Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
Introduction by Edward Winter
Warm thanks are expressed to the many readers who have already participated in the Great ChessBase Simul Hunt by submitting their games from simultaneous exhibitions. As mentioned in the article which launched the project, the best games will be annotated by a master, and it is a pleasure to announce that the distinguished German master and author Karsten Müller has made an initial selection of three games for particular scrutiny here.
Readers are invited to continue sending in their games, and future articles will present more annotated selections. As previously indicated, a database of all relevant games contributed by readers will be produced in due course.
Garry Kasparov
1) Game submitted by Nick Davies (Newport, Wales)
Tony Miles – Nick Davies
Ebbw Vale, 30 May 1995
Queen’s Pawn Game
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.Bg5 d6 5.Nbd2 Bd7 6.e4 0-0 7.Bc4 c6 8.0-0 Ne8?! Very passive. 9.Re1 Kh8 10.Bb3 f6 11.Bh4 Qc7
|
12.e5! Miles takes the bull by the horns. 12...fxe5? This opens up paths for White's attack, but Black's position was not enviable in any case. 13.Bxe7 Rf4 14.Ng5?! 14.dxe5 dxe5 15.g3 was objectively stronger. 14...Bg4? 14...Bc8! was necessary. For example, 15.Be6 Qxe7 16.Bxc8 Qxg5 17.Bxb7 with unclear complications.
|
15.Qxg4!! "/portals/all/_for_legal_reasons.jpg" (Davies) 15...Rxg4 16.Nf7+ Kg8 17.Nxd6+ Kh8 18.Nf7+ Kg8 19.Nxe5+ Kh8 20.Nf7+! Using the windmill mechanism is much better than taking the rook with 20.Nxg4? Nd7 and Black can still put up tough resistance. 20...Kg8 21.Nh6+ Kh8
|
22.Bd8. This double attack decides the issue, as the bishop cannot be taken. 22...Qf4. 22...Qxd8 23.Nf7+ Kg8 24.Nxd8++-] 23.Rxe8+ Bf8 24.Nxg4 Nd7 25.g3 Qf5 26.Be6 and Black resigned. An attractive finish would have been 26...Qc2 27.Rxf8+ Nxf8 28.Bf6 mate. [Click to replay]
2) Game submitted by Zane Allford (Brynmawr, Wales)
Julian Hodgson – Zane Allford
Ebbw Vale, 14 March 1997
Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 d6 5.Nge2 Be6 6.0-0 Qd7 7.Na4 Bb6 8.Nxb6 axb6 9.d4 exd4 10.Nxd4 Bh3 11.Re1 Bxg2 12.Kxg2 Nge7 13.b3 0-0 14.Bb2 d5 15.Nb5 Rad8 16.exd5 Nb4? 16...Nxd5 was called for.
|
17.c4? 17.Nxc7 Qxc7 18.Qg4 f6 19.Qxb4 Nxd5 20.Qe4 gives White a comfortable advantage. 17.d6 is also strong, e.g. 17...Qxb5 18.dxe7 Rxd1 19.exf8Q+ Kxf8 20.Raxd1. 17...Nexd5! 18.a3? White invites the knight to enter his camp. Hodgson should have played the prophylactic 18.Kg1 to avoid the following knight checks. 18.cxd5? Qxb5 would play into Black's hands. 18...Nd3! 19.Re2? 19.Re4 was the only defence. For example, 19...Qc6 (19...N5f4+ 20.gxf4 Qc6 21.Qf3 Nxb2 22.Nc3) 20.Qf3 Nxb2 21.Nd4 and in both cases White stands slightly worse but is still in the game.; 19.Qxd3? Nf4+-+.
|
19...N5f4+! 20.gxf4 Nxf4+. 20...Qg4+ 21.Kh1 (21.Kf1 Qh3+ 22.Kg1 Nxf4 23.Qf1 Qg4+) 21...Qf3+ 22.Kg1 Nxf4 was even stronger. 21.Kf3 Qh3+! Attacking is the right concept, of course. 21...Qxd1?? 22.Rxd1 Nxe2 23.Rxd8 Ng1+ 24.Kg2 Rxd8 25.Kxg1 should lead to a roughly equal game. 22.Kxf4 Qxh2+ 23.Kg4 f5+ 24.Kf3 Qh3+ 25.Kf4 Qg4+ 26.Ke5 Rfe8 mate. [Click to replay]
|
3) Game submitted by Palle Henriksen (Birkeroed, Denmark)
Mr Henriksen comments:
‘The game was played in the only simultaneous exhibition Fischer gave in Denmark (+27 – 7 =7). As far as I remember, only players of master strength were allowed to participate. I offered a draw at about move 40, but Fischer either did not hear it or refused. He had a strong will to win even in a simultaneous exhibition, and at move 46 I made the final error.
At the end of the display Fischer expressed the view that the Danish players were bad in the endgame. Perhaps this game inspired him to make that pronouncement. The chairman of the Copenhagen Chess Union told me later that Fischer had said that the game was the most interesting he had played in the exhibition, but I do not know if that is right.’
Robert James Fischer – Palle Henriksen
Copenhagen, 11 March 1962
Sicilian Defence
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6. The Löwenthal Variation, which is still popular these days. Francisco Vallejo Pons has employed it at the top level a few times. 6.Nd6+ Bxd6 7.Qxd6 Qf6 8.Qd1 Qg6 9.Nc3 Nge7 10.h4 h5 11.Rh3 Nowadays 11.Bg5 is the main line. 11...Qg4. 11...d5!? 12.Rg3 Bg4 13.f3 dxe4 14.fxg4 Rd8 15.Bd2 f5 16.Re3 hxg4 17.Kf2 Rxh4 18.Rc1 Qd6 19.Ke1 Rh1 20.Qe2 Nd4 21.Qf2 f4 22.Nxe4 Qg6 23.Ng3 fxg3 24.Rxg3 Qe4+ 25.Kd1 Nef5 26.Rd3 g3 0-1 Kramnik,V (2754)-Vallejo Pons,F (2686)/Monte Carlo 2005/CBM 105 ext. 12.f3 Qg6 13.Kf2 Nd4 14.Be3 d5 15.Rg3 Qf6
|
16.exd5? This plays into Black's hands. After 16.Qd2 White's pair of bishops gives him an edge. 16...Nef5 17.Ne4 Qb6 18.Bxd4 exd4? This ruins Black's pawn structure. The other capture was far stronger: 18...Nxd4! 19.c4 Nf5+ (19...f5? loses: 20.c5 Qxb2+ 21.Qd2+-) 20.c5 Qxb2+ 21.Be2 Nxg3 22.Kxg3 0-0. 19.Bd3 Nxg3 20.Nxg3
|
Fischer's compensation for the exchange is real: Black's king has difficulties in finding a safe home, his rooks have coordination problems, and his bishop is not very well placed. In addition, White has the initiative, of course. 20...Bd7 21.Qe2+ Kf8 22.b3 Qf6 23.Qd2 g6. 23...Qxh4!? leads to interesting, though unclear, complications. For instance, 24.Qb4+ Qe7 25.d6 Qe3+ 26.Kf1 Re8 27.Ne4 h4 28.Re1 Qf4 29.Nc5 Rxe1+ 30.Kxe1. 24.Qg5 Kg7?! 24...Qxg5 25.hxg5 Rc8 is a slightly better version of the game, as Black's king can still choose between e7 and g7. 25.Ne4 Qxg5 26.hxg5 Bf5 27.Nf6 Bxd3 28.cxd3 Rac8 29.Re1 Rc2+? A mistake, given that Black cannot take on a2. 29...Rhd8 30.d6 Rxd6 31.Ne8+ Rxe8 32.Rxe8 Rc6 is a clear draw. 30.Kg3 Rd8. 30...Rxa2? 31.d6 Rd8 32.d7+-. 31.Re7? This natural move is rather slow. Fischer should have played his main trump card immediately: 31.d6! Rc6 (31...Rxa2?? 32.d7+-) 32.Kf4 and White's position is preferable. 31...b5 32.a4
|
32...bxa4? Exchanging pawns on the queenside plays into White's hands. Black could try to play for more than a draw with 32...Rc3 after which one possible line is 33.axb5 axb5 34.Re4 Rxd3 35.b4 Rc3 36.Rxd4 Rc4. 33.bxa4 Rc5? Mistakes always seem to come in pairs. By retreating his active rook Henriksen creates problems for himself. 33...Ra2 was necessary: 34.Re5 Rxa4 35.d6 Ra3 36.d7 Rb3 37.Re8 Rbb8=. 34.Ra7. 34.Re4!? to remove the d4-pawn deserved serious consideration. For instance, 34...Kf8 (34...Rcxd5 35.Nxd5 Rxd5 36.f4) 35.Kf4 Ra5 36.Rxd4 and White's game is to be preferred in all cases. 34...Ra5 35.Kf4 Rxa4 36.Nd7 Ra2 37.Ne5 Rxd5 38.Rxf7+ Kg8 39.Rf6 a5
|
40.Nxg6!? Fischer shows his strong will to win and tries to create fresh problems for his opponent. 40.Rxg6+ Kf8 41.Rf6+ Kg7 42.Rg6+ draws easily. 40...Rd7! 41.Ne5 Ra7 42.g4 h4 43.Rh6 Rh7 44.Ra6 h3 45.Ra8+ Kg7 46.g6
|
46...Rh6? The final error, as the rook is badly misplaced. 46...Rh8 47.Ra7+ Kf6 leads to a draw. 47.Kg5 h2 48.Ra7+ and Black resigned owing to 48...Kf8 49.Kf6. 49.Rf7+!? Ke8 (49...Kg8 50.Nd7) 50.g7 Rh5+ 51.Kf4 even leads to a quick mate. 49...Rxg6+ 50.Nxg6+ Ke8 51.Ne5 Kd8 52.Rh7+- 1-0. [Click to replay]
Endgame theory constitutes the foundation of chess. You realize this with striking clarity once you obtain a won endgame, but ultimately have to be content with a draw because of a lack of necessary know-how. Such accidents can be prevented only by building up solid endgame technique.
This is Karsten Müller‘s first DVD, and the grandmaster from Hamburg and endgame expert lays down the foundations for acquiring such technique.
The first part of his training series can be started without any endgame knowledge. Only a knowledge of the rules of chess is assumed. But for many club players this course will be a welcome brush-up, as a glance at the contents confirms. The topics include elementary endings such as mating with the queen, with rook and with two bishops and mating with bishop and knight.
The DVD also teaches the fundamentals of pawn endings, knight vs. pawns endings, bishop vs. knight endings, queen vs. pawns endings plus knight and bishop endings, including endings with bishop of the same and of opposite colour. Those who have always felt that studying the endgame from textbooks is too uninspiring and arduous will enjoy this DVD and certainly profit from it. Video running time: 5.5 hours. Included on the DVD is a ChessBase 9.0 Reader.
Since 1988 the grandmaster Dr. Karsten Müller from Hamburg has been playing
for the Hamburger Schachklub in the Bundesliga. In 1996 and 1997 he finished
third in the German Championship. As an internationally renowned endgame expert
he is the author of the endgame column in the ChessBase Magazine and
writes the Endgame Corner column at ChessCafe.com. His book Fundamental Chess
Endings, co-authored with Frank Lamprecht and published in 2001 by Gambit,
is already considered a modern classic.
System requirements: Pentium or compatible processor, 300 Mhz or higher, 64
MB RAM, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD
drive
Price: 29.99 EUR, incl. 16% VAT. – Order now
