Andrew Martin: ABC of the Leningrad Dutch

2/4/2015 – Do you have "strong nerves and a thirst for battle"? And are you looking for a good answer to 1.d4? Try the Leningrad Dutch! Andrew Martin, experienced coach, commentator, and popular ChessBase author, shows the basic ideas of this interesting, sharp and double-edged opening, which is dangerous for both sides but in which you score if you know your way.

The Imitation Game

2/4/2015 – On 22nd February Hollywood celebrates the Academy Awards. Nominated for eight oscars is "The Imitation Game" by Morten Tildum, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. The film tells the story of Alan Turing, mathematician, codebreaker, and author of the very first chess program. But this is not the only role chess plays in the film.

ChessBase Magazine 164 – A day well spent!

2/4/2015 – "The latest issue of ChessBase Magazine, CBM 164, had just been released," writes Sagar Shah. "I decided to work with complete dedication on everything that was given in it!" The Indian IM spent a whole Sunday studying the issue, looking at analysis, solving the lessons. In a two-part review he tells us what he found and how everything in the magazine works. Don't miss it!

£1 million 'Golden League' is leaked

2/4/2015 – It was in the middle of a chat in his Masterclass that Veselin Topalov let slip there would be a series akin to the FIDE Grand Prix, but in this case including the top tournaments in St. Louis, Stavangar, and London, with more to come. GM Ian Rogers got the scoop and posted on Twitter, and it was confirmed. Here is what is known so far about this breaking news.

Moscow Open Rd4: A chat with Paco

2/4/2015 – With so many options, and such a hard field, it might seem a bit surprising to see the top Spanish player, Francisco ("Paco") Vallejo Pons playing in the Moscow Open, especially when the no less prestigious Gibraltar Open is running its course far closer to home. In an interview, Paco explains his reasons for the longer route. The action continues in round four.

Gibraltar Rd8: One point lead

2/3/2015 – There are only two rounds left in Gibraltar, and today could not have gone better for Hikaru Nakamura. A nice win over Yu Yangyi combined with draws in the following six boards gives him a one point lead over three players and one and a half points over the main pack. A win tomorrow might seal the deal. Oh, and he also catapulted himself to his highest live rating ever.

Rafael Leitao ties record seventh Brazilian Ch.

2/3/2015 – The Brazilian Championship held its 81st edition in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1927, and even before that if one counts unofficial matches. The three foremost winners of the title are the legendary Joao de Souza Mendes, Jaime Sunye Neto, and Giovanni Vescovi, now equaled by top Brazilian player Rafael Leitao. Report with analysis by the winner.

GRENKE Rd2: Carlsen early leader

2/3/2015 – The second round of this tournament was certainly more exciting than the first one, despite the three draws. Caruana-Bacrot was certainly a bizarre game, as White won the queenside battle but his bishop got trapped on g5 (?!). Carlsen put his typical World Champion pressure on Adams, slowly poking at his opponent's pawns, until the Englishman simply collapsed.

Small army, big attack

2/3/2015 – Every week ChessBase magazine author and renowned endgame expert Karsten Müller presents a remarkable or particularly instructive endgame in his blog. A click on the diagram opens a larger board. Test your endgame skills, improve and have fun.

Stunningly simple: One-click-training

2/3/2015 – Chess training has never been easier. Trainers can simply put a link to a virtual training room on playchess.com on a website of their choice, students, no matter where they are, simply click the link and will be directed to the playchess.com server. There coach and student meet and can choose from a whole range of training opportunities to get better.

Gibraltar Rd7: Finally Stopped

2/3/2015 – It came down to the wire, the last seconds of the game. David Howell was defending tenaciously the entire game against Hikaru Nakamura, but a last minute blunder... went unpunished! In a series of mistakes late in the game Howell finally held the draw against the tournament leader. Board two was a crazy duel between Yu Yangyi and Hou Yifan. Nakamura keeps his half point lead.

2015 Moscow Open starts with over 1500 players

2/2/2015 – The Moscow Open is somewhat of a misnomer and perhaps Moscow Festival or Bonanza would be more appropriate. Set in the capital of Russia, where chess has lived and breathed for over a century, this massive event is comprised of no fewer than eight separate tournaments, including dozens of grandmasters and over 1500 players in all. Illustrated report and video.

Master Class Vol.1: Bobby Fischer

2/2/2015 – "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess", a beginners book, is a bestseller. However, it is not clear how much Fischer is in this book. But the former World Champion still teaches chess. Through his games. The first volume of the ChessBase Master Class series shows how much you can learn from them. Diana Mihajlova had a look at the DVD which entertains and instructs.

GRENKE Chess Classic begins

2/2/2015 – Some top players apparently just enjoy playing. One week after the long tournament in Wijk aan Zee Carlsen, Caruana, Aronian meet again, this time in Baden-Baden, Germany, joining Anand, Adams, Naiditsch, Bacrot, and Baramidze for the GRENKE Chess Classic, an eight-player-round-robin. The first round brought entertaining games but four draws and no win. First round analysis.

Jeruchess – the revival of chess in Israel

2/2/2015 – Following what seemed to signal a serious crisis in the Israeli capital’s chess scene, the last decade witnessed unexpectedly a new spring. A new star from France appeared in the sky of Jerusalem: Alon Cohen-Revivo, who migrated to Israel from the French city of Lyon in 1996 and now runs Jeruchess, which has become a leading chess force in the country. Yochanan Afek reports.

ChessBase Online: 3D boards and Fritz 14

2/1/2015 – As you know, ChessBase has been hard at work developing web-based software to allow users to enjoy many of the wonderful functions they have in desktop software. Among those is the Online Database in which you can consult millions of games, and get full statistics and Let's Check engine data. Newly added to its functionality are great 3D boards and engine support!

Gibraltar Rd6: Naka 6-0

2/1/2015 – Streaks are in fashion! Caruana's 7-0 in the Sinquefield, Carlsen's 6-0 in the middle of Wijk, and now Nakamura starts 6-0 in Gibraltar! With this victory he keeps a half point lead over the competition and regains his spot as the #1 American over So. We bring you analysis of his victory over Topalov and a pictorial report of one of the most jovial events in Gibraltar.

New Year 2015 Puzzle Contest – results

2/1/2015 – On the first day of the year we give you four puzzles for a New Year 2015 think fest – and three weeks for you to work on them. As usual there was brisk participation with obvious enjoyment on the part of our readers. Today we present the solutions and announce the prize winners. They get ChessBase software with personalized dedications from some seriously strong players. Did you win?

February 2015 ratings: the fulfillment of promise

1/31/2015 – It should come as no surprise that the list of February is a celebration of youth fulfilling their promise. Though it was not a mere month that revealed it, it was nevertheless a month that seemed to punctuate a year of toil and resolve for stars Giri, So, MVL and Ding Liren. Still, their results were overshadowed by one who became world no.1 and gained 426 Elo in two weeks!

Gibraltar Rd5: Brilliant Nakamura

1/31/2015 – Hikaru Nakamura is the only person in Gibratar to keep his perfect score, and he did so with uncompromising and aggressive chess. Baskaran Adhiban simply was not up to the challenge: he got lost in the complications and by move 18 Naka's deadly pawns reached the 3rd rank (!). Tomorrow will be a showdown of monsters, as Nakamura takes on the top player with 4.5: Veselin Topalov.

Who's Who at the «Zurich Chess Challenge 2015»

1/31/2015 – Together with the six players of the leading elite, there will join in a group of legendary personalities from the world of chess at the 4th edition of the «Zurich Chess Challenge 2015» (February 13th-19th 2015). Recently added to the mouthwatering activities is a Legends Match in rapid games between Viktor Korchnoi and Wolfgang Uhlmann. The event just gets better and better.

Classical enigma

1/31/2015 – 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.

Gibraltar Rd4: And then there were four

1/31/2015 – Four people are tied for the lead in Gibraltar with a perfect 4.0/4. Hikaru Nakamura, Renier Vazquez, Baskaran Adhiban and the prodigy Wei Yi are all going forward. However their list of pursuers is admirable; Topalov, Svidler, Yu Yangyi, Harikrishna, only to name a few, are all half a point behind. Round four highlights and two impressive Master Classes you don't want to miss.

Grandmaster blunders: a statistical analysis

1/30/2015 – Everyone remembers the blunder from game six of the last world championship match, a move that caused shock and disbelief by fans and experts alike. Of course, grandmasters and even a world champion is only human, but how likely is such an oversight likely to occur. Using an engine and a database of millions of games, Joe Doliner set out to find the mathematical truth.