3/1/2019 – Enjoy top class training in the new ChessBase Magazine layout! Tata Steel 2019 with analyses by Anish Giri, Vishy Anand, Vidit, Peter Svidler etc. Yannick Pelletier, Erwin l'Ami and Mihail Marin present selected games in video format. Plus 11 opening articles with new repertoire ideas, e.g. Dutch with 2.Bg5!? Take a look!

2/19/2019 – For almost three decades Vladimir Kramnik has been one of the world's best players, and from 2000 to 2007 he was World Champion, the 14th in the history of chess. Kramnik has inspired countless players, from amateurs to grandmasters, and the new ChessBase Masterclass reviews the career of this outstanding player, improves your game and invites you to enjoy chess with Vladimir Kramnik.

2/7/2019 – An energetic and exciting repertoire after 1.f4. IM Lawrence Trent uncovers "a number of groundbreaking theoretical novelties and new ideas that will soon have scorners of this romantic system regretting they ever doubted its soundness." Even World Champion Magnus Carlsen has taken a shine to the opening, joining a whole host of top grandmasters.

1/21/2019 – Perfect endgame analysis and a much better engine performance: the new Endgame Turbo 5 is more than perfect! It comes on an USB 3.0 flash drive (128 GB), covers the most important six piece endgames, all endgames with less than six pieces, and helps top engines such as Fritz, Komodo Chess and Houdini to play these endgames perfectly. Here's a short tutorial on how to install the Endgame Turbo and set up the tablebases. | Drawing: ChessBase

12/3/2018 – After the success of the first volume on Calculation Training, Dutch IM Robert Ris continues with “Extreme Calculation Training” — a wide range of new aspects which have to be mastered to become a great calculator at the board! The topics discussed in the original series (candidate moves, method of elimination & imagination) are certainly useful when studying the content of this new video series. Special attention will be paid to intermediate moves, quiet moves, sacrifices on empty squares, mating patterns, ignoring opponent threats, calculation in defence and methods of comparison. On top of that, more practical advice for training is recommended, for instance how to handle your time management and how to visualise the position in your mind during the calculation process. After going through the 13 examples from the theoretical section, it’s time to switch the brain to active participation and your calculation skills will be tested seriously! The frequent request for more puzzles has been granted, as Ris has selected no less than 50 games with multiple questions. After all, training your calculation abilities is an activity which never ends; it takes continual practice to stay sharp at the board!

11/15/2018 – ChessBase is a personal, stand-alone chess database that has become the international standard for top players, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. The latest version, ChessBase 15, has now been released. It brings you spectacular new training features, all geared to improve your playing strength in the most enjoyable way possible. The program also generates beautiful ray-trace chess movies you can post on social media. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy your chess even more.

10/10/2018 – The Open Games begin after the moves 1.e4 e5. The name results from the fact that the position often opens quickly which might lead to an early clash of the enemy pieces. Typical examples are the Scotch Opening, the Two Knights Defence or the venerable King’s Gambit. But the most important openings after 1.e4 e5 are the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez, and here the game often develops more slowly. On this DVD the International Master Georgios Souleidis presents these and all other relevant openings arising after 1.e4 e5 in 36 videos.

9/27/2018 – Firmly established over 2800: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is Number 3 in the world after a masterful victory in Biel. Read about the Sinquefield Cup and Dortmund too, plus opening training and Simon Williams' video on the Sicilian Wing Gambit.

9/12/2018 – Bobby Fischer was a devoted Sicilian player. But the American chess genius and 11th World Champion was also a devoted 1.e4 (“Best by test” as he said) player, and his results against the Sicilian are remarkable. In almost all variations he came up with new ideas and developed systems of his own — such as 6.Bc4 (one of his pet moves) against the Najdorf, and the Rauzer. Fischer liked to play aggressive but basically sound lines against the Sicilian and many of his variations are still very much alive and a good choice for players of all levels.

9/6/2018 – All world champions left their mark on chess. And although they had different styles each and every one of them played the endgame exceptionally well. The material on this DVD is based on the ChessBase MasterClass series, and gives you a good opportunity to enjoy some of the best endgames in the history of chess. Enjoy how Bobby Fischer plays the “Fischer Endgames”: let Karsten Müller show you how the 11. World Champion made Petrosian and Taimanov despair in endgames with rook and bishop against rook and knight! The endgame skills of the 12. World Champion Anatoly Karpov are also legendary. To generate a decisive advantage from seemingly harmless positions – Karpov was a master of this art as is Magnus Carlsen today! Or let Garry Kasparov’s or Vishy Anand’s dynamic style and their striving for initiative inspire you. And watch how Vladimir Kramnik exasperated Kasparov with the “Berlin Wall” endgame. Let endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller show and explain the finesses of the world champions. Enjoy highlights of chess history, e.g. the Fischer-Spassky match in Reykjavik 1972 when games were still adjourned and chess fans all over the world enthusiastically joined the endgame analyses.

8/17/2018 – The Petroff (or Russian) Defence which is characterised by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 has been popular at the highest levels for many years and enjoys the reputation of being an extremely solid defence. In the 1990’s and 2000’s, the theory of this variation began to develop quickly, when players like Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, Adams and Kramnik infused it with new ideas for White and Black. Adams and Kramnik continue to rely on the Petroff, and they have been joined by the 2018 World Championship challenger, Fabiano Caruana. As with many openings favoured by the world elite, there is a sharp contrast between the sidelines (in which understanding plays the most critical role) and the theoretical battleground of the main lines where experience and knowledge of plans are needed, but also a high degree of concrete knowledge. This DVD aims to present this knowledge in a structured way, so that players can pick exactly what they need. This is interspersed with discussions of structural themes and annotated games. Two particular structures are discussed in great detail. But the author is not tied down to dogma, and suggests two relatively minor lines for Black which can alleviate the problems, either practical or objective, which Black has been facing in recent games in the 5.d4 and 5.Nc3 lines respectively.

8/11/2018 – The Vienna Variation is a particular and independent system of the Queen’s Gambit. It arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4, when black’s capture on move 4 is strongly reminiscent of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. But the Vienna Variation is also inspired by Nimzo-Indian structures while keeping its own character. The main variations usually lead to asymmetrical pawn structures, where Black can hope to get a fighting game.

8/8/2018 – Are you looking for an active defence against 1.d4? Look no further! The Tarrasch Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) is one of Black’s most ambitious ways to meet 1.d4. No wonder that World Champions Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov played it! The opening is characterized by an immediate fight for the centre and active piece play. Grandmaster Erwin l’Ami knows the Tarrasch Defence well and has played it successfully with both colours. On this DVD l’Ami reveals many new ideas that have never been seen in tournament practice. In an extensive strategy section he also shows the typical ideas behind this opening. A must-have for ambitious tournament players!

8/3/2018 – The ChessBase Magazine is the most comprehensive and most sophisticated chess magazine there is. World class players analyze their brilliancies and explain the ideas behind the moves to you, opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and offer exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in the fields of tactics, strategy, and the endgame show you the tricks and techniques a successful tournament player needs! DVD with several hours of video plus booklet.

7/25/2018 – The Smith-Morra Gambit (1.e4 c5 2.d4!) is a great attacking weapon against the popular Sicilian Defence. On move two White sacrifices a pawn for fast development and good attacking chances, and Black can easily fall into one of the many devious opening traps. With this gambit in your opening arsenal you are highly unpredictable and able to deal heavy blows at short notice. Your opponent will have to solve concrete problems from the beginning and can easily be under pressure before move ten!

6/20/2018 – Mikhail Botvinnik became world champion in 1948 and remained so until 1963. During this time he either successfully defended his title against David Bronstein, Vassily Smyslov and Mihail Tal or got it back in a return match. The systematic, scientific method of working in chess begins with Botvinnik. Karsten Mueller, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh and Yannick Pelletier break down his legacy in this latest entrant into our Master Class series.

6/11/2018 – After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6! leads to the so-called “Accelerated Dragon Defense” of the Sicilian, which is characterised by the idea to achieve the thematic central break d7-d5 in one move (in contrast to the “Dragon Variation”, in which Black plays d7-d6). On this DVD the Russian grandmaster and top women player Nadezhda Kosintseva reveals the secrets of her favourite opening. Kosintseva has played the Accelerated Dragon for many years and achieved a lot of success with it. You too can accelerate your opening – with this complete repertoire for Black against 1.e4!

4/23/2018 – Essential knowledge! Checkmate. That’s the aim of the game. There are numerous ways to checkmate the enemy king, but there are common patterns that recur over and over again, and having these at our mental fingertips is essential for when we want to finish the game. From Beginner to Brain-buster, this DVD presents 100 puzzles, divided into 10 groups of 10 positions. Naturally, Level 1 is the easiest, and the puzzles increase in difficulty right through to Level 10. You can jump in at whatever level you wish, but try to solve all ten positions on each level before you move on to the next.

4/18/2018 – The Albin Counter-Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5!?) has been a favourite of Grandmasters and amateur players alike since it was popularised by Adolf Albin in the 1890s. This hyper-aggressive system, which immediately sets out to destabilise White’s position, had a renaissance in the mid-2000s when none other than GM Alexander Morozevich revitalised the opening with a number of fresh ideas and excellent results. Lawrence Trent is an International Master who has represented England as a player and as a coach and has been a 3-time winner of the Porto San Giorgio International tournament, finishing ahead of many Grandmasters.

4/6/2018 – This DVD provides everything you need to know to be able to play one of the most classical openings with Black, the Nimzo-Indian, arising after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. Nearly every World Championship and top tournament features the Nimzo-Indian. It is a well trusted “lifetime“ choice for players all around the globe. The former FIDE World Champion, Grandmaster Rustam Kasimdzhanov, gives you both the concrete variations, with many novelties to catch your opponent by surprise, and the positional nuances to enhance your understanding of the opening and of the game in general.

3/31/2018 – Nowadays, people tend to prefer working on their chess by studying opening variations with engines, neglecting the practical side of our game. This DVD emphasizes the importance of training your calculation skills. Dutch IM Robert Ris made a selection of training material which he uses in lessons with students ranging from 1400 to 2400. But Ris believes that this material is suitable for players of various strengths because anyone can benefit from practicing calculation in a structured way.

3/7/2018 – In the modern game, a player has to be ready to play almost any opening variation at short notice. The plan is to interrupt the preparation of the opponent at every turn. A knowledge of dynamic and slightly unusual lines could well score many,many points for the resourceful player. The Kveinys Variation : 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Qb6! is surprisingly little-played, yet gives Black excellent chances and on this new ChessBase DVD, Andrew Martin explains how the system works.

12/3/2017 – Ever wanted to release your inner Tal or Shirov? This is your chance! On this DVD you will be taken on a journey through what is arguably the sharpest opening line known to men: the Botvinnik Variation! Ever since its birth, in the late 30’s of the previous century, the Botvinnik Variation has fascinated generations of dynamic players. To date, the opening is very much alive and is considered the sharpest and most principled way to meet 5.Bg5 in the Semi-Slav.

11/3/2017 – The Mega Database is chess. With 7.1 million chess games, of which 71,000 are commented, the mega documents over 500 years of chess history and always has up-to-date opening knowledge for the preparation for the next game and the next opponent. A must for every chess player!