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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
Uzbekistan and China won gold at a hard-fought Samarkand Olympiad
How Good Is Your Chess?
Daniel King features one of WGM Bodhana Sivanandan’s recent wins
On England Duty
Luke McShane reports from the England camp; Michael Adams annotates too
One Vote Short of Certainty
Vlad Ghita was on the floor of the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand
Find The Winning Moves
Can you do as well as the players in Uzbekistan?
On and Off the Board
Ben Graff chatted with Simon Ansell and Simon Williams
Never Mind the Grandmasters
Carl remembers the late IM and acclaimed author Colin Crouch
How to Beat a Grandmaster
Paul Littlewood places his win over Szabo under Stockfish’s microscope
Crushing a Giant
Neil Hickman presents a strategic masterclass by Tony Miles
Arjun the Innovator
Junior Tay has been impressed by Erigaisi’s dangerous opening repertoire
60 Seconds with...Vlad Ghita
We meet the Romanian chess trainer, FIDE Arbiter and freelance journalist
Overseas News
A fine win for Luke McShane and more from the Olympiad
Home News
Impressive results for Eldar Gasanov and Jacob Boswell
Solutions
This Month’s New Releases
Sean Marsh on two very different books by Gawain Jones and Nikita Vitiugov
Forthcoming Events
Will you be playing at the Isle of Wight, Oban or the London Chess Classic?
Saunders on Chess
John on the Open Games and the latest additions to Britbase
There are many secrets in chess, knowledge of which distinguishes a chess virtuoso from an amateur. One of these secrets is the ability to play positions with opposite-colored bishops.
Why is it so important? The point is that the presence of opposite-colored bishops is not always a sign of an impending draw. Due to a number of factors, one of the bishops may turn out to be stronger than its opposite number. This can lead to a successful attack, material gains or obtaining some other advantages that contribute to winning the game.
Grandmaster Alexey Bezgodov and National Master Kevin Cotreau have written a book analyzing 175 positions with opposite-colored bishops as training material for advanced players who wish to deepen their endgame skills. Typical endgame theory, themes, tactics and strategy are all covered, which can in practice be applied to a wide range of endgames, and this will help strong improvers to grind out wins instead of draws, as well as to avoid losing in difficult positions. While this book focuses primarily on endgames, some of the opposite-colored bishop attacking positions in the final chapter begin in the middlegame. Most positions are taken from modern games, and they generally feature world champions and top grandmasters, including Carlsen, Anand, Kramnik, Kasparov, Karpov, Fischer, Tal, Korchnoi, Andersson, Shirov, Gelfand, Caruana, Nepomniachtchi, and others.
This new edition of Bezgodov’s classic textbook updates and significantly expands on his earlier work, taking account of the latest engine assessments while adding a total of 78 pages in new analysis and more detailed explanations to make the book accessible to less experienced players as well.
Mikhail Tal's reign as World Champion was brief, but his influence is as strong as ever. The Magician from Riga captivated the chess world with his daring attacking style, fuelled by intuition and brilliant sacrifices. His legacy is defined by his genius on the board, his charismatic personality and his belief that every chess game should be played like an inimitable poem.
Garry Kasparov holds the longest reign as World Champion in the modern era, as well as the longest run atop the rating list. He was a lifelong friend of Tal.
Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard is widely considered one of the greatest chess authors and trainers of his generation.
Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam is the premier chess journalist of our age and the Chief Editor of New In Chess Magazine
Soviet players revolutionized chess after World War II with their deep study of the game. Up through the 20th Century, the search for competitive advantage increasingly centered on opening preparation. With the rise of powerful engines, this trend accelerated and eventually reached its climax during the matches of Magnus Carlsen.
The new generation, competing for the crown after the domination of the Norwegian giant, all have their own ideas about how chess can be understood and played in the 21st century. In Think Like a Human, Tukmakov investigates the styles of the new stars, providing inspiration for how chess can be reinvented in an age of engine perfection.
Grandmaster Vladimir Tukmakov reached No. 17 in the world rankings and won Olympiad gold both as a player (1984) and as a coach (2004 & 2010). One of the most respected chess thinkers, Tukmakov has trained top players and authored award-winning books, combining elite experience with deep insight into the game.
From Steinitz to Kasparov takes readers on a fascinating journey through the Classical Era of chess. The book combines engaging biographies of every World Champion from Wilhelm Steinitz to Garry Kasparov with 40 carefully selected and deeply annotated games.
Rather than revisiting the most frequently discussed masterpieces, the author focuses on lesser-known encounters that offer fresh insights into the champions, their styles, and the evolution of chess ideas. Each game is examined within its historical context, allowing readers to experience how the game developed through the contributions of successive generations of great players.
More than a collection of games, this book is a tribute to the pioneers and visionaries who shaped modern chess and a celebration of the rich history from which today’s game emerged.
To lose a game of chess in the opening or the early middlegame is especially annoying. However, this is something that happens not only to novices, but also to experienced masters.
A knowledge of opening disasters and of the correct replies to sharp continuations is imperative, if a player is to master this difficult phase of the game, in which much is still shrouded in mist.
Time and again unexpected combinative themes occur, striking the opponent like a bolt from the blue. A player who has studied the material here can hope for some quick and pretty victories, and it will also spare his nerves, if the opponent should wildly attack.
With its clear explanations and recommendations, this book provides an excellent grounding in chess opening theory.
This book is the result of twenty years of teaching chess to students of all ages, distilling practical lessons from a lifetime of experience into one accessible guide. It emphasizes that chess is a game of endless learning, where no player—not even world champions like Magnus Carlsen—can ever “know everything.”
A central theme of the book is the importance of study, growth, and humility, highlighting the difference between casual players and serious students of the game. Drawing inspiration from Tigran Petrosian’s belief that true appreciation of chess comes through study, the author underlines the value of deep understanding over surface knowledge.
At its core, the book focuses on mistakes and blunders—the true deciding factor in most games. And where better to start than with the classical 1.e4 e5!
In Volume 1 we covered the most frequently played lines after 1.e4 e5!
From beginners to grandmasters, every player makes errors. What separates strong players from the rest is not perfection, but the ability to recognize, punish, and learn from mistakes, ensuring they never lose the same way twice. Through practical examples, including games by top-level players like Alex Stripunsky, the book explores these universal lessons and shows how improvement begins with understanding failure.
This book is a tribute to Aron Nimzovich, one of the most influential figures in chess history and a true pioneer of positional and hypermodern chess. His revolutionary ideas transformed the understanding of strategy, introducing timeless concepts such as blockade, overprotection, prophylaxis, and the principle of two weaknesses.
Nimzovich challenged the rigid classical doctrines of his era, building upon the foundations of Wilhelm Steinitz while opposing the dogmatic views of Siegbert Tarrasch. His contributions shaped modern chess theory and remain essential for players seeking true positional understanding.
Through 64 carefully annotated games, this book explores the practical application of Nimzovich’s ideas across five core themes: Center, Strategic Concepts, Maneuvering, Constriction, and Blockade. Rather than presenting only flawless masterpieces, the book reveals the real struggles, imperfections, and brilliance of a player who created the principles we study today.
The author’s central message is clear: chess improvement is not about memorizing moves, but about learning to understand the game. And for that journey, there is no greater guide than Aron Nimzovitch.
British Chess Magazine (October 2026)
The October issue of the world's oldest chess magazine, founded in 1881, covers the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand and the stories that came out of it.
In this issue
- Samarkand 2026: Uzbekistan win Open gold on home soil, finishing two match points clear. China take a seventh Women's title, and India win Open silver and Women's bronze. This was the biggest Olympiad ever, with roughly 200 teams.
- FIDE's eighth president: Timur Turlov takes the helm after one of the most contentious elections in recent memory. The report looks at his plans for digital transformation, education and financial reform, and asks whether he can deliver them.
- Bodhana Sivanandan, 11: England's top board becomes the youngest Woman Grandmaster in history, ahead of Hou Yifan's record. "I want to keep making history."
- British Championships: 17-year-old GM Shreyas Royal wins in Coventry with an unbeaten 7.5/9 and becomes the youngest champion ever. IM Shaun Taulbut's report includes the 22.Rd4!! rook sacrifice against Luke McShane.
- From BCM to ACM: Milan Dinic talks to Josip Asik, the 2026 Chess Journalist of the Year, about ten years of American Chess Magazine.
- Quotes and Queries: Alan Smith asks whether warming up for a big event helps or wears you out, using examples from Kolisch to Petrosian.
- Immortal Caesar: GM Raymond Keene asks whether the word "chess" owes something to Julius Caesar.
- Problem World and Endgame Studies: helpmates to solve, and Ian Watson on the composers' own "Olympics", the WCCT.
This exercise book is the result of many years of work as a chess coach. The positions are drawn from original training materials developed for my private students, giving me valuable insight into the ideas players typically consider and the difficulties they most often encounter. This practical experience is reflected throughout the explanations and solutions.
The book is designed to help advanced players improve both their calculation skills and their strategic understanding. Beyond solving individual positions, readers are encouraged to extract broader lessons and improve their overall thinking process. While the exercises cover a wide range of themes, one principle appears again and again: in chess, active and energetic play is often rewarded above all else.
The book is essential reading for every ambitious chess player.
An effective approach to opening improvement should focus on understanding the logic behind each move, the relationship between moves, and the ability to adapt to different setups without becoming trapped in a theoretical straitjacket. There is little value in memorizing twenty moves of theory if, once your preparation ends, you are left without a clear plan.
Real improvement comes from recognizing strategic patterns, mastering typical pawn structures, and understanding the middlegame positions that arise from your chosen openings. This means studying model games, analyzing key transitions from opening to middlegame, and developing training habits that prioritize understanding over the mere accumulation of variations.
Only through such an approach can you build a reliable opening repertoire—one founded not on the fragile thread of memory, but on the enduring strength of genuine chess understanding.
Yet, when working on our openings, how often do we stop to consider the sustainability of our progress? How frequently do we think about the transfer of knowledge between different phases of study, the practical integration of computer-assisted analysis, or the simple reality that chess learning remains a fundamentally human process, regardless of how many databases, engines, and training modules continue to emerge?
This book seeks to answer those questions. Its goal is not merely to help you learn openings, but to help you understand them, retain them, and apply them successfully in practical play.
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?
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