Yearbook 142

In this final Yearbook of the series, managing editor Peter Boel has written a concluding article in which he looks back on 38 years of covering opening novelties and trends and cooperating with no less than 385 authors over time. The article features special contributions by colleague editors René Olthof and Frank Erwich and by Chief Editor Jan Timman.

Forum
In the FORUM Section, the winner of the 2021 Novelty of the Year is presented to you. He is also the overall Novelty of the Year winner! René Olthof looks at various very (extremely) early g2-g4 outings in the opening and celebrates the return of Alexei ‘Fire on Board’ Shirov. We have two elaborate pieces by Wayne Gradl, a topical correspondence game by Ahmet Odeev in the 7.Nd5 Sveshnikov, a follow-up on Dubov’s 6.b4 gambit in the Giuoco Piano by Peter Boel and the continuation of a heated discussion on the Fegatello Variation by Karsten Müller and José Lopez Senra.

From Our Own Correspondent
Erwin l’Ami’s final instalment of this popular column is no less than 17 pages long! He analyses five correspondence games extensively, in a broad range of openings: the Classical Nimzo-Indian, the Sämisch King’s Indian (an attacking gem!), the Anti-Grünfeld with 5.h4, Karpov’s 4…Nd7 move in the Caro-Kann, and an Anti-Slav Gambit in the Réti Opening.

Reviews
Glenn Flear covers a wide spectrum of books on 1.e4 openings this time – from specialized lines to entire repertoires. The reader will become acquainted with Ranko Szuhanek’s book Beating the Najdorf rare lines, Michael Roiz’s new volume in the Grandmaster Repertoire series on the Berlin Defence, a new product by the illustrious duo Richard Palliser & Simon Williams on sharp gambit lines called Grandmaster Gambits 1.e4 and, last but not least, James Rizzitano’s sensible but frequently surprising Modern Chess Opening Repertoire for White.

1.e4 openings
Sicilian Defence - Rossolimo Variation 3....f6 4..c3 - Stohl
Sicilian Defence - Grand Prix Attack 2..c3 d6 - Matinian
French Defence - Steinitz Variation 4.e5 - Smerdon
French Defence - McCutcheon Variation 4....b4 - Warmerdam
Caro-Kann Defence - Two Knights Variation 3...dxe4 - Bosch
Petroff Defence - Steinitz Variation 3.d4 - Fogarasi
Ruy Lopez - Berlin Defence 6..a4 e4 - Timman
Ruy Lopez - Cozio Defence 3...g6 - Flear
Ruy Lopez - Dilworth Variation 11....xf2 - Sokolov
Scotch Opening - Mieses Variation 5..xc6 - Ponomariov

1.d4 openings
Slav Defence - Slav Gambit 5.e4 - Kuljasevic
Slav Defence - Semi-Slav 5..b3 - Ris
Tarrasch Defence - Semi-Tarrasch 4...c5 - Vilela
Catalan Opening - Early Divergences 4....d6 - Ikonnikov
Nimzo-Indian Defence - Rubinstein Variation 5....e8 - Odegov
Nimzo-Indian Defence - Classical Variation 4..c2 d5 - Lukacs and Hazai
Grünfeld Indian Defence - Exchange Variation 7..f3 - Gupta
King’s Indian Defence - Old Main Line 7....bd7 - Szabo
King’s Indian Defence - Fianchetto Variation 6...c6 - Fishbein
Queen’s Pawn Defence - Colle System 3...c5 - Olthof

Others
English Opening - Mikenas Variation 3.e4 d5 - Cummings
Réti Opening - Early Divergences 2.b3 - Ilczuk and Panczyk
Réti Opening - Early Divergences 2....d7 - Karolyi