6/22/2018 – If Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik could learn from the great Patriarch of chess Mikhail Botvinnik, we are sure you can also learn a great deal from this great master. Hence, ChessBase has launched its tenth DVD in the Master Class series in which capable tutors like GMsYannick Pelletier, Mihail Marin, Karsten Mueller and IM Oliver Reeh dissect the play of the fifth World Champion. In this article IM SAGAR SHAH explains how studying the classics helped him to become a stronger chess player. He shows you one of his favourite games of Botvinnik and how he applied what he learnt in his own game at the under-19 nationals back in 2007!
Fritz has fascinated the chess world for 30 years. And the success story continues. In Vienna, the most popular chess program ever was once again able to underline its premier position: the newly developed neural engine with NNUE technology won the official Chess Software World Championship!
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The Master Class series by ChessBase has been one of the major contributions to chess literature from where you can learn about the old masters of the past. Each Master Class DVD dissects the play of one legend with regards to his opening play, strategy, endgame play and tactics. At the end of whatever run-time the Master Class has (usually between five to seven hours), you would have known the great player in great depth.
Many people suggest that the best resource in the present day to know about the classics (the games of old great masters) is My Great Predecessors series of books by Garry Kasparov. I agree with it. However, the problem with My Great Predecessors is that it is too heavy. There are a lot of variations and in-depth analysis. Sometimes instead of trying to learn about the great players and their key points of play, you might drown in the unending variations and your morale is affected. Instead, my suggestion is to pick up a Master Class DVD first.
Imagine you buy the first in the series on Bobby Fischer. GM Dorian Rogozenco comes and tells you all about Fischer's favourite openings. How he loved to always play 1.e4, how he always played the Najdorf or the King's Indian with black. After Rogozenco comes GM Mihai Marin, who talks about Fischer's love for the bishops and the various strategic motifs he used to play strong chess. Next would be IM Oliver Reeh, who has carefully selected some of the best tactics from Fischer's games. And lastly the world famous expert on endgames GM Karsten Mueller would talk about Fischer's best endgames. The total run-time of this product is around five hours, which according to me can be completed within 5 days. Now that you have good knowledge on Fischer, I think you are ready to lay your hands on the My Great Predecessors - Vol.4 on Fischer which will be so much more interesting with all the information that you have received from the Master Class DVD.
Whenever someone talks about Botvinnik, the first game that comes to my mind is Botvinnik vs Capablanca, AVRO 1938! What a game that was! Check it out with the annotations of the great Garry Kasparov.
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1.e4
1,166,623
54%
2421
---
1.d4
947,298
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
281,602
56%
2441
---
1.c4
182,102
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,702
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,265
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,897
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,801
51%
2384
---
1.b4
1,756
48%
2380
---
1.a3
1,206
54%
2404
---
1.e3
1,068
48%
2408
---
1.d3
954
50%
2378
---
1.g4
664
46%
2360
---
1.h4
446
53%
2374
---
1.c3
433
51%
2426
---
1.h3
280
56%
2418
---
1.a4
110
60%
2466
---
1.f3
92
46%
2436
---
1.Nh3
89
66%
2508
---
1.Na3
42
62%
2482
---
Please, wait...
The chess tournament organised by the Dutch radio company AVRO was the most
representative gathering of all of the strongest chess players of the time.
Mikhail Botvinnik was only third (!) in this magnificent event, but his two
superb victories over Alekhine and Capablanca gave a serious foundation to his
claim to the world title - a dream he eventually fulfilled ten years later.
The game described below belongs to the golden treasury of chess. It proves
that Botvinnik's strategical vision was already superior to the greatest
genius of the old guard.1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.e3d55.a3Bxc3+6.bxc3c57.cxd5exd5Today we all know that due to Black's premature
definition of the pawn structure in the centre White has the better
opportunities to gain the initiative. But in those days both opponents were
wandering in 'terra incognita' - the routes that were to develop in the
Nimzo-Indian Defence were just being formed.8.Bd30-09.Ne2b610.0-0Ba6
By all chess standards that dominated the minds of
the chess players in the 20s and 30s Black has absolutely nothing to complain
about. Good pawn structure, easy development, no weaknesses. White isn't even
threatening any immediate action. However, Botvinnik felt correctly that a
possibility of a central advance e3-e4-e5 (after the preparatory f3) could
lead to a violent attack on the kingside. Hard to believe? Well, at least you
are thinking along the same lines as the great Cuban champion.In the game
Kasparov-Ivanovich, 1983, after hatte Weiß nach10...Re811.f3Ba612.Ng3Bxd313.Qxd3Nc614.Bb2c415.Qd2Qd716.Rae1White has finished
mobilizing quickly and effectively. That is how, step by step, through
constant practical testing, we are improving old plans. But the most valuable
contribution, of course, is to invent a sound long-term strategy!11.Bxa6Subsequent experience has shown that one should prefer11.f3immediately working on the critical break in the centre. The White queen
has to go to d3 anyway, and the black knight doesn't get a new option.11...Nxa612.Bb2?Pioneers are doomed to making mistakes. The wrong move order
always damages a deep strategical plan.12.Qd3was necessary.12...Qd713.a4Forced.
13.Qd3was not good because ofQa4!sealing White's queenside.13...Rfe8?Capablanca misses the moment to seize the initiative13...cxd414.cxd4Rfc8followed by15.--Rc416.--Rac8and White has to forget about active
plans in the centre and switch to defensive lines instead.14.Qd3c4?
This serious positional mistake has a clear historical background. The
50-year-old Capablanca in his long chess career never dealt with hidden
dynamic factors. His unique intuition and rich experience didn't send any
danger signals here. Instead he counted on using his opponent's light squares
with the long manoeuvre Na6-b8-c6-a5-b3. Capablanca simply underestimated the
explosive power of White's position.15.Qc2Nb816.Rae1Nc617.Ng3Na5If17...Ne4then18.Nh1!and White's plan
works out anyway, e.g.f519.f3Nd620.Ba3g621.Ng3and after the inevitable e3-e4 the weakened
position of the Black king is a source of permanent trouble.18.f3Nb3Both sides are quite persistent.
The a4-pawn is lost, but the long-awaited central advance is also ready.
19.e4Qxa4This
miserable pawn has played an important role as bait for the tiger!20.e5Nd721.Qf2Otherwise the isolated knight is able to come back into
the game extremely effectively after Nb3-c5! Now Black has to take his
opponent's threats more seriously - the white knight is heading for f5 and d6,
and the advancing f-pawn could be a battering ram that will crack open the
black castled position. But Capablanca cannot be frightened by these shadows
on the horizon. The stubborn proponent of economy was famous for an
astonishing ability to defend his king with a minimum of resources while his
main army was gaining an advantage elsewhere.g622.f4f5
Forcing the opening of the e-file and an exchange of rooks.23.exf6Nxf624.f5Getting closer to
the black king.Rxe125.Rxe1Re8
Using a tactical trick to protect the knight on f6: 26.fxg6... (variation).
Capablanca was reducing White's attacking potential, however, from now on he
had no choice but to join the club of chess masterpieces. Unfortunately he was
sitting on the wrong side of the board! In the event of25...Rf826.Qf4White's attack is also unstoppable, e.g.
Qa227.fxg6!Qxb227...hxg628.Qg528.g7!Kxg729.Nf5+Kh830.Qd6Rf730...Kg831.Qg3+31.Qxf6+mating.26.Re6!26.fxg6hxg627.Rxe8+Nxe826...Rxe6Now instead of being
consumed in the flame of the attack the modest f-pawn is making a dream career.
The appearance of this powerful ally for the white queen was impossible to
avoid:26...Kg727.Rxf6!Kxf628.fxg6+Kxg628...Ke729.Qf7+Kd830.g729.Qf5+Kg730.Nh5+Kh631.h4!Rg832.g4Qc633.Ba3!with mate to follow.27.fxe6Kg728.Qf4Qe8
The queen must return28...Qa2?29.Nf5+
with mate in five.gxf530.Qg5+etc.29.Qe5Qe7
Attack and defence
have reached a faltering parity, each side needs reserves to decide an epic
battle in its favour. The question is whose minor piece from the forgotten
flank is faster? Black's knight is going to use the same route Ncb3-a5-c6, but
what about the sleeping white bishop? Ncb3-a5-c6. 30. Ba3 $3 {If the first move of the bishop, 12.Bb2?, was just
a bad joke, then the second little step from b2 to a3 has created a drama! The
kamikaze act forces the black queen to leave her king again, this time not
voluntarily, and to unblock the ambitious pawn which is running for the
biggest prize.1–0
On this DVD a team of experts gets to the bottom of Kasparov's play. In over 8 hours of video running time the authors Rogozenko, Marin, Reeh and Müller cast light on four important aspects of Kasparov's play: opening, strategy, tactics and endgame.
Botvinnik was the first player who did a systematic study of how chess openings should be prepared, how professional chess players must function and in general brought a structured approach to the game of chess. You can know about his influence when you realize that some of the great names like Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik have been his students!
I do not want to spill all the beans here. I want you to watch the DVD which has more than 7 (!!) hours of instructional content. I want you to learn from Pelletier, Marin, Reeh and Mueller about what Botvinnik was all about. I am sure you will learn a lot from them.
Contents of Master Class Vol.10
Video running time: 7 hours 45 min. (English)
Interactive tactics test with video feedback
All Botvinnik's games, tables, background knowledge, short biography
“Botvinnik Powerbook”: The opening repertoire of the 6th world champion as a variation tree
Tactics training with 103 Botvinnik Games: 410 training questions, max. 883 points
New ChessBase Reader 2017
On a personal note
I believe in the power of learning from the Classics. So much so that my first DVD for ChessBase was in fact called 'Learn from the Classics'. In it, I spoke about how I learnt from the classics of the great masters of the past and used whatever I learnt in my own games. For example, I learnt a lot from the game of Botvinnik versus Capablanca given above.
As a young boy, I loved how Botvinnik arranged his pieces behind his pawns, how he lifted his rook from a2 to e2 and how he executed the e4 break. When I saw that game, I knew I was not going to forget it forever. After that, I used Botvinnik's concept in so many games.
Below is one of my favourites from the year 2007 against Jayankur Chougule. I have not touched the annotations, just to give you a feel of what I thought back then when I was 17!
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73MB, Fritz10.ctg1.d4Nf6my oponent,a good player from kolhapur usually
plays the chigorin variation.so i had preapred the following line against it.1...d52.c4Nc63.Nc3dxc44.Nf3Nf65.e4Bg46.Be3e66...e57.d5Bxf38.gxf3Ne79.Bxc4±7.Bxc4Bb48.Qc20-09.0-0-0!±but when
he played the first move as Nf6 i was happy that he was now in uncharted
territory.2.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.e3d5?!though this is a well known
theoritical move i feel it goes againdt the basic idea of nimzo indian i.e
white no longer gets doubled c pawns and black loses the B without any
compensation!5.a3Bxc3+6.bxc30-07.cxd5exd58.Bd3i had seen a game
between Botvinnik and Capablanca and so the plans in this position were pretty
clear to me that is play Bd3 Ne2-g3 put the rooks on f and e files and play f3
and e4.this happened beautifully in the game though black could have stopped it
b69.Ne2Ba610.Bxa6Nxa611.Qd3Nb812.0-0Nc6here i was at a
crossroad whether to play c4 or continue with the afforementioned plan.i
choose the latter13.Ng3Na514.Ra2!i particulary like this move
because the rook comes into the game without the c1 B moving and right now c1
is the best place for the Bc515.f3Rc816.e4and so white has achieved
his thematic idea of building this ideal centre but black does have play on
the light squarescxd417.cxd4Nc4?!looks pretty natural but i feel its
dubious mainly because it stops his counterplay on the c file17...Qc7
in order to exchange the queens18.Bg5Nd719.Nf5Kh820.Rc1Nc421.Ne7+-also looks pretty unappetising for black17...Rc418.Nf5Qc719.Bg5Kh820.Bxf6gxf6+-so Bg5 gives black the trouble if the queen moves from
d818.e5Nd719.f4b520.Qf3i like this move because it transfers the
queen to the kingside for an attack though here Nf5 is stronger20.Nf5Kh8
i dont know why but fritz doesnt seem to understand how to play this position
for white20...Qb621.Rd1i refrained from taking the d pawn as i didnt
want to poen up the position when my opponent would get counterplay21.Qxd5Rcd822.Qe4Ndxe523.fxe5Rxd424.Be3!+-21...Rcd8?!though it may
seem a bit forced i dont like this move as it is relinquishing the open c file22.Rf2!the rook finally swings to the kingside showing that Ra2 was a
good idea!!Nb823.f5!i give this move an exclamation mark because it
was from here that i had seen some 7-8 moves aheadf624.Nh5!fxe525.f6
the computer gives a faster way to win25.dxe5Nxe526.Qg3Qc727.Rc2!Qf728.Bh6+-25...e426.Qg4g627.f7+!Rxf728.Rxf7Kxf729.Rf1+Kg830.Nf6+Kh831.Qh4!the final decisive blow!!mate is inevitable or can be
saved only at the cost of materialRd732.Nxd7Qxd4+33.Kh1and he
resigned.a beautiful game where white carried out his plans vigorously and
finally crowned his attack with a beautiful combination!1–0
Sagar Shah shows you on this DVD how you can use typical patterns used by the Master of the past in your own games. From opening play to middlegame themes.
Study of classics is important and the Master Class series by ChessBase really helps you to learn these classics in a fun interactive way!
Check out all the Master Class products from Vol. 1 to 10
The ten great masters covered in the Master Class series so far are:
Sagar ShahSagar is an International Master from India with two GM norms. He loves to cover chess tournaments, as that helps him understand and improve at the game he loves so much. He is the co-founder and CEO of ChessBase India, the biggest chess news portal in the country. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and to date close to a billion views. ChessBase India is the sole distributor of ChessBase products in India and seven adjoining countries, where the software is available at a 60% discount. compared to International prices.
The free app from ChessBase! ChessBase Mobile has everything you need as a chess player on the go:
access your chess data in cloud databases - and 13 million games.
Whether it’s a weak pawn, a vulnerable king, or poor piece coordination, this course will teach you how to pinpoint the critical targets, prioritise your attack, and execute a clear, effective plan.
Videos by Nico Zwirs: Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3 b6 and Robert Ris: French Advance Variation with 6.Na3. Alexander Donchenko analyses his winning game against Fabiano Caruana from the Saint Louis Masters 2024. “Lucky bag" with another 43 analyses by Edouard,
The Black Sniper is back – sharper and deadlier than ever! This dynamic system (1...g6, 2...Bg7, 3...c5 against 1.e4, 1.d4 and 1.c4) creates unpredictable, high-pressure positions, leaving opponents struggling to adapt.
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