ChessBase Magazine Extra 228

Opening videos

Sipke Ernst: 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. 

Sicilian Najdorf Variation 6.f3

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 h5 9.Nd5 Bxd5 10.exd5

With the modern move 8...h5, Black prevents White's thematic advance g2-g4 and steers the game into more positional waters. Mikhalchishin himself had this variation on the board against Margeir Petursson (Lviv 2025). In the game, his opponent opted for the continuation 10...g6, to which Mikhalchishin responded with 11.Qd2 Nbd7 12.0-0-0 Nb6 and the positional pawn sacrifice 13.c4 – a sacrifice that Dominguez Perez had already used twice years ago. ‘In my opinion, it has not yet been tested sufficiently!’

Sicilian Najdorf Variation 6.Bc4

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 Nbd7 8.Qe2 Nc5 9.Bd2

6.Bc4 was one of Bobby Fischer's favourite weapons against the Najdorf Variation. White then wants to carry out the ‘Fischer Attack’ by advancing the f-pawn. Mikhalchishin shows a modern treatment of this idea by Frederik Svane against Andrei Volokitin (2025): After 6...e6 7.Bb3 Nbd7, he continued with 8.Qe2 Nc5 9.Bd2, intending to castle long immediately. Only then did he set his pawns in motion on the kingside. ‘Probably, the Fischer Attack is alive!’

Spanish with 4...Nge7

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 5.Nc3 d6 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 exd4

‘Everybody nowadays sacrifices a pawn.’ The young German talent Christian Gloeckler did just that at the 2025 Prague Open against GM V. Vetoshko in the Spanish sideline with 4...Nge7. But is the sacrifice initiated by 6.d4 also sound? After 8...exd4, Mikhalchishin examines White's options 9.Nd5, 9.Qf3 and 9.Qh5 and finds that White gets at best some compensation for the pawn.

Special

Jan Werle: Highlights from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025

The tournament in Saarkand, featuring a top-class line-up, was the focus of the current issue of ChessBase Magazine #228. In his half-hour video review, Jan Werle shows selected games by Anish Giri, Matthias Bluebaum and Vincent Keymer.

‘Lucky bag’

Analyses by Surya Ganguly, Max Illingworth, Nikolas Theodorou and many more.

Extra #228 delivers 40 annotated games from a wide variety of tournaments in the ‘Lucky bag’.

And the Update Service delivers over 40,000 new games for your database!

The games in the Update Service are also included in the Mega Update Service 2025, which can be used with a current ChessBase program (and a corresponding subscription).