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Thursday Chess Deals available July 30, 2009:
(100) Carbonless Copy Tournament Chess Score Sheets – for only $4.99
These score sheets are perfect for your next tournament where you want to submit a copy of your game. Each sheet holds 60 moves.
Sliding Sheesham Chess Box – for only $12.99
It’s time to get a safe and stylish storage box for your wood chess pieces. This hand-crafted, dark walnut-finished box is just what you need.
Thursday Chess Deals
Every Thursday you’ll find two great chess deals at www.WholeasaleChess.com available only for orders placed online on that Thursday. (12:00 am to 11:59 pm Pacific Time) The Thursday Chess Deals change from week to week but the savings are always significant. You can sign up for Thursday Chess Deals email notifications or follow us on Twitter or Facebook today!
A Few Things You Should understand about Thursday Chess Deals
Thursday Chess Deals are limited to stock on hand and no rain checks or back orders will be allowed. Customers may choose to purchase one or both of the Thursday Chess Deals but will be limited to a maximum of one of each item per Thursday. Orders containing a Thursday Chess Deal are not eligible for any other promotions, discounts or pricematches. Thursday Chess Deals are only available for the item listed. No substitutions of product, color, size, etc., will be allowed.
Play the Slav, by James Vigus
The Chess Book Play the Slav by James Vigus, is the best repertoire book currently available on the Slav defense. The other Slav Defense books are from Mark Taimanov 1973, Glen Flear 1988, Markov & Schipkov 1994, Silman & Donaldson (three books) 1993-1996, Sadler 1997, Burgess 2001, Flear 2003 (the…a6 Slav), Flear 2005 (includes the Semi-Slav) Bologan 2008 (the Chebanenko) and Vigorito 2009. These other chess books suffer from one of three problems, either they are old and their recommendations are no longer best, or they are not comprehensive of all Slav lines, or they attempt to cover White and Black too broadly. I like all my Slav books but Play the Slav by James Vigus is comprehensive, up to date, and ready to play.
The Slav Defense is not for everyone. Some players dread the dullness of the exchange variation. Others do not like seeing their beloved Bishop on f5 hunted down by a White Knight on h4. Some may be put off by the amount of theory required of an opening that has been a frequent line in World Championship contests. The pawn breaks and middle game plans are not as obvious as in some other openings. Every opening has its assets and liabilities. The Slav is beloved because of its solidity and usefulness even against full preparation. It will never be busted and is playable for the long term.
The Slav is not just one opening but a family of openings. If there is difficulty in one line, a person can switch to another variation without learning a whole new complex. Still a first choice must be made and James Vigus chooses the Main Line Bf5 Slav over the a6 Chebanenko. I believe this is a good choice because of the flexibility of lines available to Black later. For example in the line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dc 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Black has 6..Nbd7 7.Nc4 Qc7 with complex play, or after 6…Nbd7 7.Nc4 Nb6 which is positional, solid, and is the choice of James Vigus. One final option in this line is to play 6…e6 7f3 c5 8.e4 Bg6 which is Kramnik’s very solid line.
In the Dutch Variation 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dc 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bc4 Bd4 8.0-0 0-0 Against 9.Qe2 there is…Ne4, Nbd7, Bg6, and his selection, Bg4. This is great news for the Slav’s long term playability. And Vigus’ choice is on the current developing edge. Against 9.Nh4 Vigus offers two lines straight away. One line is more solid, the other more provocative.
Slav players are presented with a serious question after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3!?. The problem is that 3…e5 is not certain in the long run, 3…e6 permits the other Marshall Gambit 4.e4!?, and 3…Nf6 after 4.e3 either brings the Semi-Slav with 4…e6 or the Schlechter with 4…g6. James Vigus’ answer is the immediate 3…dc!?. He calls it the Argentinean variation after Fernando Peralta and Rubin Felgaer. It is a bit similar to the Geller gambit and perfectly playable.
Against the dry 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Vigus recommends bypassing the usual Bf5 and playing a reversed Torre ..Bg4 which he sweetly calls the “Errot”. And on the dreaded exchange variation he spices things up quickly by either hunting the White Bishop with Nh5 or sending the Queen to b6. The good feeling is that Black is taking over the repertoire playing field here.
Play the Slav is not a complete repertoire against 1.d4. It does not include lines against things like the Hodgson Attack, Veresov, London, Torre, Colle, and such. For this he recommends John Cox’s, Dealing with d4 Deviations. Here I must disagree. It is not that John Cox does not provide quality. I have his book and it is very good. It is a matter of style and move order. Slav players are often those who are not looking to bust White early on. They are looking for a solid foundation from which they can outplay their opponent in the middle game. John Cox is looking to test White quickly and things can get sharp. Then there is the matter of move order. 1…Nf6 and 1.…d5 are not always the same. For a comprehensive and more cautious repertoire against these various Queen’s pawn openings I recommend James Rizzitano’s How to Beat 1.d4. The body of his book is about the Queen’s Gambit Accepted but his section on these other tries is the best I have found for a 1.d4 d5 player.
For those of us with computers and a bit of cash to invest in our Chess obsession or hobby there are wonderful programs available to learn an opening. I am no computer software expert so I sometimes find myself in a bit of trouble. But both ChessBase and Bookup are working well for me. I typed every move of James Vigus’ repertoire into Bookup, while using Chessbase for research and analysis as I went along. By doing this I looked carefully for holes in Vigus’ work. My biggest question was 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Bf5. I was concerned that his recommended Bf5 would require learning a whole new line in addition to the Bg4 “Errot”. But he finds a way through that as well. It took me a couple of weeks to complete this project and was great fun.
There are wonderful Chess DVDs out there. Unfortunately I am not as certain of the Chess Assistant platform which has a Modern Chess Openings Slav Defence 2005. Even some of my older ChessBase titles are not working with Windows Vista as easily as I would like. The current Chessbase DVD available on the Slav looks at the …a6 or Chebanenko and is therefore not helpful if playing the Vigus lines. I wish Chessbase would market a main line Slav DVD soon.
I thank James Vigus and Everyman Chess for this quality repertoire book.
Click here to purchase this great chess book: Play the Slav.
This Chess Book Review was submitted by a Wholesale Chess customer and was not edited for content in any way. If you would like to write a review of a chess book of chess software for our blog and receive store credit for it, please send us an email!
Thursday Chess Deals for July 23, 2009:
Diamond Quartz Chess Clock (Black) – for only $14.99
A simple, sturdy, and economic analog chess ideal for chess club players who love a good deal.
Pro Chess Mentor DVD
Perhaps the best single chess DVD video ever created for both novice and master! 60 % off today only!
Thursday Chess Deals
Every Thursday you’ll find two great chess deals at www.WholeasaleChess.com available only for orders placed online on that Thursday. (12:00 am to 11:59 pm Pacific Time) The Thursday Chess Deals change from week to week but the savings are always significant. You can sign up for Thursday Chess Deals email notifications or follow us on Twitter or Facebook today!
A Few Things You Should understand about Thursday Chess Deals
Thursday Chess Deals are limited to stock on hand and no rain checks or back orders will be allowed. Customers may choose to purchase one or both of the Thursday Chess Deals but will be limited to a maximum of one of each item per Thursday. Orders containing a Thursday Chess Deal are not eligible for any other promotions, discounts or pricematches. Thursday Chess Deals are only available for the item listed. No substitutions of product, color, size, etc., will be allowed.
It’s time for some Hot Summer Specials! From now until August 2nd, if you spend more than $75 at Wholesale Chess, you can choose to either receive free Basic Shipping to the contiguous US or take 10% off your entire order!
On top of that, be sure to check out our sale items – you’ll find our everyday products marked down from 25% to 75%! If that’s not enough for you – check the site on Thursday and see what our Thursday Chess Deal is – or stop by on the weekend and get free Medial mail shipping on your orders with chess books and chess software only!
The heat wave has begun at Wholesale Chess!
Thursday Chess Deals for July 16, 2009:
10 Quality Chess Boards (Forest Green) – for only $14.90
This is a great deal for clubs – get it while you can! 10 Quality Chess Boards for only $14.90!
Colored Basic Club Special Pieces – Assortment
Brand New Product! 8 different vibrantly colored sets of 16 basic chess pieces for 50% off MSRP!
Thursday Chess Deals
Every Thursday you’ll find two great chess deals at www.WholeasaleChess.com available only for orders placed online on that Thursday. (12:00 am to 11:59 pm Pacific Time) The Thursday Chess Deals change from week to week but the savings are always significant. You can sign up for Thursday Chess Deals email notifications or follow us on Twitter or Facebook today!
A Few Things You Should understand about Thursday Chess Deals
Thursday Chess Deals are limited to stock on hand and no rain checks or back orders will be allowed. Customers may choose to purchase one or both of the Thursday Chess Deals but will be limited to a maximum of one of each item per Thursday. Orders containing a Thursday Chess Deal are not eligible for any other promotions, discounts or pricematches. Thursday Chess Deals are only available for the item listed. No substitutions of product, color, size, etc., will be allowed.
Written by Laura Sherman of YourChessCoach.com
The room is silent. You can literally hear the people breathing around you while you study the sixty-four checkered squares in front of you. Glancing over at the chess clock you see you have plenty of time left in your game. A move cries out to be made, but you bide your time and check for others. You know that a move made in haste could cost your dearly. Finally, confident that your initial idea is sound, you reach out a hand and grasp your knight, hopping it to its intended destination. There is an audible gasp from a few behind you.
You hit your clock signaling your opponent’s turn. Only then do you steal a glance at him. He meets your eyes with a look that speaks defeat. You see that he knows it is just a matter of time. He shakes his head and stares at the hopeless position. You lean back in your chair and watch him study the board for possible flaws to your plan. There are none. It is hard to stifle the grin that threatens to spread across your face.
You glance around at your spectators. Some recognize your opponent’s fate, while others wear puzzled expressions. Two whisper to each other and finally nod their heads in understanding. One winks at you in admiration and turns to observe a game with a less determined outcome.
The fact that you are only ten years old, playing in an adult tournament, might have intimidated some, but not you. No, you know that your dedicated study and eagerness to learn the game has paid off. You continue to improve each time you play. Your teachers at school notice a difference, writing glowing praise home to your parents on a regular basis now. You know that you can do whatever you put your mind to do and it shows in various aspects of your life.
Your opponent shakes his head, stops the clock and reaches out his hand to you, signaling his resignation. You shake his hand, smile and offer to analyze the game with him, a ritual amongst players. He returns your smile and nods. You know he doesn’t care about your age, because he knows your analysis will help him improve. How many activities are there where an adult would be eager to hear the thoughts of a child? As you set up in the next room to go over the game you notice other adults have followed. They too want to hear what you have to say. There is no better feeling.
Laura Sherman founded Your Chess Coach (YourChessCoach.com) with her husband, Dan Sherman. Together they teach children to play chess through various schools in Pinellas County, Florida, as well as privately in students’ homes and online. Your Chess Coach is devoted to teaching chess to children of all ages, giving them the many life skills that the game offers.
If you would like to ask Laura a question about chess, you can ask the question in the comment space below, leave your email, and Laura will respond directly to you – OR – you can always find YourChessCoach on Twitter.
Chess software and chess books will begin to ship for FREE via USPS Media Mail on weekends only (Saturday & Sunday) starting this weekend! This is a limited time offer, so be sure to grab all the chess software and chess books you’ve been drooling over and take advantage of the WholesaleChess.com guaranteed low prices and FREE Media Mail Shipping on weekends – while you can!
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Thursday Chess Deals for July 9, 2009:
ABC of Chess Opening, Middle Game & End Game Combo -Chess Software – for only $39.99
Cover all three stages of your game with this top-selling ABC series from Chessbase.
Hard Cover Score Book (Blue)- $2.49 (75% off!)
Keep track of your games with this blue Hard Cover Score Book that holds 100 games.
Thursday Chess Deals
Every Thursday you’ll find two great chess deals at www.WholeasaleChess.com available only for orders placed online on that Thursday. (12:00 am to 11:59 pm Pacific Time) The Thursday Chess Deals change from week to week but the savings are always significant. You can sign up for Thursday Chess Deals email notifications or follow us on Twitter or Facebook today!
A Few Things You Should understand about Thursday Chess Deals
Thursday Chess Deals are limited to stock on hand and no rain checks or back orders will be allowed. Customers may choose to purchase one or both of the Thursday Chess Deals but will be limited to a maximum of one of each item per Thursday. Orders containing a Thursday Chess Deal are not eligible for any other promotions, discounts or pricematches. Thursday Chess Deals are only available for the item listed. No substitutions of product, color, size, etc., will be allowed.
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