A quiet surprise

1/13/2017 – Tactics can seem deceptively simple, particularly when seeing an engine analysing grandmaster games. Strange, however, how difficult it is to find the right move and to calculate variations properly when playing yourself. It is easier if you solve tactical puzzles regularly. In the ChessBase Magazine and his tactics column Oliver Reeh helps you to do so.

Introducing American Chess Magazine

1/13/2017 – As fellow chess fans, we always welcome a new chess magazine in which to indulge in our passion, but rarely does one appear with the amount of Wow factor that can be seen in the new American Chess Magazine. The large, beautifully produced magazine not only brings a slew of articles on events with deeply commented games, but comes also with columns by names such as Baadur Jobava and Vassily Ivanchuk. This new publication comes from the venerable Informant now celebrating 50 years of existence.

Dynamic diagrams

1/12/2017 – In chess publishing, there is nothing quite as ubiquitous as the chess diagram. From the first chess books in the 1500s to the latest articles on the web 500 years later, diagrams are a key element of the tale. It may seem astonishing therefore that even with today’s ease of technology no one has attempted to improve on it, other than the artwork. Until now that is, as ChessBase introduces a set of tools to include dynamic diagrams in your online articles.
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Three birthdays!

1/12/2017 – January 12 seems to be a special day for chess: today, three well-known chessplayers celebrate thieir birthdays! The oldest of the jubilarians is Vlastimil Hort who turns 73 today. Much younger is Sergey Karjakin, World Championship Challenger and reigning World Blitz Champion. But the youngest of the three is Harika Dronavalli. Happy Birthday!

Women's World Championship 2017: Who plays, who doesn't?

1/12/2017 – The Women’s World Championship 2017 will be played from 10. February to 5. March in Tehran. The decision to play in the Iranian capital was controversial, not least because women in Iran are forced to wear a headscarf in public, and all players have to comply to this rule. But Fide stood by its decision and now published a list of the 64 players who will fight for the Women's title. Top seed is Ju Wenjun, second seed Anna Muzychuk. But a number of top players refused to start.

Best of 2016: the results of your voting

1/11/2017 – We asked, you voted: who was player of the year 2016, who was female player of 2016, what game was the best of 2016 and what move? And which endgame did the chess fans like best? Here are the results.

Jon Speelman: Agony Column #36

1/11/2017 – In the endgame it is often a good idea to send your king across the board to invade the enemy's camp. In the middlegame, however, such a strategy is often be reckless or even foolish. But it sometimes pays unexpected dividends. In his Agony Column #36 Jon Speelman presents three games and two active kings who brought agony and ecstasy.

Wijk aan Zee: More than chess

1/10/2017 – The tournament in Wijk aan Zee that starts on Friday, January 13 - the first round begins one day later, January 14, 1.30 pm - promises attractive chess but also offers a lot besides chess. For instance, a football match with the chess stars.

Triangulation

1/10/2017 – Today, 4 pm German time, Karsten Müller gives endgame lessons. In his monthly "Endgame Magic Show" (which is in English) the endgame expert shows instructive and entertaining endgames. For starters, here is a pawn endgame in which White is to move and would like to win. But how? Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun!

Chess adventures with Baadur Jobava

1/9/2017 – Baadur Jobava, rapid chess and a sharp modern line of the Najdorf is a mix that can easily lead to entertaining chess. This mix appeared in the game Jobava vs Atabayev from the World Rapid Championship 2016 in Doha. In the latest installment of his Power Play Show Daniel King takes a closer look at this brilliancy.

Eltaj Safarli wins Chess Festival Basel

1/9/2017 – A lot of players used the Christmas Holidays to take part in a chess tournament. Or two. One of them was Azeri grandmaster Nijat Abasov. After winning the Christmas Open in Zürich he started in Basel, in the Chess Festival that took place from 2nd to 8th January. But in Basel he "only" finished sixth. Another Azeri won the tournament on tie-break: Eltaj Safarli.

Zürich: Nijat Abasov with best tie-break

1/9/2017 – 116 players took part in the Masters Tournament of the traditional Christmas Open in Zürich. After seven rounds six players shared first place with 5.5/7 each. Nijat Abasov from Azerbaijan had the best tie-break and won the tournament. Chess legend Vlastimil Hort scored 4.0/7.

Tata Steel starts in a week

1/8/2017 – Only a few more days and World Champion Magnus Carlsen will play his first tournament game of 2017. On Saturday, January 14, 1.30pm local time, at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee. Carlsen will compete against players such as Sergey Karjakin, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Richard Rapport, and Wei Yi to name just a few. Traditionally, Wijk aan Zee is one of the strongest and most interesting tournaments of the year, a real chess festival!

Study contest – Jan Timman turns sixty-five

1/7/2017 – In December he turned 65. For decades Jan Timman was a top GMs – in 1982 in fact the world's number two player, behind Anatoly Karpov, against whom he played a World Championship match. Timman is also an expert in endgame studies, with many prize-winning compositions to his name. It is therefore appropriate that Hans Böhm celebrates his 50 years of close friendship with Jan with a special composition contest, and we present some enchanting pictures.

Deep Sengupta victorious in Hastings

1/7/2017 – The Hastings International Chess Congress is an annual chess festival with a long and rich tradition. The top event was the Hastings Masters, which took place 29th December to 5th January 2017. Deep Sengupta of India took clear first with 7.0/9, half a point clear of five players with 6.5/9 each. Among them was the world's youngest International Master, Indian talent Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.

Krishnan Sasikiran wins Rilton Cup

1/6/2017 – The Indian Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran won the 46th Rilton Cup in Stockholm with six wins, three draws, no loss and 7.5/9. Second place went to Russian Grandmaster Sergey Volkov who scored 7.0/9. Seven players with 6.5/9 shared places 3 to 8, among them Gata Kamsky and Ivan Sokolov. But the most spectacular game was played by Tiger Hillarp Persson.

Best of 2016: Best Move

1/6/2017 – After votinng for "Best Player", "Best Female Player", "Best Game", and "Best Endgame", it's time to vote for the "Best Move" of 2016. Have a look at the spectacular, surprising, paradoxical or simply beautiful moves Oliver Reeh selected from games played in 2016. Which of these moves, do you think, is the best move of 2016?

Charming: Blitz Quiz with Judit Polgar

1/6/2017 – One of the highlights of the World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin in New York was the live commentary by Judit Polgar. The eloquent charm she displayed while explaining the games between Carlsen and Karjakin also comes out in a short "Blitz Quiz" video recorded during this year's Global Chess Festival, Judit Polgar's initiative to promote chess all over the world. The video is short but helps to understand why chess can make you happy.

Career opportunities

1/6/2017 – Tactics can seem deceptively simple, particularly when seeing an engine analysing grandmaster games. Strange, however, how difficult it is to find the right move and to calculate variations properly when playing yourself. It is easier if you solve tactical puzzles regularly. In the ChessBase Magazine and his tactics column Oliver Reeh helps you to do so.

Yannick Pelletier: "The Hedgehog is universal"

1/5/2017 – Recently Yannick Pelletier was visiting Hamburg to record his trilingual DVD about the Hedgehog in the ChessBase studio. Before he went back to Paris we invited him to a little chat. A chat about counterchances, exchanging queens, Carlsen's limited opening choices and recent opening trends. Interview...

Best of 2016: Best Endgame

1/5/2017 – The year 2017 is already a few days old and it is time to have a look at the endgame highlights of 2016. Karsten Müller selected six fantastic endgames played in 2016. But which, do you think, is the best endgame of 2016?

Grand Chess Tour makes new moves

1/5/2017 – In a recent press release the Grand Chess Tour announced two things: a new rating system, called Universal Rating System, or URS™, that combines the results players have in classical, rapid and blitz chess, and the Wildcard Selections for the five events of the Grand Chess Tour 2017. More...

Jon Speelman: Agony Column #35

1/4/2017 – In his "Agony Column #35" Jon Speelman presents three games: one win, one loss, and a draw. The loss was agonising, the win mildly ecstatic, and the draw had both, agony and ecstasy.

Best of 2016: Best Game

1/4/2017 – 2016 brought a a lot of entertaining, fascinating and amazing games. But what was the "best game" of 2016? Our experts created a shortlist of ten games, now it's your turn. What, do you think, is the best game of 2016?