The secret history of chess (1)

1/10/2015 – Unexpectedly we see a very old chess board in an Italian church from circa 873. If it is a chess board, it should not be there, since chess is supposed to enter Europe via Spain in the beginning of the 11th century. Or could there be some truth in the legends which connect Charlemagne with chess? We will start our journey to reveal the secret history of chess.

Tata Steel Rd1: Caruana, Ivanchuk and MVL win

1/10/2015 – The start of the first elite event of the year did not disappoint, and the Masters group saw a violent series of games with a nervy start. Carlsen and Giri had a balanced game and drew, while Caruana, Ivanchuk and Vachier-Lagrave won their respective games. The last game of the day was a wild affair between So and Wojtaszek in which either could have won, but drew. Round one report.

Grenke Chess Classic to have elite lineup

1/9/2015 – The Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee finishes on January 25th, but in case you wondered how long until the next elite tournament, the answer is: exactly one week! From February 2-9, eight top players including Carlsen, Caruana, Anand, Aronian, Adams, Bacrot, Naiditsch, and Baramidze will play in Germany, in Baden-Baden at the Grenke Chess Classic. Press release.

Komodo 8: Deep Blue revisited (part three)

1/9/2015 – Nearly eighteen years later, the matches between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue continue to stir the imagination and fascination of people around the world. It has inspired books, documentaries, and theatrical productions. Looking over the games with a top engine such as Komodo 8, and comparing with the computer logs, sheds new light, and even reveals a missed win by Kasparov.

Interview with Ivan Sokolov (2/2)

1/9/2015 – In the second part of the interview with Ivan Sokolov, the Dutchman touches on all kinds of subjects, from the difficulties of writing chess books, to the state of affairs for professional chess players in the Netherlands, to his employment in the United Arab Emirates and even Kasparov's match against Deep Blue! A fitting conclusion for this interview of a very lively character.

The g-file catch

1/9/2015 – 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.

Best of 2014: Magic tactics

1/8/2015 – One of the simple joys in chess is seeing a position from a game in which one player wins the game with a sweet tactical shot, and finding it on your own with the thought "I can do that!". 2014 was replete with such moments, in which the very best players in the world won games and lost games to both simple shots, and others that leave you gaping. Can you do as well?

Interview with Ivan Sokolov (1/2)

1/8/2015 – Ivan Sokolov needs no introduction. He has been one of the elite players in the world for more than two decades now. In this exclusive interview for ChessBase Ivan reveals about his beginnings, his idols, his path breaking win against Garry Kasparov, Vishy Anand, the 2014 World Championship match, why Magnus is the best and why Fabiano Caruana won't be Carlsen's next opponent in 2016!

Tata Steel 2015 Preview

1/8/2015 – The first Super-Tournamnet of the year is upon us! The 77th edition of the Wijk Aan Zee chess tournament, or the Tata Steel, begins with its first round this Saturday! The field is bolstered with super stars and upcoming powerhouses, both in the Masters and Challengers section. Leading the Masters are Carlsen, Caruana and Aronian, but they face very, very stiff competition!

Zhao Jun bulldozes Hastings Chess Congress

1/7/2015 – The Hastings Chess Congress – the oldest tournament on the planet - was held from 29th December 2014 to 6th January 2015 at the Horntye Park Sports Complex at Hastings. Top seeds Maxim Rodshtein and Romain Edouard led the field of 104 players with fourteen Grandmasters, but Chinese GM Zhao Jun bulldozed through the field with 8.0/9. Enjoy this report with attacks and combinations.

The dangerous "Zwischenzug"

1/7/2015 – 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!

Huffington Post: 40 Years of spectacular chess

1/7/2015 – This weekend sees the start of the 77th Wijk aan Zee Chess Tournament (9-25 Jan.). In 1975 the organizers inaugurated a prize for the most spectacular game – one that was won in recent years by the likes of Carlsen and Anand. But the very first brilliancy prize was won by Huffington Post correspondent Lubomir Kavalek, who provides us with extensive analysis of that forty-year-old game.

Hammer takes the Rilton Cup

1/6/2015 – It came down to the wire as the winner was defined by the Buchholz Tie-Break system, but at the end it was Jon Ludvig Hammer from Norway who narrowly bested Tiger Hillarp Persson to take first place. A big tie for third was also broken by Buchholz. We bring you the final games as well as the best game prizes, in which Shogi player Habu Yoshiharu was both a victim and an executor!

Ni Hua has perfect start at Australian Open

1/6/2015 – What happens when you invite a Chinese player who is rated 2689 to a tournament where he is the top seed and rated a hundred points above the next participant? Well, of course, he steamrolls through the field! Ni Hua is showing no mercy at the Australian Open 2015 and now leads the tournament with a perfect score of 6.0/6 a full point ahead of all the participants.

"Pushing Wood", an IndieGoGo project

1/6/2015 – The idea of turning chess into a grandiose spectacle, and players into household names with paychecks to match, is the Caissa version of the American Dream. A new documentary in the making, "Pushing Wood", is precisely on this topic. They are listed as the latest IndieGoGo project, and are seeking help to fund it. See what you can do, and don't miss the impressive trailer.

Naiditsch wins second Swiss at Basel

1/5/2015 – The fifth edition of the Basel Chess Festival took place from January 1st to 5th with top seeds Arkadij Naiditsch and Richard Rapport forming the cream of strong GMs and IMs in a field of 80 players in the Masters section. The traditional year opening Swiss tournament was held in the Hilton Hotel at Basel. The German grandmaster won his second back-to-back Swiss. An illustrated report.

Chennai Open attracts 937 players

1/5/2015 – The time has come for the 7th edition of the Chennai International Open in Chennai, India, held between Dec 30, 2014, to Jan 06, 2015. With a total prize fund of Rs.1.4 million ($22,135 approx), in three different groups – the Grandmaster Open, and two others. It is the proverbial 'bigger and better' with total entries all combined reaching a mammoth 937 players.

Best of 2014: Endgame wizardry

1/4/2015 – Asked to select a few of his favorite endgames from 2014, noted author and endgame expert, GM Karsten Mueller dug up five endgames, and commented "There were many fascinating endgames in 2014, so the following choice is not forced. Magnus Carlsen has such impressive technique that I mostly looked at his endgames, but I liked two others so much that I just had to include them."

The Knight that Jumps High Falls Prey to a Pawn (2)

1/4/2015 – In this second part on the world of shogi, you will see what the state of computer playing software is, and how they compare to chess engines, as well as online resources, and of course how they approach teaching the complex game to children. There is also a profile of Karolina Styczynska, who taught herself the game online, is now turning pro, after discovering the game in a comic.

South Africa's first Grandmaster

1/4/2015 – With an Elo-rating of 2399 (January 2015) Kenny Solomon is South Africa's number three but a few days ago he became the country's first grandmaster. In the Africa Chess Championship 2014 he finished with 7.0/9 and had a better tie-break than tournament favorite GM Ahmed Adly, World Junior Champion from 2007. This tie-break win made Solomon Grandmaster.

Hillarp Persson leads in Sweden

1/4/2015 – The Rilton Cup is Sweden's biggest and most famous international chess tournament. It was originally initiated by a donation from a doctor, Tore Rilton, and since 1985 the tournament is financially secure. A special challenge prize, donated by SEB Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, is the Rilton-medal in genuine gold. With two rounds to go local GM Hillar Persson leads with 6.0/7

New Zealand Open

1/4/2015 – As far as Chess Centres go, it must be one of the quaintest around – a 1916 Church, and adjacent Church Hall. Last March, Nigel Short played a simul to open the New Zealand National Chess Centre - and now it is the venue for the 2015 New Zealand Open Championship. A pictorial report from Devonport, Auckland, with comments by GM and chess philanthropist Murray Chandler.

A look back at 2014

1/3/2015 – 2014 was a remarkable year, with tales of woe and celebration, tales of rising young stars and comeback stories to warm your heart. Throughout all this, ChessBase was always at the fore, trying to bring you the highest quality reporting, images, and analysis so you the reader never missed a thing. Here is a quick look at some of the headlines and stories that defined the year.

The Knight that Jumps High Falls Prey to a Pawn (1)

1/3/2015 – In chess, a number of specialized proverbs exist to pass on wisdom, such as pawns never move backwards, with lessons in the game and in life. Shogi is no different, and this is how a gentle article sharing this and an overview of the shogi world begins. Here you will see how the games overlap or differ, the conditions of becoming a professional, and how women also fight prejudice in shogi.