Highlights
From Vidit’s analyses from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 to Oliver Reeh‘s tactics article “Invasion on the back rank” to Part 7 of Karsten Muellers video series “Fundamental Endgame Knowledge”:
Over 5 hours of video playing time with Luis Engel, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Rainer Knaak, Jan Markos, Mihail Marin, Karsten Mueller, Oliver Reeh, Robert Ris and Dorian Rogozenco - 36 analyses from the Grand Swiss 2023: the champions Vaishali and Vidit comment on their best games as well as Abdusattorov, Deac, Erigaisi, Giri, L'Ami, Mendonca, A. and M. Muzychuk, Pragg, Saric and others - Strategy special by Mihail Marin: Richard Rapport between originality and classicism - Creeping poison: Patrick Zelbel sheds light on the current 1. e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.d4!? in the Caro-Kann Two Knights Game - Surprise in the Scottish Four Knights Game: Rustam Kasimdzhanov analyses the increasingly popular 5...Nxe4!? - "Fundamental Endgame Knowledge" part #7: Karsten Mueller shows how to play pawn endgames with pawns on both wings and much more.
Top games and master analyses
FIDE Grand Swiss 2023: Vidit Gujrathi's winning game against Alexandr Predke in the final round secured him the tournament victory and thus - like runner-up Hikaru Nakamura - qualification for the 2024 Candidates Tournament. In this issue you will find analyses by Vidit as well as Abdusattorov, Bartel, Deac, Erigaisi, Giri, Grandelius, Krasenkov, Kuzubov, L'Ami, Matlakov, Melkumyan, Mendonca, A. Muzychuk, M. Muzychuk, Nguyen, Ponomariov, Praggnanandhaa, Sargissian, Saric, Ter-Sahakyan and Vaishali, the winner of the women's Grand Swiss 2023.
Strategy special: Richard Rapport
The Hungarian number one is considered one of the most creative players of our time. Mihail Marin has analysed Richard Rapport's style in detail. In three Fritztrainer videos and numerous analyses, he characterises him as a mixture of originality and classicism.
All in One
Everything you need to know about a variation in one extensively annotated game: Balàzs Csonka recommends a line for Black against the g3-King's Indian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.0-0 c6 7.Nc3 and now 7... Bf5!?
Opening videos
How do you inject some vigour into the Scotch Four Knights Game? Rustam Kasimdzhanov presents the at first glance surprising 5...Nxe4 – a move that is obviously becoming more and more popular especially on club level! Luis Engel conclu¬des his analysis of the Najdorf Variation with 6.Rg1 and also gives his "okay" for 6...b5 and 6...h5. And Mihail Marin shows that Magnus Carlsen went too far with the shocker 10...Rg8?! in the Ruy Lopez Norwegian Defence at the Qatar Masters against GM Abhimanyu Sameer Puranik.
Rustam Kasimdzhanov: Scotch Four Knights
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxe4
Luis Engel: Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Rg1 – Part 2
1.e4 c5 2.Sf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Sxd4 Sf6 5.Sc3 a6 6.Rg1
Mihail Marin: Ruy Lopez - Norwegian Defence
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5
New ideas for your repertoire
From the English Opening to the Catalan – ChessBase Magazine #217 offers 11 opening articles with new ideas for every repertoire!
Robert Ris: English Four Knights with 4.d4
Petra Papp: Modern Benoni 6.e4 g6 7.f4 (Part II)
Patrick Zelbel: Caro-Kann Two Knights 3...Bg4 4.d4
Romain Edouard: Closed Sicilian with 6.Be3 e5
Krisztian Szabo: Sicilian Sveshnikov with 7.Nd5
Evgeny Postny: Sicilian Four Knights with 8...Bb7
Sergey Grigorians: French Steinitz Variation 8.Ne2
Lars Schandorff: Scotch Gambit 4...Nf6 5.e5 Ne4
Alexey Kuzmin: Berlin Defence with 4.d3 Ne7!?
Spyridon Kapnisis: Tarrasch Defence 4...c5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 Be6
Yago Santiago: Catalan with 4...Nc6!? 5.Bg2 Bd6!?
Topical opening traps
"A little fun among top players", "Trap and counter-trap" etc. Rainer Knaak presents ten opening traps – from the Owen Defence to the French and King's Indian. Incl. three Fritztrainer videos.
Move by Move
What could be more challenging for an interactive training session than finding out Magnus Carlsen's moves? Robert Ris has chosen a game by the former world champion against the young Bosnian IM Bojan Maksimovic - "a very instructive technical game!" Show your class and gain a decisive advantage move by move!
Modern Classics
The 16th game of the 1985 World Champion¬ship match between Karpov and Kasparov is one of the most important games of the 20th century. With his victory with Black, Kasparov impressively paved his way to winning the title. Dorian Rogozenco explains the many, often prophylactic motives in the game of the 13th world champion.
Practical Tips for the Tournament Player : Traps
What role do traps play in chess? How important are they in the play of grandmasters? And what is important when setting traps successfully? Jan Markos works out four rules that you should follow in your own games. Video plus a small collection of exercises.
“Invasion on the back rank”
36 games peppered with lots of training que¬stions await you in Oliver Reeh's tactics article! You can solve his favourite combinations – recorded in interactive video format – move by move together with the IM from Hamburg!
Fundamental Endgame Knowledge – Part 7: “Pawn endgames with pawns on both wings”
In the introductory video, end¬game expert Dr Karsten Mueller presents the most important techniques. Then it's your turn in two inter¬active training videos! Mueller also presents a selection of Richard Rapport's most beautiful endgames (video introduction + analyses).
