British Chess Magazine April 2025

Interest in women’s chess remains a challenge. As I write this article, the Women’s World Championship has just begun in China, featuring a face-off between two homegrown stars: defending champion Ju Wenjun and her challenger, former titleholder Tan Zhongyi. Organised by FIDE, the event is streamed across all top chess platforms. As a norm, FIDE also produces a live broadcast show around the match – with two chess experts analysing the games, and guests and live reports from the venue. Game one of the match had just 12,000 views on YouTube after day one. In comparison, the first game of the match between Gukesh and Ding has more than 550,000 views. Even FIDE itself does not make it a secret that there’s a struggle with interest in viewership of women’s…

Women’s chess has come a long way since Vera Menchik claimed the first Women’s World Championship nearly a century ago. The 17 women world champions have shaped the game and symbolized resilience, achievement, and progress—both on and off the chessboard. The Queen’s Gambit series, based on a 1983 book by Walter Tevis of the same name, sparked global interest in chess. In the series, the main character Beth Harmon, tries to make her name in the male-dominated game, facing social and personal struggles, from being shunned to being resented and discriminated. Beth Harmon’s struggles mirror the real-life obstacles that top women chess players have faced—and continue to face today. A look at some of the key successes and stories of the best women in chess shows how far they’ve come…

We are pleased to reprint this insightful interview with GM Vladimir Potkin, originally published in American Chess Magazine (Issue #43). Potkin is not only a former European Champion but also one of the most respected coaches in modern chess, having worked with stars like Aronian, Karjakin, and Nepomniachtchi. His reflections offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at top-level preparation, creativity, and team dynamics at the very summit of the game. Our thanks to ACM for this richly detailed and engaging piece—an excellent example of their consistently high editorial standard. Editor Article and images - courtesy of American Chess Magazine. How would you sum up the Gukesh-Ding match? Nothing less of what I expected before the match had started. It was an intense battle that went down to the wire and…

Although chess is widely regarded as a tool for cognitive and personal development, these claims are seldom substantiated by concrete research. With this in mind, the FIDE Social Chess Research Conference—which took place online on February 22—brought together experts in sports and mental health from different health and research institutions worldwide to present their findings and discuss the broader societal role of chess. The conference is part of FIDE’s Social Chess Year initiative, which aims to promote the social value of chess and its importance beyond being just a game, highlighting its role in personal development. WHY CHESS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SPORT One of the first issues addressed at the conference was the long-standing debate on whether chess qualifies as a sport. The International Olympic Committee and over 100…

This tournament held at Ryde on the Isle of Wight attracted a very good entry with several grandmasters and young international masters seeking grandmaster norms. There was a four way tie for first place, Bobby Cheng of Australia, Sebastian Bogner of Switzerland, Boris Chatalbashev of Denmark and Matthew Wadsworth with 7/9. They all shared £3050 in prize money. Matthew Wadsworth is playing actively to complete his grandmaster qualification having gained the grandmaster norms he also needs an ELO rating of 2500. The tournament was sponsored by Wightlink a ferry operator to the Isle of Wight who run ferries from Portsmouth to Ryde and Fishbourne and from Lymington to Yarmouth. In this edition of BCM we will look at two very interesting games from this event. We start with a sharp…

England had several teams in the two competitions. The over 50s was won by the USA while England’s first team won the over 65s, retaining their title. The 2025 FIDE World Senior Team Chess Championships took place from February 17 to 27 in Prague, Czech Republic, featuring competitions in both the 50+ and 65+ age categories. The event concluded successfully, with England emerging as triumphant in the 65+ category. The English team displayed remarkable consistency, remaining undefeated throughout the tournament and showcasing strategic depth and enduring mastery of the game. Meanwhile, in the highly competitive 50+ category, the USA edged past Italy in a tense tiebreak battle, with Kazakhstan claiming bronze. England’s representation in this category also left a strong mark. The England Teams were as follows: OVER 50s England…