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Five pieces lined up on the h-file...
06.11.2009
– ... we see in this position, where Black had just played ...Ng6-f4, attacking White's queen and rook. How would you assess the situation now?
A) The fork wins for Black;
B) White can get away with perpetual check;
C) He can actually give mate.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
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A rook ending worth its weight in gold
05.11.2009
– The European Team Championship in Novi Sad witnessed an exciting final
round in which the decision as to who would win the gold medal came as the
result of a rook ending. Vugar Gashimov, White, absolutely had to win in order
to secure the title for the Azerbaijani team. Daniel Stellwagen, Black, was fighting
for a draw. In the position shown in our diagram, which move would you have chosen as
Black? Think carefully.
GM Karsten Müller has analysed the decisive phase of the endgame
Gashimov-Stellwagen for ChessBase Magazine Online.
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The secret behind a rise
03.11.2009
– The new official Elo ratings
only tell part of the story. Pavel Eljanov is ranked there in 17th place, but
thanks to his best result in the European Team Championship (results which were
not taken into account for the November list) the Ukrainian has climbed up as
far as 11th place in the unofficial rankings. Back in April Eljanov was under
2700. Apparently the turning point was an event which had absolutely nothing to
do with chess, see "Newly
wed", after which things were on the up. Eljanov annotated two games for
CBM 132;
here is his King's Indian against Cheparinov.
Eljanov annotates
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The Catalan bishop
02.11.2009
– The Catalan Opening has one specific peculiarity: White's strategy in the
opening is often aimed at achieving a good endgame. If Black sooner or later decies to
play ...d5xc4, then he must be confident that the development of his Bc8 to, e.g.
b7 or c6 will actually take place. If he fails in this, Black frequently ends up
in a hopeless "Catalan" ending, in which the Bg2 exerts enormously strong pressure on b7
and sometimes cripples the whole black queenside (Ra8, Bc8). IM Michael Kopylov
has annotated six typical
games for ChessBase
Magazine Online.
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The desperado rook
30.10.2009
– What usually happens is that extra forces help the besieging army storm fortresses. But there is also the opposite case, when the presence of extra material actually saves the defending side, as in the present situation. If he did not have his rook, Black would be totally lost in the duel between White's remaining rook and the black bishop. But White simply cannot force the exchange of rooks:
Analysis Spoelman-Najer
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An intermediate move...
29.10.2009
– ...can completely change the evaluation of a position in one single moment. Here 34.Nc4xe5 had just been played,, and now Black inserted 34....g3 (diagram) in an attempt to deflect White's queen and prevent his pawn d4 from being taken. What do you say on this?
A) good idea, 35.Qxg3 fxe5 is forced, reducing any black disadvantage to a minimum;
B) White has a trick with a discovered attack in the e-file;
C) Black jumps out of the frying pan into the fire since d4 is falling anyway.
The solution is here, but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
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The hanging bishop...
22.10.2009
– ... was only one of White's problems here after 21... Qxg2, since Black not only threatens 22...Qxe2, but also to take the whole kingside apart.
What is the best continuation for the first player?
A) 22.Nxe6
B) 22.Rd8
C) 22.Bf1
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
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The Troitzky line
21.10.2009
– The endgame Carlsen-Wang Yue, which was presented last week by GM Karsten
Mueller for ChessBase Magazine
Online, one variation ended in the
diagrammed position with two knights against two pawns. This position is won
for the knights' side although, as is well known, two knights alone can't
force checkmate. Pivotal for victory is on which square a remaining pawn has
to be blocked, determining the so-called Troitzky line.
Since this has led
to many requests, Karsten Mueller will explain the subject once more in
detail in the following.
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Opening surveys in CBM 132
19.10.2009
– If an author himself plays what
he is writing about, this is certainly an advantage. If on top of that he has
been employing a variation for almost 20 years successfully against the
strongest opponents, then anything he has to say is a revelation.
Michal Krasenkow is the greatest specialist of the King's Indian with 6.h3. In
his three-part article (CBM 132-134), he lets you in on plans, ideas,
variations and secrets of this somewhat underrated system against the King's
Indian. Here is the complete Part 1 which deals with lines without 6...e5.
The DVD of CBM 132
contains eleven further opening articles.
Krasenkow: King's Indian with 6.h3
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Mate is in the air...
17.10.2009
– ... in this position where you are to decide which of the following assessments are true - one, two or even all three?
A) White checkmates by force after ...Rxa6;
B) White checkmates by force after ...Bxc6,
C) Black can checkmate himself.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger version of the diagram.
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Magnus' mighty knights
15.10.2009
– Magnus Carlsen's victory in Nanjing belongs to the twenty best tournament
results of all time; with white he even succeeded in winning all games (5). His
encounter with Wang Yue resulted in a complicated endgame in which, due to
the reduced material, a draw seemed more than probable. However,
Magnus' knights managed to lay so many pitfalls that finally Black
stumbled after all. GM Karsten Müller has annotated this impressive endgame
for ChessBase Magazine Online, explaining among other things what importance
the Troitzky line has here.
Endgame analysis of Carlsen-Wang Yue.
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The king as an attacking piece...
09.10.2009
– ... on enemy territory. That was the theme in this game where White, a piece down, after
49....Be8 (diagram) was facing a difficult choice. Which evaluation of the position is correct?
A) the first player must give perpetual check;
B) he decides the game with 50.Qe4;
C) he wins, but with another move.
The solution is here,
but first ponder over it with a
larger diagram.
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