This Week at ChessCafe.com: Calculation Training

To make sure you receive these e-mails in your Inbox (and not a junk folder), please add "info@chesscafe.com" to your address book or safe sender list. This week's coupon code is "champions5". See below for details... Sale ends Tuesday, July 27, 2010. Click on the banner to see what's on sale!   This Week at ChessCafe.com Calculation Training Pawn endings are very suitable for the calculation of variations. Not All Bads are Equal This month's column will help identify some of the non-material big "bads." Buchholz Scores It is clear that something was wrong with the calculation of Buchholz scores. Who Dares Wins! Too much fun to put down and write the review. Amber Blindfold Grandmaster Rankings in Blindfold, Rapid, and Regular (FIDE) Play. Scarborough Fair The 1999 British Championships, Part Two Anand-Topalov IM Greg Shahade presents Game Four of the Anand-Topalov match. Book Notes One of the most important skills a chess player needs is the ability to defend a position that is under siege. In The ChessCafe Puzzle Book 3, International Grandmaster Karsten Mueller, along with International Master Merijn van Delft, examines and expounds upon the vital defensive concepts and techniques used to repulse enemy attacks. Major topics include (1) Principles and methods of defending; (2) Defending against a direct attack on the king; (3) Countering the initiative; (4) Saving the draw; (5) Passive versus active defense; and (6) Use and development of counterplay. Plus, buy all three ChessCafe Puzzle Books and automatically save $6.00!  The former ICCF World Champion Dr. Fritz Baumbach has written a wonderful book that is surely one of the best ever produced. He has been assisted by American author and grandmaster Robin Smith and Swiss author and grandmaster Rolf Knobel. The most interesting feature of Who is the Champion of the Champions? is the fact that each world champion contributes to it with commentary on at least one of his own games. We are pleased to offer ChessCafe.com customers the opportunity to save an extra $5.00 off our already low price on Emanuel Lasker: Second World Chess Champion! Simply add the item to your shopping cart, along with Jose Raul Capablanca, Third World Chess Champion, and, during the checkout process, enter the coupon code "champions5" (without the quotes) to receive an additional $5.00 discount! This offer expires July 27, 2010 or while supplies last. Weekly Puzzle Quote of the Week Black to Move/Solution Below Chess is a game of mistakes. Karsten Mueller and Merijn van Delft The ChessCafe Puzzle Book 3 Reviews in Brief Who Dares Wins by Lorin D'Costa This review was delayed for one primary reason - I had too much fun going through Who Dares Wins! to put it down and write the review. Author Lorin D'Costa is a British international master who has put together a book featuring, for the most part, one of the most adrenaline-releasing occurrences in chess - opposite-side castling. As he writes in his Preface: "This book mainly focuses on attacking, as let's face it, we all dream of whipping up an attack and delivering a beautiful checkmate to crown it all off! Of course, how to do this is another matter. Fortunately, it is possible to familiarize yourself with the key attacking formations, plans and themes to help you achieve that wonderful aim of saying 'checkmate' at the end of the game. Conversely, if you are the one being attacked, there are a number of defensive measures you can learn to help beat off the attack, and these are also discussed in this book." Each game is well annotated, with clear descriptions of the plans and concerns for each side at important junctures. Diagrams are amply provided, so that a board and set may not be necessary for most games (although GM Daniel King in his PowerPlay DVDs highly advises students to play through games with a physical board and set). Read the full review here. New Catalog Additions 1-877-91-CHESS 7/21 Learn Chess 7/20 Emanuel Lasker: Second World Chess Champion 7/17 London 1922 7/16 Who is the Champion of the Champions? (Hardcover) 7/15 ChessCafe Puzzle Book 3 7/14 Chess Informant #107 (Book) 7/14 Chess Informant #107 (CD) 7/14 Chess Informant #107 (Book + CD) 7/13 ECO A {4th ed.} (reprint) 7/13 ECO B {4th ed.} (reprint) 7/12 Chess Combinations for Club Players (CD) 7/12 Elementary Chess Combinations (CD) 7/11 Botvinnik's Best Games, Vol. 2 (restock) 7/11 Botvinnik's Best Games, Vol. 3 (restock) 7/10 Chess Endgames 5, Endgame Principles, Activity & Initiative (DVD) 7/9 Nunn's Chess Endings, Vol. 1 7/8 Beating 1 e4 e5 7/8 Dangerous Weapons: The French (Ebook) 7/7 Shirov: Guide to the Tkachiev Ruy Lopez (DVD) 7/5 Chess Tactics Level 1 (CD) 7/5 Chess Tactics Level 2 (CD) 7/5 Chess Tactics Level 3 (CD) 7/4 The Chess Biography of Marcel Duchamp, Vol. One (Hardcover) 7/3 Studying Chess Made Easy 7/2 Foxy Openings #105: Accelerated Dragon Easily Explained, Part Two (DVD) 7/1 Roman's Lab: Vol. 98, Sicilian Alapin Variation (DVD) 6/30 Smyslov's Best Games 1935-1957 (restock) 6/30 Latest Trends in the Semi-Slav: Anti-Meran (restock) 6/29 CT Art 4.0 (For Download) 6/28 Total Chess Tactics (3 CDs) 6/28 Young Marshall (restock) 6/27 Shirov: The Advance Caro-Kann (DVD) 6/26 The Life and Games of Frank Ross Anderson (Hardcover) 6/25 Mastering the Chess Openings, Vol. 4 6/24 Philip Richardson: The Stormy Petrel of Chess (Hardcover) 6/23 Roman's Lab: Vol. 96, Dismantle the Petroff (DVD) 6/23 Roman's Lab: Vol. 97, Systems in the Caro-Kann (DVD) 6/22 Power Play 13: The Squeeze (DVD)  Puzzle Answer: 1...Qc6!! 0-1 Egin-Serper, Uzbekistan, 1993 (Source: The ChessCafe Puzzle Book 3) Copyright 2010 BrainGamz, Inc. 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