4/14/2026 – The ChessBase crew travels to Cyprus to cover the Candidates Tournament, bringing you daily impressions from one of the biggest events in chess. What is the atmosphere like around the world’s best players? How is the venue, and where do the stars spend their time? What happens behind the scenes in the media centre and beyond? And what is Cyprus like as a host for such a prestigious event? From travel moments and unexpected encounters to exclusive insights into the tournament environment, we take you along for the journey—day by day. Experience the Candidates from the inside.
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EXPAND YOUR CHESS HORIZONS Data, plans, practice – the new Opening Report In ChessBase there are always attempts to show the typical plans of an opening variation. In the age of engines, chess is much more concrete than previously thought. But amateurs in particular love openings with clear plans, see the London System. In ChessBase ’26, three functions deal with the display of plans. The new opening report examines which piece moves or pawn advances are significant for each important variation. In the reference search you can now see on the board where the pieces usually go. If you start the new Monte Carlo analysis, the board also shows the most common figure paths.
In almost every chess game there comes a moment when you just can’t go on without tactics. You must strike to not giving away the advantage you have worked for the whole game.
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Elo Boost - A GM hike in Cyprus 🇨🇾 | Behind the Scenes
Day 2
Rest day… but not really.
For the ChessBase crew, a day starts the only way it possibly can - at the gym. Because if you want to keep up with the Candidates, you need power. A lot of it. The players may be preparing in silence … but we’re out there trying to find them.
And that turns out to be harder than expected. The players are scattered, hidden between beaches, cafés, paddle ball, and quiet corners of this surreal five-star setting. So we go hunting.
Our search leads us along the rugged coastline, all the way to the famous Edro III shipwreck. Waves crashing, wind cutting through the rocks, and suddenly, a wild Anish Giri and Jan Smeets appear.
Mission partially accomplished.
But we’re not done yet.
Back at the venue, curiosity takes over. We sneak into the VIP area. Just for a quick look. And there they are. The trophies. One for the winner of the Candidates. One for the winner of the Women’s Candidates. In just a few days, they’ll have names attached to them. For now, they carry only tension.
The afternoon takes another turn.
We head out again, this time into something entirely different. A traditional Cypriot Easter celebration. Music fills the air, people dancing, laughter everywhere. It’s warm, chaotic, alive, and for a moment, the intensity of the tournament fades into the background.
As the afternoon comes to an end, we take one final walk, back to the player venue. The kind of walk a normal grandmaster might take. Quiet. Focused. Already thinking about the next round.
And here’s the deal: Watch this video carefully… because by the end of it, you will gain at least 20 Elo.
Tomorrow: the second-to-last round. Everything is on the line.
Arne KaehlerArne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.
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“Attack with Qh5!!” – Tactical training with Oliver Reeh, “6…g5 – nothing ventured, nothing …” – Le Quang Liem comments on one of his victories in Biel, “Grischuk’s stroke of genius” – Petra Papp reveals a surprise in the Sicilian Kan Variation, and much
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
While tactics decide the game in concrete moments, strategy guides the entire battle. Understanding how to improve your pieces, create weaknesses, execute maneuvers, and steer the game toward favorable structures is what defines strong players.
The Italian Four Knights is the ideal choice. It combines the solid foundation of classical openings like the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game with an active, initiative-driven style of play.
IM Andrew Martin shows why this 19th-century opening weapon still is a fantastic choice for club players. The Evans produces exciting chess and teaches the art of attack.
IM Andrew Martin complements his Evans Gambit course with a simple and attacking repertoire against all of blacks sidelines after 1.e4 e5.
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