Edinburgh Expedition

Ever a man for a challenge, Sean Marsh returned to Edinburgh for a long weekend to put some of in Schools and Communities’ plans into action

It is strange how plans can snowball. Edinburgh was not originally in the thoughts of Chess in Schools and Communities (‘CSC’), when expansion plans were discussed. In fact, the closest we came in the discussions was Newcastle and I delivered a CSC training day there in April 2017. Richard Payne, Chairperson of Lothian Chess, attended the Newcastle day and shortly afterwards he contacted me to suggest the innovative plan of adding a training day to his junior , with the hope of attracting any parents and teachers who happened to be at the tournament with their juniors at the time. The tournament in question was in Edinburgh and I delivered the training day there in October 2017. It was a success and it generated a lot of interest. CSC provided some of our new contacts with boards and sets, and I have maintained regular contact with several of the people who attended the courses. Colin Paterson, who is currently helping me with more expansion plans, even made the long trip to the London Chess Classic specifically for one of my full length training days, and Andrew MacQueen joined me on Teesside for a number of shadowing sessions in the Spring term. Meanwhile, we also made more schools aware of the Delancey UK Chess Challenge, which is an important part of the school calendar. Back to base, and it was time for discussions on how to build upon our initial successes. I always feel it is imperative to strike while the iron is hot; I am not now and never have been interested in token efforts. There was clearly a large amount of interest and enthusiasm in Scotland and it was very important to arrange a follow-up project as quickly as possible. Here I had help from David Stewart, who had been at the first Edinburgh training day. David is, amongst other things, the organiser of the annual Edinburgh Weekend Congress and he had the ambitious idea of adding four CSC training sessions to the weekend’s activities. As time went by and we continued to discuss the plan, we were able to see more strands coming together. David is involved in the Chess in the Park project at the Fountain Those playing chess at Edinburgh’s Fountain Cafe every Thursday can enjoy a stunning backdrop.

July 2018 30 Cafe, just off Princes Street and the 2018 The following day I returned to the develop things much further in Scotland. sessions were due to start over Easter. Fountain Cafe with the inimitable Jim Fisher There is no doubt about it; attaching CSC Coincidentally, around the time I was of Chess and Bridge, to present 10 chess sets training days to congresses has proved to be putting together the latest Edinburgh plan, I and 20 boards (some vinyl, some fold-up). an excellent innovation, opening up our work received a note from Jenny Wilson, another of The next scheduled visit saw Jim and I go to a quite different audience than our the October 2017 delegates. Jenny informed to St. Cuthbert’s Church. It was built in 1892 standard days attract. me of a new, weekly board games club for the and there were already at least six earlier The Congress itself was well attended, homeless that had just been set up at St. churches on the same site before then. Quite with entries just over 200, which was slightly Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh. I began to aside from the religious aspects of the up on the tally for 2017. I was able to spend think of ways we could help them too. impressive building, it also holds a degree of a little time in the two playing halls between It was with all of the above in mind that I fame among fans of the crime fiction genre, my training sessions and I enjoyed watching put together a programme of events for my as it is where Agatha Christie married her the games in each of the sections. I was able second expedition to Scotland, which turned second husband. Thus there is a crime genre to reconnect with a number of the players I out to be even more ambitious than the first. connection to Baker Street. had met in the park and I was delighted to be The first part of my Easter excursion was a I had already been in contact with the asked so many questions by people curious visit to the Chess in the Park project. The Fountain Reverend Peter Sutton to discuss his board about the CSC and its activities. Cafe, owned by Gary Scott, provides a beautiful game club for the homeless and to offer our At 2475, International Master Justin Tan environment for chess players of all ages and assistance. Jim and I presented Peter with was the highest-rated player in the 63- abilities to simply turn up on a Thursday chess sets, boards and a number of other player Open section (ahead of two more IMs, afternoon to play as much chess as they want. board games for the club. It was wonderful to five FMs, one WFM and one CM), and he lived The only stipulation is that players bring their be at St. Cuthbert’s and to discuss the work up to his billing, winning all five of his games own boards, sets and, if required, clocks. Peter is doing. I vowed to return one day, on the way to clear first place, a full point Edinburgh Castle, perched on the hill above perhaps to see the club in action. ahead of IM Dieter Kolbus, FM Sergio Adan the park, overlooks the Fountain Cafe to It would be great to see both the Chess in Bermudez and Declan Shafi. That is not to say provide a stunning backdrop to the chess the Park project and the St. Cuthbert’s Church the games were easy; matters are never that activity. I arrived early to see for myself just replicated in other parts of the UK. simple in weekend congresses. how the players would arrange themselves Now it was time to focus on the four With plenty of fascinating chess battles in and how popular the first session would be. It impending training sessions. For months I had action, intriguing moments were to be found was a very cold (albeit dry) day, which had the been working closely with my new contacts in every phase of the game. Indeed, the very potential to prove off-putting, yet before I in Edinburgh to plan the four training sessions first round brought an interesting clash knew it most of the cafe’s outside benches to coincide with the Edinburgh Weekend between two International Masters. were filled with chess players galore, from the Congress. The sessions were publicised on titled International Master Mark Orr to the Chess Scotland website and on the parents with their young children. The offhand literature for the congress itself. M.Orr-J.Tan games were still played in a competitive spirit, This brought in a wider range of delegates yet the overriding atmosphere was definitely than the October sessions, with one delegate Round 1 friendliness. I spoke to a lot of the people, – Richard Bowman – travelling all the way ’s Declined played a number of games and was made to from Yorkshire to attend. We were still able to feel extremely welcome. I felt I had already attract casual congress visitors too, making 1 c4 e6 2 Ìc3 d5 3 d4 c6 4 cxd5 exd5 made some valuable new contacts while the sessions particularly far-reaching. 5 Ìf3 Íf5 6 Íg5 Íe7 7 Íxe7 Ìxe7 reconnecting with a number of people from The sessions went very well and I made a 8 e3 0-0 9 Íd3 Ëd6 10 0-0 Ìd7 my previous visit. lot more contacts with whom I am hoping to 11 Íxf5 Ìxf5 12 Ëd3 g6

On behalf of CSC, Sean donated materials On to the training course itself in Edinburgh, and Sean is keen to emphasise how delegates for the Rev. Sutton’s club for the homeless.. will best be able to teach children completely new to the game about the and pawns. www.chess.co.uk 31 White’s opening play has been unambitious, on White’s . Meanwhile, an attempt to but now, perhaps tempted after seeing J.Tan-F.Noetzel escape the confines of the back rank with Black’s last move, which has loosened the Round 2 46 Êf3?? fails to 46...Îf2 . As dark squares on the kingside, he changes gear. played, White has to give up all of his kingside 13 e4 dxe4 14 Ìxe4 Ëf4 15 d5 Îad8!? pawns, but the a- still looks strong. 44...Îxg3+ 45 Êh2 Îg4 46 Îb7 Îxh4+ 47 Êg3 Îa4 48 a7 Êg5 49 Îb8 Ìe2+ 50 Êf2

Black has been ambitious with his queen 16 dxc6?! and after Tan’s 15 h3 – taking away the Tempting – and the pawn does make it to g4-square – it should have become clear that the seventh rank – but Black’s counterplay she was a big target. Black could have tried 15 ...Êh8 or even 15...Îxe4, but he would becomes highly significant. 16 Îfe1 would It was only when the smoke had cleared still be worse. However, as played, the queen has have kept things solid. from the flurry of the previous moves that to leave the board within a few short moves. 16...Ìe5! Black’s excellent idea became apparent. 15...Ìb4? 16 Ìf4 Ëf6 17 Ìh5 Ëe7 Suddenly White needs to show some 50...Ìd4! 18 Íg5 fancy footwork. Now White has to agree to give up the With 18...f6 impossible due to the 17 Ìf6+ Êg7 18 Ëe4? prize a-pawn because 51 a8ËÎxa8 (which could have been alleviated by 18 Ëc3 would have been much better, as 52 Îxa8 Ìxc6 is much better for Black. 15...Êh8), Black had to give up the queen for it would have kept an eye and a protective 51 Ìxd4 Îxa7 52 Ìf3+ Êf6 53 Îb6+ two minor pieces, with 18...Ìxd5 19 Íxe7 hand on the f6-knight. Êg7 54 Êg3 and White offered a , Ìxe7, but after that White’s victory was 18...Ìxf3+ 19 gxf3 Ëg5+ 20 Ìg4 which was immediately accepted (½-½). never in doubt (1-0, 32).

I was intrigued too by this endgame. The road to any tournament success is very rarely entirely smooth and the eventual champion had a tough task in the third round. R.Reimanis-J.Moreby Round 2 S.Bermudez-J.Tan Round 3

With ...h5 on the agenda, White is about to lose a piece. 20...Îfe8 21 c7 Îc8?! 21...Îxe4 was simpler, as the queen handily protects d8, thus rendering White’s forthcoming futile. 22 Ëxb7 h5 23 Îfe1 Îh8 24 Ëe4 hxg4 25 fxg4 Îh4 26 f3 Ëd2 27 Îe2 Ëd4+ White has just played 42 a4-a5 and it Forcing off the queens, after which looks very difficult indeed to prevent the a- White’s play is never going to be enough to pawn’s march to promotion, especially as White’s knights have been working hard make up for the missing piece. knights are the worst pieces to combat rook’s and now, even though they are on the edge, 28 Ëxd4+ Ìxd4 29 Îe7 Êf6 30 Îd7 pawns. The game continued with Black’s they have reasonable prospects of Ìxf3+ 31 Êg2 Ìe5 32 Îf1+ Êe6 33 Îd8 attempt to produce some notable shepherding the c-pawn further up the Îxg4+ 34 Êh3 Îxc7 35 Îe8+ Îe7 counterplay. board. However, the next move, despite 36 Îxe7+ Êxe7 37 Îe1 Îg5 0-1 42...e3 43 fxe3 Îxe3 44 a6 appearing to be a logical connecting of the A natural move, as trying to defend the g- pieces, is a mistake, allowing Black to tip the In the second round a careless queen was pawn with 44 Êf2 allows Black to become balance in his favour. trapped. very active with 44...Ìd1+ when it is easy 29 Îb1? for White to go wrong: for example, 45 Êg2 29 Ìc5 and 29 Îc1 would both be ÎÎÎÎÎÎÎÎÎ Îe2+ 46 Êf1 Îc2! with an important improvements.

July 2018 32 A typically busy scene at the start of a round at the 2018 Edinburgh Chess Congress, alongside which Sean ran his CSC training sessions.

29...Îe5! best efforts to create further complications. Suddenly White’s pieces are in a tangle, S.Cooke-A.Lampard 24...Îe7? 25 Íxg6 Ìb4 26 Íf5 Îc6 27 with the queen finding it difficult to protect Round 3 Ìd4 Îc4 28 Íd6 Ìxa2+ 29 Êb1 Ìxc3+ both knights simultaneously. 30 bxc3 Îe8 31 Íe6+ 1-0 30 Ëc4?! An exciting game. With the obvious intention of meeting 30...Îxa5? with 31 Îb8, winning the queen. I enjoyed every minute of my time in Black now sensibly guards against pins and Edinburgh and it was especially good to be checks on his back rank. able to address the second ‘C’ in Chess in 30...Íf8 31 Ìc5?! Schools and Communities. Discussions are This looks reasonable too, with a threat to currently taking place to build upon our first jump into d7 at some point. In view of what very successful year in Scotland and I want to follows, though, White should have preferred return to help my new friends and colleagues to protect the loose knight and safeguard his as soon as I can in the Autumn term. rook at the same time with 31 Îa1. 31...Ìxc6 32 Ìcb7 Ëf5! Winning material, due to the looseness of TH both the rook and the knight. 19 FIDE RATED 33 Ëxc6 Ëxb1+ 34 Êg2 Ëb6 35 Ëa4 Îe2 0-1 White’s next move aims to introduce CONGRESS Attempts to protect d2 with the queen another pin, this time on e5. It does, however, Ë lose quickly to 36... f6, with a mating attack. light the blue touch paper and 22 Êb1 would Friday 13- Sunday 15 July have been the safer option. Finally, here is a tactical mêlée from a 22 Íf4 Ìxd4 23 Íxe8 Ìxc2 24 Ìxe6? Ramada Hotel Telford Ironbridge, TF3 4NA. game between two female players. There was Í Î Ê 24 e5! xe8 25 xc2 is the simplest, 3 sections: a time when the just led to when Black is struggling to break the pin and FIDE Rated Open, dull games, but now everyone is playing it 25...Îf8 allows 26 Ìxe6 to land with much FIDE Rated U2000 (U175), aggressively. greater force. Black could now have played 24...Îxe8, ECF Under 135 when 25 Ìxg7 Íxg7 gains a very useful tempo Prize fund £3,000 on the rook. If the rook retreats then 25...Îe2 remarkably rescues the formerly stranded knight. For further information and to enter visit: As played, White keeps control and emerges from www.4ncl.co.uk the tactics with a winning position, despite Black’s www.chess.co.uk 33 This Month’s New Releases

Small Steps to Giant Improvement advantage in pawns. It is never as simple as it “. Moving the will allow 66 Sam Shankland, 336 pages seems and in the section on ‘Avoiding Êd8, while moving the will allow 66 Quality Chess Potholes’ there is a very instructive example Êe7. Note how important the a-pawn is. If RRP £23.99 SUBSCRIBERS £21.59 from another era. White did not have this pawn to distract one It is timely indeed that Shankland’s hardback of the black pieces from the defense of the book should appear almost immediately after d6-square, Black would just hold.” his smashing success at the 2018 U.S. B.Kostic-S.Tartakower The game concluded 65...Ía7 66 Êe7 Championships, where he outscored world- Bled 1931 Íc5+ 67 Êe6 Êb6 68 d6 Êxa6 69 c7 1-0. class luminaries Caruana and Nakamura, and “What earned Kostic a victory over an just before his fabulous follow-up at the illustrious opponent was that he understood , in which he finished one when a pawn is too far advanced due to and a half points ahead of the pack. Yet it was weakened squares...and when it isn’t.” a tournament experience of a different kind Apart from offering one in the eye for that led to the idea of the book. modernists who habitually denigrate the old “I failed to qualify for the 2017 World Cup. masters, this really demonstrates the mission [...] With time on my hands, I could take on a of the book: to help chess players (from strong big project without being interrupted by club player upwards) to use Shankland’s tournaments. [...] I chose the topic of pawn lessons to further their own understanding of play because I have always struggled to explain a plethora of pawn situations. Or, as the the nature of good pawn play to my students, author puts it: “Selfish as my original and struggled to make sense when it came up purposes were, a successful book that helps a in interviews.” This is what gives the book its lot of people improve their chess would be a strapline of ‘Master Pawn Play in Chess’. very pleasant side effect of my studies!” This book does not attempt to classify Small Steps to Giant Improvement represents “White has two , but every type of pawn in the style of Hans an impressive transfer of energy for the author, Black’s blockade chances are real, and the g3- Kmoch’s Pawn Power in Chess (Dover who clearly applied himself fully to the task pawn restricts the h3-bishop. How can White Publications, 2003), but rather deals with four following his disappointment regarding the make progress? The obvious move is 50 d6, specific genres, each with its own chapter, World Cup. His writing style is engaging and but it turns out not to work.” This is because with the titles already revealing the humorous content fresh and interesting, making this of 50...Êe5! which, remarkably, draws side to Shankland’s writing: Pawns Can’t Move book quite different to the . Students of because: “Even though the white pawns are Backwards; Compelling Enemy Pawns chess have every opportunity to increase on the same color as the black bishop, they Forward; Pawns Seldom Move Sideways; and their own understanding of this important cannot advance further without being Compelling Enemy Pawns Sideways. subject if they study the material carefully. blocked. 51 d7 Íg5 and the bishop will be The first game in the book is the infamous Sean Marsh perfectly placed on d8.” ‘did he/didn’t he’ fiasco of that Polgar- Consequently, Kostic played the anti- Kasparov encounter from Linares 1994, intuitive 50 c6! – “The only winning move” – which is used to demonstrate that making a and then sent his king around to pick off the mistake with a piece can often be corrected a-pawn. Fast-forward a few moves and by simply moving the piece back to where it White’s winning plan becomes apparent. came from (in this case Kasparov’s knight). This is followed up by an example showing the rather more permanent problem of making a mistake with a pawn and not being able to put it back to repair the defence. The Amazing Albin Counter-Gambit Polgar-Kasparov is a strange game to choose Lawrence Trent, PC-DVD; as the incident cannot be separated from the running time: 5 hours, ChessBase occasion and Shankland runs the risk of RRP £26.95 SUBSCRIBERS £24.25 allowing his initial message to be diluted. The Albin Counter-Gambit is a sharp Perhaps he has an axe to grind with this attempt by Black, in which a determined particular incident, but there must be a effort is made to seize the initiative with plethora of untainted examples to choose. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5. Black’s intention is to drag Quirkiness aside, one of the strengths of the opponent into unfamiliar territory after Shankland’s material is the way in which they 3 dxe5 d4, when according to Trent the will resonate with readers of all playing advanced d-pawn “Acts as a very big strengths. Most will be familiar with the nuisance in the white position; a wedge” problem of opposite-coloured bishop endings Black seems to be holding the blockade interfering with the smooth and natural and the issue of how to make the most of an together, but Kostic broke it with 65 Íf3!. development craved by 1 d4 players. www.chess.co.uk 55 It is possible that some readers have career and thrives in the resulting closed already used the Albin as a one-off weapon in centre positions. Pelletier is not only a a club or tournament game, but it would be connoisseur of 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5, but also an much more difficult to think of anyone who excellent presenter, who here explains a uses the sharp opening on a regular basis. number of key points, as well as little-known Trent is out to change the standard opinion of nuances, and all in a very clear manner. Along this rare opening – and he has form to back the way he maps out a repertoire for Black, up his mission, thanks to a history of being an largely based around meeting both 3 Ìd2 Albin player himself. and 3 Ìc3 with 3...Ìf6. Three immediate questions present themselves when dealing with such A Complete Guide to as these, namely: the Pirc/Modern Complex i. In what sort of shape are the main lines? J.Gallagher & N.Davies, 384 pages, paperback ii. Can it be effective at all levels? RRP £18.99 SUBSCRIBERS £17.09 iii. Can Black still find dynamic play if White Everyman’s latest compendium work will declines the gambit? White is on the way to consolidation and a be ideal for the club player who plays or is Trent is quick to nail his colours to the mast, stable advantage, so Black must cause some interested in picking up the Pirc or Modern. It backed up with a rallying cry, claiming the gambit trouble. The DVD recommends 14...Ëh4+ contains both that fine writer Joe Gallagher’s is “One of the most underrated openings, 15 g3 and now 15...Ëh3 instead of the usual Starting Out: The Pirc/Modern and also gambits-wise” and, furthermore, “Is absolutely 15...Ëh5, which Lawrence finds insufficient. Starting Out: The Modern by acclaimed coach sound and one I have not been able to refute Admittedly, in this critical line there are ways and author Nigel Davies. after extensive weeks and months of studying for White to force a draw, but Trent did not find Also just out from Everyman is A Complete this, with some of the strongest computers in any way to put Black under severe pressure. Repertoire for Black Using the Sharpest the world.” He promises dynamic play, with the Time and experience will tell whether or not Systems, retailing at £17.99 for its 404 pages “Most in-depth analysis I’ve ever done” and is all of his analysis holds up to the scrutiny of (£16.19 for Subscribers), incorporating both clearly very passionate about the whole project. the higher levels, but at the moment it does John Emms’ Play the Najdorf: Scheveningen Style The early deviations are dealt with in the seem as if Black could indeed play the Albin and Play the King’s Indian by Joe Gallagher. first lecture, with everything from the poor 3 e4 with confidence at any level. (“Absolutely garbage; nothing to worry about. In answer to my initial questions at the Just take it!”), to the standard club player start of this review it appears to be a positive attempt to keep Black away from his dynamic outcome on all three fronts. plans with the potentially dull 3 e3. It’s interesting There is a lot of analysis on this DVD with how the spectre of the manifests copious amounts of brand new moves and itself in some of these lines. Against 3 Ìf3, ideas of Trent’s own. He reiterates the need to for instance, 3...e4 is the recommendation prepare by “Repeat(ing) the lines time and time with a reversed French, and 3 e3 exd4 4 exd4 again” to breed familiarity with the material, Ìf6 transposes to an variation. while the DVD helps by concluding with 15 quiz Applying Logic in Chess It is clear even from this segment positions to test the viewer’s new Albin skills. Erik Kislik, 320 pages, paperback demonstrating the non-critical lines just how Lawrence Trent is an experienced presenter RRP £21.50 SUBSCRIBERS £19.35 much effort Trent has put into this DVD, as and commentator. There have been times when Readers may recall American IM Erik Kislik evidenced by a strong novelty he casually I have found his style and content a shade on covering how Black should meet that introduces on move 19 in one of the lines. We the shallow side (possibly informed by the fashionable line of the Sicilian Taimanov, 1 e4 then move through the fourth move entry-level standard required for an online c5 2 Ìf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Ìxd4 Ìc6 5 Ìc3 alternatives, including Spassky’s old favourite audience of keyboard warriors), but this DVD Ëc7 6 Íe3 a6 7 Ëf3!?, in these pages not 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 e4 on the way has definitely seen him move up to another so long ago. Since then he has continued to to the major split on the fifth moves, with level entirely. The depth of his research is work with a range of pupils, including several (after 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 Ìf3 very impressive and his delivery consistently grandmasters. As such, Kislik is well placed to Ìc6) 5 g3, 5 Ìbd2 and 5 a3. strong, making this product a certain hit. supply plenty of practical pointers in this The most critical of all is the last of these, Sean Marsh thought-provoking work for Gambit, and he especially as it is recommended in various also tackles the tricky question: is chess a repertoire tomes for White. Here we see logical game? Kislik is convinced that it is and Lawrence keeping the Albin afloat against the by exploring the topics of , analysis of Boris Avrukh. After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 material imbalance and he e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 Ìf3 Ìc6 5 a3 Ìge7 6 b4 could well help the thoughtful reader really Ìg6 7 Íb2 the threat is clear: White take their game to the next level. intends b4-b5 and simply capturing the pawn on d4. Black can keep afloat but has to tread a narrow path with 7...a5 8 b5 Ìcxe5 9 Ìxe5 Ìxe5 10 Íxd4 Ìxc4 11 e3 Íe6 A Classical Guide to the French Defence 12 Ëc2 Ìd6 13 Íd3 Ëg5 14 f4, reaching Yannick Pelletier; PC-DVD, what Trent calls the “Absolute main line of running time: 4 hours, 27 minutes the main lines of the main line; the most RRP £26.95 SUBSCRIBERS £24.25 critical; the most ambitious way for White The strong Swiss has to proceed.” deployed the French Defence for much of his

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July 2018 56 Bologan’s Caro-Kann: A Modern all of which retail too at £9.99 or £8.99 RRP £23.99 SUBSCRIBERS £21.59 Repertoire for Black for Subscribers. Jaan Ehlvest used to be one of the world’s Victor Bologan, 352 pages, paperback That’s quite some output from the strongest players and now in his mid-50s still RRP £26.95 SUBSCRIBERS £24.25 Danish/American FM and those who really like boasts a 2538 rating. With his Grandmaster It’s been a while since a Caro-Kann repertoire their miniatures can purchase all 9 volumes Opening Preparation, Quality Chess continue work appeared and now we have both Bologan’s together from Chess & Bridge for the special their recent run of original and thought- latest book for and one by Daniel price of £80 or just £72 for Subscribers. provoking works, Ehlvest following hot on the Fernandez, as we’ll see below. Here Bologan heels of Sam Shankland’s work, reviewed once again aims to highlight the key strategic above, and Jan Markos’ Under the Surface, ideas, while against all White’s main lines which was last month. Ehlvest discusses presenting two distinct approaches for Black. several important practical issues, not least how one should balance using the computer alongside human considerations when preparing, and also tackles the infamous isolated queen’s pawn structure in some detail. ChessBase Magazine 183 ChessBase PC-DVD RRP £17.95 SUBSCRIBERS £16.15 The latest issue of CBM mainly looks back British Chess Literature to 1914: to events at Wijk aan Zee and Gibraltar. Daniel A Handbook for Historians King and Simon Williams contribute videos, while Tim Harding, 394 pages, paperback the world champion’s second, Peter Heine RRP £39.95 SUBSCRIBERS £35.95 Nielsen, explains all about his against Tim Harding’s historical works for McFarland Gawain Jones. Elsewhere the opening surveys Komodo Chess 12 have always been very well received and now section contains one by Alexey Kuzmin on a ChessBase PC-DVD he has produced a real labour of love, a guide sharp and topical line of the modern London, RRP £79.99 SUBSCRIBERS £71.99 that will likely provide essential for those with 1 d4 Ìf6 2 Íf4 g6 3 Ìc3 d5 4 e3 Íg7 5 h4!?. Mark Lefler and Larry Kaufman have an interest in chess history. Harding examines tweaked their popular Komodo engine to the many Victorian books and periodicals devoted make it even stronger as Komodo 12 is to the game, while also supplying plenty of unfurled in a 64-bit multiprocessor version. advice to fellow researchers, such as over how As ever, the engine comes with the ‘Fritz’ best to use existing chess libraries and those interface, making it very easy to use for texts which have been digitalised and appear analysis and practice games. However, not online. There is also a very helpful appendix only can users access the latest Komodo 12, providing an A-Z listing of 600 chess columns but also a ‘Monte-Carlo’ version of Komodo, which existed before the first world war. i.e. one which has learnt and will learn from Foxy 185: How to Assess Any Position playing a vast series of games with itself, just and Create a Plan For the as AlphaZero did. Currently Komodo 12 is Tournament Player – Part 1 (DVD) stronger than the AI-based version, although Andrew Martin, running time: 2 hrs, 53 mins that is hardly shabby and also has a much SPECIAL PRICE £12.95 more aggressive style. Andrew Martin returns to the Foxy studio aiming to improve the club player’s middlegame skills. His focus is on helping viewers to better assess positions and find Catastrophes & Tactics in the Chess the right plan. Plenty of recent positions Openings Volume 1: Indian Defense come under Martin’s microscope, while as Carsten Hansen, 178 pages, paperback ever he clearly explains both the right and RRP £9.99 SUBSCRIBERS £8.99 wrong approaches. Carsten Hansen has penned several notable More of the same helpful and important works over the years, as well as a great number material follows in the companion DVD, Foxy Opening Repertoire: 1 e4 of reviews for chesscafe.com, but now branches 186: How to Assess Any Position and Create Cyrus Lakdawala, 336 pages, paperback out on his own with a self-published series. In a Plan For the Tournament Player – Part 2. RRP £19.99 SUBSCRIBERS £17.99 this opening volume, readers will find ‘Winning That runs to 2 hours, 48 minutes and is also We tend to associate Cyrus Lakdawala in 15 Moves or less: Chess Tactics, Brilliancies & available from Chess & Bridge for £12.95, or with the London and other system-based Blunders’, i.e. a selection of miniatures in the you might prefer to purchase both DVDs openings beginning 1 d4 or 1 Ìf3, but at his likes of the King’s Indian, Grünfeld and Queen’s together for just £25. weekly Gambito Rapid tournaments in San Indian. The players featured are generally fairly Diego, Lakdawala also likes to begin with 1 e4 strong, while along the way the reader should on occasion. Unsurprisingly his preference is acquire several useful tricks and traps, as well then for a strategic game, so the repertoire as plenty of guidance in what sort of early presented here should come as no surprise: 1 mistakes to avoid in general. e4 e5 2 Íc4, Íb5 systems against the Also new in the same series are: Volume 2: Sicilian, and the Advance against both the 1.d4 d5, Volume 3: Flank Openings, Volume Caro and French. The repertoire may lack 4: Dutch, Benonis & d-pawn Specials, Volume immediate sting, but is solid, will still set some 5: Anti-Sicilians, Volume 6: Open Sicilians, problems, and can be easily picked up by even Volume 7: Minor Semi-Open Games, Volume 8: Grandmaster Opening Preparation the weaker club player looking for a reliable 1 1.e4 e5, and Volume 9: Caro-Kann & French, Jaan Ehlvest, 272 pages, hardback e4 repertoire. www.chess.co.uk 57 Semi-Tarrasch, but can also remain in independent waters as Karolyi demonstrates.

Paul Felix Schmidt: A Winning Formula The Modern Endgame Manual: Eva Regina Magacs & Michael Negele, Mastering Basic Rook Endgames 320 pages, hardback Adrian Mikhalchisin, 258 pages, paperback RRP £39.95 SUBSCRIBERS £36.95 Playing 1.e4: RRP £22.95 SUBSCRIBERS £20.65 The name Paul Schmidt may not be too French Defence and Sicilian Sidelines This is the first volume in an apparent familiar to younger readers, but he was a very John Shaw, 384 pages, paperback eight-strong series, produced by Chess strong player in the 1930s, as well as prolific RRP £19.99 SUBSCRIBERS £17.99 Evolution and with the approval of FIDE. The writer on the game. Schmidt later emigrated Many readers may possess a copy of John series begins with acclaimed endgame from Germany to the United States and Shaw’s 2016 work Playing 1.e4: Caro-Kann, expert and highly experienced trainer, the became a leading scientist in the field of 1...e5 & Minor Lines and now he returns to Slovakian GM Adrian Mikhalchisin covering semiconductors. This detailed biography, with complete his 1 e4 repertoire. In this first of the most important things which we should the text supplied in both English and German, two new volumes, the Scottish Grandmaster all know about rook endgames. sets Schmidt’s chess career and family advocates his favourite Tarrasch variation background against the turbulent times in against the French and also tacks on which he lived. Also included are a number of coverage of some of Black’s rarer Sicilian lines fine photographs and 12 games annotated by after 1 e4 c5 2 Ìf3. As with the first volume, Schmidt himself. the coverage is cutting-edge, clear and contains a plethora of new ideas.

The Modernized Caro-Kann Daniel Fernandez, 416 pages, paperback RRP £29.95 SUBSCRIBERS £26.95 The young English Grandmaster has produced his debut work for Thinkers Play the Semi-Tarrasch! Part 1 Publishing and on one of his favourite Tibor Karolyi, 224 pages, paperback Playing 1.e4 – Sicilian Main Lines openings, the Caro-Kann. Fernandez is not RRP £22.95 SUBSCRIBERS £20.65 John Shaw, 456 pages, paperback afraid to take his own path at times, while As was apparent at the Berlin Candidates, RRP £19.99 SUBSCRIBERS £17.99 improving on existing main line theory at the Semi-Tarrasch, 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Ìf3 Here Shaw turns his attention to an Open others. Against the Advance variation, both Ìf6 4 Ìc3 c5 5 cxd5 Ìxd5, is currently at Sicilian repertoire no less, which was most 3...Íf5 and 3...c5 are covered, while in the the forefront of grandmaster fashion. The certainly no mean feat on his part. That main line the focus is on that favourite move opening is dependable and also offers Black means tackling the likes of the Dragon and of both Karpov and Speelman, 4...Ìd7. We’re scope to outmanoeuvre White. In this first Najdorf, the former being tackled by means also delighted to say that we’ll hear more next volume of a two-work project for Chess of 9 0-0-0 in the Yugoslav and the latter month and from Daniel himself no less. Evolution, the Hungarian IM and theoretician with 6 f3, leading to the English Attack. explores both the main line, 6 e4 Ìxc3 7 Once again Shaw’s analysis is first rate and Ed. - ‘Saunders on Chess’ can be found on bxc3 cxd4 8 cxd4 Íb4+ 9 Íd2 Íxd2+ 10 the layout easily accessible . page 29 this month, while Double Tuition: Ëxd2 0-0, and also how Black can meet the Please note that both new books by John Tiger on the Modern is now available in DVD Exchange variation, 3 Ìc3 Ìf6 4 cxd5, with Shaw are also available in hardback version format and available from Chess & Bridge for 4...Ìxd5!?. Then play can transpose to the for an extra £4 each. £22.99 or £20.69 for Subscribers.

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