British Chess Magazine : August 2010

Cover photo: Magnus Carlsen wins in Romania

Media Kings - Magnus Carlsen finished an astonishing two points clear of an elite field in Romania. But was it quite as convincing as the totting up of points would have us believe? Or are we expecting too much, too soon, from the Norwegian genius?
1999 and All That - BCM’s soon-to-be ex-editor John Saunders has a wry look back at the steps that led him to become a chess scribbler, reveals how he came to be associated with the BCM, and spills the beans on what happened when he became editor.
Half A Century Ago: 1960 - Tal became the champ – but did you know that Sultan Khan was a concert singer in Durban? Or was he? Great moves – and great blunders!

Read the August 2010 new book reviews

Paris Open (by Lorin D’Costa) • Games Department with Sam Collins • FIDE Ratings, July 2010 • Mikhail Golubev Annotates • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) 
 

British Chess Magazine : July 2010

Cover photo: Gata Kamsky wins the US Championship

4NCL - the final weekend of the 2009/10 season had its fair share of surprises as Barbican surprised Pride & Prejudice. But Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher 1 defeated them to take the title. A full report, with games and results, by BCM editor John Saunders.
The Kavalek File - it is good to have Lubos Kavalek back writing for BCM. Amongst other events, he has a look at the recent US Championship won by Gata Kamsky.

Read the July 2010 new book reviews

FIDE Grand Prix, Astrakhan • Ruy Lopez Masters • Capablanca Memorial • Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)  
 

British Chess Magazine : June 2010

Cover photo: Vishy Anand retains his world championship title

World Championship - all 12 of the Anand-Topalov games annotated and summarised. Superb entertainment all the way through, courtesy of two great fighters!

Andor Lilienthal - the world’s oldest ever grandmaster has died, aged 99. But what a life he lived! He beat Capablanca, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, etc, and befriended Bobby Fischer. We look back at a remarkable player.
Florencio Campomanes - the fifth president of FIDE, who has died aged 83, was an extraordinarily colourful character – he antagonised world champions but he did more than most to bring chess to all points of the compass, particularly Asia.

Read the June 2010 new book reviews

FIDE Rating List, May 2010 • Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) 
 

British Chess Magazine : May 2010

Cover photo: Vasily Smyslov (1921-2010)

Smyslov - Vasily Vasilievich Smyslov was world champion for “only” one year, but is remembered as one of the great players of a golden era. BCM editor John Saunders pays tribute to the long and distinguished career of the ‘master of harmony’ who died in March.
Melody Amber - or should it just be Amber? What’s in a name? This year’s novelty in Nice saw two players, one experienced, one youthful, vying for the overall crown. In the end it was won by Vasyl “Mr Amber” Ivanchuk... oh, and Magnus Carlsen (of course).

Read the May 2010 new book reviews

European Individual Championships • 4NCL, March Weekend • Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) 
 

British Chess Magazine : April 2010

Cover photo: Veselin Topalov wins in Linares

Linares - Veselin Topalov might have been expected to have other things on his mind (his world championship match with Anand in April) but he still found the energy to win his first Linares title. Ian Rogers was there to see ‘The Topalov Show’.
4NCL - two weekends’ worth of top British team chess for the price of one – who could ask for more? Mickey Adams and Simon Williams were amongst those playing some highly entertaining chess for their teams, but some new names also came to the fore.

Read the April 2010 new book reviews

World Team Championship • Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) 
 

British Chess Magazine : March 2010

Cover photo: Michael Adams wins in Gibraltar while Magnus Carlsen wins the Corus Wijk aan Zee tournament.

Corus - Magnus Carlsen justified his status as the world’s highest rated player by winning in Wijk aan Zee but Alexei Shirov won the hearts of the spectators. Ian Rogers was present to see a particularly enthralling instalment of the traditional Dutch classic.
Gibraltar - the Gibtelecom Festival is now established as one of the world’s top opens. Editor John Saunders headed to the Rock to act as webmaster and witnessed a showdown between England and Spain’s finest players on their countries’ hotly-disputed territory.

Read the March 2010 new book reviews

Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)  • Game of the Month
 

British Chess Magazine : February 2010

Cover photo: Hebden, Istratescu, Edouard and Howell share first at Hastings.

Hastings - John Saunders reports on the traditional Christmas/New Year event. Some tournaments come, some go, but Hastings represents a fixed point in a changing chess universe. Four players shared first, including two English GMs for the first time in a long time.
FIDE World Cup - the gruelling Khanty-Mansysk knock-out system seemed certain to favour the young firebrands against the old-stagers. But it didn’t – evergreen GM Boris Gelfand was favourite and justified his status with a splendid victory.
Tal Memorial - the ‘prequel’ to the London Chess Classic was the strongest tournament of 2009. The message is clear – Big Vlad is back and he means to regain his title.
Read the February 2010 new book reviews

Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • London Festival Open • FIDE Rating List, January 2010 • News in Brief • Chess Questions Answered with Gary Lane • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) 
 

British Chess Magazine : January 2010

Cover photo: Magnus Carlsen wins the London Chess Classic

London Chess Classic - BCM editor John Saunders was the press chief at Olympia and presents a round-by-round account of the action in the Classic, plus all the fun of the commentary room and photographs of the players. It was a case of ‘Sofia Rules OK’ – every game was fought to the end and some tremendous chess was played. A souvenir of one of Britain’s greatest chess events ever.
Read the January 2010 new book reviews

Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) 
 

British Chess Magazine : December 2009

Cover photo: Vugar Gashimov took gold with Azerbaijan in the European Team Championship

European Team Championship - Once again the Russians were left crying into their vodka as a former Soviet republic – this time Azerbaijan – snatched ‘their’ gold medals.
World Junior Championship - Sam Collins has a close look at two young stars who dominated the prestigious competition, held this year in Patagonia.
Half a Century Ago - BCM’s editor John Saunders looks back at 50 BC – that’s ‘50 years before Carlsen’, the year 1959 to be precise. Tal, Petrosian and (in the UK) Penrose... happy memories!
Read the December 2009 new book reviews

Games Department with Sam Collins • 4NCL, October Weekend • Spot The Continuation • FIDE Ratings, November 2009 • Speelman on the Endgame • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Problem World (with David Friedgood)
 

British Chess Magazine : November 2009

Cover photo: Magnus Carlsen wins in Nanjing

Nanjing - it was Magnus Carlsen all the way at the ‘Pearl Spring’ tournament – which could prove to be one of the most significant turning points in the past decade. Ian Rogers was present to witness Carlsen’s star turn and annotate all his key games.
Short-Efimenko - Nigel Short faced a tough assignment in Ukraine, playing one of that country’s best young grandmasters. He lost the first game – could he recover? Read on...
Paignton - this well-loved congress is almost as traditional as Devon cream – Keith Arkell writes about one of his favourite events and annotates some games.
Read the November 2009 new book reviews

Kasparov-Karpov, Valencia • Speelman on the Endgame • Inventi Antwerp • Games Department with Sam Collins • A Reader Recollects... Mike Read • Spot The Continuation • How to Win Without Thinking • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) 

British Chess Magazine : October 2009

Cover photo: Levon Aronian wins in Bilbao

Bilbao Grand Slam - there were just four competitors for the ‘Grand Slam’ title in Spain and, after a poor start, Levon Aronian came rampaging through the field to win. All the action, courtesy of man on the spot, Ian Rogers.
Experience vs Rising Stars - Ian Rogers was also in Amsterdam for the ‘Young and Beautiful versus Old Codgers’ match. That was Peter Svidler’s term for it, by the way – he was one of the not-so-old ‘codgers’ who duly triumphed over the youngsters.
† John Littlewood - the great-hearted English veteran has passed away but he has left us with a wonderful legacy of games and stories to celebrate – a tribute by John Saunders.
Read the October 2009 new book reviews

Speelman on the Endgame • Games Department with Sam Collins • Chess Questions Answered with Gary Lane • Spot The Continuation • FIDE Ratings, September 2009 • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Phil Hughes) • Problem World (with David Friedgood)

British Chess Magazine : September 2009

Cover photo: David Howell wins British Championship

British Championship - David Howell, aged 18, came, saw and conquered in Torquay, with one of the most brilliant championship-winning performances for years. He set the pattern with attacking play and the field followed his lead - superb chess!
Staunton Memorial - there were two tournaments for the price of one this year at the annual Simpsons event. The UK won the ‘test match’ against Netherlands (for Staunton’s ashes?). The second tournament featured such stars of the magnitude of Korchnoi and Timman... wonderful!
Biel - another teenager, French prodigy Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, surprised the elite grandmasters in the classic Swiss tournament. Don’t miss his annotation of ‘the game of the decade’!
Read the September 2009 new book reviews

Speelman on the Endgame • FIDE Grand Prix, Jermuk • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)
 

British Chess Magazine : August 2009

Cover photo: Kramnik wins his 9th Dortmund tournament

Dortmund - it was tournament victory number nine for Vladimir Kramnik in Dortmund, but he had to find a way past the brilliant young Norwegian first. Lubosh Kavalek analyses the key game.
San Sebastián - who is the hottest young title contender around at the moment? Magnus Carlsen? Or might it be Hikaru Nakamura? Plenty of fascinating evidence to sift here.
† Alan Phillips - editor John Saunders looks back at the career of the joint 1954 British Champion, whose contribution to chess education was a highly valuable one.
Big Slick International - GM Simon Williams turned chess organiser to set up this great new GM tournament in South London. All the action.
Read the August 2009 new book reviews

Speelman on the Endgame • Bazna Kings • FIDE Rating List, July 2009 • Games Department with Sam Collins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood)
 

British Chess Magazine : July 2009

Cover photo: Alexei Shirov wins the MTel Masters in Sofia, Bulgaria

MTel Masters - all the action from inside the glass box in Sofia. Magnus Carlsen seemed to be on course to win but he was derailed by Alexei Shirov. But what happened to Vasyl Ivanchuk?
Sigeman - Nigel Short took a trip to Sweden and very nearly performed a clean sweep of the opposition. His games were highly entertaining, too. We look at four of them.
Games Department - congratulations to our regular columnist, Sam Collins, on his recent success in winning the Japanese Championship. He annotates two of his recent games.
Read the July 2009 new book reviews

Speelman on the Endgame • Chinese Championship • Ruy Lopez Tournament, Zafra • Chess Questions Answered (with Gary Lane) • 1st Chess Scotland Open • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)
 

British Chess Magazine : June 2009

Cover photo: Ketevan Arakhamia beat British champion Stuart Conquest at the 4NCL final weekend

4NCL Final Weekend - the showdown between the leaders and the 2007/8 champions went down to the wire. Action, stats and photos, supplied by BCM editor John Saunders.
FIDE Grand Prix - there’s no doubt that Levon Aronian is on a hot streak at the moment but Peter Leko gave him a run for his money in Nalchik. Lubosh Kavalek annotates.
Venice 1950: Bob’s Breakthrough - Bernard Cafferty looks back at a tournament where the late Bob Wade first made his mark in European chess.
Read the June 2009 new book reviews

Speelman on the Endgame • The Kavalek File (with Lubosh Kavalek) • Easter Congresses • Games Department (with IM Sam Collins) • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood)
 

British Chess Magazine : May 2009

Cover photo: Akopian wins at the Melody Amber

Melody Amber - Peter Doggers was in Nice to see the famous rapidplay/blindfold tournament unfold. There were quite a few blunders – but also plenty of brilliancies.
Speelman - Jonathan Speelman also looks at the South of France event, with particular reference to the famous (notorious?) two knights versus single pawn endgame.
European Individual Championship - BCM engaged a new writer, IM Lorin D’Costa, to cover the action in Budva, Montenegro. Lorin was also playing, but this extra task didn’t spoil his chances – far from it, as he achieved a grandmaster norm.
Read the May 2009 new book reviews

Games Department (with IM Sam Collins) • Chess Questions Answered (with Gary Lane) • Test Your Chess (with Shaun Taulbut) • FIDE Ratings, April 2009 • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)
 

British Chess Magazine : April 2009

Cover photo: Alexander Grischuk wins Linares

Linares - Magnus Carlsen played the most beautiful chess – but he didn’t finish first. Ian Rogers was in the Spanish town to see Russian ‘super-sub’ Alexander Grischuk lift the trophy.
Who Dares Wins! - Topalov and Kamsky played off in Sofia for the right to challenge Vishy Anand. The pundits got the result right but not its manner. Ian Rogers tells all.
Speelman on the Endgame - the top English GM focuses on the world champion’s endgame wizardry in Linares.
Read the April 2009 new book reviews

Gibtelecom Festival, Gibraltar (continued) • Games Department (with IM Sam Collins) • Speelman on the Endgame • 2009 Varsity Match • The Kavalek File • Test Your Chess (with Shaun Taulbut) • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood)
 

British Chess Magazine : March 2009

Cover photo: Sergey Karyakin won the Corus Wijk aan Zee tournament

Corus - in the absence of Anand, Topalov and Kramnik, Karyakin came through to win. Ian Rogers was there to witness the chess – and a couple of controversies.
Raaphy Persitz - BCM’s popular columnist (of Student’s Corner fame) has died – John Saunders, Leonard Barden and Amatzia Avni pay tribute to a great chess lover.
Test Your Chess - Shaun Taulbut brings back an old favourite. You know how it works: figure out the grandmaster’s next move and add up your points.
Read the March 2009 new book reviews

Gibtelecom Festival, Gibraltar • Games Department (with IM Sam Collins) • Speelman on the Endgame • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)
 

British Chess Magazine : February 2009

Cover photo: Igor Kurnosov, victor at Hastings

Hastings - a good line-up of Brits this year, but still the East Europeans took the first prize. Yet, as always, there was a lot of very entertaining chess played there.
4NCL - we cover the December and January weekends of the new-format British League. With one round to go of the preliminaries, most of the issues are settled – or are they?
Conversations - to talk or not to talk (while you are in play, that is). Bernard Cafferty considers the ethics of talking during play.
Read the February 2009 new book reviews

Chess Questions Answered (with Gary Lane) • Speelman on the Endgame • Games Department (with IM Sam Collins) • Spot The Continuation • FIDE Ratings, January 2009 • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood)
 

British Chess Magazine : January 2009

Cover photo: Bob Wade (1921-2008)

Dresden Olympiad - once again the rating list was turned upside down as Armenia took the gold medals and Russia disappointed. Ian Rogers annotates some of the best games.
Dresden Rules - OK? - Ian Rogers appraises the drastic rule changes made at the so-called ‘Reform Olympiad’, including the controversial default time arrangements.
Bob Wade (1921-2008) - John Saunders pays a personal tribute to the late, great chess all-rounder, with photos and reminiscences.
Read the January 2009 new book reviews

Dresden Women's Olympiad • Speelman on the Endgame • Spot The Continuation • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) • Eight-page index for 2008
 

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