Highlights of this issue
The cunning 6.a3!?
Alexander Seyb investigates a fresh way to tackle the Najdorf
IQP positions welcome!
Robert Hungaski recommends 3.e3 e5! In the QGA
Middlegames without minor pieces
Mihail Marin on successful strategies with queen and rooks
All for the trade of queens - 13.g4!? vs. the Maroczy
David Navara dissects his endgame triumph over Dmitry Jakovenko in Jerusalem
“My favourite game of 2019”
Together with Simon Williams, retrace the game Dubov-Svane - “Move by Move”!
Star analyses
Annotated games by Giri, Firouzja, So, Duda, Navara, Van Foreest, Nielsen, Sarin, l’Ami and more
A fresh wind against the Caro-Kann Exchange Variation
Roven Vogel recommends ...Bf5 as an antidote
My first draw against the World Champion!
Jan-Krzysztof Duda analyses an explosive encounter from Wijk
Dutch duel
Anish Giri reviews his game vs. Jorden Van Foreest
Long-term compensation
Real sacrifices are the ones not leading to victory directly. Interactive video with Oliver Reeh!
Quiet move decides king hunt
Rainer Knaak presents another trap in the Philidor Defence (video)
Top tournament Tata Steel 2020 with lots of star analyses
Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So, Anish Giri, Erwin l'Ami, Nihal Sarin, Peter Heine Nielsen, Roven Vogel, Surya Ganguly and many more analyse the best games from Wijk aan Zee. Moreover, GM Romain Edouard presents the highlights of the Grand Chess Tour Final in London 2019, and David Navara comments on his best game from the FIDE Grand Prix in Jerusalem which completed the 2019 series in December.
„Move by Move“!
Simon Williams’ favourite game of 2019 (Dubov-Svane) is on the training program this time. Together with the GM from England set off on a king hunt. But take care: accurate calculation of variations is required! Let yourself be inspired and together with the GM from England find the moves of the creative super GM from Russia. Move by move: improve White’s position, provoke weaknesses, and conclude the game with a decisive blow!
New ideas for your repertoire
11 opening articles with new recommendations for your repertoire await you:
Romain Edouard: English 1.c4 e5 2.d3
Roven Vogel: Caro-Kann with 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3
Petra Papp: Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Bd3 e6 7.f4
Alexander Seyb: Sicilian Najdorf with 6.a3
Viktor Moskalenko: French 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 with Black playing c5-c4
Renato Quintiliano: Two Knights Game 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5
Robert Ris: Ruy Lpez 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 0-0 7.d4 Ba7
Krisztian Szabo: Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall 8.a4 d5!?
Robert Hungaski: Queen’s Gambit Accepted 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5
Evgeny Postny: Grünfeld Defence 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 and 7.Ne2
Lars Schandorff: Queen’s Gambit Ragozin with 9.Tc1
Topical opening traps
Rainer Knaak presents eight traps from recent tournament practice (including three FritzTrainer videos). This time our trap expert found material, e.g. in the Caro-Kann, Philidor Defence, English Opening, and last but not least in the Sicilian!
Strategy – „Only queens and rooks!“
Whenever all the minor pieces have been exchanged, play takes on quite unique characteristics. What features are important for the evaluation of positions? What does the optimal position for the king look like? Mihail Marin shows you what is important!
Tactics – „Queens on the rampage“
Oliver Reeh’s tactical selection contains 28 recent games, which are each studded with at least one training question. Moreover, the IM from Hamburg presents his three favourite combinations in interactive video format.
Opening videos
Three contributions await you with more than an hour of total running time! From Daniel King's video about a highly topical variation in the Queen’s Gambit via Simon Williams' discovery of an idea with genuine "shock value" in the Vienna Game to Mihail Marin’s analysis of the rare but sharp "Bisguier Variation" against the Reti.
Daniel King: Queen’s Gambit Declined
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Be2
Simon Williams: Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.d3
Mihail Marin: Anti-Reti
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nc6 3.g3 Bg4
„The Classic“
Dorian Rogozenco presents the game Rubinstein-Burn (1906) with a position involving an IQP on d4. Watch how Rubinstein tactically exploited his opponent's inaccuracy in textbook style, leading the game to an early conclusion!
Endgame – „Recent endings with bishops of the same colour“
Karsten Müller explains another fundamental endgame topic by means of catchy terminology, such as "granite blocks of pawns", and rules of thumb like "Centurini’s rule". Plus endgame videos with a total running time of over an hour and an extra column: "Readers write".
