ChessBase dropped five new training products in April, and they cover the real gaps in modern preparation. Ivan Sokolov's middlegame course teaches structural understanding, which is where most club players leak rating points. Isaac Garner focuses on practical repertoire building, the kind of concrete preparation that wins games at the board, not theoretical deep dives.
The London System module deserves attention. This opening has strangled countless players, and having compact, data-driven solutions beats grinding through endgames where White sits comfortably. The new Powerbooks lean on engine analysis and statistical trends, giving you the frequencies and ideas behind the moves, not just move lists.
What makes this selection work is the balance. You get strategy (Sokolov), opening solutions (London, repertoire), and raw data (Powerbooks). Different players need different things. A tactician can skip the middlegame course. An opening obsessive can focus on the repertoire work. But together, these products hit the practical problems players face in real games.
For anyone serious about improvement without reinventing their entire approach, this is solid material. No fluff, no ten-hour courses on positions that never arise. Just focused tools for tournament players who want to train smarter.