British Chess Magazine

Our November issue dives into one of the most transformative months in modern chess. We bring you the inside story of FIDE and Norway Chess’s bold plan to redefine the game with the Total Chess World Championship Tour — a revolutionary new format uniting classical, rapid, and blitz into one quest for the “complete” champion. Also in this issue: GM Aleksandar Colovic asks whether the USA–India exhibition match was entertainment, degradation, or the future of chess. BCM sits down with 10-year-old British prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, fresh from her victory over a former Women’s World Champion, in a remarkable interview about focus, family, and ambition. Plus: tributes to Daniel Naroditsky, full coverage of the European Senior Championships, and the Harry Lamb Memorial. BCM – all the chess you need!

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

CHESS ENTERS A BOLD NEW ERA: FIDE AND NORWAY CHESS CREATE A REVOLUTIONARY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT

FIDE PRESIDENT ARKADY DROVKOVICH ON THE TOTAL CHESS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR: FIDE HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FORMAT FOR A LONG TIME

USA-INDIA MATCH: ENTERTAINMENT, DEGRADATION OR THE FUTURE OF CHESS? • The core question about chess still remains unanswered: should chess be sold as pure entertainment? I think we will find the answer to that question soon enough – the investments in these types of events are on the rise and the market is always honest – if there is interest, there will be profits.

CHESS SENSATION BODHANA SIVANANDAN I JUST TRY TO PLAY THE BOARD • BCM TALKS TO BODHANA AND HER PARENTS ABOUT CHESS, THE SACRIFICES IT REQUIRES AND THE REWARDS IT BRINGS

EUROPEAN SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

DANIEL NARODITSKY (1995 – 2025) • Born on 9 November 1995 in San Mateo, California, Daniel Naroditsky went on to become a prominent Grandmaster, author, coach and streamer. He died just two weeks away from turning 30.

HARRY LAMB MEMORIAL 2025, BOLTON

ONE HUNDRED YEARS SINCE THE PASSING OF AMOS BURN • In this reprint from the January 2026 issue of the British Chess Magazine, we revisit the life and legacy of Amos Burn – one of England’s greatest masters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for his defencive skills and resolute playing style. A pupil of Steinitz and a gentleman of the game, Burn combined business acumen with a lifelong devotion to chess as player, editor, and writer. Following the 1906 tournament in Ostend, his great rival at the time, Isidor Gunsberg, wrote the following lines: "Burn was the wonder and admiration of all his fellow competitors. He did great credit to English chess and was generally known as the Invincible English Bulldog." The original obituary, written by John Herbert Blake, is left as published 100 years ago, without any interventions. (Note: Blake died in 1919, but it is likely that in 1926 BCM adapted a pre-preapared article on Burn by Blake, and published it.) Our thanks go to Pete Tamburro for bringing this gem from the archives to light and for providing two wonderfully annotated games that capture the imagination and quiet brilliance of Burn’s play.

THE SUSSEX UNIVERSITY INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

BOBBY, FIDEL AND ME IN HAVANA

PROBLEM WORLD

FORGOTTEN FLAMES • Two long-forgotten opening ideas - the audacious Portsmouth Gambit and the enterprising Philidor Counter-Gambit - once stirred excitement but have since vanished from top-level play. This month’s column revisits these curiosities through illustrative games that show why they faded, yet remain lively weapons at faster time controls.

CELEBRATING THE WORLD CHAMPION