6 Peak performance
2016 Russian Champion Alexander Riazantsev took a chess set to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
8 NIC’s Café
In 1972 Bobby Fischer needed just 23 seconds to solve the ‘15 Puzzle’ on The Tonight Show and told Johnny Carson that he could hold the world title for about 30 years...
10 Giri reigns supreme
Despite a commanding performance, Magnus Carlsen finished yet another tournament without coming out on top. The undisputed star of the Magnus Carlsen Invitational was Anish Giri, who remained brilliant and resilient till the last day.
14 Fair & Square
Luciano Pavarotti knew that in singing you cannot rely on bluff. ‘It’s not a poker game. It’s a chess game.’
17 Celeb64: Mick Schumacher
44 Interview: Anish Giri
The winner of the Magnus Carlsen Invitational is on a roll and may take his good form to Yekaterinburg. ‘I like healthy chess.’
48 America’s forgotten champion
Bruce Monson presents the story and mystery of LaVieve Hines, easily the strongest American female chess player you’ve never heard of.
60 Jaw-dropping engine moves
Noam Manella is fascinated by incredible computer moves that are out of this world, but in fact easy to understand.
68 Interview: Levon Aronian
The Armenian star speaks about his switch to Team USA and his darkest hours after the death of his wife Arianne. And about the spiritual strength and the light of a new love that helped him back on his feet again.
76 Blitz with Walter
Maxim Dlugy pays tribute to blitz pioneer Walter Browne.
82 Maximize Your Tactics
Find the right moves.
84 The fruits of harmony
Judit Polgar remembers the seventh World Champion Vasily Smyslov, who affectionately called her ‘Tal in a skirt’.
88 How to study chess on your own
Many players rather cut corners than work seriously to improve their game. Davorin Kuljasevic makes a case for a structured and effective way to study chess.
96 Sadler on Books
Brushing up on our openings sounds like a good plan during lockdown. Matthew Sadler discovered that the repertoires on offer are often quite, eh, ... different!
101 What would you play?
Test your decision-making skills with Thomas ‘Toolbox’ Willemze.
105 They are The Champions
Svetlana Petrenko is the national women’s champion of Moldova.
106 Just Checking
Which three people would Kaja Snare like to invite for dinner?
