Review: All new releases in March!

by Stefan Liebig
4/18/2025 – There was a lot of news at ChessBase in March: whether it was a mobile app, video course, ChessBase Magazine Extra, or databases – there was sure to be something to suit every chess taste. Take a look at last month's products:
YOUR EASY ACCESS TO OPENING THEORY: Whether you want to build up a reliable and powerful opening repertoire or find new opening ideas for your existing repertoire, the Opening Encyclopaedia covers the entire opening theory on one product.

New releases: March 2025

ChessBase Mobile:
Chess, wherever you are - for free!

ChessBase Mobile is a groundbreaking app that revolutionises chess training and analysis – anytime, anywhere and for free! It offers access to a massive online database of over 13 million games, searchable by player, position, and opening – perfect for curious tacticians and strategists.

Thanks to cloud support, you can save and edit your games and analyses across devices, whether you're working on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop – a real highlight in terms of chess and cloud sharing!

View now in the ChessBase Shop 

The free app from ChessBase! ChessBase Mobile has everything you need as a chess player on the go: access your chess data in cloud databases - and 13 million games.
ChessBase Mobile has everything you need as a chess player on the go:
  • Access the ChessBase online database - with more than 13 million games: search for players, positions, openings etc.
  • Save your own games and analyses in cloud databases
  • Synchronise your personal databases across all your devices
  • Analyse your games with the built-in engine
  • Live opening book: use the most comprehensive and up-to-date statistics for every opening position
  • Access your opening repertoire in the cloud: create and edit your personal opening repertoire
  • 300 opening overviews, with repertoire suggestions: get started with new systems!
  • Practise opening variations with three modes.
  • Advanced notation: add comments, symbols, variations, arrows and markings to your games
  • Advanced sharing options: share games and positions via link, image, GIF, FEN or QR code
  • PGN compatibility: upload and download games or databases as PGN files

ChessBase Magazine 224 EXTRA

The new CBM EXTRA is once again packed with opening videos by Robert Ris and Nico Zwirs (total running time: 48 minutes), plus 44 analyses by Alexander Donchenko, Romain Edouard, Abhijeet Gupta, and many more.

ChessBase Magazine Extra is the perfect complement to ChessBase Magazine. Available as a standalone issue or by subscription (6 issues per year), now as a direct download or as download key by mail, and also in ChessBase Books format for iPad, tablet, Mac, etc.!

:Free sample

Robert Ris: French Advance Variation

Buy now in the ChessBase Shop

Videos by Nico Zwirs: Nimzo-Indian with 4.e3 b6 and Robert Ris: French Advance Variation with 6.Na3. Alexander Donchenko analyses his winning game against Fabiano Caruana from the Saint Louis Masters 2024. "Lucky bag" with another 43 analyses by Edouard,

Opening Encyclopaedia 2025

ChessBase's "Opening Encyclopaedia 2025" is the comprehensive work with over 1,500 articles and 35 hours of video material that will inspire chess players of all levels. It offers practical access to opening theory through structured tutorials, in-depth repertoire work, and top-notch video analyses.

New features include a chapter with current articles from 2024 onward, an increased number of videos, and modern links to authors and products. The encyclopaedia is a dynamic learning space for sustainable opening preparation.


:Free sample

Dorian Rogozenco: Opening Trends – Intro 

Buy now in the ChessBase Shop

Charley Storey:
The Black Sniper

IM Charlie Storey's "Sniper" System offers a flexible repertoire with the fianchettoed bishop as its central element. He presents creative variations on most White systems. All are named after a football club to make them easier to remember!

The course impresses with practical examples, strategic advice, and Storey's engaging style. Even non-Sniper players will gain valuable ideas for their own game.

:Free samples

Arsenal Variation

Introduction

Buy now in the ChessBase Shop

The Black Sniper is back – sharper and deadlier than ever! This dynamic system (1...g6, 2...Bg7, 3...c5 against 1.e4, 1.d4 and 1.c4) creates unpredictable, high-pressure positions, leaving opponents struggling to adapt.

Svitlana Demchenko​:
King's Indian Attack - Simple. Flexible. Dynamic.

The King's Indian belongs in an active opening repertoire, and the King's Indian Attack is a universal weapon for the White player: easy to learn, flexible and rich in tactical and positional possibilities.

The course begins with 1.Nf3 and allows us to reach King's Indian Attack structures regardless of our opponent's responses. For e4 players, there are also tips on how the system works against the French, Sicilian, and Caro-Kann.

:Free samples

Introduction
Typical Setups

Buy now in the ChessBase Shop

The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.

Nico Zwirs​:
The Ultimate Scotch Gambit.

The "Ultimate Scotch Gambit" offers a dynamic repertoire for 1.e4 players seeking aggressive or positionally flexible approaches.

Zwirs uses both modern and classical concepts to playfully explain even complex positions. His video course focuses particularly on the critical variation with 5...Ne4, for which new solutions are presented. With almost four hours of video material, interactive exercises, and strategic depth, the course is ideal for repertoire expansion and tournament preparation

:Free samples

Introduction
4...Nf6 e5 Ne4 and 5...Ng4

Buy now in the ChessBase Shop

If you're looking to revamp your opening repertoire and surprise your opponents with powerful, modern ideas, The Ultimate Scotch Gambit is the perfect choice.

In 60 Minutes with Andrew Martin:
Master The Cozio Variation

Die Cozio-Variante im Spanier (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7!?) bietet eine überraschende Alternative: Weiß wird früh aus dem gewohnten Fahrwasser gebracht.

Besonders spannend: Die typische Abtauschvariante mit Lxb6 wird verhindert, und Schwarz erhält aktives Figurenspiel. IM Martin erklärt im Kurs alle Pläne, taktischen Motive und strategischen Ideen, um mit diesem selten gespielte System Gegner zu überraschen und das eigene Repertoire gezielt zu erweitern.

:Free sample

​Introduction

Buy now in the ChessBase Shop

Here are the new releases from previous months:

Further links:

<< Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: A sharp line in the Ruy Lopez
Special live lecture with Max >>
Topics: Fritztrainer, new products, opening, Product reviews, strategy, Video course
Stefan Liebig, born in 1974, is a journalist and co-owner of a marketing agency. He now lives in Barterode near Göttingen. At the age of five, strange pieces on his neighbour’s shelf aroused his curiosity. Since then, the game of chess has cast a spell over him. Flying high in the NRW youth league with his home club SV Bad Laasphe and several appearances in the second division team of Tempo Göttingen were highlights for the former youth South Westphalia champion.
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See also

Review: All New Releases in February!

3/25/2025 – What's new at ChessBase? Whether it's a video course, ChessBase Magazine or databases - there's always something going on at ChessBase, and we have the right content for everyone. Many new video courses have already been released this month. Find out which ones they are in the following article...
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 1

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Review: All new releases in January!

2/28/2025 – What's new at ChessBase? Whether it's video courses, the ChessBase Magazine or databases: there's a lot going on at ChessBase and we have something for everyone. Many new video courses have already been released during the cold season. Find out which ones they are in the following article...
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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.