4 Bd6 14.Re1 Qh4 15.g3 Qh3 16.Qf3 Bg4 17.Qg2 Qh5 18.Nd2 Rae8 19.Rxe8 Rxe8 20.f3 Re1+ 21.Kf2 Bh3 0-1.
Included on this file are 14 Latvian games,where black did manage to win four of them.
Strange knight moves to g1 are not recommend for white as we can see in the next game,where the white player goes quick astray:
Pena Aragon,Sergio - Perez de la Torre,Jorge (1685) [C40]
La Laguna op 3rd La Laguna (2), 05.05.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nf3 fxe4 5.Ng1 Bc5 6.Qe2 d5 7.Nc3 Ne7 8.Nb5 Na6 9.c3 0-0 10.d4 exd3 11.Qxd3 Qxf2+ 12.Kd1 Qxf1+ 13.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 14.Kc2 Bf5+ 15.Kd2 Rf8 16.a3 Be4 17.h3 R8f2+ 18.Ne2 Rxh1 19.b4 Bb6 20.a4 c6 21.Nd6 Rxg2 22.a5 Bc7 23.Nxb7 Bf4# 0-1.
The two multimedia files are from GM Adrian Mikhalchishin who shows with great pleasure two of his ever best games.

ChessBase Magazine extra issue 131
August  2009
It's all right for Alexei Shirov to laugh
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 19.95  

ChessBase Magazine issue 131 comes with a lot of  video excitement as life reports from GM Alexei Shirov,Georg Meier,Lubomir Ftacnik,Dorian Rogozenko and the endgame expert Karsten Müller.
But further video clips can be found in the columns Endgames,Tactics,Opening trap,Fritztrainer and New products.
Andrew Martin even offers you on this DVD a supplement to his DVD,The ABC of the Evans Gambit!
But first a brief view of the excellent made Opening surveys:
Karolyi: English A19
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 c5 4.e5 Ng8 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nxe5, Skembris:English A29
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nb6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.a4!? a5,Marin: Dutch Defence A81
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nh3 Bg7 5.Nf4, Stohl:Caro-Kann B10
1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Qa4+,Kovalov: Sicilian B42
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Ba7 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.Qg4 Nf6 9.Qg3 d6, Grivas: Sicilian B51
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 (d6) 3.Bb5 d6 (Nc6),Postny: Sicilian B96
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Bc4,Kritz: French Defence C16
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 b6!?
Marin: Ruy Lopez C93,1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 h6 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Nf1 Bb7
13.Ng3 Na5 14.Bc2 Nc4{The third and last article on the Smyslov}
Kuzmin: Queen's Pawn Opening D02,1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nbd2 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.b4 0-0 and at last,Krasenkow: Grünfeld Defence D81
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Qb3 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bg7 6.e4 0-0.
Top tournaments,with excellent annotations that are covered on this overloaded DVD are :Sofia,Polkovsky,Bazna and Dortmund!
Other columns on this DVD are:Oliver Reeh:Tactics,Peter Wells:Strategy,Daniel King: Move by Move,Fritztrainer,Rainer Knaak:Opening trap,Karsten Müller:Endgames and Tele Chess a over 8000 database file where 32 of these games are well annotated.
Included is a booklet of 21 pages!
Conclusion: High quality chess material! 

Nigel Davies The f4 Sicilian
2009
ChessBase http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com 
Price € 27,50
System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM,Windows XP or Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive. 


GM Nigel Davies handles on this f4 Sicilian DVD various lines of the Grand Prix Attack so as the positional to Bb5 but also the sharp lines as the following game from Guntars Antoms,Guntars against Luke  McShane is well explained by Davies with a wealth of instructive words.
The following game is a nice example how to win with black against the move 5.Bc4.
1.e4  c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6 6.f5 Nge7 7.fxe6 dxe6 [7...fxe6] 8.0-0 Nd4 9.d3 Nec6 10.Bg5 [10.Be3 0-0 11.Qd2] 10...Nxf3+ 11.Qxf3 Bd4+ 12.Be3 [12.Kh1 Qxg5 13.Qxf7+ Kd8] 12...Bxe3+ 13.Qxe3 Qd4 14.Qxd4 cxd4 15.Nb5 Ke7 16.Rae1 Bd7 17.Nc7 [17.e5 a6 18.Nd6 Nxe5 19.Rxe5 Kxd6] 17...Rac8 18.Nd5+ Kd6 [18...exd5 19.exd5+] 19.Nf6 Ne5 20.c3 dxc3 21.bxc3 Ba4 22.Bb3 [22.Rb1 b6] 22...Bxb3 23.axb3 Nxd3 24.Rd1 Rxc3 25.Rf3 Ke7 26.Ng4 Rd8 27.Nf2 Nxf2 28.Rxd8 Rxf3 29.gxf3 Kxd8 0-1{ EU-chT (Men) 13th Leon (1), 06.11.2001}
Davies does not recommend the Bc4 move but simple suggests Bb5 but the whole game is model game how to win with black against it.
Davies prefers on this DVD the move order with 2.Nc3,to avoid the gambit line 2…d5!? 3.exd5 Nf6 where black gets a great deal of compensation for the pawn.
But Mark Hebden once managed to out play Davies with the move 2….d5!?:
1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 Nf6 4.Bb5+ Bd7 5.Bxd7+ Qxd7 6.c4 e6 7.Qe2 Bd6 8.f5 [8.dxe6 Qxe6] 8...0-0 [8...Na6 9.fxe6 fxe6 10.dxe6 Qe7] 9.fxe6 fxe6 10.dxe6 [10.Qxe6+ Qxe6+ 11.dxe6 Nc6 12.Nf3 Rae8 13.0-0 Ng4 14.h3 Nh2 15.Nxh2 Bxh2+ 16.Kxh2 Rxf1] 10...Qe8 11.Nf3 Qh5 12.Nc3 [12.0-0 Bxh2+ 13.Nxh2 Qxe2] 12...Nc6 13.d3 [13.0-0 Nd4 14.Nxd4] 13...Rae8 14.Bd2 [14.0-0 Nd4] 14...Bg3+ 15.Kd1 Bd6 [15...Ng4] 16.Re1 [16.Nb5] 16...Nd8 17.Ng5 Ng4 18.Nce4 [18.h3] 18...Bxh2 19.Rh1 Nxe6 20.Rxh2 Qxh2 21.Qxg4 Qg1+ 22.Be1 Nd4 23.Kd2 Qf1 24.Kc3 b5 25.cxb5 c4 [25...h6 26.Nh3 Nxb5+] 26.dxc4 Rd8 27.Ne6 Nxe6 28.Qxe6+ Kh8 29.Kb3 Rfe8 30.Qc6 Rc8 31.Qd5 Rcd8 32.Nd6 Rf8 33.Bc3 1-0 { Nottingham, 1983}
But as we can learn from Davies with 8…Na6 black has a perfect game!
Conclusion: On this DVD you will find everything and more to get started with the f4 Sicilian!