Three rounds to go: The Bundesliga celebrates its final

4/24/2025 – The Bundesliga is probably the strongest national league in the world. Now the 2024/2025 season is coming to an end and all teams are meeting in the Bavarian town of Deggendorf for the last three rounds. Magnus Carlsen, top board of the FC St. Pauli, will not be there, but it is sure to be a chess festival nonetheless.

Two fine games from the Bundesliga

1/16/2025 – The Bundesliga weekend was all about Magnus Carlsen. Media all over Germany and international newspapers such as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6060791/2025/01/14/why-superstar-magnus-carlsen-is-playing-chess-for-st-pauli/">New York Times</a> reported on Carlsen's debut for St. Pauli and his convincing victory over Max Warmerdam. But there were other fine games this Bundesliga weekend. For example, a textbook Sicilian by German Grandmaster Luis Engel (photo) and a remarkable mating attack by Parham Maghsoodloo. | Photo: Arne Kähler

60m English Anti-Bayonet

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.