CHESS Magazine - June 2026 (Free)

All the regular features of the UK's best-selling CHESS magazine and more! Regular features include: How Good is Your Chess? by GM Daniel King, Saunders on Chess, Find the Winning Moves, Never Mind the Grandmasters..., Studies, Home & Overseas News, Forthcoming Events Calendar and Book Reviews.

In this issue:

Editorial 

Malcolm Pein on the latest developments in the game

A Clean Sweep, and a Close Shave! 

Andrew Ledger reports from an exciting final weekend of the 4NCL season

60 Seconds with... Axel Smith 

The Swedish GM gave a huge blindfold simul and has a new book out

Small Margins 

Paul Littlewood reports from the World Senior Team Chess Championships

The Comeback 

Carlsen won his final three games then the playoff in Malmo

The Brightest Star? 

Carl Strugnell on the specialness of 14-year-old Turkish superstar Yagiz Kaan

Forthcoming Events 

Will you be playing at Crewe, Edinburgh, the MindSports Centre or elsewhere?

Studies with Stephenson 

Brian pays tribute to the composing giant that is Harold van der Heijden

How Good is Your Chess? 

Daniel King looks at how Rameshbabu Vaishali likes to play on the front foot

The Beauty in Chess 

Jon Crumiller on Sir António Horta-Osório’s dazzling collection of chess sets

Find The Winning Moves 

Can you do as well as the players at the final 4NCL weekend of the season?

Under the Hammer 

John Henderson takes a look at the auction of Lothar Schmid’s collection

Chasing Dreams 

Ben Graff thoroughly enjoyed being out and about at the Menorca Open

Menorca Masterclass 

Daniel Fernandez explains how he outplayed the 2024 World Rapid Champion

Never Mind the Grandmasters 

Carl Portman on his last round game at the UK Armed Forces Championships

How to Beat a Grandmaster 

Paul Littlewood looks at an impressive game by a young Jon Speelman

Key Encounters 

Some more of the best chess from the FIDE Candidates and the TePe Sigeman

Overseas News 

Hans Niemann won the opening leg of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour in Poland

Home News 

Popular weekenders took place in Belfast, Blackpool, Bournemouth and elsewhere

This Month’s New Releases 

Sean Marsh enjoyed the return of Neil McDonald, with his new book on strategy

Saunders on Chess 

John on Eugene Colman and his contribution to the Two Knights Defence