Chess Base

• Who is Anastasiia Hnatyshyn?

  At just 15 year of age, Anastasia Hnatyshyn became the surprise winner of the Women's European Championship. However, looking at the Ukrainian's career so far, her success is not quite so surprising. She began playing competitive chess at the age of seven and has already played in over 200 tournaments. A portrait. | Pictured: Sabrina Vega, Anastasiia Hnatyshyn and Olga Badelka | Photo: European Chess Union

• UzChess Cup: Vokhidov beats Madaminov

  Round three of the UzChess Cup was quieter than the first two days, with four of the five games ending in draws. The only decisive result came in the all-Uzbek encounter between Shamsiddin Vokhidov and Mukhiddin Madaminov, as Vokhidov converted a favourable queen endgame. Madaminov's defeat left him tied for first place with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Arjun Erigaisi on 2/3. | Photo: Official website

• Under the Hammer

  It isn't easy to weave Sotheby’s, Queen Isabella of Spain, Fischer-Spassky 1972, Michael Caine and a vigilante killer into the same article. But that is exactly what John Henderson does, in this piece that appears in the June issue of CHESS magazine. He tells us how the vast collection of chess memorabilia of GM Lothar Schmid, considered to be the largest and most important of its kind in private hands, went under the hammer recently at Sotheby’s in London. You will not believe the prices they received.