In my Chess Questions Answered video this week, I looked at some developments in the London System since the days of my Chessbase videos on it. As with all openings, the exposion of information and analytical methods, most notably strong engines, has changed and developed the theory quite a bit. What used to be a nice way to get a playable position is now littered with theoretical mines.
This is also the case with other solid openings, but there are usually ways to just get a playable position. In one way the effect of high powered engines has been good, as the most ambitious openings are petering out to a draw or dull equality, why not have play something in which you just trundle your pieces out?
Are there top players who are using this approach? Well Magnus Carlsen is for starters, and he's played some really oddball stuff, especially at faster time limits. An example of this is his choice of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.a4 in a couple of games, another is 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 intending 3.e5 Nh5. One thing we need to watch out for are chess products on these lines in which the publisher claims they're Magnus Carlsen's secret weapons. They're not, but they do get his opponents on their own resources.
Training Tournaments
Here are the latest scheduled events:
Sunday March 1st, 5pm UK King's Indian Attack
Sunday March 1st, 6.15pm UK French Alapin
Video Discounts
This week's discount is 40% off buying Surviving Computerized Opening Preparation using the code 'feb27mar7'. Drawing on my experience as a player and coach, I shows different ways in which the effects of computer preparation can be mitigated so that players can just sit down and play a chess game.
Last week's discount was 40% off the Eastern Clamp Sicilian using the code 'feb20to28', and this is valid until tomorrow. This is a non theoretical approach to beating the Sicilian based on a clamping strategy, pioneered by Canadian IM Lawrence Day. It also features a refined move order developed by Mikhail Shereshevsky, a famous coach, and adopted by his students together with GMs Yuri Balashov and Victor Kupreichik. More recently it has been adopted by a new generation, including Hrvoje Stevic and Alexei Fedorov.
Upcoming Events
This is how things look right now and there's nothing new since last week. I'm hoping to get invites to the British Championships (August), European Senior Team Championships (late August) and English Senior Championships (October), but there's nothing definite as yet.
March 22nd: Manchester Rapidplay, Bolton
A local event for me with pretty good prizes. You can find details and enter here.
April 3 - 6: 4NCL Easter Congress, Daventry
I try to make most of the 4NCL Congresses because I like them so much. This one is 7 rounds, and played over Easter weekend.
April 18 - 29: World Senior Team Championships, Durres, Albania
I've had confirmation that I'll be in the 50+ first team for this one.
Have a good weekend.
Nigel
