We are continuing our special offer – if you buy three books or more and live inside the European Union (as defined by UPS) we will send you an extra book free. Recently the default option on the free book has been Reggio Emilia 2007/2008 but we will change that now to GRANDMASTER BATTLE MANUAL.
But if you already have Grandmaster Battle Manual or would prefer a different free book, then send us an email with your order, asking to have it replaced with one of the following titles:
GRANDMASTER VERSUS AMATEUR
REGGIO EMILIA 2007/2008
TACTIMANIA
TRUE LIES IN CHESS
CHAMPIONS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
SAN LUIS 2005
ATTACKING THE SPANISH
GRANDMASTER VS AMATEUR
CUTTING EDGE 1: THE OPEN SICILIAN
CUTTING EDGE 2: SICILIAN NAJDORF 6.Be3
Sad news about the death of Walter Browne. I will leave detailed tributes to those who knew Walter well. Our connection is that Walter was one of the authors of Champions of the New Millennium. We never met in person, but Walter’s lively good humour came through even in emails or on the phone. In the office, we all remember his phone message shortly after his book was published:
“Hey guys, Walter Browne here. Listen – I need more of those books, and I need ’em damn soon!”
For the past few months we have had a special offer – if you buy three books or more and live inside the European Union (as defined by UPS) we will send you an extra book free. Recently the default option on the free book has been Grandmaster vs. Amateur but we will change that now to REGGIO EMILIA 2007/2008.
But if you already have Reggio Emilia or would prefer a different free book, then send us an email with your order, asking to have it replaced with one of the following titles:
TACTIMANIA
TRUE LIES IN CHESS
CHAMPIONS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
SAN LUIS 2005
ATTACKING THE SPANISH
GRANDMASTER VS AMATEUR
CUTTING EDGE 1: THE OPEN SICILIAN
CUTTING EDGE 2: SICILIAN NAJDORF 6.Be3
Our next publication date is June 17th. One of the three new books is the hardcover 10th anniversary edition of Learn from the Legends by Mihail Marin. Should you buy this book? If you don’t have it already, then that’s an easy question to answer – yes, definitely. ‘Legends’ is generally regarded by reviewers as Mihail’s best book so far – and that is ahead of tough competition.
But suppose you already own the previous edition of Legends – is it worth also buying this new one? On that one, I will let you make up your own mind, and I will just offer a few brief facts. The new edition is a hardcover, while the previous editions were in paperback. The new book is 480 pages, compared to the previous edition’s 336. The extra pages are due to more diagrams, a better layout, and a brand new chapter on Magnus Carlsen.
Normally in a blog post I would offer a snippet from the book, but Legends is not a snippety sort of book – it deserves to be read and enjoyed at length. But there is an excerpt to read.
We are continuing our special offer – if you buy three books or more and live inside the European Union (as defined by UPS) we will send you an extra book free.
For the past two months, the default option on the free book has been Tactimania but we will change that now to GRANDMASTER VS AMATEUR.
But if you already have GRANDMASTER VS AMATEUR or would prefer a different free book, then send us an email with your order, asking to have it replaced with one of the following titles:
TACTIMANIA
TRUE LIES IN CHESS
CHAMPIONS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
SAN LUIS 2005
ATTACKING THE SPANISH
GRANDMASTER VS AMATEUR
REGGIO EMILIA 2007
Also, the excerpt of Avrukh’s Grandmaster Repertoire 1A – The Catalan is now available at the following link. We are still waiting for the final word from the printer, but the publication date looks like April 29th.
My endless to-do list for next week includes working on a Playing 1.e4 book (yes, it will exist) and reading a lot of Razuvaev title suggestions. One of Ray’s suggestions “Razuvaev on Gambits” is a title I had suggested earlier in the office. If we use that title, do I get the free book?
The Poisoned Pawn variation of the Najdorf is one of the most theoretically dense variations in modern chess. Negi gave plenty of ideas against it in 1.e4 vs The Sicilian I. But would players remember the theory? And would the ideas work?
Yes and yes. Obviously.
Jorden van Foreest (2494) – Nico Zwirs (2358)
Amsterdam 20.02.2015
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 12.Ne4 h6 13.Bh4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qd5 15.Qe3 Qxe5 16.Be2 Bc5 17.Bg3 Qd5 18.c4 Bxd4 19.Rxd4 Qa5+ 20.Rd2 0–0 21.Bd6 Rd8 22.g4 Nc6
All Negi. It’s on page 255 of the book if you wish to check.
23.g5!?
This move was a novelty when Negi suggested it, and 15-year-old Dutch IM Jorden van Foreest is the first to test it. In Negi’s words, this move is “the maximalist try”.
Negi’s main line is 23.0–0!? which is “the simplest way, which does not require too much analysis.”
Read more…
Last weekend I played two games in the 4ncl. It went well.
John Shaw (2426) – John Richardson (2330)
4ncl 14.02.2015
Assess the position and choose a move for White.
White to play
Read more…
I like to keep an eye on how our various opening repertoires are performing over the board. When seeing a new game in the database, there will be comments in the office such as “That’s in Avrukh” or “I edited this line – it’s in Petrov.” The following recent game from the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters is both Avrukh and Petrov.
Re. Schaefer (2104) – M. Muzychuk (2520)
Gibraltar Masters 27.01.2015
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6
A move order favoured by some Benoni fans.
3.g3
After 3.Nc3 Black might well prefer 3…Bb4 rather than a Benoni.
3…c5
With White committed to a kingside fianchetto, the Benoni is a more attractive option to some.
4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 0–0 9.0–0 Re8
9…a6 10 a4 is an equally common move order.
10.Nd2 a6 11.a4
Back in the main line.
11…Nbd7 12.h3 Rb8 13.Nc4 Ne5 14.Na3 Nh5 15.e4 Bd7 16.a5 b5 17.axb6 Bb5 18.Naxb5 axb5 19.Nxb5 Qxb6 20.Na3 Qb3
This is all following the main line of the main line of the main line of Marian Petrov’s answer to the Fianchetto System. It is variation B332322 on page 244 of GM Repertoire 12 – The Modern Benoni for those who have the book. It is also where Petrov meets Avrukh’s GM Repertoire 2. I would bet Boris will choose something different next time.
Read more…
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