British Chess Magazine

This Christmas issue of BCM brings teenage thunder from Goa as we look at hos Javokhir Sindarov stormed to World Cup glory. We also look at the dominant performance of Russian-made Team FIDE in Linares, where they won the Women’s World Teams. GM Alex Colovic takes a clear-eyed look at England’s team performance at the European championship in Batumi. IM Shaun Taulbut covers British chess events, from Guernsey and Coventry. GM Raymond Keene writes about historical pieces on Napoleon, Goethe and Carl Schlechter. Editor Milan Dinic shares a Christmas message about why printed chess still matters and why your voice as a reader counts. Pour a drink, settle by the board, and spend the holidays in the company of stories and games from across the chess world. BCM – all the chess you need!

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

A Christmas message from BCM

TEENAGE TRIUMPH IN GOA: JAVOKHIR SINDAROV WINS 2025 FIDE WORLD CUP • The longest chess event in the calendar – the FIDE World Cup – which lasts for nearly a month, ended in the Indian city of Goa with the youngest victor ever.

A TRIUMPHANT RETURN FOR RUSSIAN PLAYERS TO INTERNATIONAL TEAM EVENTS • In their first appearance in a high-profile international team event since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian players – competing under the FIDE flag – convincingly won the Women’s World Team Chess Championship.

GLIMPSES OF BRILLIANCE, GAPS IN DEPTH: A LOOK AT ENGLAND’S PERFORMANCE IN BATUMI • England finished ninth on tie-breaks at the 2025 European Team Championship in Batumi, a result that fell short of expectations for a squad fielding its top players. Despite flashes of brilliance, notably from Gawain Maroroa Jones, the team struggled to find consistency across the board in a highly competitive field.

TOURNAMENT REPORT: THE 49TH BWCI GUERNSEY INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL 2025 • There were two tournaments at the traditional Guernsey Chess Festival, the Open and Challengers (for ELO rated less than 1900). The Open ended in a tie between Katarzyna Toma and Hamish Olson on 5.5/7 with Katarzyna Toma winning the title on tie break.

TOURNAMENT REPORT: COVENTRY INTERNATIONAL OPEN

War and Peace: NAPOLEON, GOETHE AND THE GAME OF THE INTELLECT • Jesus Christ said (Matthew 10:34–36): “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” The remark has always struck me as an admission that true creation is inseparable from destruction. Every new order, whether political or intellectual, must shatter the complacencies of the old.

Problem World

CARL SCHLECHTER: THE MAKING OF A VIENNESE MASTER • Carl Schlechter’s ascent from a little-known Viennese prodigy to a fixture of Europe’s tournament halls is charted through the columns and games that first announced his talent. His early victories, marked by precision and restraint, offer a glimpse of the formidable master he would soon become.

CHRISTMAS CURIOS