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Coffee Break ChessGM Alexander Baburin's online newsletter |
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Coffee Break ChessGM Alexander Baburin's online newsletter |
Dear Friends!
This is the first issue of my newsletter in the new millennium and I hope that many more will follow. While I usually I try to send out CBC on weekends, this issue comes on Thursday, as I will be away from home for the next 10 days. Yet, there are so many interesting things to talk about that I could not wait another 2 weeks.
Traditionally there are many events in January, but this January is exceptionally busy. After the Hastings Congress many more tournaments finished (in Stockholm, Greece, etc) and started (match in Budapest, Linares open, match in Donetsk, etc). Undoubtedly the most interesting of them all is the Corus Tournament, which started in Wijk aan Zee (Holland) last weekend. Chess fans all over the world expect this tournament to give an answer to the following question: who is the best player now - Kramnik, Kasparov or Anand? Of course, with Adams, Leko, Morozevich, Shirov, Topalov and Ivanchuk playing, some surprises are possible too. At the time of writing (after 5 rounds) Shirov is leading on 4 out of 5, with Kasparov, Kramnik and Morozevich are on 3½. I am going to attend the event from the 19th and I hope to write more about it later. In the meantime here are some useful addresses for those who want to follow the Corus tournament: the official site - www.corusgroup.com/coruschess/home.html; mini site by TWIC, with reports by John Henderson - www.chesscenter.com/wijk2001; www.ruschess.com - comments by GMs Valery Popov and Sergei Ivanov; Internet Chess Club, with live games, some of which have comments - www.chessclub.com. Today I am also going to show a game from Wijk aan Zee.
Chess Today - the first daily chess newspaper on the Net
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I already wrote about this project in the previous CBC. The newspaper is developing nicely and our columnists - GM Ruslan Scherbakov and IM Vladimir Barsky are doing a great job. For a small fee you get news, annotated games, puzzles, interviews and lessons every day. You don't even have to spend any time getting it - Chess Today comes straight into your mail box. Feedback from our readers is very encouraging, but I am a bit puzzled as to why more people are not taking up this service ... Maybe chess fans are spoilt with free stuff on the Net, but you pay for everything - at least with your time. So, consider subscribing to Chess Today - with more readers we can have more GMs contributing to it. Our newspaper is particularly useful for those who want to make progress in chess. Many GMs receive CT and enjoy it too. Please visit our Web site - www.chesstoday.net and see for yourself why. Or read what others say about Chess Today - both at our site and in the reviews.
Here are some of them: review by Richard Palliser at the BCF Web site (December
2000):
Review on the German ChessBase site (by Andre Schulz; in German), December
2000:
Review by John Watson on the TWIC site, posted Dec. 2000:
Review at the Chess Café (January 2001): Subscription is only £14 (Irish punts) or about US$15 for 4 months. You can pay with Visa or Master cards on our secure server or by cheque. Subscribing is easy and takes only 2-3 minutes. All paid subscribers automatically enter a lottery in the end of each month with a chance to win a quality chess book, recommended by myself. In January the prize is 'Secrets of Pawn Endings' by Karsten Mueller and Frank Lamprecht. |
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Recently we opened a shop at GM Square (www.gmsquare.com). There, you can already buy chess software and one type of chess clock. Soon we will add books, chess sets and boards, more clocks and chess programs. Shopping with us is both safe and easy. We accept Visa and Master cards, as well as cheques. Goods are shipped within 2-3 working days, but often sooner. Software is shipped via airmail whenever possible, so you do not have to wait long for your order. Our prices are competitive and we have our own loyalty program, which means better value for you. If you are puzzled by euros, use this currency converter. Here are our current offers:
ChessBase 7.0. Well-tested, ChessBase 7.0 program is a great product. Here it is offered at a bargain price together with players' encyclopaedia including 3,500 portraits, 300,000 games and openings classification with 50,000 key positions. 75 euros.
ChessBase 8.0 Starter Package. This package includes the recently released ChessBase 8.0 program, Fritz5 engine, Crafty engine, players' encyclopaedia with 11,000 portraits, Big Database 2000 and three issues of the popular and instructive ChessBase Magazine. 150 euros.
ChessBase 8.0 Mega Package. This package is designed for those who want to devote a lot of time (and a bit of cash!) to their chess study. It includes ChessBase 8.0 program, Fritz5 engine, Crafty engine, players encyclopaedia with 11,000 portraits, Mega Database2000 (1,4 million games, 37,000 annotated by top players, opening classification with 54,000 key positions), Corr Database 2000, ChessBase Magazine subscription and 4 Endgame Turbo CDs. 357 euros.
Mega Database 2000. Contains over 1,4 million games from 1794 to 1999 in ChessBase standard. 99 euros.
MegaBase 2001. This is the finest games collection available anywhere in the world - with 1.7 million games from 1610 to 2000 and over 40,000 annotated games, many by top GMs. The database includes historical and modern games and has ChessBase openings classification (50,000 key positions), direct access to players, tournaments, middle-game themes and endgames. Available in both old and new ChessBase formats (on the same CD). 153 euros.
Big Database 2000. With 1,3 million games (without any annotations) this database is a good start in your study - it will certainly keep you busy for a while! 50 euros.
Opening Encyclopaedia. It contains more than 3,000 openings surveys, with a total of 470,000 games, of which 40,000 are annotated (many games are not in Mega'99). 99 euros.
Fritz 6 - The talking chess program. The new 32-bit Fritz6 engine calculates faster, plays stronger and analyses deeper. Full openings tree for perfect training, handicap, friend and sparring modes for beginners. Database with 320,000 games. Ten engines: Fritz1, 3, 4, 5.16, 5.32, Fritz6, Doctor 3.0, Comet, Crafty, EXchess. Combined with a decent database, this program is an ideal tool for studying chess, if you don't want spend more money (on ChessBase 7 or 8) just yet. 50 euros.
Fritz 5.32. The 32 bit version of Fritz5. Database with 300,000 games in new CB 6.0 format. With built-in connection to DGT intelligent sensor board and ten engines. Very good value for money and is both very strong and useful! 25 euros.
Powerbook 2000. This is a state-of-the-art tool for studying openings theory. - with 7,5 million positions, each with full statistics (moves played, results, performance, average Elo, transpositions). 50 euros.
Hiarcs 7.32. Hiarcs shows high positional understanding and a well-founded, strategic playing style. 50 euros.
Junior 6.0. Junior 6 displays formidable positional understanding while at the same time remaining tactically extremely dangerous. 50 euros.
Nimzo 7.32. This is one of the world's top programs. The special appeal is that you can adjust a number of program parameters to change its playing style dramatically. 50 euros.
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'Gambit' chess clock - attractive analog clock in a wooden case, made in Czech Republic. This solid and stable clock is ideal for both tournaments and casual play (blitz). Price: 63 euros. Warranty policy: if you have a problem with your clock, you may return it to us during the first year from the time of purchase and we will replace it with another Gambit clock. You will have to pay for postage/insurance both ways. No replacement on clocks with broken glass or other visible physical damage. |
There are many more reasons to visit GM Square than just shopping - recently we posted 4 more annotated games of Alexander Morozevich on his site and 3 more games of mine on my personal site. All these games can be viewed online. Recently we posted an interview with GM Joel Lautier, where he talks about his proposed system of the FIDE World Championship. We also have an interview with a very talented 13-years old IM Teimour Radjabov, who is now playing in the Corus-B tournament. Also, read our Chess Horoscope and add lots of rating points without any hard work on your chess! This is a tested Russian method, but no legal responsibility will be accepted should it not work for you. In that case try buying a package holiday to Burma! :-)
Do not forget about our poll at www.gmsquare.com. We ask our visitors whom they consider to be the World Champion - Kramnik, Anand, Kasparov or somebody else. At the time of writing 51 people believe is that Anand is the real Champion (about 30%), 95 voted for Kramnik (55%), 19 for Kasparov (11%) and 8 believe that it's somebody else (Fischer?!). It is a difficult question. Personally I think that Kramnik is the World Champion in that tradition, which existed in chess for a long time. OK, there were questions how he was picked, but few would doubt that the match in London was between two worthy players. Anand won a very tough event in New Delhi and India, but this is different from long one-to-one matches. It puzzles me why people regard Kasparov as the World Champion. I think they confuse the title with his dominant position on the FIDE rating list. Here he can thank FIDE, which did not (has not?) rated the match in London. I think that this is a gross mistake by FIDE, which seriously upsets the balance on the rating list. Even though FIDE does not accept the legitimacy of that match, it had to rate it anyway, if they want the FIDE rating list to be of any significance. I hope that FIDE will rectify this mistake soon. On the FIDE rating list two 17-year olds, GMs Ruslan Ponomariov and Alexander Grischuk made huge progress - the former is No. 21 in the world now, while the latter is No. 28. You can read interviews with both of them at GM Square.
On the 10th and 11th of February I will run chess workshops in the Academy Hotel (off O'Connell Street). Each workshop takes place from 11-00 till 16-00, with a break for lunch. The fee is £40. The workshop on the 10th is designed for players under 1600 rating, while on the 11th I will see players over 1600. For more details and to book your place (we have a limit of 20!), please e-mail me. During the workshops we will discuss positional assessment, planning and execution of a plan. Students will be offered tests, which we will later discuss.
Here I would like to show a brilliant victory by Alexander Morozevich from the Corus tournament.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 c5 This is rare move, used by former World Champion Vasily Smyslov about 50 years ago. Reinventing such off-beat lines is a speciality of Morozevich!
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6 d5
6 e4 cxd4 7 Qxd4 Qxd4 8 Nxd4 e6 9 Ndb5 Na6 10 Bxc4 Bc5 11 Bf4 Ke7 12 0-0 Bd7 13 e5 Nh5 14 Be3 Rhc8 15 Be2 g6 16 Ne4 Bxe3 17 fxe3 Rc2 18 Nbd6 Rf8 19 Bxa6 bxa6 20 g4 Ng7 21 Nf6 Bc6 22 Rfc1 1:0 Boleslavsky - Smyslov, Budapest 1950. After 6 e3 White gets a position from the QGA with the extra move a2-a4, which could be useful, but may be not.
6...Bf5 Black prevents e2-e4. 7 e3 e6 8 Bxc4 exd5 9 Nxd5 Nc6N 7.e3 e6 8.Lxc4 exd5 9.Sxd5 Sc6N After 9...Be4 10 Nc3 Qxd1+ 11 Kxd1 Bxf3+ 12 gxf3 Nc6 13 Ke2 White stood slightly better in Rustemov - Ilinsky, Moscow 1995.
10 Qb3 Qd7 11 Nxf6+ gxf6
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Black's pawn structure is damaged, but he gets the semi-open g-file. 12 Bd2 Rg8 13 Bc3?! Too optimistic. Now White's King gets stuck in the centre. Better was 13.0-0-0. 13...0-0-0! 14 Bxf7 Rxg2 15 Nh4 Ne5! This is the point! 16.Sxf5? Better was 16.Bc4. 16...Nd3+! 16...Nxf7 was safe, but Morozevich goes for more! 17 Kf1 Rxf2+ 18 Kg1 Kb8 After this calm move it is suddenly clear that White is lost - his king is simply too awful.
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After this calm move it is suddenly clear that White is lost - his king is simply too awful.
19.Qe6 Everything loses now: 19 e4 c4-+ or 19 Ng3 Qc6! 20 e4 c4 and Black wins. I like the line 19 Ng3 Bh6 20 Qe6 Qxe6 21 Bxe6 Bxe3 22 Nf1 Rg8+!! 23 Bxg8 Nf4 24 Nxe3 Nh3#, but it is not compulsory, of course.
19...Rxf5 20 h4 Bd6 21 Rf1
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21...Rg8+! Pretty finish (22.Bxg8 Qg7#)
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New chess stuff appears on the Internet all the time. Here are some links, which you might like to look at: www.tar.hu/chessclinic - is a new site, where Hungarian IM Attila Schneider publishes material in Hungarian, German and English. There is some interesting stuff there, for example an article about the late IM Perenyi, with his annotated games.
GM Alexei Dreev has a site now - at www.mmv.ru/p/bt/chess/dreev. The site features his photos, annotated games, interviews, etc. In English.
www.correspondencechess.com recently published a very interesting interview
with Ukrainian GM Mikhail Golubev, who does a lot of work on the Web himself.
You can read the interview at
ccn.correspondencechess.com/html/31/index.html#A9
At www.chesscity.com Eric Schiller covers news, publishes articles, instructional materials, reviews and excerpts from books published by Cardoza Publishing. If you are looking for some hints, check www.emazing.com/chess.htm, where well-known chess author and editor Tim Harding gives daily tips on chess. Many tips are accompanied with a diagram. Archives are available.
www.chess-source.com offers chess software for saving and replaying games.
Most chess fans know the famous Informator magazine (Yugoslavia). That company recently developed software called Informator Reader and now they have started a playing zone, which you can find at www.sahovski.com/fplay.htm
Enjoy your surfing!
Alexander Baburin, Istanbul, Dublin.
www.gmsquare.com
www.chesstoday.net
I am very grateful to Igor Yagolnitser for his help with this project. For assistance regarding CBC, please contact Igor at igor@yagolnitser.com. I'd like to thank Graham Brown for proof-reading this issue and creating its PDF file.
The recipient is granted a limited license to re-send this Newsletter to another in electronic form, or post it on an electronic bulletin, board or World Wide Web site, as long as no fee is charged for such reproduction. Any such reproduction must contain this license and acknowledge the author's copyright. Such reproduction does not waive any rights to future reproduction by the copyright holder.
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