All Databases (515)

Anti-Sicilian Repertoire - 2...e6 and Sidelines  Updated 

Welcome to the third part of the Anti-Sicilian series which will mostly cover what to play against the ever-sharp 2...e6 Sicilian and other important sidelines. In the majority of the chapters, GM Neiksans will be advocating the fianchetto of the white bishop to g2, combined with a thrust in the centre d2-d4. Although the author cannot always promise an advantage, the variations tend to be fresh and in most cases - very entertaining.

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Queen's Gambit Declined for Black - Part 1 

The Tartakower System has the reputation of being one of the most complicated lines in Queen's Gambit Declined. By playing early ...b7-b6 followed by ...Bb7, Black solves his main problem in QGD positions - the development of the light-squared bishop. Since the arising positions are very dynamic, this is a perfect variation for ambitious players.
The current database is dealing with the systems in which White plays Bg5. Before diving into the deep theory, GM Mihail Marin covers 6 structures you should know. Armed with this structural knowledge, the reader can easily understand the theory. The database contains 6 pawn structures, 18 theoretical lines and 30 interactive test positions.

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Complete Scotch Repertoire 

The Scotch Game has recently gained popularity as many top-level players have used it frequently. One of the benefits of choosing this opening is that White is taking his opponent out from his comfort zone in Italian and Ruy Lopez.
The Scotch becomes very popular when Gary Kasparov scored many important wins with this opening.

Nowadays almost all top players tried it from time to time, but Nakamura and Nepomniachti played it regularly and very successfully.
IM Ris is providing us with a complete repertoire for White which offers many new and unexplored ideas. The main tactical and strategical ideas are very well explained, but also many interesting novelties are revealed.
The database contains 15 Theoretical Chapters and 15 Test Positions.

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The Art of Exchanges 

When the main goal of our play is to checkmate the opponent's king, one of the main ways to achieve this is to reach a material advantage. Every beginner is taught to count pieces and do not allow obviously disadvantageous exchanges (such as rook for bishop or knight for pawn). And while beginners often continue despite large material imbalances, this is much less often seen among tournament players. Here the fight usually revolves around strategical and tactical ideas. Players strive for situations in which their pieces are superior to their opponents'. One of the most important tools to achieve this goal is the exchange. The famous Soviet author Gennady Nesis has written a few books about the art of exchanges, both in middlegames and endgames. They were popular in their times and can still be useful for players today. Yet if we look at their contents, we will find that exchanges are not categorized by their themes and their goals there. The current database is designed to fill this gap.

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Dynamic Play 

The dynamic phase tends to have a global character, with piece and pawn tensions all over the board and with the enemy kings only as a possible collateral victim. It does not have the linear and logical course of a combination and it is hard to anticipate its end.
While the accurate calculation is useful, it is usually impossible to exhaust the position analytically, thus intuition and understanding play a very important role.
A moment of crucial importance is when dynamic fireworks come to an end. If played perfectly, the evaluations of the end position and the initial position (before the fireworks) should be the same. In practical games, however, this rarely happens since dynamic play offers the stronger player countless possibilities to outplay his opponent.

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Complete Spanish Repertoire for Black - The Breyer System 

The Ruy Lopez remains one of the most popular chess openings, both at club level and among top players.
According to many grandmasters, this is the most complex opening in chess. Almost all world champions played it with both colours. Studying this opening will not only provide you with a repertoire but will increase your general chess understanding.
In his two-part series, the renowned theoretician GM Michael Roiz is providing us with a complete repertoire for Black against it.
In the current database, the author builds a repertoire based on the Breyer Variation. Roiz explains all strategical and tactical subtleties and proposes many fresh and unexplored ideas.

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Complete Caro-Kann Repertoire for Black - Part 3 

In the third part of his Caro-Kann trilogy, GM Firat covers the Panov Аttack, Exchange Variation and minor sidelines for White on moves 2 and 3. He remains true to his investigative approach, uncovering new ideas and reviving forgotten development systems in virtually every variation. He often seeks dynamic options, not shying away from material sacrifices to solve opening problems or even take over the initiative with Black early in the game. Some of his novelties will have an added surprise value, as the opponent has likely not analyzed them in depth, or at all. In more solid variations, he offers sound positional advice when necessary, such as which plans to follow, which pieces to exchange, and which move orders to go for and which to avoid.

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Complete Najdorf Repertoire for Black - Part 3 

The third and final database covers some of the most dangerous and topical systems against the Najdorf as well as all the sidelines. You will find a complete repertoire against the following moves: 6.h3, 6.Be3, 6.a3, 6.h4, 6.Bd3, 6.Nf3, 6.Qf3, 6.Qe2, and 6.Qd3. While 6.h3 and 6.Be3 are considered to be a mainstream theory, other moves are interesting sidelines.

In the past few years, the approach in the opening has changed a little, and people are now looking to get a playable position with interesting possibilities instead of going for theoretical discussions and long forced lines (We may want to call it the "Magnus Carlsen" effect!). Due to this new approach, White players switched to less exploited fields in order to pose new problems for Black in the Najdorf. We will see that despite those lines not being concrete or so aggressive-looking as the ones analyzed in database 2, Black should be aware of them as to avoid getting into trouble.
The database consists of 3 sections - Typical Pawn Structures, Theoretical Section and Test Section.

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Aggressive Repertoire against the Gruenfeld 

Everyone, who is a 1.d4 player encountered a problem - what to do against the Gruenfeld Defence? It is a sound opening in which Black attacks White's center from the very beginning. In many lines, the theory goes so far that many games end in a forced draw without even a single own move from both players.
In this database, GM Postny proves that the aggressive 5.h4 creates serious practical problems for Black. The author deals with many relatively unexplored position. In all the critical lines, he provides fresh ideas and novelties. After studying this database, you can play 5.h4 at any level.

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Attack 

This database is designed to develop your attacking skills. Besides explaining the typical attacking methods, true to his style, GM Mihail Marin deals with the psychological aspects as well.
This is a highly interactive product since the reader is supposed to learn through practice. At the beginning of each section, you are invited to think upon the most critical positions in the section.
The database consists of 17 extensively annotated games (divided into 9 sections) and 29 interactive test positions (divided into 9 sections).

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