Perpetual Chess Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP 324- IM Levy Rozman/Gotham Chess on Surpassing 3 Million YouTube Subs, Retiring from OTB, his DMs with Magnus, and his Future Plans Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

This week we are excited to catch up with the most popular chess content creator in the world, IM Levy Rozman aka Gotham Chess. With a Chessable course launching, and a book coming soon, Levy took a break from his busy schedule to reflect on another year of explosive growth in his content. His YouTube channel recently passed 3 million subs, and Levy’s TikTok account went from 0 to 1 million+ followers in about 3 months! In our interview, Levy takes us behind the scenes of the work that goes into the growth, and speculates about what type of chess fans might be driving the latest surge in popularity. It has been almost 2 years since my last interview with Levy, so there are many other topics to catch up on, including the FIDE World Championship, his retirement from OTB chess, his DMs with Magnus Carlsen and much more. It is always entertaining and enlightening to hear Levy reflect on chess and on his success! Timestamps of topics discussed are below.

0:00- You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here:

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

Prior Levy appearances:

Episode 180

Episode 233

0:02: How much does Levy know about his audience?

0:08- What drives him to keep trying to grow his channel?

0:16:00- Does Levy think this recent growth is propelled by high school kids?

21:00- Does Levy still do his own editing? Who else helps him?

27:00- Has Levy interacted with Magnus one-on-one?

33:00- Levy’s thoughts on the Ding-Nepo World Championship

40:00- How does Levy reflect on his abandoned pursuit of the GM title?

47:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Levy’s advice to a parent who may be trying to encourage a scholastic player to stick with tournament chess?

56:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Does Levy still have opening novelties he keeps to himself?”

58:00- What lines does Levy recommend in his new Chessable course? What rating range does it target?

1:04:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What differentiates Levy’s course from other Chessable 1. E4 courses?”

1:07:00- How did Levy’s visit to YouTube headquarters come about?

1:12:00- Has Levy’s daily life in New York changed much since our 2021 interview?

1:13:00- Life as a dog dad

1:15:00- Levy discusses his upcoming book, How to Win at Chess.

1:17:00- Levy’s 2023 plans

1:19:00- Thanks again to Levy for catching up with us!

You should check out his YouTube channel!

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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EP 323- Ding-Nepo World Championship Match Preview Double Episode- GM Daniel King on the Players and Historical Context, NM Matt Jensen on the Match Analytics. Also Discussed: Rating Deflation, The Sicilian Defense, and Chess Improvement Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

With the 2023 FIDE World Chess Championship less than 2 weeks away, we bring you a double episode dissecting the match between GM Ian Nepomniatchtchi and GM Ding Liren. Since we feature 2 knowledgeable guests, we also discuss topics ranging from chess improvement, to the Sicilian defense, to online rating deflation. First up is popular YouTuber, commentator, author and Chessable Author, GM Daniel King. Daniel has attended multiple World Championships and was able to provide helpful context on a match that many feel ambivalent about given the historical and geopolitical circumstances. Despite many valid reservations, Daniel points out that this is an extremely compelling chess matchup between the #2 and #3 players in the world. Daniel also discusses his new Chessable course, King’s Anti-Sicilians, recalls the first Kasparov-Karpov match that he attended, and shares some reflections on what his passion for guitar and bass has taught him about chess improvement.

Guest #2 (1:22:00) is NM Matt Jensen, a statistician and the co-founder of the chess education site, Chessgoals.com. Matt gives us a look at the analytics of the match. Who do his mathematical projections favor? How likely is a tiebreak? Who would be favored in a tiebreak? Matt has also done extensive research on ratings comparisons across chess sites, and with Chessgoals, designs study plans for different level players, so we also talk some chess improvement and chess books. As always, timestamps for all of the topics discussed with both guests can be found below.

0:00- You can check out some of my favorite Chessable courses for different rating levels here:

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

01:00- Basic facts on the match including venue, time control, dates from Ben

06:00- GM Daniel King joins the show. We begin by providing an overview of the Ding-Nepo match.

22:00- Should Nepo be allowed to play in a World Championship, given his past ties with the Russian government?

Mentioned: Nepomniatchtchi Signed Open Letter to Putin by Peter Doggers

28:00-Patreon Mailbag Question: “What does Daniel think of the possibility of selecting Openings for the World Championship in order to limit draws”?

39:00- How does Daniel compare the modern era to prior eras during which the highest rated player was not the undisputed champion, such as with Kasparov in the 1990s?

44:00- The Carlsen-Niemann scandal

Mentioned: Professor David Franklin on the Hans Niemann Lawsuit

50:00- Daniel's recommendations against the Rossolimo and Alapin

Mentioned: Episode 315 with World Correspondence Champion, Dr. Jon Edwards, King’s Kalashnikov Sicilian

1:05:00- Daniel shares his memories of attending the 1985 Kasparov-Karpov World Championship match, and he talks about a memorable game he played against Mikhail Tal.

Mentioned: GM Jon Tisdall, IM David Goodman, King-Tal 1985, How to Win at Chess by GM Daniel King

1:13:00- What has playing music taught Daniel about Chess Improvement?

1:21:00- Thanks, as always to GM Daniel King for joining me!

Check out his Chessable courses here:

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

Subscribe to Power Play Chess here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBATpFb--uLNAODOVWvCTA

1:22:00- NM Matt Jensen joins the show, and we dive into what his predictive model says about the Ding-Nepo match, including tiebreak scenarios

1:36:00- Has Matt seen rating deflation on Lichess and Chess.com?

Mentioned: Episode 249 with Dr. Mark Glickman, Chessgoals’ Rating Comparison Data here

1:43:00- What does Matt’s research reveal about how best to study chess?

1:46:00- Patreon Mailbag Question: “Has Matt’s thinking on the best study plans evolved as he has worked with more students?

1:49:00- Matt’s favorite Chess Books

Mentioned: Yusupov Build Up Your Chess Series, Reassess Your Chess by IM Jeremy Silman, Silman’s Endgame Course

1:53:00- Thanks to Matt for sharing his insights! Check out his study plans at Chessgoals.com.

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EP 322- IM Willy Hendriks- The Groundbreaking Author and Trainer on Chess Improvement, Chess History, and The Books that Most Influenced Him Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

IM Willy Hendriks is a Netherlands based chess trainer, and an author of three books: Move First Think Later ( 2012 ECF Book of the Year), On the Origin of Good Moves, and his new book, Ink War: Romanticism vs. Modernity in Chess. Ink War is an entertaining and informative look at the first World Championship Match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. As we discuss the two players had some common biographical traits, but were bitter rivals away from the board. Willy explains why the job of a chess professional was harder in those days, and shares some common misconceptions about the contributions that each player made to the advancement of chess. Since Willy is an accomplished player, trainer and improver, we also discuss Willy’s chess improvement philosophy, his own OTB game, and a few of his favorite chess books. Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- Thanks to our presenting Chess Education sponsor, Chessable! You can check out their new courses here:

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

Info on GM Daniel King’s upcoming March 24 Masterclass here:

https://www.chessable.com/using-the-outpost-masterclass/course/156548/

Episode 182 - IM Willy Hendriks’ Prior Appearance

3:00- How is Willy’s OTB game progressing?

06:30- Does Willy have an overall chess improvement philosophy?

16:30- What gave IM Hendriks the idea to write about the Steinitz-Zukertort Match?

21:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- What led to Zukertort’s 2nd half collapse in the match against Steinitz, and what is Zukertort’s chess legacy?

28:00- Why does Willy think that the writings of Lasker, Euwe and Reti led to a misinterpretation of chess history?

Mentioned: Masters of the Chessboard, Lasker’s Manual of Chess

33:00- Where does the title The Ink War come from?

41:00- Did the famous game, Grimshaw-Steinitz actually occur or was it made up?

Mentioned: Grimshaw-Steinitz

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1718604

46:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- Does Willy know what his next book project will be?

50:00- What Chess Books were influential for Willy?

Tarrasch’s 300 Games, Nunn’s Secrets of Practical Chess, Pawn Power in Chess, Kotov’s Think Like a Grandmaster

53:00- Does Willy have favorite players or personal favorite games?

57:00- Patreon Mailbag Question- When Willy evaluates a position does he consciously count material?

Mentioned: Move First Think Later

1:04:00- As someone who has just written about the first World Championship, what does Willy think of the potential phasing out of the Classical World Championship tradition?

Mentioned: Episode 319 with Dr. Howard Burton

Thanks to IM Hendriks for joining us! Links for his books are here:

New in Chess:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-ink-war

Free Sample Here-

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9134.pdf

Move First Think Later

On the Origin of Good Moves

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

Patreon

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EP 321- GM Cristian Chirila on Past and Upcoming World Championship Matches, his OTB game, and the Growth of the C Squared Podcast Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

This week on Perpetual Chess we catch up with GM Cristian Chirila. A former Romanian youth champion, GM Chirila is now based in Missouri and has many roles in the chess world including commentator for the Grand Chess Tour, coach of the St. Louis University Chess Team, and co-host, with GM Fabiano Caruana, of the C-Squared podcast. On C Squared, GM’s Chirila and Caruana are often joined by prominent guests to discuss top-level chess news. The podcast is highlighted by its excellent production and has quickly found a large audience. In our interview, we discuss the origins of and future plans for C Squared. We also touch on World Championships, past and present, Cristian’s OTB game and lots more. We also briefly talk about the sexual assault allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez although, to hear Cristian and Fabiano’s full thoughts, one should listen to the latest episode of C Squared. The notes to topics discussed can be found below.

Episode recorded February 28, 2023

0:00- Brief addendum regarding the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez (Recorded March 9, 2023)

04:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com! Check out their latest courses here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/#!/new

05:00- Cristian joins! What lessons has Cristian learned from launching the C Squared Podcast?

Mentioned: Episode 47 with GM Cristian Chirila

15:00- Patreon mailbag question:” Do Chirila and Caruana have a long-term vision for C Squared?”

Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

18:00- Is Cristian surprised by how forthcoming Fabiano has been on the podcast?

20:00- Patreon mailbag question: Does Cristian worry that professionally collaborating with Fabiano could impact their friendship?

24:00- Cristian discusses C-Squared’s plans for the World Championship and his own thoughts on the Ding-Nepo match

29:00- Cristian discusses his experience of working as one of Fabiano’s seconds during the World Championship match.

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Were there moments in the 2018 World Championship where Cristian thought Fabiano would take the lead in the match?”

41:00- What was your day-to-day life like as a second during the match in London?

46:00- Patreon mailbag question:” Does Cristian think we will continue to see Rapid and Blitz elevated over classical chess?”

51:00- Cristian discusses his recent OTB tournament and upcoming plans.

57:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What is Cristian’s role as head coach of the University of Missouri?”

1:03:00- We discuss the allegations against GM Alejandro Ramirez (recorded February 28)

1:08:00- Cristian discusses his upcoming tournament plans

Thanks to Cristian for joining the show!

You can subscribe to C-Squared here:

https://www.youtube.com/@csqpod

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

Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon

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EP 320- Adult Improver Ben Hunt of “Chess Boot Camp" YouTube Channel on going from 0-1500, “The Goldfish Method” and Transitioning to OTB Chess Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

This month, The Adult Improver Series welcomes Ben Hunt of the Chess Boot Camp YouTube Channel. Through his channel and a Chess.com forum, Ben has built a community around helping players rated 500-1200 improve. Ben started pursuing chess seriously in 2019 and shares tons of helpful reflections including his favorite content creators, the challenges of transitioning to OTB, and what he has learned from creating a YouTube channel geared towards fellow chess amateurs. Ben’s enthusiasm for chess is contagious, and I really enjoyed hearing his perspective.

0:00- Thanks to recent Patreon subs, if you would like to join the community you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

Sub to the Perpetual Chess linkfest here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

02:00- Ben got very interested very quickly in chess in 2019- what precipitated that?

Mentioned: Chess.com Lessons

07:00- Who are Ben’s favorite chess content creators?

Mentioned: Ginger GM, IM Alex Banzea, GM Daniel Naroditsky, St. Louis Chess Club, Jonathan Schrantz, IM John Bartholomew

10:00-Patreon mailbag question: “What is the goldfish method?” Why does Ben sometimes struggle to implement it?”

Mentioned: Ben’s Goldfish Method Video, Move First Think Later, Chess Steps Method

17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here:https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

18:30- What has it been like for Ben to try out OTB play in the UK?

23:00- Ben discusses his opening repertoire a bit as we discuss whether openings are overemphasized for club players.

Mentioned: IM Andras’ Toth’s The Beginners 1. D4 Repertoire, SImon Williams’ The British Grand Prix, The Dvoretsky Endgame Manual,Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, 100 Endgames You Must Know

34:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What advice does Ben give to those who are struggling translating increased knowledge to an OTB performance above the 1000 level?”

42:00- What is Ben’s tactics regimen?

Mentioned: Chessbootcamp.club, The Woodpecker Method, Book Recap #6: The Woodpecker Method

50:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

Or use this link for the same discount:

https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12

51:00- What kind of material does Ben present on his YouTube channel?

55:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What are Ben’s chess goals?”

1:01:00- Patreon mailbag question: “When you are showing a tactical puzzle, how important is it to show the moves that preceded the puzzle?”

1:05:00- What are Ben’s interests outside of chess?

1:07:00- As we say our goodbyes, Ben gives 3 tips for getting to 1000.

Thanks to Ben for joining! Here is how to keep up with him:

Chess.com profile

https://www.chess.com/member/benhunt72

Chess Bootcamp YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/ChessBootCamp

Chess Bootcamp Live

https://chessbootcamp.club/

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 319- Dr. Howard Burton- An Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker and Author on the Growth Opportunity for Chess, the Genius of Morphy, Fixing FIDE, and Whether Chess Skills Transfer to Other Domains Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Howard Burton is a documentary filmmaker and author. Howard holds a PhD in theoretical physics and an MA in Philosophy. He is also the founder of the award-winning multimedia initiative Ideas Roadshow. Their latest documentary, Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration, is a 4 part documentary that shows the cultural impact and history of chess from its origins to modern times. It is very informative and well produced, and features many familiar faces including GM Hou Yifan, IM Daniel Rensch, GM David Smerdon and Award Winning Chess Teacher Elizabeth Spiegel. In conjunction with the documentaries, Dr. Burton has written a book of opinion essays about the role of chess in culture, called Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess. It is enjoyable and provocative and discusses all that is right as well as what could be fixed within the chess world. Our conversation touches on both Howard’s book and his documentaries, and as his work does, helps to contextualize the role of chess in the world. Topics include the shortcomings of FIDE, Howard’s admiration for Paul Morphy, whether chess skills are transferable beyond chess, and Howard’s own history with chess Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- What framed Howard’s approach to separating his book of essays and documentaries?

07:00- As somewhat of an outsider to chess, how would Howard change the chess world if he could?

13:00- What should the role of a chess governing body be?

26:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

Or use this link for the same discount:

https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12

28:00- What does Howard admire about Paul Morphy? Why does Howard think that Morphy isn’t placed on the same level as Fischer?

Mentioned: Paul Morphy: Pride and Sorrow of Chess

36:00- How do the misogynistic statements of Fischer and Kasparov affect chess culture?

Mentjioned: GM Alejandro Ramirez under Investigation for Misconduct

44:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

45:00- How did Howard interview people from all over the world for Through the Mirror of Chess?

Mentioned: Seven Games: A Human History, Episode 263 with Oliver Roeder

52:00- Does Howard play much chess?

Howard’s One Move at a Time Interview

55:00- What frustrates Howard about suggestions related to the transferable skills of chess?

Mentioned: Brooklyn Castle featuring Elizabeth Spiegel

1:02:00- What role can chess play in social empowerment?

Mentioned: Tunde Onakoya, Russell Makofsky of The Gift of Chess, GM Pontuss Carlsson

Thanks to Howard for joining the show! Here are the links to keep up with him:

Chess.com Blog (including more thoughts on Fixing FIDE)

Info on watching the documentary here:

Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration

And Get the Book Here:

Chessays: Travels Through the World of Chess

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EP 318 - Trainer and Chessable Author IM Yaacov Norowitz on How he Became a Blitz Specialist, His Early Encounters with Hikaru and Gothamchess & His Unique Approach to Chess Learning Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

This week I am joined by IM Yaacov Norowitz. Yaacov is a trainer, a Chessable author, and a speed chess specialist who has won the World Open Blitz tournament 5 times. He has a Chess.com peak blitz rating of nearly 3000. Yaacov has a unique background, and he had some entertaining stories to tell about topics that include :

His over 12000 blitz and bullet games against Hikaru Nakamura. Yaacov has known Hikaru since Hikaru was age 6, before he started playing competitive chess.
His early interactions with Gotham Chess, whom Yaacov taught when Levy was a kid.
Yaacov’s “dacha method” approach to chess learning
How Yaacov’s strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing impacted his chess playing.

Yaacov also is an avid chess reader and has plenty of book recommendations. As always, you can find timestamps for topics discussed below.

0:00- Yaacov discusses his early blitz battles with a young Hikaru Nakamura and how Yaacov became a blitz specialist?

8:00- What differentiated Hikaru’s bullet peak from that of everyone else? Has Yaacov played other bullet wizards, Alireza and Andrew Tang?

14:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

16:00- What did Yaacov learn from his coach, the legendary player GM Roman Dzindziashvilli? Also what is “The Cheesecake Opening”?

22:00- Yaacov loved to read chess books as a kid. What were his favorites?

Mentioned: Dojo Talks Podcast Episode 72, Capablanca’s Endings, Chess Praxis, How to Reassess Your Chess, Logical Chess Move by Move

27:00- How did Yaacov balance playing blitz and playing classical chess?

32:00- What were Yaacov’s blitz battles against GM Viswanathan Anand like?

36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here:https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

37:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Will Yaacov make a Chessable course on his “dacha theory” of chess learning?”

44:00- Yaacov discusses the origins of his collaboration with Elijah Logozar, a former Adult Improver guest.

50:00- Yaacov was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family. How did chess and religion intersect for him?

57:00- Yaacov taught IM Levy Rozman as a kid. What was he like?

58:00- Yaacov discusses his chess academy, Yaacattack.com

1:02:00- How does Yaacov advise one to spend their chess study time?

1:04:00- Thanks to Yaacov for joining the show!

Website- Yaacattack.com

The Yaac Attack Stonewall Chessable course-https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-stonewall-for-white/course/31827/

The Yaac Attack- Caro Kann for Black

https://www.chessable.com/the-yaac-attack-caro-kann-for-black/course/49678/

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Book Recap #31- San Luis 2005- Dr. Christopher Chabris on a A Tournament Book featuring Sparkling Games and Annotations, A Mini Cheating Scandal, at a Crossroad Moment in World Championship Chess History Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

The Perpetual Chess Book Review Series Chess Books Recaptured returns to discuss the award winning book, San Luis 2005by GM Alik Gershon and Igor Nor. San Luis 2005 chronicles a crucial tournament in modern chess history, a double round robin whose winner determined the FIDE World Champion. The tournament featured nearly all of the top players of the time including GM Viswanathan Anand, Judit Polgar, Peter Svidler, and the winner, GM Veselin Topalov. As we discuss, GM Vladimir Kramnik was conspicuously absent, as he was already champion of a competing World Championship Faction that was originally founded by GM Garry Kasparov. Kramnik ultimately played the winner of this tournament in a 2006 Championship reunification match.

My guest co-host is Dr. Christopher Chabris, a renowned author, cognitive scientist and USCF Master. As Christopher and I discuss, it is a beautiful book with lucid prose and great photos and game analysis. The tournament it covers did not have a suspenseful ending, but it did contain some drama in the form of cheating accusations that were lodged against the tournament winner. As we discuss, these unproven accusations have a lot of parallels to the Carlsen-Niemann scandal. We also discuss why tournament books “don’t sell” and compare this book to other classic tournament books like Zurich 1953. Lastly, I catch up a bit with Dr. Chabris on his OTB tournament plans, and his forthcoming book Nobody’s Fool: Why we Get Taken in and What we Can do about it. As always, timestamps and links for topics discussed can be found below.

Prior appearances by Dr. Christopher Chabris:

Episode 95 with Christopher Chabris

Episode 187 with Christopher Chabris

Book Recap #4: Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov

Book Recap #15: Secrets of Practical Chess and Attack the Strongpoint

Book Recap #25 (Mammoth Games)

02:00- Why did we choose San Luis 2005?

Mentioned: Book Recap #17- Zurich 1953 with FM Nate Solon and special guest GM Andy Soltis

04:00- Historical context: What was happening with the World Championship cycle in 2005?

Mentioned: Linares! Linares! By Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam

14:00- Chessable Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

16:00- We discuss the origins of the books and the background of the authors

Mentioned: 2008 Chessbase article about the book, Lichess Study with the Games from the Tournament

23:00- Why do they say books recapping tournaments “do not sell”?

Mentioned: Zurich 1953, New York 1924, World Championship 1948

29:00- We share a few quotes from the Intro and preface by GMs Nigel Short and Mihail Marin.

36:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

Or use this link for the same discount:

https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12

38:00- What notable games took place?

Anand-Adams 2005, Polgar-Kasimdzhanov, Kasimdzhanov-Polgar, Leko-Topalov, Wijk an Zee 1975 by Lubomir Kavalek

48:00- Why was Toplov accused of cheating in this tournament? Was there merit to this claim?

57:00- Dr. Chabris shares his thoughts on the Carlsen-Niemann scandal

Mentioned: Discussion of the Niemann/Carlsen saga with GMs Jonathan Rowson and David Smerdon

1:04:00- Patreon mailbag question: Has Chris’ expertise in cognitive science helped his chess game?

1:10:00- What chess books are we looking forward to?

Mentioned: Book Recap #30 with Carsten Hansen, Dojo Talks- The Best Chess Books, Quality Chess coming in 2023

Thanks to Dr. Chabris for helping out with this book discussion!

You can follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/cfchabris

Order his forthcoming book here:

Nobody’s Fool: Why we Get Taken in and What we Can do about it.

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EP 317- GM Jorden van Foreest- The Dutch Chess Champ on Working with Magnus and Anish, How he Became Known as a “Creative Player” and What he is Doing to Work on His Own Game Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

This week we are joined by a young star of the chess world, Dutch GM and Chessable Author GM Jorden van Foreest. Just 23 years of age, Jorden already has a wide range of chess experience. As a player, Jorden has a peak rating of 2715 and was the Dutch National Champion in 2016 and the Tata Steel Champion in 2021. He also has already had the opportunity to work extensively with his Dutch compatriot, GM Anish Giri, as well as on the preparation team of GM Magnus Carlsen. Jorden reflects on all of these experiences, as well as shedding some light on top-level opening prep. He also offers his opinion on why he is known for his creativity as a player. Fun interview! You can find timestamps of topics discussed below.

0:00- Be sure to Sub to How to Chess on your favorite podcast app as Season 3 approaches:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-chess/id1572917817

And you can sub to the free weekly chess round up, The Perpetual Chess linkfest here:

https://benjohnson.substack.com

02:00- We discuss Jorden’s in-tournament prep and how he finds his famously creative opening ideas, particularly the exchange sacrifice he uncorked against Anish Giri in 2023 Tata Steel.

Mentioned:

van Foreest-Giri 2023 , Jorden’s C Squared interview, Jorden’s Gotham City Podcast Interview

15:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Jorden find the balance between venturing his creative lines and playing solid, tested lines?”

17:30- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

19:00- Is Jorden a naturally creative player or is it a skill he developed?

21:00- What did Jorden do to learn to limit blunders?

Mentioned:

Jorden’s mom’s RealChess App is here!

https://vanforeest.com/realchess/index.html

Survive and Thrive on Chessable by FM Dalton Perrine

https://www.chessable.com/survive-thrive-how-to-blunder-less-and-defend-better/course/80629/

24:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Jorden think contributes to his family’s unusual success at chess?”

26:30- What did Jorden observe about Magnus Carlsen’s chess talent while doing training camps with him?

29:30- Is Jorden using PC based or cloud-based engines? What type of cloud engine does he use?

More info on the possibility of leaked prep in the Carlsen-Nepo match here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/r4cw22/was_the_prep_for_game_3_leaked/

35:30- Jorden takes us behind the scenes of his recent appearance with Anish Giri on Khalid and Sophie, a Dutch general interest talk show appearance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IMPMAruaV0

38:00- Does Jorden agree with Magnus Carlsen that classical chess could be phased out?

40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

Or use this link for the same discount:

https://aimchess.com/try?ref=benjohnson12

42:00- What tournaments are coming up for Jorden?

44:30- How does Jorden work on his game now?

Mentioned: Rock Solid Chess by GM Sergei Tiviakov

46:00- How did Jorden decide to do a course on The Tarrasch Defense?

Free Short and Sweet version-

https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-tarrasch-defense/course/139270/

Full version-

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-tarrasch-defense/course/128906/

50:30- Who does Jorden favor in the Ding-Nepo match? Would he consider working on one of their teams?

56:00- Thanks to Jorden for joining me!

You can follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/jordenvforeest?lang=en

https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-tarrasch-defense/course/139270/

Full version-

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-tarrasch-defense/course/128906/

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

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

EP 316- GM Mihail Marin: The Renowned Author and Trainer on Learning from Larsen, Tal, Polgar and other Legends Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

GM Mihail Marin has spent his life surrounded by chess in varying professional capacities and has the wealth of wisdom and stories you might expect from such experiences. He is a polyglot, a prolific and award winning author, a top trainer, and a 3 time Romanian national Chess champion. GM Marin is also the friend and frequent collaborator of GM Judit Polgar, and eventually helped Judit write her landmark books after befriending her family in the early 1990s. In our interview, we discuss all of these experiences, as well as Marin’s memorable games against Viktor Korchnoi and Boris Spassky and his new books about GM Bent Larsen and GM Vladimir Simagin. GM Marin had so many fun stories to share and such a rich perspective on so many chess champions. Timestamps and topics discussed can be found below.

0:00- We begin by discussing Mihail’s record of Chess Olimpiad participation and trying to count how many languages he speaks. :)

Mentioned: Olimpbase.org, Magic Mountain

13:00- Mihail discusses how he works with engines.

20:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

21:00- What did Mihail think of Tata Steel 2023?

Mentioned: Giri-Carlsen 2023, Carlsen-Abdusattorov 2023

27:00- What does Mihail think of the fact that Carlsen says he will take a break from Classical Chess?

Mentioned: Caruana-Korchnoi 2011

32:00- Mihail discusses his games with Korchnoi, Spassky and Karpov.

Mentioned: LiChess Study with Marin’s games with Korchnoi

52:00- Mihail spent some time with Tal shortly before he died. What was that like?

Mentioned: Tal-Gomez 1992

56:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

59:00- Mihail has been the second, friend and co-author with GM Judit Polgar many times over the years, how did his friendship with the Polgar sisters begin?

Mentioned: San Luis 2005 World Championship

1:17:00- We discuss MIhail’s latest book, Learn from Bent Larsen, did Mihail ever meet the legendary Danish GM? (Also available on Forward Chess), including a Patreon mailbag question

1:27:00- Learn from the Legendsis a renowned book. Which players does Mihail’s forthcoming sequel cover?

Mentioned: Lajos Portisch, Lev Polugaevsky, Paul Keres

1:40:00- Does Mihail write with a specific audience in mind?

1:43:00- We discuss Mihail’s book Learning Chess With Simagin

Mentioned: Chessbase interview by by Conrad Schormann

1:54:00- Patreon mailbag question: Will Mihail’s series on the English Opening ever be on Chessable?

1:58:00- Mihail discusses some players that played with a “computer like” style, even before chess computers, such as Bobby Fischer. He also discusses the legendary opening preparation of GM Efim Geller.

2:10:00- Thanks to GM Marin for sharing his vast chess knowledge! Here are some ways to keep up with him:

Facebook

Learning Chess With Simagin

Learn from Bent Larsen (Also available on Forward Chess)

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

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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