4 Gruenfeld Defence books for Christmas

Consider these Gruenfeld Defence in 2015 books. We know the Gruenfeld as a sharp opening after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. Both sides play in the hope to win. You must be prepared. You need tools that help you understand how to play the Gruenfeld Defence.

Books such as the ones below provide you with good ideas to improve your play. These books give you good ideas.

My 12 days of Christmas is over, but I have more books to highlight. With this post, I return to my normal schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

1. The Grunfeld Defence, Vol. 1 (Grandmaster Repertoire 8) by Boris Avrukh
Grandmaster Avrukh covers all the Gruenfeld except the Exchange Variation 4.cxd5.

2. The Grunfeld Defence, Vol. 2 (Grandmaster Repertoire 9) by Boris Avrukh
The author covers the popular Exchange Variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5.

3. Chess Developments: The Grünfeld by David Vigorito
This provides a helpful service to update Gruenfeld players on new ideas in practice.

4. The Ultimate anti-Grunfeld: A Saemisch Repertoire by Dmitry Svetushkin
This details the possibilities after 3.f3 vs the Gruenfeld or the King's Indian Saemisch.

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Copyright 2011-2024

4 Catalan and Nimzo books for Christmas

On the ninth day of December, we consider the Nimzo-Indian, Queens Indian, Bogo-Indian, and the Catalan in chess books. In response to the planned White set-up of 1.d4 and 2.c4, Black plays 1...Nf6 and 2...e6. Black's strategy is to develop the king's bishop classically. Many grandmasters play these openings from both sides of the board. How do they hope to win? By discovering tools they understand better than their opponents. You must be prepared.

Books such as the ones below provide you with good ideas to improve your play. These books give you good ideas.

1. Grandmaster Repertoire 1A: 1.d4: The Catalan by Boris Avrukh
This is a welcome update edition of Grandmaster Avrukh's popular repertoire.

2. The Queen's Indian: Move by Move by Lorin D'Costa
A full-time chess teacher explains for you one of the most popular defenses.

3. Opening Repertoire: Nimzo and Bogo Indian by Christof Sielecki
The author provides a reliable repertoire for Black after the 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6.

4. Nimzo-Indian: Move by Move by John Emms
A famous openings expert gives his grandmaster advice one move at a time.

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Caro-Kann Mood to Fight

A fighting spirit gives you a higher rating. Your opponents do not all resign quickly just because you show up. You need to make good moves. Just let the result happen. Don't cut it short. Before my rating surged past 2000 I was timid when playing stronger players. Once I learned to not offer draws my rating went up.

George E. Fawbush had a fighting spirit and almost never agreed to draws. GEF won frequently. He lost sometimes. He always fought hard. In my Caro-Kann Defence in the 4.c4 Panov Variation vs George Fawbush, I got a good position with the 5...g6 Gruenfeld type line. White chose the sharp 6.Qb3 idea but he went wrong ten moves later. Probably I offered the draw. I imagine Fawbush agreed because he stood worse. The other issue was that this game came from a Tennessee Chess Association event where he may have determined that he was not going to win. Five years later I beat Fawbush in a game analyzed by Arthur Bisguier.

Fawbush (2200) - Sawyer, corr TCA 1977 begins 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Qb3 Bg7 7.cxd5 0-0 8.Be2 Nbd7 9.Bf3 Nb6 10.Bg5 a5 11.Bxf6 [11.Nge2 a4 12.Qb5 Bd7=] 11...exf6 12.Nge2 Bf5 13.Qb5 Re8 14.0-0 Qd6 15.g4 Bd7 16.Qd3? [16.Qc5 Nc8 17.Ne4 Qb8=] 16...f5 17.h3 fxg4 18.hxg4 f5 [18...Rac8=/+] 19.Kg2 [19.Nb5 Bxb5 20.Qxb5 fxg4 21.Bxg4 Nxd5=/+] 19...fxg4 20.Bxg4 [20.Be4 Rac8-/+] 20...Bxg4 21.Qb5 Qf6

[Black stood better when a draw was agreed.] 1/2-1/2

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Pawn Sacrifice Fischer Movie

I enjoyed the "Pawn Sacrifice" movie about Bobby Fischer. The chess was accurate in its flavor and presented critical moves. Tobey Maguire as Fischer and Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky fit great. Key characters are Regina Fischer (mother), Joan Fischer (sister), Carmine Nigro (teacher), Paul Marshall (lawyer), Father Bill Lombardy (grandmaster) and a girl ("Donna").

"Based on" movies slightly alter history to sell the best story instead of being a boring documentary. Here they built up Boris Spassky to make him a rival at Varna 1962 and world champion at the Piatagorsky in California a few years before he won the title.

Actually, at Varna 1962 Fischer drew world champion Botvinnik on board 1. Spassky was on board 3. The star was Tigran Petrosian on board 2 who later beat Botvinnik in 1963. Petrosian defended his title beating Spassky in 1966. Boris Spassky did not become world champion until 1969. In 1971 Fischer had to beat Petrosian to play Spassky.

Boris Spassky's famous crush of Fischer in 1960 and draws they played prior to 1972 did not make this story. Nothing is said of Pal Benko stepping aside to give Fischer his cycle spot. They do not mention that Fischer was higher rated in 1972. Minor details.

The movie has Fischer resign Game 1 dramatically after sacrificing his bishop. In reality, Bobby played on for a long time and almost drew it. Fischer took a lead in the match on Game 6 with 1.c4 which he only played a few times before. Boris Spassky applauded the win. Here is that Queens Gambit game.

Fischer - Spassky, Ch World (match) Reykjavik (Iceland) (6), 1972 begins 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 b6 8.cxd5!? [Both 8.Bd3 and 8.Be2 score better than Fischer's move.] 8...Nxd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 Be6 12.Qa4 c5 13.Qa3 Rc8 14.Bb5!? [The natural move 14.Be2 is more popular and scores better for White.] 14...a6 [14...Qb7!=] 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.0-0 Ra7 [16...Qb7=] 17.Be2 Nd7 18.Nd4 Qf8 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.e4! [Pawn Sacrifice] 20...d4 [20...dxe4] 21.f4! Qe7 22.e5 Rb8 23.Bc4 Kh8 24.Qh3 Nf8 25.b3 a5 26.f5 exf5 27.Rxf5 Nh7 28.Rcf1 [Fischer did not fall for Spassky's trap 28.Rf7? Ng5!-+ and Black turns the tables.] 28...Qd8 29.Qg3 Re7 30.h4 Rbb7 31.e6 Rbc7 32.Qe5 Qe8 33.a4 Qd8 34.R1f2 Qe8 35.R2f3 Qd8 36.Bd3 Qe8 37.Qe4 Nf6 38.Rxf6 gxf6 39.Rxf6 Kg8 40.Bc4 Kh8

41.Qf4! 1-0

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Fleischmann Teichmann Gambit

Andre Fleischmann writes in part 3 or 4: "Hello Mr. Sawyer, Every day I have a look on your wonderful website about the Blackmar Diemer. I learned a lot. In the Teichmann, I tried a not accurate but interesting sacrifice with the bishop on h7. Greetings from Germany and a big Fan of our Gambit, Andre"

The most popular defense against the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is to take two pawns for one with 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 and to continue 5.Nxf3 Bg4 known as the Teichmann Variation. After the normal moves 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6, Andre Fleischmann plays 8.g4!? which is an excellent aggressive approach. Against a Caro-Kann type defense, Andre gets too bold with 12.Bxh7+?! Fleischmann illustrates a valuable lesson: When your king is attacked, play carefully or you will lose quickly. Here Andre's opponent missed the correct defense and the White army came crashing through for a win.

My Blackmar-Diemer Tactics with 500 combinations and mates.

Ichsehnix (2092) - Kesaris (1959), Großer Spielsaal Großer Spielsaal, 27.05.2015 begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.g4 e6 9.g5 Nd5 10.Bd3 Bb4 11.0-0 0-0 12.Bxh7+?! [12.Ne4!=] 12...Kxh7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Ne4

14...f5? [This loses. Black is winning after 14...Nd7! 15.Rxf7 Rxf7 16.g6 Rf1+! 17.Kxf1 N5f6!-+] 15.g6 Nf6 16.Nxf6+ Rxf6 17.c3 [17.Qh7+ Kf8 18.Qh8+ Ke7 19.Qxg7+ Ke8 20.Bg5+- Andre] 17...Rxg6+ [Or 17...Nd7 18.Qh7+ Kf8 19.Bg5+-] 18.Qxg6 Be7 19.Qxe6+ Kh8 20.Rxf5 1-0

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Andre Fleischmann Huebsch Gambit

Andre Fleischmann wrote (edited by me): "Hello Mr. Sawyer, I send a few interesting games. Two are hübsch gambits against strong players. In one, I saw the small time of my opponent and moved only as quickly as possible for the win in the end. Greetings from Germany and a big Fan of our Gambit, Andre"

Andre Fleischmann wins BDG Huebsch Gambit while using the handle "ichsehnix" vs the higher rated "MihMih". This handle makes me think of women's fashion MiH Jeans. In his game notes to move 32 Andre wrote, "now, Black was down with a few seconds on the clock, so I moved only as quick as possible."

White's fast play at the end of the game achieves a win on time. In quick games at fast speeds, victory does not always go to the best position on the board, but to the player who can best play very rapidly without getting checkmated.

My Blackmar-Diemer Tactics with 500 combinations and mates.

ichsehnix (2092) - MihMih (2401), Großer Spielsaal Großer Spielsaal, 06.05.2015 begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 Nxe4 4.Nxe4 dxe4 5.Be3 Bf5 6.g4 Bg6 7.Ne2 h5 8.Nf4 Qd6 9.c3 [9.c4 Andre] 9...hxg4 10.Qxg4 Nd7 11.0-0-0 [11.Nxg6 Qxg6 12.Qxg6 fxg6 13.Rg1 Andre] 11...Nf6 12.Qe2 Bf5 13.Qb5+ Bd7 14.Qxb7 Bc6? [14...Rd8=] 15.Bb5 Bxb5 16.Qxa8+ Qd8 17.Qb7 a6 18.a4 [18.d5!+- Andre] 18...Bxa4 19.Qxa6?! [19.Rdg1!+-] 19...Bxd1 20.Rxd1 Rxh2 21.Qc6+ [21.d5!+-] 21...Qd7 22.Qa8+ Qd8 23.Qc6+ Nd7? [23...Qd7=] 24.Nd5 e6 25.Nxc7+ Ke7 26.d5 [26.Bg5+!+- Andre] 26...Ne5

27.d6+ [White has a forced mate with 27.Bg5+! f6 28.Qxe6#] 27...Kf6 28.Bd4 Qxd6 29.Ne8+ Kg6 30.Qxd6 [White seems to win a queen with 30.Rg1+! because if 30...Kh7 31.Rxg7+ Kh8 32.Nxd6 Nxc6 33.Nxf7# mate!] 30...Bxd6 31.Nxd6 Nd3+ 32.Kc2 Nxf2 33.Be3? [33.Rd2+- Andre] 33...Nxd1+ 34.Kb3? Nxe3 35.Nxe4 Nd5 36.Nd6 e5 37.Ka4 e4 38.b3 e3 39.Ne4 e2 40.Nd6 e1Q 41.Nxf7 Qa1+ 42.Kb5 Kxf7 43.Kc6-+ Apparently Black lost on time before he could find a mate in four. 1-0

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