News archive
2025
GM Dr phil. Robert Hübner (6.11.1948 - 5.1.2025)

- not only a chess genius -
by Siegfried Schönle
[Original article in German is here. Translation with DeepL.com (free version)]
Firstly, this remark before anything else:
In just a few words in this article, it is almost impossible to adequately honour the chess and academic work of the late GM Dr phil. Robert Hübner (6.11.1948 - 5.1.2025) in this article is simply not possible. The author would also like to ask for your understanding that he can only say a few things about Dr Robert Hübner. This is due to a lack of knowledge and language skills.
Instead, in reference to his own book title, Elemente einer Selbstbiographie [Elements of a Self-Biography], Berlin, Edition Marco 2015), some ‘elements’ of his biography will be recalled to the reader's memory.
This is an attempt to perhaps emphasise the lesser-known sides and interests of his personality.
A review of his entries in eight English- and German-language encyclopaedias revealed a fairly uniform picture: date of birth; learnt chess at the age of 5; his successes in decades after Büsum 1968 (see photo below); multiple World Championship candidate in around 20 years; participation in 6 World Championship cycles; papyrologist; various winning games at the end of the articles.
The focus of the articles in the encyclopaedias is, quite understandably, on the chess career. - So far so good!
Read more … GM Dr phil. Robert Hübner (6.11.1948 - 5.1.2025)
Jesus Diez del Corral: The Spanish Botvinnik

Mr Juan Carlos Sanz Menéndez has just published in Spanish, Jesús Diez del Corral: El Botvinnik español, about the second Spanish grandmaster, covering his entire chess career from 1945 to 1988, with over 1000 games, the vast majority of which do not appear in game databases. It is available from the specialist chess publisher Tienda Chessy: DIEZ DEL CORRAL El Botvinnik español
Description:
Book including all the games of Diez del Corral, the 2nd Spanish Grandmaster in history and one of the most talented. Covers his entire chess career, from 1945 to 1988.
This work is the result of a titanic effort by the author, who has endeavoured to bring together almost all the games played by one of the most talented Spanish grandmasters (and surely also one of the most professional in his preparation).
Not only is it a journey through Diez del Corral's chess career, but it is also a look at the leading Spanish masters of the time, who in most cases held the title of National Master by being placed prominently in the national championships. These now unknown players were among the strongest in Spain and with this work we make them known, with a brief biography.
Jesús Diez del Corral (1933-2010) was for more than a decade (from 1968 to 1979) the strongest player in Spain, although he had to combine chess with his demanding professional obligations (he was a land registrar and notary, for example).
Money makes the (chess) world go around

In the German chess journal Schach our President Frank Hoffmeister published recently an article about the difficulties of world champions and their challengers to find sponsors for their matches. With the kind authorisation of the publisher, our member Raj Tischbierek, please find attached his contribution (in German).