Know the Terrain Vol. 3: Central Majority

The explosion of information has led to a huge increase in opening theory. But how many times do you win a game with a prepared variation? What gives strong players an advantage over their rivals is not some latest novelty, but a deep knowledge of the pawn structures to which their openings lead; an understanding that lasts until the middlegame and endgame and is transferable between different openings with similar structures. In this DVD, Sam Collins examines the central majority (white pawns on a2, d4 and e4 against black pawns on a7, b7 and e7) that is characteristic of both the Grunfeld and Semitarrasch Defenses. White's space advantage gives him good options to generate initiative in the middlegame and a kingside attack, while Black hopes to reach an endgame in which his outside passed pawn can be decisive. Collins also investigates the closely related d-pawn structure that arises when e-pawns are exchanged. Here White has a hugely dangerous pawn on the d-file and the key struggle revolves around whether that pawn is a strength or, when attacked or firmly blocked, a weakness. White's possibilities have been repeatedly demonstrated by Kramnik and Carlsen, while Black's cause has been championed by Svidler, Ivanchuk, Van Wely and Gymesi, while Kasparov has generated significant ideas for both sides. Video footage: 4 hours 39 minutes.