11/29/2022 – The 30th edition of the FIDE World Senior Chess Championship in Assisi (Italy) ended on Saturday, November 26, after a hard fight until the last minute. In the 50+ group, the Georgian Grandmaster Zurab Sturua became the new World Champion. The Women's World Champion in this group was WGM Elvira Berend (Luxembourg). In the 65+ group the title went to English GM John Nunn (pictured), the women's title was won by GM Nona Gaprindashvili (Georgia). | Photos: FIDE

10/7/2019 – Problem solving is a challenging field, with young participants generally dominating. There is one exception. Year after year a British mathematician, grandmaster and chess writer gives the strongest and brightest a run for their money. This year 64-year-old John Nunn finished a close second, and reported on this success. Today he presents, in his own inimitable style, the solutions to seven of the problems he had to solve at the 43rd World Chess Solving Championship in Vilnius. Our picture shows John Nunn winning the silver medal at the WCCC2019 in Vilnius and composing a chess problem, in the mid 1980s.

2/2/2019 – After Magnus Carlsen and Vladislav Kovalev won the Tata Steel Masters and Challengers tournaments, the ARVES Chess Endgame Studies Association organised a study solving competition in Wijk aan Zee for the tenth time. Former woman Dutch champion Anne Haast — the youngest participant — was the surprising winner. YOCHANAN AFEK composed three out of the nine studies that were used in the event and sent a report from the North Sea coastal city. | Photos: Harry Gielen

9/23/2018 – It is a highly challenging discipline, with the top places generally going to the younger participants. But year after year a British mathematician, grandmaster and chess writer competes, successfully, with the strongest and brightest. This year the World Championship in problem-solving was held in a beautiful lakeside town in Macedonia, and once again 63-year-old JOHN NUNN did extremely well. In his report, he gives us some examples of the tasks that he faced. | Pictured: winners in the individual event, Kacper Piorun, Piotr Murdzia and Tomáš Peitl | Photo: Franziska Iseli

4/3/2018 – “Last year I took part in the British Over-50 Championship,” our friend and author writes. “A number of people wondered why I had entered. The explanation is that 2017 made it exactly half a century since I first took part in the British Championship, and it seemed reasonable to mark the occasion by once again playing in the event. I thought it would be interesting to tell the story of these two events, although I have allowed myself to wander off-topic to some extent.” Well, here it is for you to enjoy.

12/17/2017 – Last week we gave you some interesting problems to solve, today we bring you the solutions thereof. And some logical puzzles, which the veteran Super-GM gave us during spectacular walks along the cliffs of Cornwall. For some we need mathematical assistance and invite our readers to provide this. Finally a selection of prize-winning compositions, published over the years, by John Nunn himself. If you do participate there is a a very nice personal prize to win. | Photo: Frederic Friedel

12/8/2017 – At 15 he was Oxford University's youngest undergraduate since Cardinal Wolsey in 1520; and at 23 he did his doctorate in algebraic topology — and achieved his final grandmaster norm. He went on to become one of the top ten players in the world, and a world champion chess problem solver. Today John Nunn, at 62, is slowly gliding into retirement (from his chess publishing business), but that does not mean sitting idly around. He is addicted to rational thinking, puzzles, mathematics and beautiful vacations. Frederic Friedel joined him on one.

5/18/2017 – In 1979 the East Devon Congress was won, with a 4½/5 score, by a young student with long curly hair and a brown corduroy jacket. 38 years later it was won, again with a 4½/5 score, by the same player, now sporting shorter grey hair. We bring you an interesting report from the British chess magazine CHESS, which also contains a piece on a new variant of the game that is gaining popularity: Duck Chess.

11/14/2016 – The first edition of John Nunn’s book Solving in Style was published in 1985 by George Allen & Unwin and became an instant hit amongst those interested in chess problems. Although there is an extensive literature on chess composition, there was almost nothing to help ordinary players master the art of solving problems and studies. John’s book filled the gap by offering a player-friendly guide to the fascinating world of chess problems.

8/27/2016 – During the first week of August the city of Belgrade, famous for many notable chess events in the past, hosted the 40th World Chess Solving Championship. The event was covered vigorously in the national media, and it was won by the Polish participants. John Nunn, who won the Seniors section, sent us a report with some very nice problems for our readers to solve. Today he presents the solutions, annotated in his wonderfully lucid style.

8/17/2016 – Belgrade is a city that has hosted many famous chess events. During the first week of August the 40th World Chess Solving Championship took place there, and the event was covered vigorously in the national media. The main events were dominated by Polish participants, and Casper Piorun became the 2016 World Solving Champion. John Nunn, who won the Seniors section, sent us a report and some very nice problems for you to solve.

8/29/2015 – Are you interested in chess problems? Many-movers, help and selfmate? In the solutions to the second part of his series John Nunn explains how these problems work and how the mind of an world-class problemist goes about finding the solution. You should replay John's wonderfully lucid explanations to get a taste of the bizarre beauty of chess problems.

8/26/2015 – In a two-part article on the competition (where he finished second) John Nunn presented a selection of the problems and studies that had to be solved under ‘school exam’ conditions in two days of six sessions. Today he shows us the thought processes that go through a solver's mind and presents full and detailed solutions to the first three compositions in his unique didactic style.

8/20/2015 – After the first day of the 2015 Championship our reporter was in the lead, but faced a stiff challenge on the second day from the reigning champion Kacper Piorun. In the end the young Polish solver secured the title by just half a point, while John Nunn won silver medal and took gold in the Seniors category, thirty points clear of the field. We must remind you: John turned sixty this year.

8/19/2015 – The 2015 Championship was staged in a beautiful lakeside hotel in Poland, with the world's best chess problem solvers being tested to the utmost in six solving sessions spread over two days – with the problems to be solved under ‘school exam’ conditions. One of the top competitors is grandmaster John Nunn, who sent us a report with a selection of championship compositions.

4/27/2015 – Sixteen players, most of them with GM titles, gathered together in the splendid Home House in London's West End to play a blitz tournament. This was to celebrate the 60th birthday of one of their most esteemed colleagues, Dr John Nunn, mathematician, former top world class GM, author, problemist. We wish John a very happy birthday with this big pictorial report.

4/11/2015 – The prospect of a game of chess over the radio combined with an interview is now an established success thanks to its revival by Dominic Lawson. Readers will recall that BBC Radio 4 has resurrected a concept dating back to Bobby Fischer with the series "Across the Board". Not limiting itself to it, Tim Harford interviewed John Nunn on math, computers and Lasker.

3/5/2014 – We recently reported on this championship, which was won by our favourite author Dr John Nunn, who selected four highly entertaining problems from the competition for our readers to solve. Today John provides the solutions – annotated in his inimitable clear and precise style. Even if you are not a problem enthusiast you can, with his help, enjoy a very special section of chess.

3/2/2014 – It was a battle between GMs and pure problem specialists. The former scored heavily in the chess studies section, but the only three to solve a very difficult helpmate were all problem specialists. The overall winner was GM Dr John Nunn, a frequent contributor to our news page. John has selected some of the problems, which he explains, and describes the course of the event.

2/4/2014 – The winners of our 2013 Christmas puzzle contest will be announced after the Zürich Chess Challenge (where their prizes will be signed). The puzzles were selected by problem expert GM John Nunn, who gave us the solutions to the first four, and now provides his wonderfully lucid explanations for the remaining problems. In addition we give you the solutions to our brain teasers.

1/22/2014 – The prize contest is now closed, we have received your entries and will announce the winners after the Zürich Chess Challenge (where the prizes will be signed) at the beginning of February. The seven chess puzzles were selected by GM John Nunn, who now gives us the solutions to the first four, with extensive explanations that make them interesting even to readers who are not problem fans.

12/31/2013 – It's been a great year, with more chess than ever before – and more visitors than ever before flocking to our news site. We thank them for the wonderfully positive feedback we routinely receive, which makes our whole endeavour eminently worthwhile. As always we end the year with our traditional Christmas puzzles, and once again we have entrusted multiple world champion solver John Nunn with their selection. Now with all seven puzzles.

3/20/2013 – Dr John Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once was in the world's top ten. He is no longer active as a competition player but works mainly in writing and publishing chess books. During round four of the Candidates Tournament in London he appeared at the press-center for the first time, keeping a low profile. He predicted: the winner will be determined in the last round. Interview.

10/5/2012 – In August we published a study that we have been using for almost three decades as a challenge for computers to solve. However endgame and study expert John Nunn suggested that there might be an alternative solution to the study. After extensive analysis and with the help of some of our readers Dr Nunn has now come to the conclusion that the study is after all correct. Astronomical update.