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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.
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 Chess Olympiad to Remember!
The 02 2026 issue of CHESS INSIGHT takes readers to Samarkand, where the 46th Chess Olympiad produced dramatic encounters, historic achievements and unforgettable moments. With exclusive interviews, first-hand accounts and in-depth game analysis, we reveal the stories behind one of the year's most exciting chess events.
UZBEKISTAN STRIKES GOLD!
Playing on home soil, Uzbekistan claimed Olympic gold in spectacular fashion. Head coach Rustam Kasimdzhanov provides an extraordinary behind-the-scenes account of the team's triumph, taking readers through all eleven rounds. He reveals the critical moments, difficult decisions and psychological challenges that shaped their road to gold — including their only defeat, against Germany.
GERMANY'S BRONZE BREAKTHROUGH
For the first time in 26 years, Germany returned from a Chess Olympiad with a medal. Led by Vincent Keymer and featuring an outstanding performance by Frederik Svane, the German team defeated both Uzbekistan and the top-seeded United States on their way to bronze. Second Dmitrij Kollars and gold medalist in Board 3 Frederik Svane share their insights into this historic achievement, while Rasmus Svane's individual success and Germany's remarkable team spirit receive special attention.
THE RACE FOR GOLD – INDIA AND THE USA
What separated the medal winners from their closest rivals? In exclusive contributions, India's team captain Srinath Narayanan reflects on his team's silver-medal performance, while John Donaldson examines why the heavily favoured United States had to settle for fourth place. Their perspectives offer a fascinating look at preparation, expectations and the fine margins that decide chess at the highest level.
CHINA'S GOLDEN GIRLS
China emerged victorious in the Women's Olympiad, and team member Song Yuxin tells the story from the inside. She shares her experiences, the team's preparation and the decisive moments of their gold-medal campaign, accompanied by her own annotated games.
MORE THAN JUST MEDALS
The Olympiad also provided plenty of surprises and controversy. Thailand's Prin Laohawirapap, who defeated world-class star Arjun Erigaisi, answers our questionaire about his remarkable achievement. Georg Mohr offers a different perspective on the Olympiad through his experiences with the Guyana team, while we also examine Germany's disappointing performance in the women's competition.
Beyond the chessboard, Stefan Löffler investigates the dramatic FIDE presidential election in Samarkand, revealing the political struggles and competing interests behind the scenes.
As always, CHESS INSIGHT offers much more than tournament reporting: challenging tactical exercises, chess history, book reviews, and a selection of fascinating problems and endgame studies complete the issue.
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
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.
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
British Chess Magazine (September 2026)
A Changing of the Guard?
Andrew Ledger reports from an exciting British Championship
Best of British
Two pivotal encounters, annotated by Shreyas Royal and Simon Williams
British Champions!
A round-up of several other leading results from the British Championship
60 Seconds with...Daniel Fernandez
We learn a little about the grandmaster selected by England for the Olympiad
Paul Littlewood shows how a fellow senior has dispatched some GMs
Daniel King on Jimmy Adams and the subject of his final book, Salo Flohr
Will you be playing any of the UK Open Blitz Qualifiers this month?
Can you do as well as the players at the Scottish International Open?
A Life in Chess
Ben Graff met the living legend that is Yasser Seirawan
Carl has recently created a new room at home, the Staunton Suite
Castling into Fresh Air
David LeMoir on why you don’t always need a well-protected king to go long
Project Sozin
Junior Tay on some Sozin shenanigans and the Magnus a-pawn punt
A Happy ‘Tourist’
Daniel Fernandez was pleased he elected to play at Vlissingen
Aronian, Praggnanandhaa, Sivanandan and the USA have enjoyed success
Danny Gormally and Jan Murawski have been amongst the winners of late
Studies with Stephenson
Brian on Oleg Pervakov and an intricate minor piece ending
Two companion books on attacking chess caught the eye of Sean Marsh
John takes a look at a forgotten surprise weapon for Black in the Sicilian
In SCHACH 10/2026 finden Sie Berichte über folgende Veranstaltungen/Themen:
* Grand Chess Tour in St. Louis
* Saint Louis Cairns Cup
* 53. Dortmunder Schachtage
* Esport in Paris
* SCHACH-Fragen: Lennart Ootes
* Rezension
* Kombinationsschule
* Probleme & Studien
6 Chessfest
From a sickening Russian attack on a chess school in Ukraine, via Judit’s lunch with the Terminator, to the FIDE presidential elections.
16 Searching for the real Gukesh
Successfully hanging on to an early lead, Alireza Firouzja became the winner of the Chennai Grand Masters. There was plenty of captivating chess – as witness our extensive games section – but the main topic of conversation was once again the man who finished last, the out-of-form World Champion.
27 Celeb 64
The new head coach of Manchester City, Enzo Maresca.
48 The Magnus Mountain
Over the past 15 years, no fewer than twelve different players have reached the number two spot in the world rankings. The top spot has been the exclusive domain of just one player: Magnus Carlsen.
54 Why is he really the best?
Peter Heine Nielsen sees Magnus Carlsen’s double victories in the World Rapid & Blitz Championships as eminent proof of the Norwegian’s overall dominance.
68 All-round Aronian
Levon Aronian showed a much-welcomed return to form as he crowned his debut in the Biel Chess Festival with a win in the Grandmasters Triathlon.
72 Kazakhstan Rising
88 A Tribute to Danya
An incredible number of top grandmasters, content creators and other friends came to the Charlotte Chess Center to honor the memory of Daniel Naroditsky.
100 King Safety
No matter what advantage you have, it may amount to little or nothing if your king is under threat.
109 The Killer Blow
111 Fair & Square
112 The Scoresheet
Unzicker-Fischer, Buenos Aires 1960.
114 New Tries in Old Openings
Nikolaos Ntirlis presents four practical opening ideas from current tournament practice that promise good play; two for White and two for Black.
118 The Model Game
Sound positional play and relentless pressure: How football imitates chess.
122 Sadler on Books
Our book reviewer celebrates the endgame and much-missed authors on the subject.
130 Just Checking
What is Nihal Sarin’s biggest fear?
Chess Informant 168 “Signal light” presents:
* IN MEMORIAM JAN TIMMAN (1951 – 2026) by Vitomir Božić and IM Goran Arsović
* FIDE MEN'S CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT PEYIA 2026 by FM Ivan Martić
* FIDE WOMEN'S CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT PEYIA 2026 by WGM Sabina Foişor
* PRAGUE INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 2026 by IM Yochannan Afek
* SAINT LOUIS MASTERS 2026 by GM Miloš Perunović
* REYKJAVIK OPEN 2026 by FM Csaba Zoltan Varga
* A LOOK AT ROOK ENDGAMES by FM Milan Jocev & FM B. Djurasevic
* ROGERS' REMINISCENCES by GM Ian Rogers
Traditional sections:
* The best game and most important theoretical novelty from the previous Volume
* Endgames
* Combinations
* 200 games + fragments according to ECO Codes.
The periodical that pros use with pleasure is at the same time a must have publication for all serious chess students!
Die neue Doppelausgabe 08/09 bringt Reportagen und Berichte von den großen Turnieren des Sommers, ausführliche Gespräche, überraschende Eröffnungsideen und Geschichten, die weit über das Geschehen auf den 64 Feldern hinausgehen.
Schachgipfel Dresden
Leonardo Costa und Jana Schneider sind die neuen Deutschen Meister! Der Schachgipfel machte Dresden für fast 2 Wochen zum Zentrum des deutschen Schachs. Jonathan Carlstedt war vor Ort und berichtet vom Kampf um die Titel, den entscheidenden Momenten und der besonderen Atmosphäre eines Festivals, das weit mehr zu bieten hatte als nur die Deutschen Einzelmeisterschaften.
Im Mittelpunkt: die neuen Titelträger GM Leonardo Costa und WGM Jana Schneider.
Biel – im Gespräch mit Matthias Blübaum
Einer der stärksten deutschen Großmeister im ausführlichen Gespräch: GM Matthias Blübaum spricht über Biel, sein Schach und seine Entwicklung.
Ein langes Gespräch mit einem Spieler, der zu den großen deutschen Hoffnungsträgern gehört – und dessen nächsten großen Herausforderungen bereits wartet.
Willy Hendriks: Strahlende Züge
Was macht einen Zug wirklich überraschend?
Willy Hendriks beschäftigt sich mit jenen strahlenden Zügen, die wir lieben – und die vor allem eines gemeinsam haben: Der Gegner hat sie nicht kommen sehen.
Genna Sosonko über „Cheating“
Betrug im Schach ist eigentlich kein Thema zum Lachen. Eigentlich.
Genna Sosonko nähert sich dem „Cheating“ auf seine ganz eigene Weise: scharfsinnig, hintergründig und mit einer gehörigen Portion Humor.
Blohbergers Eröffnungsecke
GM Felix Blohberger präsentiert neue Ideen für die Eröffnungspraxis.
Keine endlosen Varianten zum Auswendiglernen, sondern moderne Konzepte, überraschende Abspiele und Ideen, mit denen man den Gegner früh vor eigene Probleme stellen kann.
SCHACH-Fragen – Dr. Gottfried Braun
Was steckt hinter dem Schachspieler?
In unseren SCHACH-Fragen stellt sich diesmal FM Dr. Gottfried Braun unseren Fragen. Dazu erzählt Rüdiger Bock in Zusammenarbeit mit Dr. Braun die Geschichte hinter einem bemerkenswerten Schachleben.
Naroditsky Memorial
Ein Turnier im Gedenken an GM Daniel Naroditsky. SCHACH berichtet von vor Ort und bringt Eindrücke von einem besonderen Memorial, bei dem sportlicher Wettbewerb und Erinnerung eng miteinander verbunden waren.
Grand Chess Tour Zagreb
Die Weltelite im Schnellschach-Modus und Vincent Keymer mitten drin: Rapid und Blitz der Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb.
Und außerdem:
Kombinationsschule – Taktik zum Mitrechnen und Trainieren
Problemschach – die besondere Welt der Schachkomposition
Rezension – "Classic Amateur Mistakes And How to Avoid Them" auf dem Prüfstand
Terminkalender – die wichtigsten Turniere und Veranstaltungen der kommenden Wochen
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