Chessbase Magazine Extra 209

Opening videos

Alexei Shirov: Semi-Slav - Moscow Variation

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5

Alexei Shirov played a mini-match over four classical games against Jorden van Foreest in June and won surprisingly clearly with 3.5:0.5. Shirov comments in detail on the first game of the match in a video lasting almost an hour. Remarkable: After a break of 10 years, Shirov - as a surprise for his opponent – decided to give the Moscow Variation in the Semi-Slav (5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5) another try. In his analysis he goes into various nuances of the opening and explains, for example, why after the moves 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 he gives preference to the continuation 11...h5, so far rarely chosen at GM level (the standard move is 11...Bg7). "Since this game actually finished quite well for me I would like to say that I can recommend the Moscow Variation as much as the Botvinnik Variation for those who like sharp openings with Black." Video playing time: 51:16

Mihail Marin: Sicilian Rossolimo Variation

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.Bxc6 bxc6 6.Re1 Qc7 7.h3 d6 8.e5

Mihail Marin analyses the game Caruana vs, Gukesh from the 2022 Chess Olympiad, providing an appetiser for the upcoming ChessBase Magazine #210, in which numerous players will comment on their best games from Chennai. Even if Caruana lost the game against the top scorer of the team India II in the end - the American showed himself well prepared in the opening and came to an advantageous position after the pawn sacrifice 8.e5! In his video, Marin explains on the basis of several variations how the activity of the white pieces secures control on the board. Marin also shows that after Gukesh's advance on the kingside (16...g5 and 17...h5) the American, who was not in good shape at the Olympiad, missed the correct continuation (18.Nc5) and thus allowed his opponent to come more and more into the game. Video playing time: 23:49

Nikolas Theodorou, Romain Edouard, Mihal Krasenkow and many others comment

Nikolas Theodorou contributes "The brilliancy" of this CBM extra. In the final round of the 2022 Final Four of College Chess, his team, Saint Louis University, needed at least a 2-2 draw to win the championship. Theodorous's strong rook sacrifice

22.Rxb5! Nxa1 23.Rxb7+ played a major part in the success.

In addition to “The brilliancy”, 28 other games with detailed commentary await you in the "Lucky bag"! Romain Edouard's, Mihal Krasenkow's and Spyridon Kapnisis' analyses of 17 games from the 2021/22 Bundesliga season form a special focus!

And last but not least: the “Update service” provides over 50,000 new games for your database!

Once again almost the entire world's top players are represented!

The games of the Update Service are also included in the Mega Update Service 2022, which you can use with the ChessBase 15/16 programmes (and a corresponding subscription).