1/21/2020 – A journey into a distant and foreign land always begins by choosing a good guide. If one is interested in knowing more about rook vs minor piece endgames, there is no better guide than the latest book from renowned endgame expert: GM Karsten Mueller. DAVIDE NASTASIO is back for an instructive breakdown on his latest stop on the road to chess improvement.

1/21/2020 – First the work then the fun, Karsten welcomes back repeat Endgame Magic guest GM Mihail Marin. Live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

1/21/2020 – Apparently simple pawn endings are often, in fact, surprisingly tricky. Is there a way for White to convert her extra-pawn in the diagrammed position?

1/14/2020 – Karsten's first GM guest of the year is Dutch GM Sipke Ernst. Live at 9:00 UTC (10:00 CET; 4:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

1/14/2020 – Stalemate can cause trouble. Black can win in the diagram, but not straightforwardly.

1/7/2020 – Wrapping up the last year, Karsten dedicates this show to a review of the best endgames of 2019. Live at 13:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

1/7/2020 – Sometimes knights appear slow and sluggish. But knights can also be nimble, swift and very versatile. To wit, see how this valiant steed in the diagram below does battle against a veritable hoard of black pawns.

1/2/2020 – ChessBase magazine is a great training tool, but a very important feature not to be overlooked in today's modern world is that it's a time-saver! Want to find the best endgames played in the last couple of months, or the latest opening novelties? It's all well packaged in one neat product, the latest ChessBase Magazine 193! Loads of videos cover the needs of those who are visual learners. Prolific reviewer DAVIDE NASTASIO (known by his students as Mr. Checkmate) gives us the details.

12/31/2019 – Endgames with bishops of opposite-colour are often difficult to win. In the diagram position White is a pawn down but can still save the game.

12/28/2019 – As readers who followed this column since its inception in 2017 will have noted, the December article always is a bit different. After 11 months worth of articles of varying difficulty, at the end of the year Study of the Month columnist SIEGFRIED HORNECKER aims for something special. Last year it was a column on Alain C. White, the botanist and philanthropist whose Christmas Series influenced chess composers all around the world. This year's protagonist has no connection to Christmas, but all the moves in his idea are special.

12/24/2019 – Endgames with bishops of the same colour are often a draw. Not as often as endgames with opposite-coloured bishops, but they are still difficult to win. In the diagram position White is a pawn down but can still save the game.

12/17/2019 – "All rook endings are drawn", is a well-known witticism that contains more than a grain of truth. One reason for the drawish tendencies of rook endings is the fact that even a single pawn often draws against the enemy rook.

12/10/2019 – In chess, opposition means that the square around the kings has corners of the same colour. However, all four (or two) corners must have the same colour. Then the side which is not to move has the opposition.

12/3/2019 – Today Karsten welcomes GM Roeland Pruijssers and IM Nico Zwirs. Live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

12/3/2019 – The endgame K+R+B against K+R is a theoretical draw. Therefore, the better side should take good care of its pawns before this endgame is reached.

11/30/2019 – The enjoyment to be gained from solving a well-crafted chess composition can be seen from the sentiment that closes this Study of the Month column. After a long day of work at the board, what does a hungry chess player require? "Something to eat from the pub and something to solve from Matouš". Study of the Month columnist SIEGFRIED HORNECKER dives into the live and work of Mario Matouš.

11/26/2019 – In pawn endings it is often crucial to stop the enemy king from getting to good squares. Here, the "bodycheck" is an important device that is good to know and to remember.

11/21/2019 – Today Karsten welcomes GM David Howell, who's visiting Hamburg and popped in for an impromptu visit. Live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

11/19/2019 – Knights are versatile but slow. Sometimes they even have difficulty catching a single pawn.

11/13/2019 – Today Karsten welcomes Indian GM P Harikrishna, the current world number 27, and a 2700-rated Grandmaster. Can Karsten stump him? On-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

11/11/2019 – In a pure endgame a rook is usually much better than a bishop but winning often still requires good technique.

11/6/2019 – Today Karsten welcomes Indian IM Padmini Rout. Live at 13:00 UTC (14:00 CET, 8:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

11/5/2019 – Usually, having material is good. However, sometimes one's own pieces are in the way or prevent stalemate ideas. In the diagram belowm how can Black save the draw?

11/3/2019 – We announce the winner of the autographed Fritz DVD, and Jon throws in two professional games feature Gawain Jones and David Howell to illustrate endgame concepts. | Send in your own games! Jon welcomes submissions from readers. If your games are selected for the Agony column, not only will you get free detailed commentary of your games by one of chess’s great authors and instructors, and former world no. 4 player, but you also win a free three-month ChessBase Premium Account!