In just over 1 month, nearly one thousand of the world’s strongest chess players will descend upon Budapest, Hungary to battle it out in the 45th Chess Olympiad. 

193 countries are each sending a team of 5 of their best players to fight for national glory, make individual triumphs, and celebrate the royal game that all of us around the world love, all in the ultimate team chess tournament. 

It’s one of the most unique, moving, and altogether awesome events in the chess world. So in the weeks leading up to the Olympiad, we’re highlighting some of the countries and players to watch out for – many of whom are Chessable authors. 

With the British Chess Championship going on at this very moment, this week the spotlight is on the United Kingdom. 

The UK has been a powerhouse in the world of chess for decades, fueled by some of the sharpest and most creative minds in the game. 

A Brief History of Chess in the UK

Long before well-known champions like Nigel Short or Michael Adams came along, England produced arguably the world’s strongest player in his day: Howard Staunton. Though the World Chess Championship did not even exist at the time, everyone in Europe knew Staunton was the man to beat. His only possible equal was American sensation Paul Morphy – but as they never played each other, the world will never know who was truly better. 

After Staunton, the UK’s chess dominance was arguably diminished for the next several decades, though certainly with exceptions like Frederick Yates and Sultan Khan. It wasn’t until 1976 that the nation produced its first grandmaster: Tony Miles.

Not afraid of the unbeaten path, Miles’ wildly unconventional play and tremendous talent for calculation shook even World Champions like Anatoly Karpov – as in their famous game where Miles beat Karpov with Black by starting with 1…a6! 

Miles’ rise ushered in a wave of other creative geniuses that transformed the British chess scene. Other grandmasters such as Jonathan Speelman and Nigel Short soon showed up to dominate. But perhaps the pinnacle was the decade of the 1990s, when Short challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess Championship. And the 90s saw the rise of talented grandmasters that still top the rating charts: Michael Adams, Julian Hodgson, and Matthew Sadler, just to name a few. 

The British Olympiad Teams

Though England, Scotland, and Wales are each competing (Northern Ireland is not sending a team), the strongest of the strong are representing England. Their lineup includes: 

OPEN SECTION:

GM Nikita Vitiugov – 2021 Russian Champion who recently joined the English Chess Federation

GM David Howell – 3-time British Champion and renowned chess commentator

GM Michael Adams – 8-time British Champion, peaked number 4 in the world

GM Gawain Jones – 2-time British Champion and youngest ever player to beat an International Master

GM Luke McShane – peak 2700+ grandmaster and winner of many prestigious tournaments

WOMEN’S SECTION

WGM Jovanka Houska – 9-time British Women’s Champion and renowned chess commentator

WGM Harriet Hunt – 5-time British Women’s Champion

WGM Katarzyna Toma – 2-time Polish Junior Champion who now represents England

WGM Lan Yao – 2-time British Women’s Champion

WFM Bodhana Sivanandan – 9-year old chess prodigy who already has achieved the master title

British Chessable Authors

No, your eyes did not deceive you – you’re seeing Chessable authors on the English Olympiad teams! We’re proud to have so many strong British players like Gawain Jones, David Howell, and Jovanka Houska not only produce amazing courses, but also show they still are at the top of their game. 

But many of Chessable’s most respected and prolific authors call the British Isles home. Among them: 

GM Simon Williams

With a beard like that, it’s hard to miss the “Ginger GM.” After all, he’s authored nearly 20 courses for Chessable! Students across the world thoroughly enjoy his fun, engaging teaching style, while learning offbeat yet certainly viable openings – often meticulously researched by his co-author, IM Richard Palliser. Try outfoxing your opponents with courses such as The Hippopotamus Defense or any of his famous Grandmaster Gambits.

GM Jonathan Rowson

The Scottish GM is one of the most influential thinkers in chess literature, and his profound works like The Seven Deadly Chess Sins and Chess for Zebras have helped scores of players reflect on the way they think over the chess board – beyond their normal tactics, strategies, openings and endgames. 

GM Matthew Sadler

A computer scientist by training, GM Sadler has taught us how to effectively use one of the most important tools in modern chess study: the engine. He co-authored his masterpiece Game Changer: AlphaZero’s Groundbreaking Chess Strategies and the Promise of AI with WIM Natasha Regan – a multi-talented chess professional who has also authored brilliant tactics courses such as Zwischenzug: A Comprehensive Guide to Intermediate Moves. 

GM Gawain Jones

Who would have thought  one of the most fearsome competitors over the board was such a gentlemanly instructor? That’s what hundreds of students of Lifetime Repertoires: King’s Indian Defense and Lifetime Repertoires: Jones’ 1.e4 e5 will tell you. GM Jones is as quick to answer student questions as he is to find a move in a blitz game – and he’s just as brilliant at it. 

WGM Jovanka Houska

With such a knack for explaining live chess games for the masses in her role as a commentator, it’s perhaps no surprise that WGM Houska is such a talented author. Her uncanny ability to break down the complex into something so simple even a beginner can understand is on full display in Starting Out: Caro-Kann. 

Now, these certainly aren’t the only talented British authors on Chessable. In honor of the upcoming Olympiad, we’re putting all courses by British authors on sale now – and you can get up to 40% off the normal price. Be sure to check it out and support these amazing authors – and take a few pages from their winning playbooks.