3/10/2025 – In the classic Fort Knox Variation (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7), Black maneuvers the light-squared bishop to c6 in order to exchange it for a white knight and establish a super-solid setup. Yago Santiago discovered a new - and even safer - way of playing the Fort Knox in some of Arjun Erigaisi's games: In his opening article for the current CBM #224, Santiago presents the variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bd7!? If White now reacts with 6.Nxf6+, he must be prepared for major complications after 6...gxf6! You can read the full article with all the annotated games this week as a free sample with your web browser in the ChessBase Books format!

3/8/2025 – In the diagram position White wins despite the black passed pawns. Do you see how White can weave a mating net?

3/4/2025 – Material is reduced in endgames, but attacks on the king still happen endgames. In the diagram position it is Black to move and draw. How?

3/3/2025 – After almost twenty years, Rainer Knaak handed over his CBM column ‘Topical opening traps’ to Micheal Prusikin at the end of last year. With the new author, not only the face but also the concept of the section has changed: Michael Prusikin will regularly present three traps from a specific opening in video form in his articles. The current ChessBase Magazine #224 starts with three traps for White in the French Advance Variation. You can watch his first contribution to CBM with all three videos this week as a free sample directly in your web browser in the ChessBase Books format - enjoy!

3/1/2025 – In view of the double attack against Bc5 and Rh1, White needs a good idea in the diagram position. Anything up your sleeve?

2/27/2025 – Tata Steel 2025: Analyses by the tournament winners, Praggnanandhaa and Nguyen, as well as Abdusattorov, Giri, Harikrishna, L'Ami, Mendonca, Suleymanli, Van Foreest and Yakubboev + video review by Blohberger - Chess legend Viktor Kortschnoj: exclusive collection of 24 annotated games from 1960 to 2006 plus video by David Navara – Modern Petroff: Balázs Csonka sheds light on the Damiano Variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4!? - “The fortress - rien ne va plus!”: Dorian Rogozenco shows a classic fortress motif with queen + pawn against rook + pawn - The cheeky queen: Surya Ganguly shows in the video that 4.Qxd4 is also an option against the Sicilian with 2...e6! and much more.

2/25/2025 – In endings with bishops of the same colour it is often good for the attacking side to put their pawns on squares of the opposite colour. This gives the king room to maneuver and the enemy pawns can be attacked. As Black demonstrated in the diagram position - what would you do?

2/22/2025 – From the diagram position, White managed to coordinate his queen and rook against the black king without allowing any counterplay. Please imitate!

2/18/2025 – Knights often need outposts to defend against bishops. In the diagram position Black's knight has no safe outpost and this allows White to win. How?

2/15/2025 – The diagram position shows a gambit variation that was quite popular around 40 years ago. White quickly gained an irresistible initiative, which he finally crowned with a checkmating combination. Incidentally, a U20 game in the truest sense of the word - Black resigned on move 18!

2/11/2025 – Rook checks are an important defensive technique in rook endings, and it is good to know ways to defend against this rain of checks: one way is to hide behind the enemy pawns using these pawns as an "umbrella". Can White use this technique to win the diagram position?

2/8/2025 – In the diagram position Black has an astonishing path to victory. In the game, however, she preferred 24...Qc7 25.Kg1 Qc5 26.Kh2 to strike only then. Either way - have fun!

2/4/2025 – A queen is usually much stronger than pawns. But against far advanced passed pawns she has to be careful. In the diagram position, which is from a game between Vincent Keymer and Georg Meier, it is White to move and win. What would you do?

2/1/2025 – In the diagram position, White gains an advantage by basically moving only one piece. An absolute classic - I wish you historic enjoyment!

1/31/2025 – ChessBase Magazine Extra is the ideal supplement to ChessBase Magazine. In the new Extra #223: Videos by Leon Mendonca: French and Nico Zwirs: King's Indian. “Lucky bag” with 50 analyses by Ganguly, Giri, Praggnanandhaa and many more + two video analyses by Josefine Heinemann (in German). New: From issue #223, CBM Extra is also available as ChessBase Book directly on books.chessbase.com for iPad, tablet, Mac etc.!

1/28/2025 – Against the popular Semi-Tarrasch (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5), 7.Rb1 (with h4!) is currently the absolute fashionable variation and, with a yield of well over 60%, also a promising choice. In the current ChessBase Magazine #223, IM Balász Csonka takes a close look at the variation and summarizes the current state of theory. His article includes an overview text and six annotated games from the period from 2018 (Karjakin-Kramnik from the Candidates Tournament) to 2024. You can view the complete article with all the analyses this week as a free sample from ChessBase Magazine #223 in ChessBase Books format!

1/28/2025 – "All rook endgames are drawn" is a well-known witticisim that is often attributed to Tarrasch or Tartakower. It emphasises the drawish tendencies of rook endings. However, you still have to find the right moves. In the diagram position Black can draw with best play but in the game Black lost. Can you do better?

1/25/2025 – In the diagram position the black king is still in the centre, and White should do everything he can to prevent it from castling ... or do you disagree?

1/23/2025 – ChessBase Magazine offers three opening videos in each issue (total playing time: over an hour). In the current issue #223, our authors, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Daniel King, present two intriguing and very early ‘deviations’: Sicilian with 2.a4 and Petroff with 3...Nxe4 - both have recently been used by notable players, in the first case it was Kasimdzhanov himself in his game against Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei, in the second case Wesley So against Hans Moke Niemann. The third opening video of CBM 223 is by Robert Ris: Spanish Delayed Exchange Variation with 7.Re1 - since the 2023 World Championship match, this variation can be seen again and again at top level. Take a look! Until the end of the week, you can watch all three opening videos as a free reading sample in ChessBase Books format!

1/21/2025 – Pure opposite colored bishop endings have a large drawish tendency. In the diagram position Black is a pawn down but can draw. How?

1/18/2025 – Can White play 11.e4 in the diagram position to consolidate his space advantage - or will it backfire because of 11...Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Nxe4? Your verdict, please!

1/17/2025 – In the latest ChessBase Magazine #223 Spyridon Kapnisis examines a wing gambit that can be used against two openings at once! The move orders are 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.b4!? cxb4 4.d4 d5 5.e5 (Sicilian) and 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4!? cxb4 5.d4 (French). In his “All in One” article, the GM from Greece summarizes everything you need to know about the variation in a fully annotated game! You can view the complete article as a free sample - directly as a ChessBase Book on your iPad, tablet, smartphone, etc. Take a look and try out the gambit on the server right away!

1/14/2025 – Despite the reduced material, mating attacks can still occur in endgames and should be kept in mind. In the diagrammed position, it is White to move, and he has a chance to attack Black's king and win. How?

1/11/2025 – In the diagram position axb4 is not a threat, so Black can actually play whatever he wants. However, a continuation leads straight to the orcus, with mate in 4 - ha det så kul!!!