Bobby Fischer was a devoted Sicilian player. But the American chess genius and 11th World Champion was also a devoted 1.e4 (“Best by test” as he said) player, and his results against the Sicilian are remarkable.

L’Est-Indienne est une des ouvertures les plus dynamiques contre 1.d4. Sa marque de fabrique: s’en prendre directement et sans fioriture au Roi adverse. Avec beaucoup de dextérité, les pièces Noires se replacent sans cesse sur les meilleurs cases, malgré le peu d’espace à disposition. Employée par de nombreux champions tels que Fischer, Kasparov ou plus récemment Nakamura et aujourd’hui Carlsen, cette Défense convient particulièrement aux joueurs agressifs.

All world champions left their mark on chess. And although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well. The material on this DVD is based on the ChessBase MasterClass series, and gives you a good opportunity to enjoy some of the best endgames in the history of chess.

The fact that Yannick Pelletier is a fan of the Hedgehog is something we would have found out at the latest at the end of last year when his Fritztrainer DVD appeared. In this video, which was only made after the recording of the DVD, he presents his rapid chess game against Grandmaster Shchekachev (Paris 2017). Once more the Hedgehog gives proof of how flexible and – when you get down to it – how effective it is!

There are a number of good Anti-Sicilian options out there, however I believe the 2.b3 Sicilian to be one of the most overlooked and underrated systems available to White. This modest move came back to the fore as a legitimate Anti-Sicilian weapon when none other than Vladimir Kramnik used it in a few games to frustrate his Sicilian diehard opponents.

There is hardly any opening which offers so many possibilities of avoiding the main lines as the Sicilian. The first place is certainly occupied by the solid and yet ambitious 2.c3. Just after in numbers comes 2.Nc3 – loved by theory wonks, but actually not a real challenge for Black. A few moves are very aggressive –  2.b4, 2.d4, 2.f4 – but the risk undergone by the player with White should not be underestimated. Other moves (2.Be2, 2.g3, 2.d3) can perhaps be summed up as follows: the opponent is to be tricked with cunning move orders so that he does not get on the board the positions he is used to.

The whole universe of the Queen’s Gambit Declined in a single variation tree: à la Lasker, Capablanca, Tartakower, Ragosin, as the Echange Variation or in the form of the Cambridge Springs Defence. The Powerbook Queen's Gambit Declined 2018 contains the knowledge from more than 40 000 high class master games as well as more than 623 000 engine games from our chess server (with the ECO codes D30-D42 and also D50-D69).

The Petroff (or Russian) Defence which is characterised by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 has been popular at the highest levels for many years and enjoys the reputation of being an extremely solid defence. In the 1990’s and 2000’s, the theory of this variation began to develop quickly, when players like Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, Adams and Kramnik infused it with new ideas for White and Black.

The Vienna Variation is a particular and independent system of the Queen’s Gambit. It arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4, when black’s capture on move 4 is strongly reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. But the Vienna Variation is also inspired by Nimzo-Indian structures while keeping its own character. The main variations usually lead to asymmetrical pawn structures, where Black can hope to get a fighting game.

Are you looking for an active defence against 1.d4? Look no further! The Tarrasch Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is one of Black’s most ambitious ways to meet 1.d4. No wonder that World Champions Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov played it!

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

Young, inexperienced players usually have stress facing closed positions, since powerful pawn chains always demand knowledge of special and precise plans. I remember that, even when already being a strong GM, I always was a bit afraid of the Dutch Stonewall. One day my friend Aleksander Beliavsky took me aside to reveal his new idea for White: You exchange the bishop on f4 to open the g-file (gxf4) and double rooks there. Black will protect his weakness on this file with all his forces. Then, as you have more space, you transfer your pieces to the other side, create a new weakness there, and the opponent will be helpless. Beliavsky's splendid game against Artur Jussupov is a fantastic educational example of this great plan.

The Arkhangelsk Variation in different forms is one of the old favourite weapons of Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana who are still employing it in their tournament games on the highest level possible. Adrian Mikhalchishin’s first DVD on the Arkhangelsk was released 10 years ago. Naturally enough, since then quite a few important discoveries have been made, and in his new work the author sheds light on fresh ideas in the hyper-sharp c3 variation, the classical line, which is specially well played by Caruana, as well as further entertaining developments in the Semi-Arkhangelsk with a temporarily delayed b7-b5.

The Smith-Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4!)

is a great attacking weapon against the popular Sicilian Defence. On move two White sacrifices a pawn for fast development and good attacking chances, and Black can easily fall into one of the many devious opening traps. With this gambit in your opening arsenal you are highly unpredictable and able to deal heavy blows at short notice. Your opponent will have to solve concrete problems from the beginning and can easily be under pressure before move ten!

Au début de la partie, tout spécialement chez les amateurs, le sentiment de bien-être joue un facteur déterminant. Si l'on tombe dans la préparation de son adversaire ou dans une position dont on a qu'une conception floue des tenants et des aboutissants, on risque d'être happé par les sentiments d'insécurité, voire de panique.

Houdini poursuit sur sa lancée: la nouvelle version a encore gagné 60 points Elo, ce qui lui permet d'être à nouveau le leader des logiciels d'Échecs actuellement sur le marché. Houdini 6 sort après être passé sur un banc d'essais sévères, qui a permis d'affiner encore les capacités du logiciel, notamment les fonctions d'évaluation des positions et de recherche, la gestion du temps, l'utilisation des bases de données des finales ou encore l'exploitation de plusieurs processeurs à la fois. Il existe deux versions d'Houdini 6: la standard, qui supporte jusqu'à 8 processeurs et peut utiliser jusqu'à 4 GB de mémoire vive; et la pro, qui est le bon choix si vous possédez un ordinateur dernier cri pouvant utiliser jusqu'à 128 processeurs et 128 GB RAM.

Houdini poursuit sur sa lancée: la nouvelle version a encore gagné 60 points Elo, ce qui lui permet d'être à nouveau le leader des logiciels d'Échecs actuellement sur le marché. Houdini 6 sort après être passé sur un banc d'essais sévères, qui a permis d'affiner encore les capacités du logiciel, notamment les fonctions d'évaluation des positions et de recherche, la gestion du temps, l'utilisation des bases de données des finales ou encore l'exploitation de plusieurs processeurs à la fois. Il existe deux versions d'Houdini 6: la standard, qui supporte jusqu'à 8 processeurs et peut utiliser jusqu'à 4 GB de mémoire vive; et la pro, qui est le bon choix si vous possédez un ordinateur dernier cri pouvant utiliser jusqu'à 128 processeurs et 128 GB RAM.

La dernière version du logiciel multiple champion du monde n'est pas seulement plus forte que jamais, mais est aussi livrée avec la version "Monte Carlo" pour la technique d'analyse, laquelle a été utilisée dans le cadre du projet d'IA "AlphaZero" qui a fait tout récemment parler de lui. Komodo 12 est ainsi à la fois le meilleur programme et un formidable partenaire d'analyse qui vous surprendra souvent par ses propositions et ses idées révolutionnaires! Sont inclus à l'achat de Komodo 12: l'environnement du dernier Fritz 16 et un abonnement Premium de 6 mois qui vous donnera accès à playchess.com, à notre portail vidéos, au LiveDataBase, ainsi qu'à toutes les autres applications de ChessBase.

Quand prend-on le plus de plaisir aux Échecs? Quand on gagne! Il est loin le temps où l'Homme avait encore une chance de gagner contre la machine. La supériorité du cerveau en silicium a été définitivement scellée en 2006, après la victoire 4-2 de Fritz contre le Champion du Monde de l'époque, Vladimir Kramnik. Dès lors, quel intérêt peut-il encore y avoir à jouer contre la machine? Fritz 16 permet de sortir du marasme: grâce à l'"Analyse assistée" vous recevez, au moment de jouer, de discrets tuyaux graphiques, et les FritzEmoticons dévoilent le sentiment du logiciel par rapport à la position sur l'échiquier. Autant d'outils qui permettent à n'importe quel joueur, même avec des connaissances échiquéennes sommaires, de rendre sa partie contre Fritz plus passionnante, et même de remporter parfois la victoire. À peine la partie terminée, la fonction "Analyse tactique" vous permet de mettre le doigt sur les combinaisons qui vous ont échappé. Vous pouvez aussi utiliser la fonction "Easy Play" pour affûter vos capacités de calcul.

Deep Junior is back – and as strong as ever. This program has been used for over a decade by top players as a secret weapon to find astounding novelties and ideas, where traditional chess engines only see uninspired moves. The reason is clear: Junior has its own special search techniques and evaluation functions that makes it different to any other chess program. It is enterprising and entertaining, sacrificing material for initiative whenever it sees a chance, providing new ideas in traditional positions against man or machine. The name Junior is perhaps deceptive. Playing against Junior is not necessarily something for children, as Garry Kasparov discovered in a match in New York. He was held to a 3-3 draw by the Israeli program. Junior played in its typically dynamic style, greatly surprising the former World Champion with now-famous bishop sacrifice on h2 that forced him to concede a draw. You can look forward to a world class grandmaster when you install the new program on your computer.

For years now Rybka has dominated the computer chess scene. No other program has been able to achieve a similar increase in playing strength. For chess analysis Rybka has long become one of the most important analyis tools of professions and amateurs alike. So that this state of affairs will continue in the future, the Rybka-team gathered around programmer Vasik Rajlich has developed a new version which is even better: “Rybka 4 plays more aggressively and more tactically”.

For years now Rybka has dominated the computer chess scene. No other program has been able to achieve a similar increase in playing strength. For chess analysis Rybka has long become one of the most important analyis tools of professions and amateurs alike. So that this state of affairs will continue in the future, the Rybka-team gathered around programmer Vasik Rajlich has developed a new version which is even better: “Rybka 4 plays more aggressively and more tactically”.

The Rybka4 opening book is a high-class compilation of opening theory. It was developed for the world‘s strongest chess entity - 100 cores cluster Rybka and program Rybka4 and will maximize the program‘s playing strength. The choice of variations in the book is well suited to the style of the program, and the book has been fine-tuned and checked in thousands of games. Availabe from 28. May

Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. Start your personal success story with ChessBase 14 and enjoy your chess even more. 

La dernière version du logiciel multiple champion du monde n'est pas seulement plus forte que jamais, mais est aussi livrée avec la version "Monte Carlo" pour la technique d'analyse, laquelle a été utilisée dans le cadre du projet d'IA "AlphaZero" qui a fait tout récemment parler de lui. Komodo 12 est ainsi à la fois le meilleur programme et un formidable partenaire d'analyse qui vous surprendra souvent par ses propositions et ses idées révolutionnaires! Sont inclus à l'achat de Komodo 12: l'environnement du dernier Fritz 16 et un abonnement Premium de 6 mois qui vous donnera accès à playchess.com, à notre portail vidéos, au LiveDataBase, ainsi qu'à toutes les autres applications de ChessBase.

All world champions left their mark on chess. And although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well. The material on this DVD is based on the ChessBase MasterClass series, and gives you a good opportunity to enjoy some of the best endgames in the history of chess.

Bobby Fischer was a devoted Sicilian player. But the American chess genius and 11th World Champion was also a devoted 1.e4 (“Best by test” as he said) player, and his results against the Sicilian are remarkable.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The Dragon is one of Black’s most daring openings, leading to fascinating positions with opposite castling and strong mutual attacks. This DVD provides a complete and up to date repertoire to help Black to score with the Dragon. Daring exchange sacrifices are mixed with in-depth analysis of Black’s most reliable defences to give Black numerous options to play. The DVD includes games from the world’s elite, correspondence games and even enginegames to bring you up to speed with current developments in the Dragon. Volume one of the DVD deals with 9 Bc4, White’s sharpest option, and shows how Black can counter this ambitious try by White with the main lines of the Soltis variation (12…h5), which was played by Magnus Carlsen regularly as well. The DVD is aimed at the ambitious tournament player who wants a sharp but well founded repertoire that puts immediate pressure on his opponent. But it is also for all chessplayers who want to know more about the secrets of what might well be the sharpest of all chess openings.

The Dragon is one of Black’s most daring openings, leading to fascinating positions with opposite castling and strong mutual attacks. This DVD provides a complete and up to date repertoire to help Black to score with the Dragon. Daring exchange sacrifices are mixed with in-depth analysis of Black’s most reliable defences to give Black numerous options to play. The DVD includes games from the world’s elite, correspondence games and even engine-games to bring you up to speed with current developments in the Dragon. White players afraid of the black attack in the main lines of the Dragon with 9 Bc4 often go for safer options such as 9 0-0-0, 9 g4, or more positional lines based on castling kingside. The DVD covers all these lines, offering sound solutions for Black against White’s best tries while showing how to exploit White’s more dubious tries. The DVD is aimed at the ambitious tournament player who wants a sharp but well founded repertoire that puts immediate pressure on his opponent. But it is also for all chessplayers who want to know more about the secrets of what might well be the sharpest of all chess openings.

‘Why bother learning hundreds of complex variations and keeping up with the latest theory when you can play a simple yet deadly opening - the London System with 2.Bf4. In this DVD I take you through all the main ideas and setups that you need in order to gain a very exciting yet well founded opening game with the White pieces. The most important thing in my teaching is to keep things simple yet aggressive. This DVD concentrates on plans that will help you gain victory quickly. A perfect opening for the player with little time on his hands. Carlsen has started to play this opening regularly, now I share his secrets with you.

La "Mega" est la base de données de référence pour tout joueur ambitieux. Avec 7,1 millions de parties éditées et classifiées avec soin, elle contient l'histoire complète des Échecs, du XVIe siècle jusqu'à aujourd'hui. En outre, nombre d'entre elles sont analysées par des Maîtres et des Grands-Maîtres. Grâce à la Mega Database 2018, vous êtes certain de pouvoir vous préparer à la perfection

The Big Database 2018 contains more than 7.1 millions games from 1560 to 2017 in the highest ChessBase quality standard with ChessBase opening classification with more than 100,000 key positions, direct access to players, tournaments, middlegame themes, endgames. The most recent games of the database are from the Middle of October 2017.

The Petroff (or Russian) Defence which is characterised by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 has been popular at the highest levels for many years and enjoys the reputation of being an extremely solid defence. In the 1990’s and 2000’s, the theory of this variation began to develop quickly, when players like Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, Adams and Kramnik infused it with new ideas for White and Black.

The Dragon is one of Black’s most daring openings, leading to fascinating positions with opposite castling and strong mutual attacks. This DVD provides a complete and up to date repertoire to help Black to score with the Dragon. Daring exchange sacrifices are mixed with in-depth analysis of Black’s most reliable defences to give Black numerous options to play. The DVD includes games from the world’s elite, correspondence games and even enginegames to bring you up to speed with current developments in the Dragon. Volume one of the DVD deals with 9 Bc4, White’s sharpest option, and shows how Black can counter this ambitious try by White with the main lines of the Soltis variation (12…h5), which was played by Magnus Carlsen regularly as well. The DVD is aimed at the ambitious tournament player who wants a sharp but well founded repertoire that puts immediate pressure on his opponent. But it is also for all chessplayers who want to know more about the secrets of what might well be the sharpest of all chess openings.

Are you looking for an active defence against 1.d4? Look no further! The Tarrasch Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is one of Black’s most ambitious ways to meet 1.d4. No wonder that World Champions Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov played it!

L’Est-Indienne est une des ouvertures les plus dynamiques contre 1.d4. Sa marque de fabrique: s’en prendre directement et sans fioriture au Roi adverse. Avec beaucoup de dextérité, les pièces Noires se replacent sans cesse sur les meilleurs cases, malgré le peu d’espace à disposition. Employée par de nombreux champions tels que Fischer, Kasparov ou plus récemment Nakamura et aujourd’hui Carlsen, cette Défense convient particulièrement aux joueurs agressifs.

Houdini poursuit sur sa lancée: la nouvelle version a encore gagné 60 points Elo, ce qui lui permet d'être à nouveau le leader des logiciels d'Échecs actuellement sur le marché. Houdini 6 sort après être passé sur un banc d'essais sévères, qui a permis d'affiner encore les capacités du logiciel, notamment les fonctions d'évaluation des positions et de recherche, la gestion du temps, l'utilisation des bases de données des finales ou encore l'exploitation de plusieurs processeurs à la fois. Il existe deux versions d'Houdini 6: la standard, qui supporte jusqu'à 8 processeurs et peut utiliser jusqu'à 4 GB de mémoire vive; et la pro, qui est le bon choix si vous possédez un ordinateur dernier cri pouvant utiliser jusqu'à 128 processeurs et 128 GB RAM.

Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. Start your personal success story with ChessBase 14 and enjoy your chess even more. 

La "Mega" est la base de données de référence pour tout joueur ambitieux. Avec 7,1 millions de parties éditées et classifiées avec soin, elle contient l'histoire complète des Échecs, du XVIe siècle jusqu'à aujourd'hui. En outre, nombre d'entre elles sont analysées par des Maîtres et des Grands-Maîtres. Grâce à la Mega Database 2018, vous êtes certain de pouvoir vous préparer à la perfection

The Big Database 2018 contains more than 7.1 millions games from 1560 to 2017 in the highest ChessBase quality standard with ChessBase opening classification with more than 100,000 key positions, direct access to players, tournaments, middlegame themes, endgames. The most recent games of the database are from the Middle of October 2017.

ChessBase 14 s'est imposé comme la référence mondiale en matière de base de données d'Échecs. Et cela pour tout le monde, du simple amateur, qui aime se détendre en jouant, à celui qui a des ambitions professionnelles, en passant par le joueur de club.

Tout le monde utilise Chessbase, du Champion du Monde au pur amateur. Engagez-vous dans la voie du succès avec ChessBase 14 et aimez encore plus les échecs.

ChessBase 14 s'est imposé comme la référence mondiale en matière de base de données d'Échecs. Et cela pour tout le monde, du simple amateur, qui aime se détendre en jouant, à celui qui a des ambitions professionnelles, en passant par le joueur de club.

ChessBase 14 s'est imposé comme la référence mondiale en matière de base de données d'Échecs. Et cela pour tout le monde, du simple amateur, qui aime se détendre en jouant, à celui qui a des ambitions professionnelles, en passant par le joueur de club.

Le logiciel des Finales Turbo 5 est le premier programme de ChessBase qui est livré sur une clé USB. Cette nouvelle version offre une parfaite évaluation pour tous les finales avec 5 pièces et pour les plus importantes avec 6 pièces. Votre moteur d'analyse atteindra ainsi des niveaux encore jamais atteints dans les Finales! Les bases de données ont une capacité de 128 GB (sur la clé USB) – cela correspond à 27 DVDs! Il suffit d'insérer la clé sur votre ordinateur; l'installation sur le disque dur n'est pas nécessaire. L'accès est remarquablement rapide avec USB 3.0!

Toujours avoir un temps d'avance sur son adversaire… qui ne rêve pas d'une telle situation? Grâce à la dernière édition de l'Encyclopédie des Ouvertures, vous avez à disposition un outil haut de gamme pour réaliser cet objectif! En effet, l'Encyclopédie 2018 contient plus de 1'000 articles spécialement dédiés à la théorie. Cette année, l'accent a été mis plus particulièrement sur les Variantes populaires de la Sicilienne (Sveschnikov, Paulsen, Dragon, Najdorf, entre autres). À noter aussi que la Française se voit complétée par 9 nouveaux apports. Le Système de Londres est de plus en plus pratiqué, aussi bien au niveau amateur que sur le plan professionnel. C'est pourquoi les auteurs de l'Encyclopédie 2018 ont aussi travaillé à fournir du matériel le concernant.

Activation key for automatic update of your reference database in Chessbase 11, 12, 13 and 14.

Attention: This online update service 2018 is also included in the Mega Database 2018!

Le Powerbook 2018 expose l'état actuel de la théorie des Ouvertures dans un arbre complet de variantes, comprenant l'évaluation statistique de chaque position. Pour connaître, à partir de n'importe quelle position, la Variante principale, il suffit de lancer Powerbook. Vous verrez aussi immédiatement le taux de réussite de la Variante en question. Un outil exceptionnel pour tous ceux qui désirent approfondir leurs connaissances et entraîner leurs Ouvertures.

Corr Database 2018 is an extensive collection of correspondence games, featuring classical correspondence games played by mail as well as email games. The CD contains 1,431,813 games from 1804 until 2017 including all games of the correspondence chess world championships 1-28, correspondence chess olympics 1-18, correspondence chess european championships, national chamionships (AUS, CSR, DEN, GER, NED, USA). Corr 2018 also features a correspondence chess playerbase, which includes about 522,222 names. A must for every player of correspondence chess!

Perfect endgame analysis and a huge increase in engine performance: Get it with the new Endgame Turbo 4! Thanks to a new format the Endgame Turbo 4 is smaller, faster and yet has more scope. Four DVDs cover all five- and 27 of the most important six-piece-endgames and top engines such as Komodo Chess 8 and Houdini 4 play these endgames perfectly. But they also play other endgames much better because they can access the perfect knowledge of the Endgame Turbo! A must have for everyone wanting to improve in the endgame, correspondence players, endgame theoriticians, and friends of engine matches!

The completely new Powerbook London System 2018 is based on games which start in different ways and belong to different ECO codes, but where in each case White plays d4 and Bf4 and also does without c4. This way of starting the game has long since cast off its image as purely an opening for amateurs; world class players such as So, Kramnik, Grischuk, Vachier-Lagrave, Aronian and Karjakin play the opening with both colours and the London book is based on 44 games by Magnus Carlsen. In order to guarantee a high level of reliability for the statistics, the threshold for accepting games was set at a very high level. Thus the basis for the Powerbook consists of 176 000 engine games as well as 11 000 games from Mega 2018 + Correspondence Database 2018.

There is hardly any opening which offers so many possibilities of avoiding the main lines as the Sicilian. The first place is certainly occupied by the solid and yet ambitious 2.c3. Just after in numbers comes 2.Nc3 – loved by theory wonks, but actually not a real challenge for Black. A few moves are very aggressive –  2.b4, 2.d4, 2.f4 – but the risk undergone by the player with White should not be underestimated. Other moves (2.Be2, 2.g3, 2.d3) can perhaps be summed up as follows: the opponent is to be tricked with cunning move orders so that he does not get on the board the positions he is used to.

Bobby Fischer was a devoted Sicilian player. But the American chess genius and 11th World Champion was also a devoted 1.e4 (“Best by test” as he said) player, and his results against the Sicilian are remarkable.

L’Est-Indienne est une des ouvertures les plus dynamiques contre 1.d4. Sa marque de fabrique: s’en prendre directement et sans fioriture au Roi adverse. Avec beaucoup de dextérité, les pièces Noires se replacent sans cesse sur les meilleurs cases, malgré le peu d’espace à disposition. Employée par de nombreux champions tels que Fischer, Kasparov ou plus récemment Nakamura et aujourd’hui Carlsen, cette Défense convient particulièrement aux joueurs agressifs.

There are a number of good Anti-Sicilian options out there, however I believe the 2.b3 Sicilian to be one of the most overlooked and underrated systems available to White. This modest move came back to the fore as a legitimate Anti-Sicilian weapon when none other than Vladimir Kramnik used it in a few games to frustrate his Sicilian diehard opponents.

There is hardly any opening which offers so many possibilities of avoiding the main lines as the Sicilian. The first place is certainly occupied by the solid and yet ambitious 2.c3. Just after in numbers comes 2.Nc3 – loved by theory wonks, but actually not a real challenge for Black. A few moves are very aggressive –  2.b4, 2.d4, 2.f4 – but the risk undergone by the player with White should not be underestimated. Other moves (2.Be2, 2.g3, 2.d3) can perhaps be summed up as follows: the opponent is to be tricked with cunning move orders so that he does not get on the board the positions he is used to.

The whole universe of the Queen’s Gambit Declined in a single variation tree: à la Lasker, Capablanca, Tartakower, Ragosin, as the Echange Variation or in the form of the Cambridge Springs Defence. The Powerbook Queen's Gambit Declined 2018 contains the knowledge from more than 40 000 high class master games as well as more than 623 000 engine games from our chess server (with the ECO codes D30-D42 and also D50-D69).

The Petroff (or Russian) Defence which is characterised by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 has been popular at the highest levels for many years and enjoys the reputation of being an extremely solid defence. In the 1990’s and 2000’s, the theory of this variation began to develop quickly, when players like Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, Adams and Kramnik infused it with new ideas for White and Black.

The Vienna Variation is a particular and independent system of the Queen’s Gambit. It arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4, when black’s capture on move 4 is strongly reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. But the Vienna Variation is also inspired by Nimzo-Indian structures while keeping its own character. The main variations usually lead to asymmetrical pawn structures, where Black can hope to get a fighting game.

Are you looking for an active defence against 1.d4? Look no further! The Tarrasch Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is one of Black’s most ambitious ways to meet 1.d4. No wonder that World Champions Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov played it!

Young, inexperienced players usually have stress facing closed positions, since powerful pawn chains always demand knowledge of special and precise plans. I remember that, even when already being a strong GM, I always was a bit afraid of the Dutch Stonewall. One day my friend Aleksander Beliavsky took me aside to reveal his new idea for White: You exchange the bishop on f4 to open the g-file (gxf4) and double rooks there. Black will protect his weakness on this file with all his forces. Then, as you have more space, you transfer your pieces to the other side, create a new weakness there, and the opponent will be helpless. Beliavsky's splendid game against Artur Jussupov is a fantastic educational example of this great plan.

The Arkhangelsk Variation in different forms is one of the old favourite weapons of Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana who are still employing it in their tournament games on the highest level possible. Adrian Mikhalchishin’s first DVD on the Arkhangelsk was released 10 years ago. Naturally enough, since then quite a few important discoveries have been made, and in his new work the author sheds light on fresh ideas in the hyper-sharp c3 variation, the classical line, which is specially well played by Caruana, as well as further entertaining developments in the Semi-Arkhangelsk with a temporarily delayed b7-b5.

The Smith-Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4!)

is a great attacking weapon against the popular Sicilian Defence. On move two White sacrifices a pawn for fast development and good attacking chances, and Black can easily fall into one of the many devious opening traps. With this gambit in your opening arsenal you are highly unpredictable and able to deal heavy blows at short notice. Your opponent will have to solve concrete problems from the beginning and can easily be under pressure before move ten!

Au début de la partie, tout spécialement chez les amateurs, le sentiment de bien-être joue un facteur déterminant. Si l'on tombe dans la préparation de son adversaire ou dans une position dont on a qu'une conception floue des tenants et des aboutissants, on risque d'être happé par les sentiments d'insécurité, voire de panique.

L'Attaque Est-Indienne était une des ouvertures préférées du génial Bobby Fischer. Elle se mariait si bien avec son jeu agressif et sa volonté de jouer chaque partie pour la gagne. Avec cette ouverture, l'Américain obtint 8½ points en 9 parties, lesquelles sont restées des modèles dans l'histoire de ce système. Le plus souvent, l'Attaque Est-Indienne résulte de la volonté des Blancs d'éviter la Défense française (1.e4 e6 2.d3) ou de la Sicilienne avec 2...e6, mais elle peut aussi découler de la Reti, lorsque les Noirs se développent avec ...e6 et ...d5.

Mikhail Botvinnik became world champion in 1948 and remained so until 1963. During this time he either successfully defended his title against David Bronstein, Vassily Smyslov and Mihail Tal or got it back in a return match. The systematic, scientific method of working in chess begins with Botvinnik. He studied openings with respect to their typical middlegame structures and for those he developed successful strategies. The strategic approach runs like a red thread through Botvinnik’s work. Towards the end of his active career, the 5th world chess champion, known in the Soviet Union as the “patriarch”, founded a chess school and passed on his knowledge to numerous bright students. Amongst his students were, for example, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik.

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6! leads to the so-called “Accelerated Dragon Defense” of the Sicilian, which is characterised by the idea to achieve the thematic central break d7-d5 in one move (in contrast to the “Dragon Variation”, in which Black plays d7-d6). On this DVD the Russian grandmaster and top women player Nadezhda Kosintseva reveals the secrets of her favourite opening. Kosintseva has played the Accelerated Dragon for many years and achieved a lot of success with it. You too can accelerate your opening – with this complete repertoire for Black against 1.e4!

Appréciez en direct les moments forts du Championnat du Monde à venir entre Carlsen et Caruana en suivant chaque partie au coup par coup sur le serveur playchess.com en tant que membre Premium. Comment les logiciels d'analyse évaluent la position en cours? Et qu'en disent les Maîtres et experts connectés sur le serveur? De plus, en tant que membre Premium, vous avez accès à toutes les nouvelles applications web de ChessBase, avec entre autres: le portail vidéos, la base de données live avec plus de 8 millions de parties, l'entraîneur tactique avec plus de 50'000 exercices, le Live ou vous pouvez suivre tous les grands - et moins grands - tournois en direct ainsi que nos shows quotidiens d'échecs, etc.

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All world champions left their mark on chess. And although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well. The material on this DVD is based on the ChessBase MasterClass series, and gives you a good opportunity to enjoy some of the best endgames in the history of chess.

There are a number of good Anti-Sicilian options out there, however I believe the 2.b3 Sicilian to be one of the most overlooked and underrated systems available to White. This modest move came back to the fore as a legitimate Anti-Sicilian weapon when none other than Vladimir Kramnik used it in a few games to frustrate his Sicilian diehard opponents.

L’Est-Indienne est une des ouvertures les plus dynamiques contre 1.d4. Sa marque de fabrique: s’en prendre directement et sans fioriture au Roi adverse. Avec beaucoup de dextérité, les pièces Noires se replacent sans cesse sur les meilleurs cases, malgré le peu d’espace à disposition. Employée par de nombreux champions tels que Fischer, Kasparov ou plus récemment Nakamura et aujourd’hui Carlsen, cette Défense convient particulièrement aux joueurs agressifs.

Bobby Fischer was a devoted Sicilian player. But the American chess genius and 11th World Champion was also a devoted 1.e4 (“Best by test” as he said) player, and his results against the Sicilian are remarkable.

The Petroff (or Russian) Defence which is characterised by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 has been popular at the highest levels for many years and enjoys the reputation of being an extremely solid defence. In the 1990’s and 2000’s, the theory of this variation began to develop quickly, when players like Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, Adams and Kramnik infused it with new ideas for White and Black.

Are you looking for an active defence against 1.d4? Look no further! The Tarrasch Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is one of Black’s most ambitious ways to meet 1.d4. No wonder that World Champions Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov played it!

The Vienna Variation is a particular and independent system of the Queen’s Gambit. It arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4, when black’s capture on move 4 is strongly reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. But the Vienna Variation is also inspired by Nimzo-Indian structures while keeping its own character. The main variations usually lead to asymmetrical pawn structures, where Black can hope to get a fighting game.

The Smith-Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4!)

is a great attacking weapon against the popular Sicilian Defence. On move two White sacrifices a pawn for fast development and good attacking chances, and Black can easily fall into one of the many devious opening traps. With this gambit in your opening arsenal you are highly unpredictable and able to deal heavy blows at short notice. Your opponent will have to solve concrete problems from the beginning and can easily be under pressure before move ten!

The Dragon is one of Black’s most daring openings, leading to fascinating positions with opposite castling and strong mutual attacks. This DVD provides a complete and up to date repertoire to help Black to score with the Dragon. Daring exchange sacrifices are mixed with in-depth analysis of Black’s most reliable defences to give Black numerous options to play. The DVD includes games from the world’s elite, correspondence games and even enginegames to bring you up to speed with current developments in the Dragon. Volume one of the DVD deals with 9 Bc4, White’s sharpest option, and shows how Black can counter this ambitious try by White with the main lines of the Soltis variation (12…h5), which was played by Magnus Carlsen regularly as well. The DVD is aimed at the ambitious tournament player who wants a sharp but well founded repertoire that puts immediate pressure on his opponent. But it is also for all chessplayers who want to know more about the secrets of what might well be the sharpest of all chess openings.

Au début de la partie, tout spécialement chez les amateurs, le sentiment de bien-être joue un facteur déterminant. Si l'on tombe dans la préparation de son adversaire ou dans une position dont on a qu'une conception floue des tenants et des aboutissants, on risque d'être happé par les sentiments d'insécurité, voire de panique.

L'Attaque Est-Indienne était une des ouvertures préférées du génial Bobby Fischer. Elle se mariait si bien avec son jeu agressif et sa volonté de jouer chaque partie pour la gagne. Avec cette ouverture, l'Américain obtint 8½ points en 9 parties, lesquelles sont restées des modèles dans l'histoire de ce système. Le plus souvent, l'Attaque Est-Indienne résulte de la volonté des Blancs d'éviter la Défense française (1.e4 e6 2.d3) ou de la Sicilienne avec 2...e6, mais elle peut aussi découler de la Reti, lorsque les Noirs se développent avec ...e6 et ...d5.

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6! leads to the so-called “Accelerated Dragon Defense” of the Sicilian, which is characterised by the idea to achieve the thematic central break d7-d5 in one move (in contrast to the “Dragon Variation”, in which Black plays d7-d6). On this DVD the Russian grandmaster and top women player Nadezhda Kosintseva reveals the secrets of her favourite opening. Kosintseva has played the Accelerated Dragon for many years and achieved a lot of success with it. You too can accelerate your opening – with this complete repertoire for Black against 1.e4!

La Défense Française est l’ouverture de contre attaque la plus tranchante des débuts semi-ouverts. Les deux premiers coups noirs e6 et d5 marquent la volonté d’imposer les contours de la structure de pions en provoquant la poussée e4-e5. Ce coup blanc ferme le centre et donne donc la possibilité aux noirs de développer très tôt un jeu actif sur les deux ailes.

Le Contre-Gambit Albin (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5!?) est encore toujours très apprécié, aussi bien par les amateurs que par les GMs. Au milieu des années 2000, ce système particulièrement agressif, par lequel les Noirs essaient dès les tout premiers coups de déstabiliser la position Blanche, a connu une nouvelle jeunesse, grâce notamment à Morozevich qui y a apporté nombre d'idées nouvelles et remporté de nombreuses victoires. Le MI Lawrence Trent teste ici les différentes stratégies que les Blancs ont adoptées contre les innovations de Morozevich. Il en tire le bilan suivant: cette Ouverture est non seulement saine, mais c'est de plus aux Blancs de rester prudents pour ne pas être plus mal au sortir de l'Ouverture. Dans ce DVD, Trent propose aussi une série de nouveautés dangereuses qui font du Contre-Gambit Albin une arme de choix contre 1.d4!

Certes, les Échecs modernes nous le démontre chaque jour, il ne faut pas espérer trouver dans ce jeu des vérités éternelles. Il existe toutefois des ouvertures qu'on peut, une fois qu'on les a bien comprises, jouer sa carrière durant avec plaisir et succès. L'ex-champion du monde FIDE 2004 expose dans ce DVD tout ce qui est nécessaire de connaître pour jouer avec les Noirs la Défense Nimzo-Indienne (1.d4 ♞f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♝b4). On retrouve ce grand classique dans pratiquement tous les championnats du monde et dans les grands tournois. Rustam Kasimdzhanov présente des variantes concrètes en proposant de nombreuses nouveautés. Mais il explique aussi les finesses positionnelles qui permettent d'accélérer la compréhension du sens profond de chaque coup de cette ouverture.

Mikhail Botvinnik became world champion in 1948 and remained so until 1963. During this time he either successfully defended his title against David Bronstein, Vassily Smyslov and Mihail Tal or got it back in a return match. The systematic, scientific method of working in chess begins with Botvinnik. He studied openings with respect to their typical middlegame structures and for those he developed successful strategies. The strategic approach runs like a red thread through Botvinnik’s work. Towards the end of his active career, the 5th world chess champion, known in the Soviet Union as the “patriarch”, founded a chess school and passed on his knowledge to numerous bright students. Amongst his students were, for example, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik.

Learn about one of the greatest geniuses in the history of chess! Paul Morphy’s career (1837-1884) lasted only a few years and yet he managed to defeat the best chess players of his time. After his triumphal journey to Europe in the years1858/1859 the American was hailed as the unofficial world champion. But how was it possible for Morphy to outplay his experienced opponents with such ease? What were his particular strengths?

Un talent légendaire venu, à la Bobby Fischer, de nulle part! Avec Magnus Carlsen, les parties préparées à l'avance avec l'appui de l'ordinateur ont laissé la place à l'aspect sportif des Échecs: profondeur stratégique, vaste connaissance technique des finales, énergie et endurance sont les cartes maîtresses de la nouvelle star des Échecs. Un DVD qui doit trouver sa place dans toutes les médiatiques des fans du jeu d'Échecs!

A-t-on connu dans l'histoire des Échecs un meilleur joueur que Garry Kasparov? Tout au long de sa carrière, Kasparov a impressionné par l'énergie qu'il dégageait. À seulement 22 ans, contre vents et marées, il obtint le titre de Champion du Monde. Quelles ont été les bases de son succès? Dans ce DVD, quatre experts scrutent en profondeur l'incommensurable connaissance des Échecs de Kasparov. Pas moins de 9 heures de vidéo! Et en bonus, Karsten Müller analyse les matches légendaires des années 1996 et 1997 opposant la machine Deep Blue à l'Ogre de Bakou.

When Anatoly Karpov was 11 years old, he was invited to Botvinnik’s chess school. But the “Patriarch” passed a harsh verdict: “The boy has no clue about chess and therefore absolutely no future as a chess player.” Rarely was a judgement about a chess talent more wrong, for Karpov soon became the best player in the Soviet Union, growing to be considered a serious challenger to the reigning World Champion, Bobby Fischer. But in the World Championship match in 1975, Fischer refused to play and Karpov won by default, becoming the 12th World Champion. He nevertheless proved himself worthy of his title, playing in countless tournaments with exceptional results. Particularly impressive was his style. Thanks to Karpov’s brilliant feel for positional chess, which reminded many experts of Capablanca, he outplayed his opponents again and again with seemingly effortless ease. If you want to improve your grasp of chess strategy, then there is hardly a better teacher than Anatoly Karpov! It took the arrival of Garry Kasparov for Karpov to have an opponent who could challenge him on an equal footing.

The name Emanuel Lasker will always be linked with his incredible 27 years reign on the throne of world chess. In 1894, at the age of 25, he had already won the world title from Wilhelm Steinitz and his record number of years on the throne did not end till 1921 when Lasker had to accept the superiority of Jose Raul Capablanca. But not only had the only German world champion so far seen off all challengers for many years, he had also won the greatest tournaments of his age, sometimes with an enormous lead. The fascinating question is, how did he manage that? Previously the answer frequently given was – psychology and luck. But this thesis has been refuted by authors who have to be taken seriously. Lasker’s secrets are obviously to be sought elsewhere.

He was a child prodigy and he is surrounded by legends. In his best times he was considered to be unbeatable and by many he was reckoned to be the greatest chess talent of all time: Jose Raul Capablanca, born 1888 in Havana. At the age of 13 he became Cuban champion; in 1909 he sensationally defeated Marshall by 8:1 and was thus catapulted into the world elite. It was only after some time, since only sparse amounts of information made it across the pond, that in 1911 Capablanca achieved well-deserved recognition by leaving the elite of world chess trailing in his wake in San Sebastian. It would however take another 10 years before the Cuban defeated the reigning world champion Emanuel Lasker in their match and wore the crown himself.

Alexander Alekhine, the fourth World Champion, played many fantastic attacking games and to this day enjoys the reputation of being an attacking genius. But ever since Alekhine won the World Championship match against Capablanca in Buenos Aires 1927 the chess world could see that the Russian-born Alekhine – who immigrated to France in 1921 – also handled technical positions excellently. But his success against Capablanca was still a surprise because the Cuban was considered to be virtually unbeatable. After winning the World Championship Alekhine reached the peak of his career in the early 1930s winning famous tournaments such as San Remo 1930 and Bled 1931 by a huge margin. Moreover, the World Champion was also a prolific author and in annotating his games gave deep insights to the thinking of a World Champion. Alekhine was one of the best players in the history of chess and treated all phases of the game – opening, middlegame and endgame – in textbook fashion. No wonder a lot of later top class players, not least Garry Kasparov, claimed Alekhine as their role model in chess. On this DVD Grandmasters Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Karsten Müller, and International Oliver Reeh present outstanding games, stunning combinations and exemplary endgames by Alexander Alekhine. And they invite you to improve your chess knowledge with the help of video lectures, annotated games and interactive tests. The DVD also contains all known games by Alekhine, most of them annotated. Tables of important tournaments and various articles with background information complete the DVD.

No World Champion has enchanted the chess world as much as Mihail Tal did. His reign as World Champion was short but in his time Tal’s star burned with unknown intensity. With his combinations and his intuitive sacrifices the young Tal ran over his opponents, and thrilled the chess world with his risky uncompromising attacking play, which inspired many players to emulate him. In 1960 he beat the reigning World Champion Botvinnik but one year later he lost the title of World Champion again in a return match of doubtful competitive value. But even though Tal was no longer World Champion, he still remained one of the best players in the world. At eight chess Olympiads he won gold with the Soviet team. Six times he became USSR-Champion. In 1973/74 he managed to remain unbeaten in 93 consecutive games, a still unmatched record. In 1988 he won the Blitz World Championship. Despite his frail health Tal enjoyed life to the fullest and was a funny and brilliant man, who loved nothing more than chess. Through the games of Mihail Tal this DVD provides a unique access to the realm of chess tactics. Tal’s colleagues dubbed their tactical guru „Magician“, because in his games seemingly incomprehensible moves in the end blended into a successful whole, as if by magic. But Tal was also a master of strategy and endgame play. On this DVD Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh and Karsten Müller present the 8. World Chess Champion in video lessons: his openings, his understanding of chess strategy, his artful endgame play, and finally his immortal combinations. In an interactive test they invite you to try to find combinations like Tal did. The DVD also contains all games by Tal, many of them annotated, plus comments and tournament tables. 

No other World Champion was more infamous both inside and outside the chess world than Robert James Fischer. But what were the secrets to his sensational ability, and what enabled him to take on the Soviet school of chess alone – and win? On this DVD, a team of experts presents you every facet of the chess legend, and shows you the winning techniques and strategies employed by the 11th World Champion. Grandmaster Dorian Rogozenco delves into Fischer’s openings, and retraces the development of his repertoire. What variations did Fischer play, and what sources did he use to arm himself against the best Soviet players? Mihail Marin explains Fischer’s particular style and his special strategic talent in annotated games against Spassky, Taimanov and other greats. Karsten Müller is not just a leading international endgame expert, but also a true Fischer connoisseur. His congenial video analysis of Fischer’s legendary endgames can only be found on this DVD! To top it off - you too can unleash tactical combinations like Fischer! German Bundesliga player Oliver Reeh has compiled the World Champion’s best combinations – and now it’s your move. You too can try to find Fischer’s stunning brilliancies by entering your solution on the board and receive video feedback in the new ChessBase media format!

• Video running time: approx. 5 hours (English)
• Interactive tactics test with video feedback
• Collection of every Fischer game, tables, backround knowledge, short biography
• “Fischer powerbook”– the World Champion’s repertoire as an opening tree
• Tactic training: 100 Fischer games with training questions.

Dans son dernier Opus, Daniel King se concentre sur le principe fondamental du jeu d'échecs: faire échecs et mat! Autant par le biais de ses DVDs que par celui de sa chaîne powerplaychess, le GM anglais est devenu le n°1 des commentateurs des tournois du plus haut niveau. Il présente ici la multiplicité des chemins qui mènent à l'abdication du ♚ adverse. Pour ce faire, il s'appuie évidemment sur la fameuse technique des positions typiques qu'il s'agit d'avoir bien en tête pour transposer la configuration actuelle sur l'échiquier en position gagnante.

Renforcer la puissance de vos pièces! Initiez-vous à l'art du maniement des ♙♙ ou comprenez sur la base d'exemples tirés de la pratique quand est-ce qu'un ♘ est supérieur à un ♗. Ce bouquet contient les DVDs n° 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 de la série Powerplay.

Passer à l'attaque et remporter la partie! N'est-ce pas ainsi qu'on prend le plus de plaisir aux Échecs? Découvrez l'art de l'attaque grâce à Daniel King: les motifs de mat, les principes de l'attaque sur le ♔ adverse, le déferlement de ♙♙, tactique d'attaque, etc. Ce bouquet comprend les DVDs n° 1, 2, 3, 13, 14 et 20 de la série Powerplay!

Les Ouvertures comme le système de Londres ou la Trompofsky ont le vent en poupe. Les Blancs désirent avant tout éviter les lourds débats théoriques, tout en commençant la partie sur des bases solides. Daniel King vous montre comment leur répondre en se développant de manière saine, en conservant une structure de ♟s intacte, un ♚ en sécurité et une position dynamique au sortir de l'Ouverture. Ce DVD est le complément idéal aux répertoires proposés par l'auteur dans les DVDs 23 et 24 de la série Power-Play.

DVD1:
The Queen’s Gambit Declined (QGD) is one of the most reliable openings against 1 d4. With a rock of a pawn in the middle of the board, Black refuses to be pushed over in the centre. Establishing central control gives Black good chances to launch an attack against the enemy king. On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black with the QGD. The repertoire is demonstrated in 10 stem games, covering all White’s major systems: 5 Bg5, 5 Bf4, and the Exchange Variation. (Black’s options against the Catalan are explored on another DVD). The Queen’s Gambit Declined is a flexible opening. This DVD explores different systems so that you can keep your opponent guessing as to your choice. One of the great advantages of playing the QGD is that theory is relatively simple: this opening depends on your understanding of ideas, not tricky variations with counter-intuitive computer moves. Complete games are discussed so that one gains an idea about typical strategies for both sides. More than that, these model games provide inspiration to play the opening. This is an interactive DVD. At key moments in the games Grandmaster King pauses and puts you on the spot. You will have to find and play the best move. He then gives feedback in further video clips according to the move you chose. Every World Champion has played the Queen’s Gambit Declined. That speaks for its reliability and quality.

DVD2:
The Catalan is a reliable opening for White, but there are ways for Black to shake White out of his complacency while still maintaining a sound and solid position himself. On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black against the Catalan, based around maintaining the rock of a pawn on d5. Keeping central control ultimately gives Black good chances to launch an attack against the enemy king. The repertoire is demonstrated in 10 stem games with the system 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 g3 Bb4+. The check proves somewhat awkward for the smooth flow of White’s development. All three of White’s responses (5 Bd2, 5 Nbd2, 5 Nc3) are examined. 4...Bb4+ has been played by Magnus Carlsen of late and has been regularly and successfully employed most notably by Anand and Spassky. A system against the Reti/English 1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 e6 3 g3 is also provided. One of the great advantages of playing this system for Black is that theory is relatively simple: this opening depends on your understanding of ideas, not tricky variations with counter-intuitive computer moves. Complete games are discussed so that one gains an idea about typical strategies for both sides. More than that, these model games provide inspiration to play the opening. This is an interactive DVD. At key moments in the games Grandmaster King pauses and puts you on the spot. You will have to find and play the best move. He then gives feedback in further video clips according to the move you chose.

The Catalan is a reliable opening for White, but there are ways for Black to shake White out of his complacency while still maintaining a sound and solid position himself. On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black against the Catalan, based around maintaining the rock of a pawn on d5. Keeping central control ultimately gives Black good chances to launch an attack against the enemy king. The repertoire is demonstrated in 10 stem games with the system 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 g3 Bb4+. The check proves somewhat awkward for the smooth flow of White’s development. All three of White’s responses (5 Bd2, 5 Nbd2, 5 Nc3) are examined. 4...Bb4+ has been played by Magnus Carlsen of late and has been regularly and successfully employed most notably by Anand and Spassky. A system against the Reti/English 1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 e6 3 g3 is also provided. One of the great advantages of playing this system for Black is that theory is relatively simple: this opening depends on your understanding of ideas, not tricky variations with counter-intuitive computer moves. Complete games are discussed so that one gains an idea about typical strategies for both sides. More than that, these model games provide inspiration to play the opening. This is an interactive DVD. At key moments in the games Grandmaster King pauses and puts you on the spot. You will have to find and play the best move. He then gives feedback in further video clips according to the move you chose.

The Queen’s Gambit Declined (QGD) is one of the most reliable openings against 1 d4. With a rock of a pawn in the middle of the board, Black refuses to be pushed over in the centre. Establishing central control gives Black good chances to launch an attack against the enemy king. On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black with the QGD. The repertoire is demonstrated in 10 stem games, covering all White’s major systems: 5 Bg5, 5 Bf4, and the Exchange Variation. (Black’s options against the Catalan are explored on another DVD). The Queen’s Gambit Declined is a flexible opening. This DVD explores different systems so that you can keep your opponent guessing as to your choice. One of the great advantages of playing the QGD is that theory is relatively simple: this opening depends on your understanding of ideas, not tricky variations with counter-intuitive computer moves. Complete games are discussed so that one gains an idea about typical strategies for both sides. More than that, these model games provide inspiration to play the opening. This is an interactive DVD. At key moments in the games Grandmaster King pauses and puts you on the spot. You will have to find and play the best move. He then gives feedback in further video clips according to the move you chose. Every World Champion has played the Queen’s Gambit Declined. That speaks for its reliability and quality.

The French Defence is one of the most reliable openings against 1 e4. The solid central pawn chain protects Black’s king and provides the basis for counter-attacks on both wings. On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black with the French. Based around ten stem games, all White’s major lines against the French are covered. The French Defence is one of the most flexible of openings. This DVD explores different systems so that you can always keep your opponent guessing as to your choice. Complete games are discussed so that one gains an idea about typical strategies for both sides. More than that, these model games provide inspiration to play the opening. This is an interactive DVD. At key moments in the games Grandmaster King pauses and puts you on the spot. You will have to find and play the best move. He then gives feedback in further video clips according to the move you chose.

Every chessplayer should have the ability to play a direct attack against the enemy king. Positional chess is important but one has to be able to recognise when to launch an attack. Checkmate ends the game. This DVD has two aims: · To test your attacking ability · To provide you with an arsenal of potent attacking ideas Using the new Fritz Trainer interactive system, Grandmaster Daniel King presents ten exemplary attacking performances. At key moments he stops and asks you to play a move. King then gives feedback on the most plausible continuations using video clips. It’s the next best thing to having your own personal trainer!

DVD provides you with a repertoire of attacking lines against: The Scandinavian, Alekhine’s Defence, The Petroff, The Philidor, The Pirc, The Modern Defence (1. e4 g6). Many of these openings are very popular in club chess, yet they are often underestimated by players of the white pieces. Using his wealth of experience playing with 1 e4, Grandmaster Daniel King explains the openings and provides you with an aggressive system against each of them. This is the second part of Daniel King’s project ‘Attack with 1 e4’ (part I dealt with the Sicilian, the French, The Caro Kann and 1...e5). King’s recommendations aim to put your opponent under pressure right from the start of the game, and when players are under pressure, mistakes occur. This is a practical repertoire – if we study openings we want to be sure to use them in our games. After just a few moves, you will be dictating play. Video running time: 5 hours 24 min.

The Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defence is the opening of champions. Kasparov, Anand and Bobby Fischer all made this uncompromising opening a central part of their repertoire – with success. Grandmaster Daniel King is a life-long practitioner of the Najdorf. On this DVD he explains the fundamental principles of the opening and offers a repertoire of systems for Black against all of White’s major alternatives. Whether you are new to the Najdorf or already have experience with the opening, this DVD is suitable for you. The Najdorf has a reputation for complexity, but this is undeserved. Strategy is often determined by pawn structure, and as Black’s structure is often the same in many variations of the Najdorf, this opening is actually much simpler to understand compared to others. King demonstrates that an understanding of positional principles can lead Black through this seemingly complex opening, into the middlegame and right through to the endgame. As well as up-to-date theoretical information, classic games are examined, putting theory in context and demonstrating typical strategies. Video runningtime: 6 hours.

This DVD provides you with a repertoire of attacking lines against the four major defences to 1.e4 – that is, 1...e5, the Sicilian, the French, and the Caro Kann. These systems will put your opponent under pressure, and when players are under pressure, mistakes occur. This is a practical repertoire – if we study openings we want to be sure to use them in our games. For example 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 is one of the recommendations. After just a few moves, you will be dictating play. The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer. Video runningtime: 6 hours.

The aim of this DVD is to provide you with the practical skills and knowledge that you will need to play a rook and pawn endgame. Based on his own playing experience, Grandmaster Daniel King reveals what is essential knowledge, saving you time in your studies. The first section of the DVD compromises some basics – common positions you simply must understand if you enter a rook and pawn endgame, such as rook and pawn against rook. In the second section common scenarios are discussed, for example, endgames with all pawns on one wing, and endgames where one side has an extra pawn on one side of the board. In the third section you can gauge your knowledge by studying some specially prepared test positions. The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer. Video runningtime: 5 hours.

The aim of this DVD is to provide you with the practical skills and knowledge that you will need to play a king and pawn endgame. Based on his own playing experience, Grandmaster Daniel King reveals what is essential knowledge, saving you time in your studies. In the first section of the DVD he takes you through typical motifs and themes. In the second section he tests your knowledge with typical scenarios from actual games. The Power Play series is suitable for anyone looking to improve their chess, but also provides ready-made lessons and exercises for a trainer. Video runningtime: 4 hours.

For more than 20 years ChessBase Magazine has been one of the leading international chess journals. The bilingual magazine (English /German) appears every two months and coming as it does as a combined issue of a printed magazine and a DVD it offers the best possible training material for club players and professionals alike. What are you waiting for? With ChessBase Magazine you are programmed to win! The advantages this offers are unbeatable!

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video + booklet.

Learn to think strategically, try out tricky mental exercises and master fun and exciting challenges – all with a generous helping of chess knowledge. These things and more await you on this unusual chess adventure that has already received great international acclaim.
Start playing version 3.0 of Fritz & Chesster Volume 1 straight away and on any computer, laptop, tablet or iPad with Internet access and join Prince Fritz and his cousin Bianca on their journey through the rules of chess and many tactical motifs.

 This unforgettable chess adventure is designed to advance young chess player’s skills, move by move. Discover mini-games, brain-twisters and more at every attraction. Pick up chess tips and skills as you ride in bumper cars and the Ferris wheel. Polish up your chess strategy and tactics, opening, middle game and endgame and use what you’ve learned to win. You’ll have lots of fun while you learn more about the serious business of playing – and winning – chess!

 Jump into chess action, move by move, to rescue Chesster from deep within King Black’s castle. Join Fritz and Bianca in a thrilling chess adventure as they enter rooms of the castle, where each challenge will help you sharpen skills and prepare for the ultimate showdown.

The Arkhangelsk Variation in different forms is one of the old favourite weapons of Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana who are still employing it in their tournament games on the highest level possible. Adrian Mikhalchishin’s first DVD on the Arkhangelsk was released 10 years ago. Naturally enough, since then quite a few important discoveries have been made, and in his new work the author sheds light on fresh ideas in the hyper-sharp c3 variation, the classical line, which is specially well played by Caruana, as well as further entertaining developments in the Semi-Arkhangelsk with a temporarily delayed b7-b5.

Young, inexperienced players usually have stress facing closed positions, since powerful pawn chains always demand knowledge of special and precise plans. I remember that, even when already being a strong GM, I always was a bit afraid of the Dutch Stonewall. One day my friend Aleksander Beliavsky took me aside to reveal his new idea for White: You exchange the bishop on f4 to open the g-file (gxf4) and double rooks there. Black will protect his weakness on this file with all his forces. Then, as you have more space, you transfer your pieces to the other side, create a new weakness there, and the opponent will be helpless. Beliavsky's splendid game against Artur Jussupov is a fantastic educational example of this great plan.

The Löwenthal Variation in the Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6!?) is a surprise weapon for Black. If you play the Open Sicilian with White you should know what to do against it. In this 60 minutes video GM Nadezhda Kosintseva offers White a repertoire to counter the Löwenthal Variation. However, if you like to play the Löwenthal with Black you should also take a look at this video because Kosintseva explains typical plans and ideas of the Löwenthal and indicates a number of typical tricks and traps.

The 2.Ne2 Variation of the Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6 2.Ne2), sometimes called the Short variation, is an ostentatious try by White to get Black out of his comfort zone as early as move 2. Caro-Kann players typically love their solid structures and modest setups, but with this bamboozling sideline they will be forced to enter unknown territory right from the off!

If you're one of those French Defence players who has been desperately searching for a reliable and easy-to-learn system against White's two main 3rd moves (3.Nd2 or 3.Nc3) then this is the 60 Minutes for you! Presenting: the Fort Knox variation (3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7!?). This opening does exactly what it says on the tin! By developing the notoriously bad French c8-bishop to c6, followed by a natural and methodical development of the kingside pieces, Black manages to erect a super-solid structure — like Fort Knox — that is designed to frustrate White, who will often overextend, leaving himself exposed in his quest for glory. This variation has been endorsed by some of the most classical players (like Karpov), as well as the most creative (like Jobava) Grandmasters in the world with fantastic success. It’s a perfect choice for those with a positional style of chess who enjoy counterattacking and taking advantage of overzealous opposition.

For a long time the Scotch opening was considered harmless and rarely played. This changed in 1990 when Garry Kasparov successfully employed the Scotch opening in his World Championship match against Anatoly Karpov. But that was 25 years ago. Now, there is no need to panic if you want to play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 and need a line against the Scotch. On this 60 Minutes renowned and successful coach Adrian Mikhalchishin gives simple practical tips how to neutralize and counter the Scotch.

The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.

On this 60 mins video we are going to concentrate on a simple, very solid idea in the main line Scandinavian, which even Magnus Carlsen has used to win games. Black focusses on making his life easy in the opening and forces White to work very hard to get advantage – but it is doubtful if White can get an advantage. Club players are always on the lookout for effective, time-saving solutions and here we have just that. Accompany FIDE Senior Trainer and IM Andrew Martin on this 60 mins video. You can learn a new opening system in 60 mins and start to play it with confidence on the very same day!

Dynamic play is what makes your chess effective and most importantly fun! You start the game making the essential steps of developing pieces and focusing on the center. As the battle heats up one player assumes the defensive position while the attacker takes over the initiative. As you commit to your attack, keeping the initiative becomes alike ''walking a tight rope''. There is no turning back and the path to success is narrow. You either come out victorious or you fall crushing down. This is the kind of chess we love to play!

This DVD deals with a unique line in the Bogo Indian that is becoming poular recently. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Qe7 5.g3 Bxd2!? 6.Qxd2 Nc6! 7.Nc3 d5! is a modern line where Black tries to play actively in the center. With the move d5 he puts pressure on the white centre and forces him to make a decision. If White were to take cxd5 exd5, it solves the problem of the bishop on c8. But if White doesn't take then dxc4 becomes a real possibility. This gives Black clear cut ways to deal with White's ways of playing in the opening. The Author also discusses side lines with 7.b3 and 8.b3. In 60 minutes you will have good, sound knowledge to face 3.Nf3 and play the Bogo Indian.

The introductory position of the Kasparov Gambit can occur after 1 d4,1 Nf3 and 1 c4, which can appeal to a wide range of players. The usual move order is 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nf3 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e5!? 5 Nb5 d5 6 cxd5 Bc5 bringing us to a very sharp position. On this 60 mins, FIDE Senior Trainer Andrew Martin argues the case from the Black side, showing both classic Kasparov masterpieces and games from the present day and suggests that White's defensive task is not easy. This is a practical gambit which will help players at all levels to win more games. It is ideal for must-win situations with Black. It is a gambit that White cannot decline,as if he does, Black gets a good position instantly. White must take up the cudgels and fight!

Critical moments are crucial moments. The skill to find the right move in critical positions makes the difference between winning, drawing or losing. Here real chess ability shows! On this 60 Minutes renowned and successful coach Adrian Mikhalchishin presents critical positions and shows how to handle them. An additional database invites you to further training: 50 carefully selected exercises help you to recognize critical moments, to find the best moves in them, and to improve your chess.

Modern chess theory often considers time and development to be more important than material. Sacrificing pawns has been standard opening practice for centuries but ten or fifteen years ago leading theoreticians developed more and more opening lines in which one side regularly gives up the exchange. Such sacrifices in the opening lead to strategically and tactically complex positions and give the well-prepared player good winning chances. On this 60 Minutes renowned and successful coach Adrian Mikhalchishin shows you openings with early exchange sacrifices. These openings enrich your repertoire, improve your chess, and give you an opportunity to witness the development of modern chess theory.

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.

What to do against the Pirc? Many players find it difficult to play against Black’s set-up. Try the Austrian Attack! It is a solid but dangerous weapon and guarantees White an effective attack from the very start! Learn the key tricks of this deadly line and crush the Pirc with ease!