English Chess Forum

I stumbled across this aricle about Ethan Cole, 13, the new Ulster chess champion on the BBC News website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2zx7edyy2o He is also the rapidplay champion: https://www.ulsterchess.org/Members/ucu00450/2025-2026/ulster-rapidplay-championship-2026/new-rapidplay-ulste...

Alistair Campbell wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2026 3:51 pm

[quote="Ian Thompson" post_id=328647 time=1786484151

In any event (or rather, in 1972), Eley's victory is maybe a Ryan Fox level of surprise, rather than a Ben Curtis.

Am I the only one who had no idea who Ryan Fox and Ben Curtis are?!

BBC Breakfast (TV) had a report on the British Championships at 6.20 this morning, no doubt repeated every hour.

Amongst other things it featured a friendly between the oldest and youngest players in the event.

From The Independent:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/h ... 16128.html

I happen to know that the time in Portugal is the same as UK time. Our Portuguese tour guide said that the time is the only thing Spain is ahead of Portugal in!

There is a 2 page article about Freestyle chess in today's "Observer", unfortunately hidden behind a paywall online - we get the print edition.

From today's "Guardian":

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/ ... el-alvarez

Thanks, Richard, that looks perfect.

I've ordered the book.

I want to buy a book for a boy coming up to his 12th birthday. He has just started learning to play chess at secondary school.

Can anyone recommend a suitable book?

Thanks.

An article on the BBC website about chess in Uganda referring to the 'Queen of Katwe' film:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr21klenkko

A full page interview with Magnus Carlsen in the sports section of today's 'Observer':

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/ ... -love-that

Also on the BBC News website:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3g6e653wrlo

and the last few minutes of "Today" on Radio 4 this morning.

Four or five years ago someone told me they were playing Barry in a tournament game but fell ill. Barry quickly realised something was amiss, agreed a draw and arranged for medical assistance. He was a decent and likeable man who played chess in the right way - I played him two or three times over t...

From today's Telegraph crossword: Participants in chess game in central London area (13) This was a 'down' clue which I didn't solve until I got the first letter from one of the 'across' clues. As ever, solvers are expected to have a knowledge of London wherever they live (I happen to live in London)

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... hess-title

I don't think this has appeared on this forum so I thought it worth including! Feel free to delete it if someone has already mentioned it.