8 GrandmasterChef
Thinking ahead and making plans while you’re cooking, why not?
10 NIC’S Café
While Garry Kasparov is about to make his debut as a Manga star, Bobby Fischer remains an inspiration, too. This time for a young Icelandic chess musician.
12 Your Move
Bill Lombardy’s advice to a young and promising player to study the endgame didn’t fall on deaf ears.
14 Carlsen ruthless in Armageddon
In an undisguised attempt to fight draws and have more excitement, Altibox Norway Chess introduced a tiebreak system of Armageddon games. The Norwegian TV viewers loved the daily mayhem not in the last place because their hero Magnus Carlsen proved extremely efficient.
19 Celeb64: Peter Falk
30 Fair & Square
Courtney Love adores the horsey-shape piece that moves in an L shape.
42 Back to the Falklands
FIDE vice-president Nigel Short sincerely doubts whether Gens Una Sumus was high on their agenda when a group of Argentinian chess players secretly visited the Falklands.
46 Nepo wins first Grand Prix
With its walls draped in black and white, the Central Chess Club in Moscow was barely recognizable, but that did not stop the Russian participants to call the shots.
64 Secrets of Opening Surprises
Jeroen Bosch presents the improved Malinoise Defence.
68 Maximize Your Tactics
Find the right moves.
70 Shaking up the hierarchy
Alexandra Goryachkina turned the Women’s Candidates Tournament into a one-horse race and earned the right to challenge World Champion Ju Wenjun.
76 Judit Polgar
What distinguishes Magnus Carlsen from his great predecessors?
80 When in Scotland...
The World Champion won a barrel of whisky at the Lindores Abbey Chess Stars.
88 The Blitz Whisperer
Maxim Dlugy examines what makes Maxime Vachier-Lagrave such a phenomenal speed chess player.
96 Chess Pattern Recognition
A far advanced rook pawn can be a considerable trump.
98 Sadler on Books
There are many ways to improve your play, but according to Matthew Sadler, studying the stars of our game remains a great recipe.
102 A tribute to Pal Benko
Jan Timman won first prize in the endgame study tournament that Pal Benko organized for his 90th birthday.
106 Just Checking
What was the best piece of advice Romain Edouard ever got?
