The Norwegian, 35, overcame elite fields despite time forfeits after knocking over pieces in critical games The world No 1, Magnus Carlsen, recovered from a series of mishaps to win both the World Rapid and Blitz crowns at Doha, Qatar, last weekend. The global victories were the 19th and 20th...
Wasteful Ekitiké helps Leeds keep toiling Liverpool at arm’s length
Two unbeaten records were maintained at Anfield but only one team took satisfaction along with their point. Leeds succeeded in stifling and frustrating Liverpool as the first goalless draw of Arne Slot’s reign underlined the limitations that linger behind the Premier League champions’ recent recovery. A drab scoreless draw, the...
PDC world darts: Van Veen dumps Humphries out as Littler wins over crowd
Former world champion beaten 5-1 by rising star Littler cheered during rout of Krzysztof Ratajski For the third time in this match, Gian van Veen is lining up the bull finish for a 170. This time, though, he steps away from the oche, and as the noise builds and swells...
Usman Khawaja’s retirement farewell shows how cricket can be an expression of character | Gideon Haigh
Touching on his relationship with God, his family and racism, the Australian articulates how he became a better cricketer as he became a better man There is no gainsaying Usman Khawaja’s significance as an Australian Test cricketer; an additional mark of his stature is that he almost made you take...
Thomas Frank’s Spurs booed off after toiling to point on his Brentford return
There was an extraordinary moment just before kick-off here when Thomas Frank strode 20 yards on to the pitch and applauded all four corners of the stadium. The Tottenham head coach was applauded back by the Brentford fans because he will always be a hero to them. His work over...
Pep Guardiola urges Manchester City players to get ‘heads up’ for visit of Chelsea
Manager calm after ‘really good game’ at Sunderland Chelsea visit Etihad on Sunday after sacking Maresca An outwardly sanguine Pep Guardiola suggested he was reasonably content with a hard-fought point at Sunderland after watching his Manchester City side lose ground on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. The...
Enzo Maresca forgot Chelsea’s golden rule: the manager does not call the shots | Jacob Steinberg
Coach stopped toeing the line at Stamford Bridge with one eye on the Manchester City job, frustrating his employers It was late on New Year’s Eve when Chelsea’s patience ran out. They knew that Enzo Maresca was attempting to engineer an exit from the club and now they were ready...
The Guardian Footballer of the Year Jess Carter: ‘I remember not wanting to go out’
England defender publicly confronted racist abuse at the Euros and ended 2025 a title winner with club and country The Guardian Footballer of the Year is an award given to a player who has done something remarkable, whether by overcoming adversity, helping others or setting a sporting example by acting...
Call for routine high blood pressure testing of UK children as cases almost double
Exclusive: Identifying teenagers at risk could help prevent organ damage, strokes and heart attacks in early adulthood, doctors say Leading doctors have called for a national UK programme to monitor schoolchildren for high blood pressure amid concerns that rising rates in adolescents will increase cases of organ damage, strokes and...
Winter blooming of hundreds of plants in UK ‘visible signal’ of climate breakdown
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisies Daisies and dandelions are among hundreds of native plant species blooming in the UK, in what scientists have called a “visible signal” of climate breakdown disrupting the natural world. A Met Office analysis of...