Stay updated with breaking news from Alapin Variation. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Who hasn’t experienced it? You’re prepared for an exciting game in the open Najdorf Sicilian, and suddenly your opponent puts one of the seemingly countless minor variations on the board - in order to avoid the main Najdorf variations. Should you be frustrated? Absolutely not! Luis Engel uncovers the Anti-Sicilians, so you can prepare well.
The column "All in one" was introduced in ChessBase Magazine almost three years ago. The idea behind it: on the basis of a single extensively annotated game, you learn everything you need to know about a concrete opening line. In the new ChessBase Magazine #207, Igor Stohl and Tanmay Srinath introduce you to two concepts for White. One explores the pawn advance 3.h4 against Black's Fianchetto in the Gruenfeld and King's Indian; the other delves into a London System setup against the King's Indian. Take a look!
When White wants to tackle the Sicilian Najdorf Variation — 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 — very directly, 6.Bg5 is a popular choice. After 6...e6 7.f4 the rare 7...b5, the Polugaevsky Variation, leads to sharp and difficult positions. Petra Papp brings the theory of this variation up to date in her article for ChessBase Magazine #207, explaining typical strategies and motifs for both sides.
Bent Larsen is the "hero" of the new issue of ChessBase Magazine. In CBM #207 our authors — among others Emanuel Berg, Jan Markos and Yannick Pelletier — comment on their favourite game of the great Dane. CBM readers can expect a collection of 19 special encounters from the period 1956 to 1998. In addition, Mihail Marin presents Larsen as a "universal player" in his strategy column and Karsten Mueller analyses a selection of Larsen's best endgames. You can watch the Larsen-Andersson game (1982) with Jan Markos' analysis here. Enjoy!
The Alapin Variation (1.e4 c5 2.c3) is a very solid system for White. Logically, you have no chance to avoid it with Black, if you play the Sicilian. So you should be well-prepared when answering 1.e4 with ...c5. In the new ChessBase Magazine #207, Markus Ragger presents a complete repertoire against the Alapin: after 2...d5 3.exd5 he recommends the side line 3...Nf6, which leads to sharp play and completely different structures than one would expect in a normal c3-Sicilian. In CBM #207 you will also find two more opening videos: Rustam Kasimdzhanov puts the highly topical English Four Kinight...