exd5!

19.01.2010
– Edgar Colle (1897–1932) was a Belgian chess who scored excellent results
in world-class tournaments. He died tragically at the age of 34, and is mainly remembered
for the Colle Opening System 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3. This, as Dennis Monokroussos
relates in this week's Playchess lecture,
was not what he was able to play in a beautiful game against Ernst Grünfeld.
Be there at 9 p.m. EST.

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Yasser Seirawan:
My best games
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
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Playchess training with FM Dennis Monokroussos

The Belgian master Edgar Colle is best known for the eponymous Colle System,
a placid-looking opening he turned into a dangerous attacking system. As is
often the case with the openings named for players, most of us probably know
a lot more about the opening than we do about the man who developed it into
something poisonous.

So let's fix that. In our ChessBase show this week we'll have a few things
to say about the man and see him in action against an even more notable name,
Ernst Grünfeld. Colle tried to play the Colle, but Grünfeld avoided
the main line and went for a Queen's Indian setup. It didn't matter: Colle showed
that he was more than a one-trick pony, and gave us a game of value. First of
all, he demonstrates how White can build an attack against a Queen's Indian
approach; second, he shows us what to do once the pieces are in place! Colle
won in beautiful style – but you'll have to join me Wednesday night at
9 p.m. ET (3 a.m. Thursday morning, CET) for the details.

To watch, just log on to the Playchess server at the given time, go to the
Broadcast room, and then find and select Colle-Grünfeld under the Games
tab. Hope to see you there!

Dennis Monokroussos'
Radio ChessBase
lectures begin on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST, which translates to 02:00h GMT,
03:00 Paris/Berlin, 13:00h Sydney (on Thursday). You can find the times for
different locations in the world at World
Time and Date, with exact times for most larger cities here.
And you can watch older lectures by Dennis Monokroussos offline in
the Chess Media System room of Playchess:

Enter the above archive room and click on "Games" to see the lectures.

Monokroussos in Mexico: World Championship 2007

Dennis Monokroussos is 43, lives in South Bend, IN, where
he teaches chess and has worked as an adjunct professor of philosophy at the
University of Notre Dame and Indiana University-South Bend.

At one time he was one of the strongest juniors in the U.S. and has reached
a peak rating of 2434 USCF, but several long breaks from tournament play have
made him rusty. He is now resuming tournament chess in earnest, hoping to reach
new heights.

Dennis has been working as a chess teacher for ten years now, giving lessons
to adults and kids both in person and on the internet, worked for a number of
years for New York’s Chess In The Schools program, where he was one of
the coaches of the 1997-8 US K-8 championship team from the Bronx, and was very
active in working with many of CITS’s most talented juniors.

When Dennis Monokroussos presents a game, there are usually two main areas
of focus: the opening-to-middlegame transition and the key moments of the middlegame
(or endgame, when applicable). With respect to the latter, he attempts to present
some serious analysis culled from his best sources (both text and database),
which he has checked with his own efforts and then double-checked with his chess
software.

Playchess Training with IM Merijn van Delft

Everyone is invited to join this weekly training hour on Wednesday evening.
Together we will have a look at the most recent grandmaster games. Recurring
themes during our analyses and discussions are the latest opening developments
and how to work on your own chess.

A word about myself: I was born (March 13, 1979) and raised in Apeldoorn, The
Netherlands. In 1995 I won the Dutch U16 Championship and played the European
Championship in Poland and the World Championship in Brasil. In 1998 I moved
to Amsterdam to study psychology and had a great time there. In 2003 I met my
wife Evi Zickelbein and ever since we've been living together in Hamburg, Germany.
In 2004 I made both master titles: one at the university and one in chess. Since
2005 I've been working fulltime in the chess world: training, coaching, writing,
organizing and still actively playing myself. By now I have about fifteen years
of experience as a chess trainer. Together with my dad I wrote a book
about chess training (Schaaktalent Ontwikkelen), of which the Dutch
version is already available and the English
version will follow April 2010.

IM Merijn van Delft's lecture starts at 20:00h Central European Time (Berlin,
Paris, Rome), which translates to 19:00h London. You can find the times for
different locations in the world at World
Time and Date. Exact times for most larger cities are here.
The lecture is in the "Broadcast" room of Playchess. It is free for
Premium Playchess members (50 Ducats for others).

Links The lectures are broadcast live on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!

Chessbase.com

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19.01.2010
– He is a well-known firebrand in the chess world. In Wijk he is currently playing at a 3500 level. But Alexei Shirov is also a prolific chess teacher, and his ChessBase DVDs are amongst the most popular. Take for instance one of his latest, on the Philidor Defence, a surprise opening that can give rise to extreme open and closed positions. Shirov's treatment is reviewed by a field biologist in the Yukon.

Advertisement

Yasser Seirawan:
My best games
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
More information...

Alexei
Shirov: The Philidor Defence

Review by Kevan A. Cowcill

Not having seen a Fritztrainer DVD featuring GM Alexei Shirov, I was looking
forward to viewing this one, and Shirov does not disappoint, giving nearly six
hours of material on the opening, middlegames and even some of the endgames
that result from the Philidor. The DVD comes with 13 lectures: an introduction,
and 12 analyzed games. There is also a database containing the lecture games,
complete with all the lines and variations Shirov demonstrates.

The actual lecture contents of The
Philidor Defence are summed up accurately in the publisher's advertisement
blurb which states:

The modern form of the Philidor Defence arises via the move order 1.e4
d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5. Then after 4.Nf3 Nbd7, Shirov
has introduced the pawn sacrifice 5.g4!? into practice -
and achieved excellent results with it. Accepting the sacrifice leads to a
very sharp position full of tactical possibilities. Shirov is one of the best
connoisseurs of this system, and although he has been very successful with
the white pieces in this line, he is always striving for objectivity and shows
the possibilities for Black’s counterplay as well. Who finds the gambit
5.g4!? too double-edged, can find an alternative in the tried and tested,
solid strategic approach 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 c6 8.a4.
Also on this system Shirov presents many of his own games, discussing among
other things the difficult, but extremely important question whether and when
White can advantageously proceed in the centre with d4-d5. The third system
presented by Shirov arises after the traditional Philidor move order 1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4. Black tries to solve his problems by the radical
3... exd4 now, a move which was already played by Horwitz versus Staunton
in 1846 and which recently has come into fashion again. Analysing his game
against Nisipeanu, apart from Bacrot one of the experts of Black’s way
of playing, Shirov shows how White can fight for the advantage here. Video
running time: 5h 52m.

Shirov says he never tries to give complete theory, but rather aims to show
new insights mainly by presenting his own games. There is only one game he presents
that is not his own (a blitz game between Kasparov and Azmaiparashvili). The
first four lectures and games deal with the double-edge pawn sacrifice, 5.g4,
after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.N3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7. The idea of 5.g4
originated with Paco Vallejo, and Shirov, familiar with the g4 pawn push in
the Slav, thought the idea may have validity in the Philidor too. He was able
to obtain some very satisfactory positions using 5.g4. In fact, so satisifactory
that Shirov’s original idea for the DVD was to say “…g4
and White wins”

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, things are not that simple and during
the course of lecture, Shirov outlines both the strengths and weaknesses of
this move. Still, the sacrifice can lead to some sharp positions especially
against an opponent who is not prepared, or in a blitz game.

Shirov,Alexei (2737) - Azmaiparashvili,Zurab (2693) [C41]
EU-chT (Men) 14th Plovdiv (6.1), 17.10.2003
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g4 Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3 c6
9.Qd3 Qc7 10.0-0-0 b5 11.Bxb5 cxb5 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Nxb5 Qa5 14.Qc4 Rb8 15.a4
Qb4 16.Nxe5 Qxc4 17.Nxc4 a6 18.Nbd6+ Bxd6 19.Nxd6+ Kf8 20.f4 Bb7 21.e5 Ne8 22.Nxe8
Kxe8 23.Rxg7 Bc8 24.Rd6 Kf8 25.Rg1 Rg8 26.Rxg8+ Kxg8 27.Rxh6 Nf8 28.Rd6 Ra8
29.c4 Be6 30.b3 Kg7 31.Kb2 Kg6 32.h4 Kh5 33.Kc3 Ng6 34.b4 Nxh4 35.Bc1 Rc8 36.c5
a5 37.Rb6 Nf5 38.Ba3 Ne3 39.bxa5 Nd5+ 40.Kd3 Nxb6 41.axb6 Bd5 42.a5 Ra8 43.Kd4
Bc6 44.Bb4 Kg6 45.e6 f6 46.f5+ Kxf5 47.e7 Ke6 48.a6 Kxe7 49.b7 Rd8+ 50.Kc4 Kd7
51.Bc3 Rf8 52.Bxf6 ½-½. [Click
to replay]

One of the things I liked about this DVD (and the author himself) is that Shirov
does not shy away from his mistakes, but instead uses them to teach. In his
5 g4 game against International Master (at the time) John Shaw, Shirov sacrificed
his bishop (Fig. 2), but overlooked a strong response by Black after 11…Kxf7
12 Nxe5+. Shirov expected 12…Kg8, but Shaw had another move. This is one
of the good spots to stop the DVD to figure out what Shirov overlooked.

One of the things I liked about this DVD (and Shirov himself) is that Shirov
does not shy away from his mistakes, but instead uses them to teach. In his
5.g4 game against International Master (at the time) John Shaw, Shirov sacrificed
his bishop, but overlooked a strong response by Black.

Shirov,Alexei (2713) - Shaw,John K (2445) [C41]
Gibraltar Masters Caleta (1), 25.01.2005
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g4 Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3
c6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qd3 Nh5 11.Bxf7+

After 11…Kxf7 12.Nxe5+ Shirov expected 12…Kg8, but Shaw had
another move. This is one of the good spots to stop the DVD to figure out what
Shirov overlooked.

Shirov was disgusted with his play in this game, as he was down in material
(Q vs N, B, R) and behind in development. It is this type of position, though,
that highlights the creativity and resourcefulness of a GM of Shirov's standing
– he points out numerous dangerous variations that lurked if Shaw calculated
incorrectly.

Shirov,Alexei (2713) - Shaw,John K (2445) [C41]
Gibraltar Masters Caleta (1), 25.01.2005
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g4 Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3 c6
9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qd3 Nh5 11.Bxf7+ Kxf7 12.Nxe5+ Nxe5 13.Qxd8 Nf3+ 14.Kd1 Nxg1
15.Kc1 Nh3 16.f4 Bc5 17.Qc7+ Be7 18.Bc5 Re8 19.f5 Kf8 20.Bxe7+ Rxe7 21.Qd8+
Kf7 22.b3 Nf6 23.Kb2 Ng5 (23…Nxe4 24. Re1 Nhg5 25. h4)

Analysis diagram

We see just one of the fates that awaited Shaw if he didn’t tread carefully.
That Shaw managed to avoid these pitfalls speaks well of his abilities too.
[Click to replay]

The next set of games deal with the following set-up: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3
e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 a5. After showing why 7...a5 (or 8...a5
as in Shirov-Beliavsky, 2000) is a strategic mistake (White has good development
with easy plans like b3, Bb2, Qd2, see diagram below), he analyzes other moves
and provides better options for Black. These options lead to a lively game for
both Black and White, and those who like to see "fire on the board"
will not be disappointed here either.

 Shirov,Alexei (2751) - Beliavsky,Alexander G (2640) [C41]
Bundesliga 9900 Germany (12.1), 12.03.2000
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 8.Re1
a5 9.b3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Bb2 Re8 12.Qd2 Bf8 13.f3 Qb6 14.Kh1

“I believe everybody would be happy to play with White,” says Shirov. [Click
to replay]

Shirov pauses a number of times to recalculate lines, or calculate new lines
suggested by a move he hadn’t thought about before. Not being used to this,
I thought my Chess Media Player window had frozen as sometimes Shirov just sits
staring at his computer screen, for instance when he loses his place and has
to review his notes in the Shirov-Cifuentes game. These long pauses could perhaps
be edited out both for the viewers sake, and for Shirov's sake, so he doesn't
need to feel apologetic about the delay.

On the other hand there are pauses which are instructive in that they highlight
how a GM might calculate variations. Shirov will pause, suggest other moves,
show them on the board and explain why they are or are not good. Then back to
the original position and a new variation is shown using the positional and
tactical insights gained from the first variation to improve the second variation.
As Shirov pauses to calculate this is an opportunity for the viewer to also
analyse variations to see if he or she can keep up with Shirov’s analysis (sadly,
I couldn’t, and in some instances Shirov's quick calculations and grasp of the
positions leaves mere mortals feeling a bit inadequate – or with renewed
determination to improve their own abilities).

The “extremely important question whether and when White can advantageously
proceed in the centre with d4-d5” is covered in the next set of games. All these
games are highly instructive as Shirov shows when to move d5 and when to avoid
it.

Kasparov,Garry (2830) - Azmaiparashvili,Zurab (2702) [C41]
Crete m rap Crete (1), 23.09.2003
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 c6 8.a4
b6 9.d5

It is difficult for White to gain an advantage as there are good chances on
both sides. He says that Black shouldn’t be afraid to play into this position
because there are numerous plans available. However, he recommends analyzing
the position after 10.d5 deeper as it is a good line in which to gain an advantage
as White. The above game continued:

9...cxd5 10.Nxd5 Bb7 11.b3 Rc8 12.Re2 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Nf6 15.Qd1
d5 16.exd5 Qxd5 17.Qxd5 Nxd5 18.Nxe5 Rfe8 19.c4 Bd6 20.Bb2 Nf4 21.Ree1 Bb4 22.Red1
Ne2+ 23.Kf1 Nc3 24.Rd3 Ne4 25.Rad1 Bc5 26.Rf3 Rcd8 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Rd3 Rxd3
29.Nxd3 Nd2+ 30.Ke2 Nxb3 31.Be5 f6 32.Bb8 Nd4+ 33.Kd2 Nc6 34.Nxc5 Nxb8 35.Nd3
Kf7 36.Kc3 Ke6 37.c5 Kd5 38.cxb6 axb6 39.Kb4 Kc6 40.Kc4 Na6 41.Nb4+ Nxb4 42.Kxb4
h5 43.f4 g6 44.Kc4 Kd6 45.Kb5 Kc7 46.Ka6 Kc6 47.h4 f5 48.g3 Kc5 49.Kb7 1-0.
[Click to replay]

Not being familiar with the Philidor I was slightly surprised that both extreme
open and closed positions can arise from the opening. For those who like closed
positional games, the Philidor offers it to them. If tactical melees on an open
board are to your taste, the Philidor has those as well.

The last game on the DVD is an original Philidor line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4
exd4 (in general giving up center so quickly not advisable, Shirov tells us)
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 (looks like quiet development move but there are some tactical
ideas in mind). That’s not to say this is the only game that covers 3.d4 exd4.
Shirov often previews and reviews variations so by the end of the DVD you've
seen many of the ideas several times.

The last part of his final lecture summarizes what he’s covered in the other
lectures, and shows basic positions for those who like to fight for an opening
advantage. If you'd prefer smiple clear cut chess then he recommends 6.g3 followed
by 6…d5 7.e5 Ng4 8.Bg2. Shirov says that Black can equalize here, but needs
good home preparation in order to do that against White's fairly straight forward
plans.

Throughout the lectures, Shirov sprinkles general strategic hints such as “Difficult
to win a chess game if your opponent only has one weakness, you should try to
create a second weakness”, or: “Now I definitely cannot change queens because
then with Black’s bishop pair his chances will be better”.

Shirov has done a number of DVDs for ChessBase now, but he still seems a bit
shy and still doesn’t make much eye contact with the camera. His English is
heavily accented but mainly clear and most people shouldn't have difficulty
understanding him. Even though English is obviously not his first language Shirov
also does not fill his speech with nervous mannerisms such as “uhm” or “uhhhhhh”,
which can be distracting in many otherwise good trainers. His presentations
are modest, and he mentions a few times that his views are subjective, haven’t
been tested or analyzed extensively, and that students should not trust him
completely. He’s not afraid of showing his mistakes in a game, or pointing out
where he didn’t deserve to win, e.g. Shirov-Hamdouchi, 2000, “Victory definitely
not deserved starting at move 17”. This makes his other statements (e.g. White
is better here) more reliable, because if he wasn't sure he would tell you.

Overall, I found Shirov's low-key presentation, his self-effacing mannerisms,
and his honesty rather personable. The systems he presents are a decent start
to understanding some of the strategies for the opening and the middle-game
in both open and closed positions. There are even some study-like endgame positions
covered, which are also a strength of Shirov's. If you are already familiar
with the Philidor (e.g. you have GM Bauer's book, The Philidor Files)
you probably won't learn too much new material, as it is not possible in one
DVD to cover even a small percentage of the lines found in a book. Indeed, that
is not Shirov's stated goal. If you're still new to the Philidor or wish to
learn it, this DVD is a good beginning, and with Shirov as your guide, it is
an enjoyable start.

Answer to the second diagram

Shirov expected 12…Kg8, but instead there was the queen sacrifice: 12…Nxe5
13.Qxd8 Nf3+. If 14. Kf1 Bh3+ and White loses the queen to a discovered
check. If 14.Ke2 Nxg1+ 15.Rxg1 Bg4+, and again a discovered check takes the
queen, so Shirov continues the game with 14.Kd1 Nxg1 15.Kc1 Nh3 16.f4
Bc5 17.Qc7+ Be7 18.Bc5 Re8 19.f5 Kf8 20.Bxe7+ Rxe7 21.Qd8+ Kf7 22.b3 Nf6 23.Kb2
Ng5 24.Rg1 Rd7 25.Qh8 Re7 26.Qd8 Rd7 27.Qh8 Re7 ½-½. [Click
to replay]

• Order
  Alexei Shirov: The Philidor Defence now

About the author

Kevan A. Cowcill has worked as a contract field biologist
and as a university lab instructor as well as a college professor teaching biology,
zoology and ecology courses to some wonderful students. He has experience working
in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats from the Yukon in the north down to
Mexico in the south, and numerous places in between, especially the four corner
states in the U.S. He is a well-rounded well-traveled naturalist.

The above pictures was taken after Kevan got back from a windswept island off
the coast of British Columbia. Helicopter pulled his team off during a window
in the storm, after gale force winds came through the mountains and destroyed
a metereological tower, setting a new record before the tower was destroyed..

Kevan has a particular interest in birds, tidal pool invertebrates, arctic,
alpine and desert plants and critters, the pursuit of which have often left
him cold, wet, tired, foot-sore, dehydrated but happy. Currently he is back
in the north tromping around on snowshoes tracking carnivores and setting up
trail cameras to photograph the more elusive mammals of the north.

"A highly recommended hike," writes Kevan. "Eva Lake is just
500 m or so beyond here, Jade Lake another four km." Expect more reviews
and more spectacular nature pictures, from the Yukon in the future. The last
two pictures are from British Columbia.

Read Full Post »

15.01.2010
– A new version of our pocket-sized grandmaster was released in mid December.
It contains the chess engine Hiarcs 13, about which you may have read
in our Copa
Mercosur report. The program, as it is suggested by the DVD cover, is
a complete multitask tool for training and enjoying chess. In a new series
we introduce you to this Swiss penknife amongst chess programs, starting with the basics.

Advertisement

Yasser Seirawan:
My best games
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
More information...

How to install, activate, update and deactivate Pocket Fritz 4

Installation

Connect your PC (desktop or notebook) with the Pocket PC. You will find full
instructions on how to do so in the documentation you received with the Pocket
PC (PPC). Insert the "Pocket Fritz 4"
DVD in the DVD drive of your computer. The installation program on the Pocket
Fritz 4 DVD should start automatically.

If it doesn't start automatically click "Start – Run" at the
bottom left of your screen. Type in

d:\SetupPocketFritz4.exe

("d:" being the drive letter of your CD ROM drive) and click ”OK”. 

Select the English language (for the installation):

Follow the steps of the installation procedure. In general, it is advisable
to keep the default options.

Some decisions during the installation procedure have
to be selected on the mobile device:

You can choose to install the program either on the device's memory or
on the storage card's memory if you have one. Also you may receive warnings
from the Pocket PC, alerting you to the fact that a program is trying to install
itself and asking for your permission. Simply accept it. Once the installation
is complete you will receive a confirmation message.

Starting of the program

Your Pocket Fritz 4  will be installed in the folder Programs > Games.
Select "Programs" in the stating menu in the upper left corner of
the screen of your PPC. Then tap on the folder "Games".

And now you only have to tap the icon labelled "Pocket
Fritz 4" to start the chess program.

Activation and deactivation

When you first start the program you will receive the following
warning:

This means that for the program to funtion properly in all
respects it must be activated. Your
Pocket PC must have an Internet connection available to do this (WiFi,
GPRS, HDPA, etc.) or you can connect
it to Internet while linked to a desktop or notebook computer through the Windows
Mobile Device Center.

You have to arrange the connection settings properly in order
for the Pocket PC to be able to use the main computer's
Internet connection. You can set the value "Automatic"
or "Internet" in the field "This computer is connected to".
Please, be sure to put a tick also in "Allow data connections on device
when connected to PC".

Information on how to make the Internet connection is available
in the help function of the Windows Mobile Center. You may also have to adjust
your firewall. 

On the Pocket PC go to Settings >
Connections. Tap on the Connections
icon and then on the Advanced tab, tap on the "Select
Network" button. In "Programms that automatically connect
to the Internet should connect using:" select "My Work Network".
Then edit it and in the "Proxy settings" tab tick
the option "This network connects to the Internet".

As the program itself tells you, the activation is started
with the option "Activate" in the "Help" menu. Then
a new window is opened in which you have to input the serial number given on
the front page of the manual delivered with the program.

When you have typed in the serial number correctly, the "Activate"
button is enabled. If it remains grey the number was
not entered correctly. Please, check it carefully, specially
the letters and numbers that could lead to confusion: 8 and
B, 6 and G, 5 and S, number
zero and letter O, etc. Please check also the order of
the different elements, because this is also relevant.

Once activation has been properly done, you get a confirmation
message. Tap on OK to close it
and to start enjoying the program.

If you have problems with the Internet connection, you will
possibly receive a message like the following one:

Once the program has been activated, the options to deactivate and to update
it will be available in the "Help" menu.

If you want to install the program on a new computer, or you want to re-install
your operating system or to restore your device with its factory
settings, you should first deactivate the current registration online.
The reason for this is the hardware recognition. During the registration the
program sends information about the user’s system configuration to the server.

The deactivation is carried out using the option "Deactivate".
After that en the program can
be re-installed on a different system configuration. If
you want to carry on using the program after changing the system configuration
you also have to deactivate and re-activate the program.

Before performing the deactivation, the programs asks for your
confirmation of the order.

You will receive a confirmation message
after the deactivation has been done. Of course, this
procedure requires also to have an Internet connection available in the Pocket
PC with some of the options mentioned above regarding the activation.

Keeping the program up to date

In Pocket Fritz 4, the updates are called
up by the program itself. In order to have access to
them, it is necessary to have an Internet connection, and for the program to
have been activated as described above.

Menu "Help" > "Update program" starts
the procedure.

When a new update is found, a warning message asks for user's
confirmation before installing it.

After tapping on "Yes", the download of the required file starts.

The installation follows automatically, after which the program is restarted
and a message is shown informing about the success of the operation.

Through the menu "Help" > "About Pocket Fritz 4" it
is possible to check the current version of the installed program.

The updates correct problems that have been found and and improve
the performance of the program's functions, so it is recommended that
users regularly check for available updates and install them.

Pocket Fritz 4 is a program for whenever and wherever
you want to play chess. The new HIARCS engine, written by Mark Uniacke, is impressive
because of its positional play and tactical power. Pocket Fritz 4 is much stronger
than the previous version; in the 2009 Copa Mercosur Grandmaster Tournament
in Buenos Aires it scored an Elo performance of 2938! 

You can order it here and now...

Other features to be dealt with in future articles:

• Native support of CBH and CTG database and opening book formats.
• New engine features: next best, lock engine on a position, move selection
  for the analysis. 
• Elo simulation for playing mode. 
• Customizable keys.

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14.01.2010
– We hear a collective sigh of relief: after the Tal Memorial, the World Blitz,
the London Chess Classic and the World Team Championship (ended yesterday),
some chess fans out there were feeling a twinge of withdrawal. Not to worry:
top GMs are currently arriving in the Dutch seaside town for the annual chess
festival. We will provide full coverage on Playchess.
Here are the tournament details.

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Wijk aan Zee 2010 – information and schedule

Wijk aan Zee is a small town on the coast
of the North Sea in the municipality of Beverwijk in the province of North
Holland of the Netherlands.

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The prestigious yearly tournament takes place in three Grandmaster Groups.
There are also a number of amateur groups taking part at the same time. The
three Grandmaster tournaments have 14 players each and are round robins (each
competitor plays against every other).

Participants of Grandmaster Group A

Title	Player	Nat.	Rating	rank	born
GM	Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2810	1	1990
GM	Viswanathan Anand	IND	2790	3	1969
GM	Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2788	4	1975
GM	Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2749	8	1969
GM	Peter Leko	HUN	2739	12	1979
GM	Alexei Shirov	SPA	2723	20	1972
GM	Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2720	21	1990
GM	Leinier Dominguez	CUB	2712	25	1983
GM	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2708	28	1987
GM	Nigel Short	ENG	2696	38	1965
GM	Fabiano Caruana	ITA	2675	51	1992
GM	Sergey Tiviakov	NED	2662	62	1973
GM	Jan Smeets	NED	2657	73	1985
GM	Loek van Wely	NED	2641	104	1972
Average rating: 2719 – Category: 19

The average rating in Group A is almost exactly the same as in the previous
year: 2719, making this a category 19 tournament. At the top is the world's
highest rated player, Magnus Carlsen, followed by World Champion Viswanathan
Anand and former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. Hikaru Nakamura comes straight
from his resounding success in the World Team Championships in Bursa, Turkey,
and is good for providing interesting games. Two players from last year's Group
B have moved up to the A section: Nigel Short, former World Championship challenger,
and Fabiano Caruana, who at 17 is Italy's strongest ever grandmaster. Sergey
Karjakin, you might remember, is the winner of last year's event.

Participants of Grandmaster Group B

Title	Player	Nat.	Rating	born
GM	Arkadij Naiditsch	GER	2687	1985
GM	Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu	ROM	2681	1976
GM	Pentala Harikrishna	IND	2672	1986
GM	Hua Ni	CHN	2657	1983
GM	Emil Sutovsky	ISR	2657	1977
GM	Wesley So	PHI	2656	1993
GM	Tomi Nyback	FIN	2643	1985
GM	Varuzhan Akobian	USA	2628	1983
GM	Parimarjan Negi	IND	2621	1993
GM	Erwin l'Ami	NED	2615	1985
GM	David Howell	ENG	2606	1990
GM	Anish Giri	NED	2588	1994
GM	Dimitri Reinderman	NED	2573	1972
WGM	Anna Muzychuk	SLO	2523	1990
Average rating: 2629 – Category: 16

Eleven players are rated over 2600, and there are three interesting youngsters
in the field: Wesley So and Parimarjan Negi, both 16 years old, and Dutch champion
Anish Giri, who is just 15. Anna Muzychuk, the only female in the field, is
19 and the number seven ranked women player in the world.

Participants of Grandmaster Group C

Title	Player	Nat.	Rating	born
GM	Li Chao	CHN	2604	1989
GM	Abhijeet Gupta	IND	2577	1989
GM	Ray Robson	USA	2570	1994
GM	Kjetil Lie	NOR	2547	1980
IM	Nils Grandelius	SWE	2515	1993
GM	Robin Swinkels	NED	2495	1989
GM	Daniele Vocaturo	ITA	2495	1989
IM	Robin van Kampen	NED	2456	1994
WGM	Marya Muzychuk	UKR	2447	1992
GM	Zhaoqin Peng	NED	2402	1968
FM	Stefan Kuipers	NED	2340	1990
WGM	Soumya Swaminathan	IND	2323	1989
FM	Benjamin Bok	NED	2322	1995
	Sjoerd Plukkel	NED	2279	1983
Average rating: 2455 – Category: 11

In Group C the average has dropped by 66 points, but the category is maintained.
There are three female players, including the sister of Anna Muzychuk, Marya,
and the eleven-times Dutch Women's Champion Zhaoqin Peng, who at 41 is the oldest
player in the field. The youngest is FM Benjamin Bok, 14, followed by GM Ray
Robson and IM Robin van Kampen.

Rate of play
For all three groups the rate of play is 40 moves in two hours, then 20 moves
in one hour, followed by 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30 second
increment per move.

Location: The tournament takes place in the De Moriaan Community
Centre (Dorpsduinen 4, 1949 EG Wijk aan Zee). There is running commentary on
the games of the Grandmaster Groups in a special Chess Pavilion, on the Village
Green in Wijk aan Zee (one minute walk from De Moriaan).

Accommodation: For information contact the local Tourist Office.
VVV IJmond Noord, Julianaplein 13-15, 1949 AT Wijk aan Zee. Telephone: + 31
(0)251 374253. E-mail: info@vvvijmondnoord.nl Website: http://www.visitwijkaanzee.nl

Schedule (playing days)

January 2010
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Games begin at 13:30h local time (CET), except for the last round on January
31st, which begins at 12:30h. There are three rest days, on January 20th, 25th,
and 28th.

Links

• Official web
  site
• ChessBase:
  Wijk 2009 (winner: Sergey Karjakin)
• ChessBase:
  Wijk 2008 (winners: Aronian, Carlsen)
• ChessBase:
  Wijk 2007 (winner: Teimour Radjabov)
• ChessBase:
  Wijk 2006 (winners: Anand, Topalov)
• ChessBase:
  Wijk 2005 (winner: Peter Leko)
• ChessBase:
  Wijk 2004 (winner: Viswanathan Anand)

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