TWIC 1344 Caro-Kann

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games

 

Mamedov,R-Solak,D

Caro-Kann Two Knights 3..Bg4

Friendship Match AZE-TUR Rd6

After 40.h5(Diagram)

Both sides have oddly placed pieces. The Bd1 supports the h-pawn from the first rank, while the Rh7 helps to hold the kingside but is itself cut off from its colleagues

What do you recommend for Black?

After 40.h5

 

TWIC 1343 Benko Gambit

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games

Chess is starting to return to normal, at least in Europe

Bauer-Gschnitzer

Benko Gambit g3

53rd Biel C-HTO 2020 Rd7

After 26..Bd4(Diagram)

White has an outside passed pawn but Black has some activity and is targeting the d5-pawn.

What do you recommend for White?

 

After 26..Bd4

Budapest Open August 21-29 2020

After so much virus drama, the Budapest Open returns

Action from 2019

Date of the competition : August 21-29, 2020.

Opening : Friday, August 21 from 2:45 p.m. in the Theater Hall

Venue of the competition:  Aranytíz Kultúrház, Budapest V. ker. Arany János utca 10.

The organizer of the competition: Budapest Chess Association

Chief Judge: IA Tamás Gyömbér

Tournament participants: players with a 2020 tournament license or foreign chess players with a valid FRD.
Players in Open “A” group can have at least 1600 Live Points, in Group “B” below 1700 Live Points. Coordination with Zsolt Korpics IO is required at the rounds.

Order of rounds: Friday, August 21 to Saturday 29. All rounds start at 3pm, except for the last one, which is at 10am. Delay time: 45 minutes.

Conduct: 9 round round match in the grandmaster and master groups. There is a 9-round Swiss system in both groups of the open competition. Program: Swiss Manager

Time control: 90 ‘/ 40 steps + 30’ play, with a 30 ”bonus time per step.

Deadlines: Rounds 1. Result against each other 2. Berger-Sonneborn
In open groups 1. Buchholz, 2. Progressive, 3. Against each other, 4. Berger-Sonneborn

Rewarding: The 1st place cup in each group, the I-III. placed will receive a medal. In the Open competition (groups A and B together) the prize pool is HUF 220,000.

Application: bpchesstournament@gmail.com

TWIC 1342 King’s Indian g3

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games

 

This game seemed one-sided but a closer look showed some subtle points.

 

Carlsen-Giri

King”s Indian g3

Legends of Chess Prelim Rd1

After 25.Nf2(Diagram)

Black has made the standard d6-pawn sacrifice but is now getting squeezed

What do you recommend for Black?

After 25.Nf2

 

 

TWIC 1341 Hungarians in Action: Pasti,A

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games features Pasti,Aron

 

Here is a dramatic win by Pasti, who scored 6/9 in the Paracin Summer Open

 

Pasti,A-Nikolic,Z

Spanish Chigorin

13th Paracin Summer Open Rd7

After 43..Re5(Diagram)

After 43..Rxe5

 

 

New Books July 2020

Lots of new titles available now from NIC

 

Think like a Machine

Think Like a Machine explores human limitations and proposes new avenues for human thinking, inspired by computer engines.

In positions taken almost exclusively from modern tournament play, the authors present jaw-dropping continuations which humans struggle to find, not due to lower human computing power, due to conceptual and perceptual limitations. In this book these “crazy” moves are analysed and categorized. If you want to expand your chess imagination, understanding and intuition, Think Like a Machine is the book is for you.

 

Playing the Stonewall Dutch

 

Black immediately seizes space in the centre and clamps down on the e4-square, laying the foundations for a complicated strategic battle.

Many players believe the Stonewall to be a substandard opening, naively assuming that the e5-outpost and bad light-squared bishop must give White the advantage. GM Nikola Sedlak disagrees, and in Playing the Stonewall Dutch he shares the insights that have helped him to rack up a healthy plus score from Black’s side. In addition to providing a complete repertoire in the main lines of the Stonewall, this book also offers useful guidance on dealing with Anti-Dutch variations and various move-order subtleties.

 

Playing the Petroff

Playing the Petroff offers an ideal solution for practical players. Swapnil Dhopade is a young Indian GM and theoretician, who presents a compact yet bulletproof repertoire for Black, drawing on the games of leading Petroff specialists such as Gelfand, Caruana and Kramnik. This book also provides plenty of guidance on how to deal with 1.e4 e5 games where White avoids 2.Nf3, with particular focus on ‘Anti-Petroff’ lines such as 2.Bc4.

 

 

 

TWIC 1340 Grunfeld Defence

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games

 

Dominguez Perez-Maghsoodloo

Exchange variation 8.Bb5+ Bd7

33rd Leon GM 2020

After 30.Qb1(Diagram)

White is simply threatening to taken a queenside pawn

What do you recommend for Black?

After 30.Qb1

 

TWIC 1339

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games

 

The IQP attack is a valuable structure. Here is an example of a typical attack

 

Nisipeanu-Yilmaz

Nimzo-Indian

Grandmaster Battle 2020 Rd1 Internet rapid

After 21..Bg7(Diagram)

The IQP underwent a transformation to hanging pawns

White wants to attack on the queenside but Black has some defensive resources like the Qd5/Bb7 battery aiming at g2 and central pressure

What do you recommend for White?

After 21..Bg7

TWIC 1338 Nimzo-Indian

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games

 

Vachier Lagrave-Nepomniachtchi

Nimzo-Indian 4.e3

Chessable Masters GpB Rd10.3

After 30.exd4(Diagram)

White just won a pawn and was counting on his king being safe

What do you recommend for Black?

After 30.exd4

TWIC 1337 Queen’s Indian

The latest issue of TWIC is now available

selected games

 

Dubov-Harikrishna

Queen’s Indian 4.g3

Chessable Masters GpA Rd3

After 46.Rg6(Diagram)

Rook endings can be tricky. What do you recommend for Black?

  • 45..Rc3 activating the rook by attacking the c4-pawn
  • 45..Kc7 securing the b6-pawn but leaving Rh3 tied to defending the h-pawn
  • something else

After 45.Rg6