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How many times have you been caught off guard by a seemingly inferior and unusual opening system that later turns out to be an especially strong one? Unorthodox openings can be a real asset to anyone’s opening repertoire and they often do not contain much theory, making them easy to master for your next important tournament. In the present DVD, FM Valeri Lilov devotes 24 lectures to various unorthodox openings - some more popular with super GMs like Alexander Morozevich and others less known - yet all aiming at one and the same goal: to strengthen your opening repertoire and provide you with more weapons for the opening stage. The DVD is naturally divided into two parts and half of the lectures explore openings for White, while the other half focus on great unorthodox systems for Black. The Chigorin Defence, the Chicago Gambit, and Grob’s Attack are among the systems included for White. On the other hand, the Hippopotamus Defence and the Elephant Gambit, both for Black, bear the names of frightening animals. FM Valeri Lilov effectively teaches the best plans and ideas in each of these unique openings and guarantees success with each and every one of them. Video running time: 5 hrs 16 min.

There seems very little room to create new opening ideas in 2010 and the creative competitor must work hard to find new approaches which help to win games. Enter 1.f4, Bird’s Opening! 1.f4 has hardly been given comprehensive coverage in the textbooks and on this new ChessBase DVD, International Master and Senior FIDE Trainer Andrew Martin examines this ‘last frontier’ of sound and original opening play. A repertoire is suggested for White, a little off the beaten track, where the emphasis is on setting new problems for the opponent and putting Black under pressure to find original solutions, right from move one! There can be no doubt that 1.f4 always provides entertainment and interesting positions. If the opening is mastered it will produce excellent results over the board. Back in the late seventies and eighties it was the Trompowsky Opening (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) which was giving Black a serious headache. Will 1.f4 continue in the same tradition in 2010 and beyond? Video running time: 3 hours.

The English Opening with 1.c4 is one of the most subtle yet combative means of starting a chess game which has found favour with many of the great players in history. White takes space on the Queenside whilst keeping his options open about where he should place his pieces. This gives White the kind of flexibility that is missing from regular 1.d4 openings and puts the onus on planning and ideas rather than a knowledge of variations. On this DVD Davies tells you everything you need to know to start playing the English in tournament games, showing how White should react to Black’s different set-ups using 40 illustrative games. The main focus is on lines with 2.g3, making it easier for White to get aboard this Rolls Royce of chess openings. Video running time: 8 hours.

Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.

Queen‘s Pawn Openings such as the Trompowsky, the London System, the Colle System, the Torre Attack and many others crop up all the time at club level. From time to time they are popular with Grandmasters too! It is essential for players at all levels to have something prepared, or one runs the risk of getting smashed by a standard plan. The players who use these openings usually understand them very well and know how to angle the game in the right direction for them and the wrong direction for you. IM Andrew Martin presents solutions for Black against the following remarkable array of QP Openings: The Trompowsky, The Pseudo-Trompowsky, The Torre attack, The Colle System and Colle Zukertort System, The London System, The Stonewall, The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, The Prie System 2.a3, The Reversed French, 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4?!. Move orders with 1...d5 and 1...Nf6 with either ...g6 or ...e6 are all covered. You may not agree with all of Martin’s suggestions, but you will certainly get a decent position as Black with chances to play for the win every time! This is just what the club player needs. Video running time: more than 6 hours!

Opening a game with 1.g3 appears rather quiet and unpretentious yet many of the greatest players in history have chosen to play this way. Bent Larsen, Victor Korchnoi, Leonid Stein and Pal Benko have all wielded this move with considerable success whilst in more recent times Mikhail Gurevich has been using it highly effectively. The idea behind this opening is to leave White with the greatest possible flexibility for his pieces and pawns and indeed the game can transpose into openings as diverse as the Closed Sicilian, the King’s Indian Defence and the Catalan Opening. Yet White can also choose to tread new ground by adopting formations such as a reversed Leningrad Dutch, reversed Alekhine’s Defence or even a reversed Pirc or Modern Defence. All of these formations contain far more poison with White’s extra tempo. On this DVD Davies explains key concepts and ideas behind these unique approaches, whilst also showing how White can transpose into more regular openings if he show chooses. This can provide many opportunities for throwing the opponent on his own resources as well as wrong footing him into something he does not know. Video runnig time: 4 hours

“The pawns are the soul of chess!” And he put his money where his mouth was! The famous chessplayer and composer André Danican Philidor not only focused the attention of coming generations on the importance of pawns in the game of chess, he also worked out the basis of a new opening in which Black from the very first moves is trying to construct a solid pawn setup in the centre. It is an opening underpinned by his deep philosophy.

New concepts in an old opening. On his third DVD on the Spanish Opening Alexei Shirov pursues new ways, analysing not only his own games but also the works of other world-class players. In his quest to deal with topical developments and present the latest opening concepts, he examines for example the Jaenisch Gambit (3. ... f5) which was revived by Teimour Radjabov on top tournament level. Furthermore, very interesting new ideas are to be found in the games of Gata Kamsky - here the author depicts examples from the Closed Spanish (Breyer System and Saitzev System) as well as the Open Ruy Lopez. As far as his own games are concerned, this time Shirov puts the main emphasis on the accepted Marshall Gambit (more than 2 hours of analysis) - a system which has got him good results recently and which he considers a promising attempt to fight this popular opening line. To round off the DVD, there are two videos featuring games with the Anti-Marshall System as well as the Berlin Defence. Total playing time: 5 h 51 m

The Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation is one of the most important opening systems, having been played by most of the great players in history and from both sides of the board. The most outstanding specialists in this method of play include Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Botvinnik and Samuel Reshevsky whilst the Black side has been championed by such notables as Anatoly Karpov, Boris Spassky and Paul Keres. It is truly an opening of champions.

The Gruenfeld Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5) enjoys a special star status in the family of Indian openings. It involves a daring, active concept: fighting for control of the centre with an early d7-d5 thrust supported only by pieces. The ensuing lines and positions promise more active play than most openings. Black has to know the critical ideas and most promising plans as most lines are pretty sharp and concrete. 

The information explosion has led to a massive increase in opening theory. But how often do you win a game with a prepared line? What gives strong players the edge over their opponents is not some blockbuster novelty, but a deep understanding of the pawn structures to which their openings lead – an understanding that lasts into the middlegame and endgame, and is transferable between different openings with similar structures. Sam Collins continued his investigation into the most common and important pawn structures in chess by looking at the “Capablanca Structure” (white pawns on c4 and d4 against black pawns on c6 and e6). White has an undeniable space advantage, but must demonstrate something against Black’s solid structure before the position simplifies. The structure commonly arises from the most important openings including the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Semi-Slav, Rubinstein French and Caro-Kann, and a good understanding of the typical themes is essential. Video running time: 4 hours 30 minutes.