Chess Magazine May 2026

In this issue:

• Editorial
• Malcolm Pein on the latest developments in the game
• Sindarov Sizzles
• Jonathan Speelman examines Sindarov’s Candidates domination
• Candidates Crowned
• More leading action from the Open and Women’s Candidates
• Rydeing High
• Matthew Wadsworth enjoyed his return to the Isle of Wight
• The Isle of Wight Masters
• Matthew Turner also impressed at Ryde School
• 60 Seconds with Marcus Harvey
• We learn a little about the Oxfordshire-based IM
• Mighty Marcus
• Marcus Harvey annotates a key win en route to his first GM norm
• How Good is Your Chess?
• Daniel King looks at how Vincent Keymer has sharpened his style
• Find The Winning Moves
• Can you do as well as the players at the 4NCL and Reykjavik Open?
• Untold: Chess Mates
• John Henderson takes a look at the latest chess documentary on Netflix
• London 185133
• Ben Graff looks back at the first ever international chess tournament
• Twenty Wickets in a Test Match
• Neil Hickman on Louisa Fagan and a wild King’s Gambit
• The Red Knight
• Vladimir Lionter visited Thailand’s Biggest Chess Community
• How to Beat a Grandmaster
• Paul Littlewood looks at an impressive game from Tony Kosten
• Never Mind the Grandmasters
• Carl Portman came across an Elephant on a dark night in Olton
• The White Queen Entrée
• Junior Tay looks at a radical 1 e4 e5 trend for White
• Wood Green Stay Top
• Lawrence Cooper’s side were on 100% with three to play
• Studies with Stephenson
• Brian Stephenson examines the work of the composer Mark Liburkin
• Home News
• Jose Camacho Collados retained the Welsh Championship
• Overseas News
• Success for Amin Tabatabaei and Bodhana Sivanandan
• Solutions
• This Month’s New Releases
• Sean Marsh enjoyed works by Kotronias and Seirawan
• Forthcoming Events
• Saunders on Chess
• John ponders book titles and not losing to players below 1600