8/7/2020 – One of the biggest computing innovations of the last decade is the advent of "The Cloud". ChessBase has utilised Cloud features into its software with astonishing effect. To help you take full advantage of all that these features have to offer, this week, Nick Murphy takes you step by step through Cloud Databases features of ChessBase 15.

8/7/2020 – After the Open Polish Championship, which Kacper Piorun won, the Polish Chess Federation now organises the National Women's Championship. Klaudia Kulon had the best start and leads with 3 out of 3. In round three she won an entertaining and theoretically interesting game in the Sicilian Kalashnikov. | Photos: Wojciech Zawadzki (Polish Chess Federation)

8/7/2020 – In the diagram position Black played 26...Rc6!? and then both the white rook and the black rook invaded enemy territory: White played 27.Ra8, Black countered with 27...Rc1. But which of the two rooks is more dangerous for the opponent?

8/7/2020 – Known for their team camaraderie, Armenia obtained back-to-back gold medals at the 2006 and 2008 Chess Olympiads, played in Turin and Dresden respectively. Levon Aronian, Vladimir Akopian, Gabriel Sargissian and Arthases Minasian played in both events, with Akopian and Sargissian getting undefeated scores on both occasions — and individual gold medals in 2008.

8/7/2020 – Like to try your luck in a three-minute blitz game against a 14-year-old? Against a boy who became a grandmaster at the age of twelve? Here's your chance to take up the challenge, on the Playchess server, on Friday at 12:30 p.m.. The young GM will analyse each game after it was played. You need to be a premium member to challenge Gukesh, but just an ofdinary member to follow the games. You can also watch the action on Youtube.

8/6/2020 – In the mid-1970s Helmut Pfleger, who today, August 6, celebrates his 77th birthday, was one of the top 50 players of the world. But he was a doctor by profession and despite all his successes in chess he always remained an amateur. So he often had a hard time against the professionals when it came to opening theory. Nevertheless, in a theoretical duel against one of the greatest opening experts of the time, he won one of the most important games in the history of the Chess Olympiads. | Photo: Helmut Pfleger | Photo: Hartmut Metz

8/6/2020 – "Black Is King" is a new film - or "visual album" - by pop star Beyoncé that is based on Disney's animated film "The Lion King" from 1994, which has inspired not only the third-longest-running musical in Broadway history but also a 2019 remake. Rapper Jay-Z, chess fan and husband of Beyoncé, plays a prominent role in "Black Is King" and added some chess flavour to the movie. Which is entertaining to watch but not always in line with the rules and customs of chess. In the online magazine "Slate" Nitish Pahwa took a closer look at the film and its chess scenes. | Photo: Screenshot of Jay-Z in "Black Is King" (Disney+)

8/5/2020 – Bobby Fischer was the star of the show at the 1970 Interzonal Tournament in Palma de Mallorca, before starting an amazing run that led him to challenge Boris Spassky for the World Championship title in Reykjavík 1972. But was he always winning in the endgame he played against Vlastimil Hort? Or could have Hort defended? We asked our readers to help settle the historical debate. And they helped endgame expert GM Karsten Müller to settle the question! | Drawing of V. Hort: Otakar Masek

8/5/2020 – In his "Game of the Week" show Merijn van Delft takes another look at the fascinating Legends of Chess tournament. Magnus Carlsen won the tournament by beating Ian Nepomniachtchi in the final but to honour Nepomniachtchi's creative performance Merijn will study one of "Nepo's" wins against Carlsen. | Merijn's show is freely available at 15.00 UTC (17:00 CEST, 11:00 EDT) for a limited time, and on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here. | Photo: Niki Riga (Archive)

8/5/2020 – When Magnus Carlsen plays, there is never a dull moment. Most of the time he wins, but sometimes he loses. On his YouTube Channel Daniel King (now with a beard, but it's him) presents two remarkable encounters between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Magnus Carlsen from the final of the Legends of Chess Tournament.

8/5/2020 – In the last two decades I have probably played about 100.000 games online, most of them in blitz and bullet. And I have often wondered about my win/loss ratio in certain openings: Is my personal anti-sicilian system 2. c4 really working so well? How often do I win with 1...e5? Did I really win more than 50% of my games with my favourite opening, the Naselwaus Gambit? ChessBase knows the answer to these questions!

8/5/2020 – It was a dominant performance by the world champion. Magnus Carlsen won the ‘chess24 Legends of Chess’ tournament without losing a single set, and finished his impressive run with a clear 2½:½ victory over Ian Nepomniachtchi on Tuesday. Carlsen won three out of the four events played so far in the tour that bears his name, thus giving the two best-performing players that did not win any event a chance to play in the Grand Final that kicks off on Sunday. | Photo: Amruta Mokal

8/4/2020 – After sensationally winning the Interzonal Tournament 1962 in Stockholm Bobby Fischer travelled to Copenhagen to play a TV exhibition game against Bent Larsen - which was relatively easy - and a simul against 41 Danish players - which was difficult. Tom Skovgaard knows more. | Photo: Jørgen Hvenekilde

8/4/2020 – In his weekly show IM Lawrence Trent takes a look at the tournaments that either came to an end last week or are about to finish — the Polish Championship, the Georgian Women's Championship and the final of the Legends of Chess online event. | Lawrence' show is available at 17:00 UTC (19:00 CEST, 13:00 EDT) on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here. | Photo: Pascal Simon

8/4/2020 – The fourth tournament of the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour is taking place from July 21 through August 4. Six illustrious players from the previous generation are in the mix — Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, Vassily Ivanchuk, Boris Gelfand, Peter Leko and Peter Svidler — and are joined by Magnus Carlsen, Ding Liren, Anish Giri and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Action kicks off at 16:00 CEST (14:00 UTC, 10:00 ET). Read the report on the first set of the final! | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/4/2020 – Far advanced connected passed pawns are often very dangerous in the endgame.

8/4/2020 – It was a thrilling first set in the final of the ‘chess24 Legends of Chess’ tournament. Ian Nepomniachtchi played the same sharp line against Magnus Carlsen’s Sicilian the three times he had the white pieces, winning once and losing twice. In the end, Carlsen got a 4:2 victory after winning both blitz tiebreakers. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/3/2020 – In this "Simon Says" Simon continues to look at the games of Swedish Grandmaster Ulf Andersson who is famous for his endgame technique and his smooth solid play. The show is an extension of Simon's previous show, but this time Simon looks at Ulf's play with the Black pieces. | Watch "Simon Says" for free and on-demand (for a limited time, or forever with a ChessBase Premium account). (Normally 16:00 UTC (18:00 CEST / 12 Noon EST). | Photo: Ulf Anderssen at the Hoogovenschaaktoernooi, Wijk aan Zee 1971 | Photo: Bert Verhoeff / Anefo / CCO