Minimum: Dual Core, 2 GB RAM, Windows 7 or 8.1, DirectX11, graphics card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 14/Fritz 16 or included Reader and internet access for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel i5 (Quadcore), 4 GB RAM, Windows 10, DirectX11, graphics card with 512 MB RAM or more, 100% DirectX10-compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVD-ROM drive and internet access for program activation.
The editor’s top ten
1. Sharp attack on move 7: the Russian top-player Ian Nepomniachtchi shows you how he surprised former World Champion Vishy Anand at the London Chess Classic.
2. An important step to the title: Radjabov explains his strategic win against Movsesian at the European Team Championship on Crete.
3. Castling queenside to make short shrift: join Simon Williams and follow the attack in Morozevich-Ponomariov move by move!
4. “A funky line”: share the enthusiasm of IM Lawrence Trent for the rare 7.Nbd2 in the Classical Italian!
5. Important update: Michal Krasenkow presents new ideas and trends in the popular King's Indian with 6.h3.
6. An exciting game in the Scotch: enjoy Daniel King’s video analysis of the fantastic encounter Nakamura-Carlsen!
7. “Natural moves”: how are they linked to our positional understanding? Strategy expert Mihail Marin offers valuable practical tips!
8. Petroff Defence without risk: without risk: Dennis Breder shows how 8.Nbd2 is a guarantee to get a comfortable position.
9. Nobody saw it: trap expert Rainer Knaak presents an impressive collection of "missed chances“ in current tournament practice.
10. “Troizky line and Henry’s side-check”: let Karsten Müller show you what is important when checkmating with two knights vs pawn!
Bonus: Wesley So has annotated his win against Viswanathan Anand at the London Chess Classic!
Recommendation for your repertoire Postny: Reti Opening A09 (Recommendation for Black)
1.¤f3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 ¥g4 
| | In this line Black is still searching for his best third move. Evgeny Postny takes a look at 3...Bg4 which recently has been very popular. The resulting positions are often unusual and difficult to play. |
Ris: Benko Gambit A57 (Recommendation for White)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a5 5.Nc3 axb5 6.e4 b4 7.Nb5 d6 
| | The line has been known since the 1970s but 8.a4!? is an entirely new development. According to the analyses by Robert Ris, Black should be able to hold, but he needs to know what he is doing. |
Papp: Sicilian B49 (Recommendation for White)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.a3 b5 
| | The second part of the recommendation to play 7.a3 takes a look at the better reply 7...b5 (7...Nf6 was analysed in CBM 181). Petra Papp advocates to take immediately on c6 and claims that this should give White a minimal advantage. |
Karolyi: French C02 (Recommendation for Black)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Ne7 
| | Tibor Karolyi explains that developing the knight to e7 is part of a surprisingly simple and effective set-up: this knight will go to c6 while the other knight stays on b8 to support the move ...Bc8-a6, with which Black immediately addresses an important issue. |
Szabo: French C18 (Recommendation for Black)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 7.Qg4 Kf8 
| | Recently, the solid 7...Kf8 has almost completely replaced the older main line 7...Ne7. The analyses by Krisztian Szabo demonstrate that White currently has no way to reach an advantage in this variation. |
Breder: Petroff Defence C42 (Recommendation for White)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nbd2 
| | The trendy 8.Nbd2 allows White to play for a win with minimal risk. The article by Dennis Breder offers a lot of material that goes far beyond known theory. |
Marin: Ruy Lopez C87 (Recommendation for Black)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3 Bg4 
| | Mihail Marin’s article offers detailed insight into the line with 7...Bg4. According to the analyses of the Romanian author Black does not even need to worry in the mainline with 8.d3. |
Breutigam: Anti-Grünfeld D00 (Recommendation for White)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.Nb5 
| | Thanks to the Armageddon game Aronian-Vachier Lagrave in the semi-final of the World Cup the move 5.Nb5 came into the limelight. Martin Breutigam explains the underlying ideas and offers a fine repertoire for White. |
Schandorff: Anti-Grünfeld D02 (Recommendation for White)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.0-0 d5 6.c3 
| | The apparently very harmless 6.c3 is much more venomous than one might believe. Lars Schandorff takes a look at nine possible replies by Black – most of them do not suffice for equality. |
Kuzmin: Queen's Gambit D35 (Recommendation for Black)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 
| | In this line White did not yet play Nf3 and can therefore prevent Black’s intended ...Bb4+ (after first exchanging on d4) with 7.a3 or 7.Rb1. But Alexey Kuzmin shows that even then Black has nothing to fear. |
Quintiliano: Catalan E05 (Recommendation for Black)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 b6 
| | Ivan Bukavshin, who died rather young, introduced the move 7...b6 on top-level. Renato Quintiliano has experience with the Bukavshin variation and analyses the most important white replies in detailed fashion. |
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