The Berlin Defence Unraveled: A Straightforward Guide for Black and White

by Luis Bernal

Overview

The Berlin Defence has been a highly popular opening in top level chess ever since Vladimir Kramnik famously used it in the 2000 World Championship match to wrest the title from Garry Kasparov. Club players often hesitate to include ‘the Berlin’ in their repertoire because they see the typical Berlin Wall endgame as complex and daunting.
International Master Luis Bernal has unraveled the Berlin and made it accessible for amateur players. His practical guide is fully up to date, explains typical formations and strategies, and presents new ideas and resources in the old Berlin Wall structures.
But today, the Berlin is much more than just the Wall. Bernal systematically leads you through the labyrinth of the various modern Anti-Berlins with their constant flow of new ideas. He also presents a number of tricky sidelines that could catch your opponent off guard.
This no-nonsense, state-of-the-art guide finally brings this important chess opening within reach of club players. With clear explanations, concise conclusions and didactic exercises.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789056917418
Publisher:	Continental Sales, Inc.
Publication date:	06/27/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Luis Javier Bernal is an International Master from Spain, an experienced chess trainer and a well-known journalist.

Table of Contents

Explanation of symbols 6

Preface by the author 7

Chapter 1 Fourth move alternatives 11

Chapter 2 4.d3 d6 16

Chapter 3 4.d3 c5: Introduction, and the development of the bl-knight 20

Chapter 4 4.d3 c5 5.xc6 dxc6 25

Chapter 5 4.d3 c5 5.0-0 36

Chapter 6 4.d3 c5 5.c3: Sidelines 42

Chapter 7 4.d3 c5 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 53

Chapter 8 4.0-0 xe4: Alternatives to 5.d4 67

Chapter 9 4.0-0 xe4 5.d4: The Berlin jungle 78

Chapter 10 The Old Berlin: 4.0-0 xe4 5.d4 e7 86

Chapter 11 4.0-0 xe4 5.d4 d6: Alternatives to the endgame 96

Chapter 12 The Westerinen-Eslon Variation: 4.0-0 xe4 5.d4 d6 6.xc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 e4 110

Chapter 13 The Berlin endgame: from Lasker to Kramnik 119

Chapter 14 9…h6 129

Chapter 15 Eljanov's Repertoire 135

Chapter 16 The Blockade Variation 143

Chapter 17 9…e8, lines without …h7-h5 155

Chapter 18 The Check Variation 163

Chapter 19 The Almasi-Kramnik Variation 168

Chapter 20 Game collection 180

Chapter 21 Instructive Berlin positions 235

Chapter 22 Solutions 242

Index of names 261

Index of games 266

Index of variations 268

Bibliography 272