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The Panov Attack might well be White's most unpleasant weapon against the Caro-Kann because compared to other Caro-Kann lines it usually leads to entirely different positional patterns. Therefore Black should know precisely how to react and where to put his pieces. Danielsen recommends the 5...Nc6 variation (after 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3) and presents all the relevant lines that might arise after that. The attraction of his repertoire lies in the fact that it avoids the famous Panov endgame arising after 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.cxd5 without lapsing into obscure sidelines. The Icelandic grandmaster also focuses intensively on the lines arising after 6.Bg5 dxc4.

Have you always been looking for an attacking weapon against 1.d4? Then the Fajarowicz-variation (3…Ne4) in the Budapest Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5) is certainly for you! The knight move right into the centre perfectly reflects the spirit in which Black has to play this opening. In fact the aim is not particularly the recovery of the sacrificed pawn on e5, but rather the increase in influence on the centre by developing the minor pieces as efficiently as possible. In various lines you’ll see this strategy prevailing, since White’s king often doesn’t have a safe place in which to find shelter from the invading black pieces. After watching the video you will be prepared to employ this aggressive system in your own games.

The Vienna with 3.f4 is a very dangerous way for White to open the game yet it has been almost ignored for almost a century. Yet recently there have been signs that that this is about to change with adventurous Grandmasters such as Nakamura, Ivanchuk, Zviagintsev and Hector playing it with deadly effect. On this DVD Nigel Davies argues that the Vienna is a great choice for players of every level, providing surprise value to top Grandmasters whilst provoking fearful and passive reactions amongst players at club level. Besides its great surprise value the fact that the 3.f4 Vienna has not been heavily analysed makes it difficult for Black to have a safe line. Another plus from White’s point of view is that there is plenty of scope for creativity, finding and developing your own ideas. Besides the traditional lines such as 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 and 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.h4 g4 6.Ng5 h6 7.Nxf7, Davies examines modern treatments such as 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.exd5 and 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.d4 d6 6.d5!?. He also shows why many of the typical reactions at club level are bad. Video runnig time: 4 hours.

Checkmate ends the game – that’s an undeniable fact. Yet one sometimes gains the impression that players who gleefully and unashamedly play for the attack are treated as a joke by their colleagues. Launching a successful attack is a skillful business that often demands great creativity. And like most themes in chess, this is a skill that can be honed and polished. In this second DVD in the Power Play series, Grandmaster Daniel King looks at attacking play and asks, what makes for a successful attack? At the end of the DVD you can test your attacking and defensive skills by examining a series of specially selected 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 running time: 4h 56min

The variation 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 a6!? does not have an especially good reputation in the theory books. Competitive players can use this unjustified assessment to their advantage because the variation is entirely playable, as International Master Andrew Martin shows on this new Chessbase DVD. With careful selection of variations, Black players can make the O’Kelly work and work well. In fact the O’Kelly was first played by Savielly Tartakower, but it was the repeated adoption of 2...a6 by O’Kelly de Galway after World War Two that gave the variation its name. Club players will enjoy adding the O’Kelly to their repertoire and many opponents will be unfamiliar with the unusual problems that Black is posing. Video running time: 4 hours.

The variation against the Ruy Lopez presented in meticulous detail by Alexei Shirov (3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5) has so far had no recognised name and Shirov himself has named it after Vladislav Tkachiev, the 2007 European champion, the Tkachiev Ruy Lopez. In fact the grandmaster from Kazakhstan has played a few important games with this system, but it would have been just as justified to name the variation after our author himself, because since 1996 Shirov has not only played numerous games with it, but recently he has turned it into his main weapon against 1.e4 - with splendid success and a lot of imitators. The super grandmaster now shares all this collected knowledge with his viewers. Apart from the Exchange Variation (to which Shirov also devotes a model game) White has hardly any serious deviation after 3.Bb5, making of the Tkachiev Variation a good weapon against the Ruy Lopez. Video running time: 6 hours.

(1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is an excellent choice for Black, especially for players at club level. Offering Black the kind of free piece play that is missing from other defences, it was a great favourite of World Champions Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov, not to mention its originator Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch. Amongst the many advantages of the Tarrasch is the fact that it can be used against the English and Reti Openings. On this DVD Davies introduces the viewer to the various plans and ideas, showing how Black should react to the various plans and variations White can adopt. Armed with this material the viewer will be able to play the Tarrasch with confidence. Video running time: 3 hours 50 min.

Chess is turning into a young man’s game. Time limits are faster, sessions last longer and computer databases and playing engines seem to dominate opening preparation. Add the fact that older players often have jobs and families that take most of their time and it’s no surprise they suffer painful defeats at the hands of spotty youths. Nigel Davies is no stranger to this situation; a more mature Grandmaster who refuses to grow old with dignity he is still slugging it out with young players in tournaments and matches. On this DVD he argues that an older player with very little time can nonetheless remain competitive, but only if he uses guile and common sense rather than bluster and machismo. There are several aspects to Davies’ plan, for example using ‘low maintenance openings’, seeking out particular types of position, making the endgame your hunting ground and looking after your health. He goes on to show how several great players have used such techniques to make outstanding results in their 60s and even 70s. Video runnig time: 3 hours.