Bernal: The Berlin Defence Unraveled (PB)

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.Luis Javier Bernal (1971) is an International Master from Spain, an experienced chess trainer and a well-known journalist.


Content: 
006 Explanation of symbols

007 Preface by the author

011 Chapter 1 - Fourth move alternatives

016 Chapter 2 - 4.d3 d6

020 Chapter 3 - 4.d3 Rc5: Introduction, and the development of the b1-knight

025 Chapter 4 - 4.d3 Rc5 5.Rxc6 dxc6

036 Chapter 5 - 4.d3 Rc5 5.0-0

042 Chapter 6 - 4.d3 Rc5 5.c3: Sidelines

053 Chapter 7 - 4.d3 Rc5 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 d6

067 Chapter 8 - 4.0-0 Nxe4: Alternatives to 5.d4

078 Chapter 9 - 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4: The Berlin jungle

086 Chapter 10 - The Old Berlin: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7

096 Chapter 11 - 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6: Alternatives to the endgame

110 Chapter 12 - The Westerinen-Eslon Variation: 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Ne4

119 Chapter 13 - The Berlin endgame: from Lasker to Kramnik

129 Chapter 14 - 9... h6

135 Chapter 15 - Eljanov’s Repertoire

143 Chapter 16 - The Blockade Variation

155 Chapter 17 - 9...Ke8, lines without ...h7-h5

163 Chapter 18 - The Check Variation

168 Chapter 19 - The Almasi-Kramnik Variation

180 Chapter 20 - Game collection

235 Chapter 21 - Instructive Berlin positions

242 Chapter 22 - Solutions

263 Index of names

266 Index of games

268 Index of variations

272 Bibliography