Any book by the erudite Steve Giddins is an event and he has now produced a valuable guide to the popular Winawer Variation of the French Defence, championed by the eponymous Simon Winawer, as well as Nimzowitsch, Botvinnik, Petrosian and Korchnoi. The Winawer gives up the bishop pair early on in most lines, seeking to exploit the doubled white c-file pawns which frequently arise. It is a line for those who prefer the counter attack rather than equalising defence. Interestingly, the computer has proved a great friend to the Winawer, since Black’s strategy often hangs by a complex tactical thread, which computer analysis can justify. This theme comes across strongly in the book, Move by Move: The French Winawer (Everyman Chess).
This week’s game is a win with the Winawer by the hero of Gibraltar, Nikita Vitiugov, who defeated Nigel Short to take first prize in the Gibraltar Masters earlier this month.
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