CBM #228: World Championship candidates comment

by ChessBase
11/10/2025 – At the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in September, the decision was made on two places in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. In a dramatic final round, Anish Giri secured the tournament victory with a win against Hans Moke Niemann. Matthias Bluebaum drew with Alireza Firouzja, finishing second in the overall standings. The two World Championship candidates comment on games from Samarkand in the current ChessBase Magazine #228. In addition, many other participants of the Grand Swiss contributed analyses, and Dorian Rogozenco looks back on the event in a detailed video (running time: over 40 minutes). In this week's CBM reading sample, you can view Matthias Bluebaum's analysis and Rogozenco's video contribution free of charge – in your web browser in the ChessBase Books format. Enjoy!
FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 with analyses by Giri, Blübaum and many others. Opening videos by Kasimdzhanov, Sokolov and Blohberger. Training columns including ‘The Fortress’, ‘The Trap’, ‘Fundamental Endgame Knowledge’ and much more
ChessBase Magazine offers first-class training material for club players and professionals! World-class players analyse their brilliant games and explain the ideas behind the moves. Opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in tactics, strategy and endgames show you the tricks and techniques you need to be a successful tournament player! Available as a direct download (incl. booklet as pdf file) or booklet with download key by post.
Included in delivery: ChessBase Magazine #228 as “ChessBase Book” for iPad, tablet, Mac etc.! -> books.chessbase.com
 

FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 - free sample from ChessBase Magazine #228

Click on the image below to load the sample in ChessBase Books format in your web browser!

Video review

The former coach of the German national  team divides his video contribution into four topics: The qualified players (Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum), The unlucky ones (Vincent Keymer and Alireza Firouzja), The pawn endgames (‘The tournament showed that even strong grandmasters make serious mistakes in pawn endgames!’) and Young talents (Ediz Gurel (16), Abhimanyu Mishra (16), Andy Woodward (15) and Yagız Kaan Erdogmus (14)). Dorian Rogozenco presents selected examples from the tournament for each topic.

Highlights of ChessBase Magazine #228

From the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 to Rustam Kasimdzhanov's opening video on the Petroff and Oliver Reeh's tactical contribution ‘Capturing is fun!’ to ‘The Fortress’ by Dorian Rogozenco.

Over 7 hours of video playing time with Felix Blohberger, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Jan Markos, Mihail Marin, Dr Karsten Müller, Michael Prusikin, Oliver Reeh, Robert Ris, Dorian Rogozenco and Ivan Sokolov – FIDE Grand Swiss 2025: analyses by Giri, Bluebaum, Vaishali, Abdusattorov, Mishra, Vidit and many more – The double block: Mihail Marin highlights scenarios in which it is advantageous to block passed pawns with a knight and bishop – Action in the Nimzo-Indian: Balázs Csonka examines 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.e5!? – "The key defender": In his ‘Practical Tips for Tournament Players’, Jan Markos shows how to identify and eliminate your opponent's most important piece – All in One: Romain Edouard himself was amazed at how well 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 e5!? works, and much more.

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<< Svitlana's Smart Moves - Invisible moves
World Cup: Shankland knocks out Vidit, MVL wins Armageddon decider >>
Topics: Bluebaum, ChessBase Magazine, Giri, Marin, Markos, Mueller, Reeh, Ris, Rogozenco, Sokolov
Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

New: CBM Extra #227

9/26/2025 – ChessBase Magazine Extra is the ideal complement to ChessBase Magazine. In the new Extra #227: Opening videos: Mihail Marin shows Caruana's shocker in the English Opening from the Saint Louis Rapid 2025 – New series ‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’: Sicilian O'Kelly, Classical Sicilian and Queen's Gambit Exchange Variation with Carlsen's 5.f3!?. ‘Lucky bag’ with 39 analyses by Berg, Edouard and many more. ‘Update service’ with almost 50,000 new games for your database. CBM Extra #227 can also be used as a ChessBase Book in a web browser on an iPad, tablet or Mac, etc.!

See also

New: ChessBase Magazine #226

6/27/2025 – European Championship 2025: Analyses by Bluebaum, F. Svane, Abasov, Alonso Rosell, Cheparinov, Grandelius, Lagarde, Navara, Ponomariov, Rodshtein, Sargissian, Suleymanli, Tari, Velten, Vogel, Volokitin, Wojtaszek and Yuffa – Raid in the Sveshnikov: Lars Schandorff shows that Black has to be extremely careful after 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.Qf3!? – ‘Queen sacrifice with dividend’: Oliver Reeh's tactical tests with over 30 current games + four interactive videos – Kramnik at his best: Dorian Rogozenco reviews the ‘Modern Classic’ Kramnik-Ehlvest (Tal Memorial 1995), including the novelty in move 16 and the impressive play by the former world champion, and much more.
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Video

60m English The Elephant Gambit

The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.