Classic amateur mistakes is an essential read for the aspiring tournament chess player.
Experienced Author and coach Grandmaster Daniel Gormally argues that amateur players have a different outlook on chess compared to more experienced and professional players.
Due to a lack of confidence in their chess calculation, they often struggle to deal with concrete positions and will succumb to paralysis by analysis. If you ask an amateur player about a typical chess position, they will often waffle on in such a way about the general features of the position to the extent that your eyes will glaze over. Ask a professional player about that same position, and by contrast they will bombard you with variations.
In this entertaining, humorous and entertaining read, Gormally gives his reasons why this is and tries to explain how they can improve, as well as also analysing other classic amateur mistakes, like moving a piece too often and not attacking enough.
The sum result is a tome that will not only help the amateur player to achieve better results but will also give them a consistent process going forward at the board that they feel comfortable with.
Daniel Gormally is a chess Grandmaster based in Alnwick in Northumberland. As well as being the author of several chess books including the comfort zone, pandemic shark and mating the castled king, he also runs a moderately successful chess YouTube channel.
In 2024 Gormally won the UK rapid play championship in Peterborough, and in 2025 he won the UK open blitz championships in Leamington Spa. In 2026 Gormally officially became a senior chess player and is hoping to use this fact to avoid playing underrated juniors in open tournaments, as much as possible.
In his spare time Gormally likes to read comic books and watch Korean cooking game shows, as well as trying to repair his bad back by going to the gym and attending yoga classes.
Available via subscription
British Chess Magazine (July 2026)
Pragg’s Fab Four Finish
After six rounds he languished in last place. Winning his last four games, Praggnanandhaa shot up to first place at the spectacular Norway Chess 2026 edition in Oslo.
Interview: Praggnanandhaa
‘My generation has certainly proved that we are top players. If you just see our results, we have done everything.’
Interview: Elham Amar
When he became an IM at 17, he had never ever opened a chess book, never used ChessBase and had never been abroad. Four years on, Norway’s Elham Amar is a GM and has just crossed 2600.
Second comes first
We knew him as Sindarov’s passionate second. Now Mukhiddin Madaminov has won the UzChess Masters, ahead of several super-GMs.
Blindfold anyone?
Swedish GM Axel Smith explains how easy it is to play 50 opponents blindfold. He managed 49 himself.
Magnus Magic in Malmõ
Looking to play some classical games before Norway Chess, Magnus Carlsen hand-picked the Tepe Sigeman tournament to gain some practice.
Exchange for the better
When is the right moment to trade pieces or pawns and what is your objective?
Life’s a Beach
Boris Gelfand looks at games from around the world that piqued his interest.
Keep it easy
Nikolaos Ntirlis presents four practical opening ideas from current tournament practice that promise good play; two for White and two for Black.
The Model Game
A fine effort by British prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan.
Sadler on Books
From a chess biography of a forgotten master to a collection of tips first published on Twitter, Matthew Sadler shines his light on a wide variety of new books.
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
From Last to First!
Praggnanandhaa did the double over Carlsen at Norway Chess
How Good is Your Chess?
Daniel King presents a victory by Harry Grieve, England’s newest GM
An Amazing Six Days
Harry Grieve reveals how he obtained his third and final norm in Budapest
As Easy as ABC
Junior Tay on an easy-to-play system, A Blübaum Catalan (ABC)
60 Seconds with...Frederick Waldhausen Gordon
We learn a little about the 15-year-old IM and British Rapidplay Champion
Correspondingly Difficult
Neil Hickman tries to get to grips with the theory of corresponding squares
How to Beat a Grandmaster
Paul Littlewood looks at some fine attacking play by his England team-mates
Find The Winning Moves
Can you do as well as the players at the Welsh and the TePe Sigeman?
A New Blindfold Record?
John Knott reports on the extraordinary achievement of Axel Smith
James “Jimmy” Adams
Remembering a popular, long-standing former Editor of these pages
Chess Problems as Personal Expression
NM Ilan Vardi explores his interest in problems and endgame studies
Bird of Prey
FM Julian Way on the incredible artistry of Henry Bird (1829–1908)
Never Mind the Grandmasters
Carl remembers the creative, ingenious and daring play of Mikhail Tal
Overseas News
Anastasiia Hnatyshyn sprang a big surprise at the European Women’s Individual
From the Queen’s Building to Queen Street
Tim Paulden reports on a very special 50th Anniversary East Devon Congress
Home News
Weekend tournament results from the British Rapidplay up until mid-June
Forthcoming Events
Will you be playing the Scottish, in South Wales or at the British coming up?
This Month’s New Releases
Sean Marsh enjoyed recent publications on the isolani and Max Euwe
Saunders on Chess
John on his relationship with chess books, databases and opening theory
Chess Magazine (established 1935) is the UK’s best-selling chess publication.
Published monthly, each issue comprises 60 pages with coverage of all major chess tournaments, regular features on opening theory (mainline & offbeat) - interviews with top players, instructional articles by top players, tactics puzzles based on the latest games, features on chess history, chess studies & problems, book reviews, and much more! 12 issues delivered direct to your letterbox on a monthly basis.
Regular contributors include: Gawain Jones, Michael Adams, Daniel King, GM Danny Gormally, Simon Williams, Jon Speelman, Richard Palliser, Malcolm Pein, Paul Littlewood, Junior Tay, John Saunders, Carl Portman, and Ben Graff.
International Master Tibor Karolyi has written a three-volume series on Alexander Alekhine’s games with the most artistic beauty and instructional value. This is the first best games collection of the fourth world champion written in the era of modern super-computers enhanced by neural networks.
The series has been conceived as a companion to Sergey Voronkov’s Alexander Alekhine: The Russian Sphinx series. Karolyi’s first volume covers Alekhine’s early career to 1921, which is where the period covered by volume I of The Russian Sphinx also ends. As such, this volume contains 199 games and fragments played by Alekhine from 1902 to 1921.
Among the all-time greats, Alekhine had perhaps the greatest influence on the development and understanding of the game. The earlier world champions did not publish nearly as much, and nor did they handle the openings at such a high level, while the later champions no longer had the opportunity to discover as many new ideas.
Further, alongside Kasparov and Tal, Alekhine was one of those players whose style is almost impossible to imitate. At the same time, the author was surprised to discover how much Kasparov reminded him of the first Russian world champion. One example is how frequently both players operated on the edge of the board.
Another interesting discovery is that Alekhine often managed to exploit his advantage by attacking on both sides of the board even in closed positions. He was also an early proponent among elite players of long castling to attack more freely on the kingside.
An essential addition to any chess fan’s library.
The Golden Age of Yugoslav Chess (1919–1990) explores one of the richest and most influential eras in chess history, tracing the rise of Yugoslavia as a global chess powerhouse across seven remarkable decades. From the formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after the First World War to the final years before the country’s dissolution, this book captures the players, tournaments, ideas, and cultural forces that shaped an unforgettable chess tradition.
Featuring legendary grandmasters such as Vidmar, Gligorić, Ljubojević, Matanovic, Velimirović, and countless others, the book highlights Yugoslavia’s unique contribution to chess theory, attacking play, and international competition. Readers are taken inside iconic events like the legendary Bled tournaments, the celebrated “Tournament of Peace,” and the famous Chess Olympiads hosted on Yugoslav soil, where East and West met over the chessboard during the Cold War era.
Beyond the games themselves, The Golden Age of Yugoslav Chess paints a vivid portrait of a vibrant chess culture fueled by clubs, publications, cafés, and passionate communities. Richly illustrated with historical photographs, rare documents, annotations, and memorable games, the book reveals how Yugoslavia became a bridge between chess schools and a breeding ground for creativity and fighting spirit.
More than a historical account, this is a tribute to a generation that helped define modern chess — a golden age whose influence still resonates today.
In Schach 7/2026 finden Sie Berichte über folgende Veranstaltungen/Themen:
* Norway Chess in Oslo
* Europameisterschaft der Frauen
* Goldtour
* Schachgeschichte: Lubomir Kavalek
* Turnierrundschau: Taschkent, Mannschafts-Schnell- und Blitz-WM
* Interview: Simon Reinhard
* Fragebogen: Felix Blohberger
* Kombinationsschule, Problemschach, Turnierausschreibungen, Rezension
* Mitarbeiter dieser Ausgabe: Felix Blohberger, Stefan Löffler, Mihail Marin, Peter Heine Nielsen, Franz Pachl, Elisabeth Pähtz, Michael Prusikin, Fiona Sieber, Genna Sosonko, Max Warmerdam
British Chess Magazine (June 2026)
Gyula Breyer (1893-1921) was a highly successful and imaginative chess player. He won the championship of his native country Hungary as a teenager and achieved remarkable results against the leading players of his day.
But first and foremost, Breyer was a revolutionary in his chess thinking. He promoted the idea of dynamic chess and formulated many of the Hypermodern concepts, long before others started their investigations. Yet, after his death, he was omitted from most of the chess history books and today is only known for the Breyer variation, an ever popular defence against the Ruy Lopez.
However, Jimmy Adams has now unlocked Breyer’s legacy from the archives and made it accessible to the chess world at large. This monumental book presents 240 of his games, annotated by Breyer himself and many others. It also features a large number of articles, columns and fragments from newspapers, magazines and books, sparkling with chess and literary wit. The majority appear in English for the first time – and indeed in any language other than Hungarian.
By piecing together this material in chronological order, Jimmy Adams has constructed a mesmerizing biography covering Gyula Breyer’s intense, unconventional and ultimately tragic life. Included as well is a collection of his chess problems, some of which are truly amazing.
GM Raymond Keene:
"In terms of importance this book ranks at the top with Kasparov's various mega series, Nimzowitsch's ‘My System’ and Alekhine's books of his best games. Games, notes, discreet modern corrections, scholarly research, history, theory and perhaps most impressive of all, Breyer's Philosophy of the art, science and sport of chess!"
CHESS Magazine (UK):
"The Hypermoderns owed much to Breyer, as becomes clear in this fine, detailed biography."
International Master John Donaldson:
"A magnificent tribute to one of the unsung heroes of the early 20th century (..) This book has almost everything one could want in a game collection (..) This is a book that all those with an interest in chess history will want to have."
Davide Nastasio, Georgia Chess news:
"This book on Breyer is amazing (..) When I got this book I thought I was just adding another biography to my shelf of chess biographies. Instead I discovered, thanks to Adams’ meticulous work, a world of chess ideas I had ignored (..) I believe everyone should read this book."
B.H.Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad:
"A splendid book."
IM Gary Lane, British Chess Magazine:
"A thoroughly entertaining story that whisks you along to the dramatic end. There is a lot to admire in this clear and readable guide to a largely forgotten chessplayer who was way ahead of his time."
James Vigus, author of ‘Play the Slav’:
“This magnificent tome is the product of decades of research (..) Most of us tend to buy opening books and works of instruction rather than history. This one is worth making an exception for – and difficult to put down.”
The widely-played Winawer Variation has been called ‘the jewel in the crown of the French Defence’. It is easy to see why:
This is an opening for players who love a real fight. Black immediately attacks White’s centre and the resulting positional dynamics offer chances to both sides.
Viktor Moskalenko, a renowned champion of dynamic play, is the ideal guide to show you both the strategic principles and the tactical finesses. As a follow-up to his bestselling The Flexible French, Moskalenko has written another sparkling book brimming with new and original ideas.
The entire spectrum of the Winawer is covered, but of course Moskalenko has his own preferences and he does not shy away from some daring recommendations.
His keen eye for the essence of positions, his talent to find new resources in well-known lines and his own inimitable style will make the ‘French Magic’ work for every reader.
Viktor Moskalenko is an International Grandmaster, a successful author and a well-known chess coach who has worked with Vasily Ivanchuk. A former Ukrainian champion, Moskalenko remains highly active as a player and has won numerous tournaments in his new home country, Spain.
Viktor Kortchnoi:
"Familiarizing oneself with Moskalenko's new ideas can only have a beneficial effect on the play of any reader, from amateur to professional. I can see many connections between this second book and the earlier 'flexible' volume, which proves that the two are in spirit actually one publication."
Arne Moll, ChessVibes:
"The book literally brims with double exclamation marks, devious tricks, once-forgotten-but-now-revitalised ideas, quintessential quotes, noteworthy novelties, and thought-provoking italicised musing (..) A true roller-coaster ride of a book."
Klaus Kreuzer, Europa Rochade Magazine:
"It is simply a pleasure to work with this book."
Paul Motwani, The Scotsman:
"Brilliant (..) GM Viktor Moskalenko does an excellent job of giving all the most important lines after 3.Nc3 Bb4 together with lots of sound advice and ideas which makes the material easily understandable."
Marshtower Chess Reviews:
"The writing style is never less than engaging. It is possible to learn quite a lot just by reading the prose and not even playing through the moves."
Joe Petrolito, Australasian Chess Magazine:
"Expands and complements the material on the Winawer in the earlier book (..) Another fine book by a good author."
Glenn Flear, Yearbook 98:
"It is as if Moskalenko and New In Chess have consciously sought out the best features in other chess books and then put them all into this one. In addition, these 272 pages are so full full of the sheer 'joie de vivre' of the author that I would recommend turning a few pages when you are feeling down."
Max Euwe Centre, Amsterdam:
"A barrage of ideas, suggestions, warnings and concepts."
Gary Lane, Chess Moves Magazine:
"A must for those who play the French Defence."
Carsten Hansen, ChessCafe:
"Very interesting and well-analyzed, with plenty of fresh ideas and suggestions."
The Ruy Lopez Revisited contains, among MANY other things, in-depth but highly accessible analysis of the Jaenisch Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5.
Vassily Ivanchuk played this gambit successfully against world champion Viswanathan Anand in the third round of the 4th Grand Slam Masters Final, held in Sao Paulo, in September 2011.
Ivan Sokolov:
"The Jaenisch should appeal to any black player who is looking for trouble at an early stage of the game. There are many dynamic ideas and still many lines to explore. I personally support Black's cause and I think the Jaenisch is a fully fledged variation."
The Ruy Lopez (or Spanish Opening) is one of the most important and oldest chess openings, forever popular with amateurs as well as professional players.
In this ground-breaking book, one of today’s greatest Ruy Lopez experts, Ivan Sokolov, presents a practical opening guide with a wide repertoire for black players who want to play for a win.
Besides the Jaenisch this book brings you:
* the Delayed Jaenisch: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 f5
* the Cozio Variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Ne7
* the Smyslov Variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6
* the Bird Variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4
* the Classical Variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5
The lines Sokolov presents are always dynamic and sometimes quite offbeat. But he has played most of them himself on numerous occasions, even against the strongest opponents.
Many of these lines turn out to be stronger than their reputation suggests, but Sokolov always remains an objective analyst. As well as numerous improvements for Black, the book also contains some crushing novelties for White!
Ivan Sokolov is a top grandmaster who was born in Bosnia in 1968. He was Yugoslav champion in 1988 and Dutch champion in 1995 and 1998. In his rich career Sokolov has beaten world chess champions like Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik as well as Viswanathan Anand.
Nicholas P.Sterling, Chess Horizons:
"An essential resource for Ruy Lopez players."
"Superb"
"This is simply a great opening book, probably one of the best ever on the Spanish Opening."
British Chess Magazine:
"A well-written, well-structured book with a lot of interesting ideas to explore. Sokolov introduces each chapter with plenty of textual material and also summarises at the end."
Pete Tamburro, Chess Life Magazine:
"With the line that Smyslov made famous, he devotes a decidedly simple and correct ten pages, and -voilà!- you have an understandable defense against the Ruy Lopez."
Fernando Offermann, Schachwelt:
"Sokolov's Spanish book with half-forgotten variations has something to offer for everyone (..) It is well suited for practical players, adventurers and connoisseurs."
Richard Vedder, Schakers.info:
"We must be grateful Ivan Sokolov wishes to share his knowledge of these variations with us, because he treats more or less everything Spanish where 3. ... a7-a6, 3. ...d7-d6 or that awful Berlin is not played."
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