3/28/2024 – What to do against 1.e4? Many players choose to open with the Sicilian to play for a win with Black and get interesting positions, but they are afraid of the long forced variations in the Najdorf, the Dragon or the Sveshnikov. The Kalashnikov Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6!?) is an interesting alternative. The positions offer a wealth of tactical and strategic possibilities, but the theory is straightforward. In a new course, French GM Fabien Libiszewski shows how to score in the Kalashnikov Variation.
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Biel Chess Festival 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Navara, Wojtaszek et al. Opening videos by Blohberger, Engel and Sokolov. Training columns ‘The fortress’, ‘Opening traps , ‘Fundamental Endgame Knowledge’ and much more
€21.90
Master the Sicilian Kalashnikov
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of the Sicilian Kalashnikov! We will unravel the secrets of the explosive opening arising from 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5.
Black willingly makes long-term strategic concessions, but in return forces White to lose valuable development time. This versatile opening will appeal to lovers of dynamic play while providing a solid strategic foundation. You will learn the key ideas and crucial strategic plans so that you feel more comfortable navigating the sharp variations.
Dive into the fascinating world of the Sicilian Kalashnikov variation! We will uncover the secrets of this explosive opening from the very first moves: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5.
Introduced in 1834 by one of the greatest players of his time, Charles de La Bourdonnais, this opening has stood the test of time and continues to be used by top players at the highest level. Modern heroes of this opening include Teimour Radjabov, Alexei Shirov and, more recently, Parham Maghsoodloo and Hikaru Nakamura, who used the Kalasnikov in the decisive last round of the Grand Swiss 2023, qualifying for the Candidates Tournament in the process!
Expand your repertoire with innovative variations to surprise your opponents. Explore the modern perspective of this opening with French GM Fabien Libiszewski, an expert on the Kalashnikov for almost two decades.
Running time: 5 hours 7 minutes
Interactive video training with feedback
Database with over 300 model games
Extra: Training with ChessBase Apps - Practise the opening repertoire
Sample video
Language: English
Level: Advanced, tournament player, professional
System: Windows 10 or newer, Mac OS X (download only)
Streaming: For iPad & Tablet
Delivery:Download, Post - Free delivery within Germany from 50 EUR purchase value
London System PowerBase 2026 is a database and contains in all 11 285 games from Mega 2026 and the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 282 are annotated.
The London System Powerbook 2026 is based on more than 410 000 games or game fragments from different opening moves and ECO codes; what they all have in common is that White plays d4 and Bf4 but does not play c4.
In this course, Grandmaster Elisabeth Pähtz presents the London System, a structured and ambitious approach based on the immediate Bf4, leading to rich and dynamic positions.
Opening videos: Open Spanish (Sipke Ernst) and Classical Sicilian (Nico Zwirs). Endgame Special by Igor Stohl: ‘Short or long side’ – where should the defending king be placed in rook endgames? ‘Lucky bag’ with 35 master analyses.
YOUR EASY ACCESS TO OPENING THEORY: Whether you want to build up a reliable and powerful opening repertoire or find new opening ideas for your existing repertoire, the Opening Encyclopaedia covers the entire opening theory on one product.
The Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation with 5.Bf4 has a great balance between positional play and sharp pawn pushes; and will be a surprise for your opponents while being easy to learn for you, as the key patterns are familiar.
€9.90
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