6/10/2026 – In this volume of Adrian Mikhalchishin’s Master Your Technique series, the focus is on developing tactical awareness and practical attacking instincts, especially through concepts like checks, double attacks, exposed pieces, and sensing hidden attacking opportunities before they fully appear on the board. Mikhalchishin explains how modern chess is driven by constant pressure and activity, showing that strong players often succeed not by immediately winning material, but by building dynamic threats that eventually overwhelm the opponent. Through instructive examples from grandmaster and student games alike, the course teaches how tactical alertness, active piece play, sacrifices for initiative, heavy piece coordination, and precise endgame technique all combine into a complete practical chess understanding.

12/17/2025 – At the European Team Championship 2025, Ukraine’s men won gold and the women won silver — an exceptional achievement under difficult circumstances. In an in-depth interview, team captain Alexander Beliavsky and coach Adrian Mikhalchishin reflect on the role of team spirit, emerging talent, and resilience in one of the most remarkable successes in Ukrainian chess history. | The photos in the text come from the Ukrainian team

6/17/2025 – Master Your Technique Vol. 2 by Adrian Mikhalchishin takes you deeper into the technical foundations of practical chess, focusing on converting advantages and mastering key endgame and middlegame imbalances. Through structured lessons and model games, you'll learn crucial skills like precise endgame technique, double attacks, attacking on open files, and the principle of two weaknesses. This course is ideal for ambitious players who want to turn good positions into wins with confidence and clarity.

5/30/2024 – ChessBase Magazine Extra is the ideal supplement to the ChessBase Magazine. In the new Extra #219: New double sacrifice against the French Defence (video by Felix Blohberger) and part 3 of the video series "Mikhalchishin's miniatures". "Lucky bag" with 44 analyses by Emanuel Berg, Romain Edouard, Alexandr Fier, Michal Krasenkow, Yago Santiago, Vaibhav Suri and many more. Plus over 50,000 new games for your database!

4/21/2024 – Grandmaster Adrian Mikhalchishin, a living legend in the chess world, began his journey in the 1960s and launched a serious chess career in the following decades. Renowned not only for winning numerous tournaments, writing several chessbooks, and creating lots of Fritztrainers, but also for coaching chess masters like Karpov, Beliavsky, Ivanchuk, and the Polgar sisters, Mikhalchishin's life is steeped in chess. In our interview with him reveals a treasure trove of anecdotes and insights from his illustrious career.

4/18/2024 – The Sharp Arkhangelsk variation, utilized by chess masters like Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, emerges from a series of strategic moves beginning with 1.e4 e5. This rich variation offers multiple playstyles, making it a challenging preparation for opponents, with model games highlighting its diverse strategies and concepts for players of all levels.

3/28/2024 – ChessBase Magazine Extra is the ideal supplement to ChessBase Magazine. Videos by Nico Zwirs on the Vienna Game following the game Wei Yi vs. Max Warmerdam from Tata Steel 2024 (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 c6 5.f4) and part 2 of "Mikhalchishin's miniatures", this time focussing on the "Indian" openings. "Lucky bag" with 53 analyses by Romain Edouard, Michal Krasenkow, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan, Gabriel Sargissian and many more. "The brilliancy" is provided by the 15-year-old IM Shreyas Royal from England. Plus over 50,000 new games for your database!

2/1/2024 – ChessBase Magazine Extra is the ideal supplement to ChessBase Magazine. The new Extra #217 starts the new video series "Mikhalchishin's Miniatures" - the first part focusses on the Queen's Gambit Accepted. In addition, Nico Zwirs examines the Najdorf Variation with 6.h3 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.g4 b5 in his video contribution. The “Lucky bag” this time contains 48 analyses by Anish Giri, Ivan Saric, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan, Romain Edouard, Michal Krasenkow and many others!

11/10/2023 – In chess, there are many key elements: opening theory; endgame theory; middlegame strategy; and calculation of variations, based on tactics. In every area there are the most efficient and logical ways to perform chosen manoeuvres or improvements of the positions. Generally, we call these “technique”.

6/1/2021 – Chess education is based on examples of great players of the past. Most of the typical methods of attack, analogous plans and correct ways of conducting different endgames happened for the first time in their games. On the basis of these games, numerous books have been written about endgame subjects and endgame technique. Even concerning openings, the great Alexander Alekhine said that theory is simply the practice of the masters!

12/31/2020 – Adrian Michalchishin is one of the world's most renowned trainers. He has worked with players such as Aleksander Beliavsky, Anatoly Karpov, Alisa Maric, Ilja Nyzhnyk, Richard Rapport, Mateusz Bartel, Susan and Sofia Polgar, to name just a few. In an extensive interview he talks about his life, trainers who have influenced him, and what you need to be a successful coach and player. | Photo: Pascal Simon

4/29/2019 – An "impromptu" Endgame Magic Monday! Karsten is joined by Grandmaster and renowned trainer Adrian Mikhalchishin. On-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

11/1/2018 – Do you manage to execute your plan at the board, only to watch an advantage slip away? Are you able to convert a strategic idea into concrete moves, but in the end cannot convert the win? This is the essence of technique and GM Adrian Mikhalchishin faces this esoteric subject head-on in his latest FritzTrainer. Through examples from the games of great players past and present, he details their plans, catalogues their mistakes, and demonstrates how they transformed ideas in their minds into plans over the board. In this review, DAVIDE NASTASIO says you will learn a lot from this video series, and eventually be able to apply such knowledge to your own games.

8/30/2018 – This quick review of a recent interesting product is geared toward the player who would like an easy plan to face the Stonewall Dutch. The review itself, thanks to the new ChessBase "live diagrams", lets a player tests some positions and ideas against an engine. Then, of course, Mikhalchishin's explanations and choice of example games can be quite enlightening. DAVIDE NASTASIO explains.

8/14/2018 – Chess enthusiasts from fourteen different countries attended lectures by a team of strong trainers at the end of July in Maribor. The second-largest city in Slovenia hosted the event that included simultaneous exhibitions, a blitz tournament and various outdoor activities. MISA HRENIC sent a report that included impressions by some of the participants. | Photos: Lena Uranjek

1/1/2018 – Chess is mainly a strategic game because of the pawn structures. Different pawn structures require varying approaches. Strategy is the human concept since unlike an engine, we can't find the right move through brute force. We need to know a given pawn structure, and the plans it engenders. In the past we needed years to learn which were the correct plans depending on which pawn structures we encountered in our games. Now, thanks to this DVD made by one of the most expert trainers in the world, we can learn through the videos, and reviewing curated games, to understand how to deal with the different pawn structures, and reach the next level. Davide Nastasio digs in.

7/5/2017 – In the recent issue of New in Chess magazine GM Matthew Sadler, having switched jobs and looking for a low-effort way to keep his feeling for chess alive, watched some ChessBase DVDs on positional themes. He started with Sergei Tiviakov and progressed to Adrian Mikhalchishin, whom he calls "an entertaining and lively host ... who kept me thoroughly entertained all through the many hours of content. He does however make tactical mistakes, caused by the author's unbridled enthusiasm. Still: definitely a series worth consideration.

2/11/2017 – "Studies prove: the more patterns you know, the better you play," says Ukrainian GM Adrian Mikhalchishin. He is one of the best trainers in the world: he coached the USSR team, the national teams of Slovenia, Poland and the Netherlands, and was the trainer of Anatoly Karpov (1980-1986) and other famous players. Now he turns his attentions on you: in a new Fritztrainer DVD he reveals the pattern recognition secrets of the World Champions. Don't miss it.

7/30/2016 – The idea of critical moments is not hard to understand, and perhaps because of this is so easy to underestimate. These key moments in our games are essentially the turning point, leading to a decisive and negative change if missed or played improperly. Veteran trainer Adrian Mikhalchishin casts his expert eye on this topic to teach the student to recognize them and not misplay them.

7/31/2015 – FIDE has certainly undergone a number of changes over the years, some good, and some less so, but certainly one of the best has been the creation and structuring of the FIDE trainer, allowing chess teachers of all levels to earn official accreditation. A separate section exists with the expected information, but did you know there is also a large selection of free chess lectures?

2/22/2015 – Bishop or knight, which is the better minor piece in a given position? This question often decides the game. Adrian Mikhalchishin helps you to find an answer. In a one hour seminar, giving you the experience of a one-on-one training session, the renowned coach offers useful rules of thumb to treat bishops and knights the right way. Entertaining, instructive, helpful.