Review: All new releases in July

by Stefan Liebig
8/16/2025 – Whether it’s strategy, technique, or opening knowledge – the July releases from ChessBase leave nothing to be desired! Renowned authors such as David Navara, Robert Ris, and Andrew Martin open their toolkits and share a wealth of professional tips. For those who want it all in one package, ChessBase Magazine issue 226 is the perfect choice, packed once again with training material straight from the pros’ lab. Opening enthusiasts take note: there’s a whole range of new Powerbases and Powerbooks! Take a look at all the products from the past month!
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally.
FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before. 

New releases: July 2025

David Navara: Your Calculation Compass

In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.

Using instructive examples from top-level games, you'll learn:
• When simple, solid moves are better than deep calculation
• How to identify situations that require precise calculation
• The importance of candidate moves and systematic analysis
• Common pitfalls like overcalculating or ignoring strategic factors
• The value of intermediate and hidden tactical moves

:Free reading samples

Introduction
Invisible moves

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In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Invisible moves

ChessBase Magazine Extra 226

ChessBase Magazine Extra is the perfect supplement to ChessBase Magazine – available as a single issue or by subscription (6 issues per year).
Available as a direct download, including the “ChessBase Book” format for iPad, tablet, Mac, and more!

A look inside:

  • Professional opening analyses by Luis Engel, Nico Zwirs, and others
  • The Lucky Bag with 38 top analyses from Anish Giri, Lubomir Ftacnik, Surya Ganguly, Abhijeet Gupta, Yannick Pelletier, and more

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Krishnan Sasikiran: The Art of Sacrificing

The perfect sacrifice is every chess player‘s dream. You give your opponent material, but in return you receive overwhelming piece activity, which together with creative ideas, can lead to an unforgettable game.

However, sacrificing can also turn into a nightmare if the compensation is not enough, or the combination does not work. That is why the Indian top player and eleven-time(!) Olympic participant Krishnan Sasikiran has made it his mission to show sacrificing in all its aspects..

:Free reading samples

Introduction

Sacrificing a Pawn for Initiative

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Throughout the video course, Sasikran shows various examples from his career to explain sacrifices for initiative, an attack, a better pawn structure and much more.
The perfect sacrifice is every chess player‘s dream. You give your opponent material, but in return you receive overwhelming piece activity, which together with creative ideas, can lead to an unforgettable game. However, sacrificing can also turn into a nightmare if the compensation is not enough, or the combination does not work. That is why the Indian top player and eleven-time(!) Olympic participant Krishnan Sasikiran has made it his mission to show sacrificing in all its aspects.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Sacrificing a Pawn for Initiative

Adrian Mikhalchishin: Master Modern Opening Strategy: Flank Attacks against Classical Openings

Today’s top players are moving away from memorising endless forced lines. Instead, they’re embracing a modern, flexible approach — shaping the game with original strategies and creative use of flank pawns to gain space and control. This course dives into one of the most dynamic and practical ideas in modern chess.

You’ll discover how these strategies challenge traditional thinking, sidestep heavy theory, and create rich positions where understanding beats memorisation. Whether you’re a club player or a tournament competitor, you’ll learn how to apply these concepts with confidence and purpose - in your own games. Let’s explore this powerful approach together — and turn fresh ideas into winning weapons.

:Free reading samples

Anti-Reti

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This course dives into one of the most dynamic and practical ideas in modern chess: using early pawn thrusts like b5 or b4!
Today’s top players are moving away from memorising endless forced lines. Instead, they’re embracing a modern, flexible approach — shaping the game with original strategies and creative use of flank pawns to gain space and control. This course dives into one of the most dynamic and practical ideas in modern chess: using early pawn thrusts like b5 against Réti setups or b4 against the King’s Indian and Grünfeld Defences to seize the initiative on the queenside. You’ll discover how these strategies challenge traditional thinking, sidestep heavy theory, and create rich positions where understanding beats memorisation. Whether you’re a club player or a tournament competitor, you’ll learn how to apply these concepts with confidence and purpose - in your own games. Let’s explore this powerful approach together — and turn fresh ideas into winning weapons.
Free sample video: Anti-Reti

Svitlana Demchenko: Silence the Sicilian - Win with the Alapin Variation (2.c3)

Facing the Sicilian doesn’t have to be complicated. The Alapin Variation (1.e4 c5 2.c3) offers a simple yet highly effective solution to all major Sicilian lines, by sidestepping them with 2.c3. Whether your opponent plays the Najdorf, Taimanov, or Dragon, the Alapin lets you take control of the game as early as move two.

:Free reading samples

Introduction

2...g6

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Queen's Gambit Accepted:
Powerbase 2025 and Powerbook 2025

The Queen’s Gambit never goes out of style – no matter the level, it keeps appearing on the board. Make use of these databases to access all ChessBase resources for your opening preparation – for just €9.90 each:

  • The Powerbook 2025 contains over a quarter of a million games! 242,000 of them were played by engines. 
  • This new Powerbase alone contains 91 games by Magnus Carlsen. These and well over 11,000 additional games provide excellent study material. 

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Rossolimo Moscow:
Powerbase 2025 and Powerbook 2025

Add to the recent courses by Ivan Sokolov and Michael Prusikin: Make use of these databases to access all ChessBase resources for your opening preparation – for just €9.90 each:

  • The 612 annotated games of the Powerbase, which contains 10,950 games offer comprehensive material to deepen your repertoire. 
  • The Powerbook 2025 contains no less than 263,000 computer games and more than 50,000 games from the Mega and from Correspondence Chess. 
     

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Here are the new releases from previous months:

Links:

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.