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Reviewed this Month

Checkpoint
Carsten Hansen

Chess Developments: The Grnfeld

by David Vigorito French Winawer: Move by Move
by Steve Giddins Practical Endgame Play: Beyond the Basics
by Glenn Flear

Winning Chess Openings

(Ebook) by Yasser Seirawan

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Ebook Emporium
Our focus this month is on recent ebook releases. A couple of them were
published in book format quite a while ago, but this gives us an opportunity to revisit them. While I am generally old-fashioned and prefer printed books, I can certainly see the advantages of having books on my trusted laptop, given the restraints of what can fit on a bookshelf or in a suitcase when traveling. When comparing the user-friendliness of the different ebook formats, I clearly prefer to read the books in ChessBase format on a laptop, either through ChessBase itself or through a ChessBase playing program, as you have a far better overview, a superior view of the text and variations, and a choice of chess engines available. Of the e-reader formats, I tested the Everyman Chess Viewer and the ChessBase app on my iPad, and again I prefer the ChessBase version. Not only do I like the format better, but the ChessBase app also provides an accompanying engine (Portfish, the freeware version of Stockfish), so that you at least have some analytical support when you are going through the text. Furthermore, in the contents overview, the ChessBase app gives more game information, whereas the Everyman Viewer only gives the players. I found the ChessBase app easier to work with, and the board looks better (though my significant other disagrees with this observation); however, the buttons underneath the board are small and difficult to navigate with my fat fingers. Nevertheless, both apps are perfectly acceptable. In addition, here are some practical tips for those of us that are not so technically adept: Use an unzip utility to access the included files. If you do not own ChessBase, or a ChessBase playing program (Fritz, Rybka, Shredder, etc.), you can download ChessBase Reader free from the ChessBase website. To add the files to an iPad using a Windows computer, connect the iPad to the computer. Click on the device listed in the left-hand window pane of iTunes, and then click the "apps" tab at the top of the screen. The "File Sharing" section will list the apps that can transfer documents to your iPad. Click on the appropriate app, and then click "Add" in the documents window. From there navigate to the drive or folder where the files are located, click on the file name, and click open. The file is now saved to the iPad for future reading! It takes longer to read these instructions than to actually do them! Chess Developments: The Grnfeld (Ebook) by David Vigorito, Everyman

1000 TN! by Chess Informant

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The Complete Kalashnikov by Matthieu Cornette

& Fabien Libiszewski


Chess 2013, ChessBase and PGN formats, $24.95
There are few openings as topical as the Grnfeld these days, as all the top players seem to have it in their arsenal and new developments happen on an almost daily basis. This makes it next to impossible to play like Carlsen, Svidler, Topalov, Grishchuk, Gelfand, Aronian, Anand or any of your other favorite players, because the developments are simply coming too fast. Putting a repertoire together while using this opening is complicated, staying on top is an even tougher task. Vigorito states as much in the introduction: "Writing this book was a very different experience from my previous Chess Developments book on the Sicilian Dragon. The Dragon is very narrow and important games are played only periodically. In contrast, the Grnfeld is an opening where almost every line is important and in a constant state of flux. Add to that its popularity at grandmaster level, and one will find that there are important games every week and sometimes every day." Unlike the Move by Move series by Everyman Chess, where the theoretical
aspect of the opening is played down considerably, the Chess Developments
series focuses only on the most topical lines, dives in deep, and then moves
on. There is very little explanatory prose, but a ton of variations and game references. The material is divided as follows: Bibliography Introduction Exchange Variation: 7 Bc4 Exchange Variation: 7 Be3 Exchange Variation: 7 Nf3 Russian Variation: 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 Qb3 Lines with Bf4 Lines with Bg5 Fianchetto Variation Anti-Grnfeld: 3 f3 Index of Variations Index of Complete Games As can be seen, not all lines of the Grnfeld are included. Of course, this is not ideal, but it allows the author to focus only on those lines he deems the most critical at present and gives him the freedom to include more games and analysis than he otherwise would have if he had covered everything. The first chapter of the print version is ninety pages long, which is an indication as to how heavy the theoretical content is. It covers the classical main line: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7 7 Bc4 c5 8 Ne2 Nc6 9 Be3 0-0 10 0-0

[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp2ppbp/2n3p1/2p5/2BPP3/
2P1B3/P3NPPP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 0 10"]

This has been the subject of scrutiny for many years, in part because it appears to be White's most logical way of organizing his pieces, and it looks like it will be difficult for Black to generate counterplay, but many continuations have been devised for Black over the years. The main answer was 10...Na5;

however, these days 10...b6 and 10...Qc7 are also frequently seen. In the days of the Karpov-Kasparov matches it was established that Black has adequate compensation after 10...Bg4 11 f3 Na5 12 Bxf7+ Rxf7 13 fxg4, but it took several games to prove it. This book reminds me of an old-fashioned theoretical work where, instead of a variation tree, it provides complete games with additional game references,
analysis, and theory weaved into the game notes. For the most part, Vigorito
adds a decent amount of original analysis. There is a tendency to quote the analysis and observations of others, sometimes quite extensively, but if a game has been thoroughly analyzed by a top player, it can be difficult to provide anything original to the mix. Many of Vigorito's suggestions hold up
fine, while I disagree with some, and in several cases wish he had carried his analysis further. Many times, I was left wondering why a line stopped where it did, when things were far from clear or when the engines showed an evaluation different than what Vigorito claimed. In these instances, especially when the positions evaluated are dynamically complex, the author should do more to shed light as to what is going on. This book is not written for average players, I would say at least a rating of 2000+ is required. Those players will find this a very good summation of the current standing of the theory in the presented lines, along with some new analysis. However, given the rapid development in the Grnfeld main lines, I am afraid the expiration date on some of the work in this volume will soon pass. My assessment of this book:
Order
Chess Developments: The Grnfeld by David Vigorito

The French Winawer: Move by Move (Ebook) by Steve Giddins, Everyman Chess 2013, ChessBase and PGN file formats, $21.95
The Winawer French arises after 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4, and it is the sharpest way for Black to combat White's center in the French Defense. In the introduction Giddins tells us that Simon Winawer's "right to be identified with the line is less than wholly convincing." Blackburne was the first to play the opening (against Steinitz) and it was Nimzowitsch who did much to popularize the opening, but it was Winawer's name that stuck. The promotional blurb tells us, "The Winawer is a very popular choice amongst French Defence players. It enjoys a sound reputation and reaches positions rich in possibilities for both players. It offers Black the opportunity to enter sharp, dynamic lines, such as the notorious Poisoned Pawn Variation, as well as lines which are more strategic in nature. In this book, FIDE Master Steve Giddins invites you to join him in studying the French Winawer, an opening which he has played for over 25 years, and its many variations. He examines instructive games, covers the most important lines and provides answers to all the key questions." The contents overview is too long to list here. In ChessBase you can view the contents of the ebook by clicking on the "Text" tab or opening the "Contents" text file. The book consist of twenty-five main games, mainly Black wins, from an all-star field of players: Kortchnoi and Uhlmann in particular, with four games each, and three by Botvinnik, and two by Petrosian. Giddins knows his material very well and explains things as they should be explained. However, this book is a little dryer than those by Lakdawala in this series, as Giddins is much less chatty. From a theory perspective there is very little new in this volume, if anything at all. In reading along with a trusted engine in the background, I found there to be many moves that deserved to be mentioned as improvements or at least should have been explained to the reader in greater detail.

An interesting game from the book is the following: Byrne, R-Vaganian, R.

Moscow 1975 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4

[FEN "rnbqk1nr/ppp2ppp/4p3/3p4/1b1PP3/
2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4"]

4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.a4 Nbc6 8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Bd2 Bd7 10.Bb5 Question: Instead of 10 Be2.What is the idea? Answer: 10 Bb5 was first played by the American Grandmaster, Robert Byrne, but most of the credit for popularising it goes to England's John Nunn. The bishop takes up a more active post, exerting greater pressure against the centre (notably supporting e5, by threatening to take on c6 at some moment). Question: But can't Black just chase it away with ...a6? Answer: Indeed; White hopes that this will prove a weakening, and/or a loss of tempo. 10...Qc7 Question: So what is the point of the text? Answer: Black gets the queen out of the way of the bishop on d2, and
prepares to adopt a set-up which is very similar to one we will see in the
lines with an early ...Qc7 by Black - see Kanefsck-Atalik. The text is one of four main alternatives. 10...a6 is the most principled response, simply putting the question to the bishop at once. Byrne's original idea was} 11.Be2, hoping that the pawn being on a6 will represent a weakness for Black, but practice has not
really borne this out.(After White has also tried 11.Bxc6, but then both
11...Nxc6 (and 11...Bxc6 seem perfectly adequate for Black) ) 11...f6, play proceeds much as Timman-Korchnoi, Van Seters-Korchnoi and Suetin-Uhlmann. The b7-pawn may sometimes be a little weaker than usual, especially if Black castles short (a later Rb1 by White can no longer be met by ...b6), but it is hard to believe that Black need lose a great deal of sleep over this nuance. Question: So 10...a6 looks like a very easy and straightforward response
to 10 Bb5 then? Answer: Yes, and for that reason, it is John Watson's recommendation
for Black. 10...c4 is another principled response, cutting off the bishop from its
home base and ensuring it must exchange itself. However, as we have already noted in this book, the pendulum of opinion has swung against the commitment ...c5-c4 in many Winawer lines, and this is no exception. An excellent practical example of the merits of White's play was the game M.Chandler-V.Ivanchuk,
Manila Interzonal 1990. Chandler's opening play was frequently influenced by his friend John Nunn, and this was one successful example: 11.0-0 0-0-0 12.Bc1!

(exploiting a queen-trapping tactic to re-route the bishop to the a3-f8 diagonal, without having to waste a tempo defending the c3-pawn) 12...f6 (another bad advert for Black's set-up was the following: 12...h6 13.Ba3 f5 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Re1 Rde8 16.Nh4 Qxc3 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.Bxd7+ Kxd7 19.Rb1 b6 20.Re3 Qa5 21.Qg4 Nc6 22.Qg7+ Kc8
23.Ng6 Rhg8 24.Qxf6 and Black did not last much longer: 24...Qd2 25.Rxe6 Nxd4 26.Ne7+ Kb7 27.Rexb6+ Ka8 28.Rb7 1-0 J.NunnS.Kindermann, Munich 1991) 13.Qe1 Rhe8 (Psakhis gives as "a probable improvement" 13...Rde8 14.Ba3 Nf5 "with quite good chances of equalizing") 14.Ba3 Kb8 15.Bxc6! (this exchange was also seen in the previous note, and is a standard feature of the variation - White times the move so as to cause Black maximum embarrassment) 15...Nxc6 (15...Bxc6? 16.exf6 gxf6 17.Qxe6 simply loses a pawn) 16.Qe3 Ka8 17.Rfb1 Bc8 18.Bd6 Rd7 19.Rb5 Qd8 20.a5 and White had obviously achieved much of what he wants in such structures. Chandler went on to win a fine game, which is worth seeing further: 20...g5 21.Bc5 g4 22.Bb6! Rc7 (already desperation, but 22...axb6 23.axb6+ Kb8 24.Qc1 mates quickly, whilst 22...Qe7 23.exf6 Qxf6 24.Ne5 is also very good for White) 23.Ne1 fxe5 24.dxe5 Bd7 25.Qc5 Re7 26.a6! bxa6 27.Rxa6 Be8 28.Bxc7 Rxc7 29.Qd6 Qxd6 30.exd6 Rb7 31.Rxb7 Kxb7 32.Ra1 and Chandler won the ending.) 10...f6 is another critical try, apeing Black's best line against 10
Be2.However, as already pointed out, here the bishop on b5 exerts counter-pressure against Black's pressure on e5, so it is arguably less logical to try to attack the e5-square in this line. After 11.Qe2 Qc7 (11...fxe5? fails tactically; after 12.Nxe5! Nxe5 13.Qxe5 Bxb5 14.c4! Qd8 15.cxb5 White was clearly better in J.Nunn-J.Brenninkmeijer, Groningen 1988) 12.0-0 a6 13.Bxc6 Nxc6 14.Bc1 cxd4 15.exf6 gxf6 16.Nxd4 Black's position is a little rickety, J.Nunn-S.Kindermann, Vienna 1991. 11.0-0 0-0

[FEN "r4rk1/ppqbnppp/2n1p3/1BppP3/
P2P4/2P2N2/2PB1PPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 12"]

The game J.Nunn-I.Farago, Dortmund 1987, saw Black transpose into another c4-structure, with 11...Na5 12.Bd3 c4 13.Be2 0-0-0, but this one looks a little odd, since his knight is rather misplaced on a5 and the queen passive on c7.White was considerably better after 14.Bc1 Kb8 15.Qd2 h6 16.Qf4 Be8 17.Qg4 Rg8 18.Nh4 Ka8 19.f4 Bd7 20.Ba3 Nf5 21.Nxf5 exf5 22.Qf3 Be6 23.Rfb1, although the game was eventually drawn. 12.Re1 Question: How is this position for Black? He looks more passive than in Byrne-Korchnoi, for example, with his queen on c7. Answer: Black is very solid here. We will discuss this set-up in more
detail in Kanefsck-Atalik, but it is safe to say that Black has no particular problems. He intends play on the c-file, and also retains the chance of a kingside break with ...f6. 12...h6 13.Bf4?! 13.Bc1 is more usual here, but Black is still fine. Psakhis then gives
13...Na5 14.Ba3 b6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.Bxd7 Qxd7 17.Bxc5 Rfc8 "with

adequate compensation".As we will see later, such pawn sacrifices are a standard feature of this variation. 13...Ng6 14.Bg3 Nce7! The white bishop is not well placed on g3, and Vaganian starts to exploit
it at once. This knight usually goes to a5 in this variation, but here, it has its eye on the enemy bishop. 15.Bd3 White does not want to exchange light-squared bishops. 15...c4 16.Bxg6 The text is a concession, but as Psakhis points out, 16.Bf1 Qa5! leaves
White really missing his dark-squared bishop on the queenside. 16...fxg6!

[FEN "r4rk1/ppqbn1p1/4p1pp/3pP3/
P1pP4/2P2NB1/2P2PPP/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 17"]

Question: That's a surprise! Answer: It is an excellent move, after which Black takes over the advantage. He opens the f-file for his rooks, and prepares a later ...g6-g5, followed by ...Be8-h5, when his so-called 'bad' bishop will become a very strong piece. White stands worse on both sides of the board. 17.h4 Question: Goodness me! That looks a bit much! Answer: It is a sign of desperation. Byrne can find no other way to stop
the plan of ...g5 and ...Be8-h5, but of course, the move is seriously weakening. It is remarkable how rapidly the position has turned against White, since his ill-considered transfer of the bishop to g3. 17...Rf7 18.Qb1 Kh7 Question: What is the point of this move? Answer: A good question! I am not sure it is necessary at all, but it does not spoil anything. Black improves his king, and emphasizes that he is in no great hurry. White does not really have a constructive plan. 19.Qb4 Nf5 20.Bh2 Raf8 21.Re2 Bc6 22.g4?


[FEN "5r2/ppq2rpk/2b1p1pp/3pPn2/PQpP2PP/
2P2N2/2P1RP1B/R5K1 b - - 0 22"]

As Psakhis puts it, "Byrne loses his nerve".On the other hand, he does
not suggest what else White can do about the threat of 22...Qd8, winning the h-pawn. 22...Ng3! 23.Ng5+ hxg5 24.Bxg3 White hopes to have avoided the worst, but now the black queen switches
to the kingside, after which the game does not last long. 24...Qd8! 25.h5 gxh5 26.gxh5 Rf3 Threatening ...Qe8. 27.Kg2 Qe8 28.Rh1 Qf7 Now 29...Rxg3+ is the threat. 29.Kh2 Qf5 30.Qe7 Rf7 31.Qd8 Bxa4 0-1 Byrne had seen enough. One pawn has gone, and the moves ...Rxc3 and ...Qg4 will soon account for a couple more. Overall, this book serves as a decent introduction to the French Winawer, but once a player has reached a rating of around 1800, then more theoretical depth is required. My assessment of this book:
Order
The French Winawer: Move by Move by Steve Giddins

Practical Endgame Play: Beyond the Basics (Ebook) by Glenn Flear, Everyman Chess 2007, ChessBase and PGN file formats, $24.95
The promotional blurb, which I have scissored from the website, quotes from Derek Grimmell's ChessCafe.com
review of the printed book that this is "THE MOST IMPORTANT ENDGAME BOOK EVER PUBLISHED." We are told that this is "a new type of endgame book. A book that includes... "The most common endgames you will ever encounter. "Examinations of material balances you will reach in almost half of your games. "Over 500 pages of grandmaster advice and analysis, assisted by the latest computer software. "Forget those books which just recycle established theory. Forget those
books which concentrate on fantastical studies. Grandmaster and endgame expert Glenn Flear has created an in-depth book of all endgames which feature either two pieces for each side, or two pieces

against one - an essential area of the game that has never before been comprehensively covered in one volume. "Why is this so important? Because these situations arise incredibly
frequently in practical play. These are the endgames that matter. If you
can handle such endgames well, your results will improve. This book shows you how." The contents are divided into five major segments: Section 1: Clear Material Advantage Section 2: Only Minor Pieces Section 3: Asymmetric Struggles Section 4: Rook and Minor Pieces Section 5: Heavyweight Struggles As mentioned above, this can be accessed by the "Contents" text file provided with the database, or via the "Text" tab in the games menu. In this book, where we have 650+ game examples, studies, and other material it can be beneficial to further use the "Theme Keys" to navigate the content. This can be done by checking "Use theme keys" under the options menu in ChessBase, and then installing the small endgame key. The contents of the endgame key are generally devoted to the different material configurations and the different tactical and strategic motifs found in the endgame. Sorting the material in this way is just one more bonus of the ebook format. Flear defines the term "endgame" as a position with a maximum of one piece each, not including pawns. Positions with a maximum of two pieces each, he defines as an "NQE," for "Not Quite an Endgame," and pronounced "nuckie." As he states, "So rook vs queen would be considered as an endgame, whereas rook and bishop vs rook and knight would be a 'nuckie'; rook and bishop vs rook also comes into the latter category." While this may not be a milestone manual like those by Dvoretsky, Nunn, or Mller & Lamprecht, Flear has done a very good job at putting together a great number of practical examples that are well-explained so that the reader can get a decent grip of what is going on and what the plan should be. Many of the examples feature Flear from both the winning or losing side. Let's look at a position from the book: In the following example appearances may be rather deceptive. Gelfand-Beliavsky
Linares 1990

[FEN "8/pp2n3/5kp1/2q2p2/4p3/P7/1P2QP2/
1K5R w - - 0 37"]

Black has two pawns for the exchange and his position seems solid enough. However, his pawns are not that threatening and White's king is very safe. So the potential insecurity of the black king could be a major issue, but for this to be significant White must engineer threats with the major pieces. 37.Rc1 Qd5 38.Rd1 Qc5 39.Rd7 Qc6 40.Qd1 Ke6 41.Rd8 Nd5 42.Qb3 It's interesting that Fritz 8 prefers Black here, as it can't see anything
concrete for White. However, in practical terms Black will have great difficulty defending against persistent threats coming from all directions.

42...a5 43.Qg3 Ne7 44.Qb8 Qb6 45.Rd2 Qc6 Perhaps Black could have tried 45... a4!. 46.Qd8 b6 In his notes Beliavsky mentions that 46... a4 can be met by 47. Qd4,
followed by Rc2-c4 putting pressure on the a-pawn. If Black were to meet this plan by ...b5 then further weaknesses will appear on the sixth and seventh ranks. 47.a4! It's often preparatory pawn moves that are the foundation of active piece
play. This one stops Black's queenside advancing and enables White's king to have some wriggle room in case of a threatened perpetual. 47...g5 48.Qd4 g4

[FEN "8/4n3/1pq1k3/p4p2/P2Qp1p1/8/
1P1R1P2/1K6 w - - 0 49"]

Beliavsky rejected 48...f4 on the grounds that 49.Rc2 Qb7 50.Rc3, followed by Rb3, would be too awkward. 49.Rd1! The rook heads for h1. 49...Qc5 50.Qd7+ It's not in White's interest to exchange queens, since Black's centralized
king would then be an asset! 50...Ke5 51.Qe8 Kf4 52.Qb8+ Kg5 52...Kf3? allows a decisive attack with 53.Qg3+ Ke2 54.Rc1 Qd4 55.Rc2+ Kf1 56.Qh2, as mentioned by Beliavsky. 53.Qd8 Kf4?! The only hope is to try and create some threats of his own; for instance
53...e3! 54.fxe3 g3, when matters are far from clear. 54.Rc1 Qb4 55.Rc3 Ng6 56.Qf6 Ne7 57.Qe6 Kg5 58.Rc7 1-0 If 58.Rc7 Qe1+ 59.Ka2 Qxf2 60.Qxe7+ Kf4, White just has to avoid allowing the black pawns to become too dangerous, and this can be readily achieved with 61.Qd6+ Kf3 62.Rf7 Kg2 63.Qd5. This is an absolutely massive book with loads of good examples and good
explanations. The ebook version has an almost never-ending scroll of games,
and offers plenty of interesting and important examples to study in detail. It is an amazing bargain, both in the amount of material and the difference in price with the printed edition. So if you are ready to move on from basic endgames, this book represents a wonderful bridge to the next level. My assessment of this book:

Order
Practical Endgame Play: Beyond the Basics by Glenn Flear

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