ChessBase Magazine 133, Desember 2009

Julenummeret av ChessBase Magazine bugner av spennende sjakkstoff og som ventet med litt bonus til stolte nordmenn. Her blir senhøstens store begivenheter behandlet, og Magnus kalles her "Emperor of China". Han kommenterer selv Skotsk-seieren over Leko, og Igor Stohl bidrar allerede med en åpningsartikkel om denne varianten.

Blant mye annet godt treningsmateriale i midtspill og sluttspill, for både vanlige klubbspillere og mesterspillere, må vi likevel røpe at de åpningsteoretiske hovedartiklene i CBM 133 er disse:

Marin: Alekhine Defence B04 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 This time the alternatives to 7.Ng5 are examined: above all 7.Qe2 and 7.a4. However, Black has various ideas – e.g. pressure against e5 and exchanging the Bb3 by Nc6-a5 – and White cannot prevent all of them.

Erenburg: Caro-Kann B12 - 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bf4 The name Fantasy Variation for the move 3.f3 is a little deceptive, because it is the start of a respectable opening system, in which Black has to play some accurate moves and to work hard for equality.

Kuzmin: Sicilian B80 - 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 h5 Directed against g2-g4, the move 7...h5 has many advantages, the disadvantage – the weakening of the kingside, however, does not become apparent for quite a long time. Kuzmin demonstrates amongst others the most dangerous variation (9.Bc4) and how Black can meet it.

Berg: Sicilian B97 - 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3 8.Qd3 in the Poisoned Pawn Variation offers a few advantages compared to 8.Qd2. These are clearly brought out in Berg’s contribution. But it is unclear, whether there are also disadvantages and so the best way for Black to treat the move is still veiled in mystery.

Moskalenko: French C05

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 Our author presents a compact repertoire against the Tarrasch Variation, basing it on 3...Nf6. He demonstrates the most important variations and ideas in only 5 games.

Kritz: French C18 - 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 7.Qg4 The variation with 7.Qg4 is far more ambitious than that with 7.Nb5 which was treated in CBM 132. As the author proves, Black is in great difficulties and there are also no promising alternatives in sight.

Skembris: Petroff Defence C42 - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nd6!? 7.0-0 Be7 The move 6...Nd6!? allows you to avoid the voluminous variations of theory, which means that the Petroff becomes interesting for club players too. But Black still has to find a few precise moves before reaching complete equality.

Stohl: Scotch C45 - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 Ne5 8.Be2 Qg6 9.0-0 d6 10.f4 Magnus Carlsen used the pawn sacrifice 10.f4 against Leko and gained an impressive victory, sufficient reason for Igor Stohl to take a close look at this variation. His conclusion: Black can equalise with best play.

Marin: Ruy Lopez C66 - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4 Bd7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Nc3 With 6...Be7 Black allows 7.Bxc6, but the immediate 6...exd4 also has its disadvantages. Mihail Marin thoroughly investigates both variations and weighs up advantages and disadvantages. He considers both very playable.

Karolyi: Queen's Gambit Accepted D20 - 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 c5 4.Nf3 cxd4 After looking at 4.d5 in CBM 132 Tibor Karolyi now investigates 4.Nf3; White hopes that his lead in development will bring him an advantage after 4...cxd4 5.Qxd4 Qxd4 6.Nxd4 Bd7 7.Bxc4. But the analyses demonstrate that Black equalises without too much effort.

Langrock: Queen's Indian Defence E12 - 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 g6 In the concluding part, Hannes Langrock subjects the critical continuations 6.Qc2 and 6.Bg5 to thorough analysis. His examination of them proves that Black need fear neither of these moves.

Krasenkow: King's Indian E90 - 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 In Part 2 (of a total of 3) Michal Krasenkow investigates all the continuations after 7.d5, except for 7...a5. It appears that White can obtain an advantage after both 7...Nh5 and 7...Na6.