In his DVD series on the French Defence, Rustam Kasimdzhanov presents a promising White repertoire based upon 3.Nc3.

Topic of the first DVD is the position following 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5, in which the pawn on e5 secures the first player a space advantage in the centre and on the queenside. In 13 video lessons the author shows how White has to use his trumps to get an attack on the king or a better endgame.

During 3.5 hours of analysis, featuring mostly topical games of top grandmasters, Kasimdzhanov conveys valuable knowledge of attacking ideas, typical manoeuvres and plans in an easily understandable way.

Topic of the second DVD is the position following 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3. Very often this leads to a queenless middlegame or endgame with a white knight on d4 versus a bad bishop on c8 which offers White excellent winning prospects.

In 12 video lessons Kasimdzhanov explains, in detail and easy to understand, how White has to proceed to be successful in this position. For players who prefer a dynamic middlegame with queens, he also shows (with games of Kasparov, Shirov and Kramnik, among others) how White can sharpen the fight and go for an attack on the king. Video running time: 3 hrs. 17 min.

Subject of the third DVD is the position after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4. White has a space advantage in the centre, (pawn d4 versus e6), yet Black strives for equality by piece exchanges and the break c7-c5. Explaining top grandmaster games, Kasimdzhanov shows how White can fight for the advantage.

In 11 video lessons he reveals the most important strategies and plans, analysing both sharp attacking performances and patiently won endgames. This way, studying Kasimdzhanov’s commentaries will not only help you to master to a particular opening variation, but also vastly improve your chess understanding in general. Video running time: more than 3 hours.

Rustam Kasimdzhanov. Born in 1979, the grandmaster from Uzbekistan has for many years been known as a very strong and imaginative player. However in 2004 Rustam Kasimdzhanov (pronounced “Kah-zeem-jha-nov”) shocked the chess world by winning the FIDE world chess championship title, beating a string of world-class players like Ivanchuk, Grischuk, Topalov and Adams in the process.

Kasimdzhanov is a very deep player, who is able to explain chess ideas in an eloquent, lucid style, with a fi ne touch of humour. His lessons are both entertaining and instructive – perfect for students who seek to avoid “dry” theory.