Opening surprises on move 2 and 3!

by ChessBase
1/23/2025 – ChessBase Magazine offers three opening videos in each issue (total playing time: over an hour). In the current issue #223, our authors, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Daniel King, present two intriguing and very early ‘deviations’: Sicilian with 2.a4 and Petroff with 3...Nxe4 - both have recently been used by notable players, in the first case it was Kasimdzhanov himself in his game against Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei, in the second case Wesley So against Hans Moke Niemann. The third opening video of CBM 223 is by Robert Ris: Spanish Delayed Exchange Variation with 7.Re1 - since the 2023 World Championship match, this variation can be seen again and again at top level. Take a look! Until the end of the week, you can watch all three opening videos as a free reading sample in ChessBase Books format!

ChessBase Magazine 223 ChessBase Magazine 223

World Chess Championship 2024 - all games with analyses by Giri, Shankland, So and others. Kasimdzhanov, King and Ris show new opening ideas in the video. 10 repertoire articles from the English Opening to the King's Indian and much more.

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Free reading sample from CBM #223

Click on one of the images below to load the full article in the "ChessBase Books" format!

Rustam Kasimdzhanov: Sicilian

1.e4 c5 2.a4

Rustam Kasimdzhanov recently caused a stir in the Bundesliga in his game against Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei: After 1.e4 c5 he continued with 2.a4! One of the things Kasimdzhanov wants to make clear in his contribution to this issue of CBM is that this move was not a joke or an expression of disrespect for his opponent. “This move actually has a serious positional idea.” In his video, he explains how he came across this new idea and what it actually involves. In White's “dream scenario” he plays f2-f4 (without having to fear d7-d5), his bishop is placed on b5 and protected by the a4-pawn and after 0-0 he can start the attack!

Daniel King: Petroff with 3...Nxe4

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4

In the Petroff, after 3.Nxe5 you don't normally continue with 3...Nxe4. Because after 4.Qe2 Black either loses the queen immediately with 4...d5 5.d3 Nf6 6.Nc6+ or is a pawn down after 4...Qe7 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5.

And yet Wesley So recently played exactly like this against Hans Moke Niemann in the 2024 US Championship! For Daniel King, a lifelong 1.e4 player, this was quite a shock. In his analysis, he examines the super GM's unorthodox pawn sacrifice. Should White try to hold on to the extra pawn? King's conclusion: Niemann's return of the pawn (7...Nc6 8.Nc3 with only a slight advantage for White) is the best choice!

Robert Ris: Spanish Delayed Exchange Variation

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Re1

Ian Nepomniachtchi tried this line against Ding Liren in the 2023 World Championship match. The game ended in a draw, but the line has been played repeatedly at the highest level since then, including again by the Russian against his compatriot Artemiev in September 2024. With 7.Re1 White attacks the black pawn on e5. Black has the choice between various options: 7...Nd7, 7...Bg4, 7...Qd6 and 7...Bd6. Robert Ris goes through them in his analysis and discovers a lot of potential, which is why he recommends 7.Re1 at least as a surprise weapon!

The start page of ChessBase Magazine #223 as a ChessBase Book. The menu on the right takes you to all the articles, analyses and videos of the issue.
Total playing time of the videos: Over 6 hours!

Highlights of ChessBase Magazine #223

From the World Chess Championship 2024 to Oliver Reeh's ‘Olympic Combinations’ and Dorian Rogzenco's ‘The Fortress’ to ‘Fundamental Endgame Knowledge’ with Dr Karsten Mueller:

Over 6 hours of video playing time with Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Daniel King, Jan Markos, Karsten Müller, Oliver Reeh, Robert Ris and Dorian Rogozenco! 

World Chess Championship 2024: All games with analyses by Giri, Howell, Shankland, So and others - ‘World Championship Special’: Dorian Rogozenco sheds light on the decisive moments of the match in his video analysis - ‘All in One’: A wing gambit against Sicilian and French! - ‘Show your inner Gukesh!’: Replay the victory of the new world champion against Fedoseev from the 2024 Chess Olympiad move by move with Robert Ris!- ‘Olympic Combinations’: Oliver Reeh's tactics column with 40 games and four interactive videos - ‘Black's Leverage on the Kingside’: In the French Steinitz Variation Christian Braun plays 7...h6!? and 8...g5 and much more.

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Topics: ChessBase Magazine, Daniel King, Robert Ris, Rustam Kasimdzhanov
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CBM 222: India strikes double gold!

12/24/2024 – ChessBase Magazine offers a window to the world of professional chess. Our columnist Nagesh Havanur takes a look at our recent issue, CBM 222 (CBM 223 is just out!). A total of 7703 games from the FIDE Chess Olympiad, 28 annotated, 11 opening surveys, 3 opening videos, 5 demo lectures and several exercises for training. Annotators include Nordibek Abdusattorov, Levon Aronian, Anish Giri and Wesley So, among others. The icing on the cake is a special feature on Dommaraju Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi with 4 videos. | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
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Bomb in the Panov Attack

9/16/2024 – “Ditching the Dutch”, “Carlsen's winning weapon”, “Active against Maroczy” etc. etc. These are just some of the headings of the ten opening articles in the new ChessBase Magazine #221, in which our authors present a new repertoire idea in an overview text and offer in-depth insights into the variations in a selection of annotated games. Robert Ris comes up with a “Stunning piece sac” in the Panov Attack: In a well-known position, in which White normally aims for a queenless middlegame with 13.Qxb5, Robert Ris uncorks the provocative check 13.Qc5+!? We invite you to take a look at his article with all the analyses as a free sample - directly via your web browser in the popular ChessBase books format!
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Video

60m English The Elephant Gambit

The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.