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One Week Left to Win An Autographed Kasparov Chess Set
Introducing Moves That Matter, a new weekly roundup to give you a strategic view on the news.
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Welcome to Moves That Matter, a new weekly roundup from The Next Move.
The Next Move is all about a strategy for the pro-democracy community. To be strategic requires taking a wide view—highlighting pieces you may have missed, revisiting yesterday’s analysis to see what we got right and what we got wrong.
Keeping track of everything is… exhausting. So this roundup will highlight just the moves that matter (hence the name!).
Your support makes all of this happen. As a thank you to our premium subscribers, Renew Democracy Initiative Chairman Garry Kasparov is giving away three autographed chess sets. Anyone signed up as a premium subscriber by Friday, October 31 will be automatically entered to win. There’s just one week left—don’t miss out!1
Thanks, as always, for your readership and support!
— The Next Move team
Home Field Advantage
We’re mixing chess and sports metaphors, but we needed to set up the domestic section of this newsletter somehow. Also, the World Series starts tonight. Bear with us!
Shut It Down?
Government has ground to a halt.
Weeks into the shutdown, we revisit the question: Is closing the government the strategically-sound move to hold the administration accountable?
To answer this, let’s revisit our debate from April when a shutdown was first on the table—and Democratic leadership chose to compromise.
Schumer Was Wrong | ||||||
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Garry Kasparov posits that Schumer’s decision to back Trump’s funding bill and avoid a shutdown was a misstep. Operating as normal is all well and good when everything is… well, normal. But when the president erodes every norm in the book, real leadership demands bold, risky, plays. Was a shutdown the risky move supporters of democratic norms needed to make? | ||||||
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Schumer Was Right | ||
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Former Congressman Mickey Edwards disagreed. He argued that Schumer’s decision was a necessary compromise to sustain public trust, essential services, and his party’s long-term strength. Schumer chose strategy over spectacle and survival over short-term wins. | ||
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Let us know in the comments: Do you think the shutdown is still the move?
Putin’s Pawn
The crises continue abroad. Trump’s meeting with Putin in Russia-friendly Hungary is off (for now), but the fact that it was even a consideration shows just how much influence Moscow still wields in Washington.
After Zelenskyy and Putin Meetings, What is Trump's Next Move in Ukraine? | ||||||
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Former Treasury Department official Greg Wilson breaks down Trump's missed opportunities—and how he can finally flip the script and deliver peace for Ukraine. | ||||||
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Playing Russia’s Game: When America is Desperate for Deals, Dictators Win | ||||||
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The proposed Budapest summit put Trump’s deference to Putin back in the spotlight. Fatima Abo Alasrar traces a deeper pattern in American engagement with dictators that goes beyond the current president—prioritizing quick transactions over transformation. From Bush to Obama to Trump, presidents have chased quick diplomatic “wins.” Advantage: Moscow. | ||||||
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A Shaky Ceasefire
In the Middle East, initialing a ceasefire deal is only half the battle. With the Israel-Hamas truce already in turmoil, can Trump’s tactics deliver lasting peace?
I Met the Founders of Hamas. Gaza's Terrorist Rulers Can't Surrender. | ||||||
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Will the ceasefire last? Ksenia Svetlova interacted with Hamas leadership firsthand. She argues that the Palestinian terror group accepted the deal out of necessity, not conviction. She traces Hamas’s unprecedented isolation and its plan for the region, dissecting the fragile truce and the unanswered questions of the future of Palestine. | ||||||
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Your Move
Now let’s get to the most important part—what all of you think about what’s going on!
Renew Democracy Initiative Director of Communications Evan Gottesman asked readers about their experiences with the No Kings protests.
Is No Kings making a splash—or is it a bust? Can the opposition counter authoritarianism and control extremism in its own corner? Here’s what you had to say:
Ed P. had a positive experience protesting in Philadelphia—but offered some constructive feedback:
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Derrick White chose not to participate:
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Made it this far? Then answer our poll and check back next week for the results to check the pulse of the Next Move community.
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On the fence about becoming a paid subscriber? We have a special offer to make the decision easier for you: $49 for an annual subscription—a 30% discount—now through November 8. Paid subscribers get exclusive benefits like interactive Zoom calls with Garry Kasparov. Anyone who signs up as a premium subscriber by October 31 will be automatically entered to win a chess set signed by Garry!1
1. Please see full rules and regulations for The Next Move 2025 raffle.
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