3/25/2023 – The participants of the European Women’s Championship in Montenegro had a rest day on Friday. After six rounds in the 11-round Swiss tournament, Polish IM Oliwia Kiolbasa is leading the standings with 5⅕ points. Defending champion Monika Socko and Estonian IM Mai Narva stand a half point back, while fifteen players are still within close reach of the leader on 4⅕ points. | Photos: Official site

3/24/2023 – The "Special" of the current ChessBase Magazine is dedicated to Anthony Miles. In addition to a collection of 21 extensively analysed brilliant games of the first English grandmaster, you will also find a multifaceted contribution by Mihail Marin on Miles' chess understanding and playing style. Marin's database of 12 games from the years 1978 to 2000 is peppered with many training exercises. For the first time for ChessBase Magazine, our author also offers two interactive videos in which you can put your strategic understanding to the test. And of course Marin again introduces the "hero" of this issue in the introductory video to his contribution - you can watch the 20-minute video here.

3/24/2023 – Today: Matthias Wuellenweber shows us how the threat and weak moves function work for ChessBase 17. In our new video series, our developers personally explain the new features they have developed themselves. From the new data format to the beauty index. In no time at all, you'll learn how it's done.

3/24/2023 – For a chess player, chess pieces are like specific tools in a toolbox. We need to know how to use them best, like a craftsman knows their tools. We shouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail; and we shouldn’t use the queen just for defence.

3/24/2023 – The historic Sparkassen Chess Trophy will celebrate its golden jubilee edition this year. The 50th Dortmund Chess Days Festival will take place from June 24 to July 2 at the Westfalenhallen Goldsaal in Dortmund, Germany. The NC World Masters will feature the 14th world champion Vladimir Kramnik, former World Championship challenger Fabiano Caruana, defending champion Dmitrij Kollars, and the winner of the two previous editions of the Deutschland Grand Prix, Pavel Eljanov.

3/24/2023 – In his “Game of the Week” show #560, Merijn van Delft goes through an unconventional battle from the American Cup. The game between Leinier Dominguez and Hikaru Nakamura featured a sharp opening choice, a complex middlegame and a number of non-standard decisions. | Merijn’s show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

3/24/2023 – Wesley So and Alice Lee qualified to the American Cup’s grand finals in the open and women’s sections respectively. So knocked out Levon Aronian, while Lee eliminated Nazi Paikidze. In both cases, after 1-1 draws in the 25-minute games, the winners prevailed in the second set of tiebreakers, played with a 10-minute time control. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

3/23/2023 – Leon Luke Mendonca has won the 2023 Hit Open with a round to spare after scoring eight wins in as many games. In the penultimate round, the teenager defeated GM Nigel Davies in just 19 movies. The veteran grandmaster from England neglected the safety of his king and paid a heavy price for it. The youngster from Goa turned 17 years old just ten days ago. | Photo: Nova Garica Chess Club

3/23/2023 – In his Fast & Furious show, Robert Ris analyses the fascinating Kalashnikov battle between Leinier Dominguez and Hikaru Nakamura. An absolute model game from Black’s perspective, as it shows that having the bishop pair doesn’t guarantee an automatic advantage! | Fast & Furious is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

3/23/2023 – On March 24, the third of four tournaments in the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series 2022/2023 will begin in New Delhi, India. Twelve players will compete, but the two Ukrainian grandmasters Anna and Mariya Muzychuk have decided not to take part, presumably because Kateryna Lagno, Polina Shuvalova and Aleksandra Goryachkina, who are members of the Russian Chess Federation but play under the FIDE flag, will be among the participants in New Delhi. | Photo: ChessBase

3/23/2023 – Hikaru Nakamura and Irina Krush emerged victorious in the champions’ brackets of the open and women’s sections of the American Cup. Both multiple US champions won their matches in tiebreaks. Nakamura got the better of Wesley So by a 4-2 score, while Krush defeated Alice Lee more quickly, by a 3-1 score. In the elimination brackets, Levon Aronian and Nazi Paikidze remain in contention in each of the two sections. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

3/22/2023 – We have some good news for you. The Slovakian GM Jan Markos has created his first Fritztrainers for ChessBase, and their release is just around the corner. It is time to meet your new Fritztrainer in our interview. Jan understands to break complex themes down to several rule of thumbs which are very practical for your own play. With these guidelines it seems easy to improve your own middlegame play. Jan has written a number of chess books and enjoys chess because of the game, not mainly to achieve goals. This and some of his philosophies, which he has studied all his life, make him such a popular person. | Photos: Jan Markos