3/27/2016 – "I write for ChessBase because, as a kind of ‘community service’, we academics are expected to convey our research to the public in more palatable and widespread forms than just technical papers," writes Dr Azlan Iqbal. Unfortunately some readers interpreted his last article to be misogynistic, having “gratuitous sexist content”. The author replies to his critics and describes the application of the scientific method to an area as nebulous as aesthetics in chess.

3/26/2016 – Amruta Mokal is in Moscow for the Candidates 2016 and sends us beautiful pictures every day. Today we have a compilation of her photos which doesn’t include any of the eight candidates on the chess board. Here are pictures of spectators and famous personalities who visited the tournament hall and also the organizers who have made this event possible. Enjoy this pictorial.

3/26/2016 – In horror films the fog never lifts until the very end. Despite twelve ferocious rounds of chess, fog still lies heavy on the Candidates tournament, but there is some indication of what we'll see when it clears. Despite some vile blunders and dreadful tension it's less a case of pure horror, and more a case of whodunnit - or rather who will do it.

3/25/2016 – The comeback man, to the chagrin of a billion fans, has been beaten back – Anand was defeated in only 26 moves by Nakamura. Now Karjakin is staging a comeback by defeating Topalov. Meanwhile FIDE President Ilyumzhinov has hinted that the World Championship in November might take place in the Trump Tower in New York! Here is the full report with pictures, videos, and analysis.

3/25/2016 – 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.

3/25/2016 – When discussing expensive chess sets, the reason for their premium value usually falls into two categories: unusual materials and workmanship, or precious metals and gems. Next month, the famous auction house Sotheby’s will be offering rare and old chess sets and pieces expecting to fetch top prices, such as ivory pieces carved during the Samanid Empire more than 1,000 years ago!

3/18/2016 – The increasing strength of computer engines is a challenge for correspondence chess. And challenges can provoke productive and creative responses. Arno Nickel, chess book editor and International Grandmaster of Correspondence Chess, has a lot of ideas to react to the challenging computers. He wants to introduce elements of classical chess into correspondence chess.

3/18/2016 – Six rounds are played at the Candidates Tournament 2016 in Moscow, eight more are left. L. Aronian and S. Karjakin lead with 4.0/6, V. Anand is half a point behind with 3.5/6, while F. Caruana and A. Giri follow with 3.0/6. Will Karjakin and Aronian keep their nerves and will Giri or Caruana start a run? And what will Anand do? Jon Speelman takes a look.

3/18/2016 – 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.

3/17/2016 – Of all of new web apps in ChessBase Account, the one that undoubtedly offers the greatest value would be the Videos section. Available only to Premium subscribers, it literally offers hundreds of hours of viewing material with dozens of commercial videos from the ChessBase Shop available for free. To see what goodies there are, watch this video guided tour.

3/17/2016 – The sixth round finally saw more than one decisive result in a round. Anand knocked out Svidler in a fast paced kingside attack. Caruana had Karjakin on the ropes but the Russian escaped thanks to some tenacious defending. Topalov and Giri drew. The last game to end Aronian-Nakamura had a lot of action in it – the touch-move rule coming into the picture and Aronian’s entertaining press conference.

3/17/2016 – In February Magnus Carlsen was in Hamburg, Germany, to play a simul. Henrike and Luis, two young chessplayers were invited by "Dein Spiegel", a magazine for children between the age of 8 and 14, to interview the World Champion. They used the chance to ask unusual and open questions, e.g. whether Carlsen cries after losing a game or why chess is better than the gameboy.