ChessBase Magazine
ChessBase Magazine Extra 122

• 23.752 edited games played between Oktober 2007 and February 2008
• biggest tournament: Moscow op-B 04th: 1452 games
• World Cup ACP 2nd: 1. Radjabov
• games of players with more than 2700 rating points: World Cup ACP 2nd Odessa
• category 12 in Nancy (1. C. Bauer)
• Gibraltar Masters 6th (1. Nakamura after playoff)
• NEW: CBM Extra with videos in Fritztrainer format
• 3 videos with Rainer Knaak

ChessBase Magazine
ChessBase Magazine Extra 126

Opening
French Connection
You do not play the French Defense because you need an opening against 1.e4 – you play it because you are a believer. The French is more of a religion than an opening. Its followers defend their ideas out of a deep-seated conviction and are (rightly) not afraid to employ their defense again and again.
The name "French Defense" came into use after a city match between London and Paris in 1834, in which the French employed this defense a couple of times. The initial idea was to prevent the attacking possibility Bc4xf7, which had been rather popular in this romantic period of chess once and for all. More than a century later, there would have been a good reason to call the opening "German Defense" because in the second part of the 20th century the set-up 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 played a prominent role in the repertoire of most German top players – on both sides of the inner German border: Wolfgang Uhlmann, Rainer Knaak, Thomas Luther, Stefan Kindermann, Gerald Hertneck, Eric Lobron and of course Robert Hübner all played it. Today the Rubinstein variation of the French Defense is one of the main weapons of Georg Meier. Many other world class players and virtually all current top players employ or employed the French Defense regularly, e.g. Mikhail Botvinnik, Viktor Kortschnoi, Nigel Short, Vladimir Akopian, Evgeny Bareev Alexei Shirov, Vassily Ivanchuk, Boris Gelfand, Ruslan Ponomariov, Teimor Radjabov, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Morozevich, Alexander Grischuk and many, many more.
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Middlegame
Test, Evaluate and Improve Your Chess
Dr. Danny Kopec earned his Ph. D. in Computer Sience with a concentration in artificial intelligence. He is also an international master who may be the world’s greatest exponent of chess knowledge.
For more than 25 years Kopec has been testing and evaluating hundreds of chessplayers in the UK, Canada and the US in order to quantify their overall chess strength, their specific deficiencies and definite abilities. Test, Evaluate, and Improve Your Chess: a knowledge-based approach, represents the sum of Dr. Kopec’s overall efforts to help chessplayers understand and acquire the knowledge necessary to achieve chess mastery.
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Fritz Trainer
1. e4 for the creative attacker
Playing 1.e4 with White is often associated with having to know reams of opening theory but this does not have to be the case. There are many unusual but playable lines which give White attacking chances whilst avoiding the well trodden paths. Besides the practical advantage of putting Black on his own resources this gives White the opportunity to play creative chess from early on in the game. On this DVD Davies presents a complete repertoire for White comprising unusual but aggressive lines. His suggested repertoire includes 2.Na3 against the Sicilian, 2.f4 against both the French and Pirc and the Fantasy Variation of the Caro-Kann. Video running time: 4 hours.
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Fritz Trainer
1...d6 Universal
1...d6 can be used as a universal defence against every White opening, offering Black the kind of dynamic play that is absent from more traditional defences. If White eschews the chance to occupy the center with e2-e4 and d2-d4 it is often Black who gains space early on, and this can be used as the basis for a powerful attack on the kingside. On this DVD Davies presents everything you need to know to convert the Pirc Defence into a universal system of counterattack, offering winning chances against every White opening under the sun. Video running time: 5 hours.
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Fritz Trainer
1...e6: A Solid Repertoire against 1.d4 and 1.e4
Many players struggle to find solid openings to play as Black, especially if they have relatively little time to study theory. This DVD addresses this problem, presenting a solid and easy to learn Black repertoire against White’s two main opening moves, 1.e4 and 1.d4. Against both of these moves Nigel Davies advocates 1...e6, which leads to a French Defence after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 or 1.d4 e6 2.e4. This can get quite sharp and theoretical if Black follows the main lines but Davies shows how he can avoid the theory of both 3.Nc3 and 3.Nd2 with GM Oleg Romanishin’s patented line, 3...Be7.
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Opening
1.Nc3... The Van Geet Opening
Opening repertoires generally operate by restricting your opponent‘s options. The dirty little secret, of course, is that you‘re limiting your own at the same time. The van Geet operates on the opposite principle – invite your opponent to play in an arena where literally anything goes, where variations matter less than understanding and agility, where experience with specific positions is personally earned and extended each time you choose to start a game with 1 Nc3. This CD represents both a basic van Geet openings manual and an up-to-date theoretical database, designed to serve both average and advanced players.
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Opening
1000 Opening Traps
If you do not know opening theory in its most intimate details, then you must rely on a sound understanding of chess. But sometimes, that is not enough, because opening traps lurk everywhere, relying on the unwary making “normal” moves – developing a piece, making a capture, setting or parrying a threat. But after that the reply is mainly an unusual and therefore an unexpected one – a sacrifi ce, a piece moves to an unusual square or an expected recapture is omitted in favour of another, better move. In this work, the authors have a twofold aim in view; if you wish, you can master the traps within the area of your own openings. But you can also systematically attempt to extend your opening repertoire in order to set some traps yourself.
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Middlegame
1000 x Checkmate
The first part of the CD consists of a small database explaining all possible mate motifs in 15 themes. The main database contains 1000 mating tasks in 1, 2 or 3 moves, all stemming from actual games. Each move of the mating side is connected to a training question. Entering the right move will gain you a certain amount of points. Apart from the competitive access struggling for points, it is also possible to approach the subject "mate" via the theme key. Available in the following languages: English and German.
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Playchess.com
200 Ducats
The currency on the chess server playchess.com. Use it to play against grandmasters or to pay for private training. The amount will be credited to your playchess.com account. Please allow one working day for processing. Ducats can only be used with a valid account on playchess (serial number entered). Ducats can also be used to buy ChessBase products.
Please note: To make sure that the Ducats are added to the correct account please order from your Fritz program. Menu ->Edit -> Payments –> Fill up account. Your user name is then passed to the chessbase.com shop.

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Fritz Trainer
A busy person’s opening system
Players with interests and commitments away from the chess board often find it difficult to compete against those with more study time. Their opponents come to the board armed with the latest theory and can bash out moves well into the middle game. On this DVD Nigel Davies addresses this issue by demonstrating a simple and easy to learn opening system designed for the busy person.
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Fritz Trainer
A World champion’s guide to the King’s Indian
This disk is a perfect tool for players looking for a complicated battle against 1.d4. The author suggests the King’s Indian Defence and shows with a number of examples how realistic Black’s chances are in this opening to get a complex structure with the most serious attacking potential. Apart from theoretical information, the disk also contains structural insights and an array of ideas which will enable you to include this opening into your repertoire – immediately and with tangible success! Video running time: 3 h25 min.
Available from 19.10.2006
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Fritz Trainer
A World champion’s guide to the Petroff
The great popularity of the Petroff Defence at the highest level has attracted general attention lately. Many strong players employ this opening with great success and with both colours. Unfortunately the opinion of the Petroff Defence as a sterile drawish opening seems to be firmly implanted in many minds. The author tries to dispel these myths and presents his understanding of the matter. He examines the most popular lines and provides a large number of ideas that will enable you to play Petroff successfully, with either colour. Video running time: 3 h20 min.
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ChessBase
Activation key for ChessBase Light 2009 Premium
Download the free ChessBase Light program. Order here and receive the activation key by email. After receiving your activation key (by email) start your ChessBase Light. In the menu select: Help - Program activation - Activate. Delivery with take approx. 2 working days. You want to receive your activation key immediately? Order with Click&Buy or PayPal
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