Ivan Saric is 2018 European Champion

3/29/2018 – Overshadowed by the Candidates tournament held in Berlin, the European Championship was still the fascinating event it has always been, with a field that is absurdly rich in grandmasters and titled players. This hard-fought affair brought many famous names, but it all went down to the wire with Ivan Saric emerging the sole victor in a huge win over David Navara in the last round. | Photo: Sophie Nikoladze

ChessBase Magazine 183

3/29/2018 – The editor’s top ten includes: Has Magnus Carlsen really given away a piece? World champion trainer and Dragon expert Peter Heine Nielsen explains what lies behind it. Decision in Wijk aan Zee: Enjoy Daniel King’s video summary of the tiebreak between Carlsen and Giri. In a Sicilian Stunner from Oliver Reeh White makes the going at first, but you get the opportunity to distinguish yourself in the defence of the black position. Plus coverage of the Nimzowitsch Larsen Opening, the London System, the Sicilian B41, and much more.

Power Play on the Candidates

3/28/2018 – GM Daniel King was, of course, one of our round-up show hosts, but he also covered the Candidates Tournament in Berlin round-by-round for his Power Play YouTube Channel, culminating in extensive reporting from on-site for the final two rounds. In case you missed some of his great work, we present it here in one convenient place. Grandmaster analysis in easily digestible bites.

European Championship LIVE

3/28/2018 – The European Individual Championship 2018 is an 11 round Swiss open, played in Batumi, Georgia and hosted by the Georgian Chess Federation, under the auspices of the European Chess Union. After ten rounds eight players are tied with 7½ points. The ECU offers a live video commentary from 9:00 CEST (3:00 AM EDT). | Photo: European Individual Championship on Facebook

Candidates: First American challenger since Fischer

3/28/2018 – With a confident performance in the last round, Fabiano Caruana secured victory in the 2018 Candidates Tournament in Berlin. He played against Alexander Grischuk with a half point lead, and as the round progressed it became clear that a draw would be enough for the tournament victory. But that wasn't enough for Caruana, who pressed on for the full point and finished with a fantastic 9.0 / 14 score and clear first. | Photo: World Chess

Candidates round-up shows

3/28/2018 – ChessBase Premium members can catch up on the action with videos by your favourite contributors. After round fourteen GM Simon Williams covers the highlights of the round.

The Weekly Show with Lawrence Trent

3/27/2018 – Tuesdays at 18:00 CEST (5 pm UK time, Noon EDT) Lawrence Trent goes on air on Playchess.com. In his show, Lawrence will be dealing with the latest trends, games and combinations from elite chess tournaments. Today, Lawrence will have a look at games from the European Individual Championship.

Candidates 2018 LIVE - Caruana wins!

3/27/2018 – Sergey Karjkin didn't succeed in posing serious problems for Ding Liren and after, what he called, a "terrible blunder", he had to scramble to save a draw. That left Caruana in great shape to win the tournament. Mamedyarov struggled to find winning chances with black against Kramnik, but in the end that game ended drawn as well. Caruana, needing only a draw, was in command against Grischuk and even won the game to finish in clear first by a full point! | Photo and drawings by World Chess

Candidates: The final four

3/27/2018 – The final four games, the final four players who have a chance — Monday's play brought some clarity to the stakes in the last round, but Tuesday is shaping up to be a barn-burner. Sergey Karjakin's late surge (since Saturday) stalled as he made a dry draw against Wesley So from, and he puts all his hopes on Tuesday's game. Fabiano Caruana took advantage: The American won in a wild melee against Levon Aronian and is now half a point ahead of Karjakin. And Shakh is back: the Azerbaijani world number two won Monday against Grischuk and is now equal second with Karjakin. Ding is the dark horse who will have to go all-out to win. | Photo: Niki Riga

Searching for an escape

3/27/2018 – Endgames are often surprisingly tactical. When only a few pieces remain on the board the defender often has hidden drawing chances.

Candidates tiebreak scenarios

3/26/2018 – The first thirteen rounds of the Candidates Tournament brought top-class chess, brilliant games and many surprises. And the finale is set up to be exciting: four players can still hope to win the tournament and become the challenger of Magnus Carlsen. Fabiano Caruana takes a small lead into the final round, but with two other players within a half point of first, we can see a maximum of three players tied after Tuesday's final round. Who has the best chances? Read on... | Pictured: Sergei Karjakin in profile | Photo: Niki Riga

Fritz 16 - the very definition of fun

3/26/2018 – When is chess the most enjoyable? When you win! Carl Portman, author of the book Chess Behind Bars, reviews Fritz 16. "Playing against an engine is now once again the very definition of fun! A host of features, including "Assisted Analysis", which gives you discreet visual hints as you move, and emoticons, which show Fritz’s mood, are there to help you. Even with little knowledge of chess, you can enjoy many an exciting game, and more importantly, victory, against Fritz.

A Reykjavik retrospective

3/26/2018 – Looking back on the beauty and grandeur of Iceland's flagship event, the Reykjavik Open, with photos from International Master Alina l'Ami, annotated game highlights, and comments from the eventual winner Baskaran Adhiban.

Recent dramatic history of the Candidates

3/25/2018 – In 2013 the classical candidates tournaments celebrated a comeback. With success: the Candidate Tournament in London 2013 was exciting, dramatic, and full of brilliant games. It also brought Magnus Carlsen one step closer to the title. The candidate tournaments 2014 and 2016, both held in Russia, were also fantastic. And you'll recognise many familiar names currently battling in Berlin. | Photo: Magnus Carlsen © Ray-Morris Hill

Play the ChessBase India online tournament through your phone!

3/25/2018 – ChessBase India has conducted many online events until now and they have been quite successful. Everyone has enjoyed playing on the Playchess server and to win exciting prizes. On 25th of March 2018 we are holding a test event where all the participants can play from any platform - be it their mobile phones, tablets, computers. And you do not need to download any software. Just log into the link that is provided in the article and be ready at 6 p.m.IST (2.30 p.m. CET) for the tournament to begin. Mind you, it is open to all the players of the world!

Candidates: Drama, drama! Karjakin takes the lead!

3/24/2018 – Round twelve had everyone reeling as the event was stood on its head. Sergey Karjakin beat Fabiano Caruana in a powerful game with a superb exchange sacrifice, and now shares the lead with a better tiebreak. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov lost to Ding Liren, who won his first game and thus joins the group a half-point behind the leaders. Read the report and enjoy the analysis by GM Alex Yermolinsky! | Photo: World Chess

Study of the Month: March, 2018

3/24/2018 – Mate in 2 — It's not easy to see at first how White can checkmate in two moves. If White could give a check on g7, then 1.Bg7+ Ke7 2.Nc6 mate is reminiscent of a famous opening trap in the Russian (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4!? 4.Qe2 Nf6?? 5.Nc6+). Of course in the problem, the king just could take on g7. This is but one of nine problems you will encounter in this look at the life of the three Kubbel brothers, from study expert and historian Siegfried Hornecker.

Candidates: Karjakin's last chance

3/24/2018 – In the Candidates Tournament in Berlin, the leader and his closest pursuer played draws in the eleventh round: Fabiano Caruana found precise answers to Vladimir Kramnik's opening ideas, Shakriyar Mamedyarov steered Wesley So towards an early peace. With three rounds to go, Caruana is still half a point ahead of Mamedyarov. Musical chairs in the chasing group. The Chinese Ding Liren was on the verge of a brilliant victory against Alexander Grischuk, but in mutual time pressure, Grischuk managed a miraculous escape. For Ding, his eleventh consecutive draw. | Photo: World Chess

A birthday chat with Ken Rogoff

3/23/2018 – Harvard professor Ken Rogoff is also a grandmaster who has appeared in the pages of ChessBase on numerous occasions, despite not being an active player since the 1970s. On March 22nd, he turned 65 years old, and we reached him by phone at his office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to chat about the Candidates, ageing, Harvard, cheating, and a lesson learned 45 years ago. | Photo: INSM (CC BY-ND 2.0)

European Champs: Few rating favourites among leaders

3/23/2018 – In the European Individual Championship in Batumi, after six rounds the top group has increased to seven players. After his victory over Ivan Saric, Radoslaw Wojtaszek is now the only player rated over 2700 in the leading pack. Friday is a rest day, and the tournament resumes on Saturday at 12:15 CET. | Pictured: Musical chairs on the top board. Benjamin Bok (right) is one of the co-leaders. Ivan Saric (left) is now half a point back | Photos: Official facebook page

Clear trend

3/23/2018 – Playing 13.Nh2! in the diagram position, White signals his ambitions on the kingside - however, until he finally strikes (on h6!) there a some subtleties left to find. Are you fit for the task?

Candidates: Draw at the top

3/23/2018 – Fabiano Caruana had to face his most persistent pursuer in Berlin, Shakriyar Mamedyarov, in the tenth round with the black pieces. Both players wanted to win the game and thus take a huge advantage into the remaining games, but ultimately played to bare kings. The tournament is still completely open at the top. On the other end of the standings table, Vladimir Kramnik staged a small comeback after several bruising defeats, by winning against Levon Aronian. Both the remaining games, Ding Liren vs So and Grischuk vs Karjakin were drawn. | Photo: Niki Riga

The Popular Italian

3/22/2018 – When we are kids we are mostly taught to play 1.e4, and the first mate we see is the one with Bc4, Qh5 and Qxf7++. It looks like chess theory is turning back to its roots when the move 3.Bc4 was much more popular than 3.Bb5. Nowadays all top tournaments are full of Italian games and the focus of the battle is transposed from the opening to the middle game which requires from both sides good knowledge of typical plans and ideas. Let Victor Bologan be your guide...

Challenging studies, automatically

3/22/2018 – Chesthetica, an automatic chess problem composer, has been capable of composing all sorts of puzzles using the Digital Synaptic Neural Substrate (DSNS) computational creativity approach for some years now. I feel compelled to remind readers that this new approach has nothing to do with machine learning or artificial neural networks. Creativity is typically not something that can be ‘taught’ or ‘learned’. It also has nothing at all to do with ‘deep learning’. | Graphics: Sample additional Deviant Art images used in the DSNS composing approach