The Berlin Defence Unraveled

A Straightforward Guide for Black and White

Luis Bernal

• Publisher: New in Chess
• eBook ISBN:
  9789056917418
• Year: 2017

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.

Table of contents

• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Explanation of symbols
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Fourth move alternatives
• Chapter 2: 4.d3 d6
• Chapter 3: 4.d3 ♖c5: Introduction, and the development of the b1-knight
• Chapter 4: 4.d3 ♖c5 5.♖xc6 dxc6
• Chapter 5: 4.d3 ♖c5 5.0-0
• Chapter 6: 4.d3 ♖c5 5.c3: Sidelines
• Chapter 7: 4.d3 ♖c5 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 d6
• Chapter 8: 4.0-0 ♘xe4: Alternatives to 5.d4
• Chapter 9: 4.0-0 ♘xe4 5.d4: The Berlin jungle
• Chapter 10: The Old Berlin: 4.0-0 ♘xe4 5.d4 ♗e7
• Chapter 11: 4.0-0 ♘xe4 5.d4 ♘d6: Alternatives to the endgame
• Chapter 12: The Westerinen-Eslon Variation: 4.0-0 ♘xe4 5.d4 ♘d6 6.♗xc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 ♘e4
• Chapter 13: The Berlin endgame: from Lasker to Kramnik
• Chapter 14: 9...h6
• Chapter 15: Eljanov’s Repertoire
• Chapter 16: The Blockade Variation
• Chapter 17: 9...♔e8, lines without ...h7-h5
• Chapter 18: The Check Variation
• Chapter 19: The Almasi-Kramnik Variation
• Chapter 20: Game collection
• Chapter 21: Instructive Berlin positions
• Chapter 22: Solutions
• Index of names
• Index of games
• Index of variations
• Bibliography