New releases: December 2025
Felix Blohberger: King’s Indian – A complete repertoire for Black Part 1: Mastering the Sidelines
Part 1 of the King’s Indian course offers a repertoire against 1.d4, 1.c4, and 1.Nf3. The focus is on sideline systems that avoid the classical center with d4, c4, Nc3, e4, and Nf3, such as the London System, the Trompowsky, and various fianchetto setups.
Blohberger’s practical approach relies less on deep theoretical analysis and more on clear concepts and structural ideas. The video course includes six hours of content, a repertoire database, and interactive exercises.
:Free reading samples
The King’s Indian Defence has been one of the most dynamic and popular responses to 1.d4 for decades. Legends such as Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, and Hikaru Nakamura have employed it at the highest level – and it continues to fascinate today, as it offers Black not only solidity but also rich attacking and counterattacking opportunities. Its special advantage: the King’s Indian is a universal system, equally effective against 1.d4, 1.c4, and 1.Nf3. Grandmaster Felix Blohberger, multiple Austrian Champion and experienced second, presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black. His approach: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: London System
Felix Blohberger: King’s Indian – Part 2: The Classical Main Lines
The second volume expands the repertoire to include the critical main lines that arise when White establishes a central setup with c4, d4, and e4. It covers classical structures, including the Four Pawns Attack, as well as systems with h3 and Be3 that are common in modern practice.
Blohberger relies on the flexible …Na6 setup, which offers several options for counterplay. The course presents both strategic and tactical motifs, including how to respond to aggressive central pawn advances.
:Free reading samples
The King’s Indian Defence has long been one of the most dynamic and popular responses to 1.d4. Champions like Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, and Hikaru Nakamura have used it at the highest level – and it continues to thrive today because it gives Black not only a solid foundation but also rich attacking and counterattacking opportunities. Its great advantage: the King’s Indian is a universal system, equally effective against 1.d4, 1.c4, and 1.Nf3. Grandmaster Felix Blohberger, multiple Austrian Champion and experienced second, presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black. His approach is practical, clear, and flexible – no endless theory, but instead understandable concepts and strategies you can apply right away.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Early h4
ChessBase Magazine 229
The new CBM offers first-class training material for club players and professionals alike. World-class players explain the ideas behind the moves. Opening specialists present the latest trends and ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers show you exactly the tricks and techniques you need to succeed as a tournament player.
The highlights of CBM 229 range from “Giri’s Highlights 2025” and Prusikin’s traps in the Tarrasch French to Markos’s exchange sacrifices and Dr Karsten Müller’s video series “Excelling in Endgames.”
Free reading sample
Robert Ris praises 11…Bb7!? in the Marshall-Attack
ChessBase Magazine offers first-class training material for club players and professionals! World-class players analyse their best games and explain the ideas behind their moves. Opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in tactics, strategy and endgames show you exactly the tricks and techniques you need to be a successful tournament player! Available as a download (including magazine as a PDF file) or as a magazine with download key by post.
Included in delivery: CBM #229 as a ‘ChessBase Book’ for iPad, tablet, Mac, etc.! At books.chessbase.com
Fritz – Your Chess Coach
“Fritz – Your Chess Coach 2” is an introductory and training program that offers players of all levels a combination of play, training, and AI support. The program allows users to play against the Fritz engine across seven difficulty levels, including historical style simulations of famous masters such as Paul Morphy, Bobby Fischer, and Anatoly Karpov, with authentic playing styles adapted to the user’s own strength.
During the games, Fritz – Your Chess Coach 2 supports the user with AI-based move suggestions, text and audio explanations, and intelligent commentary that helps develop an understanding of tactical elements such as mating attacks and material gains.
I am FRITZ and have been redefining the chess world for over 30 years.
The chess program for beginners who just want to have fun with chess: Play against Fritz or online, intelligent tips, cheeky sayings, easy to use, reasonable price! Note for Fritz fans: this program is not a further development of Fritz18 and is not compatible!
Free Courses – Christmas Season at ChessBase
Robert Ris: The most spectacular Grandmaster miniatures of 2025
The long-standing author describes his gift to you as follows: “I have put together my favourite miniatures from GM tournaments. Mating attacks, brilliant sacrifices, and dramatic blunders. In the spirit of my Fast & Furious show and my calculation training series. Enjoy!”
Michael Prusikin: Damenopfer 2025
The German GM presents the “most beautiful queen sacrifices” of the past year in a video. Tactical exercises are always worthwhile: they sharpen your senses and put pattern recognition and calculation skills to the test. Collect points in the puzzle section and see what you are capable of.
New releases of the previous months:
EXPAND YOUR CHESS HORIZONS
Data, plans, practice – the new Opening Report In ChessBase there are always attempts to show the typical plans of an opening variation. In the age of engines, chess is much more concrete than previously thought. But amateurs in particular love openings with clear plans, see the London System. In ChessBase ’26, three functions deal with the display of plans. The new opening report examines which piece moves or pawn advances are significant for each important variation. In the reference search you can now see on the board where the pieces usually go. If you start the new Monte Carlo analysis, the board also shows the most common figure paths.
