How Chess Saves Lives
Danny Rensch, cofounder of Chess.com, shares a deeply personal story about how chess helped him navigate difficult moments in life and ultimately find purpose through the game, reflecting on themes from his newly released book.
In an interview conducted by ACM Senior Editor Pete Tamburro, Rensch offers valuable insights drawn from his experiences, along with practical advice for aspiring players and their parents. He also discusses the present and future of chess, and the responsibility he and Chess.com carry as advocates and stewards of the game. Additional instructive lessons are provided through his annotations of a game he played more than 20 years ago, at the peak of his competitive strength.
GM John Burke presents an extensive report on the recently concluded Tata Steel Chess Festival, where 21-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan and 15-year-old U.S. Junior Champion Andy Woodward claimed the Masters and Challengers titles, respectively – earning recognition as two of the hottest stars in chess today. Burke also highlights strong performances by fellow Americans Hans Niemann and Carissa Yip in Wijk aan Zee.
The latest elite tournament results underline Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s outstanding form and playing strength. GM Nikola Nestorovic provides in-depth analyses of his games from the London Chess Classic, illustrating his dynamic playing style and decision-making in critical moments. A further selection of annotated games from the Prague Chess Festival serves as additional testimony to his rise on the global stage.
GM Spyridon Kapnisis surveys current opening trends, noting a shift toward the English Opening, the depth of preparation in topical Ruy Lopez lines, and new ideas in the London System, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Nimzo-Indian, and King’s Indian Defense.
In his regular ACM column, GM Sarunas Sulskis analyzes three magnificent games, with special attention to the World Cup winner, 20-year-old Javokhir Sindarov, and the top American performer at the same event, Sam Shankland. First, he a presents a remarkable clash in which Sindarov deviated early in the opening to steer the game into unknown territory and then demonstrated his tactical capability, accompanied by great precision in the endgame. The second game on display is Shankland’s incredible achievement with the black pieces. His Capablanca-style handling of the Caro-Kann enabled him to outplay Richard Rapport with several powerful “underground” maneuvers. To conclude, Sulskis selected a strategic masterpiece by Awonder Liang, which secured him an important last-round win and the 2025 U.S. Masters title.
For readers who may have missed the 2025 World Cup, ACM Managing Editor Dusan Krunic provides an overview of the tournament’s most thrilling encounters – ranging from opening disasters and powerful attacks to flashy tactics, missed chances, and unusual blunders – referring to players whose performances marked this extremely strong tournament and highlighting the immense pressure and stamina required at the highest level.
FM Jon Jacobs contributes a biography of long-forgotten master Paul Felix Schmidt, one of the world’s strongest players shortly before World War II. Few know that one of his game brilliancies served as inspiration for a theatrical musical which was first performed in London in 1986 and now has its revival staged on Broadway.
FM Dylan McClain reflects on the moral challenges shaping the future of chess in 2026, while Dr. Corey J. Butler examines the psychological dangers that lead to blunders at the board.
An amuzing chess story is brought by George Bailey, who had a successful business career but now, in his retirement days, cherishes chess and enjoys the game more than ever. His excellent writing style begs the question of whether he should have done more writing before he retired.
A special addition to this issue is the third part of Harald Fietz’s on-site report from the Freestyle Chess Open in Karlsruhe, offering readers a clear insight into this rapidly growing variant by highlighting both its similarities to classical chess and the key differences that set it apart.
As usual, IM Grayson Rorrer recaps notable performances by U.S. players in both domestic and international tournaments, while FM Carsten Hansen reviews ten recently published books with passion and a critical eye.
Finally, this issue’s special 5x5 guest is GM Grzegorz Gajewski, coach to the World Champion and long-time second to the former world champion Vishy Anand. Following his valuable advice may not provide a reader with a world title, but there is hardly a better source to learn from on your way to improvement and mastering the game.
