ChessBase Magazine 152 (February 2013)

Årets første utgave av DVD-magasinet fra ChessBase, med Magnus i fokus etter ratingrekorden i London. Magasinet er som vanlig en kombinasjon av ferske partier med topp kommentarer, treningsstoff og åpningsartikler.

Åpningsartiklene denne gang:

• Schipkov: English A31 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d5 6.cxd5 Bc5 7.N5c3 0-0

  After the old main move 8.e3 the author this time investigates two modern alternatives: 8.h3 and 8.g3. As the analyses of Boris Schipkov prove, Black can really hold his own.

• Gormally: Pirc Defence B09 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Na6 7.0-0 c5 8.d5 Rb8

  This is an important variation for both sides. Very few White players are really familiar with the subtleties and so in practice Black finds himself with good chances. However, complete equality cannot be achieved against a really well prepared opponent.

• Kuzmin: Caro-Kann B12 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h6 5.g4

  In both important variations – 5...Bd7 and 5...Be4 – the author has come up with new ideas for White. So White’s setup can be recommended instead of the over-played and over-analysed 4.Nf3.

• Postny: Sicilian B30 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0-0 Nge7 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bb7

  Of late White has not managed to achieve very much with 4.Bxc6 and so some of the top players have gone back to 4.0-0. The position in the diagram is an important tabiya for the Rossolimo Variation. Evgeny Postny thinks that with precise play Black can obtain a satisfactory position.

• Langrock: French C01 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 Ne7

  In the fourth and final part of his series we now get his recommendation for Black: 5...Ne7. White cannot get by without playing 6.Qh5, and it is after 6...Nbc6 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Be6 that the actual article begins. The author shows that positions with chances for both sides are the result.

• Kritz: French C16 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Qd7

  Black has a clear plan: ...b6 and ...Ba6 with the exchange of white-squared bishops; against Qg4 he has ...f5 at his disposal. This was played previously by Petrosian, Bronstein and Portisch. Leonid Kritz shows how White obtains an advantage with precise play.

• Breutigam: Trompowsky Attack D00 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 (d5)

  In the third part of his investigations from the point of view of White, Martin Breutigam deals with systems in which Black turns to ...d5, usually immediately as in the diagram above, but also after 2...e6 3.Nd2 d5 – with related but nevertheless different positions.

• Marin: Slav D16 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bg4 6.Ne5 Bh5 7.f3

  According to Mihail Marin there has been reversal of the evaluation – 7...Nfd7 has lost its significance, 7...e6 can once again be considered playable. But because of the almost total absence of recent games, one has to be very cautious about giving definitive results.

• Krasenkow: Semi-Slav D31 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+

  Michal Krasenkow analyses the Slav Gambit from the point of view of Black. Against the main move 8.Be2 he surprisingly recommends 8...Qxg2 – but White must first show that he also has compensation for the two pawns.

• Schandorff: Semi-Slav D44 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.exf6 Bb7 12.g3 c5 13.d5 Qb6 14.Bg2 0-0-0 15.0-0 b6 16.Rb1

  In the first part of his investigations into the Botvinnik Variation Lars Schandorff takes a close look at Uhlmann’s brilliant 16.Rb1. But nowadays the sting has been drawn from the rook move and Black should certainly be able to equalise.

• Grivas: Grünfeld Defence D85 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Bb5+

  The system recommended by Efstratios Grivas against the Grünfeld Defence is an easy one to learn. Although in the main variation it has been shown to be very drawish, it can be recommended for White.