Ptero wrote on 06/14/08 at 22:05:54:

This convinces me that Martin not always looks for the virtual opponent's best reply when recommending an opening. The first time I noticed this was 20 years ago in a booklet on the Morra Gambit.
Lee Roth's remark rises the question if the normal 10...0-0 11.0-0 Nh5 is not more precise after all. When I feel like I will sift this matter out; at the moment I feel that a lot depends on the strength of 16...f5.

MNb wrote on 06/14/08 at 21:41:39:


The idea behind postponing castling is that Black can employ his rook on the g-file after 13.Be2 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 Qh4 15.Bxh5 gxh5, for example 16.Qd3 Rg8! with good counterplay (Dziuba-Wojtaszek 2005).
Your point concerning 11.Bg5 is valid and is not addressed in the DVD. As I said in my earlier post - I think 11.Bg5 is the way for white to go.  

Well, I got this DVD, as I thought I might find some inspiration in it, and also because I like Martin’s style of presenting material. I can say that Bonsai’s description matches this DVD exactly. Martin recommends the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Bd3 Bg7 8.h3 a6 9. a4 Nbd7 10.Nf3 Nh5!? (an interesting and playable line that scores about 80% (!) for black in my database, though I feel white should be +/= after 11.Bg5) against the MML, and the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ Nfd7 9.a4 Qh4 10.g3 Qd8 against the Taimanov. There is not all that much to support these recommendations, about one game devoted for each, without going into too much detail. All and all this is a reasonable product, but do acknowledge that the coverage is very patchy.  

It is amazing that you all feel free to comment on a product none of you appear to have seen. I call that stupid.

Well, I suspect it's a nice little introductory video. Martin is generally a good presenter, sells the opening he shows quite well and occasionally even has some theoretical insights (some of the move orders/transpositions discussed in the Czech Benoni DVD really are theoretically very challenging for white). However on a whole he usually will not present in a particularly theoretical way and not necessarily address all move orders and all important variations. He usually also does not always assess positions entirely objectively (or at all), but rahter concentrates on motivating people to be willing to play the advocated side of the position. Nevertheless for the right audience what he does is quite suitable and even though he is currently producing *a lot* of DVDs in a row, I can see that an introductory product that explains the basics of an opening and introduces people to most variations doesn't really need so much research.

IM Andrew has a new chess base dvd, ABC's of the Modern Benoni.  according to the review by Bob Long it is very good.  has anyone else seen this DVD.  My only concern is about the coverage of two lines that has always given the Benoni problems, the flick-knife and the new Modern Mainline.  i don't want specific lines, but i want to know if it has a real plan against these systems.

Bob Long was right about the Benoni books; black gets crushed and does not offer any solutions, not a good way to promote a book.  i like to see the Tal game and Wojtaszek. 

any comments will be appreciated.