3/14/2026 – IM Andrew Martin makes a compelling case for the Vienna Game as a versatile and dangerous weapon, offering rich attacking chances with far less theory than mainstream alternatives like the Ruy Lopez or Italian. His course covers three distinct approaches - aggressive f2–f4 systems, solid early Bc4 lines, and positional g3 setups - giving you a complete, hard-to-prepare-for repertoire with real practical punch.
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In this course, you will learn the foundations and key ideas of the Vienna Game and discover a variety of systems that make you extremely difficult to prepare for. The Vienna Game is one of the most underrated openings in modern chess. While the Ruy Lopez and Italian dominate elite practice, the Vienna offers rich, creative play with far less theoretical burden and enormous practical value.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 1: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 - Martin vs Adams
Whether you‘re a beginner looking for a clear roadmap or an advanced player ready to refine your strategic edge, this comprehensive course will transform the way you think about chess.
€49.90
The Vienna Game – Dynamic, Flexible and Deeply Underestimated
by Andrew Martin
The Vienna Game is one of the most underrated openings in modern chess. While the Ruy Lopez and Italian dominate elite practice, the Vienna offers rich, creative play with far less theoretical burden and enormous practical value.
f2–f4 systems – aggressive, King’s Gambit-style positions with added flexibility
Early Bc4 lines – solid setups with long-term pressure (including the wild Frankenstein–Dracula Variation)
g3 systems – positional control of d5 with attacking potential
The Vienna leads to complex, original middlegames and makes you extremely difficult to prepare for. IM Andrew Martin, FIDE Senior Trainer and long-time ChessBase author, guides you through this versatile and dangerous opening weapon.
In this course, you will learn the foundations and key ideas of the Vienna Game and discover a variety of systems that make you extremely difficult to prepare for. The Vienna Game is one of the most underrated openings in modern chess. While the Ruy Lopez and Italian dominate elite practice, the Vienna offers rich, creative play with far less theoretical burden and enormous practical value.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 1: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 - Martin vs Adams
3/12/2026 – Welcome to The Initiative – a show dedicated to the relentless battle for momentum in chess! In every game, players fight to seize control, dictate the pace, and keep their opponent on the back foot. But what does it really mean to have the initiative? How do the world’s best players maintain pressure and transform small advantages into crushing attacks?
3/11/2026 – Chess tournaments have a way of running so smoothly that spectators rarely stop to think about why. That seamless experience is no accident, it's the result of dedicated people working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything goes according to plan. At the Prague International Chess Festival, organizer Petr Boleslav leads a close-knit team of helpers, many of whom he has known for years and who themselves come from a chess background. ChessBase sat down with several of them to offer a glimpse into the world behind the tournament.
London System PowerBase 2026 is a database and contains in all 11 285 games from Mega 2026 and the Correspondence Database 2026, of which 282 are annotated.
The London System Powerbook 2026 is based on more than 410 000 games or game fragments from different opening moves and ECO codes; what they all have in common is that White plays d4 and Bf4 but does not play c4.
In this course, Grandmaster Elisabeth Pähtz presents the London System, a structured and ambitious approach based on the immediate Bf4, leading to rich and dynamic positions.
Opening videos: Open Spanish (Sipke Ernst) and Classical Sicilian (Nico Zwirs). Endgame Special by Igor Stohl: ‘Short or long side’ – where should the defending king be placed in rook endgames? ‘Lucky bag’ with 35 master analyses.
YOUR EASY ACCESS TO OPENING THEORY: Whether you want to build up a reliable and powerful opening repertoire or find new opening ideas for your existing repertoire, the Opening Encyclopaedia covers the entire opening theory on one product.
The Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation with 5.Bf4 has a great balance between positional play and sharp pawn pushes; and will be a surprise for your opponents while being easy to learn for you, as the key patterns are familiar.
€9.90
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