The 21 Landmark Victories Queens Over Kings
In this special feature we highlight the power and brilliance of women’s chess with games where they outplayed and outsmarted their renowned male opponents. Our cover hero, 17-year-old WGM Zoey Tang, contributes to the topic, while her recent results mark the most successful period of her career so far reaching several major milestones.
In an exclusive interview, Zoey Tang from Portland, OR, shares how she was first drawn to the game of chess and how it has shaped her many talents both inside and outside of the game. Currently the No.3 ranked U.S. woman, Zoey is a 2025 Samford Fellow, the newly crowned U.S. Junior Girl’s Champion, and an ACM ace journalist - all while excelling in her academic pursuits with top grades and multiple awards! Her versatility at such a young age is an inspiration for future generations, showing that a positive attitude combined with dedication inevitably leads to outstanding results.
That chess knows no gender is further confirmed through 21 notable victories of women over men. Nine of these games are fully annotated exclusively for ACM by the winners themselves - including women’s world champions, dominant players of their eras, national heroes and rising stars all of whom have left a lasting mark on the chess world. To add to the challenge, the ACM editorial team has also prepared puzzles for solving, drawn from games where women triumphed over men.
Multiple award-winning ACM author GM Sarunas Sulskis dissects three magnificent games that captured his attention. First, he presents a fierce battle where 2025 Cairns Cup winner, IM Carissa Yip, sacrificed a full rook to eventually crown her pressure against Humpy Koneru’s position. Then, he follows with a highly-creative game won by 2025 Pan-American Champion, American GM Sam Shankland, featuring an outstanding king hunt against Robert Hungaski. Finally, Sulskis presents a masterpiece from the recently concluded World Open, where GM Jianchao Zhu applied several important strategic elements to eventually deliver checkmate against young GM Brewington Hardaway.
When it is about junior chess, IM (GM-elect) Jason Liang reflects on his personal journey to Paraguay, where he recently became the U20 Pan-American Champion, securing his final GM-Norm in the process. Jason also reports on the tournament developments and how they shaped his play.
ACM endgame expert GM Alex Fishbein thoroughly decodes the sixth edition of Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual (”DEM6“). He explains what is new in this revised edition, offering his thoughts as to how this book should be used properly. Fishbein’s trademark writing style offers witty explanations to a selection of examples, showcasing instructive lessons, funny stories, but also his personal preference for certain parts of the book.
Dr. Corey Butler this time deals with a correlation between chess performance and a player’s age. He presents scientific data that demonstrates how chess provides lifelong benefits - from early childhood through late adulthood.
FM Dylan McClain addresses one of the most serious issues facing the game today - cheating! With recent accusations causing major turmoil in the chess world, Dylan emphasizes the need for careful and responsible handling of such claims.
Henrik Malm Lindberg contributes a fascinating excerpt from his biographical book FIDE President Folke Rogard. Few know about the subtle but significant connection between Rogard and the legendary American World Champion Bobby Fischer - one that began long before Fischer’s world title!
From the American chess scene, this issue brings two unique stories. The first covers Colorado’s initiative to honor its chess heroes through the establishment of the Colorado Chess Hall of Fame, with NM Todd Bardwick guiding readers from the idea’s birth to its realization and introducing the inaugural inductees.
The second puts the social component of chess before the competitive one - as the GM Alex Sherzer Memorial in Virginia gathered many U.S. Champions and friends - to pay a due tribute to the late GM who was one of the most beloved figures in American chess. The main organizer, David Mehler, shares details from this emotional reunion, with exclusive game annotations by GMs Patrick Wolff and Alex Fishbein.
FM Carsten Hansen returns with his popular book reviews, evaluating ten recent releases.
As usual, IM Grayson Rorrer recaps notable performances by U.S. players in both domestic and international tournaments.
Finally, this issue’s special 5x5 guest is GM Boris Avrukh - renowned chess coach and author of numerous chess books and courses, with a special focus on opening repertoire. Boris offers some highly valuable advice to younger generations, based on his vast experience and training methods he has successfully applied over the years.
