New: CBM Extra #230

by ChessBase
3/31/2026 – ChessBase Magazine Extra is the ideal complement to ChessBase Magazine. In the new Extra 230, you can look forward to opening videos on the Open Spanish (Sipke Ernst) and Classical Sicilian (Nico Zwirs), an Endgame Special by Igor Stohl: 'Short or long side' – where should the defending king go in rook endgames? Plus the 'Lucky bag' with 35 master analyses!
Opening videos: Daniel King presents new ideas against Caro-Kann with 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+. ‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’: Najdorf, Petroff and Scotch. ‘Move by Move’ with Robert Ris. ‘Lucky bag’ with 37 analyses by Ganguly, Illingworth et al.

ChessBase Magazine Extra is the perfect complement to ChessBase Magazine. Available as a single issue or subscription (6 issues per year). Available as a direct download.

Includes ‘ChessBase Book’ for iPad, tablet, Mac, etc.!
 

Opening videos

Sipke Ernst: Open Spanish

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3

The Dillworth Variation 9...Bc5 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Bc2 Nxf2 leads to a sharp position with unbalanced material. In the video, Sipke Ernst explains in particular the critical variations after Vachier-Lagraves 12.Rxf2 f6 13.Nf1! – the new main continuation. For those who are uncomfortable with 11...Nxf2 due to the often wild complications, Sipke Ernst provides a theory update for the more moderate alternative 11...Bc5.

Nico Zwirs: Classical Sicilian

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Bd7 8.Qe2 a6 9.0-0-0 b5 10. Bb3 Na5 11.f3 Be7 12.g4 0-0 13.h4

Eline Roebers had a tough time in the Challengers tournament in Wijk aan Zee at the beginning of this year. After the first four rounds, she was at the bottom of the standings with zero points. But then she managed to win an attacking victory in her typical style against one of the Elo favourites in her group, Daniil Yuffa. In the Classical Sicilian, the young Dutch IM relied on the increasingly popular 6.Bc4 and then initiated the English Attack with 0-0-0, f3, g4 and h4. In the decisive phase, she used a strong tactical motif with 24.h6 gxh6 25.g6 Rxe7 26.g7+, which not only won her an exchange, but also decisively weakened her opponent's king.

Endgame Special: ‘Short or long side’

Where does the defending king belong in rook endgames? Igor Stohl explains the basic rules using a simple example with rook and pawn vs. rook, and then moves on to trickier cases with rook + two pawns vs. rook + two pawns.

‘Simplified doesn't necessarily mean simple! This is what I find the most attractive about endgames and chess in general - attempts to confine the game to any set of rules and guidlines almost always have their limits. The stronger the player, the better he realizes this and thrives on actively seeking out exceptions from the given norms.’

‘Lucky bag’: Analyses by Lubomir Ftacnik, Surya Ganguly, Spyridon Kapnisis, Michal Krasenkow and many more.

Extra #230 delivers 35 annotated games from various tournaments in the ‘Lucky bag’.


And the Update Service provides over 50,000 new games for your database! The package includes games from almost all of the world's top players.

The games in the Update Service are also included in the Mega Update Service 2026, which can be used with a topcal ChessBase program (and a corresponding subscription).

CBM #230 Extra as a ‘ChessBase Book’

As an alternative to downloading it for your ChessBase program, you can also load the new issue directly via your web browser.

Make yourself comfortable on your iPad or tablet and open the new issue as a ‘ChessBase Book’ (this also works on a PC, laptop or Mac, of course). All you need to do after purchasing the Extra is open the page

ChessBase Magazine Extra #230 - Books

and log in with your CB account! Enjoy!

Order now in the ChessBase Shop! - Single issue at 14,90 €

Or upgrade your ChessBase Magazine subscription
for just 9.17 € per Extra issue (6 issues per year)
to ChessBase Magazine + Extra! 

<< The rook's pawn is the worst enemy of the knight
Candidates R2: Standings unchanged after four draws in Cyprus >>
Topics: ChessBase Magazine, Igor Stohl, Nico Zwirs, Sipke Ernst
Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

"A Karpovian move"

3/16/2026 – In the current ChessBase Magazine #230, Nico Zwirs analyses the game between his compatriots Jorden Van Foreest and Anish Giri from the Tata Steel Masters 2026 in the video. The focus is on the opening, as Van Foreest had clearly prepared something special against the Najdorf Variation – known to be one of Giri's specialities. After 11...Qc7, he continued with 12.a3 – ‘A Karpovian move!’. White's idea is to move the b3 knight via c1 and a2 to b4 and from there to target the light squares d5 (and c6). Van Foreest thus invested four moves in improving his knight and securing his king's position. A new concept that paid off in full in this game! Take a look at this week's CBM reading sample!
More...
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See also

Flexible, unpredictable: Nico Zwirs explores the funky Löwenthal Variation

2/5/2026 – The Löwenthal Variation of the Sicilian Defence is often treated with caution in theoretical discussions. Yet detailed investigation by Nico Zwirs suggests the line holds more practical value than its reputation implies. By combining enterprising attacking setups with more measured, positionally sound alternatives, the repertoire aims to offer Black flexible, workable positions while steering play away from the heavily analysed Sicilian main lines.
More...
 1

Video

60m English Anti-Bayonet

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.