5/22/2021 – It hasn't been easy working under pandemic stress. Now that things are getting better we need to get ready to re-enter the chess arena. "The only real training tool I found," writes Davide Nastasio, "which was comprehensive, and covered all the phases of the game is ChessBase Magazine, now in its 200th edition. Davide shares some of the positions and games he found especially interesting.
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Winning starts with what you know The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
Chessbase Magazine 200 the new frontier of chess training!
Working in a COVID unit for one year has left its mark over me, and I do need something to bring me back to earth, relax, and take my mind elsewhere, anywhere very far from work. Now OTB tournaments are starting again, and I’d like to be ready in few months to re-enter the chess arena, after more than a year I don’t play chess.
The only real training tool I found, which was comprehensive, and covered all the phases of the game is ChessBase Magazine (from now on abbreviated as CBM). I’d like to share some positions and games I found interesting from issue 200 of CBM.
This CBM issue began with a section where all CBM authors’ annotated 22 games of the young Carlsen! The first game is annotated by GM Adhiban Baskaran. Notice the game begins like a French Winaver, but by move four becomes an Exchange French, and the move 6.Nge2 reminds me of some games/ideas played by IM Waitzkin and given as lessons in that wonderful historical chess software called Chessmaster.
I loved this software, they should make a new version!
Here the game fully annotated to give the reader a chance to appreciate how great CBM is, especially for the serious chess amateur who wants to improve his own chess. I added some of my comments after “Nastasio” to show the difference with the comments written by GM Adhiban. Notice also the importance of watching a game but actively asking oneself questions in order to improve. Watching a game passively and being fed all the answers by the annotator will not do us much good.
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1.e4
1,185,008
54%
2421
---
1.d4
959,510
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
286,503
56%
2441
---
1.c4
184,834
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,892
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,600
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,954
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,911
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,791
48%
2379
---
1.a3
1,250
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,081
49%
2409
---
1.d3
969
50%
2378
---
1.g4
670
46%
2361
---
1.h4
466
54%
2382
---
1.c3
439
51%
2425
---
1.h3
289
56%
2420
---
1.a4
118
60%
2461
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
93
66%
2506
---
1.Na3
47
62%
2476
---
Please, wait...
A very happy new year to everyone! And it is also the 200th anniversary
special of CBM :) talk about a double blast :)! I am glad I got the
opportunity to analyse one of the games of our Mozart and world champion
Magnus Carlsen for this great edition!1.e4e6Vallejo can practically
prepare anything overnight and play it, but the French is one of his familiar
pathways.2.d4d53.Nc3Bb4Inviting White into the complex territory of
the Winawer.4.exd5!?Surprisingly Magnus never repeated this line in his
career again! I wonder why...after all he managed to win so convincingly!exd55.Bd3Nf6Before this game Vallejo had exclusively gone for5...c66.Nge2!?Breaking the symmetry by developing the knight via a different route!Bg4The best way for Black is6...0-07.0-0c68.Ng3Re8with an equal
game (Bortnyk-Fedoseev Abu Dhabi 2016)7.0-00-08.f3Bh59.Nf4Winning
the bishop pair.Bg610.Nxg6hxg611.Ne2!?Introducing a new direction!Wesley during his epic debut at the elite level had to face11.Bg5c611...c5!was the best with a slight pull for Black.12.f4Qb613.Na4
Chucky could have gained a clear advantage with13.Bxf6!gxf614.Ne2!f515.c3Bd616.Ng3followed by Nxf5 next with a winning attack and advantage.13...Qxd4+14.Kh1Ne415.c3Nf2+16.Rxf2Qxf217.cxb4f618.Qg4fxg519.Qe6+Kh820.Nc5Qxb2!21.Qh3+Kg822.Qe6+Kh823.Rf1Qf624.Qh3+Kg825.g325.g4!was the epic way to get full compensation, this is a
typical scenario where a mouseslip to g4 would have been better...Oh wait I
forgot this wasn't played during the online era :).25...Re826.Nxb7gxf427.Rxf4Re1+28.Kg2Qe6Wesley brought home the point advancing to the next
round (Ivanchuk-So Khanty-Mansiysk 2009)11...Re8Black had to find11...Bd6!12.Bg5c5!13.dxc513.c3Nbd7with a slightly better game for
Black.13...Bxc5+14.Kh1Nc6is apparently slightly better for Black
which is hard to understand :).12.Bg5Be713.Ng3Nastasio: I've
downloaded about 7000 blitz bullet games played by Magnus on Lichess against
other GMs also rated in the 2800-3000 range. Watched few, because also simple
moves like this one, in Magnus' 1 minute games, raised a lot of interest for
me. This is a long time control game, yet also Magnus' blitz games have
similar plans behind. When I saw this move I stopped, and asked myself, why
Magnus placed this knight here?? Magnus played this move not to control H5 or
F5, but to open the diagonal for the Qd1, which in turn will indirectly aim at
F7, amazing!Nbd7In this line looks like it is essential to break through
with13...c514.f4with a messy game.14.f4Nh715.Qf3!Indirectly
eyeing the f7-pawn. Nastasio: Here GM Adhiban puts an exclamation point behind
this move, but for me the exclamation point should have been put behind Ng3,
because that move had the plan-seed which allowed this move to happen! From an
amateur point of view, this move completes White's development, putting the
two rooks in connection.15.h4!?was a better option for White.15...c6A slight error.Vallejo had to go for15...Bxg5Nastasio: as a weak
player, compared to GM Adhiban, I find the move he proposed puzzling. First of
all not everyone goes 5 moves deep to evaluate the position "a more
comfortable endgame" for whatever that means (Maybe Adhiban doesn't know
amateurs only study openings LOL). But Pc6 played in the game answers to the
question of protecting the Pd5, Bxg5 doesn't answer such question. GM Vallejo
is also a 2700 player, why he rejected Bxg5? This would have been quite
interesting to know.16.fxg5Nxg517.Qxd5c618.Qd6Nf619.Qxd8Rexd8!
In order to prepare c5 and also avoid Bb5 ideas.20.c3c5with a more
comfortable endgame.16.h4!A very nice move protecting Bg5 with all his
might!Ndf8Black could still hold the balance with16...Qb6!Nastasio:
I wouldn't give this move an exclamation point, like GM Adhiban did, for two
reasons: 1. Black played Pc7-c6 aand this opened the diagonal, which means it
would have been used at a certain point, the question maybe was if Pc7-c5
would have put more pressure. 2. This is a typical move in the French exchange,
a move I've found often when playing the White side.17.c3Bxg518.fxg5Ne519.Qf419.Qe3Nastasio: this is the problem I have when reading an
annotated game, I find a lot of moves unexplained. I rejected reading the
Informator games for the same reason. In this case I asked myself what if
White wanted to protect the Bd3. I'm not using an engine, just reasoning...Nxd320.Qxd3How does Black continue from here?19...Nxd320.Qxf7+Kh821.Qxg6Ne522.Qf5Nc4with a funny repetition after23.Qf7Ne5Nastasio:
How is White getting any advantage from losing the bishop, if there is no real
attack??16...Nhf8Nastasio: I was just curious to see why this move was
not commented by GM Adhiban. Now I'm threatening Pf7-f6, but I'm also
rerouting the knight on a more centralized position. On the exchange French
the control of the E file can be quite important. In each game there is a
critical point, the point in which to play the right move is essential to keep
the game going, and playing the wrong move leads to lose. I believe we are in
a critical moment, and this is the move Black should have played. Notice the
"I believe" because following Caruana's advice I don't use the engine to check
my belief.17.Bxe717.Rae1Nastasio: what if White continues like in the
game?f6Nastasio: this is the reason I wanted to play knight H on F8,
because I defend the Pg6.17...Qxe718.h5How to evaluate the position?
I'm not using an engine, because I try to simulate the game's conditions.17.Rae1!Bringing in the last cavalry, after this Black is slightly worse and
has to be very careful.Qc718.Bxe7Rxe719.Re5!Another epic move
provoking f6 or allow the mighty rook to stay in the center!f6After this
Black's position becomes unbearable due to permanent weakening of the light
squares.The lesser evil was19...Nf620.h5Rae821.hxg6fxg621...Nxg6Nastasio: just tried this move out of curiosity. GM Adhiban writes about
weakness of the light squares, but without the Bd3 can White really take
advantage of it?22.Nf5Nastasio: probably this was the reason Black needs
to take with the Pf7.Re623.Rxe6Nastasio: White's E5 control is terrible
for Black.22.c3with a slightly better position for Magnus.20.Rxe7Qxe721.h5!gxh522.Qxh5Magnus already has a winning advantage with very
natural play!Qf723.Qg4g624.Nf5Kh825.Nh4!?Magnus wants to provoke
f5 in order to use the e5-square as outpost for his pieces.Even stronger
was25.Nh6Qg726.Qh3Re827.f5g528.Ng4Kg829.Qg3followed by
Kf2-Rh1 etc and slowly start the play on the queenside in order to play for
the principle of two weaknesses.25...f5Nastasio: both sides have control
of an outpost for their pieces: E5 for White, and E4 for Black. But whom of
the two has a better outpost? Is the Bd3 good or bad? Can it be used to
challenge the chains of Black's pawns on light squares?26.Qh3Qe627.Kf2
One very strong destructive way to crush Black was27.g4!fxg428.Qg3Re829.f5gxf530.Nxf5with a winning attack since Black's pieces are
completely dominated by his counterpart.27...Re828.Nf3The king will be
safe on g3.Re728...Qe3+Nastasio: Gm Adhiban doesn't show why White is
ok.29.Kg3Nastasio: here the problem for Black, the queen is trapped on E3,
and needs to go back. Black also has limited mobility with his pieces. Now we
see why the Knight on D file to go on F8 wasn't a good idea.29.Ne5Nd730.Rh1Nxe531.dxe5Now Magnus has a strong protected passed pawn in the center
which will become even more powerful after the g4 break in the kingside.31.fxe5Nastasio: why wasn't better to take with this pawn? Surely an amateur
would like to know how in the mind of a GM he decides how to take back.c532.c3cxd433.Qh6A tactical shot!dxc3Obviously not the best continuation
for Black, but often annotators forget the public is not 2700 rated, and quite
rarely play the best continuation, apart when an engine is on!34.Qf8+Qg835.Qxe7White wins.31...c532.b3!?Changing the pawn structure in his
favour.32.g4!?Nastasio: GMs are famous for intermediate moves, for
creating an attack when they are attacked, I saw this move, but obviously I
don't know if it works...fxg433.Qh4c433...Rg7Nastasio: this is a
technique, I saw the problem of following my line was that Black couldn't go
to G7 to defend the Pg6, once White plays Qf6, so I went back, and thought:
what if Black does it before? Unfortunately for the reader of this article,
and this game, I need to go to cut the grass, because I'm not really paid for
my chess annotations... LOL34.Qf6+Qxf635.exf6and Black loses...32...c433.bxc4dxc434.Be2Nastasio: this is the reason I proposed 32.g4,
because in chess I feel one should only find moves which send the pieces
forward, and going back generally makes the position and our pieces more
passive.g535.g3Making sure the e5-pawn can live up to its full potential!
Qb6+36.Kg2Qe337.Kf1!Soon Black will run out of checks and ideas.Rf738.Qh5Qxg339.Qxf7Qxf4+40.Kg2Qe4+41.Bf3Qxc2+42.Kg3f4+
This game would definitely come under one of Magnus favourite concepts of
"Attacking without sacrificing"! I would love to investigate this further in
my book some day :).I wonder if he resigned after making the move?42...f4+43.Kg4followed by mate on f8.1–0
I’d like to challenge the reader of this article (yes, the one who believes he can become a GM in a couple of years of hard training) to annotate the other 21 games played by Carlsen and selected for this historical CBM 200, and then of course, buy a copy of this CBM 200, and see the difference in the way a GM annotated the same games.
This exercise will give a wealth of ideas upon manoeuvres, tactics, plans, and definitely make everyone who has spent the time annotating a chess improvement.
Paper magazines can’t give 22 annotated games, just for one player, even when celebrating their 200 issue. 3-4 pages for each game would mean 80 plus pages! But ChessBase has refined its magazine over the years, and the quality content it’s really high.
I continued my training with the “ideas for your repertoire section” also in this case there is a wealth of material: 11 theoretical articles, and then a section about opening videos, and opening traps. The videos in this issue treated: the Sicilian Moscow variation, the Italian opening, and the Sveshnilov variation of the Sicilian.
Here few positions coming from the opening traps, try to find the right move, since this article is all about chess training. I’ll give the complete games after the diagrams.
Evgeny Postny-Uutsaikh Agibileg, 2020
Black just played 4…Be7 how does White punishes this mistake?
Nataliya Buksa, Joran Aulin Jansson, 2020
White played 5.e5 with the hope Black would play 5…dxe5, and Black did, how does White gain material advantage?
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1.e4e52.Nf3d63.d4Nd74.Bc4Be7?This bishop move allows the simple
win of a pawn. Dieser Läuferzug gestattet einen einfachen Bauerngewinn.
The other mistake is Der andere Fehler ist4...h6?and was rarely seen in
2020, and not once was it correctly punished: und kam 2020 selten vor, nicht
einmal wurde er korrekt bestraft:5.dxe5dxe56.Bxf7+!Kxf77.Nxe5+Kf68.Nc3‼+-∆Bb49.Qd4c510.Qd6#5.dxe5!Nxe56.Nxe5dxe57.Qh5!g68.Qxe5Nf69.Bh6Rg810.Bg5Ng411.Qxe7+Qxe712.Bxe7Kxe713.Nc3c614.Be2Nf615.0-0-0Be616.f4b517.Bf3Rgc818.e5Ne819.Rhe1Rab820.Ne4c521.Nd6Nxd622.Rxd6Rb623.Red1Rxd624.Rxd6a525.Rb6b426.Ra6c427.Rxa5b328.Ra7+Kf829.axb3cxb330.Ra8Rxa831.Bxa8Ke81–0
The next section is top tournaments, three tournaments were dissected: Tata Steel 2021, Russian Superfinal 2020, Skilling Open 2020, I made a selection of 10 games from these tournaments, games I like very much. Some of them are well annotated, (for example the game Giri vs Tari is quite important to read Giri’s annotations, I admit my limitations I would have never understood it without Giri explaining it move by move in the critical moment of the game. But also Grandelius vs Harikrishna, the annotations open our minds to what a top GM knows and think at the board) hence the need to have this magazine to increase our chess knowledge.
At the cost of resulting boring, please annotate these games, then when you have CBM 200, it will blow your mind to read the annotations of the GMs involved. In some cases one can understand the importance of move order in the opening, in other cases there are some titanic strategic maneuvers one would not imagine the player thought of!!
The next section: coaching by experts is made by 3 videos which comment deeply 3 games. The one made by GM Williams is the one I like most, because it’s in a guess the move format.
The “Tune your tactics” section is prepared by Oliver Reeh, and in this issue it’s made by 34 games, which are opened in specific positions. Reeh presents the situation and ask how to continue. This in my opinion is the real deal. The tactics trainer we can find online are just a mindless training. They generally use engines to farm these positions. Instead Reeh selected these position for some interesting teaching moments.
The question asks: what happens if after Bb3 Black plays Nf6, and I’ll add the same in case Black would play Ng7! Can you see why?
The tactics begin as simple positions, and then the complexity of the questions increase.
This is a difference of quality between CBM, written by coaches and top chess players, compared to the online tactics training made by a bot. Here we need to use visualization, and answer a question a coach made for us. I honestly cannot afford to pay a GM or IM to coach me, because I have mortgage, insurances, and all the adult stuff usually to pay… but I can definitely pay for Chessbase Magazine! There is a total of 34 games/position for the tune up your tactics section.
Karsten Mueller, the real Capablanca of the endgame, is the one selecting the positions for the section: Excelling in endgames. I must admit that if one day I become a millionaire, surely one of the items on my bucket list is going to Germany and train under Mueller, because I am 100% sure my game would reach a new level thanks to his expertise and love of the endgame.
In this issue there are more than 90 endgame positions, yes, if one doesn’t improve doing this kind of training I don’t know what can actually help!
The theme of this issue is Magnus seen under the light of GM Mueller latest book on chess players styles.
I really need to learn German well! When I asked GM Mueller he told me the book has been translated in English!
As previously mentioned I want this article to be used for training. Here a series of positions from Excelling in the endgames, which can be used for sparring with another chess player or against an engine.
White just played 31.g3?! how would you win as Black? Notice this is not a tactic, one must understand how to restrict the opponent pieces.
Black just played 31…Ra3, next comes the decisive regrouping which brings the black setup to the point of collapse, how would you continue as White?
White just played 58.Ba6, now Black needs to be creative and use the king to achieve the win!
As you can see I didn’t give any solution or moves, because I believe Mueller’s work needs to be rewarded. He surely spent hours on selecting these positions, and write the commentary. But to do the work on these positions, will help to expand and better understand Mueller’s explanations.
The last section of CBM is called: Practice Makes perfect, and it’s based on 50 positions which trains strategy, endgame, tactics and definitely imagination.
Final thoughts: while in this article I put the accent on the training, I must admit I was impressed with the annotations to the games, because often the human side of the grandmaster annotating the game was coming out. The thoughts, the psychological tricks, the pain for previous defeats, the opening preparation against a particular opponent… all of this and much more have made Chessbase Magazine a real pleasure to read, and given me more energy for my training as well as to look for other older Chessbase Magazines, where I could find more annotated games. One GM I spoke with mentioned that watching, and studying about 2000 annotated games would bring a player at master level.
ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs!
How do you play the Queen's Gambit Accepted? Does White have promising variations or can Black construct a water-tight repertoire? The Powerbook provides the answers based on 300 000 games, most of them played by engines.
The Queen's Gambit Accepted Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 11827 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 240 are annotated.
Rossolimo-Moscow Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 10950 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 612 are annotated.
The greater part of the material on which the Rossolimo/Moscow Powerbook 2025 is based comes from the engine room of playchess.com: 263.000 games. This imposing amount is supplemented by some 50 000 games from Mega and from Correspondence Chess.
Focus on the Sicilian: Opening videos on the Najdorf Variation with 6.h3 e5 7.Nb3 (Luis Engel) and the Taimanov Variation with 7.Qf3 (Nico Zwirs). ‘Lucky bag’ with 38 analyses by Anish Giri, Surya Ganguly, Abhijeet Gupta, Yannick Pelletier and many more.
€14.90
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