6 SE!ZE the Moment
8 NIC’s Café
A treasure from the BBC Archive, Bodhana Sivanandan’s WGM title, the return of John Healy and more.
14 A new FIDE President
Timur Turlov was elected in the second voting round, as the 38-year-old multibillionaire from Kazakhstan defeated Wadim Rosenstein, a multimillionaire from Germany, 110-85.
18 Interview: Timur Turlov
The new FIDE President wants to take chess into the digital future with the help of global partnerships with big brands.
24 Uzbekistan superb in Samarkand
Seemingly unfazed by the pressure from the home crowd, Team Uzbekistan relied on friendship and an unshakable belief in their potential as they triumphed in the 46th Olympiad in Samarkand. On Board 1, a formidable Nodirbek Abdusattorov led the way, winning a gold medal with a 2869 performance.
33 Celeb 64
Nigerian-born British poet, .playwright, and novelist Sir Ben Okri.
78 China wins Women’s Olympiad
They didn’t bring World Champion Ju Wenjun or any former World Champions and they were only seeded fourth. And yet they won.
92 Uzbekistan’s next generation
As the Olympiad’s host, Uzbekistan was entitled to field more than one team. After 9 rounds, Uzbekistan 2 had the local fans in raptures as they sensationally occupied third place.
100 Is a racoon a he or a she?
Megan Moreland played 200 games on Chess.com, and found she was five times likelier to receive interaction from her opponents when she played as a woman than when she played as a man.
104 A hot summer
Boris Gelfand’s choice pick of fascinating recent games from around the world.
120 GCT is decided in St. Louis
The 2026 Grand Chess Tour came to a close with a month(!) of top-level chess in St. Louis.
136 Pawn sacrifices
Renier Castellanos looks at the strengths and risks of different kinds of pawn sacrifices.
143 The Killer Blow
145 Fair & Square
146 The Scoresheet
Salov-Ljubojevic, Buenos Aires 1994.
148 Unbelievable but true
Is it possible to find new approaches in an opening as old and venerable as the Spanish? Or a relevant new idea as early as move 4 in the Caro-Kann? You bet it is.
152 The Model Game
It’s always time for the Modern Defence.
156 Sadler on Books
Matthew Sadler happily gave himself over to another endgame binge.
162 Just Checking
Which three people would Denis Lazavik like to invite to dinner?
A modern reappraisal of Bobby Fischer’s greatest games by US grandmaster Joel Benjamin. With engine-aided insight and personal perspective, this book highlights the clarity, technique, and huge impact of Fischer’s chess.
The games of the eleventh World Champion continue to fascinate chess fans. In Bobby Fischer’s Best Games, American grandmaster Joel Benjamin revisits his fellow countryman’s legacy with fresh eyes, modern engines, and a deeply personal perspective, as a chess Grandmaster launched by the Fischer chess boom in the 1970s.
Within the context of Fischer’s dramatic life, Benjamin focuses firmly on the chess. In this careful selection of 64 games, his analyses illuminate Fischer’s strategic clarity, technical mastery, and unique approach to decision-making. With today’s analytical tools, Benjamin reassesses famous fragments and sheds new light on Fischer’s play without losing sight of the Champion’s great artistry.
Organized chronologically, the book traces Bobby Fischer’s development from prodigy to World Champion. Benjamin gives special attention to Fischer’s openings, endgame play, and recurring strategic themes.
This book is a modern, thoughtful exploration of Fischer’s chess – respectful, honest, and deeply instructive.
At thirteen years of age Joel Benjamin broke Bobby Fischer's record as the youngest ever US master, and this was followed by countless tournament successes. He won the US Championship three times and was the chess consultant for IBM's Deep Blue computer, which made history by beating World Champion Garry Kasparov in an epic encounter.
“Compared with the other books in this series, substantially more space is given to the analysis of the opening problems that confront a player in a particular game. The first half of the book is altogether devoted to opening preparation (although, as you will see, not only to this), and also in the second half nearly every game is accompanied by detailed opening information.
The main attraction of chess is its thematic content. I hope that this book, like the preceding ones, will provide a guide for you through the rich and diverse world of chess ideas, will help you to perceive the depth and beauty of schemes generated at the board, in tournament or match play, to disclose the causes of mistakes and to be aware of the hidden forces that determine the plans of chess encounters. As a result you will significantly improve your understanding of chess, and your practical playing strength will rise.”
— MARK DVORETSKY
This third volume in Mark Dvoretsky’s course is devoted to questions of strategy, and is aimed at improving the reader’s positional understanding. The author also examines a number of positions that lie on the boundary between the middlegame and endgame.
As in the other books of the series, he uses examples from his own games and those of his pupils, together with original analyses of episodes from other player’s games.
The initial part of this book deals with combinations and tactical techniques, and suggests methods for developing a player’s calculating ability.
In the second part the author analyses a number of fascinating examples, in which he examines a wide variety of attacking and defensive means. Once again, the reader is encouraged to developing his understanding by tackling numerous tests. Join in and become one of Mark Dvoretsky’s pupils!
Mark Dvoretsky is regarded as the leading chess coach in the world, and in this series of books he reveals the training methods that have transformed so many of his pupils into champions.
This first title is devoted to the endgame and examines a wide range of positions, taken mainly from games of the author’s pupils. The comments are packed with practical advice and special test positions and frequent questions ensure that the reader’s participation in the book is an active one.
In SCHACH 11/2026 finden Sie Berichte über folgende Veranstaltungen/Themen:
* Schach in Samarkand
* FIDE-Wahl
* SCHACH-Fragen: Prin Laohawirapap
* Kombinationsschule, Probleme und Studien, Rezension, Schach-Geschichte
* Mitarbeiter dieser Ausgabe: Michael Busse, Prin Laohawirapap, Stefan Löffler, Georg Mohr, Franz Pachl, Michael Prusikin, Song Yuxin
IM Donaldson examines Fischers life and career from his days as a child prodigy through the height of his World Championship triumph and into his tumultuous final years. Donaldsons meticulous research has uncovered previously lost games and a wealth of unknown material about Fischer -- ranging from his close friendships with players and supporters to his acrimonious relationships with organisers, journalists, lawyers, and publishers. Bobby Fischer and His World is brought to life through a potpourri of first-hand accounts, interviews, letters, and articles by and about the colourful characters that inhabited Fischers world. Unifying this wide-ranging tale are over 100 photos and illustrations and 99 newly annotated games. This is the story of Fischer the man and the player, shedding new light on the riddle of the most famous chessplayer in history. International Master John Donaldson is a player, a chess journalist and historian, and a thirteen-time United States World Chess Olympiad coach (his 2016 team won gold).
Dear chess friends,
For 180 years, the German chess magazine “SCHACH” has been part of the chess world. Today, we are delighted to open a new chapter in its history: for the first time, our magazine is available in English. Named “CHESS INSIGHT”. The magazine is available in digital format only.
For us, this is much more than a translation. It is an invitation.
Chess has always crossed borders. Players from different countries, cultures and generations meet over the same 64 squares and share a language that needs no translation. With this English edition, we would like CHESS INSIGHT to cross another border as well – and make the journalism, analysis and stories that have made our magazine unique accessible to chess enthusiasts around the world.
Our ambition remains the same. We want to take our readers closer to the people and events that shape chess. You will find deeply annotated games, background stories, tournament reports and personal perspectives from grandmasters, coaches, journalists and other personalities from the chess world.
We believe that a chess magazine should offer something that goes beyond results and moves. In an age when games can be followed live from almost anywhere in the world, a magazine has to answer different questions: What happened behind the scenes? What were the players thinking? Why did a particular moment matter? And what can we learn from it?
That is what SCHACH has always tried to do.
We hope to welcome many new readers – and we would very much like to hear from you. Tell us what you enjoy, what you would like to see more of, and what SCHACH can become for an international audience.
Thank you for joining us at the beginning of this new chapter.
Welcome to CHESS INSIGHT. We are very happy to have you with us.
Available via subscription
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
Going for Gold
Nigel Povah reports from the European Senior Team Chess Championships
So Stellar
Wesley So won the Sinquefield Cup for a second year in a row
60 Seconds with...Anna Cramling
The Swedish WFM and streamer recently spent a morning at the Chess Shop
Readers’ Letters
There’s nothing new when it comes to people’s favourite game of all time
Middlegame Masterclass
Milos Pavlovic annotates two strategic struggles from the summer
How Good Is Your Chess?
Daniel King pays tribute to Judit Polgar, who turned 50 back in July
Forthcoming Events
Find The Winning Moves
A bumper selection to help you warm up for the new season
Perfect Pragg
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa prevailed at a dramatic GCT Finals
My 70th Memorable Game
John Henderson recalls the game that made a 13-year-old Fischer famous
Eliminating Draws
Steven J. Brams and Mehmet Mars Seven suggest ‘Divide-and-Choose’
Never Mind the Grandmasters
Carl very much enjoyed a lively game at the British involving AP Smith
How to Beat a Grandmaster
Paul Littlewood was impressed by Peter Roberson in the British Championship
Malcolm Barker
Neil Hickman explains all about “A serious historical figure”
Castling into Fresh Air: Part 2
David LeMoir continues to explore some startling queenside castling
K is for Kingston
John Saunders reports from the Kingston Invitational
Home News
Success for Oleg Korneev, Ilia Malinovskii and Yevgeni Sprenger de la Iglesia
Overseas News
Tan Zhongyi was back to her best at the Cairns Cup
Solutions
This Month’s New Releases
Sean Marsh was delighted by the publication of James Sherwin’s autobiography
Saunders on Chess
John always looks forward to the Olympiad and also back to Tel Aviv, 1964
We are all familiar with the story. You are getting older, perhaps you forget more, and your chess suffers. Your playing strength diminishes. Players to whom you could give pawn and move a few years ago now defeat or draw you. What can be done?
In this unique book by American Grandmaster Alex Fishbein – the first book dedicated to this topic – he examines the games of elite players such Korchnoi, Smyslov and others. The author takes a hard look at what they did as they aged, how their approach to the game changed, and how this could benefit you.
As noted by legendary Grandmaster Artur Yusupov in his foreword:
Alex Fishbein begins by asking difficult but necessary questions. Do the methods that shaped us as players continue to serve us as we grow older? If certain skills have not fully developed after decades of play, can they still be improved? And how do we recognize, with honesty and precision, the changes in our own thinking? …
Among the techniques explored here is the “post-postmortem” – a disciplined way of revisiting and critically examining existing analysis, not to absorb it passively, but to challenge it, refine it, and deepen one’s own understanding. In doing so, we train the very faculties – visualization, memory, and concentration – that time seeks to erode.
When you are ready to roll up your sleeves and confront Father Time, you will find the author’s recommendations invaluable. And, by the way, you don’t have to wait until you are collecting Social Security to take advantage of the methodology advocated by the 2025 U.S. Senior Champion. Fighting Father Time? Yes, time to put on the gloves!
About the Author
Grandmaster Alex Fishbein was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1968. He learned chess from his father, a master-level player, at the age of 4. Alex later studied with the iconic Soviet coach Vladimir Zak, who had previously trained the young Boris Spassky and Viktor Korchnoi. From Zak, Alex came away with the feeling that chess is the most worthwhile endeavor life has to offer, an emotion that guides him to this day.
Fighting Father Time is Fishbein’s most personal work yet, and the theme of dissecting mistakes and rising from their ashes is central to the narrative. That journey culminates in this book with his victory in the 2025 US Senior Championship. Alex's earlier work for Russell Enterprises includes a revision of My System, two opening books, and several endgame projects jointly with German endgame theoretician GM Karsten Müller.
Bobby Fischer is considered one of the greatest players in the history of chess, as well as one of its most instructive writers. During his career he authored several books (including his masterpiece, My 60 Memorable Games), wrote two regularly appearing magazine columns, and annotated games and articles for several different publications.
IM Donaldson, who started playing chess after the 1972 Fischer-Spassky world championship match, takes a fresh look at Fischer’s chess writings. The result is a comprehensive analysis of them, enhanced with detailed commentary and historical notes.
Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer gathers most of Fischer’s articles, annotations, and miscellaneous writings together in one place, drawing heavily on Fischer’s first book, Bobby Fischer’s Games of Chess, and his Boys’ Life and Chess Life columns. This volume includes 116 annotated games (over a dozen of which appear in print for the first time).
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