Millions of free games to study
Masters and other serious players at all levels find it profitable, even necessary, to study the games of other competitors. They want to see, for example, how the particular openings that they play have been handled by professionals. Grandmaster games serve as experiments from the laboratory of real life, and the practical outcomes influence what is played later.
In the last few decades, “small” chess databases containing hundreds of thousands of games and large ones filled with millions, have been available for purchase. The hands-down leader in the field has Been ChessBase, a company in Hamburg, Germany, that has been providing services and software since 1986. The company also sells a chess program called “ChessBase” for creating, downloading, and manipulating databases.
ChessBase’s highestquality collection of games is called the Mega Database 2014. As of this writing, it contains 5.7 million games, 67,000 of which include analysis from highly skilled players. The company calls it “The largest top class annotated database in the world.” It is practically a history of chessplay, containing encounters from as far back as the 1500s. Of course, it comes with a price tag: $150.
Just recently, ChessBase announced that it is making available an online database that it will allow anyone to access for free. It contains more than 6.5 million games. Dis- cover its many features for yourself: database.chessbase.com/js/apps/onlinedb/.
This column’s game took place recently between former World Open Champion Grandmaster Jaan Ehlvest and former U.S. Open Champion Sergey Kudrin. It is a nearly perfect demonstration of how to win by almost pure positional chess play.
Game of the week Ehlvest-Kudrin Marshall Chess Club Ch. Dec. 12, 2013
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+(A) Bd7(B) 4.Bxd7+ Nxd7(C) 5.0–0(D) e6 6.c3(E) Ngf6 7.Qe2 Be7 8.d4 0–0 9.e5(F) Nd5?!(G) 10.c4 Nc7(H) 11.exd6 Bxd6 12.Nc3 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Be5 14.Rd1(I) Qe7 15.Be3 Rfd8 16.Rac1(J) g6 17.Qf3 Rdb8?!(K) 18.a3 Bg7 19.h3(L) a6 20.b4 a5 21.c5 axb4 22.axb4 Na6 23.Rb1(M) Ne5 24.Qe4 f5?!(N) 25.Qc2 Nc6 26.Nxc6 bxc6 27.b5!(O) Bxc3?(P) 28.bxa6 Be5 29.Rb6 Qc7(Q) 30.Qc4 Kf7 31.f4(R) Bf6 32.Rd6 Re8(S) 1-0
A) This Moscow Variation is the most popular way to achieve a relatively simple, playable game against the Sicilian. Also known as the Canal-Sokolsky Attack, it limits black’s responses, thereby sidestepping an enormous quantity of lines in Open Sicilian (3. d4) theory. B) The most-often played response. Two others are ...Nc6 and ...Nd7. The second was tried unsuccessfully in Boris Gelfand’s final game against Champion Viswanathan Anand in their title match when black had to win. C) 4...Qxd7 is more common. It allows the optimum development of black’s queenside knight to c6. D) 5.c4 sets up a grip on the center similar to what is called the Maroczy Bind, restricting black’s game considerably. E) A simple straightforward center takeover. F) A direct and forceful space-gainer. G) Black players have done much better with 9...Ne8. After White’s next move, the knight must move to a non-productive location. H) After 10...N5b6 or 10...Nb4, black will be constricted, but the move played blocks him in even more. I) Time to assess. White has more space, a rook on the open file, more well-placed men, and a queenside pawn majority to advance. J) Development complete. Next will come systematic utilization of his pawn advantage. K) Moving the other rook to b8 appears more natural. Perhaps Kudrin was preparing to defend against white’s upcoming pawn advance. L) Not in a hurry, White makes a useful adjustment before his pawn storm. M) Getting ready to advance further to create a passed pawn. N) Permanently weakening the e6 square in order to force the queen away. O) A wellcalculated thrust creating the passer. P) Two other choices, 27...Nxc5 28.Ne2 Bf8 29.Rdc1 Ne4 30.bxc6, and 27...cxb5 28.Nxb5, allow white almost ideal positions. Q) 29...Rc8 30.f4 Bc7 31.Qc4 Bxb6 32.cxb6 Rcb8 33.Rb1 Qd6 34.b7. R) A nail in Black’s coffin, opening up d6 for the finishing blow. S) If 32...Qe7 33.Rdxc6 Kg7 34.Rxe6 33.Rb7 catching the queen.