11/21/2021 – Sometimes watching a game of chess is inspiring – and instructive. A recent blitz game between two hot Indian talents will illustrate this. The second part of this game, which has an interesting underpomotion, was recorded, and commented on by IM Sagar Shah of ChessBase India. We have added a replay board on which you can analyse yourself. A most enjoyable way to improve your skill, don't you think?

11/21/2021 – Herman Grooten is an International Master, a renowned trainer and the author of several highly acclaimed books about chess training and chess strategy. In the 54th instalment of his ChessBase show "Understanding before Moving", Herman shows a fascinating study, in which White wins a position that on first glance seems to be impossible to win. | Photo: Tommy Grooten

11/21/2021 – The 23rd edition of the European Team Championships are taking place on November 12-21 at the Hotel Toplice in the Terme Čatež Spa Complex, in eastern Slovenia. An open championship and a women’s championship are being played concurrently, with each event a 9-round Swiss tournament. Read the full report on round 7... | The action kicks off at 15.00 CET (09.00 ET, 19.30 IST).

11/21/2021 – Records keep tumbling when Arjun Erigaisi plays tournaments. The 18-year-old continues his brilliant momentum in Blitz as he scored an unbeaten 6½/9 to gain sole lead. He is the only player who remained undefeated for nine rounds of Blitz. His total unbeaten streak is at 16 games now at Tata Steel Chess India 2021. That’s not all: he has climbed to World no.14 and India no.2 in Blitz in the live ratings. Aronian is once again in pursuit of Arjun as he is just a half point behind him at 6/9. They will face each other in the 14th round. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

11/21/2021 – The Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz Tournament is taking place on November 17-21 in Kolkata. This time, 14 players are taking part. The lineup is spearheaded by Levon Aronian. Vishy Anand is present at the tournament as a mentor to the young talents. Read the full report on Arjun’s victory at the rapid section... | Follow the action live with expert commentary starting at 9.30 CET (3.30 ET, 14.00 IST)

11/21/2021 – An eighth win in as many matches gave Russia tournament victory at the women’s section of the European Team Championships with a round to spare. This is Russia’s fourth consecutive title and the seventh in the last eight events. Meanwhile, in the open section, four teams go into the final round tied for first place — Armenia, France, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. | Photos: Mark Livshitz

11/20/2021 – In the diagram position, 14...bxc3! looks dangerous - after 15.Rxc3 White threatens 16.Rxc8+, winning the queen on a5. But Black, World Championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi, had a cool surprise in store! Can you find it?

11/20/2021 – Arjun Erigaisi started hitting the next level at Goldmoney Asian Rapid this past summer when he ended Aronian’s undefeated streak at the event. The healthy rivalry with Aronian began since then. The most anticipated match of the event between Aronian and Arjun did not disappoint. It delivered everything one can fathom — there was action, drama and high stakes in a high-tension match which showcased Arjun’s another quality which the majority of the Indian youth possess: true grit. No matter how adverse things might get, one needs to have the courage to fight back, even if your opponent is the mighty, only two-time World Cup winner in the history of chess. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

11/20/2021 – Azerbaijan and Ukraine are sharing the lead after seven rounds in the open section of the European Team Championships. While Azerbaijan defeated the Netherlands on Friday, Ukraine inflicted Russia’s first loss of the event. The best individual performer in Slovenia, Alireza Firouzja, scored his sixth win of the tournament and is now 1.1 Elo points away from reaching the 2800 rating barrier. In the women’s section, the defending champions of Russia still have a perfect score. | Photos: ECU Press

11/19/2021 – In this week’s show, GM Daniel King looks at interesting positions from the European Team Championship but the main dish of the day is a creative attacking display from Alexei Shirov who once again shows the power of a sustained intiative. | Power Play is on air most Fridays. Watch it on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account. All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer.

11/19/2021 – Fritz 18 has been released, bringing a fantastic opponent so that now you have an engine that will adapt to your play, try to make it a fun and engaging opponent, and even set you up with a brilliancy or more if the situation allows. This is not merely hype, but the result of feedback from players who have tried it, from weak amateurs to grandmasters themselves.

11/19/2021 – The internet tries to sabotage the show, but we pull through and succeed! Lawrence found some very juicy tactics today, and it doesn't get easier, once we move over to our ChessBase training app. But finding the right solution after all those calculations is truly satisfying. The question is, are you good enough to find the correct moves?