ChessBase Magazine #177 (DVD + Booklet)
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Tan Zhongyi who was crowned Women’s World Champion this year has graced the cover of this issue. It also carries all the games from the event. As is known, the contest for the title was marred by controversy. However, that should not detract from the extraordinary effort that the players made to win and qualify round after round in this knockout event.
Perhaps the toughest encounter was the last round between Tan Zhongyi and Anna Muzychuk. In this issue the game is annotated by GM Moradiabadi. Here I shall limit myself to the final phase that proved decisive.
A traumatic defeat for Anna Muzychuk! However, Tan Zhongyi held steady nerve that enabled her to win.
In retrospect I think it’s time to have a level playing field for men and women in chess. There is plenty of chess talent among the latter and as long as it is confined to “girls only” events, it would have a stunted growth. Let parents encourage their daughters to play in open contests with boys, and in course of time they would be following the footsteps of Judit Polgar.
This brings me to tournament games in the magazine. Among others they cover battles from Wijk aan Zee, Gibralter and FIDE Grand Prix events. As is known, the Wijk aan Zee Tournament was won by Wesley So ahead of Carlsen with a half point margin. Magnus had the discomfiture of being beaten by Richard Rapport (an elegant performance annotated by Aleksandr Lenderman in this issue). Rapport who finished at the bottom of the tournament table also had the distinction of playing the craziest game of the tournament with Wesley So. Here I shall limit myself to one line pointed out by the commentator in this issue.
A terrific essay in tactical fantasy that failed to meet the reality test! M. Tal would have sympathized. Igor Stohl has analysed the game in great depth in this issue. Danny King has also made a video presentation of the same. What we have seen here is the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
This brings me to other sections of the Magazine. There are eleven opening surveys ranging from the Sicilian to the Slav. For a change I would mention the survey by Michal Krasenkow on an unorthodox line in the English Opening: 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb4 6.Bc4 Be6 (A34)
White’s opening play circumvents Black’s attempt to initiate the Grünfeld with 3…d5 followed by…g6, Bg7 and 0-0. Is it worth it? Krasenkow shows how White can run into some serious danger with this line. I have simplified his analysis for younger readers unfamiliar with theory and also indicated improvements for White
A minefield for White! However, if he survives, it does not look so bad in the end. Here I would put more emphasis on the side lines of Krasenkow’s analysis. White can transpose to the Grünfeld with 5.d4 as suggested by him. Or he can try 6.Bb5+Nbc6 7.0-0, a line that is less explored.
Apart from these surveys, there are regular exercises in opening traps, middle game tactics and endgame technique. Here I would single out Mihail Marin’s essay on the move …d6-d5, Black’s breakthrough in the Spanish with illustrative examples from great masters of the opening.
In all there are 2284 OTB games of which 149 are annotated. Commentators include Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Mihail Marin among others. I missed Telechess section. Hopefully, the grandmasters would be back next time to present games from correspondence chess.
Recommended – more info on the DVD is here
The editor’s top ten |
Lampert: English A32 (Recommendation for White) In this variation, classified under the English Opening, but more likely having arisen from a Declined Benoni, White usually sacrifices his c4-pawn. As Jonas Lampert demonstrates in his article, in return he obtains compensation or even something more. |
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Krasenkow: English A34 (Recommendation for Black) 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 As Michal Krasenkow explains, every fan of the Grünfeld has to be prepared for White choosing a different starting move order and delaying d2-d4 so as not to allow an original Grünfeld. One of these variations is the subject of the present article by our Grünfeld expert. |
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Moskalenko: Dutch Defence A80 (Recommendation for Black) Many completely avoid the position in the diagram (see Part 2 in CBM 172). But nowadays the variation is dealt with slightly differently: above all c7-c6 is absolutely avoided. Viktor Moskalenko evaluates the ensuing positions as slightly static but very playable for Black. |
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Papp: Scandinavian Defence B01 (Recommendation for White) 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 Petra Papp has against the Portuguese Variation 3...Bg4 a clear plan which gives White an advantage in all lines. The very starting move 4.Bb5+ is in her opinion somewhat more accurate than the popular 4.f3. |
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Breutigam: Pirc Defence B08 (Recommendation for Black) 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 a6 The move 6...a6 in the Pirc Defence has been known for a long time, but now this interesting variation has been enriched by remarkable facet: the idea, after Nb8-c6 followed by d4-d5, of retreating with the knight to a7. Martin Breutigam is enthusiastic about it. |
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Petrov: Sicilian Defence B23 (Recommendation for White) As Marian Petrov explains in his article, the whole variation is above all based on the fact that by playing the “natural” 4...Nxb5 Black brings difficulties down on his own head, because White takes advantage of his lead on development for a rapid d2-d4. |
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Szabo: Sicilian Defence B53 (Recommendation for Black) 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 The Hungarian Variation 4.Qxd4 is employed above all to avoid the Najdorf System. Krisztian Szabo presents a plan for Black with which he obtains at least a level game against both 6.Bxc6 and the recently popular 6.Qd3. |
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Ris: French Defence C11 (Recommendation for White) As Robert Ris explains, the main idea behind Karjakin’s 10.Bd3 Qb6 11.Bf2! is above all that Black will have a few difficulties in the possible endgames. There may be quite good alternatives, but they too are not very easy to play. |
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Kuzmin: Queen's Gambit D37 (Recommendation for Black) Facing the unusual 4...a6 White mainly transposes with 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 to an Exchange Variation. As Alexey Kuzmin shows in his article on the DVD, Black develops with 6...Be6 and obtains very playable positions, though perhaps not complete equality. |
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Marin: Slav/Grünfeld D90 (Recommendation for Black) 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 g6 The relationship to the Schlechter Defence cannot be missed, but White has not yet played e3 and has some additional possibilities. But as Mihail Marin demonstrates, there is no need for Black to fear these, though knowledge of the Grünfeld is required. |
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Stohl: Catalan E06 (Recommendation for both sides) The immediate 6.Qc2 (instead of 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2) is in no way a new idea, but some recent games (especially So-Wojtaszek, Wijk aan Zee 2017) have once again attracted attention to the whole variation. Igor Stohl sums up the latest state of affairs in his article on the DVD. |
