CHESSBOOK REVIEWS

Latest book reviews of 1 December 2025

Wilhelminalaan 33 

7261 BP RUURLO 

The Netherlands.
           John Elburg

                                                                                                                   Chess DVD's

ChessBase Magazine issue 228
November  2025
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 21,90
System requirements:
Minimum: Pentium III 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Windows Vista, XP (Service Pack 3), DirectX9 graphic card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 12/Fritz 13 or included Reader and internet connection for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, DirectX10 graphic card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or better, 10

The main file of this heavy loaded ChessBase Magazine is good for 915 entries and a small 26 of them are more than excellent analysed!
But there is so much more as Opening Videos:
Rustam Kasimdzhanov: Petroff
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.c4 c6 9.Qc2
Ivan Sokolov: Nimzo-Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Nge2 Ba6 6.a3 Be7 7.Nf4 d5 8.cxd5 Bxf1
Felix Blohberger: English
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 e6 6.Bf4
Opening articles:
Petra Papp: English 1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 Bc5 / 7...h5!
Sergey Grigoriants: King's Indian without c2-c4
Evgeny Postny: Sicilian Rossolimo Variation 3...d5!?
Krisztien Szabo: Sicilian Dragon Variation 6...Nc6 7.f3 h5!?
Yago Santiago: French Advance Variation 5.Nf3 f6!?
Martin Lorenzini: Scotch 4...Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Qf6
Alexey Kuzmin: Spanish Delayed Exchange 7.Re1!?
Robert Ris: Accepted Queen's Gambit 3.e4 c5!?
Balazs Csonka: Nimzo-Indian 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d6
Spyridon Kapnisis: King's Indian 5.Be2 0-0 6.Be3 Nc6!?
This all comes with top games and master analyses plus superb. contributions as for example the endgame column form the great Karsten Mueller!

Conclusion: Superb material!      

ChessBase Magazine issue 228 Extra
December  2025
ChessBase
 http://www.chessbase.com
E-Mail info@chessbase.com
ISSN 1432-8992
Euro 14,90
System requirements:
Minimum: Pentium III 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Windows Vista, XP (Service Pack 3), DirectX9 graphic card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows Media Player 9, ChessBase 12/Fritz 13 or included Reader and internet connection for program activation. Recommended: PC Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, DirectX10 graphic card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or better, 10

The main file of this overloaded ChessBase Magazine holds exactly counted 43458 games plus a lucky bag of 40 well annotated games.
Very interesting are the included opening videos from Sipke Ernst on the Two Knights Game-Ulvestad Variation.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5!?
This variation was developed over 80 years ago by the American Olav Ulvestad, but for a long time it was considered hardly playable for Black. However, modern engines have led to a rethink in this area. In his video analysis, GM Sipke Ernst brings the sidelines 6.Bb3, 6.Bxb5 and 6.dxc6 as well as the main continuation 6.Bf1 up to date.
‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’ (Part II)
In this edition of CBM Extra, master trainer Adrian Mikhalchishin continues his series of short videos on new opening ideas.
And Jan Werle shows selected games by Anish Giri, Matthias Bluebaum and Vincent Keymer.
Conclusion: Highly recommened!