Review: All new releases in August!

by Stefan Liebig
9/13/2026 – August brings a range of new chess training products covering different areas of the game. The main topics include active opening repertoires, calculation and strategic decision-making. There are also two new courses on positional play, as well as updated databases on the Petroff Defence. The courses by Bahne Fuhrmann, Andrew Martin and Kostya Kavutskiy combine theoretical explanations with annotated games and practical exercises. With material aimed at different playing strengths, the new releases offer both concrete repertoire advice and more in-depth training. | All photos: ChessBase
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New releases: August 2026

The Italian Four Knights Game

Bahne Fuhrmann develops a complete repertoire for White against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, focusing on active plans that require a manageable amount of theoretical knowledge.

The course covers, among other things, systems with ...d6 and ...h6, as well as ideas involving g4 and g5. Model games such as Abasov–Van den Doel, Lupulescu–Georgiev and Kocharin–Adam illustrate the key concepts. The course combines opening knowledge with typical middlegame structures and is particularly suitable for players who want to seize the initiative early with White. 

:Free reading sample

Introduction

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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.
Looking for an active response to 1...e5, but you would rather not learn endless theory or play dubious gambits? Then 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.
Free sample: Introduction

Evans & Friends Vol. 1 & 2

In “Evans & Friends”, IM Andrew Martin presents a two-volume repertoire for White after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3. Volume 1 is devoted entirely to the Evans Gambit, covering the main variations, attacking plans and typical tactical motifs.

Volume 2 expands the repertoire with responses to alternatives such as the Petroff, Philidor, Two Knights and Hungarian Defences, as well as various gambits, including the Stafford and Elephant Gambits. Examples and traps are used to sharpen the player’s tactical understanding. 

:Free reading samples

Introduction part 1

Evergreen Game

Two Knights Defence

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This is a full repertoire after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 focussing on the Evans Gambit as the main weapon.
Few openings teach the art of attack as directly as the Evans Gambit. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4, White gives up a pawn to rip open the position, build a powerful center and head straight for the black king. The best part is that the tactics aren't forced or memorized. They arise naturally from the position, which makes the Evans the ideal opening for club players and ambitious juniors who want sharper, more confident results. But a great gambit is only half a repertoire. Across these two volumes, IM Andrew Martin gives you the complete picture after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3, with a clear, ready-to-play answer to everything Black can throw at you.

The Fundamentals of Positional Play

IM Kostya Kavutskiy focuses on the fundamentals of positional play. He examines three main areas: classic strategic games, positional operations, and the interplay between strategy and tactics.

Among the topics covered are piece manoeuvres, favourable exchanges, creating and exploiting weaknesses, and improving pawn structures. Particular emphasis is placed on applying strategic ideas in concrete positions and recognizing tactical opportunities.

:Free reading samples

Introduction

Strategic Classic: Bondarevsky - Smylov

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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.
After exploring the fundamentals of calculation in his first ChessBase course, International Master Kostya Kavutskiy now turns to the other half of chess mastery: positional play.

This course offers a structured and practical introduction to the core elements of positional chess.

Free video sample: Introduction

Free video sample: Strategic Classic: Bondarevsky - Smyslov

Petroff Defence Powerbase 2026

The “Petroff Defence Powerbase 2026” complements the statistically oriented Powerbook with an extensive collection of games. It contains 6,475 games with an average rating of at least 2525, including 682 annotated examples. Featured players include Viswanathan Anand, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Ding Liren and Wei Yi.

The database also includes analyses by specialists such as Yu Yangyi, Nepomniachtchi and Fridman, as well as Alexander Huzman, Gelfand's second. This makes it a useful resource both for opening research and for in-depth game study.

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Petroff Defence Powerbook 2026

The “Petroff Defence Powerbook 2026” provides extensive statistical material on the Petroff Defence. It is based on more than 17,000 games from the Mega Database and Correspondence Database with a minimum rating of 2400, as well as a further 357,000 games from the engine room on Chess.de.

In addition to the well-known main line, the Powerbook also examines less explored sidelines. For example, the position after 3.d4 offers various ways to avoid the typical symmetrical structures. Examples featuring players such as Yu Yangyi, Anish Giri and Fabiano Caruana show that the Petroff Defence is by no means solely geared towards a draw.

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Topics: new products
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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Video

60m The Two Knights

This entry into the 60 minutes series concentrates on the Modern variation of the Italian game where White opens the centre early : 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d4 exd4 5 e5!. This line can be reached by various move orders, most frequently from the Scotch 3 d4 exd4 4 Bc4. It's a sharp variation and Grandmasters such as Evgeny Sveshnikov have used it frequently,with very good results. It's a perfect line for club players to adopt which is relatively easy to learn and which contains many traps. All the main responses are covered here, including 5...d5, 5...Ng4 and 5...Ne4 and the conclusion is that is is difficult for Black to equalize in a straightforward way. Problems are being posed, which over the board might prove tough to solve.