Don't you just love Christmas?
The glittering decorations, the jolly songs,
Santa Claus and Rudolf the red eyed reindeer.
(surely a mistake here...Ed)

Feeling the pressure of what to buy my dearly beloved
for Christmas, in desperation I amble into a charity shop.
The old dear behind the counter responds to my plea for help
by suggesting various items that have been handed in by good
willed people trying to swap themselves a place in heaven.

I was imagining my wife's face when she expectantly rips
off the wrapping paper to discover...a second hand iron.

Suddenly all thoughts of Christmas morning arguments disappear.
chess videos. There are two chess videos for £1.00 each.
Avoiding and Creating Opening Traps &
Punishment for Delaying Development
   in the Opening by Roman Dzindzichasvili.

I've never seen a review for a chess video.
I did recall stumbling across a message board
where the punters were talking about them.

"...just another way for grandmaster's to make money..."
"...not very good..."
"...I wish I had never bought them..."

I've no idea what these things cost brand
new but for £1.00 a throw it was worth a shot.



I'm glad I did. You must see one of these videos.
Roman Dzindzichasvili is one of the funniest people
I have ever seen. He's wasted as a chess player.

At first I thought they must be pilot tapes.
Everything is done in one take.

Roman has the moves at the side of the board and
some lengthy pauses indicate either he cannot read
his own writing or cannot make out what the next move is.

The moves may be written down but there is no script.
Roman makes it up as he goes along and this can result
in some hilarious moments.

"..er...er...the knight here has extreme discomfort..."

"Some people I know are obsessed with opening traps."
....You must be obsessed...that's why you bought the tape."

you then pair this with some of Roman's brilliant facial
expressions. It really is incredibly funny.

His advice on how to deal with people who neglect
development is marvelous and very amusing.



"They keep doing it and getting away with it.
They are like children. You must punish them.
It's very important that you help those people
by killing them! They learn a lesson, you
score the point and everybody is happy."



Sometimes Roman is talking about a position which
is not on the demo board.



His eyes go off camera as someone points out the
board the is wrong. Roman quickly corrects the position
and carries on as if nothing has happened.



The whole experience is wonderfully enjoyable.
Actually he is quite pleasant to watch and listen too.

OK then all the tom foolery aside. Are they any good?

I'd say yes and no. Remember I do not know what they cost
originally so I cannot give a value for money answer.
If pushed I'd say pay no more than £5.00 for them.
They really do look like they have been cobbled together
by an amateur with a camcorder.
But the content is worth taking on board and at the risk of
sounding very boring, presented in an accidental hilarious
manner.

The advice and games given to show punishment for delaying
development is very good. The examples are not the usual fare
portrayed in books covering this subject and I found this
tape by far superior instructive wise to the one on Traps
(though not as funny).

One trap given by Roman is not exactly sound and I was surprised
that he seems unaware of this. Then I remembered that GM's do
not really spend much time studying traps.
(I do - I'm one of the obsessed).

Roman shows us this trap.
(it's actually Schuster v Carls. Bremen 1914.)

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Ng3 h5 6.Bg5 h4
7.Bxf6 hxg3 8.Be5 Rxh2 9.Rxh2 Qa5+ 10.c3 Qxe5+ 11.dxe5 gxh2 0-1



Which is all very nice. However instead of 10 c3 white could try
10 Qd2 and if 10...Qxe5+ 11.dxe5 gxh2
12.0-0-0 Bd7 13.e6 fxe6 14.Nh3 h1Q 15.Bd3 ...



You can see that white is on top and has multiple threats.
He is certainly a lot better off than the mainline.
(if here 15...Qxg2 16 Nf4).

Here is proof from the video that Roman actually discusses
the 10 Qd2 line but misses the stronger continuation for White.



So is the whole line bust?
No after 10 Qd2 ....



black plays 10...gxf2+ 11.Ke2 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 fxg1=Q

Another trap Roman demonstrates is in the Alekhines.

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 d6
7.Qb3 dxe5 8.Bg5 f6 9.Rd1 Nd7

"...and now comes instant killer..."

10.Qe6 ....



Roman takes us though each move explaining alternatives.
In this position "...there is no shadow of defence."

A few days later and I'm messing about and playing against
The Kasparov Chess playing program. It played the Alekhine,
I went for the trap and it fell straight into it!
(Black can side step the trap with 8...Qd7 but who is
going to find that over the board? - The Kasparov did'n t.)
Roman adds;

"...this (8...Qd7) is the ugliest move I have seen
for a long time."

10...fxg5 11 Bc4 mate in two. This is an old computer bug.
If you can threaten mate without winning any material then
weaker computers sometimes overlook it's going to get mated.
In this case there is nothing on f7 so it's horizon did
not pick up the threat.

So recap:
Very enjoyable and instructive but only at £5.00 or abouts.
(you will only watch them once, unless you bring a friend
round and you want a laugh - they really are quite hilarious
and the funny thing about them is they are not meant to be funny).

I've have seen some of the more 'professional videos/DVD's.'
They are way over priced and take themselves far too seriously.
Their DVD's they are stuffy and over bearing.

Roman's laid back style is actually very good and although the
whole thing looks like it's done off the cuff. It actually works.

He is easy on the eye and his voice with his Russian accent
is not unpleasant to listen too.
It seems only proper and correct to have someone telling you
how to play chess with a Russian accent.

Geoff Chandler
Edinburgh 2005