6/26/2020 – In this Power Play Show Grandmaster Daniel King takes a look at the King's Gambit and shows how Alexander Morozevich (pictured) defeated Vishy Anand with this old but exciting opening. | Power Play is on air most Fridays at 17:00 UK (18:00 CEST, 11:00 EST) on playchess.com. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer. | Photo: Chess Festival Biel (Archive)
new: ChessBase Magazine 225
Chess Festival Prague 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Giri, Gurel, Navara and others. ‘Special’: 27 highly entertaining miniatures. Opening videos by Werle, King and Ris. 10 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more. ChessBase Magazine offers first-class training material for club players and professionals! World-class players analyse their brilliant games and explain the ideas behind the moves. Opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in tactics, strategy and endgames show you the tricks and techniques you need to be a successful tournament player! Available as a direct download (incl. booklet as pdf file) or booklet with download key by post. Included in delivery: ChessBase Magazine #225 as “ChessBase Book” for iPad, tablet, Mac etc.!
Glorious sacrifices, unexpected tactics and checkmating attacks. The King's Gambit is one of the oldest and most romantic openings in the game of chess. This DVD contains all you need to know to tackle your opponent.
The Alapin Variation (1.e4 c5 2.c3) offers a simple yet highly effective solution to all major Sicilian lines, by sidestepping them with 2.c3.
€39.90
Still exciting: The King's Gambit
The King's Gambit is a very old opening but it still often leads to complicated and unusual positions. The King's Gambit was already mentioned in Lucena's Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez from 1497 and the ChessBase Mega Database contains a game from 1560 in which White overruns his opponent with the King's Gambit.
Until the late 19th century the King's Gambit was very popular, but today top level players employ it only rarely because according to theory Black has more than one way to equalize. However, players like Boris Spassky, Bobby Fischer, Judit Polgar, Vassily Ivanchuk, Alexander Morozevich, and others, liked or like to play the King's Gambit occasionally or even regularly. Even Magnus Carlsen, who is known for his solid approach and his technical skills, gave the King's Gambit the occasional try. Some examples:
Boris Spassky plays the King's Gambit
Bobby Fischer plays the King's Gambit
Judit Polgar plays the King's Gambit
Vassily Ivanchuk plays the King's Gambit
Magnus Carlsen plays the King's Gambit
These games show that the King's Gambit has a lot to offer. And on his recently published DVD about the King's Gambit Daniel King shows why this old opening is a dangerous weapon that is interesting and fun to play.
Glorious sacrifices, unexpected tactics and checkmating attacks. The King's Gambit is one of the oldest and most romantic openings in the game of chess. This DVD contains all you need to know to tackle your opponent.
In today's Power Play Show King also takes a look at the King's Gambit. He writes:
"I have recently been preparing the follow up to my King's Gambit repertoire DVD: The King's Gambit Tactics Toolbox. This will feature all the typical tactical themes that you can expect when playing the King's Gambit and is the perfect complement to the repertoire DVD. I'll give you a taste of what you can expect on that.
The main focus will be a spectacular game in the Bishop's Gambit between Morozevich and Anand from 1995, and examining how the former World Champion improved his opening play against the same opponent 23 years later.
But first a little warm-up: Good technique requires good calculation. How did Fabiano Caruana finish the game efficiently from the position below? This features one of my favourite themes..."
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Glorious sacrifices, unexpected tactics and checkmating attacks. The King's Gambit is one of the oldest and most romantic openings in the game of chess. This DVD contains all you need to know to tackle your opponent.
Johannes FischerJohannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".
Instead of forcing you to memorise endless lines, Raja focuses on clear plans, typical ideas, and attacking motifs that you can apply in your own games without delay. A short, focused, and practical repertoire.
FIDE World Cup 2025 with analyses by Adams, Bluebaum, Donchenko, Shankland, Wei Yi and many more. Opening videos by Blohberger, King and Marin. 11 exciting opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
Opening videos: Sipke Ernst brings the Ulvestad Variation up to date + Part II of ‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’. Special: Jan Werle shows highlights from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in the video. ‘Lucky bag’ with 40 analyses by Ganguly, Illingworth et al.
€14.90
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