[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: Kasimdzhanov on the French, Disk 2

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
Kasimdzhanov on the French, Disk 2
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1209784615.shtml


   I just finished watching a [1]ChessBase DVD by Rustam Kasimdzhanov on
   the French - one of three - and I was pleasantly surprised. GM
   Kasimdzhanov, a former FIDE world champ, has a 3-disk series on
   meeting the French, and the second disk examines 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3
   Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc3 7.Be3. His coverage comprises 14 clips
   that together run 3 hours and 17 minutes: one clip is an Intro, one a
   brief theoretical overview, 12 clips covering 11 games, and a final
   summary "Outro".
   The disc is a success in three respects (I will note a couple of
   limitations later). First and foremost, Kasimdzhanov does an excellent
   job of illustrating the importance for White of the d4 square, and in
   demonstrating how he can use it (especially with a good Nd4 vs. bad
   light-squared bishop) to win thematic French endings. The careful
   viewer will not only learn some theory, but will really understand how
   to win (some of) the resulting positions. (Note: this thematic ending
   is far from the only idea discussed on the disk, but it receives
   coverage in keeping with its importance.)
   Second, Kasimdzhanov does a decent job of presenting in outline the
   important variations White needs to know. Of course he can't cover
   everything, but much of what is important is at least touched upon.
   The viewer playing White is unlikely to see anything concepts after
   7.Be3 he won't have been prepared for by the video's host.
   Third, it's a fantastic source of really beautiful games. Many of the
   11 games were new to me, and even just for the pleasure they provided
   the disk was worth my time. Kasimdzhanov's choices were brilliant, as
   the games were not only extraordinary but thematic as well.
   Now for the limitations. First, and this is true of most video DVDs
   not supplemented by databases, the total amount of information is far
   less than one gets from a book or a database. Of course, one doesn't
   want too much information, because then one isn't sure what to focus
   on and what to disregard, but for strong club players (approx. 2000
   and up) a bit more info is probably necessary.
   Second, Kasimdzhanov doesn't say too much about what White ought to
   avoid. He does present many of Black's ideas, but I don't recall any
   Black fantasies/White horror stories that are the counterparts to the
   Nd4 vs. bad bishop White fantasy/Black disaster. More specifically but
   along the same lines, Kasimdzhanov sometimes omits mention of
   theoretical improvements for Black. Here's one example, albeit one
   that's probably not relevant to his repertoire.
   After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4
   8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 O-O 10.O-O-O a6 11.h4 (Note: Kasimdzhanov's
   "official" recommendation here is 11.Qf2) 11...Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5 13.Rh3
   b4 14.Na4 Bxd4 15.Qxd4 f6 16.Qxb4 fxe5 17.Qd6 Qf6 18.f5 Qh6+ 19.Kb1,
   he continues to present the game Kasparov-Short, Amsterdam (VSB Euwe
   Memorial) 1994, which was brilliantly won by White. Kasimdzhanov is
   rightly enthusiastic about Kasparov's idea with 18.f5!!, and continues
   to present the game, which went 19...Rxf5 20.Rf3!! Rxf3 21.gxf3. White
   is a pawn down with a bad kingside structure, but Black's retarded
   development and White's attacking prospects given him the advantage.
   What Kasimdzhanov doesn't mention is the move 19...Nf6!, which has
   been played quite a few times since Kasparov-Short (most prominently
   by Stellwagen and Brynell), and Black's results have been excellent.
   Even if it turns out that White can prove an advantage there, it's not
   the sort of position one can figure out on spec.
   I would suggest, therefore, that if you're over 2000 OTB or a
   correspondence player, you supplement this disk with something else,
   like a quality database and/or a book like [2]volume 6 in fellow
   former FIDE champ Alexander Khalifman's "Anand" series. But for just
   about anyone else, this DVD will give you all you need to face 1.e4 e6
   2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 with confidence. Highly recommended.
   [Full disclosure: I do a weekly show with ChessBase, so I have some
   motivation not to write a negative review. However, there is and never
   has been any pressure on me to write any reviews of their material at
   all, so my positive feelings about this disk are genuine and
   unsolicited.]

References

   1. http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=350&user=&coin=
   2. http://www.amazon.com/Opening-White-according-Anand-Repertoire/dp/9548782472