For NWC magazine contents and PDF files, see the magazine back issues page.

Sluggers follow-up! Josh Sinanan reports that another Slugger has been recognized as an All Star by the U.S. Chess League. Congratulations to Bryce Tiglon for being named 2nd team All Star for board 4! Roland Feng and David Golub were also recognized as honorable mentions for board 3. Here is the report from the USCL website: http://uschessleague.com/wp/2015/12/17/2965/#more-6174.

Yaz writes ... See "On Chess: Final stage of the Chess Grand Tour is ready to start" by Yasser Seirawan on the St. Louis Public Radio website. This is about the 7th London Chess Classic, which began on Friday 12/4, the final of three events in the inaugural Chess Grand Tour.

December magazine! The December issue of Northwest Chess was mailed November 25. It's a 32-page issue with "Are We Losing The Human Side Of Chess?" by Brian Berger, "Chess Notes from Another America" by Dan Bailey, Idaho Chess News, Oregon Chess News, Washington Chess News and a back-cover photo of David Zaklan by Jeffrey Roland. Cover: Ryan Long of Hillsboro, Oregon, at the 2015 Oregon All Stars Invitational Tournament in Salem on October 9. Photo credit: Jeffrey Dobbins.

December magazine - 41 Years Ago! The December 1974 issue of Northwest Chess is the latest of 200 NWC back issues now available - see the scanning project page. In addition, you can enjoy 168 issues of Washington Chess Letter and Northwest Chess Letter, which preceeded NWC. That's 368 total back issues, more than one for every day of the year. And more will be added next year. The December 1974 holiday cover shown here was sketched by Victoria Poyser. Kennedy (Kip) Poyser (link to people articles page) subsequently served as NWC Editor from November 1975 to October 1978.

Sluggers season ends. The Seattle Sluggers concluded their U.S. Chess League action for the year with a playoff loss to San Francisco. According to team manager Josh Sinanan, "The Sluggers fought valiantly against the San Francisco Mechancis (on 11/4) while facing a double-GM lineup and draw odds in the wildcard round. David Golub was the only Slugger to land a knockout blow with a nice win on board 3 over a strong NM. The rest of the team didn't fare so well and went down by score of 3-1. Here is a link to the Sluggers facebook page, which features pictoral reports from most of the matches." The Sluggers finished the regular season 5.5-4.5 in match play (details on USCL website). Pre-season message from Josh: "This year we welcome a new GM to the team, GM Giorgi Margvelashvili, who recently relocated to Vancouver, WA from Dallas after graduating from UTD. We also welcome USCL rookie NM Bryce Tiglon and welcome back IM Michael Lee, who last played for the team in 2010 and just recently achieved the International Master title! IM Ray Kaufman also joins the team having just moved up to WA from CA just recently."

November magazine! The November issue of Northwest Chess was mailed Thursday, October 29. It's a 32-page issue with Washington Chess News, Idaho Chess News, Oregon Chess News, and a back-cover photo of the late Richard Gutman at the 2013 Oregon Open by Jeffrey Roland. Cover: Jerrold Richards (left) vs. David Hendricks at the Vancouver Open. On the next board, Joseph Truelson (left) vs. Nathan Lee. Photo Credit: Rachna Soneji.

Donate! Support Donorschoose.org chess in classrooms (two are local) - see scholastic oportunities page. Simul raises nearly $1,000 - The 100 Board Simul with National Master Elliott Neff (Oct 10) in Bellevue, Washington, raised $985 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County to help bring the benefits of chess to as many kids as possible. Elliott actually played 115 games, drawing only four games and winning all the rest. Wow!

New Master! It's now official - Kyle Haining of Washington is a new US Chess National Master, achieving a rating of 2212 following his excellent performance at the Oregon Open, where he won four games, lost none, and drew only Carl Haessler, a longtime Life Master. Kyle's NM certificate from the US Chess Federation is dated Sept. 18. Congratulations!

GP Update! See 2015 Elmars Zemgalis Memorial Grand Prix standings by state as of September 10, 2015.

Fischer movie! See the official website for the new motion picture, Pawn Sacrifice, starring Tobey Maguire as American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, as he challenges Boris Spassky and the Soviet Empire in 1972. Also see:

• A brief review of Pawn Sacrifice from "Science on the Squares" blog by Devin Camenares.
• Associated Press archive of stories (mostly from digitized TV clips) from the 1972 match in Iceland.
• American Chess May Finally Emerge From The Shadow Of Bobby Fischer, on FiveThirtyEight.
• The Fischer King: Recalling four days in 1964 when Bobby Fischer brought his game to Louisiana, from The New Orleans Advocate.
• Still searching for Bobby Fischer from The Portland Sun, Portland, Maine (posted in 2012).
• A very different side of Bobby Fischer from what was portrayed in Pawn Sacrifice from Chess Daily News.
• Viswanathan Anand interview about Fischer and related topics from The Indian Express.
• BBC documentary, "Bobby Fischer - Anything to Win (Biography)" on YouTube (2012).

October magazine! The October issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on Thursday, September 24. It's a 32-page issue with 2015 Chess Journalists of America Awards, Idaho Chess News, Oregon Chess News, Washington Chess News, annual USPS Statement of Ownership, "Chess Groovies" by NM Daniel He and NM Samuel He, and a back-cover photo of "2015 Run or Bike/Chess Championship by Dianne Barrese." Cover: GM Timur Gareyev gives Blindfold Simul by Mike Morris.

September magazine! The September issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on Friday, August 28. It's a 32-page issue with Denker/Barber/NGIT by Owen McCoy, Oregon Chess News, Washington Chess News, Idaho Chess News, and a back-cover photo of "Alex Machin at the Boise Chess Club" by Jim Berezow. Cover: Dewain Barber, Owen McCoy and Dylan Denker at the Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions by Sarah McCoy.

MegaChess plastic chess set for sale! This set, with 37-inch kings, was ordered brand new for a stage production last summer at an original cost of $769. To make an offer (half-price is reasonable) contact Don at northwestjunction@gmail.com. The set can be picked up in the Puyallup, Washington area or shipped at additional cost. Special board shown in photo is not included.

Interesting story, "Victory Day," on the First Move website regarding the role of chess masters in World War II.

In Memoriam - We regret to announce the passing away of Richard Gutman on July 25, 2015. Richard was one of Portland's strongest players. In 2013 he tied for first place in the Oregon Open. He played in the Oregon Closed many times and will surely be missed by all who knew him. Reported by Allen Chalfen.

August magazine! The August issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on July 31. It's a 32-page issue with Idaho Chess News, Oregon Chess News, Washington Chess News, "Chess Groovies" by NM Daniel He and NM Samuel He and a back-cover photo of "Jeffrey Roland at the Boise Chess Club by Jim Berezow." Cover: David Lucky “in victory pose” as he wins the 2015 Idaho Open in the same calendar year as he also won the Idaho Closed, making him the first player in over 50 years to do that. Photo credit: Jeffrey Roland.

Two new history articles! Chess in the Northwest in the 1970s and 1980s by IM John Donaldson with photos preserved by John Braley, and History of the Portland Chess Club (with photos) by Casey Bush. Russell Miller has also written a blog post, Capablanca in Portland Oregon 99 years ago, based on some information obtained by Casey.

Northwest Players in California! See "PNW Players among Winners of Long Running California Event - Arthur Stamer Memorial Winners (1964-1993)" by Russell Miller on the NWC blog.

In Memoriam - GM Walter S. Browne, 1949 – 2015. See the report on the Vegas Chess Festival website. Walter passed away at a friend's home immediately after this year's festival, held June 19-21. Also see the remembrance of Walter by Jude Acers on Jude's website. Also see the New York Times obituary of Walter.

New Advertisers! Northwest Chess welcomes the following new advertisers - Dover Publications (see business card in magazine or on calendar page), chess coach Neil Salmon (also see magazine beginning in July or calendar page) and Kambo Handicrafts Amritsar, a manufacturer of wooden chess sets and other products. See Kambo's half-page ad, which also debuts in the July magazine. Photo: Chess pieces from the Kambo ad.

Register for Millionaire Chess Open! For you really serious chess players, this event will be held Oct. 10-12 in Las Vegas, and you could enter for $1,500 up to September 30.

YouTube Video! - A Prodigy’s Progress—Lecture By IM John Donaldson about chess legend Bobby Fischer’s meteoric rise to a World Championship Candidate. The talk was given at the World Chess Hall of Fame on May 7.

July magazine! The July issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on Friday, June 26. It's a 32-page issue with Oregon Chess News, Washington Chess News, Idaho Chess News, a "Travel The World And Play Chess Crossword Puzzle" by Carol Kleist. Front cover: Members of the Lakeside K-12 Championship Team by Hideyuki Nagase. Back cover: "Jim Berezow taking picture of Jaime Crosby and Jarod Buus at Boise Chess Club by Jeffrey Roland."

New Member? Did you join your state chess federation and subscribe to Northwest Chess at the Washington Open? If so, welcome, and you'll receive your first magazine via regular periodicals mail at the beginning of July. If you didn't pick up a copy of the June magazine at the tournament, a limited number of copies are still available on request.

June magazine! The June issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on Wednesday, May 27. It's a 32-page issue with Washington Chess News, Idaho Chess News, Oregon Chess News and "Chess Groovies" by NM Daniel He and NM Samuel He." Front cover: Some prize winners at the Washington State Elementary & Middle School Chess Championship by Antony Chiang. Back cover: Two players looking at a tablet at the Washington State Elementary & Middle School Chess Championships by Antony Chiang. A limited number of copies of the June magazine were delivered to the Lynnwood Convention Center for the Washington Open, and new members/subscribers were requested to pick up a copy.

May magazine! The May issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on Friday, May 1. It's a 32-page issue with "Morgan the Dog Interview" by Brian Berger, Oregon Chess News, Idaho Chess News, Washington Chess News and "Chess Groovies" by NM Daniel He and NM Samuel He. Front cover: Morgan the Dog in Hollywood by Lisa Kuhlman & Brian Berger. Back cover: cartoon of "Dog trying to look like Morgan the Dog by Brian Berger." As you can see, this issue has really gone to the dogs!

1,000 Events! - Both the Seattle and Portland Chess Clubs were nearing 1,000 rated events since the current period of USCF record-keeping began in 1991, and the SCC has now reached that mark. See the original blog post by Rusty Miller, and the blog post when SCC reached the 1,000 (and 1,001) mark in April.

U.S. Chess Championships! - Both the open and women's events took place March 31-April 12 in St. Louis. See the official website. GM Hikaru Nakamura won the main event by 0.5 points, with a score of 8 out of 11 with no losses. GM Ray Robson finished second with 7.5, while GM Irina Krush is the women's champion with 8.5 of 11.

Seirawan story! - See "Seirawan revisits milestone in Dubai" from Susan Polgar's Chess Daily News and blog, March 25.

April magazine! The April issue of Northwest Chess has been produced, and was mailed on 3/27. it's a 32-page issue with Washington Chess News, Oregon Chess News, Idaho Chess News, and a back-cover photo of Bill Brubaker at the Boise Chess Club by Jeffrey Roland. Cover: The three State Chess Champions by various photographers.

Maryhill Museum of Art Now Open! - This interesting museum, located near Goldendale, Wash., opened for its 75th anniversary season on Sunday, March 15. It features a collection of chess sets in addition to many other works of art. See March 1 article in The Columbian.

Another new local NM! Marcell Szabo, an 8th grader at Hamilton Middle School in Seattle, became the Northwest's newest USCF National Master on Jan. 25. He scored 3.5/4 at the Seattle Chess Club January Tornado and gained 18 points to boost his USCF rating to 2217! Along the way, he beat Anthony He (1979) and FM Roland Feng (2325). Congratulations, Marcell! See the USCF crosstable link. Photo: Marcell shows his USCF NM certificate.

Scholastic Chess Article! See " All the right moves: La Center chess team wins league title" from The Columbian (Feb. 26, 2015) about the La Center High School chess team, which finished first out of 12 teams in the second division of the Oregon High School Chess Association's Portland League in their first year as a competitive team.

March magazine! The March issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on 2/27. it's a 32-page issue with Northwest Chess Grand Prix 2014 Final Report by Murlin Varner, Idaho Chess News, Oregon Chess News, Washington Chess News, Crossword Puzzle No. 2 by Carol Kleist, "Chess Groovies" by NM Daniel He and NM Samuel He, and a back-cover photo of Matthew Dominick and Jarod Buus by Jeffrey Roland. Cover: David Lucky, Idaho Blitz Chess Champion by Jeffrey Roland.

Nakamura wins in Gibraltar! GM and former U.S. chess champion Hikaru Nakamura was the second-highest rated player entered in the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Jan. 26-Feb. 5, and he won the event with an impressive 8.5/10 score! The highest rated player, at 2800 FIDE, was former world championship contender Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. He finished in a tie for 3rd with 7.5/10. Taking 2nd was English GM David Howell with 8.0/10. See the event website.

February magazine! The February issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on 1/30. it's a 32-page issue with Oregon Chess News, "The Foolish King" by Samir Sen, Washington Chess News, Idaho Chess News and a back-cover photo of Corey Longhurst by Jim Berezow. Cover: Aaron Grabinsky by Nancy Keller. Note: The final version that now appears online (see the magazine back issues page) contains corrections to a couple of errors that appeared in the printed edition.

Best Chess Books! See a list of the "Best Chess Books Ever" on chess.com as recommended by various GMs and IMs including GM Seirawan, IM Donaldson and IM Silman.

Elmars Zemgalis memorial information - A memorial to celebrate the inspirational life of Elmars Zemgalis, International Grandmaster, was held on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 at the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Seattle. Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Seattle Chess Club, http://www.seattlechess.org, or to the church. See the obituary on legacy.com, as also published in The Seattle Times on Jan. 4.

January magazine! The January issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on 12/26. It's a 32-page issue with Washington Chess News, Chess Groovies by NM Daniel He and NM Samuel He, Oregon Chess News, Idaho Chess News and a back-cover photo of Jim Berezow by Jeffrey Roland. Cover: Alan Tan by Duane Polich.