English Chess Forum

That's an error? Indeed, even that isn’t lol! For some reason i always thought the WGM level was higher than FM… Isn't the main difference that WGM (usually) requires norms, while FM doesn't? Yes. I personally consider WIM to be a higher title (FIDE disagrees) than FM. A rating requirement of 2250 ...

Jon Speelman turns 70 today. https://en.chessbase.com/post/jon-speelman-70th-birthday?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwY2xjawUslItleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4gnt6GV4MbCMR7dJ7uPqEUld35QVzDb9I1JembJCOr2BAc5ASOVuXTSKNz5A_aem_GNReY_CVJ6esOw6LdDd-Nw https...

No particular controversies have arisen with the Open and Women's teams for the Olympiad and European team selections for a number of years. The last ones I can recall were Danny King and Murray Chandler complaining about being left out of the 2006 team for Turin. The 2023 European Team Championshi...

On the contrary, I would say the only inaccurate (and hardly “shockingly” so) is the 2300 error, as opposed to 2350. I wouldn’t say that anything else is any more unlikely than an 11 year old girl being within touching distance of the IM title. That's an error? Indeed, even that isn’t lol! For some...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/oct/01/bodhana-sivanandan-11-youngest-ever-female-chess-grandmaster She may well get her third norm and go past 2400 in her next tournament (possibly at the London Chess Classic: "Bodhana’s next nine-day tournament could be the London Chess Classic at the end ...

Richard Bates wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 01, 2026 8:43 pm

On the contrary, I would say the only inaccurate (and hardly “shockingly” so) is the 2300 error, as opposed to 2350.

I wouldn’t say that anything else is any more unlikely than an 11 year old girl being within touching distance of the IM title.

That's an error?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/oct/01/bodhana-sivanandan-11-youngest-ever-female-chess-grandmaster She may well get her third norm and go past 2400 in her next tournament (possibly at the London Chess Classic: "Bodhana’s next nine-day tournament could be the London Chess Classic at the end ...

We can't answer that, as we don't know who wasn't available for selection The ECF could at a pinch have told us. On paper three plausible candidates in Howell, Sadler and Short were ruled out. Howell I think we know elected to work as a commentator but hasn't anyway played much top level chess sinc...

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 29, 2026 9:17 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 27, 2026 7:43 pm

Closing ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVGSdG8u1Do

Only 25 minutes in and the announcer has a look of desperation on his face. I hope the bar was open...

I was fortunate enough to watch it after it had happened so was able to fast forward to the player/team presentations.

The link is dead for me, even after refreshing the page? I noticed previously, your registrations link worked, but the website one was dead. They are sometimes slow in updating the links. That may be an unfair criticism. The list might not be ready for publication (although the 4NCL really ought no...

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 29, 2026 2:30 pm

I went to the Olympiad for rounds 10 and 11 and saw something unexpected with her. She was sitting on some plastic inflatable seat thing, presumably because she couldnt reach the board without it.

She's used a booster seat for as long as I can remember.

The round 1-11 pairings for Division 1, 2, 3k & 3b have now been published on the 4NCL website. The link is dead for me, even after refreshing the page? I noticed previously, your registrations link worked, but the website one was dead. They are sometimes slow in updating the links. I changed the 2...

The round 1-11 pairings for Division 1, 2, 3k & 3b have now been published on the 4NCL website.

Bodhana and Aga were on at the end of tonight's BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00326q4