11/26/2012 – Learn From the Open Games is a ChessBase DVD by IM Sam Collins from
Ireland. Collins makes it clear that this DVD is not intended as an opening repertoire for either White or Black. Instead, it is meant as a showcase for recurring motifs in a number of instructive Open games. The Chess Cafe reviewer Steve Goldberg thinks this DVD provides an instructive and entertaining experience.
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The Sniper is a universal opening framework which can be played against all main first white moves - 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4, 1.f4 and 1.Nf3. Black plays 1…g6, 2…Bg7 and 3…c5 against practically anything!
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From
the Spanish to the King's Gambit
Sam Collins: Learn From the Open Games
Review by Steve Goldberg
Learn From the Open Games, by Sam Collins (DVD), ChessBase 2012; Playing
Time 4 hrs.
Learn From the Open Games is a DVD by IM Sam Collins from Ireland.
It consists of twenty-four video segments, including the introduction, followed
by twenty-three games. Most of the selections are fairly recent, although two
are quite a bit older: Bronstein-Keres, 1950, and an odd King's Gambit from
Spassky-Bronstein, 1960; about a third of the games are Collins's own.
Of the total of twenty-three games, eleven feature variations of the Spanish
(Ruy Lopez), particularly the Spanish Chigorin and the Spanish Berlin Defense;
four games illustrate the Scotch Defense/Gambit; three demonstrate the Italian
Game; two show the Two Knights' Defense; two feature the Four Knights' Defense,
and the final game is the Spassky King's Gambit. There are fourteen victories
by White, eight by Black, and one is a draw.
Collins makes it clear that this DVD is not meant as an opening repertoire
for either White or Black. Instead, it is meant as a showcase for recurring
motifs in a number of instructive Open games. He stresses that you do not need
to play a Sicilian to get wild, unbalanced positions.
Collins has selected a series of interesting games, and he takes the viewer
through the entirety of each one, though his delivery is a bit monotone. Either
for players who enjoy opening with 1.e4, or players who seek to become more
proficient in answering 1.e4, this presentation can provide insights into some
of the ideas of these various Open games, from the perspective of both White
and Black.
For example, Collins discusses a Spanish Archangel Defense, with Magnus Carlsen
as white. In this game, Carlsen unleashes "the typical undermining move
a4," attempting to create a queenside weakness for his opponent, while
opening a path for his rook at a1.
In another game, Collins was brave enough to show one of his losses. He was
playing the black side of a Berlin Defense, and he shows the importance of not
trading one of your active pieces for an opponent's passive piece.
Yet another game demonstrates the dangerous nature of an opposite-color bishop
middlegame. In one of the Scotch games, Collins stresses that even with the
queens off the board, there can still be enough firepower to attack the enemy
king. In such cases, grabbing and holding the initiative is as important as
ever.
In a Scotch Gambit that Collins presents, again the a4 move (reminiscent of
Carlsen as noted above) allows the Ra1 to scoot over to the kingside via a3.
Although there are only three Italian Game segments, one of them is a twenty-two
minute "tutorial on Black's attacking chances in the Italian Game."
While the Two Knights' Defense may not make most players' hearts beat faster,
Collins shows an interesting Adams-Onischuk game in which he says that "Adams
does little, but does it very well." He begins to control the light squares
and forces small weaknesses in his opponent's position. A number of interesting
strategies finally bring the victory home for Adams.
Collins does have a humorous side. He presents the following game, which he
says he has included to "show off," although he admits that it may
have some instructive value. Collins has white in a Berlin Defense, and the
e-file opens very quickly.
Collins points out the danger (to Black) of the open e-file, and suggests 6…Be7
as the best continuation.
6…Nxe5 7.Rxe5+ Be7 8.Nc3 Nxb5. Collins says that Black
should clearly castle here. 9.Nd5. Much stronger than recapturing
on b5.
9…0-0. Collins points out that Black, while already
in a bad position, may still be able to survive with 9…Kf8 instead of
9…0-0. 10.Nxe7+ Kh8 11.Qh5
It is pretty much over for Black. If now 11…d6, White has the beautiful
12.Qxh7+ Kxh7 13.Rh5#. Or if 11…h6, play may continue 12.d3 d6 13.Bxh6
g6 14.Bxf8+ gxh5 15.Rxh5#.
11…g6 12.Qh6 Re8 13.Rh5 1-0
Black resigned. If 13…gxh5 14.Qf6#.
For players more interested in developing a better feel for variations of the
Ruy Lopez (Spanish Game), the Scotch or the Italian Game, among others, Learn
From the Open Games will provide an instructive and entertaining experience.
If you are looking for an effective repertoire DVD, 1.e4
Repertoire, GM Lines Explained for Club Players by Sam Collins and Daniel
King's PowerPlay
17: Attack with 1.e4, is a good choice for players so inclined.
My assessment of this product: Good (four out of six stars)
The French Defence Powerbase 2021 is a database and contains 9839 games from the Mega 2021 and the Correspondence Database 2020, 644 of which are annotated.
The main part of the material on which the French Powerbook 2021 is based comes from the playchess.com engine room: 637,000 games. An impressive number to which 80,000 games from correspondence chess and the Mega were added.
Looking for a surprise weapon against 1.e4? Try the Stafford Gambit! After the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5, rather than following the solid lines of the Petroff after 3...d6, Black prefers to sacrifice a pawn with 3...Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6.
Brand new opening videos by Jan Werle (Rossolimo variant) and Mihail Marin (Italian duels Carslen vs. So). "Lucky bag" with analyses by Giri, Edouard, Abdusattorov, Kuljasevic et al. Over 47,000 new games for your database
Naturally, a universal approach using ...Nf6, ...g7-g6 and ...d7-d5 as the base would be very useful for players of all classes, saving time and energy and promising a fluid, dynamic position.
Anniversary issue with several extras! "My favourite young Carlsen game": 22 authors annotate. Pearls from Wijk: Jorden van Foreest and Anish Giri comment on their best games. Plus 11 opening articles, 3 opening videos, "Carlen's strategy" and much more!
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