Historical importance of chess in Russia

Day 1,386.

Today, as Ukraine fires hundreds of drones into Russia – forcing the closure of all major Moscow airports – we report on how the maritime war is intensifying, with Kyiv striking shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea and oil rigs in the Caspian Sea. Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions are rising, with President Donald Trump saying he exchanged “pretty strong words” with his European counterparts, just as reports emerge of a White House plan to bring Russia’s economy in from the cold. Then we return to controversial developments in the chess world with The Telegraph’s chess correspondent Malcolm Pein.

Contributors

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.

With thanks to Malcolm Pein (Chess Correspondent). @TelegraphChess on X.

SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  

Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Dom and Francis’s Chess Game with Malcolm in Odesa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCptvJ2tuIA 

With clips in our Ukraine Culture War Documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28HqbQLYGMM&pp=ygUPb2Rlc2EgdGVsZWdyYXBo 

Starmer, Macron and Merz warn Trump over ‘Euro-Atlantic’ alliance (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/10/starmer-macron-and-merz-warn-trump-euro-atlantic-alliance/ 

Ukrainian drone boats blow up Russian oil tankers (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/29/ukrainian-drone-boats-blow-up-russian-oil-tankers/ 

U.S. Blueprint to Rewire Economies of Russia, Ukraine Sets Off Clash With Europe (Wall Street Journal):

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/u-s-blueprint-to-rewire-economies-of-russia-ukraine-sets-off-clash-with-europe-72484515 

US House passes bill to bolster Europe’s defence, in apparent rebuke to Trump’s foreign policy strategy (The Guardian):

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/us-house-passes-bill-to-bolster-europes-defence-in-apparent-rebuke-to-trumps-foreign-policy-strategy 

‘Make Europe Great Again’ and more from a longer version of the National Security Strategy (The Telegraph):

https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2025/12/make-europe-great-again-and-more-longer-version-national-security-strategy/410038/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story 

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