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September 2026
Collector’s Corner: The Danish edition of Philidor’s chess treatise of 1773
by Claes Løfgren
A rare book. A presentation of the first edition of Philidor’s book in Danish.
Read more … Collector’s Corner: The Danish edition of Philidor’s chess treatise of 1773
The 300th anniversary of Philidor, the chess player
by Jean Olivier Leconte
Slides from my presentation on Philidor.
The idea was to present new or little-known facts about Philidor. I plan to explore each topic in much greater depth on my blog. To begin with, here is a detailed article about Philidor’s time in prison (in French): https://lecafedelaregence.blogspot.com/
Read more … The 300th anniversary of Philidor, the chess player
In Memoriam: Anthony John Gillam (1943–2026)
It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that the Chess History & Literature Society (formerly KWA) announces the passing of our esteemed founding member, author, and publisher, Anthony “Tony” John Gillam, who left us on 15 August 2026 at the age of 83. With his departure, the chess historical community loses an unparalleled titan of archival research, a pioneering spirit in publishing, and a deeply cherished friend.
Widely known to the chess world by the imprint of his lifelong work, The Chess Player, Tony dedicated decades to uncovering the forgotten corners of our game’s history. His monumental output — comprising hundreds of tournament books, rare match records, and meticulously reconstructed cross-tables — stands as an enduring testament to his relentless work ethic and passion for historical truth. He didn't just preserve history; he actively rescued it from oblivion, as seen in his groundbreaking works like Mannheim 1914 and the Interned Russians or his highly acclaimed documentation on Munich 1942. On the occasion when Tony Gillam turned 80 years old, the chess world justly celebrated his vast bibliography, which remains a core part of our Members' Publications.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence for Research in Chess History
Here are the presentation slides by Mr Michael Negele.
Lecture given on Friday 28 August 2026 in Copenhagen.
Read more … The Use of Artificial Intelligence for Research in Chess History
CH&LS meeting on 28–29 August in Copenhagen
by Herbert Bastian, in collaboration with Michael Negele and Frank Hoffmeister
This year’s annual meeting of the Chess History & Literature Society (CH&LS) took place from 28 to 29 August at Skakkens Hus (House of Chess) in Copenhagen. Following Marostica (Italy, 2022), Belfort (France, 2023), Budapest (Hungary, 2024) and Valencia (Spain, 2025), the organisers finally ventured on the long-overdue trip north. Accordingly, the eight well-chosen, highly interesting talks also had a strong Nordic focus. As in previous years, at least some of them will be published by Jean Olivier Leconte and Wilfried Krebbers on the CH&LS website.
New Member: Johannes Geppert
Our new member, Johannes Geppert from Germany, introduces himself in the members area (you must be logged in to read).