Chess Stars From India

The Keymer Variation - 1.Nf3 d5 2.e3

“People did not take 1.Nf3 d5 2.e3 too seriously until recently, when online chess started becoming popular due to the pandemic, as this opening was used frequently. I discovered how venomous this opening was when I was trying to find a way to play against it with black, and to my surprise this was not easy. Vincent Keymer uses this opening in a huge percentage of his games and gets great positions and results with them. With this opening, White avoids mainstream theory, and there is more than one possibility for each move. The opening is a mix of positional and attacking elements depending on what system black chooses. I think most club-level players would not know how to effectively counter this opening.”

This video course features the ins-and-outs of the possible setups Black can choose. You’ll learn the key concepts and strategies needed to add this fantastic opening to your repertoire. An easy-to-learn and yet venomous weapon that will make your opening play more versatile. Moreover, this course enables you to practice the repertoire with the ChessBase Opening Trainer. Drilling the opening moves, guessing how a position arose or just replay the moves in your desired speed further reveal the ideas this opening has to offer. Start your journey now!

• Video running time: 6 hours
• Training with ChessBase apps -
• Memorize the opening repertoire and play key positions against Fritz on various level

Attack like a Super Grandmaster

Dommaraju Gukesh is currently world no.19 with an Elo of 2730 (April 2023). But the most amazing thing is that he is just 16 years old! How did the youngster manage to achieve so much at such a tender age? While Gukesh is a universal player, there are three qualities of his play that stand out - Attack, Calculation, and Imagination.

In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all these aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player. Gukesh explains his games in great depth, and questions are asked at the appropriate moment to help you understand the intricacies of the position. Complete games are chosen so that you not only learn how to attack, but also how to build an attack. Games include Gukesh's wins over world-class players like Rapport, Abdusattorov, Sargissian, Jones and more. At the end of the Fritztrainer, you will find test positions that help you to reinforce the knowledge that you have gained by watching the videos. These test positions include Gukesh's wins over Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. IM Sagar Shah sits together with Gukesh and asks him relevant questions that will help you gain a lot of critical insights.

• Video running time: 6 hours 36 minutes

• With interactive training including video feedback

• Extra: Model Games and Training with ChessBase apps - Play attacking positions against Fritz on various levels

Master advanced Tactics and Calculations like a super Grandmaster

Advanced Tactics and Calculations are of utmost importance when it comes to improving your chess. How do you calculate long variations and where do you stop? When can you rely on intuition, and what methods are there to choose from? Tactics are taught early and lead to serious improvement when you learn themes like Pin, Double Attack, Fork etc. as a beginner. However, after a certain level, it is not so straightforward to simply work on tactics and improve. That's the reason we have recorded the Master Advanced Tactics and Calculations like a Super Grandmaster with GM Vidit Gujrathi.

In this video course we use studies to present the different aspects of Advanced Tactics and Calculations. As Vidit navigates his way through the world of studies, you get to see a world class GM in action. When does he use brute force and calculation and when does he rely on his intuition - these are all the things that you get to learn from Vidit's video course. IM Sagar Shah sits along with Vidit and tries to break down the thinking of a Super GM in a way that it is easier for you to understand. If you decide to seriously work on the material presented here, you can be sure that you will become stronger at chess calculation.

In addition, we have carefully selected 95 positions where you will be put to the test. Try to find the right solution by playing against Fritz. This practical training will make you ready for your own games. Detailed annotated solutions are provided that will help you to take your game to the next level.

• Video running time: 5 hours 26 minutes 
• Extra: Additional database with 95 positions, Training with ChessBase apps - Play key positions against Fritz on various levels