British Chess Magazine : December 2005

Cover photo: Pentala Harikrishna wins in Hoogeveen.

Essent Hoogeveen - the annual Dutch four-player tournament was won by the 19-year-old Indian prodigy Pentala Harikrishna while Vladimir Baklan of Ukraine won the open. Steve Giddins provides an on-the-spot report while Ian Rogers annotates two key games.
Yoshiharu Habu: Games Genius - whilst in Hoogeveen Steve Giddins met a famous shogi professional from Japan who likes to try his hand at the 64-square game. And he plays our game well enough to beat grandmasters.
4NCL - the new season of the British Team League started in Birmingham, and the ‘old firm’ of Wood Green and Guildford-ADC faced a strong challenge to their dominance.
Read the December 2005 new book reviews
News in Brief • Chess Questions Answered • Simagin (Part 3) • Guernsey Festival • Karabakh International • Games Department: Sam Collins • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •
 

British Chess Magazine : November 2005

Cover photo: new world champion Veselin Topalov.

World Championship - All the action from the FIDE tournament in San Luis, Argentina. Topalov himself talks about his own amazing performance, and there are comments from others players about the new world champion. Ian Rogers was on the spot for BCM.
Isle of Man - the Monarch Assurance tournament was won by a US champion and a teenage star from Ukraine. Some superb games! Ringside coverage from John Saunders.
Simagin (Part 2) - Steve Giddins continues his look back at the imaginative Soviet grandmaster in this multi-part study.
Read the November 2005 new book reviews
News in Brief • Letters to the Editor • FIDE Ratings, October 2005 • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) •
 

British Chess Magazine : October 2005

Cover photo: Jonathan Rowson retains the British Championship in the Isle of Man.

Staunton Memorial - The third instalment of this prestigious invitation tournament held at Simpsons in London. Winner Jonathan Levitt annotates one of his games.
Simagin - Steve Giddins has a look back at a highly creative, but sadly short-lived, Soviet grandmaster of the post-war era, in a new series of articles.
Games Department - British Champion Jonathan Rowson analyses his crucial win against Chris Ward from the Smith and Williamson British Championship.
Those Old-Time Congresses - BCM Editor John Saunders has a wander down memory lane at the Marlow and Paignton Congresses.
Read the October 2005 new book reviews
Igualada Masters • The Kavalek File (with Lubosh Kavalek) • Chess Questions Answered (with Gary Lane) • News in Brief • Letter to the Editor • Congress Diary: Thanet (with Colin Crouch) • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) • Postcard from Belgrade (by Ian Rogers)
 

British Chess Magazine : September 2005

Cover photo: Arkadij Naiditsch wins in Dortmund.

Dortmund - Ian Rogers was at the ringside to see the stunning surprise of this year’s big German tournament. There were (at least) ten reasons why Arkadij Naiditsch couldn’t win in this exalted company. But win he did. Full coverage, games and photos.
British Championship - the British Chess Federation Congress crossed the water to Douglas in the Isle of Man this year. Reigning champion Jonathan Rowson lost an early game but he found his inspiration on the rest day for renewed efforts in the second week.
Half a Century Ago - Steve Giddins looks back at chess in the halcyon days of 1955, when Vasily Smyslov’s star was in the ascendant, Harry Golombek won the British Champion and two future grandmasters were only babes in arms.
Sam Collins Annotates... three superb games from the Biel tournament and one from the Irish Championships.
Read the September 2005 new book reviews
European Team Championships • Spot The Continuation • Amsterdam Open (by Steve Giddins) • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)
 

British Chess Magazine : August 2005

Cover photo: left to right: Radjabov (2nd), Nisipeanu (1st), Aronian (3rd) at the European Championships

Man versus Machine - this must have been the worst drubbing dished out at Wembley since the Hungarian footballers beat England 6-3 in 1953... Michael Adams lost ½-5½ to the ultimate electronic grandmaster, HYDRA. All the games and ringside reaction, with John Roycroft, Donald Michie and British champion Jonathan Rowson
European Individual Championship - 13 rounds of gruelling action in Warsaw led to a gripping finale. Peter Wells got off to a good start, beating Loek Van Wely. Later Sergey Karyakin challenged hard but Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu snatched the title. All the action.
How to become a Strong Grandmaster - how come Ukrainian chess is so strong? We decided the best man to ask was the country’s most successful and dedicated coach - Alexander Vaisman. Fascinating stuff.
Game of the Year 2004 - IM Maxim Notkin ran a poll amongst the top grandmasters (including Garry Kasparov) to find out which games they considered to be the best played in 2004. Find out how they voted and then play through a selection of the very best games - they are stunning!
Read the August 2005 new book reviews
The Kavalek File (with Lubosh Kavalek) • Spot The Continuation • European Women's Championship • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) • FIDE Rating List, July 2005
 

British Chess Magazine : July 2005

Cover photo: Special Ukrainian issue, guest editor GM Mikhail Golubev - Vasyl Ivanchuk wins in Havana

Mtel Masters - the first super-tournament of the post-Kasparov era was a tremendous success for home player Veselin Topalov. Should we now consider him the no.1 active player in the world? Only time will tell. Guest editor Mikhail Golubev reports from the ringside in Sofia.
New Chess Centres in Ukraine - Lviv, Odessa and Kharkov were the heartlands of Ukrainian chess in the old Soviet times, but the modern centres of chess power and development are the smaller cities of Alushta and Kramatorsk. Our guest editor gives us an illustrated lesson in Ukrainian chess geography, and the people who helped to shape it.
Ivanchuk and Ponomariov - Mikhail Golubev takes a look back at the earliest steps in chess of the biggest names in current Ukrainian chess, and reveals the details of a secret training match he played against the young FIDE ex-world champion. Here you can download all six games of the secret training match played in 1996 between Mikhail Golubev and Ruslan Ponomariov.
Interview with Sergey Karyakin - the world's youngest ever grandmaster talks to Olena Boytsun.
The Odessa File - Odessa on the Black Sea has always enjoyed an important part in Ukrainian chess life. In this article Valeri Beim writes about two notable chess coaches from Odessa, while Mikhail Podgaets pays tribute to his own coach, Ukrainian and Israeli Champion, Yakov Yukhtman.
Bohatirchuk and Sakharov - Andrei Yeremenko writes about two former stars of Ukrainian chess, Feodor Bohatirchuk and Yuri Sakharov.
Milestone of Ukrainian Chess - The master Efim Markovich Lazarev is a true patriarch of Ukrainian chess journalism. Here he overviews the milestones of Ukrainian chess history, specially for BCM.
† Vladimir Savon (1940-2005) - Alexander Moiseenko remembers his late coach, who sensationally won the USSR Championship in 1971.

Read the July 2005 new book reviews
Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley)
 

British Chess Magazine : June 2005

Cover photo: Emil Sutovsky at the 4NCL

4NCL - the British Team League never fails to provide exciting action and cliff-hanging scenarios. Wood Green took the title in a nail-biting climax, and there was a major battle to avoid relegation. We’ve a full report plus annotations from Alexei Shirov and Ian Rogers.
Sigeman - those Scandinavian organisers really know how to get the right mix for a grandmaster tournament. Great chess from Timman, Sasikiran, Nakamura and others.
Jack Speigel Memorial - Danny Gormally is the most improved player in British chess right now, and he showed the others the way in Southend.
Read the June 2005 new book reviews
Bundesliga Play-Off Match • The Kavalek File (with Lubosh Kavalek) • Gausdal • Coventry - Best Games (by Colin Crouch) • † Vernon Dilworth • Chess Questions Answered (with Gary Lane) • Are You a Chess Mastermind? • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) • BCM Prize Competition
 

British Chess Magazine : May 2005

Cover photo: Vishy Anand, Chess Oscar 2004

4NCL - the penultimate weekend in this. year’s British Team League season saw champions Guildford-ADC 1 and Wood Green 1 still neck and neck. This, and all other promotion and relegation issues, seem destined to go down to the wire. Full report and pictures.
Melody Amber - in the post-Kasparov age, Vishy Anand must rank as the new number one. He certainly looked the part in the annual rapidplay/blindfold showdown.
Linares Quiz - vacancy: global chess super-star. Must be prepared to perform with children and computers. Try Ian Roger’s Linares test to see if you could fill the position.
Read the May 2005 new book reviews
European Union Championship, Cork • Dos Hermanas • FIDE Ratings, April 2005 • Welsh Championship • Coventry International • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • 50 Years of Quotes and Queries • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) • BCM Prize Competition
 

British Chess Magazine : April 2005

Cover photo: Garry Kasparov retires after the Linares tournament

Linares - Kasparov’s swan song (if that is what it was) must be judged a harmonious one, but for a discord right at the end. Ian Rogers reports on a watershed in chess history.
Kasparov Interview - The retiring world no.1's first major interview after his shock announcement at Linares was with the Guardian's Stephen Moss. BCM has some exclusive extra chess-related material from this interview which did not appear in the newspaper version.
Games Department - 14-year-old David Howell annotates two of his wins from the Jersey International, which he won ahead of two Swedish GMs.
Read the April 2005 new book reviews
Aeroflot Open (with Lubosh Kavalek) • Varsity Match • A Short History of BCM's Editors • Bermuda International • Congress Diary (with Colin Crouch) • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • Chess Questions Answered (with Gary Lane) • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Letters to the Editor • Problem World (with David Friedgood) • BCM Prize Competition
 

British Chess Magazine : March 2005

Cover photo: Peter Leko wins Corus Wijk aan Zee

Corus Wijk aan Zee - Kasparov had to sit at home and watch from the sidelines with the rest of us. But there was plenty to enjoy as Leko came through to win in style. Ian Rogers reports.
Games Department - 18-year-old Thomas Rendle is England’s fastest improving young player at present. He presents two of his most recent games.
Gibraltar - there was a five-player grandmaster pile-up on the Rock, but Danny Gormally flew to his grandmaster title. Ian Rogers reports.
Read the March 2005 new book reviews
Amateur’s Guide to Wijk aan Zee by Steve Giddins • Spot The Continuation • News in Brief • 4NCL, January Weekend • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) • BCM Prize Competition
 

British Chess Magazine : February 2005

Cover photo: Vladimir Belov won the new-format Hastings tournament

Hastings - it was a case of out with the old and in with the new at the 80th Hastings. And 20 minutes extra on the clock for the Black players. 20-year-old Vladimir Belov proved he was the best player in the tournament. Full coverage of the annual congress.
Drammen - some of the world’s top players, including Shirov, Nielsen, Korchnoi, Magnus Carlsen and Luke McShane, spent the new year playing chess in Norway. Invigorating!
Hikaru Nakamura - sweet sixteen, and already he is the US Champion, battling through ahead of a stellar field. Then Hikaru Nakamura celebrated his 17th birthday by beating Ukrainian wunderkind Sergey Karyakin. Annotations by Lubosh Kavalek.
Read the February 2005 new book reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Letters to the Editor • FIDE Rating List, January 2005 • Pamplona • The Kavalek File • Philip Stamma's Assyrian Origin • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •
 

British Chess Magazine : January 2005

Cover photo: Viktorija Cmilyte won the top board gold medal at the Mallorca Women's Olympiad

Russian Championship - three Ks (Kramnik, Karpov and Khalifman) did not make it to the starting line, leaving the field clear for K1 – Kasparov. He was the second oldest in the tournament but left the others standing. Lubosh Kavalek and Ian Rogers look at the games.
4NCL - Wood Green rang the changes at the second weekend of the British Team Championship season. They fielded seven top international women players in their first team, plus one of their husbands to make up the numbers. Alexey Shirov. You may have heard of him...
Women’s Olympiad - England women’s team captain John Emms reports on the women’s event in Calvià, concentrating on the performances of England, USA and China. Full report, games and statistics of this great event.
Read the January 2005 new book reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Essent Hoogeveen • Congress Diary: Civil Service Congress • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) •
 

British Chess Magazine : December 2004

Cover photo: Vasyl Ivanchuk, star of the Calvia Olympiad

Calvia Olympiad - Sunny Mallorca was the venue for the 2004 FIDE Olympiad. Ukraine emerged from the shadow of their neighbours to beat Russia for the gold medals. Meanwhile England men's team were having a torrid time. All the action, games, reports and tables.
World Championship - we called it the ‘Farrago in Brissago’ last month, but things hotted up towards the end. Vladimir Kramnik finally got his act together to win the last game. But Leko missed some great chances. The remaining six games are annotated.
Lausanne Young Masters - you have to be an all-rounder to succed in modern tournaments. Luke McShane needed rapidplay shoot-outs to win the semi-final in Lausanne, and then some good endgame play to win the final.
Read the December 2004 new book reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • 4NCL, September weekend • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •
 

British Chess Magazine : November 2004

Cover photo: Ehsan Ghaem Maghami of Iran is the new Manx Monarch

World Championship - the first instalment of the ‘Farrago in Brissago’: the Kramnik versus Leko match is a mixture of the good, the bad and the tedious. But it has had its moments. Ian Rogers annotates a Marshall and Lubosh Kavalek examines a tricky endgame.
Monarch Assurance - the Isle of Man tournament continues to attract star names. This year Viktor Korchnoi made the trip to this beautiful island. Lubosh Kavalek has a close look at the attacking play of young English IM Simon Williams. All the inside stories.
Philip Stamma - John Roycroft pieces together all the known facts about the noted 18th century Arab player and compiler of early “Find the Best Move” positions.
Read the November 2004 new book reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • European Club Cup • Congress Diary: Paignton Congress (with Colin Crouch) • Chess Questions Answered (with Gary Lane) • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) •
 

British Chess Magazine : October 2004

Cover photo: Jovanka Houska at Simpsons, London

Staunton Simpson - the second Staunton Memorial was held once again in the palatial London haunt of Howard Staunton and his chess rivals, Simpsons in the Strand. Jovanka Houska found her ‘close encounters of the grandmaster kind’ rather testing.
Games Department - new British Champion Jonathan Rowson provides in-depth analysis of his games from the Smith and Williamson British Championship at Scarborough. Fascinating stuff!
Biel Super-Grandmaster - English grandmaster Luke McShane walked into an ambush. But nothing could break Alexander Morozevich’s momentum.
Philip Stamma - we know that the 18th century translator, player and problemist came from Aleppo, but precious little else is known about him. Enter chess sleuth John Roycroft, who has ferreted out some nuggets of hitherto unknown information. First of a two-part article.
Read the October 2004 new book reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Chess Classic Mainz • Congress Diary: Middlesex Open (with Colin Crouch) • Ukrainian Championship • Furness on Chess (Part 5) • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •
 

British Chess Magazine : September 2004

Cover photo: Vishy Anand, currently the world's best player

Dortmund - chess is a simple game. First, you draw the long games, play some blitz – and in the end Vishy Anand wins.
FIDE Knock-Out - the final, fateful stages of the Tripoli event. New British champion Jonathan Rowson looks at two of the Adams-Kasimdzhanov games.
Smith & Williamson British Championship - there were no Commonwealth players in the field this year to take the money, so the English grandmasters had the field to themselves. Well, actually, no...
Scottish Championship - new champion Jonathan Rowson annotates two of his games
Read the September 2004 new book reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Chess Questions Answered (with IM Gary Lane) • Harold Lommer (by Doug Betts) • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) •
 

British Chess Magazine : August 2004

Cover photo: Michael Adams, finalist at the FIDE World Championship

FIDE Championship - the first four rounds are covered here in the first part of our coverage of the 2004 FIDE Knock-Out in Tripoli. Thrills, spills, all the fun of the fair, four different time controls – but was it really chess?
Paks - Viktor Korchnoi refuses to age gracefully and let the youngsters beat him. There was a feast of attacking chess at this tournament in Hungary.
Armenia vs The World - ‘Iron Tigran’ Petrosian was commemorated at this star-studded match tournament in Moscow as ‘Armenia Plus’ took on the world. Lubosh Kavalek annotates Rafael Vaganian’s best game.
Read the August 2004 new book reviews
Furness on Chess (Part 4) • Congress Diary: South Lakes by Colin Crouch • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • FIDE Ratings, July 2004 • Women's World Championship • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •
 

British Chess Magazine : July 2004

Cover photo: GM Dan King of Guildford-ADC at the 4NCL, May 2004.

4NCL - this year’s competition worked up to a splendid finale in West Bromwich. Guildford-ADC had a memorable last-round clash with Wood Green 1. Full report and games, with Grandmaster Dan King annotating a superb win against prodigy David Howell.
Stalemate! - Dan King presents some astonishing and sneaky ways to make a draw out of nothing. Once you’ve learnt a few tricks, try solving his puzzle. Not easy!
Bosna Sarajevo - Alexei Shirov smoothed his way to success in the traditional Balkans event, but English grandmaster Nigel Short was unrecognisable.
Sigeman - this Scandinavian tournament has a richly-deserved reputation for bringing together all the best attacking players. GM Lubosh Kavalek annotates Carlsen-Nielsen.
Read the July 2004 new book reviews
Furness on Chess (Part 3) • The Perils of Springtime by Colin Crouch • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • European Championship, Turkey • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) •
 

British Chess Magazine : June 2004

Cover photo: Marie Sebag of France played impressively at the 4NCL, May 2004.

4NCL - Guildford-ADC and Wood Green 1 remain neck and neck in the race to win the British Team Championship. But their methods of raising teams by importing top foreign players are beginning to rub off on some of the other teams. Micro Markets NWE and Numerica 3Cs reaped the rewards of ‘rent-a-grandmaster’ in West Bromwich. Full report and games.
Russian Team Championship - when Alexander Morozevich is hot, he’s incandescent. Don’t miss his breath-taking finish against Bologan, which helped Tomsk to the Russian team title in Sochi on the Black Sea.
Karpov Poikovsky - the Siberian sun shone on Alexander Grischuk and Sergey Rublevsky in oil-rich Poikovsky but whatever happened to Vladimir Malakhov?
Games Department - Jonathan Rowson annotates his win with the Grünfeld Defence against Colin Crouch at Oxford.
Read the June 2004 new book reviews
Furness on Chess (Part 2) • Congress Diary: Coventry International by Colin Crouch • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • BH Wood Remembered (by Bernard Cafferty) • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) • Chess Oscars 2003 •
 

British Chess Magazine : May 2004

Cover photo: Alexandra Kosteniuk wins the European Women's Championship

Reykjavik Rapidplay - like Waterloo, Reykjavik was a “close-run thing” for Garry Kasparov. He started by nearly losing to 13-year-old Magnus Carlsen and in the final nearly lost to his 1993 championship adversary, Nigel Short. Ian Rogers was on the spot.
† Richard Furness - one of the UK’s top organizers and arbiters recounts some stories of his long and successful career. Sadly, Richard Furness has since died, but it is a mark of the man that he should leave us with so many wonderful memories.
Read the May 2004 new book reviews
Melody Amber Monaco • European Women's Championship • 4NCL, March Weekend • Edinburgh Congress by IM Craig Pritchett • The Student's Corner by Raaphi Persitz • Chess Questions Answered by Gary Lane • Welsh Championship • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Congress Diary: Blackpool by IM Colin Crouch • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) • FIDE Rating List, April 2004 •

British Chess Magazine : April 2004

Cover photo: Vladimir Kramnik & Manuel Illescas at Linares

Linares - Vladimir Kramnik didn’t do much – but he did it very well. Garry Kasparov had more won positions – but couldn’t follow through. And all those draws... was Linares 2004 a watershed for world chess – or a wash-out? Ian Rogers has his own views...
Aeroflot - wall-to-wall grandmasters slugged it out in Moscow for a handsome prize fund and a ticket to the Dortmund Super-Tournament. 13-year-old Magnus Carlsen impressed again, and so did 52-year-old Rafael Vaganian. But Sergey Rublevsky won.
Bermuda - we know the Brazilians are the tops at football, but the best at chess? Giovanni Vescovi scored a higher rating performance than Kramnik at Linares when he won the Fourways International. And he is here to tell BCM readers just how he did it
Read the April 2004 new book reviews
Gibraltar Masters • Varsity Match • Perth & Kinross Congress by IM Craig Pritchett • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Congress Diary: Portsmouth by IM Colin Crouch • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •

British Chess Magazine : March 2004

Cover photo: England no.1 Mickey Adams at Corus Wijk aan Zee

Corus Wijk aan Zee - Vishy Anand won the Corus tournament for the second successive year, but lost his six-year unbeaten record. Ian Rogers was there to cover all the action, and see star-in-the-making Magnus Carlsen really hit his stride for the first time.
The Persitz Double - it happened in the 1950s, when the trains ran on time – so it will probably never happen again. But what exactly was the ‘Persitz Double’?
Mickey Adams - the English number one was in good form in Wijk aan Zee. So, how does he prepare for super-tournaments? Mickey answers the BCM’s questions.
Read the March 2004 new book reviews
Hastings Challengers • The Kavalek File • 4NCL, January weekend • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • The Art of Bluff by IM Colin Crouch • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies (with John Beasley) •

British Chess Magazine : February 2004

Cover photo: Scotland's Jonathan Rowson is co-winner of the Hastings Premier

Hastings - The Hastings Congress got the British chess year to an excellent start for the 79th time. The two Premier winners hailed from Cyprus and Scotland. Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson, the first Scottish winner, has annotated two games for our enjoyment.
Kasparov’s Great Predecessors - volume two of Garry Kasparov’s remarkable work on the world champions is already a best-seller. BCM’s editor reviews it in depth, and thoroughly enjoyed Kasparov on Botvinnik... and Botvinnik on Kasparov.
Pamplona - Luke McShane takes his Christmas break from university to head for north-west Spain and some top-class chess. This small tournament had plenty of action.
Read the February 2004 new book reviews
Frank Parr remembered • FIDE Ratings, Jan 2004 • The Kavalek File • Australian Championship • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Congress Diary: London Open by IM Colin Crouch • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •

British Chess Magazine : January 2004

Cover photo: Harriet Hunt, England women's no.1

Kasparov v X3D Fritz - “For now we see through a glass, darkly...” Kasparov blundered horribly wearing his 3D goggles against Fritz but produced a classic anti-computer crush in the next game. Report by GM Ian Rogers.
European Women’s Team Championship - Russia seemed to be cruising to victory but there was an extraordinary twist in the tail. England board one IM Harriet Hunt reports on the women’s competition in Plovdiv.
Kasparov at the Cinema - the BCM Editor turns film critic and assesses the Oscar-winning potential of the world’s greatest chess player in a big documentary feature – on a screen near you in January.
Read the January 2004 new book reviews
Cap d'Agde World Rapidplay • Prelate Power (Part 2) with FM Steve Giddins • Bali Benidorm Rapidplay • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Congress Diary: Oban by IM Colin Crouch • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies •

British Chess Magazine : December 2003

Cover photo: Judit Polgar wins at Essent Hoogeveen

Essent Hoogeveen - GM Ian Rogers travelled to the Dutch town famous for its glassware. Judit Polgar won the tournament but Anatoly Karpov’s reputation as a tournament player suffered a shattering blow.
European Team Championship - this time the Brits were really just there to make up the numbers, but the Russians were back in style. The new scoring system meant that 2½-1½ was good enough to win matches – and that was the Russian plan. GM Lubosh Kavalek has a look at Mamedyarov’s new idea in the Grünfeld.
Prelate Power - have you ever wondered what to do about bishops? Steve Giddins takes a look down the diagonal and shows how the grandmasters put power in the prelate, in the first of two articles.
Read the December 2003 new book reviews
4NCL, October Weekend • Chess Questions Answered with IM Gary Lane • Game of the Month • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Congress Diary: Glasgow by IM Colin Crouch • Letter to the Editor • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World •

British Chess Magazine : November 2003

Cover photo: Garry Kasparov receives the 2003 BCF Book of the Year Award from Ray Edwards

Monarch Assurance - more players and more grandmasters than ever. Dennis Hemsley’s Isle of Man International goes from strength to strength. The editor was on the spot, to take pictures, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the Manx hospitality.
Euro Club Cup - titans and tourists travelled to sunny Crete for this year’s European Club Cup. Garry Kasparov gave it his seal of approval – but one superstar doesn’t make a super-team. Some superb action from this reinvigorated team event.
Three Kings in China - three top grandmasters travelled the length and breadth of China to take on the cream of China’s chess stars in some novel events. Fancy a game of mixed doubles?
Read the November 2003 new book reviews
The Kavalek File by Lubosh Kavalek • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Congress Diary: Leek by Colin Crouch • Lausanne Young Masters • FIDE Ratings, October 2003 • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Endgame Studies •

British Chess Magazine : October 2003

Cover photo: Jon Speelman wins at Simpsons in the Strand

Staunton Memorial - grandmaster chess returned to London, and its spiritual home at Simpsons in The Strand, for a tournament that was small but perfectly formed. Jon Speelman triumphed but Daniel King played the game of the tournament.
Hilton Premier - the British Champion playing chess in Britain? Now there’s a novelty. Blackpool played host to two all-play-all internationals during the Lancashire Chess Festival and Colin Crouch was there to report on the action.
Krasnoyarsk - 53 Russian grandmasters made the 2,000 mile trip to Siberia for this year’s Russian Championship. Peter Svidler won the tournament for the fourth time. Incredible, really, especially since he was distracted by a cricket match in London. Interview with Peter Svidler, plus all the best games annotated.
Read the October 2003 new book reviews
The Kavalek File by Lubosh Kavalek • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • French Championship • Games Department: Annotations by Keith Arkell • Assisted Suicide (Zugzwang) by Steve Giddins • Quotes and Queries (with Chris Ravilious) • Problem World (with David Friedgood) •

British Chess Magazine : September 2003

Cover photo: Viorel Bologan wins in Dortmund

Dortmund - numbers two, three and four in the world bite the dust in Dortmund. The great summer heat in Germany is accompanied by the tournament sensation of the year. Annotations by Ian Rogers.
Flear on The Future - BCM interviewed English grandmaster (and French resident) Glenn Flear and asked some questions about how they do things ‘sur le continent’. Oh la la! His answers were typically frank and to the point.
Smith & Williamson British Championship - the last of the British-cum-Commonwealth Championships was held in Edinburgh in July. And it was the Commonwealth that produced the winner. Sam Collins annotates two of his games.
Read the September 2003 new book reviews
Chess Questions Answered • Biel Masters • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • North Sea Cup • Letters to the Editor • Endgame Studies

British Chess Magazine : August 2003

Cover photo: David Howell playing on a giant-sized chess set at Somerset House

Ken Whyld Remembered - the doyen of chess historians and BCM's Quotes and Queries columnist for 25 years died on 11 July 2003. He will be sorely missed. We remember a man of many parts who had friends all over the world.
Enghien les Bains - the French spa town played host to a strong international tournament. Adams and Bareev jousted for the lead but the Russian just edged out the English grandmaster. Lubosh Kavalek picks out his favourite game.
The Art of Chess - a prestigious chess exhibition, a duel in the sun between two of the world’s top chess prodigies, Sergey Karyakin and David Howell, and then a simultaneous display. Great fun!
Read the August 2003 new book reviews
European Individual Championships • FIDE Ratings, July 2003 • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • The Kavalek File • Letters to the Editor • Quotes and Queries • Problem World

British Chess Magazine : July 2003

Cover photo: Giovanni Vescovi reports from the Karpov International at Poikovsky in Siberia

Karpov International - the 4th Karpov International took place in Siberia. Brrr! But the lineup was decidedly hot. Grandmaster Giovanni Vescovi travelled all the way from Brazil to take part and report for BCM. Plenty of top-class action.
Pirc 150 - it sounds a bit like a sports car. James Vigus has a look under the bonnet and road-tests it – and finds that it is a lot more than a hotrod for speed merchants.
Whither The 4NCL? - Former 4NCL Events Director Nigel Johnson questions some recent initiatives in the organisation of Britain’s premier team league.
Read the July 2003 new book reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Chess Questions Answered • The Kavalek File • Congress Diary: Oxford • Letters to the Editor • Bosna Sarajevo • 4NCL: Divisions 2, 3 and 4 Round-Up • Quotes and Queries • Endgame Studies

British Chess Magazine : June 2003

Cover photo: Jessie Gilbert of Perceptron Youth at the 4NCL

4NCL - a double helping of the British Team Championship as Wood Green 1 cruise to an overwhelming (but not quite perfect) first championship title.
Budapest - it was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for Peter Leko to prepare for his match with Kramnik, but it turned out to be a Hungarian Rhapsody for England’s Nigel Short. Ian Rogers annotates the games, with help from Laszlo Hazai and Peter Acs.
Yates Remembered - the second part of Steve Giddins’ appreciation takes the story of the great English chess player up to his tragic and premature demise.
Read the June 2003 reviews
News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Gausdal Classics • Hansen versus McShane • Congress Diary: Portsmouth • Quotes and Queries • Problem World

British Chess Magazine : May 2003

Cover photo: Vishy Anand: two big tournament successes in 2003 already

Melody Amber - Vishy Anand didn't win the rapidplay or the blindfold, but he still finished overall winner of the annual novelty event held in Monte Carlo.
Fantasy Island - most of us know that the famous Lewis Chessmen are to be found in London's British Museum - but do we really know where they came from? Ken Whyld asks questions about the circumstances of their discovery.
Yates Remembered - Frederick Yates died 70 years ago last November. He is not remembered quite as well as he might be. Steve Giddins considers the chess career of the great Yorkshireman in the first of a two-art appreciation.
The Kavalek File - US grandmaster Lubosh Kavalek remembers his former compatriot Ludek Pachman who passed away in March.
Read the May 2003 reviews
Chess Questions Answered • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • FIDE Ratings, April 2003 • Letter to the Editor • Congress Diary: Yateley • Quotes and Queries • Endgame Studies

British Chess Magazine : April 2003

Cover photo: Peter Leko and Teimour Radjabov at the Linares tournament

Linares - on-the-spot coverage, in-depth annotations of the games from the supertorneo from Grandmaster Ian Rogers. Ian wasn’t playing in the tournament but he made its biggest blunder – telling Garry Kasparov which game he had voted for in the brilliancy prize ballot... oh, and by the way, the tournament was won by Peter Leko of Hungary.
Bermuda - the backdrop for this prestigious tournament is an idyllic island in the Atlantic. Making his debut as a BCM contributor is Brazilian grandmaster Giovanni Vescovi, who outpaced Peter Svidler to win the tournament.
Kasparov v Deep Junior - Garry Kasparov received $500,000 just for turning up to play the Israeli super-program in New York and shared the remainder of the $1m purse with his digital adversary. The match received huge publicity but the premature finish of the last game was greeted with boos. Lubosh Kavalek comments.
Read the April 2003 reviews
Gibraltar Festival • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Varsity Match, Oxford v Cambridge • Quotes and Queries • Problem World

British Chess Magazine : March 2003

Cover photo: Zhang Zhong of China nearly eclipsed the super-grandmasters in Wijk aan Zee

Corus Wijk aan Zee - the great Dutch tournament represents a fixed point in a rapidly-changing chess universe. Viswanathan Anand eclipsed two world champions, while Zhang Zhong in the 'B' event threathened to eclipse everyone with a stunning performance. Meanwhile, some uninvited (and unwelcome) guests turned up to spoil Ponomariov's breakfast. All the chess, and some of the politics, are covered by Grandmaster Ian Rogers.
Hastings Challengers - FM Steve Giddins covers the excellent Challengers event at Hastings, where Danny Gormally won and chalked up a grandmaster norm.
Arkell's Grand Prix - Grandmaster Keith Arkell tries to convince us that he won the UK Terence Chapman Group Grand Prix by accident. We believe you, Keith...
Read the March 2003 reviews
Congress Diary (London Open 2002) • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • 4NCL, January 2003 Weekend • Quotes and Queries • Endgame Studies

British Chess Magazine : February 2003

Cover photo: Keith Arkell - best English debut in the Hastings Premier in over 30 years

Hastings Congress - full coverage of the 78th Hastings Premier by FM Steve Giddins. Peter Heine Nielsen won, Keith Arkell performed excellently - but 12-year-old Sergei Karyakin all but stole the show.
Bled Women's Olympiad - coverage of the women's competition, with annotations by Harriet Hunt. Full details of all the home countries' squads, medallists, etc.
Kasparov versus Karpov -in 3D! - the two old adversaries met again for a four-game rapidplay encounter in New York. Karpov exacted a measure of revenge for some of his world championship reverses.
Read the February 2003 reviews
Chess Questions Answered • Congress Diary • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • FIDE Ratings, January 2003 • Quotes and Queries • Problem World

British Chess Magazine : January 2003

Cover photo: Kasparov makes an emphatic point to FIDE President at the Bled Olympiad

Bled Olympiad - comprehensive coverage of the Olympiad, with annotations by John Emms, Luke McShane, Paul Motwani, Sam Collins and Leighton Williams. FIDE's unpopular time limit caused a lot of problems but there was still lots of excitement. Full details of all the home countries' squads, medallists, etc.
4NCL - the 2002/3 season opened at a new venue. Wood Green 1 have gathered together a powerhouse squad this year. Can anyone stop them? A number of young up and coming players put in som fine performances at Britain's top team event.
Read the January 2003 reviews
Letters to the Editor • Congress Diary • News In Brief • Spot The Continuation • Quotes and Queries • Endgame Studies

British Chess Magazine
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