7/12/2025 – Black's position is hanging by a thread, but you will certainly manage to cut it as White - enjoy!

7/9/2025 – The Albin Counter Gambit is a provocative attempt to combat the Queen's Gambit: after 1.d4 d5 2.c4, Black sends the second centre pawn forward unprotected with 2...e5. After 3.dxe5, the idea behind the pawn sacrifice is to advance boldly with 3...d4, limiting White’s queen's knight and claiming space advantage in the centre. This is an ambitious move, but one that promises active play for Black. While analysing a highly topical variation, our author Luc Henris recently came across the astonishing piece sacrifice 10...Bc5 – which turned out to be ‘a completely new and incredible concept for Black’! He shares his discovery with you in the current ChessBase Magazine #226. Take a look at this week's free sample!

7/8/2025 – In the diagram position White is a rook down, but he still has a way to draw the game. What should he do?

7/5/2025 – Right, 45...Rxh3+! leads to a win for Black in the diagram position - provided he doesn't let up after 46.Kg2. Do you see the way to go?

7/1/2025 – Classic fortresses are an intriguing area in endgames. Even with a clear material imbalance, such as rook and pawn against queen and pawn, there are positions in which the defender can build an impregnable defence. The key is that you only need to know a few things and a few rules to build a fortress. This makes it surprisingly easy in the end. Dorian Rogozenco has devoted a trilogy to fortresses with rook and pawn against queen and pawn in ChessBase Magazine, and in the current issue #226, he concludes it with another attractive example. Take a look at this week's CBM free sample with an introductory video and five interactive videos where you can test your skills in a playful way!

7/1/2025 – Endgames studies often contain a surprising, unexpected idea that seem to be paradoxical. The diagram position is from a practical game that ended in a draw. However, White had a study-like way to win. Do you see what he should have done?

6/28/2025 – In the diagram position White has to fight. Your first challenge is to make 27.Qc2! Bxe1 work for him. And then two moves later you can reveal a knockout for Black that he missed in the game - enjoy!

6/27/2025 – European Championship 2025: Analyses by Bluebaum, F. Svane, Abasov, Alonso Rosell, Cheparinov, Grandelius, Lagarde, Navara, Ponomariov, Rodshtein, Sargissian, Suleymanli, Tari, Velten, Vogel, Volokitin, Wojtaszek and Yuffa – Raid in the Sveshnikov: Lars Schandorff shows that Black has to be extremely careful after 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.Qf3!? – ‘Queen sacrifice with dividend’: Oliver Reeh's tactical tests with over 30 current games + four interactive videos – Kramnik at his best: Dorian Rogozenco reviews the ‘Modern Classic’ Kramnik-Ehlvest (Tal Memorial 1995), including the novelty in move 16 and the impressive play by the former world champion, and much more.

6/24/2025 – In the diagram position White is winning because his h-pawn is far advanced and strong. What should White do to make the h-pawn count?

6/21/2025 – In the diagram position, Black has three possibilities to fend off the white threat Txb7: 17...Rb8, 17...Bc8 and 17...b6. In the game he made the wrong decision - can you do better?

6/17/2025 – Queen and bishop can be powerful - which White proved in the diagram position. What did he do?

6/14/2025 – The headline naturally reveals which of Black's pieces will definitely come into play from the diagram position. But there's plenty for you to discover before and especially afterwards - have fun!

6/10/2025 – In the diagram position it is Black to move. She has a strong passed pawn on the e-file, but her back rank is weak. Is there a way to secure an advantage for Black?

6/7/2025 – The diagram position saw 29...Rd8 30.Rd1, after which the two rooks in the d-file are only separated by the black Nd7. Who will benefit from this constellation? Your assessment, please!

6/3/2025 – In the diagram position White has dangerous passed pawns but has to find a way to overcome Black's resistance. What should she do?

5/31/2025 – Surrounded by the fianchetto bishop on g7 and the queen on e7, the black king can feel completely safe in the diagram position - or don't you think so?

5/29/2025 – ChessBase Magazine Extra is the ideal supplement to ChessBase Magazine. In the new Extra #225: Videos by Mihail Marin: Najdorf Variation with 6.f4 and Nico Zwirs: Italian ‘giucco pianissimo’. ‘Lucky bag’ with 45 analyses by Edouard, Ftacnik, Gupta, Pelletier and others. Update service with over 50,000 new games for your database. You can now read CBM Extra also in your webbrowser on your iPad, tablet or Mac in the "ChessBase Book" format!

5/27/2025 – When knights are strong, they can be very strong. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What should he do?

5/24/2025 – On their way to victory from the diagram, White must not underestimate Black's resources. Your move!

5/20/2025 – Pawn endings are often tricky and require precise calculation. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What should he do?

5/19/2025 – In ChnessBase Magazine, our team of authors regularly explores new ideas and current trends in opening theory. CBM #225 once again offers ten opening articles – from a Dutch setup against the London System to 9...Bg4 in the Alapin Sicilian to the Queen's Indian with 8.Bd2. In his theory article, Robert Ris examines Gukesh's 7.a3!? in the Classical System of the French Defense – a "useful waiting move" that opens up various options for Black while simultaneously giving him the chance to make an early mistake. Ris' starting point is game 13 of the World Championship match between Gukesh and Ding Liren at the end of last year. The IM from the Netherlands also analyses two games by Magnus Carlsen, who adopted Gukesh's idea just a few days later against Nepomniachtchi. You can check out the article with all the analyses in this week's free CBM sample. Don't miss it!

5/17/2025 – Thumbs up if you manage to calculate Black's winning continuation from the diagram position to the end, including a quiet move - good luck!

5/13/2025 – In the diagram position it is Black to move - how should he parry White's check and how should he use his pawns to defeat White's bishop?

5/12/2025 – For the "Special" of ChessBase Magazine #225, we invited our authors to comment on miniatures that evoke special memories. The result is a colorful mix of their own successes/failures, underdog victories, Olympia highlights, candidate classics, and modern high-flyers. A total of 27 blockbusters from the period from 1962 (Fischer!) to 2023 have been collected – the very best chess entertainment is guaranteed! You can check out the first seven miniatures from the collection this week in the free CBM readng sample. We hope you enjoy!