Opening Encyclopaedia 2026: What Is New This Year

The Opening Encyclopaedia is not a course with a single author; it is a working library for anyone who uses ChessBase. ChessBase calls it “your easy access to opening theory.” Each opening article is a small database written by a titled player: an overview of the main lines, model games and typical plans. The articles are sorted by ECO code and dated, so you can see when a line was last covered — the theory folder runs from 2000 to 2026, and 82 articles in this edition carry a 2025 or 2026 date.

The edition grows every year. The Opening Encyclopaedia 2023 had 1,396 articles and 70 videos (29 hours); the 2021 edition listed 1,463 articles and 75 videos. Opening Encyclopaedia 2026 raises that to 1,586 theory databases, 300 new or updated surveys and 100 opening videos according to ChessBase. If you already own an older edition, the new trend lectures and the recent ChessBase Magazine videos are the main reasons to update. Browse more reference titles in our Chess Courses category.

How You Use the Opening Encyclopaedia 2026

Rogozenco’s 2025–26 trends: engines say 0.00

The ten trend lectures are the freshest part of the package. In his introduction Rogozenco names the generators of new ideas — the young Indian players led by Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi and world champion Gukesh, plus Vincent Keymer, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov — and explains why so many new directions appear: engines now evaluate almost everything as equal, so the gap between the best move and the fifth-best is small. He then covers five openings after 1.e4 and four after 1.d4: Gukesh’s use of the Caro-Kann as his second weapon, the French as a continuing top-level trend, the Petroff with the early …Nxe4 lines Nakamura used in rapid chess, the Italian move-order question (…Bc5 first or …Nf6 first), the Queen’s Gambit exchange systems, the Catalan with …a6 and a4, the Nimzo-Indian and the King’s Indian, which the coach defends against the claim that it is “just losing”.

91 ChessBase Magazine videos, sorted by opening

The second video block comes from ChessBase Magazine issues 205 to 230. ChessBase names Daniel King, Dorian Rogozenco and Rustam Kasimdzhanov among the authors; the files also include Mihail Marin, Ivan Sokolov, Robert Ris, Christian Bauer, Adrian Mikhalchishin’s short “extra” lessons and younger authors such as Engel, Blohberger, Werle, Zwirs, Mendonça and Ernst. Examples: Daniel King on the King’s Gambit as Spassky played it — “He never lost in a serious game playing this opening” — and on the Englund Gambit revived in online blitz; a two-part Najdorf 6.Bd3 series; and an analysis of Van Foreest vs Giri from Tata Steel 2026.

Theory articles, surveys and tutorials

The core of the Opening Encyclopaedia 2026 is the theory folder: one database per article, from A00 Sokolsky to E99 King’s Indian. Recent additions include four new Rossolimo articles, three on the Catalan, and fresh work on the Jobava London, the Sveshnikov, the Marshall, the Grünfeld and the King’s Indian Sämisch. The separate surveys database holds the 8,200 short opening surveys, the Opening Tutorials give quick overviews of established openings to help you choose a repertoire, and an “All in One” database is included as well. ChessBase’s own review calls the package “a vast toolbox for anyone who wants to truly understand and improve their openings.”

If you want a guided opening course rather than a reference, combine the encyclopaedia with a single-author repertoire — for example by GM Daniel King or GM Mihail Marin, both of whom present videos in this edition.

Opening Encyclopaedia 2026: Video and Database Index

Who Should Get Opening Encyclopaedia 2026

• Tournament players who use ChessBase and want an up-to-date theory reference for repertoire work and opponent preparation.
• Club players building a repertoire — the tutorials and surveys help you choose an opening before going deep.
• Owners of an older edition who want the 2025–26 trend lectures and the latest ChessBase Magazine videos.
• Coaches who need model games and articles for every ECO code in one place.

It is not ideal for beginners or for players who do not use ChessBase or Fritz; the amount of material can overwhelm, and the databases need the software. If you just want a large game collection, the Mega Database is the better fit.

Opening Encyclopaedia 2026 FAQ

How is the 2026 edition different from 2023?

The 2023 edition had 1,396 articles and 70 videos (29 hours). The Opening Encyclopaedia 2026 has 1,586 theory databases, 300 new or updated surveys, and 101 unique videos in this package, including the 2025–26 trend lectures.

Can I watch the videos without ChessBase?

Yes. The videos are standard MP4 files you can play anywhere. The theory articles, surveys and games are ChessBase databases and need ChessBase or Fritz to open.

What is in the download, and how is it delivered?

The ChessBase databases (theory, surveys, tutorials, videos index, all-in-one) and the MP4 videos, 3.17 GB in total. Digital files. Crypto payment only. Fast delivery is handled manually after payment confirmation. Download links remain available for 7 days; save your files locally.