Matthias Wuellenweber - The Complete Guide to the ChessBase 26 Opening Report

by ChessBase
11/11/2025 – In this video, Matthias Wüllenweber demonstrates the new Opening Report in ChessBase 26, one of the software’s most powerful and innovative tools. Using the Sicilian Najdorf Poisoned Pawn as an example, he shows how the feature generates interactive reports with strategic themes, historical insights, fashion trends, and statistics filtered by player strength. The Opening Report combines theory, training, and entertainment—offering annotated lines, instructive games, and even tactical exercises that help players deeply understand their chosen openings.
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.

Matthias Wuellenweber - The Complete Guide to the ChessBase 26 Opening Report

0:00 – Introduction to the Opening Report Matthias introduces the new Opening Report in ChessBase 26 and demonstrates how to generate it using the Sicilian Najdorf Poisoned Pawn variation.

1:17 – How the Report is Generated Explanation of how the Opening Report identifies main lines, extracts strategic themes, and selects instructive and tactical games from the Mega Database 2026.

3:09 – Historical Origins and Pioneers Overview of the variation’s history, mentioning pioneers like Alexander Tolos and early adopters such as Bobby Fischer, along with a popularity chart over time.

6:37 – Elo-Based Statistics and Insights Demonstration of the new Elo-segmented statistics showing how openings perform differently across rating levels and what that means for club and professional players.

14:39 – Characterization of the Variation The system automatically describes strategic traits of the variation—pawn structures, piece activity, and king safety—giving players a narrative understanding of the position.

17:08 – Typical Lines and Study Games Presentation of main responses, typical lines, and instructive study games that illustrate how strong players handle the opening in practice.

23:26 – Tactical Training Integration Matthias showcases the integrated tactics section, where users can solve interactive exercises from real games to train motifs specific to the chosen opening.

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.

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