Chessbase iconChessbaseSep 16, 2026 ~7 min source read

Jon Speelman: Beware the Centaur's Hooves

Language: DE EN ES FR Language: SHOP english deutsch espanol française Jon Speelman: GM Jon Speelman returns to the theme of opening preparation in the computer era, examining how engine-assisted novelties can unsettle even the strongest players.

Jon Speelman: Beware the Centaur's Hooves

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Language: DE EN ES FR Language: SHOP english deutsch espanol française Jon Speelman:

Updated weekly, our definitive database has all the latest games.

GM Jon Speelman returns to the theme of opening preparation in the computer era, examining how engine-assisted novelties can unsettle even the strongest players.

The useful part

Language: DE EN ES FR Language: SHOP english deutsch espanol française Jon Speelman: GM Jon Speelman returns to the theme of opening preparation in the computer era, examining how engine-assisted novelties can unsettle even the strongest players. Whether you're taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.

How it works

  • Martin shows why this 19th-century opening weapon still is a fantastic choice for club players.
  • Vol.14 Reversed Colour Systems – Benoni, Blumenfeld and Benko Gambit You will learn how Black's dynamic piece activity and structural counterplay more than compensate for White's extra tempo in the...
  • Let them show you which openings Larsen chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you'll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities!
  • Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations.
  • However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black's ideas.

What to take from it

The latter can be particularly discombobulating because they produce moves which people really wouldn't think of. Top authors like Daniel King, Lawrence Trent and Rustam Kasimdzhanov Still no ChessBase Account? Of course sometimes it is a human idea which you then examine with the machine's help, but sometimes it is simply an idea of the machine itself.

Example or evidence

  • I'm revisiting some old chestnuts today but starting with a game played last month in the final of the Grand Chess Tour, in which Fabiano Caruana uncorked a novelty which.
  • The Benoni family of openings has toppled world champions, decided match games under the highest pressure, and rewarded those brave enough to play them with some of the most electrifying chess imaginable.
  • takes you deep inside the complexities of the Colour-Reversed Benoni, the Colour-Reversed Benko Gambit, and the Colour-Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit.
  • Game 1 Fabiano Caruana facing Wesley So at the recent Grand Chess Tour Finals in Saint Louis | Photo:

Details worth keeping

Beware the Centaur's Hooves | ChessBase Chess News SHOP Search: Beware the Centaur's Hooves by Jonathan Speelman I like it! Updated weekly, our definitive database has all the latest games.

Related coverage

  • Chessbase: Andrew Martin presents the Evans Gambit as a dangerous and highly practical weapon for club players, especially those rated below 1800.
  • Stackexchange: White to move and mate in 3 using my Duck Trails Chess variant.
  • Chessbase: In today's article we present a gem of chess composition.

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