Book Review

GM Jan Timman’s Last Book

Grandmaster Jan Timman’s final masterpiece, *Timman’s Studies*, celebrates his legacy through brilliant endgame compositions and timeless chess insight. More 🡢

Bobby Fischer’s Chess Queen: A Review

On January 14, 2026, New In Chess published Bobby Fischer’s Chess Queen: The untold story of the Indian woman who captured the American World Champion’s heart. Its author is Woman International Master Shernaz Kennedy. Her memoi.r is a quick and entertaining read More 🡢

George H. Mackenzie: One of the Old Masters

According to his biographer John S. Hilbert, George H. Mackenzie was universally loved during his lifetime but utterly forgotten after his death. “George H. Mackenzie: A Chess Biography” presents Mackenzie’s games and stories about his life and times. More 🡢

Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life (book review)

IM Danny Rensch’s memoir Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life is, as suggested by its title, dark. He suffered from hunger, parental abandonment, and lack of health care, with the last almost costing him his hearing. Playing chess as one of the top young masters in the United States gave him opportunities to travel and to see families living normal lives. More 🡢

A Paul Morphy book and the 2025 Chess Journalists of America Awards

The Real Paul Morphy: His Life and Chess Games by FIDE Master Charles Hertan relies on past Morphy scholarship, especially David Lawson’s Paul Morphy: The Pride and Sorrow of Chess. Hertan promises three innovations in his book. First, Hertan takes a fresh look at Paul Morphy’s games, thanks to Fritz 18. The Elo rating of […] More 🡢

AlphaBetChess: Books for Chess Parents

Chess books make great holiday gifts. Vishnu Warrier’s AlphaBetChess series uses the letters A through Z to organize chess terms. For parents who want to share their love of chess with their children, the AlphaBetChess books are wonderful choices. More 🡢

Deadly Chess Puzzles: One from the 2024 Olympiad, 1001 from Rizzitano

The 2024 Olympiad included many chess games that might be turned into chess puzzles. Grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk’s win over Grandmaster Wesley So, which contributed to team Ukraine defeating team United States, is one example. More 🡢

Sex, Murder, and Chess: Fiction Predicts Truth?

According to news stories in the mainstream media, including NBC, ABC, Newsweek, and USA Today, Amina Abakarova allegedly smeared poison on chessmen that would be touched by her rival, Umayganat Osmanova. Security cameras captured the August 2 incident, which occurred about 20 minutes before a round of the Russian Republic of Dagestan Chess Championship. That same month, New in Chess published The Sponsor: Murder at the North Sea Chess Tournament. More 🡢