Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2025 i British Chess Magazine

1 O. Pervakov UAPA-21 2023 WIN 2 O. Pervakov World Cup 2022 DRAW 3 O. Pervakov Avni-70 2024 DRAW 4 O. Pervakov The Macedonian Problemist 2023 WIN The results are in! The top three in the World Championship for study composing are - in no particular order - Michael Pasman, Steffen Nielsen, and Oleg Pervakov. And... the winner is... Oleg Pervakov. (Cue massive applause.) The World Championship in Composing for Individuals is held every three years. Compositions that have been published in those three years are eligible to take part. There are sections for all the major types of chess problem, such as two-movers, helpmates, etc., and one of the sections is for endgame studies. In each section, the competitors’ compositions are given scores and the scores of four compositions…

The eruption of emotions in chess is not a common thing. Chess players are usually taught to keep their emotions hidden, in order not to give away extra information to their opponents. However, being first and foremost humans, not all chess players are capable of hiding their emotions. Recently, the media (even the general media) were all over Magnus Carlsen and his table banging after losing the game to Gukesh Dommaraju, in the 6th round of Norway Chess. Despite having a dominating position for much of the game, in time trouble, Carlsen blundered a piece and lost. In frustration, he punched the table so hard that pieces on the board toppled. He quickly composed himself (well, sort of), offering a handshake and later giving a shoulder pat to Gukesh when…

This tournament attracted a strong entry with several grandmasters and was won jointly by Michael Adams and Brandon Clarke with 7/9. We look at a game of each of the winners, starting with Brandon Clarke’s win against Marcos Camacho Collados. Brandon Clarke - Marcos Camacho Collados 3rd Cambridge Int Open Cambridge ENG (8.5) 1.e4 c5 2.♘c3 This can lead to a Closed Sicilian if White fianchettos his king bishop and does not play d4 himself but follows up with the quieter d3. 2...e6 3.♘ge2 White now retains the option of going back into a normal Sicilian with d4 and this presents Black with a choice as to development. 3...d5 Black advances in the centre which seems natural but does allow White to switch plans, perhaps best is either 3...♘f6 4.d4…

Magnus Carlsen emerged victorious at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament in Stavanger, but his path to victory was anything but straightforward. A compelling blend of dominance and vulnerability marked the event, which featured an unusual imbalance favouring White and was heavily influenced by an unforgiving time control. Amidst tense battles and dramatic reversals, Carlsen’s triumph underscored the narrowing margins at the elite level, prompting fresh questions about his continued supremacy and the future of classical chess itself. The Norway Chess double-round robin tournament (26 May – 6 June) was perhaps the most-eagerly awaited classical event in a very long time. Its format, a double-round robin that included the top five players in the world, featuring the World Champion, was reminiscent of the famous tournament in Las Palmas in 1996, whose…

Miniature chess games are instructive. The loser's play shows how not to play chess. The following amusing 12 mover shows white launching a premature attack and being called to account. Miniature chess games are more than just curiosities—they distil the essence of tactics, strategy, and error into a handful of moves. This selection brings together short, sharp encounters from across chess history, where instructive mistakes meet decisive play. From the premature aggression of von Carnap punished by Harrwitz, to Henry Buckle’s elegant dismantling of Captain Kennedy, and a striking Grand Prix Attack from wartime Netherlands, these games span eras but share a common theme: how quickly things can go wrong—or right—on the chessboard. Annotated and contextualised with period insight, they offer both a glimpse into the past and enduring lessons…