CHESS Magazine - October 2026

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.    

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In this issue:

Editorial.......................................................................................................4

Malcolm Pein on the latest developments in the game

Going for Gold.............................................................................................8

Nigel Povah reports from the European Senior Team Chess Championships

So Stellar...................................................................................................13

Wesley So won the Sinquefield Cup for a second year in a row

60 Seconds with...Anna Cramling..............................................................16

The Swedish WFM and streamer recently spent a morning at the Chess Shop

Readers’ Letters........................................................................................17

There’s nothing new when it comes to people’s favourite game of all time

Middlegame Masterclass...........................................................................18

Milos Pavlovic annotates two strategic struggles from the summer

How Good Is Your Chess?...........................................................................20

Daniel King pays tribute to Judit Polgar, who turned 50 back in July

Forthcoming Events..................................................................................23

Find The Winning Moves............................................................................24

A bumper selection to help you warm up for the new season

Perfect Pragg............................................................................................28

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa prevailed at a dramatic GCT Finals

My 70th Memorable Game.......................................................................30

John Henderson recalls the game that made a 13-year-old Fischer famous

Eliminating Draws.....................................................................................34

Steven J. Brams and Mehmet Mars Seven suggest ‘Divide-and-Choose’

Never Mind the Grandmasters..................................................................36

Carl very much enjoyed a lively game at the British involving AP Smith

How to Beat a Grandmaster......................................................................38

Paul Littlewood was impressed by Peter Roberson in the British Championship

Malcolm Barker..........................................................................................40

Neil Hickman explains all about “A serious historical figure”

Castling into Fresh Air: Part 2...................................................................42

David LeMoir continues to explore some startling queenside castling

K is for Kingston........................................................................................46

John Saunders reports from the Kingston Invitational

Home News...............................................................................................49

Success for Oleg Korneev, Ilia Malinovskii and Yevgeni Sprenger de la Iglesia

Overseas News.........................................................................................50

Tan Zhongyi was back to her best at the Cairns Cup

Solutions...................................................................................................54

This Month’s New Releases........................................................................55

Sean Marsh was delighted by the publication of James Sherwin’s autobiography

Saunders on Chess.....................................................................................58

John always looks forward to the Olympiad and also back to Tel Aviv, 1964