  Checkpoint 
  by Carsten Hansen
  
  Reviewed This Month: Easy Guide to the Najdorf by Tony
  Kosten Queen's Gambit Declined: Bg5 Systems by Bogdan
  Lalic
  
  Magazine Review Special - Part Two: Chess Monthly New In
  Chess Magazine Schach ChessBase Magazine Europe Echecs
  
  Traditionally the summer months are the time for exams,
  vacations and opens   open chess tournaments, that is. But for
  the large group of people who don't take part in the open
  tournament circuit, the summer often means time off from
  chess because the chess club is closed. Maybe as a result of
  that, it seems that the frequency of new chess books on the
  market diminishes a bit during the summer, only to increase
  again in August and September. Whether this is deliberate on
  the publishers part or not, I don't know, but it seems to be the
  case every year.
  
  Nevertheless, I have no shortage of books to review. Opening
  books always seem to have the interest for the majority of the
  chess book buying public. This time I will take a look at a book
  that came out in the beginning of the year and one that came
  out very recently. In addition, we have the second and final
  part of our Magazine Review Special that we began last month.
  
  Easy Guide to the Najdorf by Tony Kosten, 1999 Everyman
  Chess, Softcover, Figurine Algebraic Notation, 128pp., $18.95
  
  I first became acquainted with English Grandmaster Tony
  Kosten as a writer back in 1992, when his book Winning with
  the Philidor came out. Although I at first found the title to be
  rather optimistic   who could possibly think about actually
  winning with the Philidor Defence (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6)? 
  
  Despite my initial doubts, I bought the book and found a
  number of interesting ideas. In fact, I found it so interesting
  that I not only made it an integral part of my opening
  repertoire, both in normal and correspondence chess, but I also
  convinced my friend Steffen Pedersen (at that time, soon to be
  International Master) to take it up as well. The book and the
  opening served me very well, and although I found some
  problems along the way (like you will with any opening  
  Kasparov, I'm sure, has also had his share of problems in the
  Najdorf and the Gruenfeld), they were also worked out. My
  point with the above anecdote is that in his books Tony Kosten
  manages to inspire people to take up an opening, standing up
  for it through fire and rain.
  
  Despite getting little bit older since 1992 (that happens to even
  to the best of us) and despite getting less impressionable over
  the years, the feeling of wanting to try a new opening came
  over me again when I started sifting through the pages of the
  present book. When an author makes you feel that way, it's
  because he understands how to present the material in such a
  way that you want to believe every word he writes. 
  But as mentioned above, I have become less impressionable
  (and a little stronger) over the years, so I immediately started
  looking for any problems in the repertoire that Kosten presents
  us.
  
  Let's have a look at his repertoire recommendations:
  
  1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6, and now: (1)
  6 Be3 e5; (2) 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 (other moves are covered too)
  7...Nc6; (3) 6 Bc4 e6 7 Bb3 b5; (4) 6 Be2 e5 7 Nb3 Be7 8 0-0
  0-0; (5) 6 g3 e5; (6) 6 f4 e5 7 Nf3 Nbd7 8 a4 Be7; (7) other 6th
  moves
  
  While I will not claim to be an expert on the Najdorf (I last
  played it in 1986 and played against it in 1990!), I have
  followed the development of theory just enough to satisfy my
  curiosity.
  
  Against 6 Be3 he recommends 6...e5, which I think is just
  about the smartest choice in the book. For obvious reasons
  6...e6 was ignored, White simply has too many options: The
  English Attack, or he can transpose to the Scheveningen main
  lines with 7 Be2, to mention but a few. Kosten says that he was
  tempted to recommend 6...Ng4, which is a favorite of
  Kasparov's, but aside from White's draw invitation with 7 Bc1
  Nf6 8 Be3, White could choose a different move order by
  playing 6 f3 first, and only then 7 Be3. Against 6 f3, like 6
  Be3, Black has 6...e5 which normally will transpose to the
  lines with 6 Be3. Another potential problem is that the line he
  recommends after 6...Ng4 could, with the current focus on this
  move, easily be at the receiving end of a major bust, which
  would blow the repertoire for the new Najdorf hopefuls.
  
  His recommendation against 6 Bg5 is in my humble opinion
  more questionable. The line 6...e6 7 f4 Nc6 hasn't yet received
  wide attention, which makes it suitable as a surprise weapon,
  but as the only move in your repertoire in a critical main line it
  is quite dangerous. That Grandmasters such as Shirov, Anand,
  Gelfand, Leko, Bologan and, more frequently, Browne have
  used it, does of course vouch for its qualities, but there is still
  cause for concern when you make a rare line your main line.
  Not only is it quite easy to prepare against, it is a very
  dangerous policy as you are very susceptible to busts.
  
  Since the book came out in January, it is interesting to see
  whether any problems have occurred yet. The first move that
  popped up on my computer was the relatively unknown 8 Qd3,
  getting a position which also can arise via the Richter-Rauzer  
  1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bg5 e6 7
  Qd3 a6 8 f4 (See Diagram)
  
  Nothing is mentioned about this move, although the typical
  plan with ...g5 has caused Black some headaches: 8...h6 9 Bh4
  g5 (9...Bd7!? can be considered as in Blaskowski-Schnthier,
  2.Bundesliga 1991: 10 0-0-0 g5 11 fxg5 Ng4 12 Nf3 Be7, and
  here can 13 Qd2!? be considered, intending to meet 13...Nge5
  with 14 Rg1! and if Black takes on g5 White has an extra piece
  to take back with) 10 fxg5 Ng4 11 Nxc6 (Byrne-Saidy, New
  York 1965, saw White try the interesting 11 0-0-0, and after
  11...Nce5 12 Qd2 Be7 13 Be2 hxg5 14 Bg3 Nf6 15 Nf3 Nfd7
  16 Qe3, White has the initiative) 11...bxc6 12 0-0-0 hxg5 13
  Bg3 Qb6 (13...e5!? actually leaves a better impression: 14 Na4
  Be5 15 Qc3 Qc7 16 Bd3, Rajna-Cabrilo, Kecskemet 1979, and
  instead of 16...Nf6? which allowed 17 Nc5!, Junior 6
  recommends the highly provocative 16...Ne3!?, which is
  surprisingly difficult to meet effectively) 14 Rd2 Ne5 15 Bxe5
  dxe5 16 Na4, with a better game for White, David-Fressinet,
  Cannes 2000.
  
  But 8 Nxc6 is the main line: 8...bxc6 9 e5 h6 10 Bh4 g5 11
  fxg5 Nd5 12 Ne4 (12 Nxd5 cxd5 13 Qg4!? caused Black
  problems in Panatojov-Sandler, Albena 1989, but Kosten gives
  13...hxg5! which seems okay for Black. His analysis continues
  with 14 Bxg5 Rg8 15 Bxd8 Rxg4 16 Bf6 dxe5, after which
  Kosten prefers Black) 12...Qb6 13 Bd3 hxg5, and here there
  are three options (See Diagram):
  
  (a) 14 Bf2 Qxb2 (or 14...Qa5+ 15 c3 dxe5 16 0-0 f5 17 Nxg5,
  Lane-Skrivanek, Las Vegas 1995, and now 17...Be7! would
  have left Black with better game, this line isn't given in the
  book) 15 0-0 Qxe5 16 Bg3 Qd4+ (Kosten recommends the
  untried 16...Nf4!, which apppears good for Black) 17 Kh1 f5!
  18 c3! Nxc3 19 Nxc3 Qxc3 20 Rc1 Qa5 21 Rxc6 Bb7 22 Qb3!
  Bxc6 23 Qxe6+ Kd8, with a probable draw, Arencibia-Martin
  del Campo, Matanzas 1994.
  
  (b) 14 Bxg5 Qxb2 (14...dxe5 15 Nf6+ Nxf6 16 Bxf6 Rh6,
  Z.Almasi-Leko, Hungary ch 1997, and here Tyomkin gives 17
  Qf3 as best, continuing 17...Bd6 18 Rd1 Bb7 19 Be4 as
  unclear, but 18 Bg5! Rh8 19 Be4 Rb8 20 Qf6 is unpleasant.
  However, 17...e4! seems to solve Black's problems: 18 Bxe4
  Rxf6! 19 Bxc6+ Bd7 20 Bxd7+ Ke7! 21 Qxa8 Qe3+ 22 Kd1
  Qd4+ 23 Kc1 Qf4+ with a draw), here Kosten only gives 15 0-
  0 and 15 Nf6+, while the interesting 15 c4!? is left out of the
  equation. One example is Nataf-Hamdouchi, Nice 1996, which
  went as follows: 15...Qxe5 (15...Nb4!? is horribly complicated,
  but possibly okay for Black) 16 cxd5 Bg7 (16...cxd5? 17 Bf6
  Rxh2 18 Bxe5 Rxh1+ 19 Bf1 +-) 17 0-0!? Qxh2+ 18 Kf2 f5
       19 Qa4 0-0 20 Nf6+ Bxf6 21 Bxf6 Rxf6 22 Rh1 Qe5 23
  Rae1 Qb2+ (23...Qxd5!? 24 Qh4 Kf7 has been given as unclear
  by Tyomkin, but although Black has to defend for a little
  while, he has two extra pawns, e.g. 25 Qh7+ Ke8 26 Qc7 Qd4+
  27 Ke2 Rg6) 24 Re2 Qb6+ 25 Kf1 f4 26 dxe6, and here
  Tyomkin gives 26...Bxe6 with a clear edge, but is this really
  so? The obvious 27 Rxe6 appears good for White, who doesn't
  seem to be losing after 27...Rxe6 28 Qxf4 Re7 29 Qf6, and
  Black has to pull the saving 29...Re1+! out of the hat. A draw
  is certain after 30 Kxe1 Qe3+ 31 Be2 Qc1+ 32 Kf2 Qxh1 33
  Qg6+ Kh8 34 Qf6+. But this is far from what Kosten wrote in
  his book.
  
  (c) 14 Bg3 dxe5 (Kosten calls 14...Qe3+ "...a perfectly
  playable alternative" and offers the following line: 15 Qe2
  Qxe2+ 16 Bxe2 dxe5 17 Bxe5 Rh4 18 Nf6+ Nxf6 19 Bxf6
  Be7, and Black "is close to equality", but 18 Nf6+ doesn't
  make any sense. Obviously both the knights on e4 and d5 are
  both quite strong, but the knight on d5 can be kicked with c4,
  so to exchange it only helps Black. Black's pawn structure has
  so many weaknesses that simplifications only can help Black.
  Simple and good is 18 g3! Rh6 19 c4, and Black's position is
  anything but pleasant. But Shirov's 14...Nf4! is much better,
  e.g. 15 Bxf4 gxf4 16 Nxd6+ Bxd6 17 exd6 Qb4+ (17...Qxb2
  18 0-0 Qd4+ 19 Kh1 Qxd6 20 Be4 +=) 18 Qd2 Qxd2+ 19
  Kxd2 Kd7 with a drawish endgame - analysis by
  Shirov/Tischbierek) 15 Bxe5 Rh4, and here Tischbierek-Shirov
  from the German Bundesliga 2000 varied from Kosten's book:
  16 Qd2 f5? 17 Nf6+! Nxf6 18 Bxf6 Bb4 19 c3 Bd6 20 Bxg5
  Rg4 21 Be2 Rxg5 22 Qxg5 Qxb2 23 Bh5+ Kd7 24 Qg7+, and
  Shirov threw in the towel.
  
  As you can see, with a few exceptions, Kosten has done
  reasonably well so far in the above line, however, I remain
  doubtful that the line will stand the test of time. It simply
  appears too risky. I will not go in-depth with the other lines,
  but Kosten has chosen solid lines, all of which seem to be well
  covered.
  
  The strength of this book isn't the theory, although the
  theoretical part is also very good. The strength is Kosten's
  ability to explain the opening in a way so that everybody
  understands what the opening is about. This ability is quite
  unique, and I can only think of a handful of other people who
  do it as well as Kosten.
  
  You may think that nobody can cover the entire Najdorf in a
  mere 128 pages, but that isn't what Kosten is trying to do. He
  offers a good, playable repertoire for Black. The ideas are
  explained in sufficient detail, yet without over-complicating
  the issues. If you want complete coverage of all lines, good
  luck with Nunn/Gallagher's two-volume work and a powerful
  database to bring you up-to-date. I know where I would start.
  One important issue is, however, that this is a repertoire book
  for Black only, and therefore many lines are omitted or go
  unmentioned.
  
  While stronger players may find it somewhat oversimplified, I
  find it ideally suited for most players rated up to around 2200.
  Of course don't believe everything you read (that's my point
  with the analysis given above), check the analysis, and do
  some of your own. That's will always be the key to truly
  understanding an opening. 
  
  Aside from my objection to his choice of line against 6 Bg5, I
  think Kosten once again has produced a magnificent book. The
  only question left is: what will his next book be about?
  
  My assessment of the book: ****
  
   Queen's Gambit Declined: Bg5 Systems by Bogdan Lalic,
  2000 Everyman Chess, Softcover, Figurine Algebraic Notation,
  208 pages, Price $19.95
  
  This book covers a very important subject that has been
  ignored for quite some time in English-language books.
  
  Why a publisher hasn't brought out a book on this topic sooner,
  I have no idea. It can't be because the opening isn't topical,
  because most grandmasters play one or more lines in this book
  with either White or Black with some frequency. The only
  reason I can suggest is that they haven't been able to find
  someone competent enough who was interested in writing a
  book such as this.
  
  I know very little of Lalic as an author, although I have seen
  his name on a book about the Queen's Indian, as well as on
  several Trends booklets. So the Croatian, but English-based,
  grandmaster should be competent to write a book like this.
  
  What is the aim of this book? The back cover blurb offers:
  "The Bg5 lines of the Queen's Gambit Declined include some
  of the most popular and important opening systems at all levels
  of play.
  
  "Here, for the first time in many years, a strong and
  experienced grandmaster covers all lines of this opening in
  objective fashion. Lalic fully acquaints readers with the main
  lines, and prepares them to face unusual systems and rare
  gambit ideas with confidence.
  
  "Among the lines covered are the Exchange Variation,
  Tartakower Defence, Lasker Defence, Cambridge Springs and
  the Classical Orthodox Defence, all of which have been used at
  World Championship level.
  
           Comprehensive coverage of an important opening
       system
           Written by a top-class grandmaster
           Strategic guidance for both White and Black
   
  It sounds pretty good to me, but does the book fulfill the
  promises of the back cover? Let's have a look.
  
  The first surprise was on the contents page. Under "Part 1:
  Exchange variation", chapter 1 is called "The Alatortsev
  Variation: 3...Be7 4 cxd5 exd5 5 Bf4". Wait a minute! Isn't this
  a book about Bg5 systems? Oh yes, but 3...Be7 is designed to
  avoid particular lines of the Exchange Variation where White
  is able to play Bg5 and keep the option of Nge2. Of course a
  line like this belongs in a book about the Queen's Gambit in
  general, but if you limit yourself by titling the book "Bg5
  Systems", then it doesn't belong. 
  
  A similar example can be found in Part 2 "White Plays an
  Early Nf3". In chapter 4 "An Anti-Bf4 Line". In some of the
  examples in this chapter, White doesn't even develop his c1-
  bishop until much later and plays e3 instead! A further paradox
  is that White's best, according to Lalic, in this line (after 1 d4
  d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 Nbd7) is 5 cxd5 exd5 6 Bf4!
  
  There are further examples throughout the book where White
  chooses to omit Bg5. But I think I have made my point. 
  
  In the introduction it is not clear what the book is about either.
  Lalic gives us a nice set of classical games with the Queen's
  Gambit starting with Zukertort-Steinitz, New York Wch (19)
  1886, and ending with two games between Karpov and
  Kasparov from their matches in 1984/85 and 1986. The
  annotations are not particularly in-depth, and while the games
  are of some interest, the presentation appears lackluster. 
  
  Next follows 17 chapters divided into 4 parts: Exchange
  Variations, White Plays an Early Nf3, 4 Bg5: Deviations for
  Both Sides and Main Lines.
  
  Each chapter consists of a number of annotated games. Each
  game usually covers a main line, while the side lines are
  covered in the annotations. But not everything is covered,
  mentioned or explained. One such example can be found in
  game 55 (on page 105), Cebalo-Yudasin, Bern 1989: 1 d4 Nf6
  2 Nf3 e6 3 c4 d5 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 e4 Bb4 6 Bg5 c5 7 e5 h6!?. To
  Black's last move he comments: "I prefer this to the older
  7...cxd4, which requires a huge amount of knowledge in the
  wild variations such as 8 Qa4+ (or 8 Nxd4 Qa5 9 exf6 Bxc3+
  10 bxc3 Qxg5 11 fxg7 Qxg7 12 Qd2) 8...Nc6 9 0-0-0 Bd7 10
  Ne4 Be7 11 exf6 gxf6 12 Bh4 Rc8 13 Kb1 Na5 14 Qc2 e5,
  etc." Why is it that he prefers 7...h6? Is it because 7...cxd4
  requires a huge amount of knowledge, or is it because it's an
  inferior move? Is it space limitations or could it be laziness? I
  don't know.
  
  Examples like that can be found throughout the book. I find
  them annoying, because he teases us, but then decides not to
  tell to us anyway. This doesn't make the book comprehensive,
  but more like 'as observed by Lalic'.
  
  But while I have given my points of criticism above, there is
  certainly a lot to praise in this book. First of all, there is Lalic's
  willingness to offer his own opinion about every single line in
  the book. Original pieces of analysis, improvements and
  suggestions can be found in abundance in this book. People
  who read Checkpoint regularly know that I value this highly. A
  book can be clumsily written, but if the author has put in a real
  effort in offering new material and his own analysis, he gets a
  plus in my book.
  
  Another thing is that he has plenty of narrative explanations
  throughout the book, assessing positions and general ideas.
  This makes the book useful for a larger group of people. While
  everybody may not understand every single move that is
  quoted, the explanations give you some guidance about what to
  pay attention to and which plans to follow in a given position.
  
  While I find this book somewhat mislabeled, it has a lot of
  genuine qualities that I enjoy, and therefore it makes it easy for
  me to recommend this book to players rated from around 1700
  up to around 2200-2300; stronger players may also find it
  useful.
  
  My assessment of the book: **** 
  
  Magazine Review Special - Part Two
  
  Three murders, five assaults, two house fires, one car chase, a
  three-year-old boy who can play the piano and a dog that can
  call 911. That was the contents of the nightly news a few
  nights ago on one of my local TV-stations here in Los Angeles. 
  
  If you think that the above makes for interesting viewing, then
  you are of a different opinion than me. Therefore I'm pleased to
  announce that for the second month running, I have been able
  to get my news from other sources: some of the finest
  European chess magazines around. I doubt I have missed much
  on TV, because the same news will be on tomorrow and a
  week from now; only the names will be different.
  
  Before I proceed, I remind everyone that if you know of a great
  magazine (you could be the editor, a subscriber, or somebody
  else who likes good chess magazines), please let us know at
  hwr@chesscafe.com.
  
  Chess Monthly (Great Britain) - Editors Malcolm Pein
  (executive) & Jimmy Adams - 12 issues/year - A4-size -
  English language - Basic Subscription US$ 70.00/ 44.95 - E-
  mail: chesscentre@easynet.co.uk - Website: www.chess.co.uk
  
  Before I arrived in England in October 1997, I was familiar
  with only two British chess magazines: British Chess
  Magazine (which I reviewed last month) and the highly
  humorous and provocative Kingpin, which is published with
  some irregularity.
  
  So which magazine did I choose to subscribe to? Chess
  Monthly! I had of course asked my new English chess friends,
  and all suggested Chess Monthly (CM).
  
  What makes CM a good magazine? I can think of a number of
  things. First, there are excellent contributors such as John
  Emms, Daniel King, Andrew Martin, Jonathan Rowson and
  Chris Ward. Second, there are not too many regular columns
  (such as in Chess Life, which I reviewed last month). The ones
  I have noticed are: How Good is Your Chess? (Daniel King),
  How Bad is Your Chess? (Chris Baker), Internet Diary
  (C.P.Ravilious), Find the Winning Moves, Bits and Pieces
  (Andrew Martin), Addicts' Corner (Mike Fox & Richard
  James), Collectors' Corner (Gareth Williams) & Problem
  Album (Comins Mansfield), of which not all of can found in
  each issue.
  
  Third, great humor. I don't think that in any other country in
  the world you are able to find as many chess magazines with
  such a positive, let's-have-some-fun attitude as you can in
  England. Our British friends can make almost any topic an
  amusing read. Please don't misunderstand me, the quality is
  high and the magazine also covers serious topics. But a solid
  dose of humor is often added, articles such as Addicts' Corner
  are pure lighthearted entertainment. Addicts' Corner can best
  be described as a satirical version of Edward Winter's Chess
  Notes in New In Chess crossed with Tim Krabbe's Chess
  Curiousities. Their comments and findings refer to the lighter
  side of chess. Here is an example under the heading Yet
  Another Record: " Gregory Dighton becomes the world's
  youngest player ever to achieve a GM norm. Gregory is three.
  The GM norm is courtesy of FARCE, and the lad (son of
  Warley Quinborne's board two) gets it for his intelligent
  contribution to our Name That Piece series (Addicts' Corner
  last month). Greg got all the pieces right (give or take your
  views of calling a knight 'a horsy'); but when it came to the
  pawns, he said with unerring logic: 'Oh, those! They are the
  different ones.'" 
  
  Another example from the same issue: "Pawn Structure - The
  saddies amongst you who are Fifteen to One [British TV-show]
  addicts will have noted that a recent winner, when asked 'How
  many pawns are on the board at the beginning of a chess
  game?' came back quick as a flash with: 'Twenty four'."
  Maybe it's a bit silly, but between all the seriousness of chess,
  people need to laugh, and laughs are a plentiful commodity
  when reading Addicts' Corner.
  
  CM, being a British magazine, covers all major (and many
  minor) tournaments and events in the British Isles, many
  tournaments with British participants from the rest of the
  World as well as most high-category events. Their tournament
  reports are insightful, funny and well-written. The same goes
  for the game annotations, which are also first-rate, although it
  isn't always 100% clear who's annotating. 
  
  There is one thing that I really don't like about CM, and that is
  the book reviews. Pretty much every review is favorable. That
  makes them look more like advertisements rather than giving
  the reader an objective point of view (although book reviews
  often are anything but objective). Of course it makes sense to
  say something good about the books when you also have a
  chess store where you sell them. But more honest opinions are
  definitely needed.
  
  Last month I reviewed British Chess Magazine (BCM), which
  is a competitor to CM. Even after having thought about it for a
  while, I haven't been able to make my mind up which I like
  better. My feeling is though, that BCM is a little more serious
  than CM, but CM is the most fun.
  
  My assessment of the magazine: **** 
  
  New In Chess (Netherlands) - Editors Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam
  (in-chief), Jan Timman (in-chief) & Rene Olthof - 8 issues/year
  - Size: 6.5" x 9.5" - English language - Basic Subscription $
  88.00/ 42.00 - E-mail: nic@newinchess.com - Website:
  www.newinchess.com
  
  New In Chess (NIC) started back in 1982, after having made a
  run over several years in Dutch under the name Schaakbulletin.
  The ambition level was high back then and it still is. 
  
  The magazines does not have a lot of regular features, although
  Hans Ree's articles on various aspects of chess, editor Dirk Jan
  ten Geuzendam's interviews, Matthew Sadler's book reviews
  and Edward Winter's Chess Notes are worthy inclusions in any
  chess magazine anywhere. Even if all the other articles were
  rubbish, these articles alone would make the magazine worth
  buying. No compromises on quality have been made and all
  columns seem to be given the space they need.
  
  Fortunately the remainder of the magazine isn't rubbish. Au
  contraire! Usually written by some of the strongest players in
  the world or by the editors themselves, every one of them has
  the stamp of quality on it. 
  
  The game annotations are in a league of their own. Name any
  top player in the world and chances are that he or she at some
  stage has contributed annotations to one or more of their
  games. This commands respect. Not every magazine may
  claim to have game annotations by Kramnik, Anand, Leko,
  Morozevich, Timman, van Wely and Piket to name but a few
  in a recent issue.
  
  High quality reading is what it is. Nothing beats reading the
  world class players own opinion about their games. 
  
  NIC is considered by many the best chess magazine in the
  world. I only partly agree with this because with its high
  quality of games and articles, there is virtually nothing for
  novices.
  
  While there isn't a lot material presented with weaker players
  in mind, there is plenty of other material. Tournament reports,
  historical articles, interviews with some of the most familiar
  faces in top chess, opening theory, articles on endgames and
  crucial encounters of the past, provoking views and much
  more. This is why NIC is so highly regarded around the world.
  The articles are written by the many of the best players and
  writers in chess. And as you work your way through every
  issue, you feel enlightened and inspired to reach new levels
  yourself.
  
  Let's take a look at some of the more regular features. 
  
  Dutch grandmaster Hans Ree is undoubtedly one of the best to
  write about chess and chess-related matters. His views are
  often thought-provoking and insightful, always colorful and
  never boring. Ree has a lot of fans around the world, and I
  must admit to being one of them. Hans Ree also writes here at
  The Chess Cafe, and should you be interested in more articles
  by Ree, I can highly recommend his book The Human Comedy
  of Chess.
  
  The interviews by ten Geuzendam have become one of the
  trademarks of NIC. He never seems afraid to ask any kind of
  question. In recent issues he has interviewed Karpov, Piket,
  and more interestingly Petra Kortchnoi (Leeuwerik). Going
  back over the years he has interviewed almost everybody you
  can think of. But ten Geuzendam doesn't only concentrate on
  the interviews. His tournament reports, mainly from Dutch
  tournaments, are always first rate. 
  
  Sadler on Books is a relatively recent inclusion in NIC. So far
  his reviews have been insightful (at least in my opinion), but I
  wish he would have a little more space to cover a few more
  books. Hopefully he will be granted this over time.
  
Edward Winter's Chess Notes is an eclectic mix of new and old.
Winter points out interesting facts, coincidences, quotes, etc. that he
finds in a great variety of sources. He is also vigilant about
correcting mistakes, misspellings, incorrect dates, locations of
particular games and the like that he comes across. Some people
may not like this very much, but that is probably because they have
a problem with accuracy themselves. I think it makes very
interesting reading material as it helps us to have an accurate record
of what actually took place and when.

I personally enjoy it when Winter concentrates on the
'archaeological' side of his research, because I find that it is where
he is truly at his best, and I wish that he would give this a higher
preference compared to other topics. The number of important
discoveries that have seen the light of day in his column is very
high, and that is what makes Chess Notes indispensable. While I
think some of the notes are of genuine interest (at least to me), other
things seem to be included because Winter alone finds them
interesting. But it's difficult to point the finger at what exactly
should be excluded. What one person dislikes may just be another's
cup of tea.
  
  Co-editor Jan Timman isn't just known as a world class chess
  player, he can also be a fabulous analyst (his game collections
  are highly recommended to anybody who is serious about
  improving). In addition, I particularly look forward to his
  endgame analysis. Having someone like Timman explain the
  subtleties of an endgame can only enrich your understanding of
  chess. 
  
  Once in while, Genna Sosonko, co-editor of the NIC
  Yearbooks, writes an article about a chess personality from the
  former Soviet Union. His articles about Koblenz, Vitolinsh,
  Smyslov and several others are really fascinating and I wish he
  could find the time to write an article for each issue.
  
  New In Chess is a fantastic magazine, there is absolute no
  question about that. The list of contributors is unparalleled and
  beyond comparison with any other magazine in the world. For
  the serious chess player there is probably not a better choice
  and for the rest of us there is plenty of superb material. 
  
  My assessment of the magazine: ***** 
  
  Schach (Germany) - Editors: Raj Tischbierek, Sibylle Heyme
  & Dirk Poldauf - 12 issues/year - Size: 6.5" x 9.3" - German
  language - Basic Subscription DEM 96.00 - E-mail:
  redaktion_schach@compuserve.com - Website:
  www.zeitschriftschach.de
  
  I first got acquainted with Schach in 1991 when I was
  travelling back and forth through Europe as a full-time
  chessplayer. Most train trips from Denmark (where I come
  from) to the rest of Europe make a stop in either Berlin or
  Hamburg. It was on one of those stops in Hamburg I first
  found Schach on the shelves of a news stand. Back then the
  Nf3+Rb1 line in the exchange variation of the Gruenfeld (1 d4
  Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7 7
  Nf3 c5 8 Rb1) all the rage. In Schach I found my key to the
  line, because Khalifman (who at the time had just moved to
  Germany) was covering the line in a series of articles. This of
  course made it logical for me to continue buying the
  magazines, and even after I finished my 'career', I had Steffen
  Pedersen buy the magazines for me every time he ventured out
  into the European chess scene.
  
  But Khalifman's articles were not the only attraction in the
  magazine. A lot of events, mostly German, that were not
  covered elsewhere could be found in the pages of Schach. This
  still appears to be the case today.. In the magazines I received,
  it is no longer Khalifman covering the Exchange Gruenfeld,
  but Gallagher on the King's Gambit (these articles are also to
  be found in the British Chess Magazine).
  
  Fortunately the magazine is also about a lot other things. The
  main focus is on German events or events with German
  players. In particular the heralded German Bundesliga gets a
  lot of attention, because the Bundesliga is probably the
  strongest national team championship in the world with many
  of the world's best chess players participating. In Germany they
  also have a women's league, but in comparison, the only
  coverage they get is the publication of results (while the men
  have 6-8 pages in each issue). In the four issues I have handy,
  there was only one partial game and it was without
  annotations. I find it sad that when you have something as
  unique as an all female league (12 teams of six players each) it
  isn't given better coverage.
  
  Furthermore, I find that there are too many pages spent on
  giving the results, board for board in the 2. Bundesliga.
  Nowadays most people have access to the internet, and such a
  media is ideal to transmit the individual results in lower
  leagues.
  
  Another point of criticism is the number of un-annotated
  games, which in some issues is quite high. Although it takes up
  a bit more space, a few analytical comments can easily be
  included (as is usually done in New In Chess). 
  
  However, the articles are usually well-written and very
  objective. This of course makes for a good read, but the
  entertainment factor isn't as a high in this magazine as
  compared, for example, to Chess Monthly. The last part of the
  magazine contains all the regular contributions, exercises of
  various kinds (combinations, endgame studies and problems),
  miniatures, anecdotes and much more. An amazing amount of
  material has been crammed into relatively few pages.
  
  Overall, I think this is another very good magazine, which I
  would recommend to people with their German skills in place
  and who have genuine interest in German events. 
  
  My assessment of the magazine: ***
  
   ChessBase Magazine (Germany) - Editors: Frederic Friedel,
  Rainer Knaak & Andre Schulz - 6 issues/year - A5-size -
  English language - Basic Subscription DEM 195.00 - E-mail:
  magazine@chessbase.com - Website: www.chessbase.com
  
  Chess Base Magazine (CBM) is magazine like no other. The
  concept of the magazine is simply to offer people with
  ChessBase something they can't find any other place. Each
  issue of CBM consists of a printed magazine and a CD-ROM. 
  
  The printed magazine is quite thin, normally around 26 pages,
  with only a few topics covered. The most important are
  usually: (1) A run-down of what's on the CD; (2) A subject
  related to how to do a particular thing in the ChessBase and
  Fritz programs; (3) New Products from ChessBase; (4) History
  of the World Champions by Garry Kasparov; (5) A lecture by
  Daniel King; and (6) Combinations selected by Alexander
  Baburin
  
  The above is pretty much everything there is in the printed
  magazine. However, the printed magazine is hardly the reason
  why you should subscribe to CBM. For that you have to look
  on the CD-ROM which is packed with material.
  
  To give an example, I will review the massive amount of
  contents on CD # 75.
  
  (1) The main database. New games from tournaments from
  11/99 to 01/00. Most of the games are unannotated, but several
  have comments by players such as Psakhis, Alterman,
  Chuchelov, M. Gurevich, Atalik, Lutz, Wedberg, Huzman,
  Ftacnik and many others. The quality of the annotations varies
  quite a bit. In this issue there was a total of 1824 games.
  Obviously with The Week In Chess coming out every week
  with an equivalent number of games that CBM comes out with
  every two months; it is obviously the game annotations that set
  them apart. 
  
  (2) The multimedia database. In this issue it is outtakes from
  Frederic Friedel's home videos shot during Wijk aan Zee
  (WAZ) 2000. They mostly consist of the players analysing
  their games, but there are also a few short interviews and a run-
  through of a couple of the games by the players themselves.
  From WAZ there is also a shot with some of the present
  players delivering some jokes. It's quite interesting to see what
  these players look like and how they talk. Finally, there is also
  an interview with Karsten Mueller, who tells us about his new
  book on pawn endings (Secrets of Pawn Endings - an excellent
  book. A full review may be found in The Chess Cafe
  Archives.)
  
  (3) Theory. There are four topics covered in this issue (most of
  the time there are only two or three). The topics are: (a) A45:
  Black Repertoire against the Trompowsky Attack by
  Alexander Bangiev; b) D92: Gruenfeld Defence with 6 Rc1
  dxc4 by Lubomir Ftacnik; (c) C15: French Defence,
  Winckelmann-Reimer Gambit by Jerzy Konikowski; and (d)
  E09: Catalan Opening, Ba6 Variation by Zoltan Ribli
  
  The quality of these treatises vary greatly as does the topics
  which often are quite peculiar. For example, Konikowski's
  contributions seem to concentrate on rarely played openings. 
  
  (4) Middlegame. Daniel King gives lectures on various topics.
  Part of the lecture is reprinted in the magazine, but the better
  part of it can only be found on the CD. Sometimes his lectures
  are very interesting, other times more bland, when he seems
  uninspired. For weaker players there is often good material to
  pick up on, because King is a good teacher, and he makes it
  interesting to follow his lectures.
  
  (5) Tactics. Alexander Baburin selects a number of
  combinations and combinatorial themes from the games
  section. In this issue there are 29 examples.
  
  (6) Endgame. Hans Joachim Hecht presents endgames
  accompanied by some didactic essays. This is usually my
  favorite section, because his selections are quite good.
  However, I would like to see the endgames annotated better.
  Often there are only one or two verbal comments, which is of
  little use to people who are trying to learn something.
  
  (7) Telechess. This is the correspondence and e-mail chess
  section. CC-GMs Morgado and Alvarez give us a look into this
  special part of the chess world. Their English isn't the best, but
  their contributions are nonetheless fairly interesting.
  
  (8) New Products. This can also be found the printed
  magazine. It's basically advertisements for their new products,
  but it's up to each reader whether they want to open this file or
  not. But I suspect most people do; you might miss something if
  you don't!
  (9) Updates. ChessBase supplies their subscribers with this
  brilliant service. Their products are naturally being updated all
  the time. The updates include bug fixes and added features in
  their ChessBase, Fritz and Junior software. 
  
  CBM has a tremendous amount of material, not all of it first
  rate, but always of some interest and they go a long way to
  offer something for players of all levels. This makes CBM a
  good investment for people who want to improve on their
  chess skills and for those who also may want to see live
  pictures of their chess heroes.
  
  My assessment of the magazine: **** 
  
  Europe Echecs (France) - Editor: Christophe Bouton - 11
  issues/year - A4-size - French language - Basic Subscription:
  FFR 335.00 - E-mail: redaction"europe-echecs.com - Website:
  www.europe-echecs.com
  
  When we first planned the magazine reviews, I was very
  excited about the inclusion of Europe Echecs (EE). I had never
  seen a copy of the magazine anywhere, but only heard that it
  was supposed to be good. But how good is good? 
  
  The magazine is widely available in French-speaking countries
  such as France (of course), Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco,
  and Canada. 
  
  After refreshing my French (not the opening) skills, I really
  found this magazine to my liking.
  
  Why do I like the magazine? Well, first of all it sparkles with
  energy, lots of pictures, pages of different colors and a lot of
  annotated games. There is usually something for everybody;
  the articles are well-written, balanced and interesting.
  
  It sounds great and it is! As a magazine that is aiming at
  everybody, it hits remarkably well.
  
  There is a natural tendency to first focus on the French events,
  including the very strong French league, but all of the other
  major events are covered in some depth. In the articles there
  are no shortage of games, and most are annotated, but as
  mentioned in the review of Schach above, it would be easy to
  include some analytical (non-verbal) annotations to the
  remainder of the games. It wouldn't take up much more space
  and it would make the games more enjoyable for weaker
  players who may not understand all the subtleties.
  
  In the middle of the magazine there is 'a beginner's magazine',
  which covers things in more basic terms, explains about
  combinations, opening, strategy, endgames, the old masters
  and much more. I wish every magazine would do this. Many
  magazines have little or no consideration for people who are
  just taking up the game. Here it is done in a way that clearly
  explains the topic at hand.
  
  Regular features include the usual combination exercises,
  which in EE often is done by highlighting a famous player of
  the past or well known player of the present; Rosenthal,
  Gipslis, Kallai, Hauchard and A. Sokolov were the ones
  featured in the magazines I received. To me this is an
  interesting way of making a typical feature more interesting.
  
  Another thing I really like about this magazine is the monthly
  column on endgame studies. Not only do they have a number
  of studies to solve, the columns also have a lot of text,
  explaining ideas and giving annotations to the studies.
  Sometimes a study composer is featured with a number of his
  studies and something about his life. This makes for interesting
  reading. All too often in magazines, the study column shares
  one page with the problem column, leaving no space for text,
  pictures or anything else that can make it more interesting.
  
  Similarly, the problem page is excellent, not as much text
  though, but still quality material that goes in-depth. Ideas
  behind the problems are explained and some are annotated and,
  in addition, there are problems for the reader to solve. Even I,
  who take absolutely no joy in solving chess problems, enjoyed
  the problem pages in EE. This should give you an idea of the
  quality of the material presented in EE.
  
  There are also a number of tournament result pages in each
  issue, divided into French and International tournaments. Pages
  like these can be boring and monotonous, but not so in EE.
  Pictures, games, scoreboards and some text make these pages
  enjoyable.
  
  Trying to be objective is difficult when you are truly excited
  about something. One thing I will not try to hide is my real
  enthusiasm for EE. It is a fantastic magazine, which I think
  everybody should subscribe to even if they just understand
  some French (however, this is in fact needed). Editors of other
  chess magazines around the world should make it their duty to
  buy a year's subscription to Europe Echecs to see how a chess
  magazine should be published. It aims at everybody and it hits
  every time. My sincere recommendations are hereby forwarded
  to the rest of the chess world. Subscribe, you will not be
  disappointed.
  
  My assessment of the magazine: ***** 
  
  This completes our Magazine Review Special at this time. It
  has been a great experience for me, and I hope that you, the
  reader, have enjoyed it too. 
  
  My two favorite magazines in this special are Europe Echecs
  and New In Chess. Both are exceptionally good magazines,
  each with their own unique qualities. There is a big group of
  runners-up. They too are great magazines which deserve to be
  seriously considered by many.
