ChessBase

• Tata Steel Chess: Sindarov beats Erigaisi, joins Abdusattorov in the lead

  With two rounds left, the race for first place remains closely contested in both sections of the Tata Steel Chess tournament. In the Masters, Javokhir Sindarov caught Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the lead after beating Arjun Erigaisi, while Hans Niemann scored a full point to join Matthias Bluebaum and Jorden van Foreest in the chasing pack. In the Challengers, Andy Woodward won and moved into sole first place after Vasyl Ivanchuk defeated former sole leader Aydin Suleymanli. | Photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

• CBM 229: The battle for the FIDE World Cup in Goa

  ChessBase Magazine offers a window to the world of professional chess. Nagesh Havanur takes a look at the current issue, CBM 229. All games from the FIDE World Cup, 27 annotated, 11 opening surveys, 3 opening videos, demo lectures and several exercises for training. Annotators include Sam Shankland, Wei Yi, Nodirbek Yakubboev and Gabriel Sargissian among others. The icing on the cake is the Special feature "Giri's Gems", offering the Dutch star's eight best games from the year 2025.

• How strong is he really? Matthias Blübaum breaks the 2700 barrier

  Matthias Blübaum is currently stunning the chess world with his performance at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee. After ten rounds, he shares second to fourth place and is half a point behind leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov. In the last two rounds, Blübaum defeated Gukesh and Anish Giri, which helped him break the 2700 rating barrier for the first time in his career. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

• ChessBase´26: A Players Guide (3)

  You are playing in a tournament, and have just seen who your opponent in the next round is. Do you go to your database and simply scan through to spot his strengths and weaknesses, to decide which opening to play? With ChessBase´26 you get a full dossier with recommendations in less than one minute. And you can immediately start with the actual preparation. Let GM Iniyan Pa tell you how this all works.

• Medical verdict: Naroditsky cause of death

  Last week, the news broke out that Daniel Naroditsky's toxicology report had been seen exclusively by NBC News, and the verdict was that a variety of drugs had been found in his system at the time of death: amphetamines, kratum, and more. The news went rampant that a 'drug cocktail' was coursing through his veins. The truth is out and it is a lot less dramatic, though no less tragic. | Photo: Kelly Centrelli / Charlotte Chess Center

• Christmas Puzzles 7 – long and short

  Take a look at this relatively simple position. Can you figure out how White can win? And how many moves it will require to overcome Black's most resolute defence? You won't believe it. To relax we bring you the arguably easiest chess study ever composed, and other entertaining puzzles, many from the out-of-the-box legend Karl Fabel.

• Christmas Puzzles 6 – cover the board!

  In August 2019 I spent a week in France, at the training camp I had organized (together with ChessBase India) for young Indian super talents. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik did the chess training, while I pestered the kids with logic puzzles. Most did not involve chess, but some did. Here are a couple for you.

• Christmas Puzzles 5 – Rotary problems

  In rotary problems the board is rotated by 180° for a second position with a different solution. It is usually pawns that make a different when you turn the board around. Or the king/queen positions, or castling is involved. Can one devise problems where these factors do not play a role? Yes one can, as our expert for out-of-the-box problems, Werner Keym, proves.

• Christmas Puzzles 4 – Retractors

  These days it is not easy to challenge anyone with problems or studies. Loading the PGN and clicking Start will usually get you the solution in seconds. So we are trying to provide you with "computer resistant" puzzles in this year's Christmas Puzzle Week. Today the subject is taking back a move in a given position and looking for a move to fulfil the condition. As in this 100-year-old problem by Thomas Dawson: it requires you to take back one move and then mate the opponent in two. Can you think how?

• Christmas Puzzles 3 – Just some text

  There are chess puzzles which only consist of a line of text, asking you to construct a position or a game that it describes. Some can be awesomely difficult, like the puzzle we first posted 41 years ago. Two world champions were not able to solve it. We tell you about that, and present a new ones, not quite as tough, for you to solve.