I want to tell you about a new calendar I’m enjoying quite a bit: The 2026 Chess Calendar, by SILU Games. It is made by International Master Silas Esben Lund, and each day includes a puzzle from the 1956 Olympiad. There are a variety of levels, so a wide variety of users will find something that gets them thinking en route to a satisfying solution. There is only one diagram per page, making the problems pleasant to solve from the physical page without use of a board.
Puzzle
In the spirit of entering 2026, here is the puzzle for January 1st. Orlando Pla played White for Puerto Rico, against Per Lindblom from Norway. A similar matchup in 2026 would see Norway massively favored – their board 1 in particular isn’t a bad player – but in this game, the Puerto Rican master decided matters with a rapid attack on the kingside!
White to play and win – solution coming tomorrow!
By the way, you can get the calendar here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/4380256213/chess-gifts-2026-chess-calendar-with?ls=a&ref=sold_out_ad-1&frs=1&plkey=LT614fece82fe261234443012042833eb25af9560d%3A4380256213