12/7/2020 – A few weeks ago ChessBase 16 appeared and chess fans all over the world are enthusiastic about it. One of them is Carl Portman. He had a look at the program and concluded: "ChessBase serves not only as a source of enjoyment in trying times but it is a fantastic information management tool to improve your chess."

6/16/2019 – AlphaZero changed the chess world and the way chess players think. But how does the program think and what makes its chess so special? In their book "Game Changer" Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan give answers and present a lot of games by AlphaZero. Carl Portman liked the book so much that he invited Sadler and Regan for a simul and a lecture about AlphaZero. Which was instructive and fun. | Carl Portman

12/13/2018 – "I usually review mainly books but I want to say a few words about CB 15", writes CARL PORTMAN, author of the book Chess Behind Bars, as he begins his collection of thoughts on our flagship database program. Importantly, he tackles the perennial question: Should I upgrade it and why? Portman thinks "you’ll be intellectually naked without it"!

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.

11/17/2017 – Simultaneous events, the battle of one player against many, are fun, fascinating and exciting. Sometimes they are even charming. Carl Portman reports about such a simul, given by Tania Sachdev in the village of Shutford near Banbury in Oxfordshire. | Photo: André Schulz

9/6/2016 – The NATO Chess Championship is the greatest military chess tournament in the World. It is hosted by a different NATO country every year and for 2016 it was the turn of the United Kingdom. A challenging task, and the chess was played out at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham from the 22-26 August. Poland won the team event, FM Finn Pedersen was Individual Winner. Carl Portman reports.