Leconte - Les Blancs jouent Fortissimo

Le voilà donc, ce deuxième tome tant attendu - et juste à temps pour Noël. On y (re)découvre les carrières et les parties de Max Euxe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vassily Smyslov et Mikhail Tal, avec des exposés plus brefs sur quelques-uns de leurs principaux challengers (Keres, Bronstein, Geller). Comme on pouvait l'espérer, on retrouve ici un Kasparov plus impliqué, tant dans l'historique (puisqu'il s'agit de joueurs qu'il a pu connaître, et pour certains affronter) que dans les analyses. Inutile d'en dire beaucoup plus : c'est de la belle ouvrage, en dépit des quelques défauts inhérents à la formule (parties souvent très connues et parti-pris simplificateur sur le plan historique - 100 pages sur Euwe, mais rien sur Reshevsky, Fine, Boleslavsky ou Najdorf...). On attend en tous cas avec impatience le troisième tome - mais patience, aucune date n'est encore annoncée.

The Benoni is a chess opening that offers Black excellent chances to play for a win. One of the main reasons for this is that it creates unbalanced positions from the very beginning, which favors the player with a better understanding of the nuances of the position. The Benoni involves Black placing their pawns on d6 and c5, and then fianchettoing their dark-squared bishop on g7. This setup creates a solid pawn structure and puts pressure on White’s center, making it difficult for them to launch a direct attack, while simultaneously threatening the c3 knight and the b2 pawn.

The Benoni is a chess opening that originated in the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that it gained widespread popularity. The Benoni was initially viewed as somewhat dubious, as it allowed White to gain a strong pawn center with moves like d5 and e4. However, in the 20th century, players such as Mikhail Tal and Robert Fischer began to experiment with the Benoni and achieve success with it. They demonstrated that the opening could create dynamic and unbalanced positions that favored Black’s attacking chances. Over the years, the Benoni has gone through many variations and refinements as players on both sides have sought to find the best way to play against it. Despite this, the opening remains a popular and viable option for Black, offering excellent chances to play for a win in the right hands.

As a player, Ivanišević has had many successful games with the Benoni, including wins against many top-ranked players. He is known for his aggressive and dynamic style of play, which is well-suited to the Benoni’s unbalanced and tactical positions. He has been playing Benoni for more than ten years in both classical and rapid chess formats.

The book ”Benoni“ is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to master this exciting and challenging opening. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, this book is sure to help you improve your game and achieve better results. The book covers all the key variations of the Benoni and provides readers with a deep understanding of the opening’s strategic and tactical ideas. Ivanišević’s extensive experience and expertise with the opening are evident in the book, which is full of practical tips, annotated games, and detailed analysis. 295 pages

 The Parker offers a traditional Staunton chess set with a unique design and finish. It has a classic style with handsome knights that have the look and feel of the older Jaques designs. To create the black, chess pieces are actually burnt followed by the final carving and design work which creates a beautiful contrast in colors between the blackened areas and the natural golden wood colors underneath. Chess pieces are then finished in high gloss lacquer giving the chess pieces a glass-like finish. 

Zwischenzug! is the first-ever comprehensive guide to the chess tactic also known as the intermediate move, or intermezzo. This exciting manoeuvre can catch opponents off guard because it is against the expected run of play. You will learn how to spot Zwischenzugs, when to look out for them, and how to set them up in your games.

The authors have studied thousands of games and have identified the patterns that appear frequently in practical play. The book categorizes the different types of Zwischenzugs and distils them into easily accessible themes. The concepts are given catchy names to make them more memorable, and historical details and anecdotes are added throughout the book.

Included is an extensive mix of sample puzzles for learning and practice.

When published on Chessable, the course was received very enthusiastically and awarded an average rating of 4.82 out of a possible five stars. Another welcome effect is that the authors are now finding a lot of Zwischenzugs in their own games! 280 pages