If it hadn't been clear before, it's very clear now. The Advance Variation may be the most critical way of playing against the Caro-Kann, but only if White chooses a healthy positional approach with 4.Nf3 or related lines, and not when he goes all-out for the attack with anything based on the double-edged move g4. The theoretical impact of the Anand-Shirov match in León is discussed in CVO #127 - subscribe easily with Paypal, iDEAL or bank transfer.

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.

This week's issue: #127, June 8, 2011

ChessVibes Openings #127 Our main focus is on the rapid match between Anand and Shirov, which was won very convincingly by the World Champion with a 4.5-1.5 score. We also check out the French League, and the new German Champion is named Khenkin. All about the Anti-Moscow Gambit of the Semi-Slav, which was covered in our Game of the week Anand-Shirov, Leon (2) 2011.

Other lines that are covered:

• Sicilian, Taimanov (6.f4)
• Caro-Kann, Advance (4.Nf3)
• Caro-Kann, Advance (4.g4)
• Semi-Slav, Meran (8...b4)

How to subscribe? 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.

Last week's issue: #126, June 1, 2011

ChessVibes Openings #126 In this issue we take a look at the final game of the Gelfand-Grischuk match, the French and Chinese Leagues, the Nakamura-Ponomariov rapid match and the German Championship, including several spectacular opening ideas. All about the Fianchetto Gruenfeld, which was covered in our Game of the week Gelfand-Grischuk, Kazan 2011.

Other lines that are covered:

• Evans Gambit
• Classical Dutch
• Open Catalan
• Ragozin

Which opening variations have been discussed so far?

Can I buy back issues?

Yes you can! At the moment we offer the complete package of back issues 0-126 for 51,95 EUR. You can also buy separate years. In all cases, you will receive a ZIP file with all PDFs and PGNs, and also one big PGN file with all issues together - which means a wonderful overview of the most important novelties from 2009 until now.

CVO back issues

All back issues €51,95 2009 (0-53) €19,95 2010 (54-105) €19,95 2011 (from 106) €11,95

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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 € 28 (that's less than € 0.60 per issue!) - for price in US $ click here

How to subscribe? 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.

ChessVibes Openings and ChessVibes Training

Our other magazine ChessVibes Training, which is 8 pages, costs € 40 a year. Not a CVT subscriber yet, and interested in getting both magazines? The two separate magazine subscriptions are 28 + 40 = 68 Euro but if you go for both you only pay 60 Euro! (click for price in US$)

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 [now 28 - CV] , 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."