Editorial.......................................................................................................4
Malcolm Pein on the latest developments in the game
A Clean Sweep, and a Close Shave!..............................................................8
Andrew Ledger reports from an exciting final weekend of the 4NCL season
60 Seconds with... Axel Smith...................................................................13
The Swedish GM gave a huge blindfold simul and has a new book out
Small Margins............................................................................................16
Paul Littlewood reports from the World Senior Team Chess Championships
The Comeback...........................................................................................17
Carlsen won his final three games then the playoff in Malmo
The Brightest Star?...................................................................................18
Carl Strugnell on the specialness of 14-year-old Turkish superstar Yagiz Kaan
Forthcoming Events..................................................................................20
Will you be playing at Crewe, Edinburgh, the MindSports Centre or elsewhere?
Studies with Stephenson...........................................................................21
Brian pays tribute to the composing giant that is Harold van der Heijden
How Good is Your Chess?..........................................................................22
Daniel King looks at how Rameshbabu Vaishali likes to play on the front foot
The Beauty in Chess...................................................................................25
Jon Crumiller on Sir António Horta-Osório’s dazzling collection of chess sets
Find The Winning Moves............................................................................26
Can you do as well as the players at the final 4NCL weekend of the season?
Under the Hammer.....................................................................................30
John Henderson takes a look at the auction of Lothar Schmid’s collection
Chasing Dreams.........................................................................................34
Ben Graff thoroughly enjoyed being out and about at the Menorca Open
Menorca Masterclass.................................................................................37
Daniel Fernandez explains how he outplayed the 2024 World Rapid Champion
Never Mind the Grandmasters...................................................................40
Carl Portman on his last round game at the UK Armed Forces Championships
How to Beat a Grandmaster.......................................................................42
Paul Littlewood looks at an impressive game by a young Jon Speelman
Key Encounters..........................................................................................44
Some more of the best chess from the FIDE Candidates and the TePe Sigeman
Overseas News.........................................................................................51
Hans Niemann won the opening leg of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour in Poland
Home News...............................................................................................53
Popular weekenders took place in Belfast, Blackpool, Bournemouth and elsewhere
Solutions...................................................................................................54
This Month’s New Releases........................................................................55
Sean Marsh enjoyed the return of Neil McDonald, with his new book on strategy
Saunders on Chess.....................................................................................58
John on Eugene Colman and his contribution to the Two Knights Defence
