Perpetual Chess Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP 354- Perpetual Chess Improvement Book Discussion with Dr. Christopher Chabris Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

My book, Perpetual Chess Improvement, is now available from New in Chess (and should be shipping from Amazon any day now), so it was time to dedicate a podcast to discussing it in detail. Joining me for the discussion is longtime friend of the pod, cognitive scientist, author and USCF Master, Dr. Christopher Chabris. Christopher had a sneak peak at the book and shares his impressions of it and interviews me on the topics that interested him. . We discuss what I call “The Four Pillars of Chess Improvement,” how the project came about, and the key lessons I derived for improvement of my own chess game from writing it. Whether or not you are interested in reading the book, I hope you find this discussion of chess improvement worthwhile. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

03:00-Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. You can check out what is new here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

And you can check out some of my favorites here:

https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

05:00- Book announcements

Full info on book signings and ordering signed books here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/book?fbclid=IwAR0oy_PqpOhc-S7sP-mOZClmKZyhKwuWUbthSY8Um4qVp_YCJKYgL9HJiCA

07:30- Book discussion with Dr. Christopher Chabris

14:00- What is the target audience for the book?

17:00- The importance of playing serious games

25:00- Why did I write several pages about IM Levy Rozman’s pursuit of the GM title?

32:00- Why did I write a book? Did I ever want to quit this project?

42:00- How did I decide that “The Four Pillars of Chess Improvement” should be identified as these: 1) Play competitive games 2) Review them 3) Solve puzzles and 4) Find a Community?

53:00- What is my next project?

Mentioned: Episode 349 with Dr. Anique de Bruin

1:01:00 Patreon mailbag: Advice for Solitaire chess

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, my video on How to Do Solitaire Chess on LiChess Studies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8bpFF4nnPE

GM Daniel King’s How Good is Your Chess

Chess Life magazine archive with Pandolfini’s Solitaire Chess:

https://new.uschess.org/chess-life-digital-archives

Also available as a book:

https://www.amazon.com/Solitaire-Chess-Bruce-Pandolfini/dp/0812936566

1:05:00- Patreon mailbag question:

“What are some scientifically proven ways to improve at chess? What about unproven ways that Ben thinks are effective?”

1:13:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Which piece of advice do I think will be most helpful for my own improvement?”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

EP 353- GM Davorin Kuljasevic: Chess Improvement Q & A (plus discussion of his great new book on GM Ding Liren) Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

GM Davorin Kuljasevic is a renowned author, trainer and player, best known for the excellent book, How to Study Chess on Your Own. Because GM Kuljasevic has worked with players of varying ages and skill levels, and has written a book on the topic of chess study, he is the perfect person to field questions for a Chess Improvement Q & A. In our far-reaching conversation, we cover topics ranging from budgeting study time, to analyzing games, to playing against kids, and many others. We also discuss Davorin’s excellent forthcoming biography on GM Ding Liren, DIng Lirens Best Games: A Chess Biography of the World Champion. Ding, of course, is a fascinating and admirable player and there's so much to learn both from his games and from his approach to chess. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:01- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com

Check out GM Fabiano Caruana’s course here:

https://www.chessable.com/caruanas-ruy-lopez-dark-archangel/course/188495/

And GM Kuljasevic’s course, Beyond Material :

https://www.chessable.com/author/DavorinKuljasevic/

And some of my favorites:

https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

Prior interviews with Davorin:

Episode 229, June 2021

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nllqVtGfVA9gqdELutNpP?si=2d9ad8336bbb4cbc

How to Chess Episode 09

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tS4dfBFfxnOBmuLqnSfj3?si=2d75dd2c90ba4e61

0:02- GM Kuljasevic joins me!

Pre-order his book:

https://www.amazon.com/Ding-Lirens-Best-Games-Biography/dp/9083336689

DIng Liren’s Best Games: A Chess Biography of the World Champion:

https://www.newinchess.com/ding-liren-s-best-games-hardcover

03:30- First topic- Budgeting Your Chess Study Time

Mentioned: Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual

13:00- Do chess books still have value?

Mentioned: IM Mark Dvoretsky, IM Jeremy Silman, Think Like a Grandmaster, The Life and Games of Smyslov

16:30- Tactics

20:00- Game analysis

Books: Logical Chess Move by Move, The Most Instructive Chess Games,Instructive Chess Miniatures

22:00- Dealing with nerves at critical moments

Mentioned: Ding Liren-Nakamura 2022

30:00- Tips for how much time to spend analyzing games

32:00- Finding "model games"

Mentioned: Chess Structures

34:00- Tips for those that struggle with time trouble

Mentioned; How to Chess Episode 14 with Peter Svidler

41:00- Was Davorin surprised by the strength of a particular element of Ding’s play?

48:00- What is the ideal time control for newer players?

51:00- What calculation improvement resources are recommended for intermediate players?

Mentioned: Calculation: A Complete Guide for Tournament Players by Azel Chua, Fundamental Chess Calculation Skills by CM Can Kabadayi

54:30- Advice for playing against kids

Mentioned: Qatar Open, Nakamura, Carlsen, Kaidanov-Van Foreest 2023

1:01:00- If a study approach isn’t working, like a particular opening or emphasis on a phase of the game, how do we know if we should stick with it or change the approach?

1:03:00- Davorin discusses his workbook series and plans for a 2100 level edition, How to Study Chess on Your Own Workbook

Mentioned: Workbook , 1500-1800, Workbook 1800-2100

1:06:00- What does Davorin mean when he suggests that a player should study one’s openings deeply? Does it change at different levels?

1:09:00- What were the origins of Davorin’s Ding Liren book?

1:20:00- Thanks so much to GM Kuljasevic for joining, you can reach out to him via the Lichess or Chess.com Coaches pages:

https://lichess.org/coach/GrandmasterThinking

https://www.chess.com/member/davorinkuljasevic

Pre-order my book, Perpetual Chess Improvement: Practical Chess Advice from World Class Players and Dedicated Amateurs. It will be available soon from Amazon and other major retailers.

https://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Chess-Improvement-Practical-World-Class/dp/9083336549/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NC8JT9EJX0R&keywords=perpetual+chess+improvement&qid=1686853259&sprefix=perpetual+chess+improvement%2Caps%2C291&sr=8-1

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EP 352- Emilia Castelao and Craig Dubose: Two Chess Enthusiasts on their Chess Passion Projects Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

This week on Perpetual Chess we feature two chess enthusiasts who are driving initiatives to improve the chess world. 1) Emilia Castelao is a history grad student, chess photographer and chess historian, who is collaborating with Mr. Dodgy to launch the Women in Chess Foundation. Their mission is to advocate for and empower women in the chess community. Emilia has a broad vision for the foundation, but the first order of business is to ensure a safe competitive environment for tournament players. With this goal in mind, the foundation is training onsite advocates to volunteer at tournaments all over the world. In our conversation, we also discuss Emilia’s chess background and the roots of her enthusiasm for chess photography and history. 2) Craig Dubose is an Ireland-based dad and relatively recent chess enthusiast. Craig believes that more can be done to convert new chess fans into tournament players, and is running an annual tournament in Ireland, The Sligo Chess Tournament. Craig runs this tournament on a not-for-profit basis with the aim to improve the playing experience of area chess enthusiasts. Craig and his team made a documentary about last year’s event, which you can see here. In our conversation, Craig discusses the challenges and rewards of running such a tournament, and shares tips for anyone interested in starting to run their own tournaments.

As always, timestamps of guests interviewed and topics discussed can be found below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check our their new courses here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

And some of my favorites here:

https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

Subscribe to my free newsletter, The Perpetual Chess Linkfest here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

3:15- Emilia Castelao joins the pod to discuss a new initiative called the Women in Chess Foundation.

Mentioned: Lula Roberts, Mr. Dodgy

To volunteer to become an advocate go to:

https://www.womeninchess.com/

19:00- Emilia discusses her background and her interest in chess history.

Mentioned: Endgame by Dr. Frank Brady, Chess Notes by Edward Winter, Profile of a Prodigy, Episode X with Dr. Frank Brady

26:00- What got her into chess photography?

28:00- Does Emilia play and study chess much?

32:00- Thanks to Emilia for joining the pod!

Keep up with the Women in Chess Foundation here:

https://www.womeninchess.com/

Follow her on Twitter/X here:

https://twitter.com/emiliacastelao

33:00- Craig Dubose joins the podcast to discuss the background of the upcoming Sligo tournament in Ireland.

Mentioned: Welcome to Wrexham, Word Wars

45:00- Is it a priority to recruit titled players to compete in the tournament?

48:00- Why does Craig run the tournament on a non-profit basis?

52:00- Is it challenging to find a venue for a chess tournament?

58:00- What is Craig’s advice for anyone interested in running a weekend tournament?

59:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Craig have a plan for what would happen if he were no longer able to run his tournaments?”

1:01:30- Does Craig get to play much?

1:04:00- Thanks to Craig for joining the pod! You can learn more about the Sligo tournament here: https://itsligochesstournament.ie/

You can watch the documentary about last year’s event here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSx5qHpI5lw&feature=youtu.be

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EP 351- Steffen Nielsen: The author and award-winning endgame study composer on what makes a good chess puzzle, and whether endgame studies are good for your chess calculation. Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

This week’s guest, Steffen Slumstrump Nielsen is one of the most accomplished chess endgame study composers in the world. Steffen’s new book, Endgame Labyrinths (co-authored with GM Jacob Aagaard) compiles what they consider to be the most instructive endgame studies of all time. It is a beautiful book filled with challenging and instructive studies. In our conversation, we discuss how Steffen came to be interested in the “subgenre” of designing chess puzzles, the components that make a good study, and who he believes to be the best endgame study composers of all time. Finally, Steffen shares some details on his creation process and offers recommendations if you would like to learn more about endgame studies. Links of the topics referenced can be found below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check our their new courses here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

And some of my favorites here:

https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

0:00- How did Steffen discover the art of composing endgame studies?

0:04- How does Steffen work with engines when comprising a study?

Mentioned: Chessbase India feature on Steffen Nielsen:

https://www.chessbase.in/news/Giants-of-Modern-Studies-Part-I-The-Tactical-Thaumaturgy-of-Steffen-S-Nielsen-

11:30- What makes a good endgame study?

15:30- How useful are endgame studies for chess improvement? (potential break)

Mentioned: Episode 339 with WGM Anna Zatonskih

19:00- As an study composer, is calculation a strength of Steffen’s?

21:50- How much time per week does Steffen spend composing studies? What does his family think of it?

Mentioned: Steffen’s YouTube talk

27:00- What, if anything, differentiates Steffen’s prize-winning studies from others?

Mentioned: Tim Krabbe’s blog, Episode 226 with Tim Krabbe

33:00- Which famous players has Steffen meant who enjoy endgame studies?

Mentioned: GM Jan Timman

35:30- What did Steffen observe from observing the approach to solving of people like GM Sam Shankland and GM Christopher Yoo?

Mentioned: Free Preview of the Book here:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/EndgameLabyrinthsOnlineExcerpt.pdf

Also mentioned: GM Kasper Piorun

41:00- We discuss the invaluable endgame study database from Harold van der Heijden. More info here:

https://www.hhdbvi.nl/

44:00- What endgame study books has Steffen studied:

Mentioned: Kasparyan’s Domination in 2545 Studies, Oleg Pervakov’s Studies and Books, The Art of the Endgame

46:00- What was Steffen’s approach to chess study? What authors did he like?

Mentioned: Bent Larsen

48:30- How long has this book been in the works?

49:00- Steffen’s closing thoughts!

Mentioned: GM Wojciech Moranda

51:00- Thanks to Steffen for joining the program!

Follow Steffen on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/SteffenNielsen8?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

You can read more about composing studies on this blog:

www.chessstudy.art

Buy the book from Quality Chess:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/3/443/endgame_labyrinths_hardcover_by_jacob_aagaard_and_steffen_nielsen/

Or on Forward Chess:

https://forwardchess.com/product/endgame-labyrinths

Free preview from Quality Chess:

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/EndgameLabyrinthsOnlineExcerpt.pdf

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EP.350- CM Can Kabadayi: A self-taught Candidate Master and Cognitive Scientist on Calculation, The Chess Aging Curve and his Favorite Chess Books Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Can Kabadayi is a cognitive scientist, a self-taught Candidate Master, and a popular and prolific Chessable author. Given his academic background, Can is especially interested in the challenges of adult chess improvement, and devotes his chess work to helping adult learners.

In our conversation, we discuss the origins of Can’s interests in chess and cognitive science, his Chessable courses, his OTB plans, and notable research related to chess and cognitive science. Can is an avid bibliophile and also shares plenty of book recommendations. All in all, there is lots to learn from this conversation, as there is from Can’s courses and YouTube channel. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- Can retells the story of how he got into chess at the age of 17, and how he attained a first rating of approximately FIDE 2100!

Mentioned; Capablanca’s Fundamentals of Chess

0:07- Can describes the chess scene in Turkey.

Mentioned: GM John Nunn, GM Jonathan Rowson, Instructive Chess Miniatures

11:00- Can describes how he became interested in cognitive science.

Mentioned: Fernand Gobet’s The Psychology of Chess, Thought and Choice in Chess by Adrian de Groot

Mentioned: Take a chess cognitive test via Dr. Can’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyOpUyss3Sc, Think Like a Super GM

24:00- We discuss chess calculation, which is the topic of Can’s new Chessable course.

Mentioned: Under the Surface by GM Jan Markos

30:00 What are the most common types of mistakes Can sees in adult players?

32:00- More book and author recs!

Mentioned: The Secret Ingredient, NM Dan Heisman

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Is it still good advice for amateurs not to study openings?”

41:00- Patreon mailbag question: “All things being equal, what is the best age to start playing chess?”

Mentioned: Can’s Reddit Q and A, YouTube video: How good can I become if I start chess at age 30?, Episode 346 with NM Todd Bryant

49:00- Does Can have any plans of returning to competitive chess?

Mentioned: Episode 309 with Dr. Joel Sneed

Thanks to Can for joining me! Be sure to sub to his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.CansClinic

Can’s Chessable page:

https://www.chessable.com/author/Can_Kabadayi/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

EP 349- Dr. Anique de Bruin: Deliberate Practice and the Science of Chess Learning Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

This week on Perpetual Chess, we look at chess study from a different angle- what does the science of learning teach us about how best to study chess? Joining us to discuss it is an expert in the field, Dr. Anique de Bruin of Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Dr. de Bruin researches the topics of deliberate practice and desirable difficulty and researched and wrote about chess skill acquisition both in her dissertation and in an essay she wrote called “Helping Chess Players Improve” for the book The Chess Instructor 2009. In our conversation, Anique highlights noteworthy research around chess and deliberate practice, shares advice for chess instructors and self-motivated students, and discusses what her research revealed about gender and chess. This was a fascinating conversation that helped me refine my thinking about how to best teach and study chess independently. Timestamps of the topics discussed are below.

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com. You can check our their new courses here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

And some of my favorites here:

https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

0:00- As a researcher without a chess background, what initially got Anique interested in researching chess?

Mentioned: KPrime Podcast Episode 3 with Anique de Bruin

16:00- Is it necessary for deliberate practice to be “unenjoyable?”

18:00- Did the publication of Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell alter the nature of Anique’s research?

20:00- What did Anique’s research and gender reveal about gender and chess?

26:30- Patreon mailbag question: What books does Anique recommend to learn more about the science of learning?

Mentioned: In Their Own Words: What Scholars and Teachers Want You To Know about How to Apply the Science of Learning in an Academic Setting (free download)

https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/itow

Why Don’t Students Like School

Make it Stick: The Science of Learning

28:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is the biggest thing chess coaches get wrong?

32:30- Patreon mailbag question: Is their evidence to support the contention that chess players do better academically?

35:00- Anique discusses her recent research relating to self-regulated study “desirable difficulties”

43:00- If Anique could do a research study about any chess topic, what would it be?

45:30- Anique gives her parting advice for self-directed adult chess students.

Thanks to Dr. de Bruin for a fascinating interview! Her contact info is on her bio page with the University of Maastricht:

https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/abh-de-bruin

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Book Recap #33- Think Like a Super GM and Strategic Chess Exercises: 2 Great Books for Intermediate Level and Up (with Dr. Michael Franco) Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

The book review series Chess Books Recaptured is back to discuss a couple of great puzzle books with a strategic orientation. 1) First up, we discuss a lesser-known but excellent collection of puzzles and insightful analysis, Strategic Chess Exercises by GM Emanuel Bricard. Following that, we discuss one of the most (rightfully) acclaimed books of recent years, Think Like a Super GM by Phillip Hurtado and GM Michael Adams. Because these are both reasonably advanced books, we also share some similarly-spirited recommendations for lower-rated players. Joining me for it all, is returning guest, Dr. Michael Franco (NoseKnowsAll) who is a Software Engineer and fast-improving amateur player, who is active in various online chess communities.

Timestamps of books and topics discussed are below.

Spotify playlist for other book reviews:

https://spotify.link/Sx2hLmiTiDb

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Among countless other instructive courses, Strategic Chess Exercises is available via Chessable:

https://www.chessable.com/strategic-chess-exercises/course/16565/

0:00- For what levels are these books best suited?

0:03- Why does Michael love the book Strategic Chess Exercises ? What is its format?

Mentioned: Available on Chessable and Amazon, Michael’s appearance on Chess Journeys (Episode 102)

14:00- What are my quibbles about this high-quality book?

20:00- We discuss Think Like a Super GM by GM Michael Adams and Phillip Hurtado

Mentioned: Thought and Choice in Chessby de Groot, GM Jesse Kraai’s Video Review of Think Like a Super GM, My written review of Think Like a Super GM

35:00- Any quibbles with Think Like a Super GM?

39:00- Conclusions from and comparison between the 2 books.

47:00- We suggest similar books to these two that are accessible for players rated below 1500.

Mentioned: Evaluate like a GM, The Reassess Your Chess Workbook, Power of Pawns, Simple Chess, Mastering Chess Strategy, Winning Chess Strategy

52:00- We finish up by discussing Michael’s next chess books and tournaments.

Mentioned: Small Steps to Giant Improvement

Contact Michael via Lichess:

https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll

Pre-order Perpetual Chess Improvementhere (or wait for it to be available in other formats!)

https://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Chess-Improvement-Practical-World-Class/dp/9083336549/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PPCN7OZTKJU6&keywords=perpetual+chess+improvement&qid=1695235338&s=books&sprefix=perpetual+chess+improvement%2Cstripbooks%2C79&sr=1-1

If you would like to volunteer to potentially co-host a book discussion, you can do so via the form here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/co-host

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

EP 348- ALTO Tournament Report- Two Participants on What they learned and Experienced at an Adult Only Weekend Tournament in Charlotte Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Perpetual Chess returns for the second edition of what will be an occasional series, Perpetual Tournament Reports. (First edition here). For this episode, two guests join me to share their respective experiences at ALTO (“At Least Twenty One”), which was a tournament that took place in early September, and was hosted by the Charlotte Chess Center. ALTO is a semi-annual tournament that has quickly gained a loyal roster of attendees, due to the unique opportunity it presents to compete against and socialize with other adult chess players. My guests are 1) Returning guest, data scientist, blogger and Chessable Author, FM Nate Solon. Nate hasn’t been competing OTB much lately, in part due to the arrival of his first baby at home, but somehow he won the open section of the tournament! Despite this incredible success, Nate feels he has plenty of chess to work on, and he shares reflections from his games and away-from-the-board experiences in Charlotte. 2) James Braindmair got into chess via The Queen’s Gambit and is already quite active in his chess community in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to a busy work and family life, James is President of the Columbia Chess Club. With so many responsibilities, James doesn’t get much time to study, but he and some local chess friends all made the trip to play and compete. James reflects on the chess and non-chess lessons he has recently learned. Timestamps of guests and topics discussed can be found below.

Prior tournament report podcast-

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2023/6/30/f82nnc8zc3crw6pxaprlkd5rgil5a7

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Hmf19bVCz3WiwqFTmuHAE?si=8eedbfe0a6154989

If you are rated below 1300 Chess.com or lower (approximately,) and would like to send me games for my forthcoming Chessable course, please email Ben at perpetualchesspod.com

4:45- FM Nate Solon joins the pod! Was he surprised that he won the tournament? What were the key moments?

Mentioned:

https://www.chessable.com/100-repertoires-reti-1nf3/course/170854/

Episode 346 with NM Todd Bryant

LiChess study with most of Nate’s games

Episode 307 with IM Dean Ippolito

Nate’s post on Time Management-

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/time-management

16:00- Nate describes his mindset going into his final-round game against IM Dina Belenkaya.

Mentioned: GM Eugene Perelshteyn

21:00- Nate just hit a new rating high at age 38- How is he able to defy chess gravity?

23:00- What was ALTO like away from the board?

26:00- How is the 1. Nf3 repertoire from Nate’s Chessable course working out?

30:00- How did Nate’s new openings as Black work out?

Mentioned: King’s Kalashnikov Sicilian, Shankland’s Semi-Slav

38:00- What are Nate’s chess takeaways from the tournament?

Mentioned: Check Nate’s video recap of his White games here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd6niI6KllI

45:00- James Brandmair joins the pod! He begins by discussing how he recently got into tournament chess.

Mentioned: Paul Copeland, NM Sam Copeland’s YouTube Channel

48:00- What were James’ goals going into the tournament?

Mentioned: Hanlon-Brandmair 2023, IM Dina Belenkaya, JJ Lang, IM David Vigorito

54:00- What has James learned from reviewing the games?

Mentioned: GM John Shaw’s King’s Gambit, Godly Gambit

1:00:00- What are the goals for the Columbia Chess Club?

Mentioned: Is James’ wife supportive of chess weekends?

1:05:00- Did the tournament have a different feeling dur to the absence oft kids in the competition?

Thanks to James for joining! You can email him at Jamesbrandmair at gmail dot com

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EP 347- GM Gregory Kaidanov on The Return of Hans Niemann, FIDE World Cup Reflections & The Differences Between Adult and Youth Chess Students Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

This week’s return guest on Perpetual Chess is the renowned trainer and player GM Gregory Kaidanov. Gregory joined me in between travels, as he had returned home from competing in the FIDE World Cup, and he was soon heading to Macedonia for the World Senior Team Championship. Gregory shared his perspective on the FIDE World Cup both as a player, and as a fan. As we discuss, Gregory was not surprised by the continued success of GM Pragganandhaa and the younger generation, but the performance of the top finishers was nonetheless impressive. Gregory also shared his thoughts on the news that GM Hans Niemann is now able to return to Chess.com events, and he discussed his thoughts on the overall story. Lastly, Gregory answered a few listener questions related to chess improvement, and his thoughts on a few of his former students, including GMs Ben Finegold and Daniel Naroditsky. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Thanks to our Presenting Chess Education Sponsors, Chessable.com

You can learn more about the Chessable “Create Your Own Course” Contest here:

https://www.chessable.com/create/

Check out their new courses, included Ginger GM’s The Killer Barry here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

Gregory’s Prior Appearance: Episode 295

0:02:- Gregory joins and shares his reflections on the FIDE World Cup, both as a competitor and an observer

Mentioned: GM Nijat Abasov, GM Wesley So, GM Dieter Nisipeanu

10:00- Was Gregory worried about cheating at the World Cup?

18:00- What does Gregory think of the “2003” generation of chess stars that Magnus highlighted, including Pragganandhaa?

25:00- How did the tournament go for Gregory from a personal perspective?

Mentioned- Karthik-Kaidanov 2023, Kaidanov-Karthik 2023, Heine-Nielsen-Kaidanov 2002

32:00- Why is the US Senior Invitational of special importance to Gregory? How did he fare in his other recent tournaments?

Mentioned: Episode 344 with GM Melik Khachiyan

45:00- In the wake of GM Hans Niemann’s reinstatement on Chess.com, Gregory shares his thoughts on the whole saga.

Mentioned: Chess.com Statement on Hans Niemann

52:00- Are chess books still necessary?

Mentioned: Colin Stapcynski’s article on Coach of the Month

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Gregory have any advice for how one can improve his approach to chess away from the board?”

Mentioned: Book Recap #32- Chess for Zebras

1:00:00- What has Gregory learned from working with adult chess players?

1:07:00- Gregory discusses his work GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Ben Finegold and GM Sam Shankland and others.

1:12:00- What has Gregory learned from studying GM Ulf Andersson? What has he learned from playing Mikhail Tal.

Mentioned: Episode 300 with GM Ulf Andersson, Kaidanov-Andersson 2002

Thanks, as always to GM Kaidanov for joining me. You can reach him via his website:

https://kaidanov.org/

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EP 346- NM Todd Bryant Shares his Data on the Most Accomplished Adult Improvers in recent US Chess History, plus Discusses his Own Approach to Chess Enjoyment & Improvement Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

The Adult Improver series returns to look at both the macro and the micro of adult chess improvement. My guest is NM Todd Bryant. Todd is a software engineer (for Chess.com) and an accomplished player, who has used his analytical skills to gather lots of data about the most accomplished adult improvers in recent US Chess History. Todd shares information about the standout improvement cases at different age ranges. What would be considered an exceptional rating gain for someone over the age of 30? What about age 50? What patterns does Todd notice in looking at the rating graphs of these accomplished amateur? In addition to sharing all of this data that Todd has dutifully gathered, he discusses his own improvement philosophy. Todd plays frequently OTB, and when at home he emphasizes opening study and frequent speed chess play. This approach has been working for Todd as he recently passed 2500 Blitz on Chess.com for the first time! This was a fascinating conversation, and I really appreciate Todd’s gathering and sharing all of this interesting data! Timestamps of the topics discussed are below.

Todd’s previous Perpetual Chess appearance:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2023/6/30/f82nnc8zc3crw6pxaprlkd5rgil5a7

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via the Patreon community you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Chess.com’s First #Chesspunks tournament! More info here:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/chesspunks-champs

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com. Here are a few of NM Todd Bryant’s favorite Chessable courses and authors:

GM Gawain Jones:

FM Kamil Plichta

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

6:00- Todd shares his findings from his independent research into what type of rating gains are seen by the most accomplished adult improvers at different ages.

13:45- What were the outlier cases of improvement after the age of 25?

Mentioned: Michael Johnson, NM Philemon Thomas, NM Fred Wilson

19:30- What type of rating gains have improvers over the age of 50 achieved?

Mentioned: Tom Hickenlooper, James Altucher, Skip the Line

29:00- Does Todd think there is rating deflation in US Chess and FIDE?

Mentioned: Paul Iinuma

32:00- How does this data impact how Todd approaches chess?

36:00- Why does Todd choose to focus on speed chess and blitz with his chess time?

Mentioned: Pre-order My Book- Perpetual Chess Improvement, IM Greg Shahade’s Blog Post “Slow Chess is Dying”

44:00- Is there a rating below which playing speed chess does not result in an improvement in playing?

46:00- Why does Todd still play the King’s Gambit?

Mentioned: The King’s Gambit by GM John Shaw, IM Ryo Chen