And the Good News Is By Gary Lane What to do when White does not want to play in the spirit of the Semi-Slav? This the question posed by Mike Baird from Scotland. He writes, "I have attempted to master the Semi-Slav, but alas I do not always have the opportunity to play the variations I have learned. A new problem is the plan of a queenside fianchetto when I no longer know the right moment to play ...dxc4. Can you help?" The Semi-Slav is certainly a favourite amongst tournament campaigners and the good news is that you can adapt the variations to suit your needs. In this case against a queenside fianchetto, you should develop in the usual manner associated with the opening, but … [Read more...]
Make Your Own Database
Make Your Own Database by Bo Bredenhof During the weekends I set aside some time now and then to build myself a new up-to-date database (DB) for CC searches. I seldom use a DB package, outside of what comes bundled with other software, but make my own every few years. Maybe it is because I am stubborn; or more likely because I want to create something myself. This time I started with the best chess engine DB I had: the Houdini4 Pro DB from 2013. It contained games from late fall 2012. In order to update the OTB part of it, I went to the website "The Week In Chess" (TWIC). They are kind enough to have an archive of weekly OTB files covering all important games played in tournaments … [Read more...]