New In Chess 2025/7

6 Jeans Star
Magnus Carlsen is selling jeans for G-Star again.

8 NIC’s Café
A Fischer number of 2, Hotel Ukraine and Dark Squares.

12 Interview Anish Giri
With masterful play and a modest dose of divine intervention, Anish Giri finished clear first in the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand. The Dutchman took home $90,000 in prize money and qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

26 100 GMs, 2 tickets...
At the Grand Swiss, drama, heartbreak and fairy tales go hand in hand. In Samarkand, Anish Giri and Matthias Bluebaum were the last men standing. Game notes by Giri, Bluebaum, Vaishali, Abhimanyu Mishra, Andy Woodward and Jorden van Foreest.

31 Celeb 64
‘Grandmaster’ Hugh Grant.

52 Yosha Iglesias
Yosha Iglesias’s victory in France’s national women’s championship was no ordinary event. She is the first transgender woman to claim the title, and with it, reignited a polarizing debate over who should compete in women’s competitions.

56 Interview MVL
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave made the finals of the Grand Chess Tour. He has spent two decades at the top, thrilling fans with his fearless Najdorf battles and precise calculations. The French star reflects on aging in elite chess, and whether his greatest goals are still within reach.

66 James Altucher
The code of the adult enjoyer.

68 Free eBook
A bonus gift for all magazine subscribers: Exploiting the Bishop Pair.

71 The Killer Blow
Puzzles selected by Jacob Aagaard.

73 Fair & Square
Boris Ivkov and Paul Morphy.

74 Tournament Roundup
Games by Hikaru Nakamura and Faustino Oro.

78 How to Improve
Don’t forget prophylaxis. It will improve your position and also restrict your opponent’s ability to improve theirs.

82 The Model Game
A surprise in the Giuoco Piano

86 Sadler on Books
Matthew Sadler covers two book sabout Albin Planinc, an almost forgotten genius.

92 Jan Timman
Since Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura have clearly fallen out of love with classical chess, it might be argued that right now Fabiano Caruana, number 3 in the world rankings, is the world’s strongest active player.

98 Just Checking
Guess which book Abhimanyu Mishra would give to a dear friend.