Forget Christmas trees and getting together with friends and family. Is there a better way to spend your holidays than getting your openings fully up to date for 2011? As a subscriber to ChessVibes Openings you can now get your hands on all back issues 0-100 in a nice package with a complete PGN database file, worth 47 Euros, for only 30 Euros. Offer valid until December 31st.

If you subscribe to ChessVibes Openings before December 31st, 2010 you're entitled to buy the full package of back issues 0-100, worth 47 Euros (47.50 to be exact), for only 30 Euros! We'll send you all PDF files and a nice database file (PGN) with all issues combined, so that you can easily browse through it and find the most important theoretical developments of 2009 and 2010 with 100 annotated games, 400 trend diagrams, dozens of middle game quizzes and a selection of more than 50 famous opening experts.*

How? Just follow the directions below to subscribe, and contact us by mentioning the Holiday Special!

*Offer valid until December 31st.

The latest novelties in your mailbox

Which openings are hot in top level chess? Which are not? Receive the latest opening novelties right in your mailbox with ChessVibes Openings, a weekly PDF magazine (+ PGN!) covering the latest openings news, co-authored by International Masters Merijn van Delft and Robert Ris and published by ChessVibes.

What is ChessVibes Openings?

Every issue consists of a PDF Magazine and the accompanying PGN file. The PDF consists of four pages (A4 size) with the following contents:

• What's hot? A round-up of this week's important opening developments, with statistics about the frequence and score of the week's most important opening novelty (page 1)
• What's not? Which openings are not recommended at the moment, according to the top players? And why not? (page 1)
• Game of the week Each week you'll find the theoretically most important game analysed by our two IMs, with a detailed survey of the opening phase (page 2).
• This week's harvest Four more new important opening ideas from this week (page 3) revealed and described with explanation of the opening and early middlegame (page 3).
• It's Your Move An interactive element: every week two exercises, of which the solutions/explanations will follow one week later. This will improve your understanding of certain opening, middlegame or even endgame themes even further.

How to pay? Click on one of the buttons:

Payments can be done directly via Paypal, or by credit card after creating a Paypal account which takes a minute. Please drop us an email if you prefer to pay by bank transfer!

For Dutch clients it's possible to pay via iDEAL, the Dutch online bank system with which you can pay safely, secure and comfortably.

This week's issue: #101, December 8, 2010

ChessVibes Openings #101 The Women's World Championship in Antakya has started, but typically the women play less theoretically than their male colleagues. Besides, this week we take a look at the Brazilian, Greek and Italian Championships. All about the 3.e4 Queen's Gambit Accepted (and all about the bishop pair!) which was analysed in our Game of the Week Caruana-Godena, Siena 2010.

Other lines that are covered:

• Najdorf, 6.Bg5 Nbd7
• Sicilian, Paulsen
• Slow Slav (4.e3)
• Semi-Slav, 5.cxd5 exd5

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Last week's issue: #100, December 1, 2010

ChessVibes Openings #100 The 3rd Remco Heite GM tournament was won by Luke McShane (which granted him a real horse), while our co-editor Sipke Ernst won the Rapid Open. We also have a look at the 16th Asian Games and the 6th Femida Cup. All about the Paulsen Sicilian which was analysed in our Game of the Week Nielsen-Van Wely, Wolvega 2010.

Other lines that are covered:

• Italian Game
• Semi-Tarrasch
• Gruenfeld, Fianchetto
• King's Indian, Bayonet

Previous issue: #99, November 24, 2010

ChessVibes Openings #99 The Blitz World Championship is very spectacular to follow live, but traditionally it's less interesting from an opening theoretical point of view. We examine the champion's approach, the UNAM Rapid won by Judit Polgar and the 16th Asian Games. Wang Yue-Le Quang Liem from the 16th Asian Games is our Game of the Week - a Fianchetto Gruenfeld.

Other lines that are covered:

• King's Gambit
• Grivas Sicilian
• Semi-Slav, Chebanenko
• Gruenfeld, 4.Bg5

Previous issue: #98, November 17, 2010

ChessVibes Openings #98 A glance at the final standings of the Tal Memorial sees the impressive trio of Kramnik, Gelfand and Shirov in 7-9th place, while the new generation is about to take over. We also take a look at the German Bundesliga and the Russian Cup Final. All about the 5.Nc3 which was analysed in our Game of the Week Karjakin-Kramnik, Tal Memorial 2010.

Other lines that are covered:

• Najdorf, 6.Be3 Ng4
• Slav, 4.Qc2
• Semi-Slav, Meran
• Gruenfeld, Exchange

Previous issue: #97, November 10, 2010

ChessVibes Openings #97 Aronian crossed the 2800 barrier, and now he is leading the Tal Memorial with 3 out of 4, which makes him the virtual world's number 2. Naturally Aronian- Kramnik, Tal Memorial 2010 is our Game of the Week, a Ragozin defence. We also cover the Corsica rapid event and the SPICE Cup.

Other lines that are covered:

• Petroff, 5.Nc3
• Ruy Lopez, Breyer
• QGA, 6.d5
• Gruenfeld, Exchange

Ehm... can I have a look?

Here's what ChessVibes Openings #16 (April 22, 2009) looks like:



FREE SAMPLE ISSUE - ChessVibes Openings #16 - click to download!

• What's hot? A round-up of the most important opening developments of mid-April, including statistics about the frequence and score of the Chebanenko position after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4 Nh5 7.Bd2 Nhf6
• What's not? This week 1.e4 e5 was hot, as the top players categorically avoided the Semi-Open Games. Interestingly, the classical 1...d5 was also much more popular than the more modern answers to 1.d4, at the FIDE Grand Prix in Nalchik.
• Game of the week "I didn't spend much time on it before the game, but I prepared seriously for this tournament and we did investigate this line", Peter Leko said at the press conference in Nalchik, after his game against Sergei Karjakin. Page two has a closer look at this highly interesting draw in the Chebanenko.
• This week's harvest For more opening ideas from the Ruy Lopez Marshall, Sicilian Taimanov, Queen's Indian and Ragozin Defence.
• Opening expert This week Rustam Kasimdzhanov is highlighted. The former FIDE World Champion and current second of Anand has a broad repertoire, switching from hypersharp openings like Dragon and Anti-Moscow to positional Queen‚Äôs Gambit lines.

FREE SAMPLE ISSUE - ChessVibes Openings #16 - click to download!

What does it cost?

As a subscriber you'll receive the PDF Magazine and accompanying PGN files in your mailbox every week.

A one-year subscription is € 25 (that's less than € 0.50 per issue!) - for price in US $ click here

How to pay? Click on one of the buttons:

Payments can be done directly via Paypal, or by credit card after creating a Paypal account which takes a minute. Please drop us an email if you prefer to pay by bank transfer!

For Dutch clients it's possible to pay via iDEAL, the Dutch online bank system with which you can pay safely, secure and comfortably.

July 1, 2009: Eugene Manchester reviews ChessVibes Openings for ChessCafe

In the July 1 issue of ChessCafe's Book Review (mirror here) ChessVibes Openings was reviewed by Eugene Manchester. Some quotes: "So, who-ya-gonna-call? Opening busters? Not quite. For the reasonable price of 25 euros per year, once a week you can receive intelligent, interesting opening surveys and analysis presented by a team lead by Dutch IMs Merijn van Delft & Robert Ris."

"The format and presentation are consistently of high quality, with variety of coverage and opening analysis."

"The cost per year is roughly equivalent to a good chess book. Each week you get a four- page issue packed with opening analysis, at least two thoroughly annotated games with one or more of that week's featured openings, a glimpse into the world of the latest opening novelties, in short, a quality weekly opening report."

May 7, 2009: GM Hedinn Steingrimsson reviews ChessVibes Openings for Chess Today

In issues 3103 (Thursday, May 7) of Chess Today, the daily chess newspaper which also comes into your inbox by email in PDF, ChessVibes Openings was reviewed by GM Hedinn Steingrimsson from Iceland. Some quotes: "What I like about ChessVibes Openings is their focus on the trend and discoveries that are revealed in super tournaments and by very strong players. It makes sense for all tournament chess players and opening theoreticians to follow these developments and getting an overview from ChessVibes Openings definitely saves time."

"I find it positive that there is consistency in the openings covered so that the readers will with time have a certain repertoire available based on different theoretical articles from ChessVibes about e.g. the Anti-Moscow Variation."

"For those that really want to find out how to get a better position out of the opening and are willing to enter complications and do some homework in order to succeed, ChessVibes Openings can be recommended."